SJE/Session40
Exalted Session 40
Session 40 - The Good, The Brand And The Ugly
2 Ascending Air
After disentangling himself from a variety of complications arising from the book he ran on the duel between Shizu and Tanaka, Captain Ibrahim turns his thoughts to his new Mime Squad responsibilities. Naturally, his first instinct is to go with what he knows, so he spends some time trawling Gem's seedier bars, looking for anyone who knows anything about the rumoured Mime Underground. His investigation goes badly off track, however, when he runs into Mad Frejo or, more precisely, when he starts listening to Frejo's conspiracy theories. Maybe it's the alcohol thinking for him but the Captain sees some glimmer of truth in the mad old man's ranting. Suddenly it's all so clear! It all makes sense!
The Despot is a mime himself! He's just one of those devilishly cunning "speaking mimes". All that talking he does, that's just to fool people. Captain Ibrahim balks a little at Frejo's suggestion that the Watch is full of mimes, but even as he denies it, he remembers how Shizu has already nigh on admitted miming. And what about that Alana, always sneaking around with those cultist friends of hers? The Captain wouldn't be surprised by anything that they get up to. It is almost as if he is seduced by the web of conspiracy that Frejo weaves, encompassing everyone from the Immaculate Order to the Reptile Mimes who secretly control the Realm.
(In case you're wondering, the Captain's player made a triple botch on his Investigation roll...)
The Captain heads off to look into this straight away. He breaks into Shizu's apartment in search of evidence. While he doesn't find anything that's entirely conclusive, there's a lot of circumstantial evidence - black clothes, make-up, a pair of white evening gloves. Hmmm... The Captain clears up behind himself, and sneaks away.
Meanwhile, Ravitsu and Orchid have brought the unconscious Shizu back to the Granite Watchtower to rest. They patch her up as best they can and leave her to exercise her Body-Mending Meditation. They are a little worried about Brand's uncharacteristic show of temper at the duel, but concede that everyone was under a lot of stress. Perhaps it would be best to let Brand have some time to cool off out in the fresh air. Orchid settles down to meditate and recover Essence for the night's planned work on the city's magical wards while Ravitsu delves into the necessary paperwork for his new role as Commander. It is not long, though, before reports start coming in from the Market District - Brand's rampage is attracting attention. Ravitsu flies off to investigate.
He arrives to find Brand dealing with some merchants that he has found selling leftover meat from Ahlat's hecatomb - it's well past its sell-by date. With Brand's booted foot on his head, some unfortunate merchant is just reaching - and retching at - the end of an entire bucket full of rotten beef that Brand has forced him to eat. Ravitsu is less than impressed. He lists the reports he's been receiving of Brand's brutality - severed hands, beatings, whole families of debtors sold into slavery. "What in the name of the gods," he demands to know. "Is going on?" Brand merely sneers.
BRAND: "What's the problem? They're lawbreakers. We've got to teach them a lesson somehow."
RAVITSU: "There's a line, Brand, and you're crossing it!"
BRAND: "I'm within the law. Why don't you go back to Nexus? You don't understand how it works around here."
RAVITSU: "It's not just that. You're living up to all the stories about 'Anathema' and 'demons'. How can we deny what the Immaculates say when you're doing things like this?"
Ravitsu asks Brand to hand in his badge only to be sarcastically reminded ("What badge?") that Brand isn't officially a member of the Watch, he's just a consulting detective. In that case, Ravitsu terminates his contract. Brand no longer has any role with the Watch. Disgusted at the presumption of this "jumped-up foreign Johnny-come-lately, going on about 'due process'", Brand takes himself off for a prolonged drinking session and sulk in the Hot District. As he departs, a couple of the locals mutter grimly: "What about little Ahmed's hand, eh? It's one law for these Anathema, and another one for the common folk..."
Ravitsu returns to the Granite Watchtower to tell Orchid the shocking story. They might have expected this sort of erratic behaviour from Captain Ibrahim, but from Brand? He always seemed so sensible...
Now that she has rested, Orchid climbs to the roof of the Granite Watchtower to begin the warding ritual. She cajoles Ravitsu into assisting her ("I'll let you hold my thuribles...") - she knows that this ritual needs as much Essence as she can throw at it. Orchid designs a geomantic pattern in powdered jade to help channel Essence from both Ravitsu and herself to power the warding ritual. Then she begins an eldritch chant and draws glowing golden runes in the air.
As Orchid and Ravitsu pour their Essence into the rite, their animas first begin to glow then manifest in their full iconic glory - hers a roaring golden polar bear that echoes her magical gestures, his a towering hawkman warrior, the signs of the five phases of the sun glowing behind him. As their power builds, a dome of golden-orange light shimmers into existence over the whole of the city. It is visible for a few seconds, then fades from mundane sight. The ward is in place, though it will need to be reinforced with far more power before Orchid is satisfied. For now, Orchid's Essence is completely exhausted, and Ravitsu's nearly so. They go to Ravitsu's spartan apartment to rest - Orchid is afraid to spend the night in her house with the Abyssals when her power is so depleted.
3 Ascending Air
Brand wakes from a drunken stupor in an alley not far from the Granite Watchtower to find Seven-Fingers, a member of the Thieves' Guild who is known to the Watch, rifling through his pockets. Brand rolls backward away from the audacious thief, flips to his feet and, drawing his daiklaive, metes out summary justice to Seven-Fingers, lopping of his right arm at the elbow. Brand pauses only to kick the injured man in the ribs as he leaves, muttering "Looks like they'll be calling you Two-Fingers from now on." Brand staggers off in search of breakfast to soothe his hangover.
Just a few minutes later, Ravitsu and Orchid happen by. Ravitsu's keen senses pick up the scent of blood on the air, and they rush to assist Seven-Fingers. Ravitsu staunches the bleeding as Seven-Fingers, losing the battle to stay conscious, murmurs "Damn... that... Brand..." The two Exalts exchange an ominous glance, with Orchid commenting: "I may not be a trained detective, but I suspect Brand may somehow be involved with this." They take Seven-Fingers, and his spare arm, to the Granite Watchtower where the Watch surgeon can see to him.
Captain Ibrahim has already got there and, feeling himself free from the cares of command, joins the rank and file in the canteen. Things are a little strained at first, the men aren't too comfortable hob-nobbing with an officer, but it doesn't take long for the Captain's earthy good humour to relax the men. A few dirty jokes over the bacon and eggs and they're thinking of him as "good old Ibrahim" again, all barriers of rank well and truly forgotten.
Up in the Commander's office, Ravitsu is planning what to do next. He sends a runner to the Diamond Palace to see whether the Despot's spies have any news of the nomad horde which is said to be mustering. He and Orchid discuss the various issues at hand - they're unsure what to do with the Autochthonians, but they can't just ignore them, perhaps they should take a trip out to the Valley of Cordial Relations tomorrow, or the day after. They'll have to see about Master Tanaka and the Immaculates, too. As for Brand, well, perhaps there's a good explanation for this, but he's going a bit too far at the moment. This turn in the conversation reminds Ravitsu of a vague memory he has of fighting alongside Brand, perhaps, in a previous incarnation. Ravitsu has the nagging feeling that he may once have saved Brand's life. Orchid does become confused by the change in context and somehow gets the impression that Ravitsu is talking about having saved a previous incarnation of Master Tanaka's.
Shizu, having passed the night recovering with her Body-Mending Meditation, leaves the watchtower to go home and change. Her keen senses spot that all is not right - the underwear drawer is open half an inch wider than it should be; some of her cuddly toys have been rearranged into suggestive positions; that bottle of Paragonese lager she had in the pantry is gone; someone has drawn a big smiley face in lipstick on the bathroom mirror. It seems that the Captain is not as good at covering his tracks as he thinks he is. Shizu reports back to Ravitsu. A few leaps of deductive logic - the missing beer, the Captain's new anti-mime duties, Shizu's recent spat with him about mimes - lead them to think of Captain Ibrahim. Sighing, Ravitsu sends Orchid down to chat with him.
Orchid finds the Captain hard at work on a convoluted diagram of the mime conspiracy, which he hastily conceals from her prying eyes. After all, she might be one, too... Over a couple of mugs of teeth-clenchingly strong Watch coffee, they chat about the progress of the Captain's investigations. Orchid inquires casually whether, in light of her earlier pro-mime statements, he has investigated Shizu. The Captain, of course, refuses to confirm or deny whether she is subject to investigation. Orchid takes this as an obvious yes, and wonders whether he has any evidence against Shizu. "Ah, I wouldn't worry about that," Captain Ibrahim assures her. "That's where you've fallen in with Rav's new-fangled ideas. This is Gem, you know, we've never needed evidence in the past."
Orchid reports back to Ravitsu, who is busy trying to sort out the paperwork left over from Captain Ibrahim's time in command. "Did you at least redirect him to something useful?" Ravitsu asks. Orchid didn't bother: "He's just drinking coffee and drawing some sort of pictures at the moment. It seems harmless, so I thought it was best to leave him to it." Regardless, this prompts Ravitsu to implement his first official rule as Commander - "The Captain is no longer allowed to break into people's houses without first getting permission from me".
Outside, Brand has arrived and, not knowing or not caring that he's got the sack, has rejoined the work on the watchtower renovation project. At first, all is well. Ravitsu, hoping for a quiet morning, is happy to let Brand be for now. But trouble soon starts. Brand becomes frustrated at what seems, to him, to be the slow pace of the workers. After he roundly abuses them in the most insulting terms once too often and - the final straw - kicks over their tea urn, they down tools and set up a picket in the canteen. Brand works on alone, installing a series of vicious anti-burglar traps that he's just devised on the outside of the tower.
Ravitsu once more demonstrates his knack for delegation and sends Orchid out onto the scaffolding to talk to Brand. All she gets from him is sneering abuse and an exhortation to "Do something useful for once and have a look at the weird Essence flows in the basement." Rather abashed, she retreats and lets Ravitsu know the situation. He decides to give the builders the rest of the day off in the hope that Brand will calm down before the next time he has to work with them. Strangely, the builders don't want to leave the canteen and go home. Not only is the tea down here great, but Captain Ibrahim has been entertaining them with his stories of the Great Mime Conspiracy. Not that they tell anyone else in the Watch about this - the Captain has already told them that it has been infiltrated by mime spies.
Orchid and Ravitsu have had enough and, feeling in need of fresh air, head down to the Immaculate Temple to inquire after Master Tanaka's health. They don't get a friendly reception, even though they brought a bowl of fruit and a book of sudoku puzzles - all the rage in Nexus, apparently. But at least nobody throws any chakrams at them. They don't get to see Master Tanaka, but they do ask the coldly polite Immaculate monk who receives them to pass on their best wishes for his recovery.
Meanwhile, Shizu has gone down to the canteen to confront Captain Ibrahim: "Why did you break into my apartment, Captain?" The Captain, of course, vigorously denies doing any such thing...
SHIZU: "Right. Well, maybe I should say sorry with a beer in that case. What kind should I get?"
CAPTAIN IBRAHIM: "Oh, Old Spigglesworth! Much better than that Paragonese swill you had last night... er... I mean-"
SHIZU: "If you ever go through my underwear drawer again, I promise your death will be swift and silent!"
CAPTAIN IBRAHIM (thinking "Silent, eh? Sounds like mime talk to me."): "If you've done nothing wrong, Shizu, you have nothing to fear from the Watch."
SHIZU: "If it's mimes you want, Orchid has some pale, quiet, black-clad house guests. How about investigating them?"
Captain Ibrahim shrugs this off and carries on working at his top-secret conspiracy diagram. He won't be distracted by possible double-agents!
Returning to the Watchtower, Orchid follows Brand's suggestion and looks at the Essence flows in the basement cell-block. There is indeed a strange distortion, forming a spiral pattern in one corner. This will bear further investigation.
For his part, Ravitsu finds a memo from the Palace concerning the nomad horde. It seems that a big tribal gathering is underway at the Great Oasis. Once all the tribes have assembled, the Mahdi will appear before them to lead them on their great crusade against Gem. Ravitsu gets the circle together to discuss this. Shizu knows this Great Oasis well. She's been there before, and even has a souvenir sand globe from the gift shop at Leonidas' caravanserai. Perhaps Leonidas could be a useful contact? Just to be sure, Orchid checks that Shizu hasn't forgotten to mention having stolen anything from Leonidas. Fortunately, it seems that Shizu's acquaintance with him predates her career as the Black Mouse.
It is decided that, in the morning, the circle will travel to the Great Oasis. The Autochthonians will have to wait for at least another day...
4 Ascending Air
Before going to the Granite Watchtower, Orchid drops by to see Lord Trasti's secretary, determined that this time she will not be turned away without an appointment. Orchid barges into her office, her caste mark blazing as she uses all her power to cow this presumptuous mortal: "Lord Trasti WILL see me, or I will destroy you. Simple words from me will set in motion venomous rumours that will destroy your house. You cannot defy me, I have survived Malfeas and returned. Half a dozen of us threw back two armies from the walls of Gem!" The secretary is taken aback but earns Orchid's grudging respect by not being completely cowed (Orchid got 4 successes from 25 dice!). She arranges an appointment for 2:15 in the afternoon on 6 Ascending Air. Orchid wonders whether she might be able to hire this secretary away, she seems formidable.
Meanwhile, without Brand to annoy them, the builders are making fantastic progress this morning. Perhaps all that tea yesterday has supercharged them - clearly, they are the construction industries' answer to tiger warriors in the making...
When Orchid gets back, she starts up her Stormwind Rider whirlwind and whisks the circle off into the desert at top speed - she likes to drive fast! Even so, it's still a couple of hours of bickering and "are we nearly there yet?" before they reach the Great Oasis. Orchid takes her whirlwind on a circuit around the oasis, giving the circle a chance to get a good look at the nomad camp before they land and herself in particular a chance to show off a little.
The oasis is surrounded by thousands upon thousands of nomad tents and camp-fires. In the centre, near the caravanserai and gift shop, are the pavilions of the chieftains and leaders. There's no clear path to get there without Orchid's whirlwind causing enormous chaos and damage, so she diplomatically lands a short distance outside the camp and the circle approaches on foot, raising their customary defensive charms in case the nomad horde is foolish enough to start anything. As they draw near, a vast cloud of desert sand rises up in front of them, taking on the shape of a snake's head (Shizu: "Just to be sure, this isn't Sssseth, is it?"), towering above them: "APPROACH NO CLOSER, FOOLS, OR FACE YOUR DOOM!"
ORCHID: "We have come to offer you an alternative to the doom that awaits you if you threaten the city we are oath-bound to defend."
AMOTH: "STEP BACK OR DIE!"
The entire circle steps forward, flaring their caste marks as one in an intimidating display of power and intent.
RAVITSU: "We've already defeated two armies that tried to take Gem. We're happy to make it three."
The sandstorm-snake gradually dies down as they talk, coalescing into the form of a being with the magnificent head and torso of a strongly-built man, but the glittering body of a great serpent where his legs would be. The circle have seen him before, at the Carnival of Meeting - this is Amoth City-Smiter, Sub Director of Bribery & Finance, Bureau of Humanity.
The argument is interrupted by a bright shaft of sunlight which spears down from the sky, illuminating a pavilion at the centre of the nomad horde. As the assembled crowd falls silent, a muscular, long-haired man emerges from the pavilion and strides through the horde to face the circle. This is the Mahdi himself, a Zenith caste mark glowing at his brow! As he comes closer, Brand recognises him: "You're Joaqim the Dreamer!"
"Now I am known as Mahdi, servant of the Unconquered Sun. His messenger, Amoth City-Smiter, has revealed my sacred task. In the Unconquered Sun's name, I must tear down the city of Gem. Its entangled destiny will destroy all cities when it falls and usher in a new Golden Age for Creation!"
The circle stare at each other, horribly aware that he is even more ignorant and misguided about his true nature and mission than they have ever been. Their gaze is irresistibly drawn back to the Mahdi as he invokes his Presence charms and begins to speak. "Hmph. You're not the only one who can try that," Orchid mutters, beginning her own Harmonious Presence Meditation.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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