Exalted: The tale of the Hole in the World

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Intermission
In the aftermath of the Grey Eye Peninsula incident, affairs settled into an uneasy peace. The Bronze Tide moved further down the coast and began repairing their ships ready to cross the ocean to the Caul. Lukha remained haunted by the revelation that the Spear Empress' rampage had been his fault, even given the circumstances, and would take time to fully recover (or at least, as much as he could). The forces of Ostia and Nulbaram returned to their homes, and in time the Confederacy conquered what remained of Leotha, most of its occupants having left with the Tide in the hopes of being free of the Bay's influence. The Court of the Ascendant Insect, now no longer spurred into battle by Bhadri, settled in Kanilah and founded their new capital Caerleon in the ruins of the human cities they had defeated. And, for a time, the Circle split up to pursue their own affairs. The following takes place during the Resplendant Fire season and continues up to the final week before Calibration.

Hephastia
Back in Marull Vaar Hephastia was distressed to discover that her watchtower had become known as "the Death Tower", due to the number of injuries that had happened in its construction (though thankfully no actual deaths). However now that it was finished it did not seem so badly cursed. She was delighted to find that on a clear day the watchtowers could see all the way to the strange tower they had found on the Island of Baruntulga. Over the course of the following months, she completed work on a ring of upper-end housing on the outskirts of the city, a fortress on the northern side, and a shopping district. The latter she named after her Circlemate Reeds, with a statue of him in the central avenue, and set the (absent) Reeds up as the landlord of these new properties through one of his contacts, Ho Chi Local Merchant.

Travelling up river to the land of Jagganath the Irrigator, she went to harvest the wealth of moonsilver and Oricalcum on Gigacles for the artefacts she had planned for her circlemates. When she arrived it was apparent that the inhabitants had climbed down and were once again living on solid ground. However some of them approached her about a terrible monster living in the lake. She soon found that this was Boomslang: the great serpent had exited the gigantic machine after their last encounter and had been snacking on cows and goats from the waters edge, However he had refrained from eating humans.

She was no longer as afraid of him as she had been (having seen more of the greater horrors of Creation since then). She negotiated that instead of taking cattle from the waters, they would be given a regular sacrifice and she would ask them about getting him some elephants he could whet his appetite on. Jagganath, visiting the site, seemed receptive to the idea, and was happy for Hephastia to take the materials she needed - since it was technically on his land - but asked that she leave the legs in place for future scholars to study the statuary upon them. He was, however, distracted, as he pondered the implications of the bad news.

Daxi
Daxi set off on a tour of the region, trading and exploring along with his crew aboard his ship, the Eye of the Panda. He went North to Kanilah, finding that the Court of the Ascendant Insect were settling down and seemed quite interested in this new form of battle/game know as "trade". Calling in at Heciana, he found Crystal's rooms abandoned, with the landlord mentioning that she'd left for the western isles. Amongst her things, Daxi found 4 disconnected volumes of a series of books called The Death Poetic, written under the pseudonym of Cold Mouth Prayer, and copious notes on them Crystal had made while trying to deduce their meaning. In each of these stories a mysterious boatman and his cat rowed down a river, passing a body whose life and downfall the boatman relayed to the cat. Each one was miserable and futile in a way that stuck in Daxi's head long after he read them, as each person died having no hope of escaping their situation or having ironically caused it. Each story began with the same refrain: Seventeen Souls down the river of Death. It seemed that trying to deduce the ultimate meaning behind the tales had caused some kind of breakdown for Crystal; her last note before leaving the Cinder Isles simply stating "I can't do this anymore".

Putting the stories out of mind, Daxi threw himself into his training as his ship continued its voyage. Upon his return he found an invitation from his new kinsman Chiang Lao De, to come and visit him at Twelve Pillar Village where Unbreakable Coil apparently wanted to speak to them both. The inscrutable Lunar elder regaled them both with the story of Danika Serilan, the Silver City Daxi had seen in his vision. This had been the work of a Lunar Elder named Thousand Swords Oravan, who had refused to join the fledgling Silver Pact and founded his own kingdom, only for it to eventually be cast down and himself slain by the newly-installed Daimyos of the region during the Shogunate. If anyone could find them again, perhaps it could be one of the last of the descendants of the beastmen who used to live there? Chiang encouraged his kinsman to think about it (Chiang's own days of adventure being behind him) but Unbreakable Coil would not be able to help further; he would soon be travelling north as the Pact would convene to formulate a response to the major news.

Tokumei
Visiting the Dragonbloods upon her return she complimented Grey Ocean on his progress in learning Infalliable Messenger, but was unsettled when, upon relating the story of their adventures to the others they reacted in horror to the name of the Dragonblood they had met in Dacot: Ostiary General Epimachus Nestor. While Last Prince of the Tomb was restrained by his friends from storming off - seemingly to get the next boat to Dacot to confront him - Steel like Silk revealed that not only was Nestor's 41st Legion the ones who destroyed Prince's homeland (during the "campaigns in the South against the Anathema" he'd mentioned) but that an Ostiary is the most senior layman rank of the Wyld Hunt. The Dragonbloods warned that Nestor had almost certainly relayed what he knew to "the eyes and ears of the Realm in the region" and made good his escape by now. Tokumei realised with dread that, during their meeting, she had indeed introduced her group to him as "Exalts of Marrull Vaar" and that they were now all at risk - Solar and Outcaste alike - should the Realm turn its attention this way.

Passing the time training in martial arts at a nearby school, Tokumei took some time out to follow up on the lead Grey Ocean had given her to visit the mysterious city of Riven in Zhaojun. With some ancient disaster sinking the city into a (seemingly bottomless) canyon in the ocean, Tokumei had to be marked at the entrance with a rune of silver ink on her hand in order to walk on the ghostly streets. Making her way to the magical emporium of Xosefa - a rather dry man, unremarkable except for having the head of a rhinoceros - she traded in the wooden lizard token Grey Ocean gifted her in exchange for one item from his shop. He had many interesting trinkets, but what caught her eye was a large jar, sealed within was the mummified remains of a sorcerer who, upon Tokumei giving her name as "Tokumei" (thus not a real name) called himself "Hachimitsu" (AKA Honey). He was the last of an order so ancient even the site of his monastery was now nameless wilderness, who had tried to turn his body into a form of divine medicine through self-mummification in honey. However his alchemy failed him, leaving his spirit trapped in the mummy and potentially forfeit if released by anything less than an equally skilled alchemist. Tokumei agreed to be taught his methods of creating sorcerous elixirs in exchange for using this knowledge to free him afterwards. She bought the jar from Xosefa - who was happy to be rid of it - but on her way back to the main street she bumped into a young scholarly Dragonblood with whom she struck up conversation. Unbeknownst to her, this was V'Neef Tokel, the young Dynast her circlemates had saved from the Lintha months ago. He had apparently been stalled in his return to the Blessed Isle due to a mixture of Zhaojun bureaucratic red-tape and the Grey Eye Peninsula disaster, but was heading back down south to resume his studies at Lathe. Pleased to have someone to talk to, and Tokumei (under the Pseudonym of "Swift Teacher") having mentioned her interest in the ruins of the area, Tokel gifted her a book fragment he had come here to find but which he found he already had a full copy of: its contents would prove disturbing. He also mentioned the reason he was returning was that his summons to the Blessed Isle were cancelled in light of the good news.

The Good, Bad, and Major news
The Scarlet Empress has returned.

A wedding, a Festival, and a Curse
We resume the tale the day before Meng's wedding. Hephastia had prepared gifts for the newlyweds, but even these paled in comparison to the gifts she presented to her circlemates. To Daxi she presented the weapon she had been promising him - a magnificent Moonsilver skycutter named Shadowraith. To Tokumei she presented a glorious Moonsilver hauberk that could disguise itself as any number of robes amongst other powers; these she had named the Robes of the Silken Butterfly. She had also prepared something for Reeds... but to their surprise the Circle realised he had not returned from his last expedition. In his absence, the Solars compared notes on their adventures.

Other things seemed amiss, however. Hephastia, when saying Tokumei's name out loud found it... strange to say out loud. As if it no longer suited her? During her rebinding ritual, Tokumei's familiar also seemed harder to bind than usual as the binding based on her name struggled to work. The demon sardonically congratulated her on her "recent promotion", but refused to elaborate ("it's more fun if you find out on your own"). And then there was Bellar, still ostensibly the King of Marrull Vaar, who had become increasingly reclusive in the Solars' absence. Attempting to walk into her palace and be granted an audience like they'd come to expect was thwarted however by the Dragonbloods, who were now refusing admittance to anyone. Despite themselves, the Solars could discern that something was seriously wrong with King Bellar, but that the Dragonbloods felt that the Solars' presence would do the opposite of good for her in her present condition.

Seeing a nearby servant trying to covertly attract their attention, Tokumei tracked her down to find out more. According to her, Bellar had gone into seclusion after receiving some troubling news via letter while the Solars were away, and now seemed to be sickening - the wound she had suffered from Heartsong was troubling her, and she had taken to talking (shouting, even) to herself. Now, only the Dragonbloods were permitted to speak to her, and only a select few servants could prepare her food.

On a whim, and with Calibration coming up, Hephestia went up to the summit of the manse to examine the shrines there... just to be on the safe side. The seven shrines of Hawk, Deer, Turtle, Wolf, Tiger, Shark and Spider were all there being diligently tended to. Things seemed fine... outwardly at least. If the things that were going on were related to the Sister of the Ram slumbering beneath them, then it would require further investigation.

The day of the wedding feast arrived and they went to Meng's province in Barantulga. Mei Fang had a very small party of guests (including the couple who had aided her in spying on the party) whilst many of the locals and important people of the Bay of Barantulga showed up on Meng's side. As it transpired, Delzahni wedding ceremonies involve a lot more fires and ritual bloodletting than those the circle were used to, but the strangest occurrence came from Tokumei. As Daxi and Hephastia came to sign their names in the guest register at the reception, they saw Tokumei had not signed her name that they knew, but as a new one she apparently now identified as:"Glorious Solar Empress Tokumei"The stunned Hephestia was worried but the quick thinking Daxi entered himself as DREAD PIRATE LORD DAXI ONG MAO and Hephestia as MASTER ARTIFICER HEPAESTIA SONOR. Declaring it as a jest to celebrate Meng's great day and encouraging others to make up their own lofty titles. Tokumei meanwhile seemed unaware that anything had changed. Bearing herself as an Empress ought, she seemed bemused: She had always been the Glorious Solar Empress appointed by heaven, surely?

The Circle had no time to ponder this, however, before a bedraggled Reeds ran up to Tokumei and blurted out to them that he needed to talk to them.

Reeds' Downtime
Reeds' first priority had been to close the Grey Eye, with the help of some of the Issyk medicine men. This had taken some time, however, and as he did so he saw visions of the strange version of himself in the dark place beyond the portal. Only snatches, however, but the mysterious figure was aware of him and even tried to reach out to him, but was interrupted as someone threw an ornate Moonsilver skycutter at him from out of sight. With that, the portal was closed, but Reeds' investigations were far from over. After taking care of his business affairs, he went in to the swamp to find Bal Sho, having seen him in the vision from Psygotwyr, but in a sense Bal Sho found him first as the two crossed paths in one of the trading outposts deep in the swamp. Climbing into his boat, Reeds also met the white cat ("Nephrite", as the boatman called her). Reeds questioned the mysterious boatman extensively, but received few concrete answers. As they drifted down the river and out of the physical swamp and into the Dream of the Swamp, Reeds saw signs of others' activity - some crates bearing the mark of a black heron were stacked up in a bywater, and groups of Djala watched them with caution. "The minikin are wary of outsiders" remarked Bal Sho, using a strange & perjorative word for the Djala from long ago, referring to their ancestors in the First Age. Not all things that dwelled in the Dream were native to it, he implied, and those that are notice the intrusions of outsiders.

Reeds asked Bal Sho why he had conducted the ritual at Hontari, but the boatman's answers were oblique at best - apparently the noble that created and animated the Song of Flesh and Blood, Prince Mharidan, had exchanged the strange walking furnace for "a complete set [of 17]... unlike those of your friend" of the strange black books Crystal had found. He also seemed surprised that Reeds had seen his doppelganger in the dark place, but amused himself at his own joke as he remarked "in the fullness of time you shall know Prajnia as well as you know yourself". Bal Sho made oblique reference to there being "a hole in the world, one of many" at the Silver City, but he would not reveal its nature or purpose "as the Horned Man is waiting for you there, and I wouldn't want to deprive him of the pleasure of telling you."

"But here is where we part, Reeds"

"Oh, I'm getting off the boat?"

"Not Quite", interjected Nephrite, before sinking her fangs into Reeds' head. His head suddenly swimming as the cat's supernatural venom coursed through his veins, he was powerless as the boatman laid him into the river. Nephrite idly expressed curiosity that the venom hadn't killed him, but Bal Sho chided her for her callousness. "His part to play in all this is still to come, after all".

Drifting down the river, Reeds remained in the dream for he knew not how long. Looking up, he saw again the strange shapes in the sky - huge chrome birds that flew through the air to some distant battle out where the bay should be. At times, he saw the Djala who again regarded him warily and made no effort to retrieve him. Eventually, the hallucinations ceased, and Reeds found himself being roused by River Owl's Flute. Concerned for his welfare, River Owl kept him occupied with conversation, telling him of her research into the trees. These ancient organisms were apparently so old and so contiguous throughout the ages that they were sentient, in a way, and generating essence. She also told him the news, and pondered if the ramifications of it would mean the Hearths would have to flee the city they had come to call home. Before he could comfort her, however, Reeds was assailed once again by visions, this time of huge silver wolves wielding blades and riding into battle. These visions drove him from the clearing, to the consternation of River Owl who did not see them.

Making his way to the shoreline, Reeds saw the destruction of Njorlona.

In its time, the city had been a gleaming cluster of white stone towers glowing green, in the centre of a landmass now broken into islands. It was this city that the silver army were attacking, as beams of searing light came from the city and strange, black forks of lightning were flung from inside by unseen figures. Despite this, the silver army were tearing chunks off the defences until, with a burst of light, the city began to implode.

Reeds dived into the undergrowth to escape the blast... only to find himself in a dump in the back alley of a greengrocers' store in Pretonia. How had he made his way across the ocean on foot? Did he travel through the dream? Putting those questions aside for now, he asked for directions to the wedding reception.

And now...
Dirty, wet, with a frog in his top pocket and blathering about the things he had seen, Reeds cut a strange figure at the wedding reception. Taking a fresh set of robes from Tokumei, Reeds rejoined the others, aware that, although much had happened to him, much strange was also happening at the party. Tokumei introduced herself as Glorious Solar Empress to the consternations of the others, leading a worried bride and groom to come and talk to the Circle minus Tokumei. Hephaestia updated them on the situation, looking glum while Daxi as ever gave wise advice, and the happy couple asked that the Circle try to stop Tokumei upstaging them on their wedding day. Reeds gave Meng the frog that, somehow against all reason, seemed to have made it through from the swamp and tried to help with the situation, only to be shocked by the new artifact Daxi carried, which was clearly the same one he'd seen in his visions.

The Circle were not the only ones to be worried by Tokumei and a puzzled River Owl caught up with Reeds to ask after him, having last seen him in the swamp after Reeds resurfaced from the dream. They talked about the nature of the dream and how Reeds had clearly been trapped within and of the things he'd seen, and they talked of the hole in the world with plans to go through it. Hephaestia also morosely mentioned that Tokumei was acting strange and that they were worried about her, to which the Dragon bloods agreed.

Meanwhile, Tokumei caught up with Spear of Starmetal, who seemed pleased to have gone through the Pelith ritual, though the lack of untwisted porcupines to hunt had complicated the ritual. The conversation sputtered out when Spear of Starmetal asked about Tokumei's newfound Imperial status and beat a hasty retreat.

Afterwards, the group met in a quiet out of the way place and started comparing stories. Many revelations shocked the group, from Reed's revelations of his visions in cleaning the wyld, through to Reeds and Tolumei recounting the fall of Njorlona, Reeds through his visions and Tokumei through awareness of her past life as the architect and ruler of Njorlona. Daxi recounted what he'ds learned on his travels and the adventures of Crystal, while Hephaestia amazed Reeds with news of new artifacts and the rebuilding of the city ring, where Reeds now owned much property.

It was decided that the group had to return to Merull Varr to gain answers to the many questions plaguing them and so they did that night, via Stormwind Rider.

Once home, Hephaestia opened the casket containing the artifact they had found in the Dam and tried to examine it. With her much expanded knowledge, she realised the material was SoulSteel but she lacked the ability to understand what the artifact did. Realising that she could not gain answers, but her old goddess could, Hephaestia set up an altar dedicated to Ninagella, decorating it with items she'd made and pacing the casket and its blade in the center. Then, stoking the hearth, she prayed to Ninagella.

Her call was answered, and a metal cylinder forced its way up inside the hearth, parts shaving off until a statue of a strong woman remains. Hephaestia was once more face to face with her goddess and she gratefully knelt, welcoming the goddess to Merull Varr. After being chastised for taking Ninagella's name in vain, she told Hephaestia that she was pleased to see her and that sparks needed freedom to grow. Happily, Hephaestia showed the goddess around her forge and described the artifacts she'd proudly made.

Eventally, Ninagella came to the casket and the artifact within, and Hephaestia confided that she had no way to know what the artifact did. The goddess took the item and examined it carefully, tapping it in one place to cause it to split into five separate razor thin blades. A puzzled and slightly irritated goddess then turned to Hephaestia and said: "Is this some kind of joke?", leaving Hephaestia very confused and flustered. After looking at Hephaestia sternly, the goddess relented and said "You've been left alone too long. There is clearly much you need to learn about the ways of sorcery."

The Home-Coming Festival
The next day, Tokumei and Reeds decide to go to the dam, leaving early to make it back to the festival in time, riding on Snails and in his new barding.

On the way they pass by the new ring of the city that Hephaestia built, passing the statue of Reeds outside his new shopping arcade, leading Reeds to feel a little bit uncomfortable, to which Tokumei reassured him that they all had things that they had to deal with.

At the dam, they discover that the priests are preparing diligently for their first calibration and are going to be working hard during that period to keep the dam in working order during a difficult part of the year. Tokumei checks over the plans and finds them incredibly thorough, commending the priests on their work. Reeds gives them some stimulant to keep them going and Tokumei advises on dosage

They visit spider god who, it turns out, was audited last week. The auditor was dressed similarly to the person Hephaestia with a name: Canto 8:13 "The beat of each footfall found melody through shared will and destination that bore them many miles", called Melody for short. During the conversation, the Spider Bureaucrat indicates that Bal Sho is a heavenly supervisor of some kind. Reeds gives a gift of paper and they leave to head back to the city.

Meanwhile Daxi decides on infiltrating the palace to go see Belar. He enters the palace bypassing the guards on the outer ring by being careful and proceeds to the inner ring. Inside, he notices a servant woman carrying a tray entering a darkened inner corridor that is very still and has a metallic taste. She places the tray down on the floor in front of a door and Belar's voice tells her to leave it and leave

Minute later Belar opens the door and takes in the tray, with pungent smells wafting out. She looks like she hasn’t slept well in a while and she hasn’t washed in a while, and her arms are covered with writing and bruises. The door is open and Daxi slips in.

The room is hexagonal and has three rings of salt with offerings on each ring, with bookshelves around the outer edges. Objects in the room look corroded and parts are covered in a fibrous substance. She talks to something that she can see then meditates after wolfing down her meal

She mumbles a bit with the thing only she can see and meditates some more, while the tea light flicker and silken stuff starts to build up around her. She throws it away and complains it didn’t work 5 times before. It is the same as the fibers in the room.

Daxi goes upstairs and notices there’s a letter in High Realm. Hecan't read it but copies it and heads downstairs. Belar continues to mutter and sit. Footprints appear in dust around her. More than 4 while Daxi waits for the next meal to come so he can leave undetected. Daxi leaves when the serving woman comes and follows her out.

Meanwhile Hephaestia goes to see the birdman and the refugees from Jheroth. They are all OK and grateful to hear the news that their home is still standing, and saddened over the collapse of Canilla. Hephaestia asks the Birdman about Tokumei. Through him, the SkyFather replies that an anomaly has been detected and would be rectified, leaving everyone a bit shaken.

Daxi and Hephaestia meet and talk about past lives, and Daxi tells her he would never let his past life influence him as he is here now and this is his life.

Daxi shows Hephaestia the letter and she reads it out, the key points as follows:

"Cathak’s interest in the region may bode well for you, or poorly, depending on whether or not they are in a forgiving mood. Marufuji's crimes are not your own, but he was well respected in his time"
 * The Empress is indeed, back
 * Mnemmon attacked the Empress
 * Cathak and V’Neef are pre-eminent houses now
 * The problem in the North has been dealt with and a glass crater was left.
 * V’neef to absorb Tepet, Cathak current top (land) military power
 * The letter is signed by an eye

Reeds and Tokumei come and talk and update on auditors. Hephaestia asks about barding and Reeds talks about knots and how they are a history of his and Snail's story together.

Hephaestia tells them about talking to the SkyFather and wonders if she's betrayed Tokumei to Heaven. Talk of correction leads Tokumei to engage in crippling doubt. The others try to comfort her, talking her through her past failures and trying to reassure her and letting her know they are there for her.

The parade starts and Hephaestia sees the spirits thanks to her artifacts changes.

Spider float flickers and burns

The Great Belar Heist
They went to Crystal's bar.

Daxi showed Tokumei the letter, which she speculated on several parts of it:

The "Northern threat" was likely the bull of the North and the means used to stop him sounded like either terrifying feats of sorcery or a first age geomancy weapon in the way it described it turning the land to glass.

The eye seal at the bottom implied that it was written by one of the masters of the all-seeing eye. The Realm's secret police, experts in spying unnoticed on the affairs of Exalts. Perhaps Belar was once one of these.

That Mnemon had tried to assassinate her mother was perhaps unsurprising and that her house was being dismantled for it, equally predictable.

House Cathak was the house that enslaved Tokumei and House V'Neef was the home of the Ivory Pearl of V'Neef, V'Neef Tokel.

House Tepet were once the biggest military power in terms of armies, but now they were being dismantled, her former owner would have all the resources that she could ever want to come after Tokumei.

Daxi advised them about what he found in Belar's chambers, which was highly alarming. The description of the salt seal and the exotic incenses suggested that either she was incompetent (unthinkable), didn't know what she was dealing with (unlikely) or was trying to deal with a ghost and a demon simultaneously (disturbing).

Tokumei guessed from the description of the rituals that this might be the ghost of Heartsong mingled with the spider demon that was in her blood.

They discussed speaking with the daughter of the ram. Tokumei was against it, but Hephestia and Reeds were both curious. But Daxi suggested that we should know exactly what we want to ask before trying that. Hephestia suggested that the advance of the Realm was an existential threat and that we needed to know as much as possible.

They also discussed what to do when the Realm came for them. Hephestia wanted to fortify the city, whilst Reeds and Tokumei wanted to leave if the Wild Hunt arrived, to avoid civilian casualties.

However the situation with Belar was considered far more pressing, They considered if they should speak to the Dragonbloods or bypass them. As they were discussing this, one of Crystal's poets; Hateful Dirge Princess came as she was worried we were thieves. Once she knew that we weren't she reminded everybody to keep their doors open a crack. But when we pressed her, she told us about calibration traditions of the city:


 * 100 devils parade - Leave doors open a crack - household items will go out for a walk and will cause a mess if they can't get out to join the 100 devil parade.
 * Blood Smog over the city - Try not to go outside in that.
 * Night of True Darkness - People make offerings to the dead.
 * Night of Howling - don't go outside, you won't be able to sleep.
 * Night of Silence - Just very dark and quiet. This isn't as bad as the previous days.

Tokumei pointed out that once Calibration hit, the demon and ghost would become even more powerful and Belar already seemed to be on the losing side of the battle.

Reeds wanted to learn the spell Infallible Messenger. They agreed to try and talk to the Dragonbloods about the situation, but were concerned that if this did not work, they might need to flee the city. So they went on to the roof and Tokumei send a message to Oak Heart, making sure to show Reeds the steps.

The messenger went up to the Dragonblood's compound where their housekeeper let them in and a somewhat annoyed Oakheart met them in a dressing robe. Evidently we had interrupted a rather pleasant orgy.

We explained that we knew a lot about what was going on with Belar. We felt the need to intervene before the start of Calibration proper when the possessing entities would be even more powerful. Oakheart fetched the others who were also in something of a state of undress, but who did come down with their weapons cautiously.

Reeds explained the situation again. Silk flows as Steel and Laughing Blade took the lead, frankly explaining that Belar hired them to protect her from the Solars and that they won't betray her.

Tokemei chimes in explaining that they only want to help her and are concerned she might not survive Calibration. The Dragonbloods explain that they know she's ill. but don't have a skilled exorcist, but Tokumei explains that she can help Belar as she knows how to exorcise them. Grey Ocean and Spear of Starmetal vouched for her good intentions and they tentatively agreed to consider letting them help.

Tokumei said she could exorcise the demon, but was concerned she might not be able to cure the poison, as she doesn't have a sample. Thankfully they had a sample which she mystically held the sample in the air to examine with mystical tools. It was extremely acidic salt-water with a powerful demonic foulness. Malphas was made from the body of a Primordial, with different parts of it having different properties. The water was from Malfeas, specifically Lintha ng Atu’un, The Sea that Marched Against the Flame, an ocean of boiling acid in which nothing could live. Daxi pointed out the linguistic link to the Linthan pirates who famously had devil ancestors.

The implications were disturbing, but if the demon and ghost could be exorcised,


 * Belar should be able to recover, although she would be weak for a long time.
 * The Seven Devils were all likely linked with the higher ranking demon.
 * The acid could have been used to make the victim weak enough to possess.
 * However Reeds and Daxi pointed out that Spiders consume their prey by injecting them with venom., melting them from the inside and drinking the fluids.
 * More disturbingly they hypothesised that the reason that the demon might do this would be to hollow out Belar until she was too weak to resist. Then force her to give up her body and will to become an Okuma. Giving the demon the body of a powerful Exalt and an anchor to this world.

This possibility alarmed the Dragonbloods enough that they all geared up and agreed to go to the Palace to see this done.

They ran together, with Tokumei hinting that everybody should at least conceal their features so as to not smear Belar's reputation going in to the palace. But when they reached Belar's chambers, she told them to go and raised up a stone wall in front of the door.

Tokumei talked her down and called upon her loyalty to the city, she let the wall down, but as she did so, she scuffed the containing circle. The demon got loose and took Belar's head in its jaws. It warned the CIrcle to stay back or it would bite Belar's head and break her neck.

Hephestia leapt forwards and used Widow's Steely Remorse to injure its jaw, forcing it to drop Belar.

Tokumei threw a web of golden light around Belar and dragged the demon out of her soul.

Jiddaru instead destroyed the already very weak floor beneath her and fell down to a lower level.

Daxi grabbed her as she fell painfully on the floor and passed her off to the Dragonbloods who stayed outside.

Tokumei jumped down after Jiddaru to find a room with a mummy inside a heavily warded circle. The ghost of Heartsong spoke to her, saying that the demon had escaped, They talked about the importance of leadership and control. However Tokumei exorcised Heartsong's ghost and trapped it before carrying the mummy which Jiddaru was bound inside up to the shrine on the manse in the Seven Devil Seal.

As they were there and to take advantage of an opportunity, they opened the seal to check its integrity and asked the Sister of the Ram several questions:


 * Hephestia: What is the best way to survive the coming of the Realm.
 * There were a lot of interested parties looking at Marull Vaar. Stuff from our past was going to come back. Big scary things are coming.
 * Tokumei: How can she recover her name?
 * Her name is being held by her owner, which is how her title changed.
 * Reeds: What's going on with all the time travel stuff?
 * Prajña Unburdened By Guilt - Reeds and Prajña's destinies are closely intertwined, Final city at the end of time will be our greatest achievement. That a great city would one day be built upon the ruins of Njorlona, Danika Serilan and Marrull Vaar, which would stretch all the way to Goldenseal:

That the Horned Man awaited them at The Hole in the World in the Silver City of Danika Serilan, and that "your disbelieving friend" knows where it is.
 * Tokumei: How will the Prophecy of the Spear Empress come to pass.
 * It's going to come about as a result of your actions.
 * Daxi: What does the Sister of the Ram want:
 * That, ultimately, all the Sister of the Ram wants "is to see you reach your full potential"
 * Carceri, the Final City at the End of Time. It will be your finest achievement.

Happy Calibration
Hephesetia primarily asked further questions of Sister of the Ram

Solars: "What is your nature?"

Sister of the Ram: "Log ago this place was built to explore the edges of creation. A great war had concluded where the forces that shaped the world had been overthrown. Some bound in hell, some slain (or as close as possible) but some lived. In the darkest parts of the ocean is the where I came from. Some on the surface know it as the Voice in the Trech. It waged war against the surface for the slaying of Lintha ng Atu’un, The Sea that Marched Against the Flame, its mate. It bought together the races of the sea far from the light of the Unconquered Sun and formed the Nyolbaran league at the Obsidian city of HonBrook (sp?) Together. they sought to drown the world. However those who practiced their occult arts (Meaning Sorcerously inclined Exalts) bred the sea people to wage war aganist the Nilbarum league. Their war was successful, one of The Voice in the Trench's souls was bound in to this place. Thos Soul fragment of the Voice in the Trench is what we know today as the Sister of the Ram."

Solars: "When was The Sister of the Ram imprisoned?"

Sister of the Ram: "4 thousand years before the end of the first age."

Solars: "What have people talked to him about?"

Sister of the Ram: "Having slain their enemies as far as they knew, the sought to probe the nature of the beings they conquered. Reaching in to the depths of the Wyld, for the signal for the Song Beyond the Penumbra. They scryed on the eternally dying souls of the Neverborn and learnt terrible things and twisted them to their purposes. Your servant Shugura in the ruins of Nyorlona, will know.

Tokumei's past Exaltation (the Suzeraine of Endless Flame) was one of many from that time who bound the Sister of the Ram but those who bound it were more interested in that which was bought from the Netherborn. Let me see if I can recall your words

Eyes roll-back in to the upper eyelids and from it comes a cold detatched human voice (middle aged man with an echo in the background)

He spoke in a cold detached manner saying that the Djala, also known as minikin at the time, were a slave construct race. They were tools created by the Solars simply to fulfil necessary functions and that as such Slave races are beneath Solars. Exalts should feel no compulsion against treating them as simple tools to be used and expended as part of Project Necro-Tech.

These words left Tokumei impotetly fuming at the arrogance of her past self.

However the Sister of the Ram continued saying that: When the time came that the Solars were drive from the place, some remained in Nyorlona. As the Dragonbloods came to power they sought out the secrets of those they conquered. Rather than let that happe, the Lunars destroyed Nyorlona and the surrounding support stations to protect their secrets from the Shogunate led by the Lunar Rykika the Skybreaker and her army of eagles and wolves who fell upon the ancient city.

In the process they fought the many defenders but evetually triumphed, triggered the shattering of Nyorlona.

However for reasons unknown, the Exalts didn't bring their conflict to Marull Vaar.

We next asked about the fate of the goddess Marull Vaar as the people of the city call out for her to return.

Sister of the Ram said that she is long gone. Her sanctum now rots and throne empty. She will not return. She's dead, but Sister of the Ram doesn't know who or what slew her. Her throne one sat on the slope of the great pyramid. She enjoyed looking up at the great city.

Hephestia asked the Sister of the Ram about what it could say about the Geomancy of the Pyramid.

She replied that "This place was once a storage place for tinkets and precious things for solars. Once they contained Sister of the Ram they left her to one side when not required. Though thankfully it's stable though maybe not forever. I feel it even now, the binding threads and path that bind this land, space and time no longer quite have their meaning. Reality stretches and tears. There are those with dark purposes and goals who would turn this place apart. The roads are one thread that holds the world together, but it's almost as much the belief as the road its self."

Reeds chimed in, adding that this was perhaps a reference to the ancient Order Conferring Trade Pattern. The flow of jade around creation in specific ways that ward off the wyld. Without this and other mystical anchors things are as close or as far away as they are perceived to be. So perceptions must be fixed in order to secure Creations borders.

They sealed up the Pyramid again making sure that the Spider demon was still bound until they could complete the sealing.

Tokumei feeling unhappy about the responsibilities thrust upon her, had an idea and asked for Hephastia to help her test it. They travelled to the ancient duelling arena ruins beyond the city, where Tokumei and Hephestia duelled for the Title of Glorious Solar Empress with Reeds as Witness. Tokumei lost by virtue of lacking any way to pierce Hephastia's skin. But was not otherwise holding back.

However after the duel, the title did not transfer and her name remained the same.

At Reeds's insistence, they went to see the Throne of Marull Vaar. From the Sister of the Ram's comments that the Goddess liked looking up from her throne at the City of Nyorlona, they suspected this would be on the North Eastern edge of the Pyramid, which Tokumei's familiar identified. The sanctum took the form of a vast throne on the Pyramid with a door inside it.

Reeds opened a spirit portal, inside was crumbling and faded with nothing readable. A huge bureau, tapestries, couches and more, but it was all melting and the papers were faded to blankness. Clearly the goddess's sanctum was decaying to nothing just as Sister of the Ram said.

Once they had finished there they went up to the summit of the pyramid with the intention of binding the demon, but none of them were confident enough to do it. So they decided they need Belar and they go to see her. When they arrived at the palace the Dragonbloods on duty were reluctant to let them see Belar. However Tokumei said that she was likely to be able to heal Belar's injuries and they committed to not asking anything of Belar.

All except Daxi went in to see her.

Belar was unhappy that the Solars basically had the power to overthrow her at any time. She scrutinized everybody carefully and finally relented to letting herself be treated if they would tell her what they want. They confessed they wanted her help with the demon, except Tokumei who wanted somebody to talk to. So she healed her. She however realised that the damage done by the poison had turned some of her flesh to wood and was beyond her abilities, so she asked Reeds of Help who was able to enhance her abilities temporarily to enable her to heal the injuries. Thankfully with Reed's help Tokumei was able to repair the worst of her injuries leaving her to get bed rest to heal the remainder. She would meet them the next day to help with the temple.

Meanwhile Spear of Starmetal and Oak Heart play cards with Daxi. Daxi and Spear of Star Metal are quite evenly matched but Oak Heart has no idea how to play. Daxi explains what happened as best he could.

They went home for the evening, the parade of 100 demons started and Tokumei was in the kitchen as the cutlery, teapot and broom went out. Shaken by hearing her past life's voice she resolved to set the bar for having rights as low as she could.

Meanwhile upstairs Hephestia spoke with the ghost of cliff, but something was off. His voice didn't sync with his lips. She realised eventually that the voice didn't know anything that she didn't. So she tested it and the voice didn't know the name of Cliff's coworkers. She realised that the voice was coming from Widow's Steely remorse. She had put a lot more of her grief in to the blade than she realised and part of the blade believed its self to be Cliff. She managed to resolve the situation and speak to the real ghost who was happy to talk to her.

The Next day Belar had recovered and Reeds, Tokumei and Hephastia went to the Pyramid to rebind the demon. The streets were filled with a terrible bloody mist which attracted mosquitoes and other biting insects which resisted terribly as she called out the names of the other devils to bear witness.


 * Hawk - Kimoiren, he who breaks the surface, Littoral Soul of Sargasso Upon a Sour Sea, 17th Soul of Lintha ng Atu’un
 * Deer - Gure, Watchman of the Threshold, Photic Soul
 * Wolf - Sarkojo, the fangs that cripple the prey, Neritic Soul
 * Spider - Jiddaru, she who lies in wait Pelagic Soul
 * Tiger - Jabilo, the Umbral Stalker, Hadal Soul
 * Shark - Nangila, he who breathes the abyss, Demersal Soul
 * Tortoise - Mawuenyega, that which trawls the fathoms, Benthic Soul

After this the mummy of Heartsong was taken to a sacred Island where Reeds led a cremation effort and her ghost released in to the cycle of reincarnation with Reeds performing the ceremony.

For the next few days they largely stayed inside. The blood mist lasted a full extra day and the night was absolute. The following night was filled with howls from all directions which made sleep nearly impossible. Then at breakfast after callibration they discussed their next steps.

Reeds wanted to find the horned man. Tokumei was keen to patch the world up around this area as it was falling apart. The Great Eastern Road would need to be rebuilt. Tokumei suggested they order components and seek permission first for future construction of the Great Eastern Road, which was bound to take time. Whilst this was being processed they could seek out the Silver City and learn what they could about the place.

On the Trail of the SIlver City
With the need to find the Silver City and the Horned Man who waited there, the Circle discussed what was needed next.

Whilst they wanted to head off as soon as possible, their discussions with Sister of the Ram suggested that the region was in danger of fraying and falling to the wyld or underworld.

Hephestia and Reeds were keen to restore the Order Conferring Trade Pattern. The scope of the project was daunting, but it would require several things. Firstly the Great Eastern Road of Marull Vaar would be a significant tool that would allow other trade-related actions more easily.

With an amount of training and preparation out of the way they loaded up Snails with Supplies and set out East upriver with Snail's new Saddle. A short journey up the River they went on Daxi's direction to a set of first age ruins called the Garden.
 * Reeds was tasked with drawing up plans for funding, sourcing materials and so on. He was able to draw up deals that would allow them to restore the Great Eastern Road and improve local infrastructure for trade.
 * Meanwhile the Three Sisters Dam was functioning, but still lacked some of its first age functionality. Without the ancient boat-lift, they wouldn't be able to get stone downstream from Two Hills Village to be able to pave the road with. So Tokumei went up to stay with the priests where she would perform a Celestial Circle Sorcerous Working. Between her sorcery she studied both her new armour and her studies in to medicine.
 * Daxi meanwhile had a lot of training to do to accustom himself to his new sky-cutter. But after some time felt the call of the Silver City and headed up river to try and narrow down its location.
 * Hephestia herself went out and measured the geomantic flows around the city and the road to work out the best way to manage the essence flows successfully, but it was an endless web of loose ends, it required more time and effort than she could spare immediately. So she scrapped her existing maps, started again from scratch with a more fundamental approach focusing on only the major dragon-lines and relying heavily on her essence enhanced senses and so was able to come up with the designs she needed. However fixing the Order Conferring Trade Pattern its self would be a legendary task. Challenging for even the Exalts of the first age, who had all the resources and people of creation at their disposal and even more so for a group of Exalts hidden away near the periphery of creation.
 * Once they had this, Reeds and Hephestia went off travelling, whilst Reeds taught her everything he knew about local lore and legends that would help her grasp the occult significance of dragon-line flows. Whilst travelling he visited as far north as Anathalae. On their travels it became evident that the Princes of the Earth had begun to return to their abandoned satrapies, seemingly revitalised by the re-emergence of the Scarlet Empress.
 * Tokumei eventually finishes the boat-lift, allowing barges of stone to move freely up and down the river with a small toll on goods and boats that would go towards funding the priesthood.
 * They also informed Bellar about the plans and sought permission for the infrastructure needed. She was happy with the idea but mentioned that there was a disturbance further up the coast, which her Dragonbloods would be investigating.

Here were the remains of a flattened courtyard with numerous troughs floating above the ground and filled with soil, all overgrown, but still solidly built. Around the outside were other stone troughs that had fallen from their floating positions, likely pushed by storms or other environmental factors.

Hephestia examined the structures, finding that several metal stubs protruding from the foundations were likely part of greenhouse and that the complex was much grander in the shogunate era in which it was constructed. Although it was not made to Terrestrial designs which Tokumei attributed to being something to do with the Lunars.

Over lunch that night Tokumei cooked river salamander and root vegetables, something that was mouth-watering but she still stuck to rice, vegetables and purified water. She explained that this was due to internal alchemical reactions and the secret to immortality.

This surprised Daxi as he didn't know that Exalts had longer lifespans. They also found the incredibly rare fungi known as Mind Palace Mushrooms capable of opening the mind so that fragments of personality may be addressed and even confronted. Although this was a particularly strong risk for Exalts who had strong exaltations that could overwhelm other personality traits. However it would not transport well, so they resolved to try and collect some on the return journey ad even considered building a comparable garden by the city.

The next morning they set out, they had considered trying to induce a vision quest in Daxi, but decided against it, due to the dangers of having one of their combatants out of action.

But as they approached, Daxi grew increasingly aware of the familiarity to the visions in his dreams. Broad waxy leaves found nowhere else were present here. As they approached Hephastia and Reeds began to feel it as well. A cold wrongness as they came closer to the city.

As Tokumei stepped on a human femur, it became clear this was a shadowland. The ruined structures were not exalted constructios of a type they had seen before but were likely of lesser quality to the main city as these were largely made from fibres..

They approached until they reached the heart of the silver (So named because it looked like it was made almost entirely in silver. Crossing the threshold caused almost all animal life to become silently, although it did not trigger until after Daxi had gone in, ignoring him.

Tokumei took this opportunity to invert her elemental purity to sustain her magic in the shadowlands, drinking swamp water and eating a bite of carrion. Once she was able to eat "unclean" food she dug i to a bit of beef in Snail's packs to get the taste out.

Once she had recovered they stepped forwards in to the Palace grounds of the Silver City its self.

Inside the Silver City
Approached the city and agreed to head to the centre.

Wet to the left where there were great furrow in the ground where great cards might have been. It was filled with a large square building covered in fallen logs and decayed plant. The roof did have a ziggurat roof but the entire roof collapsed.

Remains of a large inner chamber with empty racks with holes and pegs.

Tokumei thought it was an armoury. Reeds could smell the feint scent of firedust. Perhaps its firedust stocks had blown the roof off?

Then headed to one of the smaller buildings to the East of the corner where they started.

Trees and bushes seem to have died and replaced with weeds.

Reeds picked up a scent of rot and incense, the type used in offerings.

A small set of steps leading up to a stupa with a highly pointed roof.

small floating green lights hanging in the air around the stupor.

Foxfires Mildly predatory spirits.

Inside the stupa, Daxi finds a head carrying beneath it a spine and organs. Outside Reeds found a headless body in a hole. After dealing with this they found a mural inside of a man with a centipede halo around him, eating a demon. This seemed to be a shrine that would be made for the good health and fortune of the ruler.

The second stupa was badly looted. On the floor, are some bells and a prayer bowl. It was clearly a shrine and Reeds began to use the prayer bowl and ring the bells. Tokumei meanwhile just relaxed... Up until Reeds' prayers called up Tan-Sian chief incense burner of the third parlour - a huge spirit.

He informed us that this was Daica Serela, the silver city, founded by Thousand Sword Oravan after the usurpation. He forsook the advice of the Silver pact and thought he could be king alone. But he was wrong. The Dragonblood brought a vast army and fought a terrible battle, after which the Elephant men fled south and the Pandafolk fled in to the swamp.

The hole in the world lies beneath the manse. However, Tan-Sian feared that others had taken it. He now shuns this place. An intruder found their way in to the Manse and did not come out. The dragon's duties called him away, he was grateful that they called him back to see what had become of the place. In return, he cautioned them not to take the most direct road home. The eyes of Heaven are paying very close attention.

The building with courtyard is also sinking with plants growing through in a seating area and minor flooding.

Tokumei found a book of poetry. Hephastia found the ruins of a telescope. All the other books had been burned.

Snails was nervous.

The promenade of statues alternated panda-folk and elephant-people. Tokumei fetched a spear from Snails (Who was quite unhappy and distressed by the Northern building). They approached the twin-spired training room to the north of the compound.

The top of the training room burst open spilling out hundreds of hungry ghosts, followed by an enormous ball made from skeletons.

Tokumei cast a death of a thousand thunderous birds.

Daxi threw his sky cutter to little effect

The skeletal sphere bounced off of Snail's thick hide.

Cliff's ghostly form was discorporate.

Daxi finished off, Gashadokuro, the skeletal sphere with a single essence infused punch.

Into the Palace
As the dust settled and the last of the ghosts were dispatched.

They looked in to the training hall.

Reeds said a prayer over the remaining bodies in the burned out building. The ruins had some text in High Realm a martial creed to remind the soldiers of their duties.

Tokumei helped Reeds to perform a ceremony to lay the souls of the soldiers to rest. Daxi felt a moment of calm settling and saw a vision of soldiers in unfamiliar armour.

They went over to the L-shared structure that had been burnt to the ground. Daxi and Reeds whilst bronze Hephastia squeezed in to the building. Inside she found numerous boxed protected by the fallen roof.

Beeath her feet was a skeletal hand. This was once a storehouse and dried goods were deeply decayed.

She found a tapestry of Thousad Swords Orovan surrounded by au aura of a centipede and a fan of blades, being adored by various beast-people.

They worked out that being in a Shadowland after sunset might trap them in there until the next morning, so they left.

Reeds took the first watch and noticed a green light from the city seeming to watch them. Snails also seemed aggitated. Hephestia took the next watch followed by Tokumei.

They retured to the city in the morning. Approaching the square building in the Eastern corner.

Daxi found a set of scale mail on a dummy beneath the table crafted specifically for a pandafolk form. It was incomplete but Hephestia should be able to fix it so they put it on Snails.

Daxi headed up to the roof to take a look.

They passed a cage that oce contained glass and plants.

Inside was an earthern floor and there were numerous plants. with pathways between them.

It seemed to be a pavilion of sorts and an ornamental zoo with enclosures around the walls. With a walkway on the second floor. Where stone bird cages could be viewed. There's also a pond and a dead tree.

There were two stone Stupors with pidgeonholes within, a reliquary that once would have been home to scrolls.

Delicate silk robe that was nearly falling apart due to the ravages of time. There was a decoration on the back

Heading towards an array of stone pillars with cables and rings hung betwee them. Atop one pillar is a curse pole (níðstang pole). A bloated horse head filled with necromantic energy from the hearthstone fragment.

Statues in the dried up pond. THe statues are chimera, amalgums of animals transforming from one state to another such as a fish turning in to a tiger. The water dried up with lumps where some species buried themselves for rains that never came.

The they went to the structure to the South West, a guest house  where they found a spectral dog guardig the area. Daxi snuck up on it with his skycutter and injured it. Tokumei came and in a blaze of flame finished it off. Inside the structure was a shrine in a concealled cupboard with a severed dogs head that was mummified decades ago. Reeds laid it to rest.

They approached the temple where hundreds of broken swords created a trail leading towards the palace as if being driven back ion a fighting retreat. The now completed hearthstone reached out and absorbed the dark essence of the dome surrounding the palace.

They went in through the smashed doors of the brilliant silver palace. Several dozen spears on the ground formed a pattern, in a circle where many of the swords fell. The spears were driven in to the ground. Something 20 paces long and thicker than a barrel, like a giant centipede. The spears were used to pin the target in to the ground. Although no body was left. The spears were pulled out at a later point.

Inside the palace was a series or reliefs.


 * Orovan turning his back on other lunars.
 * Orovan in the jungle meeting humans and djala and Nyorlona
 * Orovan standing before a court of spirits and treating with them, On the other side he is devouring some sort of demon.
 * The final one is a gigantic centipede with a sword in each claw and a halo of more blades behind him, leading elephant and panda folk against armoured dragonblood warriors. One of Orovan's soldiers had a forked daiklaive.

Beneath the throne was the unsettling sensation of the manse.

The spiral staircase went down to the darkness and grows out wider. Beneath is the sound of flowing water. Hexagonal columns of basalt hanging around the conical chamber leading down to the darkness. Bass reliefs show Orovan throwing people off a platform to a pit below him. A gangplank path off the staircase overhangs a rushing circular waterfall with nothingness in the centre.

The a terrible whispering voice and a foul smelling breath: "Well well well. I was wondering when you would get here."

The Saint of the Pit
As they descended there was another set of murals of Orovan. These were much more menacing: several viewpoints of Orovan standing at a precipice over a great hole and throwing people in to the hole. The falling figures have arms, legs ad faces sticking out of the churning liquid at the bottom reaching back up to him. The figures are manacled prisoners in rags.

The stairs carried on down for 10 or more stories below. The stairs rotate around a great circular waterfall going in to a hole in the floor where there is a great black void. They heard the crashing of the water getting louder as we approached, but there was no sound of it hitting anything at the bottom.

Laughing echoed around as if speaking next to each person's ear and a deeply unpleasant voice reaches out like a hand cupping the cheek: "Very astute Tokumei, come down, come down. I'm not going anywhere. "

They passed stone faces carved in relief with disapproving expressions and a gang plank where slaves would be sacrificed. Opposite the stairwell reaching the ground was a faint orange light like a candle. Water comes from all around under the floors and there's a faint droning sound that slowly rises (like throat singing).

The bundled lump raises its head in to a figure who says that we should have been able to deduce who this is. This figure has horns and seems to be the person that the dragon referenced as having gone in about 200 years ago.

He's a tall and imposing figure, looking ancient like a statue, hard and pale with grey skin that's slightly translucent. Wearing a plain white loincloth/skirt and a shroud worn by monks who handle the dead and two lumps on his forehead which could be the stumps of a pair of auroch horns.

One the floor and bench are piles of books and two candles burning with an unpleasant smell. But there is nothing else to suggest his living arrangements. This was the wielder of the blade of 5 midnights, He weakened the hole in the Grey-Eye Peninsula and quested in the Mirrored Hall. We had seen depictions before of a tribe trying to sacrifice a horned child and that Bal-Sho took the child in.

He is called Saint of the Pit and once wore scary armour and had large auroch horns. He said that Bal-Sho had visited him and delivered some books as well as news.

What is the origin of the pit? This was an experiment with the fabric of reality which they scried in to. The people of Nyorlona. They had an insatiable curiosity, ad needed to prove their dominance over it. But they closed it off when they couldn't master it. Then Thousand Swords Orovan built his city atop of it. Orovan's hubris got the better of him.

This is the lake of Renunciation. A place to renounce the self. As he laid dying Orovan cursed the world, who deserted his allies who fled, who did not come to his aid and his enemies. He heard a voice and crawled on his belly and when he arrived, he was the first to accept the black gift. Bathed in the waters of the lake and renounced himself. Washed away his old self and stood there new and without name. It was then they spoke to him and instructed him. They gave him a new name: Death Like Silence Revelation.

Reeds said the name in the tongue of the Crab kings in Exile. "Saint of the Pit."

The Saint of the Pit said that Reeds-as-Prajna told him of this. Those of his kind that were named were: Deathlike Silence Revelation (Boss, FKA Oravan), Saint of the Pit (FKA "The Horned Man"), Bal Sho (Sidereal?), Nephrite Cobra (Lunar?), Prajna Unburdened by Guilt ("Reeds"), Heart of Steel Unbroken ("Hephastia")

Prajna Unburdened by guilt and Heart of Steel Unbroken had only made a couple of incursions back to our time. They have taken an interest in the Saint's plans and they have plans of their own. They had done some small favours.

Time and space in this corner of the world is more malleable than elsewhere. This Malleability of the world makes rifts like these easier.

Tokumei asked who made the Blade of Five Midnights, glancing at Hephastia, who was know as Heart of Steel Unbroken. She was told an experiment to see how many copies of the same item they could have the same object at the same time. Saint will never see the greatest accomplishment of this.

His part of these plans is over. Once upon a time he was a mewling infant freak among outcastes on the edge of a dismal swamp. But he was plucked from that life by Bal-Sho and bought here and raised and instructed by his Master Death like Silence. In time, he felt the light of the Sun reach him, but saw the folly for the warmth it offered but used its power.

It was with that strength, that his part in this came in to effect. Saint said that Reeds had seen a little of the dream of the swamp and seen the dregs and shades of the paths it contains. If it's fully understood, then the path between present and past is not unsurmountable. He used this to emerge too late in the past for his master's plans.

But there was time to carry out his own errands and arrived back in time to meet his master (Death Like Silence Revelation) in time to wait out the Great Contagion. He wondered if the ultimate goal might have been carried out without him, that being the extinction of life and the end of creation.

"You won't understand until you accept the Black Gift yourself," the Saint of the Pit told them. What his master sought was in the ruins of Nyorlona, but the very Porousness that allowed time travel was caused by that ancient place's destruction. This is what bound the past to the presence. He would be unable to find what he sought even if he

Why would he accept the Black Gift?

When you accept the inevitability of death and then you will understand.

Tokumei says that this this means time is malleable. There are glories yet to come.

He saw the designs and went to the Mirrored Halls. He went through the puzzles and the endless chattering of their kind. A gift was bought to them. The Blueprints of a great and wonderous city.

Carceri is the final city at the end of time. This is the future they seek as time and space themselves collapse and the distinction between life and death becomes meaningless. This corner of the world will fall in time to the Chaos of the Wyld and then in to the Underworld. Those who were Neverborn.

He came to accept that he may not live to see it. Although that may change. Barantulga still stands, this was not in the plan. Maybe other things will change. They don't speak in exact dates.

There is much suffering to come of our own design, but he does not want to spoil the fun. "It will mean so much more when it breaks you." He tapped the stack of the Death Poetic and said that it was Bal Sho's little hobby. He thought that Bal Sho's travelling companion (Nephrite Cobra) would keep him company. She came from the descendants of the Silver Pact, one of them came and he convinced her to accept the Black Gift.

He gave Tokumei a book, a students jotter that we with the same phrase on ever line of every page.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

I'm sorry I failed you all.

Once she got the book Reeds said that we need to do something about this. Saint said that it was too late to stop their plan. It was only a choice between giving up and playing in to their hands.

Reeds asked if this was where the Suzeraine gained their gifts. But Saint said that this was before his time.

Daxi said that "The one way that guarantees that we fail is where we don't try and if you want to accomplish anything then maybe you shouldn't lurk down hear reading other people's poetry and write something of your own."

They left and discussed the situation leaving on Snails keeping off roads and paths. Tokumei stopped to bathe to reverse the effects of the alchemical alignment to the Shadowlands.

However as they travelled down the path Reeds spotted the same cherry tree several times every few minutes on the path. As he pulled Snails to a stop they were surrounded by figures in strange helmets. Two behind and two ahead of them.

The Audit Team
The ambushing figures wasted no time, striking them on either side.

One of them stayed back appearing to charge up an attack. Another struck with a flurry of arrows, although Tokumei deflected most of them.

As the fight progressed some of them closed the distance and Daxi engaged with his skycutter. Hephastia held her ground and turned to bronze.

During the exchange one of the auditors came in close combat with Tokumei and with a frenzy of attacks and counters, Tokumei had her opponent on the ropes and accused her attacker of being in league with Bal Sho and the forces of the Underworld he served, which seemed to throw the attacker for a moment.

Upon the Howdah of Snails Reeds also made his case against the attackers which caused their leader to pause and call of the others.

He explained that Bal Sho had bee colluding with Saint of the Pit and conspiring to bring ruin to this corner of creation.

He decided to meditate and return to heaven to investigate. He was gone for an unusually long amount of time, from the reactions of his team.

When he returned, he seemed flustered. Apparently Bal Sho's activities had been heavily classified by Heaven under "Obsidian" clearance and there was no information about his activities over the next few years, available.

The helmeted leader revealed that they were normally an audit team, but had been hastily commanded to initiate this assassination attempt particularly focused on Tokumei, but broadly covering all of the Solars. This was why they were in their cumbersome Audit uniforms rather than something more practical.

The solars told the rest of their story about the hole in the world, the fate of Thousand Sword Orovan and the time travel aspect. The Auditors agreed to depart and investigate on their own, they threw a coin in the air and when people's eyes followed the coin they had vanished before people looked back.

With this done they returned to Marull Vaar.

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