Porcelain Child/SessionFourtyOne

[10:11] <onine> The view of the city from the Tepet balcony is truly impressive during the day, the clearing sky casts the marvelous buildings in a different light to the glittery blood red sunset of the previous evening. Today the city seems.. pure, noble and great. From the view of a dragonblood you are on top of the world. These are the things that commoners never see. [10:11] <Beri> I hunger! And manage to sort out my existence enough to type! [10:11] <Beri> (Sorry.) [10:11] <onine> (yes, you will be.) [10:13] <onine> Small nectar-feeding birds float like feathered bees around the garden-balcony delving into the gaping maws of the tropical flowers that even at a wagons-length away you are still able to detect the bitter-sweet boquet of. Awnings around the table shield you from the morning sun and cover the table that now is becoming laden with food. [10:15] <onine> The servants pile a modest morning feast on the table, however the fare Lord Mistral seems to have selected is simple as opposed to 'dynast'. [10:15] <onine> A nectar-bird buzzes over the table, but swiftly leaves when it finds the rice, stews and simple-roasted meats far from tantalising. [10:16] <onine> You are spaced evenly around the table in comfortable, padded chairs, each with a small side table to rest a goblet or plate on - the only liquid available is water. It seems almost a strange combination, lavish surroundings. Simple food. [10:17] * Yengo isn't so sorry to see it, considering the dinner with Farion. And what a success Nishimo had turned out to be... [10:18] <onine> "I thought I would spare you the grand undertaking that is the typical dynastic 'brunch'" Mistral smiles, sipping some water. "Besides, I still find the Realm's food far too rich for my traveller's tastes." [10:19] * Magpie digs right in. She ignores offered utensils, and shovels mouth into her food with her fingers, explaining to Mistral around a mouthful of food, "this is faster." She discovers an excellent mix of flavors when she dips pork into the beef stew. She offers it to Tara, mumbling "Ish goood." [10:20] <Yengo> "Yes, um, I've had enough experience with it to agree." He tries studiously to avoid making eye contact with Magpie's devouring, picking away steadily. "Just how long and how far have you been traveling?" [10:22] * Magpie has her priorities straight. Proper nutrition, �then� conversation. She slips the pork onto Tara's plate, and embarks on rice-consumption. [10:22] <onine> (Epheri is there too) [10:23] * Epheri selects a variety of items from the selection before her, a little disappointed it wasn't a proper brunch, but ... they'd had far worse food on her travels. She samples a little "Too long it seems sometimes ... when did we set off again?" she frowns softly as she thinks [10:24] <onine> "May I ask you some questions on the Magistracy?" Mistral asks. "I am on something of a learning adventure here, and the rare Magistracy is something I have been unable to study. You are the first evidence of the wandering Lawmen I have had chance to uncover here." [10:25] * Yengo pokes his fork at his plate. Even rarer, these days. He grunts. "Ask away." [10:29] * Epheri nods, and eats a little more of the food. [10:30] *** Anona has quit IRC (Ping timeout�) [10:30] <onine> "I have read that the Magistrates were once well received in just about any town or city in the Magistracy's day, and yet they traveled without the need for money despite their obviously impressive expenses. However did they survive, let alone provide money for bribes and such?" [10:31] * Magpie offers an incomprehensible comment, swallows, and tries again: "They're �Magistrates�!" [10:32] *** Aliasi-reallyAFK has joined #oninegame [10:32] *** Aliasi-reallyAFK is now known as Anona [10:32] <onine> "Why thank you, young Magpie." He smiles and winks in the other archons' direction. "I am in your debt for clearing so many questions from my mind." [10:34] * Magpie nods seriously. She begins ripping apart a chick breast with her fingers. She raises a sliver of meat to give to Crow- and then remembers he's following Anona, and shoves it in her mouth instead. [10:34] <Yengo> "They wouldn't have needed bribes, the threat of the Empress was enough." He looks over at Epheri as if to excuse such a blunt statement, but it's true. [10:35] <onine> Mistral shrugs. "Effective, however." [10:37] * Yengo grunts in noncommital assent. "Magpie, don't eat like-" He sighs and gives it up. [10:37] <Epheri> "What bribes they did need, the Empress would provide. They were her police." Epheri shrugs. "The Empress wished for them, and so they were." [10:40] <Magpie> "Really?" Magpie looks up from her vulture-like descendment upon the food. "The Empress had magic wishes? Is that how she got the Imperial Manse? By wishing? Did a god give them to her? An �Anathema?"� Her eyes seem fit to pop out of her skull. [10:40] <onine> "Not quite young one." Mistral answers. [10:42] <Yengo> "Close enough. It's hard for me to imagine anyone telling the Empress no." [10:42] <Magpie> "Oh," Magpie replies broodingly. "A �metaphor�." It is clearly not a word she loves. She returns disconsolately to the rice. [10:44] <onine> "The Empress relied on her will alone to rule the land and ensure its stability." Mistral answers scratches his chin and returns to the original subject.. "How many archons was normal for a Magistrate?" [10:46] * Epheri thinks back to her childhood, before the disapperance "Three or four, I think.." [10:49] <onine> "No dragonbloods however." [10:50] <Yengo> "No, just us convenient mortals." He stabs at his plate. [10:50] <Magpie> "Anona and Epheri are in trouble because they burned down a city," Magpie expains, licking her fingers. She burps. [10:51] * Epheri makes a gesture that suggests while she might have been there, none of the burning was her fault. [10:51] <onine> Mistral watches Yengo's reaction with some strange fascination, and his eyes betray sympathy? Or agreement. [10:52] <onine> "How sad..." He murmer's quietly. [10:54] <Yengo> "I guess your punishment is over now," Yengo says. He finishes off his food and leans back. [11:01] <Magpie> "So...." Magpie says in a high, piping voice: a sure prelude to interrogation. "How did you meet Juno?" [11:02] * Epheri picks at her food a little more. "I'm not home yet." she says softly. I'm not sure I want to be, yet. She adds to herself. [11:03] <onine> "That is something of a dull tale." Mistral admits if a little unhappy that he cannot make it exciting. [11:04] <Magpie> "You're old friends from school?" [11:06] <onine> Mistral pauses, then laughs loudly with genuine amusement. [11:06] <onine> "Hardly, I was raised in the far East, and Juno is much older than me by many centuries!" [11:07] <Magpie> "Oh." She stews on that for a moment. "I just couldn't think of anything more boring," Magpie explains. "How then?" [11:09] <onine> "A Cynis party." He shrugs. "One of their more sedate gatherings of course, I was allowed entry through a certain contact." [11:09] * Yengo nods at Epheri's remark. She wasn't, and that counted for something... he just wasn't sure what it meant yet. "Ah." [11:11] <Magpie> "A Cynis party?" Magpie is intrigued. "Were there goats there? Red Sal always said she needed to buy extra goats for Cynis parties-" [11:11] <Yengo> "Magpie- uh-" [11:11] <Magpie> "What?" [11:12] <onine> "No, no, this one was startlingly farm-stock free." Mistral smiles. "Besides, in my travels I have become somewhat celibate. After all, a tryst in one nation may be harmless, one in another can mean an execution on no uncertain terms. It is better to be safe than extremely sorry for your pride and carnal desires." [11:13] <Magpie> "Oh. So then what happened?" [11:15] <onine> "We had common interests." [11:16] <Magpie> "In magic swords?" [11:18] <onine> "To put it very simply, yes. Very simply. It was also a relationship of politics and philosophy." [11:20] <Magpie> "Oh." Magpie glances at Yengo. [11:20] <onine> Mistral feeds some rice to his strange monkey, Yu-yu, looking like a respectable, male, grown up Magpie. He winks at Magpie. "Your friend is late." [11:21] <Magpie> "Crow's looking after her," Magpie replies complacently. [11:22] <Magpie> There's a dizzying shift of vision, and Magpie sees: [11:23] * Yengo shrugs in response to Magpie's querying glance and tries not to think too hard about what Crow might be doing. "So you agree with Juno's... ah... drive for unity? Why? What's in it for you, aside from the pay?" [11:24] <onine> As the conversation rages on, talk of a different matter goes on elsewhere in Juno's mansion... [11:30] <onine> Lady Aria leads Anona by the arm through the dizzying and elaborate corridors of the mansion. Her sashes and fabric wraps trail behind her as she walks, and the scent of sweet musky flowers mixed with the ocean hangs around you, maddeningly taking up the clear air. [11:31] <onine> It's not an unpleasant smell by any terms, its just not 'good' to be sucking up the scent of an essence *cough* dragonblooded sorceress of immaculate breeding in her home as she leads you to her dark lair to do dragons-knows-what to you... [11:32] <Anona> "So... where are we going, again?" [11:36] <onine> "Somewhere." Aria answers with completely unhid answer dodging. "I am told that you summoned a erymanthus within your first five months of study at the heptagram! How spectacular! Granted I heard the fire damage and the stains from the subsequent slaying of the beast was truly amazing to behold." [11:37] <Anona> "Well..." Anona is a little put off, but on the other hand... she can't ever resist a chance to brag. "It WAS pretty neat. Lots of burning." [11:39] <onine> "Yes, that was when they first diagnosed that strange little essence quirk of yours. I'd never heard of it, it has always been a strange myth apparently." [11:41] <Anona> "I think of it as being especially blessed." [11:42] <onine> "How tremendously damaging that is..." She stops and steps in front of you, bushing a lock of scarlet hair back. "I wish to study it, so fascinating you are..." [11:44] <Magpie> Crow lands gingerly on an overly-ornamented, and cocks his head in interest. [11:46] <Anona> "Um... I don't know what's to study about it... I mean, all of the Dragon-Blooded flare up in their aspect. I just do it... more." [11:46] <onine> Aria pauses and without warning changes the subject. "What would you like to eat?" [11:48] <Anona> "oh... whatever you would be having. I am your guest." [11:51] <onine> "Hee..." She seems to laugh like a child, but her amber eyes bore uncomfortably into you. Without warning she siezes your arm in hers and takes you along again. "What spells are you now versed in, many I hope?" [11:53] <Anona> "Oh, a few. Haven't really gotten the chance to work on summoning, so I've been working on expanding my knowledge. the Sprouting Shackles of Doom...the Ritual of Elemental Empowerment... the Flight of the Brilliant Raptor..." Anona pauses. "It makes a BIG flame." [11:57] <onine> "Indeed, though such simple book spells. I expected more." Aria opens a chamber door and just about throws you into the darkened room beyond. [11:59] <Anona> "One hardly has time for extended research on the road." [12:03] <onine> The chamber is lit only by red and purple lanterns with varied symbols painted onto their paper surfaces. Feathers, talismans and other tassle-y things hang beneath them. The floor is lined by tables and chairs with all manner of aparatus upon them, and the walls are surrounded by book-shelves. The Ledaal habit of collecting information is truly apparent. [12:04] <Anona> (Fairly impressive, then.) [12:05] <onine> There is a spiralling ramp that stretches up somewhere close to four stories, with various balconies and platforms above you. The rare windows are coloured and filter strange shifting light onto the wooden walls. Unlike the rest of the home, wood plays a strong part in the chamber. [12:08] <onine> "Now I will expect that you shall keep your power to yourself untill I have chance to enchant my aerie against flames..." [12:10] <Anona> "Oh... of course." [12:14] <onine> She leads you up the spiraling ramp, around and around the varied platforms and levels before you reach the apex of the chamber, a towering spire above the city. A roof covers the wide circular floor, paterned with the glyphs of a summoning circle. Filmy curtains blow in the wind around you. [12:15] <onine> With a simple clap of her hands the curtains part all around you, allowing the late morning light to stream in. [12:17] <Anona> "Hm. Nice place." [12:19] <onine> You find that you are not alone. Behind you in the darkened west side of the aerie, a strange creature rests, watching you curiously. Its skin is a mottled black grey, with the upper half of a strangely distorted man, and the long finned tail of a sea eel. Its face has no lips, and it seems to be wearing an 'executioners' hood beneath which three glowing green eyes watch you curiously. A [12:19] <onine> funny blackness seems to emenate from its body. [12:19] <onine> Its long tail wraps around the support pillar, and it seems to hide partly from you, like a child sheilding itself behind its mother's leg. [12:20] <onine> It is a little smaller than a man however, around Magpie's general height from tail to nose. [12:21] <onine> "It is." Aria says. "..a nice place." [12:22] <Anona> "So..." [12:25] <onine> Aria turns to the strange creature and issues a strange series of clicks, hoots and grunts. The black thing responds in kind and swiftly flies past and disappears down into the interior of the tower. It returns quickly and hangs a lantern in the center of the roof. [12:26] <onine> Aria moves to the center of the circle while the creature hangs the lantern and begins to unravel her head-scarves and jewelery, placing them in the air before her, air which rapidly forms into a glass table. She sits down and likewise a glass stool forms beneath her. [12:28] <onine> She issues more strange orders to the creature, and it complies, fading from sight with a puff of air. She finishes removing the scarves and shakes her head, allowing a cascade of alabaster hair to fall down over her shoulders. "Wont you sit Anona?" [12:30] <Anona> "Um.. okay." [12:30] <onine> There are no other chairs, but you dont expect to be dumped unceremoniously on your exalted can just for kicks. [12:30] * Anona tries sitting on air. [12:30] <onine> A glass stool forms beneath you, with no small measure of relief, supporting your modest weight. [12:31] <onine> "Something to drink?" [12:35] <Anona> "Yes, please." [12:38] <onine> Almost as you say it, a remarkably 'civil' looking blood ape climbs over the edge of the building, scales one of the pillars and crawls across the ceiling above you. Odd, they cant usually do that... Anyway. It stops in the center and hangs upside down by its feet which seem to just be 'stuck' to the ceiling as if it is normal ground. [12:39] <onine> It lightly places two crystal glasses on the table and pours out a measure of sweet smelling nectar from a fancy glass pitcher. [12:40] <onine> It leaves the pitcher on the table and just as quickly it is gone, disappearing upwards to sit on the roof and do what bored blood apes do. You can almost imagine this guy tending a party with a vest and tray. [12:43] * Anona takes a test sip, paying attention for signs of poison or drugs or, well, anything. [12:43] <onine> It sure is nice. [12:44] <onine> (gonna gloss over if thats cool?) [12:45] <Anona> (feel free!) [12:47] <onine> (you can talk to her a bit if you had something specific? I'd just like to get the ball rolling.) [12:48] <onine> Over the next who knows how long Aria engages you in banter about sorcery, charms, study, and other delightful topics. You find that she's quite entrapping to speak to, however you manage to keep your wits about you as she frequently holds your hands in hers or gives you strange glances that snap you back. [12:49] <Anona> (To tell the truth, I'd say Anona is still a bit bewildered by it all.) [12:50] <onine> During the discussion you feel that she is REALLY freakin powerful. The only people you've felt more from are the Sidereal instructors at the Academy, and you only got that feeling because one of the Instructors there was a bit more open than most. [12:50] <onine> And thats only a bit. [12:53] <onine> Some time into the conversation you find that her voice seems to grow further away and you begin to feel slightly dizzy and your perceptions seem to change a little. Colours bleed and the blowing curtains seem to warp. You think you see Aria's mouth shape the words 'are you okay?' [12:54] <Anona> From far away, Anona answers... "no..." [12:55] <onine> Aria stands quickly, you think. Your head could have just slumped. Things start to grow very strange, and you vaguely get the sense that you are being carried into darkness. Then your vision fades into a view of the underside of the spiralling ramp from the floor of the lowest floor of the tower. [12:56] <onine> "...Anona.... Anona?" A woman's voice calls. You feel a damp cloth being dabbed on your forhead. Sound grows louder and you see two shapes standing over you. Aria, and a rather blood-ape ish man. No its a blood ape. [12:56] <onine> "Can you speak? Anona?" [12:57] <Anona> "Hrph? Mh.." [12:58] <onine> She leans uncomfortably close. "Speak to me, please." [12:59] <Anona> "Yeah?" [12:59] <onine> "Thank the Dragons. What happened?" [13:01] <Anona> "I have no idea. I felt... strange... and passed out, I think." [13:04] <onine> There are three options in your mind, the drink could have done it, Aria may have used the Entombed Mind charm on you, though the general situation seems unlikely, [13:04] <onine> The third option is a natural pass out, which is strange. [13:04] <onine> "Get her some water." She orders the blood ape. [13:05] <onine> "One minute you were talking to me, the next you were just staring." Aria returns her attention to you. "Are you able to sit up yet?" [13:06] * Anona experiments with that very idea. [13:06] <onine> You're...fine. Its worn off almost completely and you feel your strength returning fast. [13:07] <Anona> "I seem to be okay again." [13:08] <onine> "I am relieved." Aria sighs contently. "Perhaps we had best conclude for the day so that you may get some rest." The blood ape returns with water. [13:09] <Anona> "Perhaps so. This staring spell... that was it? like a trance?" [13:10] <onine> "No... you just lost focus on everything. It was truly odd." [13:11] * Anona thinks. did she recall her parents ever acting like that...? [13:15] <onine> Unfortunately, you did not see them much, however Tepet Luen sometimes had spells where he seemed to be on a different plane of existance for minutes at a time. [13:16] <Anona> "Well... perhaps I'm simply light-headed from travel. Or a side-effect of our last battle." [13:17] <onine> "I'll escort you to your room." She helps you up. [13:18] <Anona> "Yes, yes.." Anona accepts the help and gets to her feet, a little unsteadily. [13:19] <onine> Meanwhile on the other end of the Tepet Mansion, Magpie watches... [13:20] <onine> ...crow flaps up and perches himself on the edge of the tower, watching the two dragonbloods drink and chat. [13:21] <onine> Looks like Aria wants to kiss Anona, thats what grown ups did when they held hands like that. Least Anona wasn't gonna get kissed by a boy, boys are gross... [13:23] <onine> Anona seems to be gettin all funny and swaying. Looking around. Swooning perhaps. Lady Aria stands and then a black shape appears in front of crow, a black face with lipless bared teeth and three glowing green eyes. Then the view changes to the rest of the city, approaching fast as crow flees. He turns back once to look at the tower, but seems to decide that it wasn't worth his while. [13:23] <onine> Then Magpie's vision returns as Crow high-tails it out of range. [13:24] <Magpie> "I think Anona's drunk," Magpie reports. [13:25] <onine> Well said... [13:25] * Yengo looks over at her and smiles. "Likely enough, I guess." [13:26] <Magpie> She leans forward, and adds in an excited whisper, "And there's a �demon�! It has three eyes." [13:26] <Magpie> It occurs to her, looking at Mistral feeding Yu-yu, that there are lots of extra eyes in this manse. [13:26] <onine> "Lythamene." Mistral answers simply without any distress showing. [13:27] * Epheri rolls her eyes at the mention of drunkeness. Lythamene ... hmm ... [13:27] <Magpie> "Lythamene? Is that a...a name?" [13:27] * Yengo stiffens slightly, hoping that's merely hyperbole, but Mistral's response suggests otherwise. "Ah... I... see." Shouldn't have come as a surprise that there are demons wandering about here. [13:28] <Magpie> It occurs to Magpie to be concerned. A trifle anxiously, she asks, "It wouldn't �hurt� Anona, would it? I mean, if she's drunk, maybe she'd have trouble aiming her fire..." [13:28] <onine> "A type." Mistral elaborates. "Fairly rare and difficult to summon. They dislike being pulled away from their regular duties." [13:29] <onine> "Goodness no, Lythamene are harmless." He replies. "One of the few demons with little in the way of volatile nature." [13:30] <Magpie> "It has teeth like this, though!" Magpie pulls her lips back in approximation. [13:31] <Yengo> "Are you sure? I mean... it is a demon..." He frowns characteristically. [13:32] <onine> "Positive." Mistral says as if it is elementary. "Lady Aria is a sorceress of impressive power, she will not allow any harm to come to Tepet Anona." [13:34] <Magpie> "Maybe we should go get her anyway. I mean, if Anona's drunk, she might get embarassed and puke everywhere, and then burn everything down." [13:35] * Yengo nods, pushing away his empty plate a little nervously. "If you say so... but Magpie might be right..." in spirit, at least. [13:37] <onine> "If you insist." Mistral stands, not reacting positively or negatively to your desire. [13:37] * Yengo rises, pushing in his chair. Accomodating, this one, but you had to watch them too. [13:39] <Magpie> As Magpie hops up from her seat, Crow swoops in. He lands on the table, nibbling at a chicken leg, but at Magpie's loud admonitions, he returns reluctantly to the air, flapping ahead of them. [13:39] <Magpie> "Crow will show us the way," Magpie informs Yengo, eyes shining. This was a chance to �explore�. [13:40] * Yengo takes Tara by the elbow to lead her after... she was even more quiet than usual... maybe all the rich atmosphere. "Well... let's go then." [13:40] <Magpie> "We just have to make sure he doesn't get eaten by Lya..Lytha...by demons." She runs after the bird, shoving a handful of sliced meat into her pocket as she gallops past the table. [13:40] <onine> You are led on something of a merry chase through the home, corridors and rooms fly by with plenty to see, do and break, but all are left behind for the one consuming motive - find Anona. [13:42] <onine> Only to discover that she is FINE! [13:42] <Anona> (and unharmed, too) [13:43] <onine> Lady Aria escorts her by the arm down the corridor towards you, and by all signs she's in perfect health apart from growing a high-essence air-aspected attatchment to her left arm. [13:43] <Magpie> "You don't �look� drunk," Magpie notes, stupefied, as she stumbles to a halt. [13:44] <Anona> "I wasn't drunk. I was... I'm not sure what. Not drunk." [13:45] * Yengo furrows his brown. She looks fine enough, but- "Are you all right?" [13:45] <Anona> "I think so.." [13:47] <Yengo> "If you're sure. If you need-" He stops, realizing it might not be a good idea to talk about this in front of Aria and Mistral. "Well... good." He finishes lamely. [13:48] <Magpie> "But you were swaying and everything," Magpie says, choosing to pursue the issue. Her deep black eyes are blacker than usual. "Tara, that's bad, right? Swaying? I don't think it's good." [13:49] <onine> Tara still hasn't said a word. [13:51] <Anona> "I feel fine NOW, Magpie." [13:52] * Magpie frowns skeptically. It strikes her that Tara still hadn't answered her question. "Tara?" Magpie whirls to look at her. The woman was silent. Still. "Tara, ..." Her voice trails off. Magpie frowns, caught betwen two tugging anxieties. Tara was quiet, but not this quiet. Had someone put a spell on her? Magpie pulls on Yengo's sleeve, eyes wide and nervous . [13:53] <onine> "No...not good..." Tara murmers, her arms tightly folded, her blue eyes fixed on some speck of dust in a corner. [13:54] *** Epheri is now known as Kraken|Slumbers [13:54] * Magpie takes her hand. "Is...are you under a spell?" [13:55] <onine> "I just... need some air." Tara turns and walks quickly in the direction she came. [13:55] * Magpie stares after her, forlorn. [13:56] * Yengo looks after her, scratching the back of his head. Something about this feels very wrong, but he can't begin to say what. "Magpie... stop... stop pestering Tara." His voice is wooden. "I'm sure everything's... fine." [13:56] <Magpie> "I'm not pestering," Magpie says quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. Something bad was coming... [13:57] *** Disconnected Session Close: Sun Jun 05 13:57:45 2005