Exalted:End of an Era

[Mistress of Whispers]

((I could come up with 2 brief descriptions of Commanders and you could roll a d10 for each (maybe best of 2 to indicate Charms?) to see how Web does? Then you could write a scene based on that interaction.

 

And maybe Biologist could do one of Lenco's buddies?

 

Commander Del Ran

Del Ran is an aging Earth Exalt. A hero of many battles, he is well-respected and well-liked. However, his approaching retirement (originally scheduled in a few months) and refusal to deal in politics, mean he has little real influence.

Position: Del Ran is planning to support the current 'Chumyo', since she has shown her chops in resurrection the Seventh. He is a smart and flexible man though, and will change his stance if the Chumyo proves herself unfit.

Approach: Del Ran remembers well what it's like to start at the bottom and while he insists on proper protocol, he is open to receiving visitiors (including aides).

 

Commander Nefvarin Chia

Hailing from a prominent Air Gens, Nefvarin Chia was well on her way to being elected on Lookshy's High Command. Under current circumstances, many of her peers would like to see her become Chumyo instead.

Position: Chai would be a likely candidate for Chumyo and would certainly carry a lot of support. However, the current crisis has turned her world upside down and she's not sure what to do next.

Approach: Chia's second-in-command, Gard Nex, is aware of his Commander's weakness and will try to shield her from visitors to protect her reputation.

Sidenote: Lenco might try to use Chia as proxy (planning to capitalize on her emotional turmoil later) if he should be unable to carry the vote himself. ))

Edited March 25, 2014 by Mistress of Whispers

[Takhesis]

[Okies - for Chia and her second, who's running interference for her, shall I roll twice if I get past the second? For now here's Del Ran's scene]

 

Having found her way to the assigned quarters of one of the other Commanders, Web was pleasantly surprised to find she wasn't turned away from the doors. After all, something of this magnitude would normally require a stance of non-interference from other parties (and hence a decision made from ones own opinion rather than others).

 

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Commander." Web bowed - or more accurately curtsied, due to her dress - when she was introduced to the ageing Earth Exalt.

 

She quickly picked up on his distaste for politics - he seemed to be more a man of action than of words - so once the formalities were dealt with, she got down to the 'brass tacks' as it were.

 

Web did look sheepish as she asked for the permission to speak freely. Mainly as she wasn't used to being blunt about things - though she was getting there due to her dealings with Shaya.

 

The Earth Exalt granted the permission, indicating that Web should take a seat nearby so that his own aide couldn't eavesdrop. He may not have liked dealing in politics - but he wasn't stupid.

 

The only reason he was getting involved in this meeting was so he could have some say in his immediate future - aka retirement. He did caution Web not to waste his time with 'poking the Kukla' with meaningless chitchat.

 

By the end of it - she hadn't outed Lenco as an Akuma for she knew that would lead to questions she couldn't answer without repercussions. She also hadn't mentioned her or Shaya's Exaltation. But she had managed to secure his support for Shaya - barring any sign she was unfit for the job.

 

Commander Ran seemed to have the same opinion on Lenco as Shaya did - though not quite as strongly formed. It was - to quote him directly - ' a shame that the opulence of Nexus had dulled the fighter's edge that should prevail in all children of Lookshy'.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2014 by Takhesis

[Mistress of Whispers]

[Okies - for Chia and her second, who's running interference for her, shall I roll twice if I get past the second?]

((That sounds right to me .))

[Takhesis]

[Okies - and so her scenes with diff characters are split. Here's the set in Chia's quarters]

 

 

Her second visit proved to be a little more vexing than the first. Commander Chia's aide, Gard Nex had taken it upon himself to screen all visitors. Even the serving girls didn't escape his watchful eyes.

 

Though they, at least, were protected from an interrogation. Her initial request to meet with Chia was met with a hard stare and a lie:

 

"The Commander is currently resting and doesn't wish visitors."

 

If Web had been a mere mortal, that combo would have dissuaded her. However she did have valid concerns to investigate. The new Seventh would not survive if Lenco got his hands on it. Web then changed her tactics,

 

"In which case, may I speak with you?" Web averted her eyes in - what she hoped - would pass as a suitable gesture of nervous respect.

 

That was agreed to. After a while, Web tried again to gain access to Chia - this time using the line of 'information for the Commander's ears only. I'd gladly give it to you - if I wasn't under orders to only relay it directly'. Her excuse for not saying that before was that she wasn't certain who to trust.

 

That got Nex's attention. Though she was permitted into Chia's presence, Web had to submit to a weapon search. Gard was taking no chances - especially as politics could turn deadly and he was one that would like to see Chia as Chumyo.

 

Thankfully, I did not wear my blade on these rounds

 

She was there for quite a while, it seemed that the shock of everything had well and truly set in with Chia. At least on the field she could distract herself - here it gave her time to think, and feel. Which resulted in confusion.

 

Web did not wish to take advantage, she would feel too guilty afterwards, but she had to do something to focus the Commander. But what? Gard Nex remained in the room - at least until Chia started crying, then he left Web to deal with it. It wouldn't do for him to witness any weakness on the behalf of his CO. Leaving gave plausible deniability.

 

Not knowing what else to do, Web wrapped her arms around Chia and rested her chin on the top of the Commanders head. Words to a old lullaby sprang to mind, so Web sang them softly. The tears soon stopped, as Chia realised that she wasn't on her own, and with a complete stranger.

 

Now Chia was angry, and Web just let her vent without interruption. She was surprised however that Nex didn't burst in. Though he was probably listening at the door.

 

"Sorry. I just don't know what came over me..." Chia muttered. "Actually I do. Everything I knew is gone - so what is the point of all this. It can't change anything."

 

"Except the future." Web observed, "You should have seen the River Council all unite behind the idea of the Seventh reborn. The spirit of Lookshy is still alive - and needs all the support of her children." Web then moved from her position to stand alongside the pacing Commander. Carefully, she placed her hand on Chia's arm to get her full attention.

 

"Please, just consider how you can best fulfil that requirement." Then Web left.

 

"She needed that. Thank you." Gard Nex mentioned in a voice so quiet, it was if he hadn't spoken as Web passed by.

 

As the door closed behind her, Web realised she hadn't found out anything useful. Though perhaps she'd gained something better - an ally.

 

[i'm thinking Nex is the ally. So while he'd support Chia's claim over Shaya's if she decides to stand for Chumyo, if she doesn't Nex will at least not oppose Web's choice.

 

Also left it vague as to whether Chia will run or not. Though she may now prove less malleable to Lenco since her little breakdown and pep talk.]

[Biologist]

Mia looked through the veil that separated worlds. The room before her was quiet and still. Something was wrong and it took a moment to realise that there were *no* spirits present. Not even least gods were present in the everyday items that should have held some emotional value. It was a barren wasteland, spiritually speaking, and it was a chilling sight to behold. How Lenco had accompished this: by what infernal rites he had purged his office from all things spiritual, was almost too horrible to comtemplate. It was clear that there was more to him than an fallen diplomat with megalomaniacal tendencies.

 

((Sorry, short post. The description is *really* cool! I like the fact it still can go both ways. It leaves some wiggle room ))

[Takhesis]

[TY - I thought since Web is trying to be good she wouldn't take advantage of the emotional state. Even though it would be a perfect time to implant ideas.

 

Wonder how Lookshy's weakened goddess will react to the Abyssal vaguely mentioning her..... since in general Abyssals are her enemy?]

[Mistress of Whispers]

Mia shuddered - the others had warned her that Lenco was an Akuma, so she hadn't expected many spirits (most would have been killed or fled), but to see *none* was unnerving. She breathed deeply a few times, allowing her senses to sink deeper into the fabric of reality so she might see any Essence-woven traps. When she saw none, she carefully ventured into the room and began a search.

 

(....)

 

Lenco's open drawers and cabinets had, predictably, yielded nothing. She extended her search to his closed drawers and finally stumbled on several *interesting* files. While there was nothing to reveal Lenco as an Akuma - the devil Exalt was too smart for that -, Mia did find one folder with blackmail material on one of the Commanders and another with personal messages to his friends amongst Command. Now *this* was information the Chumyo could use.

 

Mia copied the files word for word, even if she did so preternaturally fast. Her handwriting, too, was preternaturally small and would only be legible to someone using perception-enhancing Charms - to anyone else, it would merely look like squiggles.

 

((Mia's next course of action would be to deliver the message to one of Shaya's party. But I will stop here, in case anyone wants to run ic interference.))

 

------------------------------------------

 

((Btw re Shaya, Chia and other Chumyo candidates - Shaya's first and foremost goal is to have a good-aligned, competent person in charge of the new Seventh. She does not necessarily covet the position for herself, but now that she *has* it, she won't just hand it over to anyone. So basically: if there is a better candidate, they are more than welcome to it. That might even be easier ooc, since our next goal will take us away from Nexus and Lookshy.))

Edited March 26, 2014 by Mistress of Whispers

[Biologist]

((Sorry, I should have stated this earlier, but Hanzo and Silune are busy at the moment. Don't wait for me in regards to posting...))

[Takhesis]

[Well Web is currently busy with some fact finding - so unless you have specific commanders in mind for her to deal with I'll roll a few random rolls to determine how well that goes.]

[Mistress of Whispers]

((I have no more specific Commanders in mind other than the 2 I already wrote . So making a few rolls seems like a good idea.))

 

While she was new to Lenco's mansion, the buzz about such a high visitor made it relatively easy to find the Chumyo's assigned quarters. Needing a pretence under which to enter, for surely Lenco had the Chumyo's party under surveillance, the Eclipse had picked up a silver tea set from a moving trolley somewhere.

 

She knocked once on the door, announcing 'Tea Service', and entered. She was surprised to find only Hanzo there, but didn't show it.

 

"I've brought fresh tea while you wait, Sir," she told him while she began to prepare the tea. She frowned at the tea set already there - who in Malfeas would serve tea in iron cups?? It would taint the flavour horribly!

Edited March 31, 2014 by Mistress of Whispers

[Biologist]

Hanzo looked up when a servant entered and recognised Mia bearing a tray with tea and cups.

 

"Yes, thank you. Close the door please. You can put the tea on the table."

 

He tried to sound indifferent, playing along with Mia's cover as servant, while not being very good at acting. He didn't know what to say to start small talk that could be used for the relaying of secrets. He was looking forward to the new tea, though.

[Takhesis]

[okies - we know Lenco would have a few supporters based on the aborted mails he would have sent before Web spoke the 'trigger phrase'.

 

Re: Shaya and Chumyo - I assume she'll be standing just to make sure Lenco doesn't have a free ride into the position . Or at least throwing her weight behind one she perceives as better qualified ]

 

 

Web's self-imposed errand had taken her around several corridors and a couple of floors. But now she was finally ready to return to Shaya's quarters with her 'lay-of-the-land' information.

 

All in all - it was a mixed bunch. There were a few that were debating whether to make a bid for the position of Chumyo, a few that were solidly behind Lenco and a few that favoured Shaya. As for the rest - they were harder to read, it seemed that most of those had taken the 'wait and see' approach.

 

Web couldn't blame them, after all the situation they had found themselves in was not exactly run of the mill. There would normally be a clear line of succession - or at least the previous Chumyo would have left some sort of indication as to who they would see inherit.

 

[Feel free to have Web enter their room]

[Mistress of Whispers]

Setting the tea set on the table, Mia carefully prepared and poured the tea. With a deft sleight of hand, she slipped the paper (*) between the cup and saucer before handing it to Hanzo. Bowing lightly, she took the ghastly iron set with her as she left. She passed Web, who was just coming in, but gave no outward sign of recognition.

 

((* Very small strip of paper with itty bitty handwriting, might require a perception enhancing charm to read. Contains names and information on one Commander blackmailed by Lenco and several of his allies. I'll leave the exact content up to you.))

 

 

((Considering that some time has passed, I want to end Shaya's massage and have her rejoin the group in my next post.))

[Biologist]

Silune had lost track of the passage of time as she worked on the muscles of the woman on the sofa. She had never encountered anyone who was so worked up. Being in the Lookshayan army was stressful, it seemed. When she was sure she had worked out every last knot, she gave the woman's back an invigorating rub and stepped aside to let the would-be-Chumyo gather her senses. She smirked, as she was confident that she had just given this mortal the best massage she would *ever* recieve. Then, remembering her role, she wiped the smirk off of her face and took on her submissive demeanor as the personal servant for the Lookshayan delegation.

 

--------------------------

 

Hanzo took the offered cup of tea and noticed the slip of paper. It had impossibly small... squiggles on them, that could be writing. It reminded him of what at first had looked like a stain in the sideline of a handbook to repair and maintain a certain first age artifact. Even with a magnifying glass, he hadn't been able to decypher it. After pointing it out to his master, the Dragonblooded artificer had told him that the text was a decoy and the small lines were the real instructions.

 

Hanzo hoped his exaltation had given him the powers of reading impossibly small print. But the real intriguing thing was: how had Mia been able to write it in the first place? To write this small, she would have had to have used the tip of a hair...

 

Web entered. His probing into the depths of small print had to wait.

[Takhesis]

[hmmm how diabolical is Lenco? That's the real question to be asked lol. As that answer would determine the contents really well]

 

Web did recognise Mia as they passed each other just outside their assigned quarters. Though that was due to previous knowledge of Mia's infiltration rather than any Charm usage.

 

It would be counter-productive to call any attention to Mia - or their previous interactions - and since Mia didn't seem to be wanting attention, Web treated her as another household maid.

 

Not with hostility or any particular kindness - just a studied indifference.

 

Within the room, the iron tea set had been replaced by a silver one, and Hanzo was drinking another cup. Web crossed over to pour herself a cup,

 

"Anything?" she asked simply. To any other listener it could be that she was asking if the Chumyo had any visitors, though she was really asking if Hanzo had any ideas - or if Mia had anything.

[Mistress of Whispers]

Shaya stepped lightly off the massage table and bowed her head to Silune. It was a common gesture in Lookshy, acknowledging that a person might be lower in rank but was excellent at their job. She briefly regretted that there was no time to take the young woman up on her 'other offer', but the Dawn servants weren't her type anyway.

 

Feeling much relaxed, she returned to her assigned quarters.

 

-----------------

 

((I was thinking - is there a trace of the poison left in the iron cups? If so, given that it has time to settle and that Mia is a tea aficionada, might the Eclipse recognize that something is off? Only if we think it will further the story to out Silune, of course. Biologist, did you have anything particular in mind for the Silune storyline?))

 

 

[Biologist]

((yes, I think there might still be a detectable trace. As tea afficionada Mia might also deduce the iron is for masking something. The 'poison' is but a mild sedative. It takes some more obscure herbal lore to make the connection that it is also a primer for a far more lethal poison... (This combination might even have been popular in the first age? What do you two think of it?). I was thinking about making Silune my second character, but outing her as an accomplice of Lenco or even an assassin is fine by me. We can take it from there ))

[Takhesis]

[First Age poison sounds interesting - and wasn't Silune hired by Lenco as an assassin? And she's a skilled shapeshifter of sorts... if I remember her heading to Lenco's posts correctly. ]

[Biologist]

((Yes and Yes she was hired as an assassin and she is a rather skilled shape changer... I was thinking: a lunar of some reputation, maybe a century or two old?))

[Mistress of Whispers]

((It's certainly gonna be hard to have Silune accepted by the group after she was hired by Lenco to kill them . But I do think a Lunar would be a nice addition to the group, so let's see if we can make it work. We'll start by outing her as an assassin?))

 

Mia put the iron tea set down on the trolley and was about to continue on her way, when faint blue blotches at the bottom of the cups drew her attention. Lifting the cup to her nose, she sniffed softly while simultaneously expanding her senses beyond those of a normal mortal. She could smell the iron of the cup and the herbs of the tea - not nearly as good as her own, she noted absent-mindedly - and under that a faint trace of something else. She inhaled again, filtering out the iron and the herbs and concentrating on the faint hidden scent. It was slightly bitter, so it wasn't a flavour enhancer, but she couldn't place it exactly. Running her finger over the blue stain, she carefully placed a drop on her tongue. Then she sighed in frustration - she was certain that something wasn't right, but she couldn't quite discern what. Perhaps Hanzo or Web could tell, if she pointed the stain out to them, but she was fairly sure Lenco had the room under surveillance so she couldn't just tell them.

 

She slipped back into the room, bowing and addressed Hanzo again as he was the senior officer (or to be precise, like Mia herself, Web wasn't an officer at all).

 

"Pardon sir, but this seems to be a custom set. It must belong to your previous server," Mia 'lied' glibly, not knowing she had accidentally stumbled upon the truth. "I'll just put it back."

 

She set the set down, carefully taking a moment to rearrange the cups. To an onlooker it would seem like she was simply tidying, but she hoped one of the two Exalted would catch on on what she was really doing - angling the cups so the blue blotches caught the overhead lighting and were at their most visible. Hoping that was enough, she bowed again and exited the room.

 

((Just our luck - Mia has Keen Sight, Hearing and Touch, but not Taste or Smell. Guess I know where my next upgrade is going .))

[Takhesis]

[lol - that it is... but we do have precedent in Mia joining them. Though unlike Mia, Silune has to contend with Pheonix's past dealings with Lunars. *cough*her poisoned injury *cough*

 

Hmmm... debateable whether Hanzo or Web has better chance of id'ing the 'blue oddity'. Chemicals seem more like an Artificers arena, but poisons are undeniably political..... what do you think?]

 

Since Mia's re-entry had pre-empted any reply from Hanzo, Web sipped her tea while observing the iron tea set being carefully replaced back on the sideboard where it had been taken from.

 

No not replaced..... arranged with an eye to the nearby lighting. If it was silver, Web would have thought it was being placed to create an artificial gleam of polish. But it was iron - and iron didn't gleam in the same way.

 

Iron could tarnish however..... but as far as Web knew, no tarnish was blue in tint.

 

"Another cup, Master Hanzo?" Web offered, since she was now standing next to the tea sets. She hoped he would pick up on the odd use of a title, she hadn't used any sort of rank with him before.

[Biologist]

((well, Pheonix and Silune could get interesting, then Whether Hanzo can identify it or Web, I'll leave to you. If you think Web can't, then I'll come up with something. But maybe it is more fun if Web Identifies it and Hanzo recognizes its first age use? The 'poison' itself is but a mild sedative, not at all lethal.))

 

Hanzo was surprised by Web's offer of another cup of tea. He had expected her to start the relaying of information. The use of an incorrect title, however, signaled a hidden meaning of sorts, so he nodded and took the cup, noticing the blue sheen immediately.

 

Carefully turning the cup to make optimal use of the light, he studied the residue, wracking his brain to make sense of it. "These cups are indeed masterfully crafted. They must be a custom set."

 

He didn't know for sure, but he had never heard of tea with a blue residue. There were several other options, but in a political game with high stakes, an infernalist and possibly other powerful opponents, poison came to mind easily.

Maybe the iron cups were used to mask the taste? he thought, but what poison would be masked by iron and why hadn't they felt anything yet? It had been some time since they had drunk the tea - since all of them had drunk the tea - and he didn't feel any different. He looked at the door to Shaya's quarters with some alarm. And while making a gesture of drinking with his empty hand to Web and then made a gesture of clutching his throat, he also went to the door and knocked, calling out: "Sir?".

 

He hoped Web got the message and that any listeners weren't also watching. He turned and looked at her questioningly, pointing at the cup in his hand.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Biologist

[Mistress of Whispers]

[silune has to contend with Pheonix's past dealings with Lunars. *cough*her poisoned injury *cough*]

((What if we use that to get Silune in? Maybe she knows something about the Lunar who poisoned Pheonix and a possible hard-to-get cure?))

 

------------

 

There was a knock on the door just as Shaya was getting dressed, followed by Hanzo's voice 'Sir?'. While Shaya was no social genius by any stretch of the imagination, she still heard an undertone of worry in his voice. Grabbing her sword and girding it was she went, the Dawn opened the door.

 

((I'm assuming that in a military meeting with Commanders from a city that has just been wiped off the map, people are going armed.))

 

------------

Leaving Web and Hanzo, Mia could only hope they had 'received' her message. With nothing else for her to do, she decided to scout around some more.

[Takhesis]

[sounds good to me. And yes Pheonix and Silune are going to be an interesting pair.]

 

Web could see that Hanzo had got her hidden meaning as he studied the cup and its blue stains.

 

It seemed that he also thought the staining was odd. At his gestures of 'drink' and 'poison?', Web acknowledged the possibility with a one-shouldered shrug. All of them had drunk from the iron set, so it would have to be a subtle drug for them not to have noticed any side-effects as yet.

 

Though there was a possibility that since they were all Exalts it wouldn't have an effect. She picked up one of the other cups to study it in more detail while wracking her brain for anything that would indicate what it was.

 

Unfortunately nothing sprang to mind. She knew of no poison that would leave such a discolouration.

 

She knew of tasteless poisons, but none that would leave such a sign behind.

 

For now it would remain a mystery.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Takhesis

[Biologist]

Hanzo was glad Shaya opened the door. That meant she was alive and quick to respond. Quick enough. He looked relieved. "I am glad you are ok, sir. There is something we need to discuss." He walked back to the tea set and pretended to show the Chumyo the iron cups, while trying to get her to notice the blue stain. Although, somehow, he wondered if he needed to be subtle.

 

"I wonder what tea it was. It was very peculiar." He said under his breath. Searching his memory, he hadn't found a blue poison either. All Hanzo could think of was a root he had once heard of. But it wasn't a poison. A mild sedative, maybe. To the elderly. And it made horrible tea.

 

"I wonder if it is tea from the root of the blue sea orchid." He said in a hushed, but conversational tone, hoping Web or Shaya would have a clue why anyone would want to serve them horrible tea. Maybe it is the insult of serving horrible tea alone., he thought, but he doubted anyone but him or Mia would take offense at that.