LunaHidesHerFace/SessionOneEdited

Luna Hides Her Face, Session One: Trouble in Greyfalls

Highlight version, with OOC commentary by SabreCat.

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Scene 1 - Our introduction to the city of Greyfalls! On the agenda:
1) Give a first impression of the trade city.
2) Illustrate the powers and drawbacks of being an Anathema Exalt in a Realm holding.
3) Introduce Tradewind Wanderer, and if feasible, Jesya Columbine.

GM (quoting Scavenger Sons): Greyfalls is a city of towers and minarets, domed buildings and wide tree-lined streets, against a backdrop of looming mountains and the towering Falls that give the city its name.

GM: You stroll in, say, midday?, having traveled for some time (assisted by sorcery, perhaps) across the plains of the Hundred Kingdoms region from the forests where Shadow Weaver made his home. Streets radiate out from the dockside, where travelers having made the expensive voyage up the rivers arrive to trade with the Realm and the locals. So, as you arrive, market is in full swing. "Greyfalls parchment! Five scrip a ream! ... Sorry, my friend, it's the taxes, no can do!"

I totally made up the currency numbers, not having Manacle & Coin. So they're probably nonsense. Starting around Session 4, I started abstracting the numbers: "a reasonable price, maybe a bit high" etc.

GM: With your exposed daiklave on your back, you attract immediate attention. Mutters as you pass, merchants calling out, "Ah! Great one! Honor my wares with a glance!"...

Shining Blossom Empress glances. Obviously they mean her.

Shadow Weaver honours them all with a scowl.

GM: ...turning to shock and suspicion as they see it's moonsilver, not jade, glinting there.

Weaver comes up with an ingenious ruse—the sword's a trophy, you see—upon which pretext he buys a canvas cover for it. This way it could be jade, for as much as anyone can tell. Seeing the canvas cut, however, triggers flashbacks!

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Shadow Weaver:

...torn fabric...
...a woman holding a bronze eye-mask to her face, approaching down a hallway...
...fire and thunder...

Shining Blossom Empress:

...blood! blood, laughter and blood. blood and tears of relief...
...a woman holding a red mask to her eyes, standing in a doorway...
...a mouse scurrying among a forest of feet...

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Disconcerted, Weaver hauls off with his newly sheathed sword, leaving Empress to cover the bill. She does so and follows, indignant, after him, but the pair has no time to argue over it.

Shadow Weaver: "See that guy to my right? Big, bald, tanned? He's been watching us."

Shining Blossom Empress: "Are you joking? EVERYBODY's been watching us..."

GM: As you look that way, you catch a glint of light on his forehead, like a reflected sunbeam, in the shape of two concentric circles.

Shining Blossom Empress stops.

Shadow Weaver's eyes narrow.

Shining Blossom Empress whispers, "Heyyy." She instinctively flashes a dazzling smile.

Shadow Weaver smirks, slightly. "Seems like your type. Go for it, I say."

I giggle with glee as the two split up, Weaver leaving Empress to traffic with her own kind. A perfect opportunity!

Bald man: "Shining Blossom Empress, aid-to-the-downtrodden? You've drummed up some support here and there, unless I mistake you?"

Shining Blossom Empress shrugs. "Here and thereabouts. Who's watching?"

Bald man: "Just me, so far as I can tell. I am the Tradewind Wanderer, and I'd hoped you might assist me in a matter. Know you much of the Fair Folk?"

Note this "just me," it'll come into play later. Wanderer explains that he's been hunting a Raksha and claiming "its trinkets," but the fae has gone to ground in Greyfalls. Meanwhile, across the way…

GM: A dark-haired and -skinned girl, looking distressed, waves urgently at Weaver, peeking out barely from behind the vendor's stall.

Shadow Weaver raises a brow and approaches at a leisurely pace. "...Yess...? ...What do you want, li'l grrl?"

Dark girl: "Please... you have to help me. That man..." (indicating Wanderer) "*glp* I don't want to return to him tonight! But he's sworn me to it..."

She explains: the bald Eclipse said he'd help the anti-Realm rebels, whom she knows through a God-Blood named Michael. The Solar, however, had her swear to go to him every night, and never followed through on his side of the deal. And now here we have our "holy grap, that's awesome!" moment of the night, thanks to Weaver's peremptory, straightforward-but-makes-everything-more-complicated ways!

Shadow Weaver idly leans over and grabs the girl, hoisting her into a fireman's carry across his shoulders, then saunters towards Shine and the mysterious Solar...

Shining Blossom Empress turns to look. Her jaw drops.

Shadow Weaver smiles, with a glint in his eye. "Don't know about you, but I have plans for t'night."

Shining Blossom Empress: "Ju... ge... wha... I leave you TWO SECONDS!"

Things go in a comically blunderous fashion from here.
1) The girl, Jesya Columbine, tries to escape Weaver.
2) Tradewind Wanderer tries to convince the Exalts that he doesn't know her.
3) Weaver tries to get Wanderer to drop whatever agreement(s) he has with Jesya.
4) A bewildered Shining Blossom Empress tries to figure out what's going on.
…Not a one of them succeeds in these goals.

In fact, to make sure the situation doesn't all get unraveled right here, I introduce impending danger to rile things up...

GM: You hear some commotion--loud, raucous laughter--from up the street some distance. Sounds like a garrison on lunch break.

Shining Blossom Empress's blood suddenly runs cold. Laughter? "Jesya, come to me, child. Quickly." She holds out a hand.

Jesya stares hard at Empress for a moment, decides she's a better bet than either of the other two, and comes forward.

Shining Blossom Empress: "We need to get away from here. Wanderer, I'm sure you can track me down again, if you need me."

Tradewind Wanderer (with a sigh): "Tch. I'd thought you greater than to associate with such rabble, Empress. But yes. We never got to terms of payment, should you complete my task, did we?" He flashes a pair of rings produced from a pocket, smirks, and recedes into an alley.

The rings trigger Flashback Set #2!

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Shadow Weaver:

...an opulent bedroom, the curtains and wall-hangings slashed and spattered with blood...
...The woman approaches you. Deftly, she puts away the bronze mask in the folds of her robe, and puts on a crimson one in its place. Utter dismay...
...a legion of the Terrestrial Exalted, their animas flickering in five colors, standing over you like colossi...

Shining Blossom Empress:

...there. They lie broken around you. Their treachery will burrow no deeper. Justice is done...
...The masked woman steps forward into the room. You feel your beloved draw closer, but where is he?...
...a wall of jade! Pounding boots of the Terrestrial host, defiling your Manse!...

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