As Karas, Mikahil and Valeriana (especially Valeriana) work their way into their sleeping bags, and just as the final rays of twilight disappear from the sky, you find yourself staring restlessly at the golden-roofed palace.
Sure, you're just passing by. You're in kind of a hurry. You're on your way back to Gem to reclaim your homeland and save your family.
But, in any case, Valeriana's travel spell only works during daylight hours, and now you're here, at the Pinnacle of Mercy. One of the largest functioning shrines in Creation still dedicated to a deity closely associated to the Unconquered Sun: The Golden Lord.
...Are you REALLY going to go to bed quietly, wake up tomorrow at dawn, and leave without even seeing him?
...To be honest, you're not sure what seeing him would accomplish, either. His nation is essentially occupied by the Realm, so you can't exactly talk An-Teng into an alliance or something. And you have a feeling that, for all his lofty station, there's painfully little that the Golden Lord can DO for you.
You've managed to successfully pass yourself for just another traveler, perhaps here to make her case heard to the Golden Lord, the highest judge of the land. Like so many others. If you just wait in line patiently, you'll take forever to get to Gem.
...You're not sure what to do with yourself, at this point.
>If I reveal myself as a Solar Exalted, I will doubtlessly be allowed to meet the Golden Lord.
>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
>The guards don't want to let me through, so the best solution is to sneak in quietly. (p+n)
>Mikahil said that people with white or silver hair are seen as a bad omen here. If I remove my headscarf, it might scare the guards away and let me move freely.
>I'll just wait for morning. We can deal with this after dawn.
>It's not an urgent matter anyway. I'll visit the Golden Lord some other time.
>Tia is still awake. I could ask her for advice.
>I could wake up Karas and ask him for advice.
>I could wake up Mikahil and ask him for advice.
>I could wake up Valeriana and ask him for advice.
>(Other?)
>Who are we?
Maka, an exiled noble Exalted as a Zenith-caste Solar. Queen of Gem, now ruling the western island of Tianna. You have gathered a vast amount of allies and friends, and defeated every threat to Tianna up to now, though not without difficulty.
You recently discovered that Tianna is actually an artificial island, built around a First Age Titan: an almighty flying fortress. Your forces have crushed the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Water, a Deathlord who tried to usurp its power for himself.
And now, on the day of your wedding, the Unconquered Sun Himself appeared to you and crowned you Princess of Creation, asking you to be an example for others in these dark times.
After securing the alliance of the nearby realm of Neck (or Okeanos, as they prefer to be called), you received news from your remote homeland of Gem: Rankar, the man who usurped your throne, holds your father and sister prisoner, and is about to marry her to his own oun in an attempt to solidify and legitimize his power over the city.
>Solar? Zenith? I don't know Exalted...
This quest is as newbie-friendly as possible, and I want it to work as a newbie's intro to Exalted. If you have ANY question, ask in thread. For the setting, google "1d4chan exalted".
>Archive?
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Solar%20Quest
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Solar%2C+Quest
>System?
Dicepool-like system. When performing an action, everyone rolls 2d10 when posting. The first X rolls are considered, where X is equal to attribute + ability.
>XP?
Attributes cost [current score x5] xp. Abilities cost [current score x3] xp, except Zenith costing [(current score x3) -1]. Charms cost 10 xp, except for Zenith-based charms (related to charisma and physical/mental fortitude) which cost 8 xp. At the end of every "session" (thread) you will be presented with a list of possible acquisitions.
>Twitter?
@exaltedfag
>Any questions?
http://ask.fm/Exaltedfag
New System Info: http://pastebin.com/pvAZpsJ6
Characters info (player-made): http://pastebin.com/5WnD47jp
Quest in ebook format (player-made): https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wl5obxcwuakgdj/Exalted%20Quest%20-%20Threads%2001-101%20%5Bpdf%5D.rar?dl=0
Meanwhiles: http://pastebin.com/u/Exaltedfag
Rolled 9, 1 = 10 (2d10)
>>359397
>>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
It's be nice to see him, but we don't really NEED to.
Also welcome back EF!
Rolled 10, 9 = 19 (2d10)
>>359397
>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
Pop TttH just to be sure, we don't really need to see him, but the opportunity is too big to pass up and I can't imagine when we'll have the chance or time to talk to him again.
Nice to see you again EF, hope whatever happened ended well.
>>359397
>>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
Hello EF, good that I got here just as it was starting. It was a long hiatus, I though the quest might be goner.
Rolled 2, 4 = 6 (2d10)
>>359413
Dice.
Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d10)
>>359397
>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
There might be something we could do for him even if he can't do anything for us. Plus the chance to social-fu a local leader in a realm occupied country might be a good long-term investment. In case we want to incite a rebellion or something at a later date. Or maybe ask him to subtly suggest his followers throw in an extra prayer or two for us to build our cult score.
>It's not an urgent matter anyway. I'll visit the Golden Lord some other time.
He's can wait until we start expanding or holdings in the south.
>>359420
>He's can wait until we start expanding or holdings in the south.
If we start now, his territory can act as a base of operations in the South.
World UnificationDominationis a long term plan, best to get as many pieces in place as early as we can.
Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d10)
>>359400
>Maybe I can talk the guards into letting me through anyway, even at night-time. (s+z)
Dice really took a turn downhill, should we use any charms just in case?
>>359430
Sure, we'll probably want TGP up for our talk with the Golden Lord anyway.
>>359434
Yep, commit TGP now. We might as well have its utility from the beginning if we're going to use it later.
>not one success after the first two posts
I see, so it's going to be one of those threads then.
Rolled 8, 8 = 16 (2d10)
some more dice since there's TGP
Rolled 4 (1d10)
>>359449
Let's hope not
Rolled 1, 2 = 3 (2d10)
>>359457
They are the guards of a pretty important god, I'd give our odds 50/50, maybe 60/40 in favor.
>>359459
m8 they're mortals, even the most disciplined mortal would shit himself at about half of our successes
[TERRIFYING GLORIOUS PRESENCE]
(picking last dice from previous thread to fill in the pool)
[s+z= 9 1 10 9 2 4 4 4 3 5 8 8 4 1 2 = 7 successes]
Making up your mind, you walk away from your improvised camp (earning yourself an annoyed click of the tongue from Tia, who was already dutifully waiting for you inside your sleeping bag) and make your way to one of the night guards of the palace. Clad in polished copper chain mail and sporting tall, brass-plated helms, they're easy to spot even in the night.
"Excuse me..." You begin.
"What is the problem?" The soldier asks.
"I was wondering if I might be allowed to see the Golden Lord even outside his normal office hours." You simply ask, feeling confident.
"I'm sorry, but that's just not possible." The guard replies, suddenly sounding quite annoyed. You get the feeling that they have to deal with this kind of requests fairly often. "Visiting hours are very strict."
"I understand, of course." You admit. "But mine is a rather special case in which I'm sure the Golden Lord will be rather interested."
The guard seems to decide to humor you. "What would your special case be, ma'am?"
"It's something that's for the Golden Lord alone to know, I'm afraid." You suggest, with smile and a wink.
"Very well." The guard smiles back. "Then you'll be able to tell him..."
"Splendid."
"...tomorrow morning, when visiting hours reopen." The guard bows at you and gently shoves you back on your way, away from the palace grounds. "Have a nice night, honored visitor."
You're quite stunned for a moment. You thought you were doing well! What was that?
...Sun-King Radiance?
You narrow your eyes at the guards, who gently shoo you away. Looks like you're not getting access this way.
>Reveal myself as a Solar.
>Try to sneak in. (p+n)
>Reveal my silver hair and hope it does enough of an impression that I can walk in.
>Wait for morning.
>I'll visit him another time.
>Ask for advice (to whom?)
>(Other?)
>>359463
Reveal the crown of thunders, but not the solar caste mark.
Also these guys are obviously doing something supernatural.
>>359467
No, I don't see. They obviously aren't mortals, which makes revealing our solar nature a lot more risky. I think revealing the crown is a better idea, since it's less demonized.
>>359463
>>I'll visit him another time.
I mean I suppose we could visit on the return trip.
Also leave a message for him with our name, being the god that he is it'd be odd if he hadn't heard about us even from the Most Sagacious Grapevine.
>>359463
>Reveal myself as a Solar.
>...Sun-King Radiance?
There's another Solar here?
>>359472
Or the Golden lord gives his chosen monks a similar degree of protection and mental fortitude.
Or both.
>>359472
Or solar-themed god-blooded, or solar half-castes, or maybe solar-powered enlightened mortals.
>>359468
>Reveal the crown of thunders, but not the solar caste mark.
NO!
Crown of thunders is an even bigger deal than being a Solar. I'd be fine with showing it to the Golden Lord, but not out here where word could get back to people we don't want knowing yet.
>>359470
>They obviously aren't mortals
Sun-King Radiance is the one that let's someone share their mental defenses with their followers, no reason they can't be mortals if the Golden Lord has it, or something similar.
>>359470
An-Teng is the one place not to view Solars as Anathema wholesale what with their Patron god and all. Plus revealing the crown is a way bigger deal than revealing we're a Solar.
We could try to hit him with Talking to the Heart
>>359480
The crown of thunders is NOT a big deal from the point of view of the uninformed masses. Nobody actually knows what they're looking at, they can just instinctively tell that it's important.
Only really high-ups like exalts and gods actually know about it.
Meanwhile the caste mark would make all mortals go crazy, because it's widely known.
>>359485
But An-Teng is also a tightly held Realm satrapy, so you can't expect them to go out of their way to save us when it might get their shit wrecked by pissed off Immaculates.
I say keep our shit holstered until something more important crops up.
>>I'll visit him another time.
The return trip as the queen of Gem, is a far more appropriate time to deal with him.
>...Sun-King Radiance?
Shit. If they completely defended the attack, then the person boosting the guards has 8+ social defense.
Maka's
>>359486
>The crown of thunders is NOT a big deal from the point of view of the uninformed masses. Nobody actually knows what they're looking at, they can just instinctively tell that it's important.
That doesn't stop people from gossiping about it, a matter of fact some mysterious, super important glowing thing that just appeared above someone's head in the middle of the night while you were visiting the Golden Lord sounds like an excellent gossip topic.
>>359487
That would be true closer to the ports and where the actual satrapy sat, but way out here in the Golden Lord's HQ no one will say anything or do anything to put him in danger, especially not one of his guards.
>>359463
>>I'll visit him another time.
We already have enough on our plate. No need to make a fuss when we are in a hurry.
>>359492
People are already gossiping about it, as plenty of mortals and higher have seen it by now. The point is it isn't going to hurt us if we show it here, since we'll be long gone before that catches up with us here. We are leaving in the morning.
>>359490
Sounds like the Golden Lord's charm, which makes sense, he would want to protect his mortals from spooky shit trying to mess with them.
>>359490
Maka's is only (M+Z)/2=5
Sounds like we're leaving though, maybe we could pray to GL and see if he doesn't send someone for us instead
>>359494
What about gossip from supplicants to the golden lord though? Can you assume that absolutely none of them are stringent Immaculates who will rat us out immediately? I don't see the immediate need in flashing our cred as the big kahuna exalt of creation just to cut in line.
Let's just visit the Golden Lord on the return trip from Gem when we have time to spare waiting.
>>359502
And you don't think the Crown is a bigger flashing sign that just our caste mark for half a second to one guy in front of us?
>>359501
A prayer could also work, yes.I really hate it how all of you people are trying to play a high-essence solar as a spooky secret shadowrunner. This is EXALTED, people. We're supposed to be awesome and over the top.
>>359509
You think a quick TttH to GL right here would be enough to get us in?We're only going shadowrunner while we travel, we'll be huge shining Solar Queen once we get to Gem.
I think it's unnecessary to risk either on what is essentially a sideshow when we can be getting to Gem.
We can hit this guy with both barrels on the return trip though.
>>359499
Maka's awfully gullible for how good sheusuallyis at convincing people of things. It's kinda cute,as opposed to the rest of Maka, which is really sexy.
>>359509
Yeah but we're on our way to save our mortal family. That is more important than this, which is literally just a way to kill time till dawn.
>>359511
All we need to get us in is signal that we're a solar, or that we have the crown of thunders, to someone.
If we signal it past the mortal guards and directly to the god, then that works just fine.High essence zenith, anon. I really don't see Maka just randomly giving up.
>>359513
We aren't risking anything. We'll just leave in the morning no matter what.
And you know perfectly well the return trip isn't happening, you're just sidestepping the issue with this.
>>359516
I think one of the closest ties the UCS has to creation would be a much bigger deal to Maka than that.
You bite your lips and return to your "camp" just outside the palace grounds, where the others (except Tia) are already fast asleep.
...You really don't have a good reason to brute force this. it could cause trouble for you, for the Golden Lord, and for everyone involved, after all.
Besides, he's a sun-god, so he probably has good reasons to not be disturbed at night, you reason.
Giving up on the idea of meeting him in person right away, you consider the alternatives.
You could pray to him, but... actually, is he listening, during the night?
>It's probably just best to give up for now. It's not urgent, and you'll be back soon.
>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
>(Other?)
Rolled 3, 7 = 10 (2d10)
>>359523
>>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
Rolled 2, 7 = 9 (2d10)
>>359523
>>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
Do gods sleep?CHARMS
Rolled 8, 1 = 9 (2d10)
>>359523
>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
No harm in that, as long as we're not causing a a scene while on a timetable.
>>359519
Why wouldn't the return trip happen? We still have to get back to Tianna unless you think we're just leaving the West for good. I'm wanting to get a move on with the big stuff in Exalted Quest after that hiatus and cutting in line to talk to a side npc seems like a waste of everyone's time.
Rolled 10, 4 = 14 (2d10)
>>359523
>>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
>>359529
Because if there's no reason for it to happen now, there won't be any reason for it to happen then. This will always be a "side quest", and there will always be something critically important somewhere else.
>>359529
This isn't just any NPC, this is UCS' left hand man, more important than even Ocean Father.
Plus we'll always have things to do, if we don't make time for these things we'll never get to them, so while we're here and waiting we should go for it.
>>359537
But unlike now, there won't be any reason NOT for it to happen then. People would be less hesitant about making a fuss when we don't have to worry about whether or not being detained will cut into our travel time. And if worse comes to worse we can just wait in line.
>>359544
So lets make the "Always something" after Gem be "Visit the Golden Lord".
I'm absolutely down with visiting the guy, just not while we're heading to Gem to handle the usurper.
Rolled 8, 4 = 12 (2d10)
>>359548
Probably just as high, it's not really a big deal though, GL isn't the malicious God, one of the cooler ones in fact.
Rolled 8, 4 = 12 (2d10)
>>359544
And we have NO engagements after that one making it an even better time. Unless he summons us after our prayer reaches him, then meeting him now would be fine.
Speaking of which, we could use a few more rolls.
Rolled 8, 9 = 17 (2d10)
>>359523
>>You could pray to him, something to let him know he has the attention of a Solar Exalted. (s+z)
Make it work. Also, we have enough experience to get a social defense charm if that is necessary.
Rolled 7, 2 = 9 (2d10)
>>359555
Maybe, it depends on the content of the prayer. We might just be namedropping ourselves and asking for his blessing or some guidance or whatever.
If we do then we do.
>>359559
I was kinda hoping to pick up JET this time actually, especially if Rankar ends up trying that "I know where your mother is" tactic I expect of him, plus I've been wanting it for a while now.
>>359561
Naw, obviously the prayer is going to lead to a conversation, or at least an attempt, because anything else would be completely against the point of everything we've been doing here.
You make your way around the pagoda-like temple to a smaller, separate shrine housing a brass statue of the Golden Lord, reclined upon a throne, a red-tiled gazebo roof protecting it and its worshipers from rain and the elements. The place is deserted. The wind rustling through the leaves of nearby trees, and the distant chatter of a few guards are the only noises you can hear.
Silently, you kneel before it and spend a few minutes in contemplating, hoping that your thoughts, in some form or another, will reach him.
[s+z= 3 7 2 7 8 1 10 4 3 8 8 4 8 4 8 = 9 successes]
"Golden Lord, Arbiter of Justice of the lands of An-Teng, Highest Judge of Creation, hear my words." You whisper. "I am Maka. Queen of Gem in Exile, Golden Bull, Pillar of Heaven, Chosen of the Unconquered Sun and Daughter of Hope. I have a great wish to meet you in person, as fellow servants of the Sun. If you are listening to me, please, send me a sign."
You linger under the golden statue for a few minutes before standing up.
Shooting furtive glances to the temple guards, you wait. You wait five, ten minutes, half a hour...
After one hour has passed with no response, you begin to doubt that the Golden Lord is reachable at all during the night.
>Ask the guards
>Go to sleep
>Try something else (what?)
>(Other?)
>>359574
>>Go to sleep
I guess that is it then...
>>359574
>Go to sleep
Well that's that then, we'll try again on the loop back
>>359574
>Go to sleep
>>359574
(that was 10, not 9, sorry)
>>359589
As long as the outcome doesn't change it's fine.
>>359574
>>Go to sleep
Resigned and feeling a bit let down, you head back to the camp and sneak in your sleeping back, where Tia does her best to cheer you up throughout the night.
As the first light of dawn hits the Pinnacle of Mercy's golden roof, your circle is roused from its sleep.
It takes a bit longer to properly rouse Valeriana, who looks especially sleepy and stressed, You wonder if it's the intensive use of the spell that's tiring her out, or if it's just her backlog of sleepless nights from days, even weeks before that's taking its toll.
As you prepare yourselves to pack up your things and head deeper in the forest to find a secluded place where she can summon the Azure Chariot without causing too much of a ruckus, just as the temple's petitioners begin to also wake up and line up in front of the gates, something unexpected happens.
Escorted by two guards, a monk heads straight for your group, despite you being already kinda out-of-the-way and trying your best to not draw attention. Did they suspect anything?
The main is in his fourties, clean-shaven (beard and head alike), wearing a long saffron robe and a heavy brass necklace. A carved, curved staff that seems to be made entirely out of ivory is in his hands as a symbol of office.
"Are you Maka?" He darts a glance at you, offering a brief bow.
Karas also glares at you, but more in a "WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOO" way. Still, he says nothing.
>That I am.
>Who needs to know?
>You've got the wrong person.
>(other?)
>>359611
>That I am.
I mean I bet Val could use a few more minutes of sleep, plus we're like a stone's throw away from Gem, we could be there in like 10 minutes on the Chariot once we get going.
>>359611
>Who needs to know?
>>359611
>Who needs to know?
Blast it, we're busy now.
>>359611
>>That I am.
>>359574
I wonder if we could get GL to judge Rankor for usurping Gem from our family. Assuming he's still alive by the time we'r back on the throne.
"That I am." You reply to the monk. "Who needs to know?"
"The Golden Lord." He replies, dryly. He follows up with a gesture inviting you to follow him.
"You've been busy tonight." Mikahil notes. "But it's morning already..."
Meanwhile, Valeriana yawns and stretches. "Depends what time you want to get to Gem." She mumbles.
Mikahil takes his map put and measures the distance you'd cover if you left right now. "Mh, you're right. We have some slack here. If we left now, we'd arrive about..."
"Four o'clock in the afternoon, maybe five." She replies. "If you want to leave a bit later this morning, we can do that."
"Just not too late." Mikahil nods. "I wouldn't mind meeting the Golden Lord myself."
"Eh." Karas shrugs. "He might be a cool dude."
>No, we should leave right now. We can't waste time.
>We'll leave a bit later then. Let's go and visit the Golden Lord, if he'll have us.
>We could take a day off. Valeriana looks like she could use one.
>(Other?)
>>359666
>>We'll leave a bit later then. Let's go and visit the Golden Lord, if he'll have us.
Anyone who doesn't want toValerianacan stay behind and do whatevernap.
>>359666
>We could take a day off. Valeriana looks like she could use one.
I want her at relatively full strength once we're in there, but Gem won't get reconquered until we're there ourselves.Not that I think this'll win, but hey.
>>359666
>We could take a day off. Valeriana looks like she could use one.
>>359666
>We'll leave a bit later then. Let's go and visit the Golden Lord, if he'll have us.
>>359666
>>We'll leave a bit later then. Let's go and visit the Golden Lord, if he'll have us.
He probably did notice the prayer after all. I wonder why he waited until dawn?
>>359705
A stickler to the rules I guess.
>>359666
>We could take a day off. Valeriana looks like she could use one.
>>359675
We could always have her send an Infallible Messenger to our infiltration party asking for an update. We've made pretty good time, after all. It's not like our whole circle can meet the Golden Lord without Starfall here.
>>359724
I don't think Val knows that spell, we should ask and make sure.
>>359727
I think she does. Also it's one of the most basic and widespread ones.
>>359666
>We could take a day off. Valeriana looks like she could use one.
>>359666
>(Other?)
>We'll meet with the Golden Lord. Val will contact the infiltration party if she can, and only if there's no pressing news from them we'll take a day to let her rest.
"Feel like taking a day off? You look really tired." You ask Valeriana.
"I can take my day of when we're in Gem." She replies. "I can fly one more day, don't worry."
"Then I guess we'll be leaving just a bit later. Give us a couple hours to meet with the Golden Lord, in the meanwhile-"
You didn't even have time to finish your sentence: she rolls up in her sleeping bag and instantly falls back asleep. Karas chuckles.
So you, Mikahil, Karas, and of course Tia turn back to the monk. "We're coming, then."
He nods. "Please follow me."
He leads you across the courtyard and into the temple. The decorations are splendid, with carved, lacquered wood panels and pelts of rare and savage creatures embellishing the temple's corridors. Gold and warm colors dominate the field of view, yet the atmosphere is cool. For all the decorations, this place feels austere. You really feel like you're venturing in the abode of a being that commands respect. Parts of it do remind you of a courthouse, especially the hushed silence interrupted, every now and then, by dim conversations going on in the background.
Other guards and monks are everywhere in the temple, but the most distinguishing feature of it is the steady trickle of petitioners, each with his or her own case to bring before the Golden Lord.
You can see that they are put on hold, and the guards and monks attempt to appease them and convince them that they will be heard soon. You're effectively skipping ahead of the line, but, with the way the monk is leading you through the corridors, this would not be apparent to anyone standing there.
"Beyond here." The monk stands aside, pointing to a great arched door, two wooden pillars painted black and red and orange, with elegantly draped saffron silk tents acting as a door between them. The aroma of incense hangs in the air, vague but clearly present as a reminder of the sacred nature of this place.
You push through. Beyond, furnished entirely in polished, gleaming wood and ivory, with accents of gold here and there, is a vast room, dimly lit except for the far end, where, atop a throne standing on an elevated platform, sits the god, beautiful, bronze-skinned and golden-haired, in an austere pose.
Mikahil and Karas kneel. You instinctively do the same, without thinking. In a courthouse, the greatest respect is always accorded to the judge, after all.
"Stand up, please." His voice is booming yet graceful, and seems to echo perfectly in the finely-adjusted acoustic of the courthouse. "I welcome you to An-Teng, Chosen of the Unconquered Sun. I am the Golden Lord." He introduces himself, quite formally.
"I am Maka. I can assume you heard my voice raised in prayer to you this night?" You reply in kind.
"Not quite. But, I certainly heard it this morning." He replies. "The night is not my domain."
"I am Karas, Maka's brother."
"Mikahil. A pleasure to be standing before you."
"Uh? Oh, I'm Tia. Hi."
(cont.)
"Likewise" He replies. "So, what do you seek my counsel for?"
>Leave it to Mikahil.
>Ask him about the situation in An Teng.
>Tell him about the situation in Gem.
>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Inform him about the situation in Tianna and the struggles you're facing as the founder of a new nation there.
>Talk to him about the Skullstone problem.
>Ask him what his advice would be in dealing with the Realm.
>(Other question?)
>Ask him if there's anything you can do for him.
>Ask him if he can help you with something. (what?)
>(Other?)
>>359798
>>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
I am fine with anything else really. We just came here to have a chat.
>>359798
>Tell him about the situation in Gem.
>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Inform him about the situation in Tianna and the struggles you're facing as the founder of a new nation there.
Even this feels like a lot, but I feel like the Crown and our new nation are more or less connected and then I'm also curious on what he think we should do about the Rankar, eternal prison? Execution? Eclipse Oath and forced exile?
>>359798
>>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Talk to him about the Skullstone problem.
We're about so solve the Gem situation anyway.
>>359798
>>Talk to him about the Skullstone problem.
>>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>>Leave it to Mikahil.
>>359798
>Ask him what his advice would be in dealing with the Realm.
I imagine as a Strapy of the Realm he has a great deal more experience with them then we do, given how far away from them Gem is and how little interest they seemed to have in Tianna.
I'm also fine with questions anyone else wants to ask.
>Ask him if there's anything you can do for him.
It's only polite
After that
>>Leave it to Mikahil.
>>359798
Wooooh! My first Exalted Quest after discovering Maka and Exalted like probably half her IC mortal followers! The porn boards.
>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Ask him specifically about how comfortable he is serving the realm and all here in An Teng.
If he's doing plenty of good as is, we don't need to interfere for plenty of time. An Teng doesn't seem the worst off. But if he has something he'd like us to do, we could always throw it on the giant pile of promises.
>>359798
>>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Talk to him about the Skullstone problem.
Also ask him about the Realm and what we can do to try to avoid conflict with it.
>>359798
>Tell him about the Crown, ask him what you should do.
>Ask him about the situation in An Teng.
>Ask him what his advice would be in dealing with the Realm.
>Leave it to Mikahil.
>Ask him about the situation in An Teng.
>Ask him if there's anything you can do for him.
I fail to see, what asking him about the Crown would do, save give any spies, more reason to see, Tianna be wiped of the map.
And its just good manners, to offer to help people, before asking them for help.
>>359840
The crown isn't a secret.
We also aren't really asking for help, we're just discussing things.
"First of all..." You step forward. "You should see this."
You summon the Crown, and feel the reflected radiance of the Mandate fill your brow and shine throughout the room.
The Golden Lord's eyes widen. "...I believe I understand, but, nonetheless, I would like you to tell me the full story."
You do so, telling him, in brief, most of the relevant things that happened since Exaltation that have evidently led to the Unconquered Sun entrusting the Lesser Crown of Thunders to you.
"Even though it's weightless, it feels as such as burden on my head." You conclude to him.
"Nonetheless, there is wisdom I trust in the Unconquered Sun's decisions."
"I don't know. I guess there is, but I don't feel like I've done so much as to deserve this high honor... and the responsibilities that come with it." You reply.
"I don't believe you did, either." He replies, merciless. "The Crown is the Sun's way to forcing you to live up to that Crown with your future actions."
"So... He did not grant me the Crown because of my actions, but..."
"Because you are his best hope in the future? Possibly. Hope exists only in the future, after all. Still, your actions and behavior in the past and present are what made him consider you in the first place." He muses. "He wants to believe in you. His decision to grant you the Lesser Crown of Thunders... I'd consider it fairly unreasonable." The Golden Lord allows himself a brief smirk. "I would've advised the Unconquered Sun against it."
"You bastard!" Tia steps out of line, pointing an angry finger at the god. "Are you saying that Maka isn't awesome enough for the Unconquered Sun?"
Karas tries to wrestle Tia back to a more composed state, but the Golden Lord doesn't seem much fazed by her rude intervention. "That's more or less what I'm saying, yes. Still, I am not Him, and He might be better-equipped than I am to make this decision."
"...What should I do, then?"
His eyes pierce through you. "Try harder. No human is perfect, and that applies to the Exalted as well, but, through effort, you can approach perfection in all things. And for one who would want to lead, nothing less than perfection should be the aim."
"Does aiming for an unreachable objective even make sense?" You wonder.
"Were you not Exalted to achieve the impossible?" Is his reply.
"...Good point." You concede.
You glance inwards, to your internal time sense. If you want to make it to Gem comfortably and without hurry, you'll have, at best, another hour or so with the Golden Lord before you have to leave.
>Leave the ground to Mikahil.
>Ask him about An Teng.
>Tell him about how you should behave in Gem.
>Inform him about the situation in Tianna.
>Talk to him about Skullstone.
>Ask him for advice in dealing with the Realm.
>(Other question?)
>Ask him if he needs help with anything.
>(Other?)
>>359890
How long does each option take?
I want to ask
>Ask him for advice in dealing with the Realm.
but I want Mikahil to have his turn to ask any questions he has too.
>>359904
Sounds good, though, if there's time, I'd ask if he needs help with anything too.
>>359890
>Ask him about An Teng.
>Tell him about how you should behave in Gem.
>Ask him if he needs help with anything.
That's savage GL, not that I completely disagree with you though.
>>359890
>Inform him about the situation in Tianna.
>Talk to him about Skullstone.
>Ask him for advice in dealing with the Realm.
>>359817
Welcome aboard!
>>359987
Thanks. :)
"...I have another question for you, Golden Lord." You proclaim.
He nods, patiently.
"...I have a lot on my plate right now. Gem, Skullstone, the West, and more. But... the biggest question is one that I managed to dodge and sidestep up to now. I wouldn't be able to do it forever."
He waits.
"The Realm."
He nods. "I imagine this to be the question on the minds of most of the Solars who Exalted in this Age."
"Do you have any advice for me?"
"What is the Realm, to you?" He asks back.
>An enemy to be conquered.
>An enemy to be destroyed.
>The inheritors of usurpers, nothing more.
>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>Their rule over Creation is illegitimate.
>I feel like they're misguided. But it should be possible to find common ground.
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>It's done more harm than good. Creation would be better off without it.
>It's done more good than harm. I wish there'd be a way to coexist without spilling blood.
>The Realm is corrupt. It needs to be reformed, somehow.
>I'm... I'm not too sure myself. I still have many questions and little answers.
>(Other?)
>>359994
>>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>>The Realm is corrupt. It needs to be reformed, somehow.
>>359994
>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>>359994
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
> It's done more good than harm, protecting what of creation it can without the solars.
"Now, hopefully we can make that vicious fight an ideological one instead of one with weapons.. But I fear that if I do start winning over the people's hearts, those loyal to the realm will launch a crusade to stop me militarily before I can win that way."
>>359994
>>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>>359994
>It's done more good than harm. I wish there'd be a way to coexist without spilling blood.
>The Realm is corrupt. It needs to be reformed, somehow.
Let's be real, the First Age Solars totally deserved to get murdered like that, but that doesn't matter anymore, they aren't the ones who did it and we aren't the ones who got killed.
>>359994
>"The Solars forfeited the right to rule with their tyrany. The Dragonblooded have forfeited it through their abuses, and through watching the mortal population shrink drastically under their stewardship."
>>359994
>I'm... I'm not too sure myself. I still have many questions and little answers.
>>360023
Yeah. I was going to vote for the Usurpation as crime thing, but then I thought back to Maka's memories. I'm not sure she'd actually agree.
>>359994
>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>It's done as much harm as good. The Solars weren't perfect, but this isn't any better.
>>359994
>The Realm is corrupt. It needs to be reformed, somehow.
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>>360029
I think she would think that the Usurpation was wrong, but that the wrong answer was the only choice left. Horrible, but it had to happen.
>>359994
>>The Realm is corrupt. It needs to be reformed, somehow.
>>I'm... I'm not too sure myself. I still have many questions and little answers.
>>359994
Changing my vote
>The Usurpation was a crime, but I cannot blame people who were not alive at the time for it.
>Their rule over Creation is illegitimate.
>They're not monsters, but there's no way they'll give up without a vicious fight.
>It's done more good than harm. They did what they could without just solars to guard creation, even if now they are guarding only themselves.
>>359994
Whatever one might think, it is a fact that the population shrunk by 90% since the Usurpation and Creation lost a good chunk of territory to the fae and Deathlords. So...
>Their rule over Creation is illegitimate.
Also, a military conflict with the realm will be inevitable.
>>360089
The blood of the Dragons grows weaker with each generation while Creation's foes grow stronger and more cunning. Not even mentioning the looming Civil War.
Part of it is legitimacy, yes, but at this point it's also that it's mightiest defenders, the Celestials, are either hiding behind the scenes or overworked, have recused themselves to the borders of the world, or are hunted down.
It's untenable.
You think about it.
"We're talking about a nation of humans and Exalted. There's good people and bad people there, They have a religion that literally paints me as the worst thing ever, but... they kind of had a reason to believe that? Even if it's factually wrong. but they're not... monsters or anything. They're not demons or fae or undead, just people trying their best."
The Golden Lord keeps listening.
"It's true that the Usurpation happened, that it overthrew the legitimate rulers of Creation, and that it set back mankind massively... but I can't quite blame them, for many reasons."
"If you believe that..." The god makes a wide gesture. "Then Creation is yours for the taking, is it not? It's only a matter of how you obtain it."
You nod briefly.
"Ask yourself that, then. How do you intend to grasp Creation?"
"That's what I was asking you." You grumble back at him.
He seems to smile. "The Usurpation was illegitimate, you say, because it stole Creation from the Solar Exalted. Much the same way Rankar stole the throne of Gem from your family?"
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Yet, if I recall correctly, the throne of Gem was also obtained by force and cunning by your grandfather, a mere slave gladiator, who dethroned the previous ruler. Quite likewise, who did the Solars originally wrestle Creation from?"
"...Are you seriously making an argument for the Primordials?" Mikahil mumbles.
"I'm saying that mere precedence is not true justice." He replies, simply. "At the same time, claiming that you have a right to rule Creation just because you can do it better than the Realm can is as faulty as a Guild Prince's argument would be if he murdered the owners of a parcel of farmland and replaced them with fae-bewitched, soul-drained slaves, on the grounds that that terrain will be more productive like that. "Better" is in the eye of the beholder."
"...What should I do, then?"
"You should find your own justice."
>...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice.
>I'm afraid I don't understand.. What are you even talking about?
>...I will think long and hard on your words, Golden Lord.
>(Other?)
>>360195
>...I will think long and hard on your words, Golden Lord
>>360195
>I'm afraid I don't understand.. What are you even talking about?
>>360195
Creation is ruled by the cycle of upheaval, and there's always a cost. The Daughter of Hope can find a better way.
>...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice.
>Mikahil?
>>360195
>>...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice.
>>360260
Second.
>>360260
>The Daughter of Hope
Maka: The Daughter of Hope
Sounds like a Magic Card
>>360195
>>...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice.
Maka's own justice huh, what matters most to us and why we really want to make a new nation. We want to save everyone.
>>360195
>...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice.
It always comes down to playing the hand that has been dealt. There is no need to dwell on words too much.
>>360287
>what matters most to us
The Booty
>>360279
Maka would definitely be a mono-White card.
>>360305
We have the best booty (Tia/Amata/Us).
Though we never did get that color coded hair harem from that one place in the West, did we?
"...I think I understand, Golden Lord. I will search for my own justice." You nod, and step back.
As his words are still lingering in your ears, Mikahil steps forward. "My lord, I'd like to ask for your counsel as well."
"About what?"
He grins as he unrolls a sheaf of papers, all thickly written on both sides, from inside his sleeve. "I'm afraid it's a rather more... dry and technical subject, Lord. Could you look over these documents and tell me your opinions?"
He lets out a long, yet somehow amused sigh. "Rather more practical, I'd say." He comments, accepting the papers and beginning to page through them.
"Direction-wide economic policy proposals don't review themselves." He replies.
Both Karas and Tia shoot pained glances at you, silently begging for mercy.
>Come to their rescue and escape with them.
>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
>>360325
>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
They don't have to stay though
>>360325
>>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
Now this if legitimately interesting to me.
>>360325
>We need to start hearing stuff like this, if we want to avoid just sitting in our harem sexing until it's time to punch or sex something else. Which seeing that lead to the Tyrant last time...
>But we should also give them a knowing "Yeah, you can go now."
>>360325
>>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
I didn't think he would have economic proposals ready in hand. He really is ready for anything isn't he?
>>360310
Are you joking? We like sex way too much to not be red.
>>360325
>>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
>>360346
But what we love best is smiting sex (Amber anyone?). White/Red.
>>360343
Mikahil a best.
Not in the same way Maka a best, or Val a best, or Tia or Amata a best, but still a best.
>>360346
That's just one part of it though and we have much more in common with White than Red considering it's other attributes, but thinking about it she's more likely both W/R leaning more towards White..
Even from a mechanics standpoint Maka is more W than R, she's got lots of defense stuff and charms to buff up extras with only a splash of direct damage from SHS.
>>360378
Oh boy, now we're going to have to make an exalted friends of Maka deck.
>>360388
There's already a Magic deck called Justice League or super friends depending on who you ask.
>>360325
>Come to their rescue and escape with them.
>>360325
>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
>>360325
>>Actually, you want to hear Mikahil's policy questions too.
Gods yes, I need to hear best character talk more.
The Golden Lord goes over his papers in record time. "You know, a few Solars in the middle First Age had very similar ideas."
"I know about the Order Conferring Trade Pattern, but this is not quite the same. Although I would like to be able to eventually phase to a jade-based currency to obtain part of those benefits against the Wyld-" Mikahil begins, but the Golden Lord interrupts him.
"No, I'm not talking about the Order Conferring Trade Pattern. I'm talking about some smaller-scale but rather ambitious projects undertaken, on a personal basis, by some Solars, in their territories and holdings." He lifts his head from the papers, and meets Mikahil's shocked gaze. "You thought you were the first to think of this particular system of ideas?"
He recovers quickly. "I like thinking of myself as amazingly brilliant, yes."
The god buries his eyes in the papers once more. "Brilliance is not your greatest asset here."
"Ow." You comment.
"...You don't ever pull any punches, do you?"
"I don't mean it particularly badly." The god replies, sounding quite amused. "Your proposal here is very rooted in economic reality, Many might consider it a crazy scheme, but it's not quite as crazy as many of the things ancient Solars tried. Your advantage here is that, unlike them, you're finding compromises between the current reality of economic and trading practices in the West, and the ideal scenario in your mind. Whereas their plans seldom were troubled by such details."
"We don't have quite the resources to snap our fingers and make it rain... yet." He admits. "So, what is your opinion here?"
"Admirable policies in many respects. The breaking up of Guild monopolies and the incentives for the other traders to split up in smaller companies are a touch I particularly like. If there's one direction which would enjoy the greatest benefits and the least drawbacks from a decentralization of trade, it's the West. Of course, the Guild will not take these measures quietly."
"It's fine, I don't expect them to." Mikahil replies.
"On the other hand..." He flips through more pages. "The subsidies to productive activities for the least developed areas and the welfare system you intend to adopt will necessarily require a centralized organization, which clashes with the naturally-federalized nature of a politically unified West."
"Because of the Direction's unique geography? Yes, I recognize that this might sound like a contradiction, and it wouldn't be easy to implement. It's why I wanted to ask you about it."
More rustling of papers. "I would add a local trade authority to each holding, either on the provincial or regional level. Have them report seasonally. carefully weight how much power and authority they should have. Make them dependent on the federal government and independent from the local, but they should be made up prevalently of locals."
(cont.)
"How often should they be audited? Even if we separate them from the local government's chain of command, corruption can become a problem frighteningly fast like this." Mikahil muses.
"Ideally, as often as possible, but practically, I would say that once a season plus surprise inspections... maybe yearly or so, would be acceptable. Either handle the auditing through the central government, an independently-appointed panel, or perhaps ask Fakharu. He might be somewhat hard to motivate at times, but he is a wise and just god, and I think that gaining more responsibilities would do wonders for him. He likes to feel useful."
"I'll look into it. Thank you." Mikahil nods. "How do you expect Coral will react to this measures?"
Golden Lord glances at the paper once more. "Unrestricted naval warfare."
"Figures. Any way to sweeten the deal for them?" He groans.
"If you can stomach it, you could broaden the scope of pirating licenses"
"That sort of legalized piracy would be an unsustainable drain on the economy in the long term." The Eclipse shakes his head.
"Then I'd focus on breaking up the pirating trust first, and then force these issues. That way, Coral wouldn't be able to put up a solid front."
"They'd still oppose the resolutions."
"Win some, lose some." Golden Lord concedes himself a slight smile. "Exaltation's greatest advantage is that it gives you the ability to work on long-term plans that would be impossible to a mortal. Use that to your advantage."
The discussion goes on and on and on for quite some time, as Mikahil seeks the Golden Lord's advice and wisdom on many specific problems concerning his ideas for the West's future economic landscape. You manage to follow most of the discussion, and even contribute to it from time to time.
In the background, Mikahil and Tia are playing Gateway, bored out of their minds.
By when Mikahil seems satisfied with his answers, you don't have a lot of time left.
>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>You have one last question before you go. (what?)
>>360549
>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>>360549
>You have one last question before you go. (what?)
That's Gl, you were cool, need anything before we hit the road?
>>360549
>Golden Lord glances at the paper once more. "Unrestricted naval warfare."
Truly, Coral is the greatest nation to ever bless the West.I'm totally not biased because I'm playing a solar who plans to turn them into an empire, or anything.
>>360549
>>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>>360549
>>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>>360549
>>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>>360549
>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
Man this guy was great!
I feel like Maka would make a pass at him, if she just had time for it.
>>360588
Well, nah, actually. It doesn't feel quite right. He's too much like Unconquered Sun while not being Unconquered Sun.
>Time to part ways.
>>360549
>>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
>>360549
>Part ways with the Golden Lord.
This guy was great. Good job, EF.
"Well, we should go now." You butt in before Mika can manage to "remember" something or get another word in.
Karas and Tia silently rejoice.
"Yes, you should." The god points out. "You've disrupted my daily schedule and caused problems for everyone waiting in line for an audience. Still, I'm glad you did. If you'll ever need counsel or advice, I'm at your service."
"Thank you." You and Mika bow one last time before leaving.
You make your way back to the camp, with Karas and Tia more tired now than they were when they woke up, and wake up Valeriana. It's late morning by now, but you should still make it to Gem before nightfall.
Valeriana takes a bit to properly wake up, but when she does, she casts the now-familiar Azure Chariot spell, and you shoot into the sky at the usual frightening speed.
"So." Mikahil, who looks VERY satisfied, takes out his map once more. "You certainly know Gem better than I do, since I've never been there. What's the plan?"
"Gem's built halfway into the crater of a volcano." You explain. "There are other mountains in the area, and most of them are volcanoes, but it's easy to recognize which one is Gem. It's more isolated than the others, has a clear path leading north that I imagine must be visible from the sky as well, and despite how remote Gem is, that path is very busy and we'll probably spot a caravan or two there. Besides, the crater is asymmetric, taking most of the southern side of the mountain."
"And the city's mostly underground, right?" Mikahil wonders. "What do the people there EAT?"
"We import nearly everything from the Lap. That's why there are so many caravans." Karas informs him.
"That sounds... dangerous. What happens if the city gets sieged, or if the Lap cuts the supplies?"
"No one ever said Gem was a good idea. I mean, a city in a volcano?" You joke.
"Besides, Gem is impossible to siege." Mikahil grins. "I'd like to see you camping an army in the desert, under the sun, around a volcano, just a few hundred miles away from the Elemental Pole of Fire."
"Good point." Mikahil concedes. "So, we just need to approach the city from the north and no one will see us except for the caravans?"
"We can avoid those simply by approaching from the north-west, at an angle, and flying low. We don't need to follow the road." Val points out.
"Not bad." He nods. "Once there, how do we contact our team? Your spell?"
"Sure." She replies. "They should just be there on standby, so we can probably hook up with them tonight unless something goes wrong somehow."
(cont.)
>>360775
>Everything has gone wrong somehow!
"After that leave it to me and Karas." You say confidently.
"Well, according to the team that's there. Rankar doesn't have much in the way of Essence-wielding allies. He shouldn't be too hard to manage for all of us." Mikahil muses.
Meanwhile Tia is clearly nervously staring at the mountains on the horizon.
You fly over those mountains a few hours later, leaving the fertile Silent Crescent, with its hilly forests and green plains, behind you.
What awaits you beyond those mountains is an endless desert of golden sand, stretching endlessly in all directions. You feel the temperature spike all of sudden.
"Whoa." Mikahil comments, after a while. "You really FEEL the difference in heat. How do you people stand this?"
"This is nothing. It's not even Fire season." Karas replies.
"Now I understand why Maka is always naked." Valeriana is sweltering. "Her homeland is a damn oven."
"No, that's just Maka being weird." Karas corrects her. "You don't want to remove your clothes under the sun. You're so pale that you'll probably burn your skin right off, Exalted or not. I'd suggest getting a cloak or something, even. If we plan on spending time outside, at least. Which is a dumb idea, so nevermind that."
"Wait a moment." Valeriana wonders. "Can we even get sunburn? We're Solar Exalted. Shouldn't the Sun, you know, not hurt us?"
A moment of thoughtful silence passes over you.
"...You know, I have no idea." You admit. "It never happened to me when I was outside."
"You and Karas are dark-skinned, so you don't count. Besides, I've seen essence artillery beams bounce off you, so I doubt you can get sunburn in any case. it's my own skin I'm worried about." She replies sharply.
"You two spend too much time indoors." Karas notes.
Mikahil rolls his eyes. "If you don't have anything useful to say, please shut up."
"Is it going to be this hot inside the city too?" She wonders, clearly worried.
"Well, in the city there's no sun, so it's going to be cooler than outside, but Gem is a lot further south. It'll still be a lot hotter than it is right now here, and besides, we're in a fast-moving chariot, so we get wind. No such thing in Gem." He explains.
The Twilight groans and whimpers.
As Karas predicted, it gets a lot hotter. Mikahil and Valeriana grab a couple light white blankets from your baggage and make improvised cloaks out of them, to cover themselves better against the heat and the sun. Neither of them was willing to be a living test subject for the "let's see if Solars can get sunburn" experiment.
Tia has a more direct solution.
(cont.)
>>360866
I fucking love you Tia
The sun is nearing dusk when you finally catch sight of the familiar profile of Gem. The cone-shaped volcano really triggers that feeling of "home" in your heart.
You briefly remember how you felt when you looked back on it as you last left Gem, smuggled away by merchants after Rankar's coup d'etat, lost and terrified.
Now you're back. You're not entirely sure of how you should feel. You expected the sight of the cone-shaped volcano to trigger all the worst memories in you...
...instead, all you can think back to now, is of the happy days of your childhood, spent with your family.
You exchange glances with Karas, just as the chariot slows down and douches the rocky, ashen surface of the volcano, on the far side compared to the city and about one third of the way up.
You have time to get all of your baggage out of the Chariot before the sun sets, and can do things with all calm and ease, for once. No dropping to the ground from mid-air.
"Well, here we are." Mikahil proclaims. "What's our next course of action?"
>Let's head to the city by foot.
>Tia, can you fly us over to the city discreetly?
>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
>(Other?)
(I'm going to have to leave, and will return only tomorrow. Might be 10 hours or so? But I'll pick the thread back up then, if it's still running.)
>>360949
>>Tia, can you fly us over to the city discreetly?
>>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
>>360949
>>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
We'll hold out for you, boss.
>>360949
>>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
Worst case we can send Mik and Val on ahead the proper entry in so they in turn can smuggle Tia, Karas, and us inside. Also I fucking love Resistance Charms.
We'll be here EF, I'll put it up on suptg really fast just in case.
>>360949
And now I'm thinking about that time playing Dress Up with Karas.
>Val, can you cast a messenger.
>>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
Easiest option if available.
>>360949
>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
>>360949
>Val, can you cast a Messenger at our team inside to let them know we're here and agree on a meeting point?
We play this carefully. For once, it's our mortal family at risk, rather than our super-powered loved ones.
>>360949
>Let's head to the city by foot.
How many will recognize their princess?
>>361281
Nobody.
So I had a thought for the future: Is there anything stopping us from running wargames in Silk's wildzone? It would be an interesting fluff addition to our tiger warrior training of our troops, and it would keep Silk entertained.
>>362142
Random mutations among our soldiers assuming we plan on running a wargame that lasts longer than a single day.
>>362193
So... don't run it longer than a single day?
>>362219
That makes the Wyld zone ideal for tiger warrior training, since we can cheat the 4 hours daily into half that time or whatever the ratio is.
Not so great for actual wargaming to simulate a real campaign.
>>362142
Man, do I want Val to hurry up and develop (or use, she's hinted she may already have them) those sweet Twilight Wyld-shaping Charms in Silk's realm.
>>362225
Honestly, the real point is to ensure that Silk has playmates and running military people through training with her providing the opposition sounds fun.
>>360866
>"Well, according to the team that's there. Rankar doesn't have much in the way of Essence-wielding allies. He shouldn't be too hard to manage for all of us." Mikahil muses.
Sol damn it, Mika. Saying stuff like that is how you get Alchemicals.Or Abyssal MakaMom
>>362234
Val has got soooo much on her plate. I think we need to remind her "Yeah, we want to get the titan flying. Yeah, we want Pearl. Yeah we want super first age military tech. But you don't need to give them to us this month. We're Exalted. Take your time. If in 10 years we still can't, maybe tell us no."
>>362322
I hear you, but I think half the problem probably is BECAUSE we're Exalted. Her brilliance strains at mortal bounds, with so many ideas in her head... yet she has to be patient.
She's her own worst enemy, methinks. Definitely needs some relaxation training with Maka. Hell, we could probably do for a girls' night for us, her, and Starfall if we ever got another down moment.
>>362389
That, and she doesn't have enough competent help. She needs some jadeborn to help her out.
Have a thing. http://pastebin.com/5iAqpkBX
>>362738
I like the concept, but feel it needs a bit more polish.
It's not bad, it just seems rushed.
>>362747
More that I had a writer's block with it half finished for literally six months and decided to go "fuck it" and finished it tonight.
>>362752
>http://pastebin.com/5iAqpkBX
"Okay, maybe she did see why Maka was chosen, considering the composition."
Competition? I believe you have my same problem of misspelling words into other words and not noticing.
>>362738
Cute, the hugging him bit was pretty funny.
I'm back. New post in a bit.
The volcano's craggy, uneven surface offers a lot of little niches and small caves, none too deep, but still useful places where to seek refuge from the scorching hot winds of the deepest south. You all move into one of such fissures immediately, mostly for Mikahil and Valeriana's benefit.
"I want to go home already." Mumbles Valeriana. "And here I thought summers in the west were hot enough." She turns to you. "How hot does it get here? Like, outside, in Fire season, during the day?"
You think about it for a second. "You know how, in the West, people sometime joke along the lines that "it's so hot today that you could fry an egg, or cook a fish, or boil a pot of water, just by leaving it outside for a bit?"
She nods.
"It's not a joke here." Karas points out. "On hot days, in Fire season, during the day? It does get hot enough for water to boil outside. People only travel at night, and dig holes in the sand, bury themselves, and hide underground during the day."
"In any case, on those days the heat is the least of your problems, considering how close the southern edge of Creation is. All sort of weird things come from the south, including raiding Fair Folk." Karas helpfully adds.
"Why would people even LIVE here." She groans, flopping on her back on the (comparatively) cool surface of the rock.
"It's called Gem for a reason." You point out with a smile, fairly sure that Valeriana already knew, of course. "Say, Val, how are you feeling?"
"Terrible." She sits back up. "But tell me."
"We should send a Messenger spell to the team already in the city. Let them know we're here, and agree on a meeting point."
She nods. "Please tell me we're at least waiting for the sun to set before we move out."
"We are." You reassure her.
"Alright." She stands back up, stumbling for just a second. "Where's the meeting point?"
You think about it. "...There's a tavern in the Sunken Bazaar called the Sweet Water Spring. It's always a very busy place at this hour of the day, so we're not going to draw a lot of attention there, hopefully. Good place to meet up."
"We can't quite talk freely there, though." Karas informs you. "Rankar might have informers there."
"Oh, he certainly does." You nod. "If I were in his shoes, I'd have informers there, too. It's just a meeting place. Let's be careful about what we say that could be overheard, and we'll be fine."
Valeriana nods, extends both arms, and, as motes of Essence begin to gather around her, she starts her chant.
"You who travels over land and sea, heed my call. Gently flying spirit with quicksilver wings and thunder in your eye, be born out of my wish and become a bridge of voice between here and there."
Runes and glyphs appear on the palms of her hands, and in a circle swirling in front of her, as the Essence coalesces...
"What's the likelihood that you and Karas might be recognized?" Mikahil wonders, in the meanwhile. "How well-known are your faces to the general public of Gem?"
(cont.)
"Not zero, but not very high either, I'd imagine." Karas muses. "We weren't exactly public figures, mind you. Everyone knew and could recognize dad and mom, but I think that our faces are a bit more obscure."
"In any case, we should try and stay hidden." You conclude, as Valeriana's messenger departs. "Wear headscarves and face veils. They're common enough that we wouldn't look terribly suspicious with them.
"No one's gonna look at your face anyway." Valeriana teases you.
"I'm not going to wear a face veil." Karas groans. "I'm not a damn belly-dancer."
"...That's a brilliant idea."
"No, Maka. No. Just no. Val, make me another one of those hooded cloaks."
"Aww." You sigh in an obvious sign of displeasure.
The little message-bearing spirit reappears: a tiny humanoid sprite, all blue and green and silver, with flashing butterfly wings.
It speaks in Aexel's voice: "We'll see you there in a bit. Security is tight, but the situation is fairly calm. There are a lot of guards around, but they don't seem to be on high alert."
Then the sprite vanishes into thin air.
You glance outside the fissure you camped in. The sun will set soon. After that, it'll take about a hour or so to reach the city. But the gates will doubtlessly be guarded... you need a plan of entry.
And the usual story of a travelling priestess wouldn't hold in Gem, which doesn't have much in the way of spiritual importance...
>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
>We'll just brute force our way through the guards. (p+d)
>We'll just sneak past the guards. (m+n)
>We'll meet up with one of the trading caravans and try to pass ourselves as part of their group to enter.
>We'll tell them we're traders.
>We'll tell them we're miners.
>We'll tell them we're entertainers.
>We'll bribe them.
>(Other?)
Rolled 9, 2 = 11 (2d10)
>>363353
>>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
>We'll tell them we're traders.
Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d10)
>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
Do the social stuff! Yeah!
Rolled 6, 2 = 8 (2d10)
>>363357
>We'll tell them we're traders.
Leave it to Mik for once, he probably actually has the proper papers and everything or at least great fakes.
Dice just in case.
Rolled 3, 10 = 13 (2d10)
>>363357
>>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
>We'll tell them we're entertainers.
Clearly Karas is just repressing his desire to be a belly dancer and is just being shy.
>>363357
Also we should probably pop MRP if we can do it without obviously using essence.
extra dice and all that
Rolled 4, 1 = 5 (2d10)
>>363357
>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
Also I think we're wearing our priestess outfit, let's switch to 21
>>363365
seconded for what it's worth. Might be a bit ostentatious but we never wear that one.
>>363367
I forgot we upgraded it to Terifying
Rolled 9, 3 = 12 (2d10)
>>363357
>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
And adding my vote for switching to 21
Rolled 8, 10 = 18 (2d10)
>>363357
>We'll just charm our way through the guards. (s+z)
Maybe use a cover story about being entertainers though when we sweet-talk them? Maka's charisma makes that the most natural cover. If we say we're traders, they might ask where our wares are.
>>363380
We could just as easily be here to buy, especially if we're dressed rich and have Mik on hand for stuff.
>>363383
Of course he does, why wouldn't he?
It's not like you can cheat them by rolling more than once, we practically had to throw multiple dice a person back when we rolled them one at a time.
>>363383
fair enough. Normally I wouldn't roll more than twice, but it's early enough that I'm not sure about how many people are awake.
It's a lot more than I though there would be.
>>363382
Except buyers would have some sort of caravan of wagons or whatever to haul the stuff they buy.
Or at least to haul the payment for the ores and products they intend to buy.
I mean I guess we could say we're prospecting but it's not like Gem is an undiscovered resource.
>>363385
It's just a holdover from other quests mostly.
Don't mind me.
In a flash, you change your outfit to one more in line with local fashion, and add a veil covering your face and leaving only your eyes visible, just to stay on the safe side.
Then you wait. Val and Karas take a nap, Mikahil brought a book (he's been reading it for the entire trip up to now), and Tia nervously nuzzles up to you.
She's been rather silent recently, and a bit jumpy as well. You can imagine she's very tense at the prospect of meeting your family.
Finally, the sun sets entirely, and the desert is bathed in the eerie bluish glow of the perfectly clear southern night sky. In the distance, you can see the eternal fire of the Pole as a dull gold-red light on the horizon: a land beyond time and space, light and darkness, day and night. Just fire.
...You have to wonder if, with your current blessed Exalted body and fortitude, you could actually venture to the Pole of Fire, where no one has ever been.
A thought for another time. You have another objective now, after all.
You pack up your stuff and make your way around the volcano, to the only gate of Gem, the sole access point to the outside world.
There are caravans approaching, but none is in the vicinity right now, and the gate is very well guarded by a contingent of thirty or so soldiers. You don't quite recognize their black and red uniforms, but their equipment (chainmail, glass-steel scimitars, and bayoneted firewands, plus two ballistas placed one to either side of the entrance, loaded and crewed) really projects an idea of no-nonsense security.
"Crimson Shadows." Karas whispers to you. He certainly knows the landscape of Gem mercenary units better than you do... you never paid attention to that particular subject. "Chiaroscuran expatriates. Good, expensive soldiers. If Rankar is keeping them on duty just to guard the gate, he must be really trying to project an image of strength."
You nod, trying not to draw attention.
As soon as you're close enough, you have everyone's attention. Trade caravans to and from Gem are huge affairs, with hundreds, sometime thousands of members. Such a small group is suspicious, of course.
One of the soldiers approaches you. Relaxed, non-threatening, but clearly inquisitive. "Welcome to Gem. What's your business here? You don't quite look like a trading caravan. What's up?"
[TERRIFYING GLORIOUS PRESENCE]
[s+z= 9 2 4 2 6 2 3 10 4 1 9 3 10 1 8 = 8 successes]
You get a bit closer. Not so much to be threatening, but enough to get into his zone of comfort. He steps back slightly, almost intimidated.
"Oh, we're not traders, we just wanted to see Gem." You offer, in a sweet tone of voice. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
Bit by bit, as you draw more and more attention, even with your face covered - or perhaps especially because your face is covered - you feel the soldiers getting more and more restless and distracted, most of them busily undressing you with their eyes.
(cont.)
>>363398
>You nod, trying not to draw attention.
>As soon as you're close enough, you have everyone's attention.
haha
>Bit by bit, as you draw more and more attention, even with your face covered - or perhaps especially because your face is covered
kek
"It's- I mean, no, but Gem isn't quite a tourism-" the first soldier stammers, but he's clearly too confused by your words and your presence to form a coherent argument.
In the confusion, Valeriana, Mikahil and Karas just walk into the city, almost unopposed. A couple of soldiers try to get in their way, but they just walk past them after exchanging a few words.
"What? Is there any reason I can't enter Gem?" You ask back at them, plating your hands on your hips.
"We... um..." The soldier is at the end of his rope. "Contraband..."
>What contraband could we possibly have? We don't exactly have a caravan with us.
>Just let us through. Pretty please?
>You better let us inside, or things could get ugly.
>Oh, it's fine. You can search me.
>(other?)
>>363400
>Just let us through. Pretty please?
We should have put Karas in some gray now that I think about it.
>>363398
>He steps back slightly, almost intimidated.
>you feel the soldiers getting more and more restless and distracted
It's fun meeting new people.
>>363400
>Oh, it's fine. You can search me.
>>363400
>Just let us through. Pretty please?
>>363400
>Oh, it's fine. You can search me.
Yes, pat down the Maka.
>>363400
>>Oh, it's fine. You can search me.
>>363400
>>Oh, it's fine. You can search me.
I can't not
night anons and EF, this 'murican needs sleep
>>363425
>implying freedom ever sleeps
>>363410
Yeah we should be coy and teasing, guide his hands down our sides and sweet talk him until he forgets what he wasn't doing.
>>363428
>>implying freedom ever sleeps
shit, got me there
"Oh, it's fine." You answer, in the most teasing tone you can muster. "You can search me."
"i-i- b-bwuh?"
You loosen your dress slightly.
His hands move up as if on their own volition, trembling, slowly inching their way up to you, and then-
And then, the soldier gets brutally shoved out of the way and replaced by another, eager to take his place.
It takes about ten more seconds for the situation to degenerate into a half-baked brawl, as some soldiers struggle for their right to strip-search you, while others try to split them up and calm them down.
"...You guys seem busy." You note, tightening back up your dress. "I guess I'll... just go."
You're in.
It's been a while since you walked the streets of Gem. Half-built, half-carved into dark volcanic rock, lit by rows of enchanted gemstones shining over busy, dusty streets. It smells like ash, but feels like home.
You quickly catch up to the rest of your group, gazing wistfully left and right to familiar landmarks. The Arbani villa. Darkside Fountain. The House of Gladiators. Diamond Road. Fort Ash. And The Despot's Palace, gleaming in shining black marble and obsidian in the distance.
>Let's head to the rendez-vous right away.
>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
>We probably have some time. Let's check the palace.
>(Other?)
>>363439
>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
How's the mood, our subjects doin' okay?Oh Maka
>>363439
>>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
Well, that was an interesting resolution.
>>363439
>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
>"...You guys seem busy." You note, tightening back up your dress. "I guess I'll... just go."
Bit surprised we remembered to do that.
>>363439
>>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
>>363439
>We probably have some time. Let's walk around a bit.
As was said earlier, meeting new people is fun.
>>363439
Hey EF, does Val speak Firetongue?
She's the only one in our group I can think of that doesn't.
Val and Tia don't speak Firetongue.
Gem is a trade town, though, so a lot of people can speak Riverspeak.
>>363357
>"I'm not going to wear a face veil." Karas groans. "I'm not a damn belly-dancer."
Aren't face veils the height of masculinity in some parts of the South?
>>363451
Where arw Val and Mik from natively, the West?
"We still have some time before the meeting, I think." You say. "Let's walk around a bit?"
Karas agrees. You can imagine he feels as you do.
"So.. this is your hometown." Tia mentions. "It's weird."
"What is?" You ask back. The streets are crowded, as always around this hour of the day, and whirling with colors and noise.
"Building a city underground. You can't see the sky." She notes, gazing up at the basalt ceiling above you.
"That's a good thing. Most mortals would die if they lived outside here." You nod.
"And it tastes like ash."
"You get used to it after a while."
"Does this volcano have a god, like Dancing Smoke?"
Well, Dancing Smoke was a special case, but the question surprises you. You imagine there must be a god, but you never bothered to learn about it. "I guess there is, but I don't know him or her."
She mumbles something in response, and seems to focus back on taking in the sights of the city around her.
...It's going to take a while to get used to dark-skinned Tia, yeah.
Your walk around town confirms your first impression: the city is intact and peaceful, which means that Rankar's coup d'etat must have been relatively bloodless. Security is very high, with armed mercenaries more or less everywhere, but the atmosphere is relaxed.
You can't see mercenaries of the Ashen Guard anywhere, and that's not surprising. The Ashen Guard's commander, Nerus Dell, was (is? you're not sure he's still alive, at this point) a personal friend of your father. You wonder if they were disbanded or what happened to them.
>Let's head to the Sweet Water Spring, the others might be waiting for us.
>Try and gather some information by asking questions around.
>Move through the seedier parts of town.
>Head to the palace.
>Head to the market.
>(Other?)
