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Session 48

Damascene Conversions Part 1

13-14 Ascending Air

Returning from their desert sojourn to the Mahdi, the Watch Exalts are a little split on what to do. All have personal agendas and unfinished business to deal with, though perhaps it is the novelty of no one trying to invade Gem recently that has them unsettled.

Brand and the masons at last finish the re-building of the Granite watchtower and all its fiendish traps and mechanisms (razor sharp lintels, folding stairs and a pit oubliette at the bottom etc.) are a warning to never design architecture while Limit Breaking Deliberate Cruelty. And a curious black diamond stone coalesces out of the black chi in the bottom-most cell in the Tower.

Experimenting with it, Brand finds it easy absorbs essence and doesn’t refract or reflect light. But only when the Captain boisterously slaps him on the back with a Smashfist and Brand doesn’t go flying does he uncover its true power. With the watchmen taking their battering ram to Brand, and then a 1 man versus 20 tug of war contest, does it become apparent that no amount of force can move him if his feet are on the ground. Doesn’t stop him being wounded (the whole battering ram to the armoured chest still cost him a few cracked ribs) but he wont be going anywhere!

Meanwhile Shizu advances her theory to the rest of the Watch that perhaps Mimes were not always hated in Gem, and that perhaps something weird has affected the city to cause this mass-phobia of the white-faced, silent killers. This leads to the following conversation with Orchid

“Shizu, who told you this?” -Orchid

“My mother” Shizu replies

“Was she a noted scholar of the obscure?”

“No”

“Then what the hell what she know about it then! Mimes are evil, and that is that!” snaps Orchid.

Other stuff- Brand tries to find out more about the Lost City of Cinnabar, hoping to beat the Mahdi there. Unfortunately, other than learning it was the home of an ancient people, and most expeditions don’t return from it, he got nothing. Alana and Orchid are more interested in history of Solaria, but the books are silent on the identity of the Solar Lord and Princess who once ruled it in the First Age. So, they turn to the vast knowledge of Auntie, ( “I’m 73 don’t you know, dear?” ) who with some effort remembers the Princess name was once… Ranea.

Intrigued, Orchid decides to turn to the Abyssals for more information on the Dark Lady who now inhabits Solaria. Believing her to be the umbrella-carrying uber-deathknight whose presence they detected in the tunnels below Gem, she knows there is a connection to the Abyssal Circle.

So, Orchid prepares to impress. With Brands help she takes the Fae head she acquired on the Elemental Border battlefield and asks him to Goth it up. The elven face gets some mascara, and the glass hair is drawn into a bun and a miniature umbrella with bells on it acts as hairpin. Boxed and be-ribboned, Orchid at last has a gift for her housemates.

Visiting their half of the house, she finds the Lord of Silent Repose and the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. Small talk with the Lord, reveals that his diplomatic efforts with the Despot are nearing completion, and soon it will be time for “Solars and Abyssals to unite against our common enemy” . Which one? “All will be revealed when the time is right….”</i>

But the Maiden once more practices her Irresistable Succubus Style and Orchid makes with the suggestive flappy robes and twining sleeves, and fairly shortly the Lord of Silent Repose has to excuse himself. Orchid invites the Maiden over to the white side of the house for a surprise.

Once in her boudoir, Orchid presents the Maiden with her gift of a slain Fair Folk head. Even as Orchid tries to explain its provenance, the Maiden is overcome with appreciation and begins kissing Orchid, making with the smoochies.

(Fade to Black)

Curled up in bed, the two Exalts have a post-coital chat.

“Orchid, I would kill …anyone for you” promises the satisfied (yet bloodthirsty) Maiden.

“Oh, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me” the sincerity in that particularly Abyssal though delights Orchid, her mind immediately turning to the Captain (but makes her Temperance roll. I think.)

”You really should join our Circle, I think you fit in really, really well” breathes the Abyssal. 

“Maybe you could join ours?” counter-offers Orchid, considering a future Captain-shaped hole in the Watch. “But first we might have to see someone you know. That Princess lady, with the umbrella. What is her name again, love?”

“HER! That Bitch!” spits the Maiden “She is the Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers”

“You dislike her?”

“Oh, she is always trying to twist our Lord around her finger. Its pathetic to watch really. And she’s a real incompetent, always whining about how her latest failure wasn’t her fault, how some spirits told tales on her..” fumes the Maiden..

“There, there” soothes Orchid “I’m sure that bitch will get what’s coming to her…”

Meanwhile….

Shizu continues her quest to find her brothers killer, and visits the Temple of Rulen again, working on the theory that if her brother was meeting Sad Ivory here, then perhaps it was because there is a Celestial Gateway near the Temple to provide easy access for a Sidereal. Unfortunately Shizu doesn’t know what to look for in a portal to Yu Shan, and gets nowhere.

Alana’s followers tip her that the the Immaculate faithful are being invited to a special sermon at the Temple of 5 Harmonius Dragons tonight. The Solars decide to go, incognito and see what Tanaka is up to.

And what happens next, nobody could have expected….

Master Tanaka has summoned the Immaculate faithful to the streets below the Temple of 5 Harmonious Dragons to hear a very important sermon. The Solars have the advantage of a Cult safehouse on the Street of Little Gods and are on the flat roof of the adobe building. The streets below and rooftops around are crammed with the faithful in Gem. (The Immaculate Philosophy is the single largest religion in Gem, still only claims 10-20% of the population). Monks in blue and orange robes line the perimeter of the perimeter of the Temple and Anaria (still under house arrest) looks down from a Temple window).

A whirlwind erupts out of the Temple and the white-bearded, oriental looking Tanaka comes floating down from the sky, carried by invisible currents of Air. The crowd gasps. Tanakas speaks quietly but his words are carried to the ears of everyone in the throng, no matter how far back by the power of his Charms.

“My Friends, My Beloved. As you all know, Evil stalks the streets of Gem! We have all seen with our own eyes, the Anathaema amongst us! They are everywhere! And you are right to be concerned! So I say, enough is enough! We cannot tolerate the Anathaema amongst us any more!”

(at this, three claps of thunder peal across the Heaven, as Tanaka intentionally breaks his recent sanctified oath)

Seeing the crowd nodding in approval, Tanaka launches into a full-blown speech against the Anathaema. However, some disturbance in the winds carrying his message to the faithful means certain words are missed and quieted. Shizu, who can read lips gets the full text, but rest of the Solars and the crowd hear only the edited Highlights.

“The Immaculate Dragons are our only defence against the Anathaema!

The crowd can’t believe their ears. Perhaps they misheard?

“The threat of Deathmust not deter us.To the Mouth of Peace all who fall in combat will be martyrs”

What? Has the revered, yet elderly Master Tanaka gone insane!

“Your Faith is paramount! Against that the might of the enemy is useless

Boo Hiss- The crowd is angry and confused as Tanakas words are turned into blasphemy! Down with the blasphemer! Down with Tanaka! Down with Tanaka!

Turning ugly, the crowd begin chanting. A confused Tanaka (who doesn’t yet understand how badly his Performance roll has Botched) flies back towards the Temple, but even the monks there seem resistant to his presence.

“Now is our time” whispers Orchid to Alana, and motions the Zenith forward.

Cathak Alanas hood falls back as she takes to the front of the rooftop. Her glorious golden anima banner of intertwining plants growing to the Heavens draws the attention of every Immaculate in the city! And with Respect Commanding Attitude, she has them! Her words are a glorious fire in the mind and heart (as Heart Compelling Method comes into play), speaking of righteousness and forgiveness and change. How if people can be so wrong about Tanaka, and the foundations of the Philosophy, then perhaps they could be wrong about the Solars. That their return is not a devils trick, but a glorious salvation. After all, did not everyone see the Solars save Gem from demons not 15 days ago!

This powerful oratory has affected the crowd. Some openly weep, others question their faith, their deepest seated convictions shaken. Some convert instantly on the spot. About half are ready to abandon the Philosophy, the other half are just shaken.

That’s when Anaria enters this passion play. Moving slowly through the throng, Cathak Anaria descends from the Temple of 5 Harmonious Dragons. Clad in crimson robes, and her paired red jade daiklaives in her hands, she makes her way to her long opposed cousin. Anxious fedayakin Cult of the Illuminated body guards make to interpose, but Alana waves them aside.

Anaria, stands before Alana and lets the two daiklaives clatter to the ground from her hands and asks simply of her Solar cousin.

“Forgive me!”

before kneeling before her to receive the Zeniths blessing!

(Alana’s player- “Woo hoo! So long… so long! Take that!” . For yes, Anaria did somehow utterly botch her Willpower roll against all of Alana’s social charms! A botch! On my lucky green dice too! Even the GM didn’t see this coming!)

Events quickly pass in a blur. Shizu scoops ups the red-jade daiklaives. Master Tanaka is cast out from his own Temple, utterly shell-shocked. The former Immaculates are invited to gather at dawn tomorrow by the Granite Watchtower to hear the words of the Unconquered Sun. Social-realist posters are plastered across the tower by Brand. Orchid becomes speech-writer for Alana. Alana’s CotI Tiger Warriors jump for joy as the “Shiny One has revealed herself! The Prophecies come true!”

The Sermon next morning is a great success, with thousands of the former Immaculates now converting as Alana begins educating the first large scale congregation on the faith of the Unconquered Sun.

However, behind the scenes and at the rear of the crowd, Shizu spots a wild haired Master Tanaka running down the hill toward the Watchtower. No longer the inscrutable, all powerful Immaculate Master, he now resembles a deranged hermit.

Fearing a high essence massacre, the stealthy Shizu uses her perfect theft charm to pull Tanaka’s belt around his ankles. He suddenly trips and goes sprawling into the dusty road. Its at this point that a heavily laden, out-of-control cart careens down the road. Still untangling his belt from around his ankles, Tanaka automatically notches his Dodge roll! Yet just before the cart wheels run him over and sever his legs from body, Brand Monkey Leaps in to snatch Tanaka from the jaws of certain amputation! With a pithy comment about real enemies, Brand releases a ranting and raving Tanaka

Shizu though is more curious and follows Tanaka, with him eventually ending up preaching madly in the streets of the rebuilt Hot District. Most passer-by’s ignore his wild claims of Anathaema curses and tricks but Shizu re-disguises herself and goes buys the down and out Tanaka a drink of water. She talks to him as he goes on and on about his recent misfortunes…

“You have to be careful. Oh yes. They are everywhere, these Anathaema, can be anyone! And don’t speak to them. Oh no. The only solution is a vow of silence! They can trick you into oaths you don’t mean. Words you wouldn’t use. And then they curse you. That’s what they did to me. But I couldn’t allow them to win you understand. Never make a deal with the devil. Because that’s what they really are- demons! And if you found yourself in a deal with a devil, what would you do? I had to stop it. I couldn’t let them have claim on my soul, or lead others astray. Never compromise with Evil! But now its all gone wrong. Their curse is on me! What to do?”

“Well, I’ve always heard that if you don’t know what to do, the Despots Auntie can help. And give you some tea” suggests the disguised Shizu.

“Yes, Auntie!” exclaims Tanaka. “She will help me! She is my only hope!”

And with that Tanaka races up the hill to the Diamond Palace, Shizu following at Lightning Speed.

So Ends Session 48

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