JWTS2

At that moment dark clouds roll in from the west, spoiling what had been a lovely spring morning. The temperature drops fifteen, twenty degrees. And then the Rising Gull stops moving. People all over begin to panic. Tarla loses track of the men with burlap sack masks. The ship stopped moving in the water because something horrible had happened to the water – all the water in the harbor had turned thick and viscous and sticky, like Vaseline. And it starts to rain, raining big clumps of Vaseline. And this is when the water dragon rises up out of the grease-harbor and smashes the seawall protecting it.

Everyone runs in circles, screaming and shouting. Tarla stays with the ship, and sends a sailor to fetch Yan Birhan, the God-Blooded ship’s witch, from warehouse 4A2, also the ship’s surgeon. She waits, and watches, as the water dragon moves to the far end of the harbor and begins slowly and deliberately destroying each ship… not bothering to kill everyone on board if they run away, but crushing under the wreckage anyone who stays on board. The massive cannons that guard Lookshy Harbor, she notices, move to target the god but do not fire.

Perhaps half of the ships between the edge of the harbor and Rising Gull are destroyed by the time Birhan and Borost (the ship’s surgeon) arrive. Birhan, informed as he is about the spirit courts of the Inner Sea and the Celestial Bureaucracy in the area, recognizes the water dragon as the god Hezrial Twelve Thunders, Lord An-Da-Sha of the Whirlwind. He suggests they all run away from Hezrial’s wrath as quickly as possible.

Tarla, who is aware gods can be placated with offerings, asks if it might be possible to talk Hezrial down. Birhan confirms that the dragon is a censor, and is almost certainly doing what he’s doing for a reason. Desperate to save her ship from getting smashed to tiny pieces, Tarla and Birhan climb up the rigging and attempt to attract the attention of Hezrial as the water dragon finishes destroying the ship next to Gull.

FOOM!

Tarla is suddenly struck deaf, and blind, and can’t feel her legs, or any of the rest of her body. And then, slowly, she’s able to see and hear again. Hezrial skipped her ship and moved on to the next one. Birhan is still alive, in the crow’s nest next to her, except he’s cowering and averting his eyes and shouting something.

Tarla realizes her entire body is glowing like a two hundred Watt bulb, and there’s a giant glowing cat made out of light in the air above her head. As she watches, the cat winks out of existence, but Tarla does not stop burning with holy atomic fire.

Not thinking particularly clearly, Tarla leaves Birhan where he is, and runs down from her ship to the nearest not-yet-smashed one. No one stops her, on account of everyone in the area having fled already. She climbs up to the top of this other ship, and shouts at Hezrial.

The god plays it cool. He tells her that she does not have any authority over him, and to kindly get off the ship so he can smash it. Still woozy, she asks why he’s doing such a thorough job of ruining the harbor. Hezrial explains that he has been sent by the Prismatic Court of Rainbow Scales, and that his destruction of the harbor and rain of grease is just a warning: he will return and destroy the riverside structures, the curtain walls that protect the city, the warehouses and the water supply. Lookshy will wither and die.

Can anything be done to stop it? Tarla asks. Take it up with the Court; I’m just the messenger, the god replies.

Tarla abruptly remembers she’s burning with atomic flames, and flees back to the safety of her cabin, on her ship. She watches as, in the distance, Hezrial destroys the ship she had been on, then several more, before a delegation of Lookshy officers finally arrives on the scene and confers with him. Then they watch in mute horror as Hezrial ignores their puny attempts to combat him, and smashes the rest of the ships. By the time they’ve broken out their heaviest, god-killing weapons, Lord An-Da-Sha of the Whirlwind has already departed.

Tarla’s mostly faded down to normal by this point, all except the glowing mark on her forehead. Borost cleans and bandages the wound on her cheek, nervously. Tarla wrestles with her conscience and debates pulling out of Lookshy, leaving the city to its fate.

This reverie is interrupted by a knock on the cabin door – there are soldiers come to talk to her, again. Tarla digs out a hat (something tricornered) and pulls it down over her forehead before going up on deck.

Up on deck are something like two dozen senior-looking Lookshy officials, in armor and armed. The lead official, Director-General Ishira Haru, tells her that, since hers is the only ship in Lookshy still seaworthy, it to be commandeered in the interest of national security.

Tarla points out that Hezrial Twelve Thunders did not destroy her ship, and suggests that simply taking it from her might be a bad idea. She reveals that she is aware of who sent the god, and that the reason Lookshy needs the ship to transport a delegation of diplomats to the Court of Rainbow Scales.

Director-General Haru, who did hear the stories about how the massive sun-cat-monster rose up and fought off the water dragon when it attacked the Gull, considers, then offers to charter the ship instead, on the condition that Tarla accompany the delegation on Lookshy’s behalf.

Tarla agrees, to the chagrin, somewhat, of her crew, and Lookshy soldiers lay down tarps around the Gull so that they can walk around on the Vaseline without slipping or drowning, then pull it out of the harbor and into open water. The ship is loaded up with a dozen Lookshy ambassadors (mostly Water-aspected Dragon-Blooded), then departs the next morning, bound for the spot of ocean in which the Prismatic Court of Rainbow Scales holds meet.

So at the start of the session, I remind Tarla of the situation: she, her ship, some Water-aspected Dragon-Blooded diplomatic attaches from Lookshy, all out in the ocean between Lookshy and the Blessed Isle. There to negotiate with the Prismatic Court of Rainbow Scales.

The Dragon-Blooded diplomats had been extremely standoffish the entire week-long voyage out to the court, taking their meals separate from Sha and the ship's officers. One of them identifies himself as Colonel Aro, and tells her that when the time comes, he will act as a liason and spokesman between her and the Lookshy represenatives.

Also, at night during the trip, Tarla dreams. These dreams fall into three distinct categories. In the first dreams, she is in a high place, passing judgement on those beneath her, which is fun. In the second dreams, she is hunted across a variety of landscapes by either mobs of pitchfork-wielding peasants or ninja. In the third dreams, she witnesses as brass steam-powered locusts sweep across the South, consuming all as they go.

So, anyway. Down into the depths go the Dragon-Blooded, followed by Tarla and her God-Blooded crony. Everyone else can breathe underwater normally, but Tarla instead chews some oxygenating Maruera Gum. It's cold and wet and dark and not a very nice place to be, down in the middle of the ocean. The darkness is mostly negated when the Dragon-Bloods start to glow bluish, which reminds Tarla that she could burn with holy atomic fire if she felt like it (she chooses not to).

The contingent reaches the Prismatic Court of Rainbow Scales, or at least, the Court's physical meeting place. It's a toppled humanoid statue the size of the Pru (insert non-Boston area skyscraper, if you'd rather), covered in so much muck and coral and debris that details are indecipherable. At the broken ankles, where the statue once jutted proudly up to the heavens, the Dragon-blooded start calling out supplications. When the supplications don't work they quickly begin hurling insults. Some of them are holding little mirrors.

Tarla watches this, bemused, and asks her crony what on earth they're thinking. Yan the God-Blooded considers for a bit, and suggests that they don't expect the negotiations to go well and would rather just bomb the Court out of existence with their weapons of mass destructions. The destruction of the harbor was going to be a sore point. The mirrors were a Dragon-Blooded thing, they knew a charm to make gods show themselves, but only in reflections.

Tarla pops up a few Presence and Socialize Charms, makes her forehead glow, and politely requests the court appear.

"Finally, someone with some sense," says She of the Jellies as she materializes. She of the Jellies appears in the form of a nine foot tall skeleton coated in a thin layer of jellyfish. Seafoam curls around its feet and swirls towards Tarla.

She of the Jellies is quickly joined by the Ninefold Lord of Weather, incarnate as a whale made from mother-of-pearl.

("How big a whale?" "Normal whale size. You feel small.")

These two gods spoke for the court, though they hardly comprised the entire group: over the course of the conversation that followed, something like fifty more small gods materialized around the delegates, watching and listening.

The dialogue that followed I can't replicate properly. She of the Jellies and the Ninefold Lord of Weather explain the Court's position, how coral reefs are dying as a result of the strain on the local Dragon Line, and their reasonable demand that Lookshy disarm such that the strain on the Line be relieved and the corals not die. Tarla acts a go-between; the Dragon-Blooded and the gods aren't willing to speak to one another. The Ninefold Lord of Weather spoke in a folksy, jingoist manner based on Dubya.

Points that came up in the dialogue: Why act against Lookshy now? Because the strain on the Dragon Line has reached crisis levels only recently, She of the Jellies explains. Can Lookshy disarm? Hell no, that's just the sort of weakness the Realm is looking for, Aro says. Maybe just temporarily? And you could take the weapons out again if you get attacked? It doesn't work that way; the weapons need to be maintained and the teams that man them need to drill. Has Lookshy suddenly increased the level of power drain on the Dragon Line? No. How exactly do Dragon Lines work? (Socratic dialogue between She of the Jellies and Tarla and Yan, explaining a few points.) Could Manses be built, tapping another Dragon Line, redirecting power to Lookshy? Eventually, but it would be a massive, multiyear construction project. What new drains on power might there be, in the last year or six months? Rumors in Lookshy abound of a new Shadowland cropped up along the River of Tears between Sijan and Lookshy, but nothing definite 'til yet. Could we destroy this Shadowland, since it is after all an unholy blight before the Lord our Sun? I dunno. Maybe. What would it take for Lookshy to disarm, temporarily? Perhaps the Court could assist the defence? Well, not for more than twenty-eight days, since that's as long as certain weapons could be powered down. Would the Court assist the defence? Absolutely not, says the Ninefold Lord of Weather. Well, maybe, says She of the Jellies.

Tarla hammers out the following deal: For twenty-eight days, Lookshy will enjoy a reprieve from destruction at the hands of the Celestial Censor, Hezrial. During this time Lookshy's principal weapon systems will be disengaged, but the Prismatic Court of Rainbow Scales shall patrol the Eastern Inner Sea. In the event that the Imperial Navy launches an assault on Lookshy, the Court will inform Lookshy. The Court will take no hostile actions against the Empire. If the Court informs Lookshy of the Empire's approach, they will also inform the Empire that Lookshy is forewarned. At the end of the twenty-eight days the deal will either be renegotiated in some way or the Censor shall level Lookshy.

It's the best deal she can manage, and Colonel Aro and She of the Jellies shake on it.

Worst. Big Annual. Evar. Tarla spends the return voyage mainly arguing with Col. Aro and the other diplomats about whether it would be possible to prevent the violent destruction of Lookshy before the end of the month grace period.

Once back in Lookshy, it's plain the city still suffers the effects of Hezrial's plague. The harbor is a big lump of gel, and a thin coating of the gel covers every surface. Lookshy citizens have busied themselves by shoveling the gel into piles and clearing walkways, not unlike after a snowstorm. Every two days clouds form and deposit a fresh layer of the gel. Fortunately the Oobleck, I mean, gel, isn't flammable or slick.

(Yes. Exalted and Doctor Seuss. Boo-yah!)

As the Rising Gull docks at a hastily-erected temporary harbor it's met by the Director-General's staff, who collect the diplomats and turn over to Tarla her big baskets of jade fee and also a series of messages for her.

Zumi Narikan, the only dedicated capital-crimes detective in the Lookshy military police, would like to speak to her, when the opportunity arises. Oko Iemitos appears to have hired a scribe to convey with a maximum degree of formality "I received word you wanted to speak to me, and I have no idea why. Should we meet?" Someone named Sto Pagio -- a Halsantan name -- who maybe is a scribe, judging from his letter -- this Sto Pagio wants to talk to her about astrology, the sun, various heavenly bodies, et cetera... if she's interested. Someone else named Rising Tome claims to have information regarding the still-missing Supportive Tiger, and is willing to spill.

Tarla has several hours to kill before going before the Lookshy senior staff and talking them into helping her save a bunch of coral reefs, so she decides to follow up on this "Rising Tome." Clearly his parents hoped he would become a scholar.

Rising Tome named a tradehouse, Worldly Wagon's, located on the far side of Lookshy, not far from the Guild liason offices. Tarla heads over, and takes her uncle Penorn along, in case.

Worldly Wagon's Tradehouse does not look open. It's midday, and while trade in Lookshy has suffered considerably, other tradehouses nearby are trafficked. Tarla tries to look in the windows from a distance (prompting a brief argument between Emily and myself as to whether it's possible to see into a darkened building from a distance during the day) but spies nothing, so she goes in the unlocked front door.

The front room of the tradehouse is deserted. Behind the counter, an ajar door leads into a kitchen, from which the sound of boiling water can be heard. Tarla spins on her heel and walks back out of the tradehouse, surprising Penorn. Instead she circles around to the back, the stables, where she finds four Marukani swift horses, packed up with saddlebags all ready to go, and the back entrance to the tradehouse.

She knocks on the back door. After a few seconds, a vaguely familiar voice on the other side: "Tarla? Come in!"

So she opens the door, and sees four men in the costume of Immaculate monks. One has a sword, the others are barehanded. They advance on her in a hostile fashion. Well, three do. The other one, the familar-looking one with the sword, instead runs the other way, probably to go out the front door and circle round.

Tarla backs out of the doorway such that they have to come at her one at a time, drops into Snake Form, and proceeds to beat the everloving shit out of them. Granted, they're quasi-extras with only one health level apiece, but still. It's brutal. They end up stacked like cordwood in the kitchen, each landing on top of the other.

Penorn, meanwhile, draws a knife Tarla didn't know he had and looks about in an alert fashion, guarding her back. Unfortunately for him, the armed monk rounds the corner and attacks during the same round Tarla is taking out the final monk; she is otherwise occupied and unable to protect him.

Tripartite Seer, the armed monk, attacks Penorn, who fails to parry, and cuts his chest open. Penorn collapses, spurting blood, and Tarla's Limit Break goes up for the first time (she's a mother hen protective type).

Tarla and Tripartite Seer duel. Tarla is overwhelmingly lucky as, during Tripartite Seer's first parry action, he botches and I rule she kicks the sword out of his hands. They fight open-handed for a bit, until Tarla pummels him into a concussion using her feet.

Tarla instantly runs to Penorn's corpse, wailing, and then she realizes he isn't dead yet. She manages to staunch the bleeding and runs to a nearby military hospital, where she collects some soldiers and some paramedics and gets Penorn taken care of. If you're going to get cut open, Lookshy is a good place for it to happen. Although Penorn is going to be off his feet for a minimum of six weeks, maybe twice that long.

Tarla's one-dot familiar, an albatross, flies up at this point and tells Tarla it sensed danger.

The soldiers and paramedics, meanwhile, contact Detective Lt. Narikan, who arrives on the scene and expresses a total lack of surprise that Tarla was involved, given her recent thug-attack, Supportive-Tiger-knowing history. Tarla fills him in on what happened, and realizes as she does so that the armed monk was the same man who drunkenly told her to go to Paragon the night her box was stolen. Narikan expresses amazement that she was able to defeat four burly men alone, and remarks on her ship not being destroyed by Heziral like all the rest.

She tells Narikan all about the box-theft, and as his men collect the unconscious monks for questioning he asks to see this box and this note and so forth. She escorts him back to her ship, and turns the cardboard box the puzzle box came in, and the note, and so on, over to him. He promises he'll be in touch. This is the most work he's had in months, if not years.

All her crew are concerned about Penorn, and worried about what future dangers being associated with someone who can burn with holy atomic fire might bring.

("It's holy fire. Holy is good," she says.)

Seeing as how she's marked two messages off her list, she decides to attempt to contact Oko Iemitos again. Which reminds me, I forgot the scene last session wherein Tarla headed to the Lookshy military compound and found out that Oko was on a routine patrol to the north of the city and would not be back for several days. Anyway, she takes the proreus along and visits Lt. Oko at the archery range. Oko is instructing some newly-joined recruits, but hands off to an assistant when she sees Tarla. Oko speaks with the politeness of a young officer thoroughly cowed and afraid of someone affiliated with the very highest levels of the Lookshy hierarchy, and expresses very courteously that she sent no box and knows nothing about any such box. Tarla realizes Oko is a dead end, and leaves, shaking her head. One message to go, then time to meet the Director-General. Tarla is wondering if the four monks she fought were Wyld Hunt. To the best of her knowledge, though, Wyld Hunt generally equals dozens of highly-skilled Dragon-Blooded-lead troops, not small number of easily-vanquished foes.

Tarla does not realize that she arrived in Lookshy at the tail end of a struggle between Gold and Bronze faction Sidereals, both groups even now working fiercely to move agents into place to collect her. Sto Pagio is one of them.