MargardKazuki/SessionEight
In the summer month of Resplendant Fire, Kira takes her classmates to the Blessed Isles to watch the Tournament of the Scarlet Grace.
While there, the class notices that politics influence the games as much as talent. They begin to learn that there's a lot more to the contest than what they were previously taught. Of the senior members of the Colleges of the Fivefold Path, only Chead and Unrepentant Jade attend the tournament. Both make it through to the personal combat elimination rounds, but Unrepentant Jade is defeated and cannot advance to the Team competition. Chead goes into the Team competition solo, and he is knocked out by the members of the Heptogram.
In some of the down time, Kira invites Mizugami along to some of the functions that she is called to attend.
Kazuki shops for his friends -- the bazaars and merchant district of the Blessed Isle is a novel experience for him, and if it weren't for Kira and Mizugami assisting him, he would have been cheated out of a great deal of money. His status as a member of the Margard family is not looked upon highly and he is not afforded the same luxuries as he is given in Cherak.
Ranka also comes along when Kira takes the group to her favorite corner bookstore, with rare and antiquated books that can't be found anywhere else. Ranka learns the names of the proprietor to use as a resource when researching books.
Jahanna asks Mizugami to get in touch with and introduce her to a member of the a Cathak family to try to find a way to get into their family.
Mizugami takes the group up North into the Haslanti League, where he intends to establish further connections with the powers that be. Kira goes along to learn more about the Game, while Kazuki tags along since there's nothing better to do. Judas, Jahanna and Reflections of Chaos also accompany the group.
The Haslanti League is what happens when barbarians become merchants. Unlike Cherak, where there's a constant low hum of impending doom, the Haslanti League doesn't really have such worries. For a region that has a tiny ratio of Dragonblooded, it seems to be safe and well-maintained by its small, merchant oligarchy.
Reflections introduces the group to her family. It's in the middle of the hunting season, so they to on a journey to hunt down some mammoths. Kira finds a herd, allowing Mizugami, Kazuki, and Reflections each take one down on their own.
Mizugami finds a sailor who is free from the influence of politics to help with his personal mission.
Kazuki goes and buys some Haslanti League reinforced buff jackets for his friends.
Kira goes about collecting stories and information on the shadowlands. Within the boundaries of the Haslanti league, by and large there aren't many shadowlands problems. However, the city of shield, the military-centric city of the League, is also the Easternmost city, and they primarily fight two things: Icewalker Barbarians (Teareaters) and the Fortress of Crimson Ice, the home of the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears.
During the week of Calibration, the students go to take care of the spirits at Fort Altweld. Tagging along are Moro, Reflections, and Elin. Kazuki also brings the Idiots along, who stay behind at Sexton with other henchmen and servants to look after the group's belongings as they go to the fort on foot.
Fort Altweld is a ruined, crumbling building. Whatever happened here happened in a big way. Supernatural influences have made the building is bringing the underworld closer, but it is not affected as badly as Dunleavy Hall.
Ranka casts a detect spell to look for ghosts and senses four spirits within the underground corridors. The group comes across a spirit in the quartermaster's room first, where Moro sees the spirit of a half-woman painting a landscape on a ghostly canvas.
Mizugami flares his anima to try to get the spirit's attention, while Kazuki digs through the ruins to find a surface that he can begin painting on. He uses a piece of cloth torn from his pants and some rust to draw a rough approximation of the picture that the spirit is painting, and in response to Mizugami's question as to what bound her here, she takes up the rust-covered cloth to draw a picture of a chain-wrapped box.
As the group investigated further, they find the half-finished painting buried in the rubble and a dried paint set. When they set up the canvas and rehydrate the paints, she manifests and continues painting.
Ranka wants to be present when the picture is completed, but it would take upwards of an hour to finish, so the group continues to look for the next spirit, and plan to return before the hour is over.
The next spirit is in what looks to be a war room, with a battle map on a table covered in miniatures and implements to move them over the board. At the end of the table is a steel and stone chair with two recesses for hands at the chair's arms, and a cap that would fit over the seated person's head. The spirit is infused within the chair and Judas recognizes it as a First Age artifact used to oversee fields of battle through the bound spirit's eyes. The group decides to leave it be and to notify the Dragonlord of it to send troops out to excavate it later.
The group moves on to the next spirit -- the weakest of the spirits in the area -- and finds it buried deep with in a collapsed tunnel. Ranka could summon an earth elemental, but it would take hours to complete the ritual.
The group decides to go back to see the progress of the painter, and after 20 minutes, she finishes with a sigh. She thanks the group and asks that she be remembered, but she cannot remember her name. Kazuki asks to lay claim to the painting at the end, since he knows someone who might be able to identify the painter.
The group also asks the ghost if she can lead them to the other spirits, and they learn that Baron Koeld and Baron Koeld's "bravery" are what's left in the complex. The weak spirit is this bravery, sealed and locked in a box. The ghost leads them to the box, and as they walk back the ghost fades as her spirit is released.
The group moves to confront Baron Koeld. They find him in a dark reflection of the war room, where he rises from a shadowy counterpart of the First Age commander's chair. With the box in hand, Mizugami raises a challenge to the ghost -- to everyone's confusion and surprise -- and combat commences.
The Baron's form inflates menacingly, and Kazuki quickly reacts by charging to attack but cannot penetrate the Baron's defenses. Mizugami slashes the box apart, and to Ranka and Moro's eyes, nearly destroys the spirit of Bravery. Reflections of Chaos also attempts to attack, ineffectually.
The Baron psychokinetically throws the table at the group, striking Mizugami, Elin, and Kira, wounding the two girls.
Jahanna goes to where she believes the spirit to be and with Moro's help, grabs hold of the spirit of Bravery and attempts to ram it into the Baron. Using Jahanna's cue Ranka tells the Baron that it's okay to to be brave again, that he can reach out and take hold of it. The Baron hesitates.
Elin and Kira have the time to recover while Judas takes a defensive stance to intercept the next attack. Kazuki, Mizugami and Reflections also hold to see what happens next. Kira takes a more tactical position up on the wall.
Ranka calmly approaches the Baron and implores him to let her help as she lifts the spirit of Bravery up into his chest.
As the two spirits merge, the Baron cries out, "Freedom!" and then the realization and horror strikes him. He moans, "Oh gods, what have I done?" and just at that time, Ranka detects dozens or hundreds of spirits suddenly appear in the vicinity. Ranka shouts at everyone to leave the room.
As the group begins to vacate the room, the spirits begin attacking the Baron and he is dragged down into the depths of.. the floor.
As the group leaves the fort, Kazuki claims the painting and the painting kit to bring back with him.
When the group returns to Cherak, Mizugami goes to inform the Dragonlord Avaku of their findings, and Winglord Maladus is sent to investigate.
Judas, as The Wind, goes to pay Ferem Havelock a visit to find out more about the Baron. Kazuki tags along. She tells them the story of Baron Koeld, of his duty to guard the pass, and of what happened to him and his men. One fateful day, an army of undead had marched on the fort. Spirits infiltrated the fort and whispered insidious messages to those within, including the Baron. They promised that the Baron would be spared if he would surrender his fort. Sure enough he was the only one spared as the fort's defenses were lowered and the zombie armies took over.
Havelock was a member of the Legion who went in to investigate the invasion and discovered that the gates of the fort were thrown open for the undead to march. The Cheraki legion won the battle against the undead army, but it was a bloody fight. It was Havelock who tore his spirit from him and left him in agony for all these decades for punishment. If he were able to find his bravery on his own, he would have been released back into the celestial order. He still had about 20 years before Havelock returned to finish him off.
Havelock also gives Judas an update on the Ravaged that he had been rescuing. It takes Havelock about a month to rebuild one person's emotions and dreams. He offers any of them that need it a job working for him, and Kazuki's home is currently left unused.
After Calibration, there is still another month before the new year begins.
Judas fights the Verdant Fist and discovers a new Glorious Serpent.
Mizugami has established a charity theater.
Kira goes out on survival training on her own. She also goes out in search of more knowledge on the occult and the Shadowlands and Sagacious Garnet recommends she speaks to a sorceror.
Kazuki uses the Snow Goon machine to train the Idiots.
As the start of the school year approaches, Danic asks the students again whether their classes are in the direction they want. Judas wants to rotate Bureaucracy out and Occult in. Ranka is wanting to continue with her occult and magic studies. Kira wants to be able to study First Age artifacts as part of her studies and gets study time with Cathas Maladus. Jahanna wants to become a great leader -- a general of the legion. Danic asks Jahanna what she thinks Kazuki should do for his lessons.
Jahanna decides that Kazuki's time would be wasted on learning politics and such, and believes that building up his general knowledge would be the best for him, in addition to giving him advanced physical education curriculae. Danic doesn't want anyone under her to take remedial classes, so puts him in a special curriculum under Rector Kasif, studying with Reflections of Chaos. His other classes are going to be a handful of advanced courses with Mizugami in his class, and plenty of physical education courses with the mortal students. Kazuki has no choice.
Rector Cynis comes to the class' table and reveals that he has adopted a daughter and asks the class to be nice to her and become friends as she is coming in as part of the incoming freshman class.
On the day that the Freshman class arrives, Kazuki and Kira conspire to send the new class to Snow Goons, and discuss their plans with Danic. She seems open to the idea.
Mizugami plans the welcoming party. Jahanna is there but not necessarily enjoying it. Kazuki is there to help with the party atmosphere. Kira is there, but reading a book under the tree. Ranka is out there to help with the welcoming. Judas is there in full 7th Legion regalia to greet (and intimidate) the newcomers.
The first arrival is a provincial lad from an outlying village is Ferem Esley. He is carrying what appears to be a well-kept battle axe, what is probably an heirloom based on its appearance. He aspires to be an First Age artifact engineer and seems to take a liking to Kira.
The second student to arrive is, for all intents and purposes, is an Icewalker named Kuk, from Gethamane. He is otherwise uncooperative and doesn't volunteer any other information.
The third to arrive, at about lunchtime, comes on a carriage with a full retinue. The girl who steps out is wearing an expensive reinforced buff jacket that would fit in well in the Blessed Isle, covered in a military jacket with epaulets and five medals, and a floppy, wide-brimmed, red-and-white striped hat. She is totally excited and happy to meet everyone. She is intimidated by Judas. She is a sorceress-in-training. She is... Cynis Soosilus, a Wood Aspect. In her introduction, she reveals that on the day she Exalted, she awoke to discover that she had awakened the spirit of her jacket.
Number four arrives mid-afternoon wearing a local-make reinforced buff jacket, carrying a grand daiklaive on her back. She is accompanied with a pair of servants carrying her things, and comes on a small group. She immediately bypasses the welcoming party and goes straight to Judas, recognizing him as "the one to beat." She challenges him to a match. The fight lasts almost a dozen rounds, but Margard Mier comes out victorious. However, she is impressed by Judas' resilience to damage.
It is nightfall when the final student, Ragara Fallows, arrives with a pair of servants. He is cordial, but Mizugami notices that he is not happy to be at here. He introduces himself to his rector then retires to his room.
