Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[jaydude]

"Yes, this place has certainly done well for itself. Everyone seems well-off, and happy, and peaceful." Annika says quietly, but she also stifles a chuckle at Aredin's remark about the Realm eating itself alive, having heard rumors about the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, and how the empire that was so dependent on her is beginning to crumble apart at the seams.

 

[MasterDAF]

"Yes, I promise. I'll come straight back after the worship service." Viktor exited the workshop, and started making his way towards the temple. He had left Sahlaynah to tend the forge, while Koharu managed the storefront aspect of the shop.

He hated being late, and with the current time being what it was, he couldn't risk cleaning himself off completely for fear of missing worship. So he hurried along, wiping soot and grime from his face and arms onto his leather smock. If Sol happened to look down upon his subjects as they prayed, Viktor could only hope the Incarnae would be more focused on his piety than his state of cleanliness.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin move to knock on a door leading back to where he'd usually meet Darian, his voice likely carrying through the door. "Well, I'd like to think we owe a lot to our people's fervor in wanting to make this a truly great place to live. That's why we've given them the voice and sponsorship to find and discuss problems and come to an agreement on how to best move forward as a community. The less I have to lord over them, the happier they become, and the more time I have to work on personal matters. I'm merely here to help them work together and ensure no one stays lost in the dregs like some of us once were."

 

[Psychie]

Darian hears the knock on the door and can feel the presence of several people standing, waiting for her. With her sharp hearing, she can hear her betrothed talking to someone, and she heads to answer and see which guest he has with him. With a smile, she opens up the door. "Hello, my dear! Please, come in. Who did you bring with you?"

 

[Rykon]

Aredin opens the door, still grinning widely. "Mornin', love! We have a Night Caste Solar who seeks an audience with us. Thought I'd bring her to see both of us before we get into asking her too many questions. How much time do we have before services start?" he said ruffling his hair a little bit, mildly embarrassed at his tendency to lose track of time.

 

[jaydude]

For her part, Annika decides to stay quiet until either of the two address her, while smiling at the loving banter between them. As with Aredin and his youthful handsomeness, she is almost awestruck at how beautiful Darian is, and decides not to blame the pair for marrying one another. She does however use her Gemstone of Surface Thoughts on both Aredin and Darian, wanting to get an idea about what the two think of her.

(Note: Disregard the two dice on the right on Darian's roll. I didn't mean to roll them.)

 

[Rykon]

After getting through the immediate surface of longing to finally be married, Annika would see the following. 'Seems a bit hasty for me to drag her here without getting her name, but I do hope we can add another to our number. Every Solar will be needed if we are to cast the darkness from this world.'

 

[jaydude]

Annika remains silent, though inwardly she respects and understands Aredin's reluctance to immediately trust her, and she subconsciously indicates these feelings with an almost imperceptible nod of her head. With this, and the fact that the cafe owner was given instructions to watch out for any Dynasts, she gets the impression that this is a lord who knows what he's doing, even if he is a bit young.

 

[Psychie]

Darian smiles in warm greeting. "Another Solar? Welcome to our little part of Creation. I am Darian, a Exalt of the Zenith Caste, and I am happy to meet a fellow Chosen." She bows deep. Turning to Aredin, she says, "Services are set to begin in just a few minutes. Just let me change." Sliding her hands down her robes, they change from the simple silks that they appear to be and they then shift into a beautiful gown of glowing light, just the thing for a priestess of the glorious Unconquered Sun.

Pausing for a moment, she turns to the newcomer. "Pardon me for my rudeness, but I forgot to ask you your name."

With your Gem, you would hear I am truly glad to have more of Sol's Children here. Once our wedding is done, we can start to plan our expedition to Rathess, and hopefully our newest Solar will join us.

 

[jaydude]

Rykon , Psychie
Annika raises her eyebrows in surprise when Darian magically changes her clothes. Even though she's been Exalted for many months now, it's still amazing what she and others of her kind can do.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about rudeness with me. I was never really one for overly formal manners." She assures Darian with a friendly, almost deferential smile. "I am Annika of South Landing, an Exalt of the Night Caste, and I can assure you the feeling is mutual."

She then addresses both of them. "As I'm sure the two of you have gathered by now, I haven't come to this town by mere coincidence. Regarding my reasons, perhaps I could elaborate more once the services are over, if that course of action appeals to you?"

 

[Rykon]

Aredin nods, his own clothing changing to his formal temple wear. A well-fit suit wreathed in light now covering him as he stepped next to Darian to clasp hands. "Absolutely, join us for a meal at the tower after the service and we can discuss things further." With that he'd follow Darian's lead to asset her in her capacity as high priestess where he could.

 

[jaydude]

"You know what. I would very much like that." Annika says, as she stands up and makes her way out of the room and to the temple proper, in order to attend the services among the audience.

 

[Sherwood]

The ceremony in the remodeled temple to the Sun is well attended, and everything moves along smoothly under the direction of Darian, the High Priestess in this town. Do you introduce Annika to the crowd as a fellow Solar?

 

[Rykon]

Aredin leaves the introduction alone for now, thinking it best to save such things until he and his betrothed have had the chance to understand what Annika's intentions are.

 

[Psychie]

As the ceremony is about to conclude, Darian will go ahead and call up Annika to join her at the front of the congregation. "My friends! Fellow Children of Sol! We are doubly blessed today! Another Exalt, a fellow Solar, has decided to come and join us on this auspicious week as Calibration is set to start! My friends, let me introduce you to Annika! Please make her feel welcome in our humble home."

 

[jaydude]

Annika's eyes widen in surprise as Darian calls her up, having not expected it. Nevertheless she stands up and walks towards the front of the congregation to stand by the side of the High Priestess, very much aware that the eyes of most of the assembled people will be focused on her.

"Er...thank you for the introduction." She says to Darian, before turning to the congregation and giving them a nervous smile and an awkward wave. Having spent most of her life in the shadows, she's really not used to being the center of attention, except when being chased through the streets by the authorities.

"I...don't really know what to say. This wasn't the sort of reception that I was expecting when I came here. That said, I can assure you all that so far, your Lord and High Priestess have done a very good job making me feel welcome here." she says to the crowd.

"In case you haven't realized yet, I'm quite new to this." She whispers to the High Priestess.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin took the hint and seized the crowd's focus to alleviate her anxiety. With a pat on the back he added, "Don't everyone crowd at once, feasts and games will commence over the next five days as we celebrate the heavenly annual sabbath and you will all have plenty of time to help her feel welcome. With that, I'd like to thank everyone for their hard work this year. Stay safe, don't let the youngsters get in too much trouble, and enjoy the time of rest. Gods bless."

 

[Psychie]

As the congregation starts to disperse, Darian will turn to Annika. "I am sorry; I didn't even think about how you might feel, being put on the spot like that. Come, let us go to somewhere a bit more private and talk. We can discuss why you are here, and what our future plans are, and we can then see if you would like to join us in our future endeavors." I hope she does; we will need all the help we can get to restore the old capitol city rebuilt and ready to be the beacon of hope that I wish it to be.

She motions for Aredin and Annika to walk with her. "Annika, you have arrived at an auspicious time. Aredin and I are preparing for our wedding day that is coming up later this week. I do hope you can stay long enough to attend."

 

[jaydude]

"Oh, it's no big deal." Annika says as she walks alongside Darian. "As I said back at the service, it just wasn't the sort of welcome I was expecting. I believed that I would have to do a lot more work to earn your goodwill before the two of you would be this friendly to me."

She gives another smile at the invitation to the wedding. "Yes, I found that the upcoming ceremony was the main subject of gossip among the people. If you will allow me to stay in this town, I'll probably stick around to watch it."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin would lock arms with Darian as they walked, though it was now more of an affectionate gesture than one meant for helpfulness. He had decided to open with more direct questions. "Well, as long as people obey the law and respect the culture here, there's no reason to run anyone out or anything. So, what brings you here? We're not so important that anyone would go out of their way to visit without some sort of business."

 

[jaydude]

Annika doesn't reply immediately, instead thinking about how much she should tell, and how she should phrase it.

"I'll get to the point. I came here because I believed that there was an opportunity of great fortune for myself, and for those who follow me. Having spent a bit of time here, I can see that I was right to believe what I did." She says

She clears her throat. "The two of you have possibly worked it out already - and perhaps even hoped that it was the case - but not that I am here, I wish to join your cause."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin let the situation sit for a moment, then dug deeper. "You come from a far away place to join our cause... How is it you've heard of our budding project here? I understand you're trying to guard from any risks by answering carefully, but I would encourage you to be blunt as I'd hate to have a false flag for leaked information. We have an obligation to protect the people here, understand?"

 

[jaydude]

Rykon , Psychie
"Of course. I myself sleep a lot better knowing that my people are well looked after." Annika replies. "And I completely understand why you'd be concerned, what with the Realm and the Wyld Hunt being so...averse to the existence of our kind, and those who follow us." She continues, looking away from the pair and towards the sky as the three continue walking, before turning her gaze back on them.

"The blunt answer is that - and I can assure you that this is the truth - I knew almost nothing about the true nature of this place until I came here for the first time. I had heard the barest whispers of news and gossip, about a town in the far east that had become more prosperous than ever before over the past year, but there was nothing that was at all specific, and certainly nothing to suggest that there were Solars involved."

She takes a deep breath, before speaking again. "What little I did know about Gwynnin before I set off from South Landing came from a single individual, and even he didn't tell me much, he just suggested that I should come here. The most I could gather was that there were other Solars here, but I never got the impression that they actually ruled the town."

"As for the man himself...he was an Exalted - that much he made clear - but he was no Dragon-blooded, or Solar."

 

[Rykon]

"I know of only two people that fit that bill. Do you have a name?"

 

[jaydude]

Annika raises her eyebrows. "He said his name was Aysik...wait, do you know him?" Understanding begins to dawn on her face as she starts to put the number two together with what she suspects to be another number two...