SJE/Session60

SESSION 60 - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

3 Resplendent Air

The circle's mood is gloomy as Orchid's stormwind carries them, Ledaal Hoshi & Takei, a couple of surviving whiteshirts and a small band of refugees away from solaria Magna. Behind them, a pall of black cloud hangs over the city, wreathing it in shadow.

Shizu breaks a silence that had held for some time. "That could have gone better..."
Brand agrees. "We're going to have to evacuate Solaria Minor. It wasn't good real estate anyway, and the zombie-infested city next door is going to crash the property market."
Rav interrupts. "We need to fix the problem, not just run away."
"How!"
"Remove the zombies, clean up the shadowland."
Brand has a sudden clear memory of himself writing a spell for the cleansing of shadowlands into the Book of Three Circles. But who would know such a spell now? Certainly, none of the Dragon-Blooded and, as Orchid points out: "All the Solars we've met are either fools or don't reply to my messages."
Shizu reckons this up in her head. "We only know two other Solars!"
As if on cue, a glowing blue cherub arrives, chirping into Orchid's ear. An Infallible Message begins, in the distinctive voice of Yurgen Kaneko. "Hello? Is this thing on? Samea, how do I know if this is working?"
Orchid sighs. "I take it back, they're both fools..."

Shizu changes the subject, turning to the Ledaals to ask "Is there anywhere we can drop you off?"
"Solaria Minor seems like a strong base to plan our counter-attack." Ledaal Takei thinks on events in Solaria Magna. "It's clear that the governor was ensorcelled along with his staff by the stranger. To think she was welcomed at first..."
"He was a weak-minded fool who got what he deserved!" Orchid snaps.
Brand hurriedly interrupts, hoping to avoid an unseemly argument. "Who did you all think she was?"
Ledaal Hoshi shrugs. "The Governor said she was his cousin."

Soon after, the stormwind carries everyone to Solaria Minor. Almost completely spent, they disembark in front of the garrison headquarters. The Dragon-Blooded and Solars eye each other cautiously. "So," Orchid inquires coldly. "What about us?"
"In time," Ledaal Takei answers. "Our house elders will decide. For now, we have an enemy in common..."
Shizu steers the conversation towards safer ground. "She is our main problem…"
"Nobody is perfect." Ravitsu joins in. "We know she has weaknesses - she's vain, easy to rile."
"And she wants me." Orchid adds unhappily.
"See? Leverage?"
"So," Shizu asks. "She was some kind of ghost, right? What are her weaknesses in that case?" Orchid lists them. "Salt, exorcism, wards, the same as any other ghost. Her power is enormous, though."
"Would it help if we could find what's keeping her here? I mean, she said she WAS you and you heard your body is in Nexus, so..."
"But if we go there," Brand wonders. "What happens to Solaria Minor?"
"If we don't find another way to fight her," Orchid says. "The same as happed to Solaria Magna...
Shizu wonders "What's to stop her building another one of those machines?"
"Well," Ravitsu says. "She hasn't got anyone left alive to put in it, has she?"
"What if she raids Solaria Minor?"
"We could give the people a clean death now," Orchid coldly suggests. "Rather than an unclean one when she comes for them."
There is an uncomfortable silence as everyone glares at Orchid, not least Ravitsu: "I think it would be better to defend the people, Orchid."
"Ahem," Ledaal Takei moves the conversation on. "What of Nalwa? He could defend Solaria Minor with us for now, give you a chance to rest, recover your power."
"He's a weakling and a coward!" Orchid turns on him. "He would rather turn against us than defend Solaria against the Princess. I have no wish to arm him and set him at my back."
Ledaal Takei defends his compatriot. "Sesus Nalwa is an honourable man, it would not have sat well with him to follow the orders of a conqueror."
"It was no order! I showed him what she was doing and offered him his freedom, and he made his choice!"

Orchid, however, is disappointed when the rest of her circle disagrees. Sesus Nalwa and his soldiers are to be released to join the defence. Orchid mutters sulikly "I should have killed when we first caught him..." Ledaal Takei continues to discuss battle plans. "We should call for reinforcements from the Realm. House Ledaal has many warriors with experience in fighting the dead."
Brand is sardonic. "Didn't help Thorns very much, did it?"
And Orchid still won't let it lie. "The only other Ledaal we've met also preferred to fight us rather than face the dead."
"Who," Ledaal Takei wonders. "Was that?
"Master Tanaka."
"I quite liked him," Ravitsu observes mildly. "He was a nice bloke, apart from the 'trying to kill us' thing..."

The afternoon is spent planning. Everyone has some suggestions, but the following plan emerges:

1. It's hopeless to try to march the citizens of Solaria Minor out across the desert, better to defend them in their homes.

2. Brand will work on fortifying Solaria Minor, which lies defenceless before any assault. The defences can also be used to alter the city's pattern of geomantic energies, trapping the Essence that currently flows towards Solaria Magna.

3. This Essence could be used to power a weapon against the Princess Magnificent's onslaught. Brand is sure that the famous glass-workers of Solaria can build lenses to focus the Essence that his geomantic work will trap.

4. To secure him the materials that he needs to complete his weapon, Orchid and Ravitsu will go to Gem to fetch the giant orichalcum head of Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon from the Granite Watchtower and to gather more supplies for the defenders.

5. The Ledaals and Sesus Nalwa will train the Solarian militia. The surviving Imperial garrison will be released to join the defending forces.

6. Orchid will contact every ally she has not already contacted about the Princess Magnificent - the Mahdi, Yurgen Kaneko, the Cathaks... Ravitsu vetoes any notion of contacting the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile, fearing her possible divided loyalties.

7. There is no time to go to both Nexus and Gem so, as weapons and supplies are more urgently needed than information on Orchid's prior incarnation, that will have to wait for another time.

In all this time, the black clouds cutting solaria Magna off from the sun do not shift, even when a cool breeze springs up in the evening.

After the Ledaals leave to see to the defences, Ravitsu takes Orchid to task for her rotten attitude towards the circle’s Dragon-Blooded allies. "If you won't show them any trust, of course they'll never cooperate with us! Just try to work with them for now!"

4 Resplendent Air

Orchid, recovering her strength for sorcery after a night's rest, sends Infallible Messengers to allies and acquaintances. To Yurgen Kaneko:
"Yes, Yurgen, that thing was 'on'.
PS - It is pleasant to hear from you, Yurgen. I hope that you are well and that your deeds continue to be mighty, Bull of the North. Since I last spoke to you, which, to my shame, seems all too long ago, we have resolved the issue of the invaders from elsewhere. We defeated their army in battle and sent them back from where they came. We have... (sigh) Yurgen, there are so many things that I could tell you, but there is little time. Perhaps one day I shall come to the north to swap tales with you.
At present, I am in Solaria, preparing to face a Deathlord who has made a shadowland of an entire city. Her might is greater than our own though we are gathering an army to face her. I would prize greatly any assistance or wisdom that you can offer. I know few stratagems beyond the "tusks of the mammoth". I am not the warleader you are, I fear.
As I said, it has been most pleasant to hear from you. I remain in your debt.
Orchid."

To the Mahdi:
"Joachim, greetings from Floating Summer Orchid. I wish that I could bring you happier tidings, but I find myself in Solaria, where the Holy Land of the Unconquered Sun stands in dire peril. Solaria Magna is already a shadowland, and the armies of the dead gather to bring the same fate to Solaria Minor. If there is any help you can bring, we need it now! We're having a war, and everyone's invited!"

To the Inconstant Hierophant:
"I have met the Princess Magnificent With Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. So, about her..."

After she has finished her messages, she summons a stormwind to carry herself and Ravitsu to Gem.

Brand, meanwhile, works feverishly. A detailed geomantic survey finds the dragon-lines hopelessly tangled, and leaking Essence towards the shadowland. He draws up plans for a boundary wall which will realign the dragon-lines, trapping their power and, almost as important, provide a bulwark against any assault from Solaria Magna.

He gathers all the clay-workers, masons, builders and architects that he can find and shows them his plans. One among them objects. "But, Shining One, we only have days at most before zombies eat us!"
"Five days is more than enough!" Brand is filled with messianic zeal. "What about your faith? Rebuilding after the Realm's troops knocked down your churches was just practice! Work like you've never worked before! Like this!"
He goes forth and leads by example, digging the first foundations for the Great Wall of Solaria himself with frenzied speed. By late afternoon, everyone who can wield a shovel or trowel, or carry bricks is at work on the wall. It takes shape more quickly than anyone could have imagined, though still with painful slowness given the dire peril at hand.

When he is happy that work is well underway, Brand turns his attention to his planned super-weapon. He sketches out blueprints to modify Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon's head into a terrible engine of Essence-fuelled destruction! By mid-afternoon, the city's glass-workers are fashioning great lenses for the machine. Brand runs himself ragged, keeping both projects moving as quickly as he can.

Shizu chances a quick scouting trip to Solaria Magna. Unwilling to risk going into the shadow that blankets the city, she is forced to content herself with observing from a distance. She sees no sign of life. Not even a single zombie stirs in the streets. Shuddering, and finding this even more unsettling than shambling hordes of the dead would have been, she returns to Solaria Minor.

There, she stealthily eavesdrops on Ledaal Takei & Hoshi, and finds them sending a message with Wind-Carried Words Technique: "Solaria Magna has fallen into a shadowland. Further Anathema have arrived and are fighting against the forces of the dead. Please send an Imperial Legion as soon as possible." The reply is almost instantaneous. "Do not despair. House Ledaal will do all that it can."

Shizu sneaks away to tell Brand all about it.

Back in Gem, Orchid & Ravitsu arrive at Orchid's house and find that the staff are terrified of the bricked-up door beneath the stairs. Orchid demands to know "What's been happening?"
Her chambermaid cannot meet her eyes. "We can't tell you!"
"Why not?"
"You told us not to talk about it." The poor girl is almost in tears.
Orchid rolls her eyes. "You're allowed to talk to me!"
It seems that frightening and awesome noises continue to issue from the door every night. The staff are all afraid to even enter the corridor where it stands, preferring to go the long way around the house. Orchid promises to investigate tonight.

Next, she and Ravitsu go to see Cathak Anaria (Ravitsu: "Shall we see her first, get it over with?") at the former Immaculate Temple, where she is overseeing its conversion into a temple to the Unconquered Sun. On catching sight of Ravitsu and Orchid, she yells to the workers. "Kowtow, you dogs, kowtow! The Shining Ones are here!"
Orchid brings her up to date on the crisis in Solaria Magna. Anaria is keen to lend her support to the cause. "Yes, Shining One! I shall prepare for a great jihad against the dead, Shining One!"
Orchid winces. "You may stop calling me, 'Shining One', Anaria. Just call me Orchid, if you wish."
"I couldn't possibly, Shining One. I am not worthy to even approach your magnificence or speak your name!"

Orchid sighs and goes to the palace where, after meeting with the Despot to discuss Watch business and the obligatory tea and macaroons with Auntie, she and Rav visit Cathak Aron. The fire-aspect commander is in an, ahem, welcoming mood. "Ah, they've sent two of you. Hold on, I'll have my clothes off right away-"
Orchid forestalls any hot Dragon-Blooded-on-Solar action. "I suspect you misunderstand the purpose of our visit, Cathak Aron."
He frowns, disappointed. "You've not come from House Sahlak?"
"Not for some time. We've come to ask for your help." Orchid explains the Solaria Crisis to him.
"Hmm. Will there be fighting?"
"Lots of it," Ravitsu shows a keen insight into Aron's character. "And Solaria's famous for it's beer. You could have a rematch of your contest with the Captain." He wisely refrains from mentioning exactly how much of a role mud and sand play in the Solarian brewing industry (and, to be fair, all their other industries, though the pint glasses are stunning!).
Aron's eyes light up at the thought of free beer. "Ibrahim's there? Ah, good fellow! I'll definitely come! It'll be good to get away from my damn sister, always nag, nag, nag with her leaflets... I'll be ready in a fortnight."
"No, Aron," Orchid interrupts. "We need to leave in the morning."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Tomorrow morning."
"In the morning?" Aron is horrified. "I can't go then. I'm not a morning person!"
Orchid smiles a beguiling smile. "If I promised to send your sister away, would you come with us tomorrow?"
"You could send Anaria away?"
"Yes." Orchid's smile widens. "If you come with us tomorrow, I promise I'll send Anaria far away from Gem. Oh, hundreds of miles away..."
"Agreed!"

In the afternoon, they get the big robot head taken down from the watchtower roof and packed for transport. They gather whatever supplies they can rustle up at short notice - firewands, firedust, weapons, armour, food - before returning to Orchid's house for the evening. There, Ravitsu and Orchid listen gloomily to the noise coming from the bricked-up door. It's the sound of a wild animal, snarling, panting, tearing clawing at the other side of the wards.
"Maiden?" Orchid asks uncertainly. "Is that you?" Ravitsu raises his eyebrows at her. She shrugs. "It sounded a bit like her."
Ravitsu deadpans. "Well, you'd know..."
With no leisure to investigate further before returning to Solaria, Orchid reinforces the wards and tries her best to reassure the staff. Even so, the cook resigns, complaining about "bad dreams".

5 Resplendent Air

At dawn, Orchid and Ravitsu turn up at Cathak Aron's apartments carrying a family-sized bucket from Ahlat's House of Ribs as a hangover cure, and some of Orchid's staff to do the heavy lifting. They find Aron snoring and stinking of booze. Ravitsu rubs his chin. "I could Lion Roar Method, right in his ear."
"You're so unsubtle!" Orchid places the bucket of ribs next to Aron, who leans across without waking to embrace it. She opens the bucket and draws it away, trying to tempt him along. Aron stirs, but doesn't wake. Orchid gestures to one of her servants to hand her another bucket, and hurls the cold water it contains over him. Even this doesn't wake him, though his fiery anima flares for a moment to warm him.
Ravitsu raises an eyebrow. "I'm unsubtle?"
"I've decided we don't have time for subtlety." Orchid takes a deep breath. "Can we just tie him to a pole and carry him out?"

Ravitsu takes charge. While Orchid's staff extinguish the smouldering bedclothes, and scramble to collect Aron's gear, Ravitsu drags him out into the courtyard and Lion Roars: "WAKE UP!""
Aron peers around in bleary confusion as Rav hands him the bucket of ribs. "It's late. You're packed. Here's breakfast. Let's go."

At the Watchtower, Anaria is waiting with a force of volunteers. She has outdone herself in assembling an 80-strong choir to sing the praises of the Shining Ones and a full 500 volunteers for the great jihad against the dead. Orchid and Ravitsu exchange glances. Ravitsu checks the gear while Orchid handles the public speaking: "Hands up anyone who has military experience!"
500 hands are raised to the sky.
"Who's been in the army for more than a year?"
Every single hand drops.
"More than a month?"
"Does, er," a volunteer ventures. "Does the demon invasion count?"
Orchid runs her hands through her hair. She doesn't need untrained zombie-fodder. ""Friends, we do not want you to die for the Unconquered Sun!" There is a disappointed sigh from the volunteers. "Your time to serve him and to slay his enemies will come. For now, stay here and serve him in Gem. We will return." The crowd grumbles and begins to disperse a little, though most stay to watch the Shining Ones leave.

Meanwhile, Aron has finished his ribs and noticed Anaria. He turns on Orchid. "What's she doing here? You said you'd send her away!"
"Of course I am. I'm sending her to Solaria." She coolly faces Aron down. "You don't expect me to make two trips, do you?" Smiling, she sweeps past him to begin summoning her stormwind, she spots that Anaria's backpack is bulging with papers. "Are those leaflets, Anaria? I'm afraid that the enchantment I shall be using does not allow the transportation of literature. You'll have to leave them behind. For your safety and convenience, please place your luggage in this clear bag for inspection..."

Moments later, as the choir gives a rousing rendition of 'Onward Solar Soldiers!', the stormwind rises into the air, carrying Orchid, Ravitsu, Anaria and Aron back to Solaria.

Meanwhile, in the southern desert, the Mahdi tosses his head, his perfectly-conditioned hair cascading around his shoulders, as he poses magnificently on horseback before his horde of desert nomads. The sun glints from his gleaming teeth as his command - "To Solaria! We ride!" - is answered by the roaring of his soldiers.

And Orchid hears the tell-tale chirp of an incoming Infallible Message. This time, she hears the exciteable tones of Cathak Bella: "Yee-ha! We all're comin', Orchid!" Soon, it seems, Orchid will have all the Cathaks she could ever want...

---

Return to SJE