To Stand Against the Crimson Tide

[MasterDAF]

Conrad was glad to make the acquaintance of Lord Paolo and his household, and was careful to mentally link names to faces as he was introduced to different members along the journey to Ombrelune. The minor lord appeared kind and forthcoming, but the Eclipse-caste cheerfully met his questions of origin and status with a convincing fiction. He spun a tale involving an exclusive carpentry trade and selective shipwright work in the Cinder Isles that granted him a moderate level of financial success. He stated a desire to expand his trade network across the shores of the southwest from Ombrelune to An-Teng, and the start of this endeavor is what brought him here at such an unfortuitous time.

Apart from Lord Paolo, Conrad also spent a portion of time during their march speaking with Palm to gather further details on the Bronze Tide assault. With the new information the guard provided about their enemy, Conrad found it potentially concerning that the invaders had continued to camp nearby and conduct additional sorties.

What kind of enemy is this that they can weather a blow from some kind of mass mystical attack and still possess the infrastructure to fight on?

The Solar originally had every intention of splitting off from the group once they passed through the inner walls of the city. He needed to rejoin with Sabah and find out what leads, if any, she had been able to aquire ahead of his arrival. After the kindly lord insisted upon his staying with them and meeting their liege however, Conrad relented and agreed to this requested course of action. Making contact with a powerful family of the city and possibly having them in his debt could prove useful to helping find the lone mystery golden exalt in this giant city.

Upon arriving at the city outskirts, Conrad noticed a few ghostly defenders manning the walls and he took a deep breath. His eyes widened in disbelief as they approached the great entry gate and observed that it was flanked by glowing headless soldiers. Lord Paolo described the Headless Host to the young prince, and he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck and forearms.

So that is what defends the city after dark? I suppose the Bronze Tide raiders made a good choice leaving when they did. They probably thought I had a bunch of these ghoulish specters in the forest with me, and decided not to find out.

Conrad made camp with his traveling companions outside the city walls, and tried not to remind himself he was sleeping directly beneath the watchful gaze of the restless dead. As sunrise approached he followed Lord Paolo's group inside the city and they made their way to the beautifully manicured gardens of his host's liege.

 

[Equusheart]

Garret does his best to look innocent as he steps back and opens the door wider. "Nothing. It was . . . just these two animals going nuts chasing after one another, and here I am yelling at them to stop as I'm woke out of a deep sleep, not thinking that they were animals and that they won't listen to me. See? There is no one here but us."


The guards and servants bow deeply as Sayuri approaches. Ang, the sergeant on duty this morning, apologizes profusely. "M'Lady, apologies for disturbing you. Jade made up stories of intruders in the guest quarters. WIth things as they are... well, one can't be too careful." Jade glares at Ang from the corner of her eye without breaking her deep bow but decorum does not permit her to say anything, and she's in enough trouble as it is.

Inside the room the cat bares its fangs and yawns with an expression that might have passed for a wide smile on a human, then sets its eyes on the bird hungrily and resumes stalking.

A page enters the garden and is startled to see the Lady Sayuri up, but decides to take the opportunity to pass on the message. "M'Lady, Lord Paolo and his household are outside. They claim to have been saved by a hero and wish to commend him to your family, that you might take him into service."

Sayuri raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Garret, her hands going to her hips. She turned the same gaze on Ang and Jade before craning her neck to look further into the room. Seeing the cat and bird, Sayuri gave an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was far to early for any of this.

"Fine," she said with a shake of her head. "See the cat's removed and release the bird outside. And please don't let the bird die, the last thing this House needs is bad luck." Sayuri turned to Jade, trying to keep her tone gentle as she corrected the maid. "Jade, I know you meant well and given all that's happened. But next time be a little more certain before you raise the alarm." Sayuri glanced in the direction of her room. "Now, Chiyo is up in my room scared out of her wits over this. I should like you to go let her know that there is no intrusion and to apologize to her. Alright?"

Sayuri's attention turned to the page as they entered. Knowing there would be no going back to bed now, Sayuri gave a nod of her head. "I shall receive them. See that they are brought in and welcomed." Sayuri would give the others one last glance, an eye of suspicion resting on Garret, before turning to go receive the visitors. Now she was wishing she had tied her hair back after all.

 

[Random Word]

Conrad

Tea is set before you on a small lacquer tray with a light breakfast of fish and rice fried in fragrant herbs and oils. You sit on a soft pillow beside Lord Paolo, his household waiting outside. To your left is a cheerfully gurgling fountain feeding a pond overflowing with lillies in bloom. Surrounded as you are by artfully tended greenery on all sides, you can almost forget the city was sacked only yesterday.

The tea smells delightful, but before you can take a sip a servant announces, "The Lady Akechi Sayuri."

Lord Paolo looks slightly startled, perhaps not having expected someone this important to attend his rather minor request, but he rises immediately to bow deeply. "Lady Sayuri. It is an honour."

Sayuri, Garret, & Sjet

Jade nods glumly and rushes off to do your bidding, struggling to hold back tears. Ang bows before dashing into Garret's room, attempting to catch the cat and take it outside. The last thing you see as you're ushered into the garden to greet your petitioner inspires little hope this morning is about to improve. The cat, clearly not on board with the idea of being removed, deftly avoids his every attempt to apprehend it, leading Ang on a merry chase around the room.

For Garret and Sjet, after Sayuri departs the cat seems to tire of the game and itself dashes from the room. Ang's eyes go wide, having noticed the immense lance now threatening to break Garret's bed. "S-shall I have someone care for that in the armoury, m'Lord?" You get the impression he's mentally attempting to guess how many men he'll need just to move it, let alone who might be qualified to care for it. The motion of the cat draws his attention as a second guard makes a spirited attempt to grab it, but ends up sprawled on the floor as the cat doubles back over top of him to rub up against Sjet's leg, purring happily, before fleeing into the garden with a guard in hot pursuit. The bird, Juruul to Garret, flits to the windowsill and sings merrily, an amused twinkle in its eye.

Conrad & Sayuri

[Describe what the other sees as you meet!]

Lord Paolo's greeting as Sayuri enters the grove is brought to a sudden halt with the thumping of feet as first the cat and then a mortified breathless guard come barreling into the glade. Sabah weaves between Lord Paolo's feet to leap onto Conrad's lap, where she begins to walk circles around him, purring happily, rubbing her cheek up against him.

"M'sorry m'lady. The beast is quicker than a hag's temper. I'll have it out of your way and no more interruptions, I swear," declares the guard, flustered, attempting to both bow and pursue the cat at the same time and succeeding at neither.

Lord Paolo looks from the guard to Lady Sayuri and then the cat, nonplussed.

 

[Sherwood]

Sjet looks over at Garret with a raised eyebrow. She knows that she has heard voices and not just Garret’s, but if he is wanting to tell a fib about this, she won’t throw him under the wagon so long as there isn’t any signs of danger to the household.

Then her attention turns to the heavy suit of armor and tall spear that Garret has somehow gotten a hold of. She looks them over with interest, saying, “It would seem that you have had a busy night, friend Garret. Where did these wonders come from?”

 

[Random Word]

Droplets

Sensing the threat of immediate violence, either from an irate necromancer or a vengeful ghost lord, has passed, the revelers cautiously emerge from behind their banquet tables to get a better look at you. The scribes surrounding Festus confer amongst themselves again. More scrolls are unrolled, notes are taken, tallies are made, before one of them whispers in his ear. A semblance of alertness returns to those cold dead eyes as they narrow shrewdly. "My factotums tell me we have resources we could yet send to the mortal world this night, but they are allocated to the defence of our city from the encroachments of the hateful Lion. Will you guarantee our independence in their absence, dread Deathknight? Will you swear it upon your ancestors, and sign testament in blood?"

The Timeless Order's lawyers have a reputation for fearsome craft and ingenuity. Countless have lost their souls to labyrinthine fine print and obscure uses of millenia old precent in the seemingly endless different jurisdictions of the Underworld. They do, however, abide religiously to the word of the terms of their contracts, if not their spirit.

Spoiler: Arch-Factor Festus Everfull

Essence 4 Ghost, member of the Timeless Order of Manacle and Coin
Resolve 4
Appearance 0

Spoiler: Mechanics

Festus' Resolve is penalized by 2 and boosted by 1, bringing it to 3. Your 6 hits exceeds that easily.

 

[MasterDAF]

Conrad looked about in amazement as he and Lord Paolo took their seats in the beautiful verdant grove. After a night of unexpected injury and impromptu hunting in the jungle, it was a severely welcome change to instead relax and enjoy the foliage around him. In fact, he was fairly sure he had not enjoyed such luxury since he had left his home behind on the Caul those many months ago.

Of course, there were those tiny yellow fish with the glowing fins I almost tried in Brightport. He shook his head gently, smiling at the memory. Sabah was quick to assure me they were a delicacy. And I believed her, or at least, right up until I tried to put one in my mouth, and the little god awoke and darted away terrified...I don't think I've ever seen her laugh so hard.

Having removed his armor the night before and then leaving his armaments with his traveling companions outside, Conrad leaned back and enjoyed the feeling of the soft pillow against his sore backside. In only traveling garments now, somewhat dirty but still vastly more comfortable without the bulky armor strapped over it, he could feel the material of the pillow soft and supple against his finery. He ran a hand absent-mindedly through his disheveled crop of brown hair and listened to the birds singing near the fountain. He closed his eyes a moment and let his hand trail further down the strong contours of his face until it reached the short stubble spreading from one cheek to the other. A relaxed sigh escaped his lips.

Yes, this is certainly a little more my speed.

Conrad prepared to rise when Lord Paolo welcomed their host, eager to exchange pleasantries as expected and make a good first impression. At that moment, however, a lithe cat came running into the room followed by a guard and made a straight shot for the surprised Solar. He recognized her immediately as she landed on his lap, and another smile broke out unbidden across his face. His host momentarily forgotten, he lowered a hand to gently stroke his feline mate as her cheek rubbed against his body.

"It seems you've made quite the entrance Dearest, as always," Conrad teased the Lunar in Flametongue. "I shall like to hear of how you arrived to be here," he paused and looked back over to his host, "later, of course."

The Solar rose to his feet and offered a bow to the young woman, then greeted her in Seatongue "I am glad to make your acquaintance, Lady Akechi Sayuri."

Upon seeing Conrad standing next to Lord Paolo, she will notice his clothing that once appeared personally tailored and expensive now looks as though it was wrung through a sawmill. Multiple areas along the torso remain tattered and reveal small glimpses of his muscular chest and biceps beneath. Unbeknownst to Sayuri, he had dunked his head in a bucket of water before entering the city that morning, so his face appeared to be relatively clean. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the rest of his body or the slight odor of damp jungle bark and sweat that emanated from it. In spite of these negative factors, she was still able to easily recognize a noble and educated countenance in the way Conrad carried himself and the clear (if slightly accented) diction with which he spoke.

 

[Equusheart]

Despite the slightly chaotic start to the morning, Sayuri managed to smile as she stepped into the grove to receive her guests. She recognized the Lord Paolo as he rose and bowed to her, but the man accompanying him was unfamiliar to her. Her green eyes moved over him curiously, taking in his appearance before returning to Lord Paolo.

While she appeared to have been dressed in some sense of haste, Sayuri still held an elegance befitting a daughter of Akechi. The pale green satin gown, which paled to a cream at the skirts, almost seemed to flow about her as she walked. Contained only slightly by the dark green embroidered wrap around her waist. Her long, inky black hair, while normally tied back into some elegant braid or tie, was left to fall free. Small leaves and blossoms seemed to be woven through her hair by an invisible source, marking her as a Wood Dragon-blooded. As she stopped to return Lord Paolo's bow, a few strands fell passed her face. Sayuri tucked those strands back behind an ear as she rose from her bow.

"It is a pleasure, Lord Paolo. I..." Sayuri glanced about, startled, as her greeting was suddenly interrupted by the cat from earlier as in darted into the grove, the guard following after. Sayuri's lips tightened as her chest puffed up as her anger rose. She turned to the guard; her tongue prepared for a sound lashing at the rude interruption. However, she held her tongue when she noticed the cat leap into the lap of the stranger with... was that a grin?

Sayuri waved the guard off, allowing her temper to cool as she turned to the stranger as he rose. She returned his bow politely, though her eyes were almost accusing.

"Indeed," she replied. "I assume the beast..." Sayuri gestured to the cat. "...belongs to you? It has caused quite the stir in my household this morning."

 

[Random Word]

Conrad & Sayuri

The cat, for her part, rolls over onto her back and starts playing with one of the straps of Conrad's travelling pack, face an adorable picture of innocence.

The guard covers nearby, clearly intent on another attempt to snatch the unruly cat should the guest disavow it.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Sabah will use New Friend Aroma; if you choose not to spend 1WP, take a minor tie of friendly curiosity towards the cat. Only applies if you've just met her current form.

She'll also take the opportunity to roll to Inspire 'Awww So Cute!', leveraging the minor intimacy if accepted.

9 dice plus 2 successes. 5+2=7 hits - if that exceeds your resolve, modified by -1 if the intimacy is there, her Inspire succeeds.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets takes a deep breath to center herself "I do solemnly swear upon my ancestors to guarantee your independence from the hateful Lion." And then her gaze bores into his. "Have your cronies draft the document, and I will have one of my associates go over it before I sign it. After all, we don't want any wording there that would be detrimental to me, now do we?!" Her voice is as nice and sweet as can be, but the hidden meaning she gives is: If you dare to try and cross me, I will come back and flay your skin, for I am not one to triffle with.

And she settles back to a more jovial look "Now, if that be whole, I will need a room to rest before I make my way back to Omberlune, to set some things right there. Am sure you can find me suitable quarters that would be sufficient for my needs, when I need to stay here."