SJE/Session33
Exalted Session 33 - The Carnival of Meeting
The characters rest and waken on the 3rd of Calibration, triumphant glory still ringing in their ears. They feel its appropriate to go to the local shrine to the nconsquered Sun and pay their respects. They find it in dire state- basically a begging bowl beneath a chalk drawing of the Sun in a smelly alley off the Street of Small Gods- nonetheless they pray to the UCS and even stump up for an underfed sacrificial goat. Alana fails her compassion roll on sacrificing it, and the others have to restrain her as she gets a bit too enthusiastic in her butchery. Still, one good sand storm and the blood will come off the walls… .
The Immaculates shun the now public Anathaema as they walk down the Street of Small Gods. As one choregraphed manoeuvre, the monks and worshippers turn their back on the Exalts. The Captain tries to throw a rock at them (well their backs are turned) but Alana stops him. Instead he hires urchin to scrawl “Immaculates suck” around the place. Far from being epic heroes of legend reborn, we contemplate turning the gaming into a campaign of petty, petty playground politics and one-upsmanship as the Solars write letters to the newspaper complaining of the loudness of Immaculate gong ringing, or have the Night caste sneak in to mix their white robes with the red in the laundry!
Jaq also renames herself Shisu, though I still think of her as the Ninja Formerly Known As Jaq ™ …..
Anyway, they eventually make it Yu-Shan- a glorious continent-city of white shining walls, quicksilver canals, magical clouds and endlessly bountiful perfumed gardens. An amazing array of gods, Exalts, spirits and mortals are all enjoying the Carnival of Meeting. Here a minotaur lord is walking his whippet-gawd familiar. There a nymph flirts with a gargantuam serpent. Over there a small rain cloud follows a blue feathered Thunderbird around.
Chejop Kejak, their sponsor for the evening though has anticipated their arrival and positioned himself to meet them first. He thanks them for saving Gem and apologies for not being able to do more to help them, but bureaucracy grinds so slowly in Heaven these days.
Orchid archly comments that a warning might be nice.
“Well there is an Excession level event due to form in the Font of Mourning in the next few days. Plus our spies in the Courts of Chaos reveal that the Baloran Church is gaining enough influence amongst the Fair Folk to launch a new Crusade, powerful enough to threaten Creation. We call them CTE’s –Creation Threatning Events. That’s Wednesday.” Says Kejak.
The Watch decide it only right to go hat with Serjeant Colon, Patron Saint of Watchmen. Hes a mustached, rotund god in mismatched armour and seems to be guarding the buffet table by taking into the cusody of his stomach a lot of free food. He tells how he has loyally guarded the Jade Pleasure Palace from being stolen for 6,000 years.
“Stolen much is it, Guv?” Enquires the Captain
“Well we did have that one Night Caste with ideas 3,000 years ago. Didn’t have a hope really though, poor boy never knew what hit him when he snuck inside.”
”Have you gone in there, helped yourself?” winks the Captain.
‘Oh no, all the hobb ‘nobbs in there. Not worth my existence if I were to try, what with the ‘You-Know-What’ ‘n all”
“Oh Right. Must be going!” says the Captain, never to learn of the Games of Divinity….
Rav talks to Gen, God of Nexus. He’s a loon, muttering “Buggrit. Millenium hand and shrimp”. But he does mention one or two things in his insane ramblings- a ‘Hollow’below Nexus. And though mad as a hatter, his encyclopediac knowledge of Nexus leads to the following muttering. “Yes, yes, yes. Bugrit’ millennium hand and shrimp! Ravitsu Cail?. Boy who became a Watchman. Son of old Magda who worked 3rd Street and that Dragonblooded officer. So bright, so handsome, on his steed. What was the name? Sesus. Sesus. Yes, yes, yes.”
Alana talks to Ayesha Ura. The Saviour of the Gold wars her about being immeshed in Chejops plans- he is sure to test the Solars to destruction, after all he was Chief Usurper… And also to look out for the white-haired Sad Ivory. Chejops chosen Assassin of Fate….
Ahlat is a bluff Northern god (with the accents) who congratulates Jaq on “Fine ‘ecatomb you put on’t table, lad. Aye, grand it were, 'avent t’ eaten so well in many a’ year. Took Mrs Ahlat an ‘oole day te cook!”
Jaq also gets a gift from “…”, God of Mimes who mines opening a box and giving him a round thing. But since Jaq doesn’t quite have the faith in miming (too long in Gem) it turns out to be nothing. Orchid tends to sniff whenever “…” is around. Jaq also taunts Sseth but flaring his new totemic anima- a silhouetted Mongoose which Ssseth hisses at, before asking who asks him if he shouldn’t be stealing Golden Apples of Immortality. Since Jaq resists the thought, he gets some Limit.
Capt. Meets Plentimon and learns YasalQuest off him. Good student, go for a game- favour of Exalt vs. luck in gambling. Plentimon wins on a coin toss.
Orchid steers Burning Feather toward him- chemistry!
Rav talks to Grala- Countryside Alliance woman. Invited to behemoth hunt on Sunday.
Orchid v. drunk. Has it out with Captain on how stupid he was to go out with Evil doppelganger & not notice.
BF- what?!
Capt. Better than you. Less clothes, prettier
Orchod- Child!
(demon baby rumour starts) Rav quashes rumour. Talks to Wan Ja who warns of desert nomads finding Prophet- sponsored by Amoth City Smiter. Mentions defence post for Old Realm.
Jaq & Sad Ivory ninja around each other. Jaq gets drop on him/her
"I don’t know you"
"No but I know your brother?"
How- where?
When- I was last to see him alive.
(Rav & Alana approaching, so SI uses Avoidance Kata and none but Jaq can remember them conversing)
Orchid talks to Lytek. Asks what happens if someone switched candidates for a shard. Not good.
Orchid talks to Yurgen about Arack & what a great guy he was before he was eaten by Ice giants. Starts sobbing, Yrugen comforts
Capt. Wakes up next to horror.
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