Fantasy Return of the Scarlet Empress - IC 3e

[Sherwood]

Here is our story thread.

 

[Sherwood]

“My children! My subjects! People of Creation, FALL SILENT! Hear me, your Scarlet Empress, Champion of Creation, eternal ruler of the Blessed Isle! For years, I have turned my face from this world to commune with the Dragon of my Aspect and his four equal peers! And now, with my Return from meditative isolation, this time of lawless tumult ends! Today, I set right the crumbling hierarchy of my Government, my Legions, and the Great Houses! And woe be unto whomever opposes me in this righteous cause! My first act is to cleanse Creation of the corruption of the city of Thorns! With the destruction of the city and the unholy Deathlord that controls it, it is the first step to a better tomorrow!”

With these words spoken from the height of the Imperial Mountain nearly three months ago, the Scarlet Empress announced her return from her long sabbatical and following that, the absolute destruction of the city of Thorns. Fire rained down from the sky in a hurricane of wind driving deadly shards of Essence, razing the whole of the city from the face of Creation. Following this, massive earthquakes shook the entirety of Creation, causing destruction across the land. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the initial blast, and many more casualties resulted from the terrible quakes that shook the land.

Chejop Keyjak has been in a tizzy, sending the Chosen of the Fivescore Fellowship from one side of the land to the other in a desperate attempt to learn more of the mysterious reappearance of the Empress from wherever it is that she was lurking for the past five years. Answers must be had.

But with the chaos of the past several months, the people of Creation still need to be reassured that their lives won’t come to a horrible fate, and to that end, Between has been performing for his appreciative audiences in the city of Nexus, and Reyna has been able to attend several of his exhibitions. Right now, the two siblings are taking some much-needed time to unwind at Valbars Tea House, a hidden gem in the heart of the city. Valbar is a friendly fellow and a true master of the crushed leaf. It is much more than a simple drink, raising the simple task of making tea to an art.

When you enter, the smell of jasmine and honey wafts through the air to caress your nose as a lovely woman glides her way through the foyer to greet you; a specialized construct from the First Age. She says, “Welcome to Valbars, Noble Exalts. We have been expecting you. Please, come with me.” The magical golem turns to guide you through the low tables to a private room in the back that has been set aside for your personal use. A small tray containing a dozen sweet cakes sit in the center of the table. The construct woman smiles pleasantly at you as she says, “Master Valbar has been looking forward to seeing you, and has decided to personally attend to you. A rare treat. He will be along shortly. In the meantime, enjoy a sweet cake. You will find them to be quite light and refreshing.” With that, she closes the sliding door to give you your privacy to enjoy the aroma of the burning incense and enjoy the calm and quiet.

 

[gmimperfecti]

Wrapped in his resplendent destiny beneath The Musician complete with outlandish outfit and musical instrument, fit to blend in amongst both artists and hedonists. The calm interior of the Valbars Tea House was in many ways a reminder that his Musician Resplendent Destiny was only temporary.

He took a deep breath a faint smile on his face as he bumped his shoulder into Reyna's. "Not like the ragers back home." He grinned and followed the construct.

When you enter, the smell of jasmine and honey wafts through the air to caress your nose as a lovely woman glides her way through the foyer to greet you; a specialized construct from the First Age. She says, “Welcome to Valbars, Noble Exalts. We have been expecting you. Please, come with me.”

He waved the construct off. He always found things without a true destiny to be...well empty. He'd rather drink rainwater with a homeless street rat than try to engage in anything meaningful with a construct. Besides, weren't there better servants, spirits or little gods, or even that street rat who's fate could have been averted if not for the construct taking up a strand meant for someone living.

“Master Valbar has been looking forward to seeing you, and has decided to personally attend to you. A rare treat. He will be along shortly. In the meantime, enjoy a sweet cake. You will find them to be quite light and refreshing.

"Happy to give Master Valbar an autograph. Truly a rare treat," Between said, mixing up or perhaps hearing what he wanted to hear in the words of the construct.

Eyeing the sweet cake, Between perked up, "Now this is something I can sink my teeth into. A fine tea would go well with a scone though." Between shrugged, "Perhaps the sweet cake is an appetizer to cut the sting of strong tea?" Shrugging, Between perched on the edge of a chair and lifted the sweet cake up to his eyes. "What do you think sis? Is Valbar messing with us? This isn't the northern wastes, it's Nexus. He should know better."

Between strummed the fingers on his left hand, which unintentionally began making a little ditty, a soft percussive soundtrack to Between's mussing on the sweet cake.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna chuckles a bit at Between and his aversion at the construct. She is continually impressed with Valbar's establishment, which is one reason she continues to return here as often as she does.

She idly reaches up to her shoulder where Riku is currently digging into her skin with his claws with a gentle touch to try and get her familiar to ease his grip before he tears her dress. After a moment, the black and white cat relaxes his grip just before his needle-sharp claws could draw blood. Reyna says, "Dear brother, you are not the only one with issue with the golem. It gave Riku the willies, too. Personally, I find the construct to be a pleasant touch of privacy. It's not like it will be able to be corrupted by money or threats. I can relax a touch and enjoy myself."

Riku promptly spreads his wings and half jumps-half glides down from Reyna's shoulder and daintily sniffs at the sweet cakes. "I was not scared! You were wiggling around so much I had to hold on somehow!"

"Of course. My mistake. Won't happen again. Anyhoo, we are here to relax from our hectic schedules." Reyna picks a soft cushion and settles down on it with a happy sigh. "I hereby declare absolutely no shop talk for the next several hours. Do not tempt my wrath, on pain of being ticked! Mwuhaha!"

She ignores the rolling eyes from Riku and picks up a cake and nibbles on it, thoroughly enjoying the treat. "I am sure Valbar will be along momentarily."

 

[gmimperfecti]

She idly reaches up to her shoulder where Riku is currently digging into her skin with his claws with a gentle touch to try and get her familiar to ease his grip before he tears her dress. After a moment, the black and white cat relaxes his grip just before his needle-sharp claws could draw blood. Reyna says, "Dear brother, you are not the only one with issue with the golem. It gave Riku the willies, too. Personally, I find the construct to be a pleasant touch of privacy. It's not like it will be able to be corrupted by money or threats. I can relax a touch and enjoy myself."

Between arched one gloriously beautiful black eyebrow. It was like an a high realm sculpture of black jade given life. Poets had committed suicide in despair at not being able to capture the movement in words and rhyme.

"You of all people trust constructs not to be part of a vast surveillance network?" He snorted, "You're goldwashing the past again." He took a deep breath and shivered, "Not that we do any better."

He leaned forward gesturing to Riku, "I'll make another love ballad about you dear, sweetest of all felines Riku if you come here so I may pet your silken hair." Between grinned.

"Of course. My mistake. Won't happen again. Anyhoo, we are here to relax from our hectic schedules." Reyna picks a soft cushion and settles down on it with a happy sigh. "I hereby declare absolutely no shop talk for the next several hours. Do not tempt my wrath, on pain of being ticked! Mwuhaha!"

"Me?!" Between squeaked. "I'm still recovering from drinking the Guild Factor Whispergold insert his table. He had a golden toliet seat which was quite nice to throw up in, even if I technically didn't need to." Between rubbed his temples, "And Hovering Butlers is refusing to give me a proper scalp massage." Between sighed, "I wonder if..." He looked at his sister, "If my most beloved and august of sisters might honor me with one of her world famous pressure point release?"

Between rubbed his shoulders and gave puppy dogs eyes up at Riku.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna looks down her nose at Between with a disapproving gaze. "Really? I just sat down and now you want me to treat you to a massage? Don't look at me like that. It won't work; I am a rock and as such I an l am immune to your sad eyes. Ok! Fine! Stop it already! I'll do it!" She grins and slides over to be next to Between and takes his shoulders in her hands and makes him shift in his seat a touch so she can get a better angle to rub his back and head.

"You are so tense. You need to learn how to let things out of your control go so you can relax or you'll get eaten alive out there-and trust me; no one wants to see you lose it under the pressure you are feeling. Look at me, I'm not being bothered by what I can't control "

Taking her time to do a good job, Reyna occasionally breaks to gat another bite of those delicious cakes as they wait for Valbar to arrive.

 

[Sherwood]

It is as if saying his name calls him to appear. A gentle knock at the door is heard before it slides open to reveal your host, Valbar. He is a spirit from the Elemental Court of Fire, but at the moment he is dampening his flame to avoid lighting anything on fire. In his current form he is a rather handsome man, one with a ready smile that comes easy to his face.

He bows deep to show his respect before saying, "Welcome back, dear friends! It is always a pleasure to host the Chosen of the Maidens, and the two of you especially so. Lady Reyna, you are a beautiful golden flower, and Master Between, you are a dazzling gemstone. The two of you make my humble establishment the envy of all Yu-Shan. And who can forget the most noble of feline guests, Riku? I have a special treat in store for you."

Riku rises up in his most regal pose and says, "Thank you, Master Valbar. You have once more proven yourself to be an exquisite host. Reyna, we need to come here more often!"

Valbar chuckles, and promptly begins to set up his tools to be able to provide for you a fine tea service.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna can't help but smile at the words of their host. "Oh my, Master Valbar. You are such a charmer, with words sweeter than the honey in your tea. It is one of the many reasons that I keep coming back here. How have you been doing? How is business? Still doing well, hope."

She sits back to watch this culinary master work his magic, enjoying all of the art and presentation that goes into every step.

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between stretched his neck from side to side, giving his sister a warm smile. "You almost make me wish I tried harder at the martial arts."

When Valbar arrived, Between blessed the fire elemental with his most glorious of smiles, like sunshine through the rain, its warmth was legendary. Poems had been written about his smiles ability to warm the coldest heart and ignite passions in even the rockiest of personalities. Between's Easygoing Friend Approach was on display as the meet and Valor shares food with them.

In the quiet serenity of this teahouse, Between All Things, inspired by the warm hospitality of his host Valbar and the presence of his dear sister, composes a poem on the spot that captures the essence of the moment and with [Performance 5 + Charisma 5], stands, raising the tea cup to his host and recites:

---

A Tea Ode to Friendship and Flame

In the realm where celestial rivers flow,
Comes a gentle knock, soft and low.
Valbar appears, a spirit of fire's grace,
His flames subdued, in this tranquil place.

A smile he wears, warm as summer's day,
His presence brightens the air in every way.
"Bow deep," he says, "to friends so dear,
Welcome to my haven, devoid of fear."

"Reyna, a golden flower, radiant and bright,
Your beauty outshines the stars at night.
Riku, noble feline, proud and sleek,
A special treat awaits, unique and chic.

"Together you bring to this humble abode,
A luster that outshines the golden road.
In this moment, where friendship blooms,
Our hearts connect, dispelling all glooms.

So here we sit, in harmony and light,
Sharing tea, in the day and through the night.
In each sip, we find life's essence, pure,
In friendship, we find a bond, so sure.

To Valbar, a host of flame, yet gentle in soul,
Your kindness and warmth make us whole.
In this teahouse, where spirits soar,
We find peace, love, and so much more.

---

With this poem, Between encapsulates the warmth of the gathering, the unique nature of each individual present, and the beauty of their shared moment, all while honoring the spirit of hospitality that Valbar embodies.

OOC: Note: Valbar should have a minor tie of friendship towards Between.


[Spoiler: Easygoing Friend Approach]
Cost: —; Mins: Performance 3, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None

The Sidereal moves and speaks in harmony with the fates of those around her, smoothing over hostility, mistrust, and awkwardness.

People meeting the Sidereal (or her current resplendent destiny) for the first time count as having a Minor Tie of friendship toward her, as do those who share in food, drugs, music, or other sensual pleasures with her. Characters with negative Ties toward her treat them as one step weaker instead.
[/spoiler]

 

[Sherwood]

Valbar gives a wide smile and applauds Between's impromptu recital. "Bravo! Truly you are gifted in the arts, much more so than I. My gifts lean to the culinary disciplines, and it is my pleasure to perform my own work for you and your lovely sister and the very wonderful Riku. You have truly made my day! Thank you, noble Exalt!"

Over the course of the next hour, Valbar does as promised and works a masterpiece of fine dining for you. Course after course of exquisite food and drink cross your table, and you all see just why this chef is renown far and wide as the best that the Threshold had to offer.

As he cooks, Valbar engages the three of you with friendly conversation, talking even to the small and fluffy Riku as an honored guest. He does an excellent job of reading the room and picks up on that desire to avoid 'shop talk', and steers his questions away from the tedium of work.

An unexpected knock at the door interrupts the conversation, and when the door opens, it is the hostess with an unreadable expression and a envelope in her hand. She ignores Valbar as she stumbles into the room, holding the envelope out to Reyna and Between. "Pardon my interruption, but this missive was dropped off for the two of you by a messenger, and despite my instructions to not disturb you, I feel compelled to bring this to you right away."

She stands motionless, looking very much like the automaton that she is instead of mimicking the appearance of a living being, waiting for one of the two of you to take the envelope from her hand.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna looks up at the automaton with a mix of curiosity and irritation. She raises an eyebrow and asks, "Who was this messenger, and how did this person know we were here? It's not like we advertised our location to the masses." Reaching up, she takes the envelope from her hand and opens it up to see what is inside.

 

[Sherwood]

The hostess looks at Reyna and says, "I cannot describe the messenger; I do not remember what she looked like other than to say it was a woman with dark hair." Once the envelope is out of her hand, her whole demeanor changes back to the friendly woman hostess that got have seen on your many trips to Valbar's establishment. She looks puzzled, and finally says, "What am I doing here? Master Valbar did give instructions that you were not to be disturbed. I should leave."

While this exchange is interesting, Reyna has her attention on the contents of the envelope. It is a letter written on fine paper in a smooth, flowing script in silver ink that seems to glow in the light in the room. In Old Realm, the letter says:

Under absolutely no circumstances are you to return to Yu-Shan before four bells ring past the noon hour this day. It is worth your life and that of those with you. No other order comes before My word. Disobey this directive at your own peril. The Fate of millions depend upon this.

There is no signature other than the astrological symbol for the Maiden of Secrets down at the bottom of the page.

 

[gmimperfecti]

An unexpected knock at the door interrupts the conversation, and when the door opens, it is the hostess with an unreadable expression and a envelope in her hand. She ignores Valbar as she stumbles into the room, holding the envelope out to Reyna and Between. "Pardon my interruption, but this missive was dropped off for the two of you by a messenger, and despite my instructions to not disturb you, I feel compelled to bring this to you right away."

She stands motionless, looking very much like the automaton that she is instead of mimicking the appearance of a living being, waiting for one of the two of you to take the envelope from her hand.

Between arches one gorgeous eyebrow at the intrusion, but the life of a Chosen is one of endless interruptions. In truth, such a small stolen moment with his sister was warm warmth and solace than they usually got outside of Yu-Shan. Still, it was best to leave such things to his sister.

She raises an eyebrow and asks, "Who was this messenger, and how did this person know we were here? It's not like we advertised our location to the masses." Reaching up, she takes the envelope from her hand and opens it up to see what is inside.

Between watches the pair and frowns slightly. "Who indeed would interrupt such a sacred moment between friends?"

The hostess looks at Reyna and says, "I cannot describe the messenger; I do not remember what she looked like other than to say it was a woman with dark hair." Once the envelope is out of her hand, her whole demeanor changes back to the friendly woman hostess that got have seen on your many trips to Valbar's establishment. She looks puzzled, and finally says, "What am I doing here? Master Valbar did give instructions that you were not to be disturbed. I should leave."

While this exchange is interesting, Reyna has her attention on the contents of the envelope. It is a letter written on fine paper in a smooth, flowing script in silver ink that seems to glow in the light in the room. In Old Realm, the letter says:

Under absolutely no circumstances are you to return to Yu-Shan before four bells ring past the noon hour this day. It is worth your life and that of those with you. No other order comes before My word. Disobey this directive at your own peril. The Fate of millions depend upon this.

There is no signature other than the astrological symbol for the Maiden of Secrets down at the bottom of the page.

Between peered over, glancing at the envelope. "If only there was a way to verify the authenticity of such an ominous missive." He taps his hands on the table, picking up a morsel of dessert as he considers. "Is it a ruse?"

 

[Psychie]

Reyna can feel her level of suspicion rise as she considers the note. Is this some kind of joke, or a real warning? She shifts slightly on her seat to make it easier to access her sword as she says, "If this is a joke, it is in poor taste. Why would we be warned against going to Yu-Shan? There is a simple means of getting some answers."

She then spends a free motes of Essence to summon forth a tiny spider from her belt pouch. Raising it up, she asks, "Who sent this letter to us?"

OOC 5m on the Charm Efficient Secretary Technique

 

[Sherwood]

The small spider looks at the note, then it chitters out, "I am very sorry, mistress. That information is not able to be accessed at this time. It is under a high level of security and I don't have clearance at this level." You both know that there are very few in Yu-Shan that possess the ability to send a message and hide its origin like this.

Just after the tiny spider says this, another odd occurrence takes place in the form of a pair of Infallible Messenger spirits that appear out of nowhere. Speaking in the voice of Chejop Keyjak, they say the same message:

Attention all Chosen of the Five Maidens. An emergency situation has arisen that requires all members of the Fellowship to return to Yu-Shan by the fastest means possible for a critical meeting of the Conclave. All other considerations and assignments are to be considered overridden by this emergency. This is no joke, my friends. Return with all haste possible.

Normally even the venerable Chejop could not cast enough Infallible Messenger spells to be able to send this message out to every member of the Order, but it is known that the head of the Sidereals has in his possession an artifact that allows him to be able to send out messages like this to the whole body of the Order at once. However, to your best recollection the last time this was used was back in the First Age at the height of the Primordial War. It is definitely not something that is used in a casual manner.

After a moment passes to let this sink in, a second pair of Messenger sprites appears, this time they speak with the voice of Ayesha Ura, the head of the Gold Faction. She says:

The order to return is no joke. Everyone needs to get here as fast as possible for an emergency meeting of the whole Order at the offices of the Bureau of Destiny. No other order or mission matters. Return at once by any means possible.

According to the letter in Reyna's hand, you are not to go to Yu-Shan for another three hours, but if you follow the summons to the Conclave you could be back through the Gateway located in the city in a matter of a few minutes.

What do you do?

 

[Psychie]

Reyna sits there for a moment, dumbstruck by the conflicting orders. This was not the first time she had ever encountered situations where she's been given orders from different bureaus that contradict one another, but never before has she been given such drastic orders that are so very different from each other.

She looks over at Between and finally says, "Well now. Aren't we in a bit of a pickle here. I hardly know where to begin. What disaster could have come up that would require such an emergency meeting, and better yet, why are we given other overriding instructions to not attend this meeting? Dear brother, you hear things whispered in the halls that I do not. Is there anything that you can tell me that hasn't come up before? I ask this at the same time I swear to you that there is nothing that I am aware of to warrant an emergency meeting of the whole Fellowship."

She idly scratches Riku behind his ear on an effort to relax herself. "I have to say that given the choice of which order to follow, I'm inclined to go with the letter. It feels like something that the Maiden of Secrets would do, and in my mind, the orders of any of the Five Maidens come ahead of any of the Chosen, even Chejop and Ayesha."

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between tapped his lip, a gesture of sublime beauty. His lips possessed such the perfect amount of plump firmness, an arch that made them into an easy smile that could warm an entire room or support the momentum of a party. Now however, he frowns, not in worry or fear, but consideration. "If your patron saw fit to grace you with a personal invitation, I don't see why we can't be late to Chejop Keyjak's party. We were late in the First Age and that turned out okay, what could possibly be worse than THAT?"

Between shrugged, "Our blood and the bond between us is deeper than Dragon Lines for Fate to spin us out together again."

Between eased back down in his chair, "If we have three bells to kill, let us do it with some alcohol!"

 

[Sherwood]

Chowlett

Dasokin Perlata Is waking up in pain after a long night of drinking at a party in three city of Nexus. It was a fun party, at least, what you remember of it. Right now, there is a Warstrider pounding a massive drum inside your head and it is not making you very happy. Even so, as you roll over in bed and try to focus on your room as you pray for death to release you from your pain, you notice that there is an envelope propped up next to a glass of wine that wasn't there when you stumbled in last night. As a matter of fact, the glass doesn't look familiar to you either. Someone has been on your room after you passed out on the bed.

A quick glance around shows you that nothing appears to be missing, so whomever it was that came in didn't take anything, so that is a bonus.

What do you do?

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata winces as she tries to focus on the glass and the letter. Maidens, that was some party. It had to have been, to get her this drunk. It wasn't that Perlata was abstemious - she just didn't usually let herself completely lose control. Some... guild function, maybe? Not her usual scene if so. The evening starts to come back to her - yes, a guild function, but as usual she'd snuck out early and made her way into the little backstreets, finding a little club where the lower classes went to listen to raucous music and drink harsh rice wine. Ah, yes. The rice wine. That would explain it - no doubt somewhat stronger than the she'd been used to on the road for the last few weeks.

Just the sight of the glass of wine makes her feel nauseated, not to mention the dubious wisdom in drinking something left my a mysterious intruder in one's room; so she lurches out of her room and returns with a glass of water. The pounding subsiding just the tiniest bit, Perlata sits back on the bed and slits open the envelope to read the missive inside.

 

[Sherwood]

Perlata winces as she tries to focus on the glass and the letter. Maidens, that was some party. It had to have been, to get her this drunk. It wasn't that Perlata was abstemious - she just didn't usually let herself completely lose control. Some... guild function, maybe? Not her usual scene if so. The evening starts to come back to her - yes, a guild function, but as usual she'd snuck out early and made her way into the little backstreets, finding a little club where the lower classes went to listen to raucous music and drink harsh rice wine. Ah, yes. The rice wine. That would explain it - no doubt somewhat stronger than the she'd been used to on the road for the last few weeks.

Just the sight of the glass of wine makes her feel nauseated, not to mention the dubious wisdom in drinking something left my a mysterious intruder in one's room; so she lurches out of her room and returns with a glass of water. The pounding subsiding just the tiniest bit, Perlata sits back on the bed and slits open the envelope to read the missive inside.

The note is written on high quality paper, and is penned with glowing letters of Essence. It is rather cryptic, saying:

Be glad that you were asleep and missed the general announcement to return to Yu-Shan with the rest of the Order. Let me be clear: Do not go to the Celestial City before four bells past the noon hour. It is worth you life. Go to Valbar's restaurant in the North Quarter. There you will find Reyna San and Between, two of your fellow members of the Fellowship. Stick with them if you want to live.

And drink the contents of the glass that was left for you. You will feel much better afterwards.

The letter is only signed with the symbol of the Maiden of Secrets.

You are familiar with Valbar's restaurant, having gone there many times over the past several hundred years or so. It is an excellent establishment run by a fire elemental that has focused his life to the culinary arts, serving the various spirit courts and the rare mortal food and drink that is comparable to any that you might find in Yu-Shan.

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata reads the letter through twice, pausing between reads to push her hair back behind her ear and try to concentrate properly on the words. Strange. She has no idea who would have sent such a missive; and she has no recollection of the summons to Yu-Shan it mentions. But of course, she wouldn't, if it truly came while she was - uh - not herself.

Un-looked-for advice, from an anonymous source, and an unknown liquid presented as - what? - a hangover cure? She thinks for a moment. Well, if the liquid really helps, then that's in the author's favour. Still, I'd rather not just trust it blindly.

"Nacks!" she calls over her shoulder. "Come here a moment. I need your nose."

A moment later a large mastiff dog pads expectantly into the room[*]. Perlata gestures at the glass - "Give that a sniff, would you? Someone's claiming to be nice to me, and I'd just like to check they're not killing me instead."

Once the dog has given the glass the all clear, Perlata downs it in one, and prepares to head to Valbar's. She's aware of the place, although she's only ever visited once - a bit fancy for her tastes. She has, of course, heard of Reyna and Between - there are few enough Chosen of their mutual station - but doesn't know them personally. Time to clear up whatever's going on here.

*: Nacks, short for Nakama (Google tells me it's Japanese for "Companion"). A 2-dot familiar from Ordained Bridle. Not very plausible as a Field-Mouse Rider mount, but will do in a pinch; big enough to carry raw materials when crafting. Ideally, not a complete liability in combat, and / or capable of speech, but I'm not sure how much 2 dots would get me.

 

[Sherwood]

Perlata reads the letter through twice, pausing between reads to push her hair back behind her ear and try to concentrate properly on the words. Strange. She has no idea who would have sent such a missive; and she has no recollection of the summons to Yu-Shan it mentions. But of course, she wouldn't, if it truly came while she was - uh - not herself.

Un-looked-for advice, from an anonymous source, and an unknown liquid presented as - what? - a hangover cure? She thinks for a moment. Well, if the liquid really helps, then that's in the author's favour. Still, I'd rather not just trust it blindly.

"Nacks!" she calls over her shoulder. "Come here a moment. I need your nose."

A moment later a large mastiff dog pads expectantly into the room[*]. Perlata gestures at the glass - "Give that a sniff, would you? Someone's claiming to be nice to me, and I'd just like to check they're not killing me instead."

Once the dog has given the glass the all clear, Perlata downs it in one, and prepares to head to Valbar's. She's aware of the place, although she's only ever visited once - a bit fancy for her tastes. She has, of course, heard of Reyna and Between - there are few enough Chosen of their mutual station - but doesn't know them personally. Time to clear up whatever's going on here.

*: Nacks, short for Nakama (Google tells me it's Japanese for "Companion"). A 2-dot familiar from Ordained Bridle. Not very plausible as a Field-Mouse Rider mount, but will do in a pinch; big enough to carry raw materials when crafting. Ideally, not a complete liability in combat, and / or capable of speech, but I'm not sure how much 2 dots would get me.

When Perlata takers her first sip of the drink, you immediately recognize it as the Yu-Shan equivalent of an energy drink. It hits hard, flushing out the remnants of your hangover with a quickness. In as matter of a few minutes you are feeling refreshed and ready for whatever is about to come your way.

Making your way through the streets, it doesn't take you long to find Valbar's restaurant. Waiting for you at the front desk is an automaton in the form of an attractive woman. She smiles at you and your canine companion as you enter. With a deep bow of respect, she says, "Greetings and be welcome. How may I assist you?"

Between tapped his lip, a gesture of sublime beauty. His lips possessed such the perfect amount of plump firmness, an arch that made them into an easy smile that could warm an entire room or support the momentum of a party. Now however, he frowns, not in worry or fear, but consideration. "If your patron saw fit to grace you with a personal invitation, I don't see why we can't be late to Chejop Keyjak's party. We were late in the First Age and that turned out okay, what could possibly be worse than THAT?"

Between shrugged, "Our blood and the bond between us is deeper than Dragon Lines for Fate to spin us out together again."

Between eased back down in his chair, "If we have three bells to kill, let us do it with some alcohol!"

It has been a little over two hours since you have gotten your various messages, and both Between and Reyna are feeling quite good from the amount of top quality liqueur that the two of you have consumed. It has done wonders in reducing the level of stress you are feeling in the face of whatever emergency may be going on in Yu-Shan's

Another polite knock at the door announces the arrival of the hostess with another member of the Sidereal Exalted, a woman named Perlata and a rather hefty hound that you recognize as her familiar. Riku looks at the dog with the superior attitude that only a cat can muster up and turns his head away as he slowly climbs up Reyna's torso to take his favorite perch on her shoulder.

The disgruntled cat finally lets out a sigh. "Well, it would seem that you either have someone here to try and drag the two of you back to the Conclave or our Maiden has tossed another piece on the game board. From the confused look on her face, I'm guessing it's the second option."

Psychie Chowlett gmimperfecti

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata nods to the pair of unfamiliar Exalts. "You must be Reyna San, Between. I know you by reputation; it's good to meet you." She suddenly sticks out a hand towards the pair - then, almost as an afterthought: "Oh - Dasokin Perlata. Perlata. Chosen of Mercury. And this is Nakama - Nacks. I... uh. I received a letter, told me to meet you here. As well as... some other stuff. I'm guessing we might need to have a chat about all this?"

 

[Psychie]

Reyna waves over towards an empty seat with one hand as she tries not to spill her wine in the other as Riku climbs up her body to get to her shoulder. "Welcome! Come on in as we party, at least for one more hour. Yes, I'm Reyna and this is my brother, Between. I remember meeting you a while back; must be a while ago because I don't remember exactly when it was. But all that is less important than what we have to discuss now."

She takes another drink from the glass in her hand and says, "I guess we'll start. Here we are, minding our own business, when a letter was delivered to us, saying to not to return to Yu-Shan before four hours past noon or our lives would be forfeit. That letter was signed only with the symbol of the Maiden of Secrets. After that, Between and I both got a pair of Infallible Messenger spirits that gave us messages from Chejop and Ayesha, saying that there was some emergency and all Chosen were to drop everything and hustle back for a full meeting of the Fellowship as fast as possible."

She then says, "I tried to find out exactly who sent the letter, but that information is sealed and my junior pattern spider didn't have access to that level of info. Only a very few beings have the ability to seal records like that, so it lends credence to the thought that my boss doesn't want us at this get together for whatever reason, and she overrides Chejop big time. So wet are eating and drinking until the time limit passes, then we'll hopefully be able to get some answers."

Reyna looks at her fellow Chosen and asks, "So what does the letter that you got say?"

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between popped up and bounded over towards Perlata, spreading his arms wide. He looked like a beautiful white swan pretending to be a ballet dancer, his every movement a work of beauty. Between couldn't hide himself if he tried. His natural beauty and charisma simply didn't allow it. Perhaps the saddest thing with arcane fate was that he was destined to be forgotten, but it also meant he always had new friends to make, even old ones could enjoy meeting him for the first time over and over throughout their lives.

"Perlata my dearest!" Between gushed, trying to give Perlata a big hug. "Don't pretend like I didn't see you at Guild Factor Whispergold's party last night. Although I missed you at the after party. I found the most delectable cabal of world weary beatniks. Drunken poetry slams of the current prevailing patriarchy was a thing of beauty."

Between nodded at his sister's introduction, "Well there's that. Personally I feel like those that arrive to any party a bit gauche, so I'm sure showing up a few bells past will be fine. Absolutely fiiinnneee."

Grinning Between grabs a glass and raised it towards the ceiling. Between's toast, reflecting his charismatic and artistic nature, begins to weave through the air, touching each present with its lyrical grace:


"Here's to moments unexpected, to friendships new and old,
To stories that are written, and to those yet untold.
To Perlata, swift and Mercury's chosen, fleet of foot and mind,
In this world of woven fates, your path with ours entwined.

To Reyna, radiant as dawn, a flower in morning's light,
Your spirit shines like gold, dispelling darkest night.
And to Nacks, steadfast companion, through thick and thin you stay,
A guiding star in shadowed paths, a light in disarray.

In the dance of destiny, where secrets play their part,
We find strength in unity, in the joining of each heart.
Though fate may cast its shadow, and mysteries abound,
Together we stand undaunted, on this hallowed ground.

So raise your glasses high, my friends, let's toast to what will be,
To the joy in every meeting, to the wonders we shall see.
To the laughter and the tears, the trials we'll overcome,
Here's to us, the Chosen few, to the many roads we roam.

In the hours that lie before us, as the future unfolds its hand,
May we find our way through the maze, in this vast and mystic land.
With courage, hope, and camaraderie, our spirits ever bright,
Here's to us, and to the journey, bathed in destiny's light."

---

With a flourish, Between lowers his glass, his eyes sparkling with a mix of mirth and wisdom, inviting everyone to join in the toast and share in the camaraderie of the moment, a brief respite in their complex and entwined lives.