TheNexusProject/CharredBlossom

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Charred Blossom

by Shorlixa

"It’s the damndest thing. Our client surrounded himself with so many guards no one could get within five yards of him. Yet one morning when we went to wake him up, he was dead, his throat slit and the bouquet of burned flowers upon his chest. And all of us had been in the room the whole time. How do you guard against that?"

- Former mercenary on the death of his client Dusty Cloud, last victim of the first spate of assassinations

"I didn’t steal this. Got it from Charred Blossom. Woke up with this beauty on ma chest and a burned flower by ma side. So it’s ma property now."

- Beggar’s answer when questioned on her possession of a jewelled brooch

"Gifts with a collective value of less than 1 dirham of silver received from Charred Blossom shall become property of the receiver and may not be forcibly reclaimed."

- Decree issued by the Doctor due to The Blossom Effect

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The legend of Charred Blossom began several years ago when TheNexusScuttlebutt ran an exclusive about a series of thefts and assassinations in the Bastion District. There appeared to be no pattern to the murders beyond the fact that all the victims were all very rich, powerful and prominent people and a bouquet of burned flowers had been left on their bodies. As no one claimed responsibility publicly, River Lobster dubbed the perpetrator Charred Blossom and the name stuck.

One week after the above events, thousands of poverty-stricken people throughout Nexus, but especially in Firewander, received gifts of wealth. Gifts ranged from jade and silver to jewelled ornaments and precious weapons. The only indication of the giver was a single burned flower that had been laid by their side. When mercenaries arrived in an attempt to retrieve the stolen wealth, it led to a riot that spread throughout the whole of Nexus, affecting businesses everywhere and leading to a new Civility to be decreed by the Council. Even now, the wide-ranging consequences of the sudden gifts of wealth are still being felt in Nexus and are collectively known as The Blossom Effect.

Since then, the commotion has mostly died down but the legend lives on. There are people who claim to have received gifts from Charred Blossom every week. For every thief or assassin caught claiming to be Charred Blossom, there are dozens of other sensational (and unsolved) thefts and murders credited to Charred Blossom thanks to the signature of burned flowers. Various events and changes throughout Nexus are attributed to The Blossom Effect. And try as the rich and powerful might, they just can’t make the legend of Charred Blossom die.

Rumours

• Charred Blossom is a myth created by the Council to placate the poor masses with the hope that good fortune might drop into their lap. While they’re hoping for the sudden fortune, they’ll be less likely to riot and make trouble.
• The Blossom Effect is actually the name of a long term plan to incite the masses of Nexus to overthrow the rich and destabilise the city of Nexus.
• Charred Blossom is a bogeyman used by the rich and powerful as a scapegoat for strategic assassinations.
• The gifts from Charred Blossom have a spell placed on them that causes a willing receiver to become unknowing pawns in a secret plot.
• Speaking with Old Gran increases the likelihood of getting a gift from Charred Ashes.

Secret

• The original Charred Blossom has long since moved on from Nexus. But the legend remains because Charred Blossom is such a useful mythical figure. Whether the murder of a powerful socialite or the theft from a rich merchant, simply by leaving a bouquet of burned flowers at the site, one is certain to scare and confuse pursuit. More than one person has gotten away with the possession of questionable riches by claiming Charred Blossom bequeathed it to them. Various organisations discreetly carry out charity in Charred Blossom's name like the Ash Flower Society and the BureauofNumbers using the Civility to the advantage of the poor. Hence the legend of Charred Blossom lives on.

Comments

Well, this is my first entry. Please be kind. Charred Blossom is a figure shrouded by myth and rumours and actually encompasses a lot of Nexus but since we need to place it in a district I thought Firewander would be most appropriate. Also The Blossom Effect is a slight pun on the Butterfly Effect, where the ripples of the original Charred Blossom's first action can still be felt today. - Shorlixa