SJE/Session45
Exalted Session 45
Session 45 - The Revenge of Ssseth
Finally, we catch up with what Captain Ibrahim has been doing for the last day or two...
7 Ascending Air
While the rest of his circle are battling the Autochthonians in Serenity Valley, Captain Ibrahim pursues some private projects. During the day, he talks to some of the more disaffected members of his family - the Al-Amaras. He reminds them of how his uncle has usurped Ibrahim's father's position as head of the house. He stresses his own noble qualities and great deeds, setting them against his uncle's sloth and excess: "He grows fat on peeled grapes and slave girls while we sweat for the good of the House! When do we get some, eh?" This makes a powerful impression on some of the youngsters, such as his cousin, Rufus Al-Amara. Captain Ibrahim rubs his hands at the prospect of his eventual triumph and domination.
With the fall of night, he descends once more into the seedy underworld of organised mime. Trawling around the taverns of the Hot District nets a lead on a house in the Lower Shades that is quiet... too quiet. After staking it out, with only a bottle or two to sustain him, the Captain sees a cowled figure leave the house. He tails his suspect through the streets to the Temple of Ssseth. After withdrawing to a nearby tavern to think, the Captain hatches a cunning plan. Posing as a potential convert to the faith of Ssseth, he discusses its merits with a temple functionary. Happy to see the chance of a new worshipper, they arrange for a priest to call upon the Captain at home tomorrow morning.
8 Ascending Air
The Captain wakes just before lunchtime to the sound of knocking at his door. Bleary-eyed, he drags himself out of bed to answer and finds Righteous Serpent, priest of Ssseth, waiting for him. A sacrificial maiden accompanies the shaven-headed, saturnine priest. Both of them have poisonous snakes twined about their person. The Captain invites in Righteous Serpent - "And your lovely lady friend..." - twinkling roguishly at the maiden as he sweeps a pile of takeaway cartons from the sofa so she can sit down.
He is quick to get to the point, explaining: "I'm not a god-fearing man, but recent events have made me think I need the help of a decent god. Don't get me wrong, I mean, fertility, got no problems there." He guffaws heartily.
Righteous Serpent is quick to point out the diverse nature of Ssseth's portfolio: "Ssseth can also help with vengeance upon your enemies."
"Yeah, I do have a few of them." The Captain concedes. "There's all those mechanical chaps, the horde of desert nomads, the Immaculate Order, that Fair Folk army from the edge of the world..."
"Ssseth is not really a god who deals with armies." Righteous Serpent nervously backpedals before over-committing his god. "He prefers to give personalised attention to worshippers with more... individual... vengeance requirements."
"Well, there have been some people spreading rumours, trying to blacken my name. Just because I have a harmless habit."
"Ah, yes, I have heard the talk." The priest soothes. "I see no problem there, Ssseth does not require sobriety in his worshippers."
"Oh, gods, no! The drink's not a problem! I was talking about... you know... things a man likes to in private."
Righteous Serpent is puzzled. "Are you sure that one of House Sahlak's establishments wouldn't be better placed to help you with this?"
"Oh, if only I knew other people like me. Beneath this bluff, heroic, too-handsome exterior, I am alone!" the Captain wails, apparently tormented by his inner demons. "Please... do not judge me..."
By now, Righteous Serpent is completely lost. "You like other men?"
"Sometimes, but what's that got to do with anything?"
"You can speak confidentially to me, my son. I will say nothing, and this maiden is due for sacrifice on Tuesday. She won't have time to tell anyone." The maiden nods cheerfully in confirmation.
It takes a few moments for the Captain to 'come out': "I've had these urges... Urges for... silence."
"I don't understand."
The Captain stands and, in total silence, pretends to open a bottle, pour himself a drink and down it in one. Righteous Serpent and the maiden are struck dumb. The priest, his snakes hissing and writhing, stands and denounces the Captain at the top of his voice: "A... a... mime! Shame and thrice shame be on you! I CALL THE VENGEANCE OF SSSETH UPON YOUR SOUL!" He storms out without looking back, though the sacrificial maiden gives the Captain a little smile and a wave as she is dragged away.
That night, as the Captain dreams lurid dreams of maidens and what they might sacrifice, he wakes, feeling a sudden sense of weight, something heavy pressing him down. Opening his eyes, he finds that his bed is covered in a writhing mass of snakes! He knows who to blame: "Bloody Ssseth! I'll kick his arse for this!" His thoughts of revenge vanish in an overwhelming tide of panic, however, as he feels a snake crawl beneath the covers and coil itself around his ankle. He screams and thrashes, which provokes dozens of the snakes into sinking their venomous fangs into him. Flaring his anima in his anguish, he scares the snakes away, but he is racked with pain and barely able to stand.
He staggers out of the door in search of help. But where to go? The Granite Watchtower, the Palace, his cousin's house... they're all too far away for even his ox-like constitution to carry him. A quick slug of cheap booze numbs the pain enough for him to think of a plan.
Five minutes later, he crashes through the window of a room at the Four Candles, a local House Sahlak franchise of ill-repute. Thankfully, he recognises the occupant. "Gladys," He pleads. "You can't let me die like this, you're my only hope. Get me a doctor..." He collapses, half on and half off the bed as Gladys dashes off to fetch help. The Captain slumps into the peaceful refuge of semi-consciousness.
His rest is short-lived. A harsh, sneering voice brings him awake. "What've we got here, then? The captain of the Watch, helpless as a baby..." The Captain looks up to see Braying Jackal, a cheap thug whom he has arrested more than once.
"Get out of here, Jackal. You and the stairs'll be having another get-together if you don't clear off."
"You and whose army?" Braying Jackal laughs, enjoying the upper hand for once.
"My lads know where I am!" The Captain bluffs.
"Dead drunk in a whore's bed?"
"That's where they expect to find me!"
During this exchange of witty banter, the Captain has been stealthily reaching for any solid object he can find. His groping hand closes around a large rubber... toy... of epic proportions and, glowing with his expenditure of Essence, he clouts Braying Jackal about the head with it. This begins a brutal fight, in which Braying Jackal quickly gains the upper hand over the badly-injured Captain. "How'd you like this then, big man." He taunts, giving the Captain a good solid kick in the ribs. "Who's the daddy now?"
But the Captain is not done for yet. Summoning all his power, the room filling with burning golden light, he drags Braying Jackal down and repeatedly smashes him in the face. Braying Jackal reels back and flees as hurrying footsteps in the corridor outside herald the approach of a doctor.
9 Ascending Air
Brand has pulled an all-nighter, having spent the whole of yesterday at the Granite Watchtower. Somehow, he managed to bully the building workers into turning up on a Sunday. Clearly, they have not forgotten his recent reign of terror... As for Brand himself, he has been tinkering with the remains of Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon. While he needs the heat of, say, a volcano to reforge the Autochthonian's orichalcum body, he has managed to 'liberate' enough loose armour plates and circuit boards to reinforce his battered buff jacket. It's not stylish or elegant, but it'll do the job.
As he is admiring his handiwork, Orchid arrives, fresh from resting up at the Palace. A combination of Body-Mending Meditation and more macaroons than she could possibly eat have done wonders for her injuries. She's not entirely impressed that Brand didn't bother to come and see her, though. "So, this is why you were too busy to visit me, then?" She remarks archly, looking over his shiny toys.
Further conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the Captain, looking considerably the worse for wear, even by his Monday morning standards. Orchid and Brand look askance at his injuries. The Captain attempts to explain: "I was attacked by Ssseth!"
"What," Brand wonders. "Did you do to piss him off?"
"Nothing!" Captain Ibrahim pauses. "I was investigating some leads on mime activities, and his damn priest just went crazy."
Orchid is sceptical. "You're absolutely sure that you didn't say anything foolish or intemperate to provoke him?"
The Captain reviews his conversation through rose-tinted spectacles - he sees only his untamed wit, his sparkling conversational gambits, his cunning adoption of a mimely disguise. No need to mention that last bit to anyone not on the Mime Squad, though, they just wouldn't understand. He does tell Orchid and Brand about the 'mime house' and the cloaked figure he tailed to the Temple of Ssseth. Which reminds him. "Oh, and we've got to rescue the maiden before tomorrow."
Orchid flinches, stung by still-painful memory: "The Maiden of the Mirthless Smile? Why does she need rescuing?"
"Ah, you're a bit too fond of her for my liking." The Captain insinuates. "It makes me wonder. Did we really kill evil Orchid?"
"Er, yeah," Brand interrupts. "We stabbed her and bashed her head in." Orchid winces.
The Captain isn't one to let go of a good idea, but he concedes the point for now and goes on to explain how the sacrificial maiden is a vital witness in his investigation of the mime conspiracy. To illustrate it, he shows Brand and Orchid the complex map that he has been drawing. "That's the Empress, and Shizu, and that's the Fair Folk," he explains. "And that's the Great Mime in the middle, controlling them all."
Brand and Orchid are awed into silence. After a good long look at the Captain's magnum opus, Brand ventures an opinion. "Oooookay. That's... interesting."
The Captain is gratified that someone is finally paying attention. His enthusiasm bubbles over: "It all makes sense if you look at the Triptych in the fourth room of the Palace art gallery. There are hidden messages that explain it all...."
Orchid and Brand nervously change the subject to discuss the various dangers that threaten Gem and its defenders - the Fair Folk, the Abyssals, the nameless Princess in Solaria, the Immaculate Order. Brand & Captain Ibrahim are keen to deal with Master Tanaka once and for all. Orchid fears that this would just bring a Wyld Hunt down upon Gem, and would rather find a more peaceful solution, though she assures her colleagues that this is not because she is soft on the Immaculate Master: "You know, he didn't even send me a 'Get Well' card*, even after I sent him those fruit baskets... Make no mistake, I think that he's a foolish little man who's going to get what he deserves some day. However, it is more politic for now to show some restraint, and to try to work together."
(* In fact, the only 'Get Well' present Orchid got was an ornamental candle-holder in the shape of a skull. Well, okay, it was a skull with a scented candle in it. There was no card, but she has a pretty good idea who that was from.)
On the subject of the Fair Folk, she agrees with them that a message should be sent to the Mahdi, to see if he needs further help. This will have to wait, though, as Orchid wants to hire an accountant this morning. Brand can't see why her household accounts are that important, so she explains to him that she risks being sold back into slavery if she doesn't attend to this matter and repay her bank loan.
"No problem," Brand picks up a chunk of orichalcum from his workbench. "How much do you need?"
But Orchid will not take it. "That will be far more valuable to you as raw material than it could ever be as money."
"come on, Orchid, be reasonable." Brand cajoles.
"I'll take it if I have no other choice. It wouldn't be an issue if my father-in-law had been more reasonable."
With that, she sweeps off - leaving Brand bemused by her silly obstinacy - to hire an accountant. This proves more difficult than she had anticipated. Word of the fate of her last accountant has got around - even danger money and a contractual clause offering exemption from combat duties will not suffice. Eventually, she hires the rather shady Numerate weasel. Her patience is running thing by the time she hands over a box of well-charred account books, accompanying them with a not-so-veiled threat of how she deals with staff who displease her...
On her return to the Watchtower, she sends a quick Infallible Messenger to the Mahdi:
"Dear Mahdi,
We hope you are well and that your campaign against the Fair Folk goes to plan. Time, and other Creation-Threatening Events, permitting we shall give you whatever aid we can. Do send a message as soon as possible.
Best Regards,
Orchid"
With time to spare in the afternoon, our heroes go to the Immaculate Temple to check that Cathak Anaria is still under house arrest. After checking up on her in the infirmary, where she still lies injured, Orchid turns to the monk who is escorting them to the gates. With Columbo-esque afterthought, she wonders: "Before we leave, may we inquire after the well-being of Master Tanaka?"
"He is up and about now, ministering to the faithful." The Captain leers at this inadvertent innuendo as Orchid persuades the monk to let her and her colleagues visit the Immaculate Master. He shows them to a classroom, where Master Tanaka is taking some novices, none of them more than 5 or 6 years old, through a primer. Brand, Captain Ibrahim and Orchid wait politely at the back of the class, as Tanaka goes from "A is for Anathema, all servants of Hell" to "Z is for Zombies who rise from their graves".
When he finishes, Tanaka gestures to the visitors. "Here, my children," he declares. "We have a perfect example of 'A is for Anathema'. Behold the accursed demons!" The children turn to gaze upon the enemy, 60 hostile young eyes taking in the spectacle of the Solar Exalted in the flesh. One adorable moppet pipes up: "That one smells of bad water!" To be fair, the Captain had needed a few stiff drinks to steady his nerve after the incident with the snakes. Master Tanaka gently chides the unruly student. "M is also for 'manners', my child... Now, be off!"
The students file out, some sticking out their tongues at the 'Anathema'. Orchid breaks the awkward silence. "Master Tanaka, I wish to end this foolish conflict between us."
Tanaka raises an eyebrow. "I suppose it is too much to hope that you have decided to renounce your current evil ways?"
"They're not 'evil', and we can no more do that," Brand points out. "Than you can reject your own Exaltation."
"Ah," Tanaka counters. "There are certain measures that you could take."
Orchid knows where this is going: "Are you going to suggest that we kill ourselves again, Master Tanaka?"
"The cycle of reincarnation is the path to cleansing your souls of the Anathema taint." The Master's tone is soothing.
"Both yourself and your underlings seem eager to help us on that path."
"Ah, Cathak Anaria." Tanaka sighs. "I did not approve her rash and unwise action."
"You would rather she had made a better plan?"
"I had no involvement. I believe it was a family dispute..."
Orchid is tired of this, and doesn't care whose orders Cathak Anaria was following. "Master Tanaka, our goal is the protection of Gem, and of Creation, as we have maintained all along. Our task would be simpler if we did not have to worry that you were going to stab us in the back. Can we not work together?"
"Yeah," Brand supports her. "That Realm legion didn't mind getting our help the other day. Looked like they needed it, too. Tough battle..."
"The Dragon-Blooded and the legions of the Realm have saved Creation without your kind before!" Tanaka spits contemptuously. "And they can do so again! They threw back the millions-strong army of the Fair Folk in the wake of the Great Contagion."
Brand sneers. "More like the Empress and her First Age super weapons!"
"The Realm's defence grid is a gift of the dragons!"
"The dragons!?" Brand scoffs. "You don't really believe they made it, do you?"
Orchid slides back into the conversation with a mocking question. "And how is the Empress these days? Still missing? No matter, if the Regent is filling in for her adequately..."
Master Tanaka glares at Brand and Orchid as the three of them draw breath. Orchid steers the conversation back to the main point. "Master Tanaka, myself and my colleagues are sworn to protect Gem. You do not need to fear us, as long as you do not oppose us."
Tanaka's retort is vehement. "As long as your evil does not threaten Gem I will tolerate you, but if it does I will destroy you!"
A smile plays across Orchid's lips. "Is that a promise, Master Tanaka?"
Her caste mark bursts into golden light as she softly touches his hand. Coruscating runes and sigils of brilliant white and gold light swirl about her as she calls upon the mandate of Heaven to witness his promise.
Master Tanaka is apopleptic. "The mandate of Heaven? Or of Hell?" Orchid's smile vanishes as if it had never been. "Trust me, Master Tanaka," She flatly assures him. "It is easy to tell the two apart." "Trust?" He snarls. "There is no trust between us now!" Brand shakes his head: "There never was..."
Brand, Captain Ibrahim and Orchid turn and walk out of the classroom, leaving Master Tanaka behind, quivering with barely-suppressed rage.
Return to SJE
