Legacy-Timeline

The Season of Wood: A season of planting and late-Spring-like weather, with Descending Wood beginning to warm up significantly. Some places that get warm early may have a first harvest by the end of this season.

The Season of Fire: The hottest season, a time of long light and growing, with Summer-like temperatures. Most places feature a first harvest by the end of this season, though some are already into a second harvest.

The Season of Earth: A time of warmth and ripening, without the stifling heat of the Season of Fire. Late Summer-like weather for most of the season, with early-Autumn-like weather and harvests happening at the end of Descending Earth.

The Season of Air: Starting off with colder early-Autumn-style weather featuring trees shedding leaves. Harvests of vines and trees tend to occur in Resplendent Air. Cools significantly by the end of Ascending Air and is very cold and winter-like through Descending Air.

The Season of Water: Very Winter-like in early Ascending Water, but beginning to warm up, with snows melting and an early Spring coming in Resplendent Water. Early planting begins then.

Calibration: The five days "outside of time" in Creation, when the veils between the world of spirits and the world of mortals drops, and the cracks between Creation and the Underworld, Malfeas and the Wyld widen enough to allow things to slip through. An uncanny time, one best spent in the company of others. Many settlements bar their gates and don't allow travelers in during the five days of Calibration. Essence regeneration increases by 50% during Calibration.

Pre-Chronicle

• Realm Year 748 to Realm Year 768
  • The most important events in recent years, both to the setting as a whole and to our heroes.

Prelude:Training of the Solars

• Realm Year 768: Resplendent Earth to Descending Air
  • In which our heroes find one another, and learn the wielding of Essence and their own legacy from both the Abbot of the Serpent Monastery, and the forgotten god he serves.

Book One: The Black Phalanx

Realm Year 768

Ascending Water

13th Day of Ascending Water

• Chapter One: Death of the Heir
• Nearly a month had passed since the destruction of Mahanaga and a variety of changes had befallen the company of travelers. Not long into the journey, Tobias and Whispering Bear had decided to take their leave for reasons of differing moralities than others in the company as well as personal reasons that beckoned them away. The other four Solars, the god Taruzake and Aapo's snake-charmed mortal ward Ginger continued the long, cold journey on horseback through cold & slushy mud to The Keldin Cliff-Cities, where Alabaster Mountain's family lived. The journey was made considerably more comfortable than it would have been otherwise through the magics of Crimson Slate who had summoned a fire butterfly, which also kept the horses in good health.
• As they neared the city of Lionroar, Sapphire Veil convinced them to stop for the night at an outlying farmhouse. The farmers were awestruck that Prince Alabaster Mountain was in their presence and were most hospitable. Sapphire Veil & Alabaster Mountain sent a message with the farmers eldest son to the city ahead of them that he was returning.

14th Day of Ascending Water

• Refreshed from their stay with the kind farmers, the companions set forth for Lion Roar and arrived early in the morning. Upon arrival they saw a docked Guild barge with livestock being loaded. Immediately they recognized a very familiar mule possessing a bent ear; Toshi was alive. Sapphire Veil & Crimson Slate approached the ship and spoke with the man present & learned that the mule had been purchased from a Guildsman was was currently preparing the slave auction in the market square that very moment. Sapphire Veil immediately started making her way towards the market. Crimson Slate quickly negotiated using her amazing powers of haggling the purchase of Toshi and came back with a mount for Ginger to ride. Everyone else followed Sapphire Veil, who for a moment had forgotten to walk steps behind Alabaster Mountain, her mind keenly focused on something far more important to her than she would ever admit to.
• The companions arrived at the market and easily found the Guild slave auction being constructed and prepared for operation later in the morning. They also saw & immediately recognized the Guildsman who was running the operation: Prosperous Standard. In addition to Grace being amongst the slaves, there were a number of other Mahanaga survivors as well as a plethora of Riverlin slaves. Alabaster Mountain, with use of his noble title, convinced Prosperous Standard to allow him first pick of the slaves.
• While Sapphire Veil kept a close eye on Alabaster Mountain and Prosperous Standard, Crimson Slate & Aapo with Ginger & Taruzake began to visit a few inns & taverns in the area, giving out free samples of Taruzake's rice wine as well as the recipe to those who were interested.
• Upon having first arrived at Lion Roar, Alabaster Mountain had noted the dubious purple flags of mourning displayed in the upper city, though their full meaning had not been known to him, save that someone important had died. While he was negotiating the purchase of the Mahanaga slaves the noble banner followed by a small procession of nobles & palace guards made their way to him. He was quickly briefed that his brother had been murdered and that he was needed to return to the palace immediately. Alabaster Mountain explained to the Majordomo about the slaves he wished to purchase & his other companions that should be sent up to his apartments when found, then he & Sapphire Veil left with the guards to the palace.
• The annoyed, impatient & confused Majordomo approached the Guild auction and found a very helpful young river woman, obviously one of Alabaster Mountain's companions. She was kind enough to point out the slaves that he had wished to purchase...all of the river folk. The Majordomo sighed and summoned a Guildsman and stated he wished to purchase the river folk. The confused Guildsman inquired if they were in addition to those Alabaster Mountain had already selected. Eyebrow twitching in irritation & impatience as he glanced up at the purple flags ahead, he sighed and agreed to purchase all of them. A quick transaction numbers & seals and the Majordomo snatched up Alabaster Mountains rather bewildered companion, who felt it necessary to point out that she could easily find her own way at a later time if only he'd - no, no - she was going with him now. So he stomped off towards the palace with her in tow looking as if she was contemplating whether she'd left the iron on in her previous life.
• Crimson Slate & Aapo were quickly informed by the rumor mongering commoners of what had happened and decided to head up to the palace and find their companions. Upon leaving a tavern, the barkeep now the proud owner of a copy of Taruzake's wine recipe, they saw the mass of Mahanaga & river folk slaves being led up towards the palace and followed.
• Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil were given their rooms. As Sapphire Veil was entertaining herself with a constant string of delightful findings in her room, Alabaster Mountain was informed that one of his female companions had arrived and was given a room. Assuming it was Crimson Slate & wishing to speak to her, he went to the room and knocked.
• Still somewhat stunned by the circumstances, the river girl the Majordomo had delivered into these quarters, hid herself behind the closed doors of the bath room. Alabaster entered the chambers and heard her while she was making frantic bathing noises on the other side of the door. While Alabaster Mountain was calling her name, the realm Crimson Slate and Aapo were just approaching the rooms following a servant & heard him calling her name. They poked their head into the room to ask what Alabaster Mountain was going on about, just as the door to the bath room was opened from within and the river girl stepped out.
• ...to immediately have Alabaster Mountains grinning metal face at the end of his tetsubo suddenly inches from her nose.
• Sapphire Veil joined the throng in the interrogation of the river girl, Lynn (her simple name meeting with much approval from Aapo). It was quickly determined that she knew who and WHAT they were, which immediately gained her a great deal of threats and drawn weapons from those around her. But she quickly amended this knowledge with the fact that she too was a Solar, and proved it by revealing her Twilight caste mark. While the flow of information was largely one way, the companions wishing to share very little of their own pasts, but demanding that she provide them with all the answers to their questions, the meeting went overall well. Weapons were eventually put away, she was not hurled through a wall, nor sentenced to a life imprisonment in a bath room. The guards that the servant who witnessed Alabaster Mountain draw his weapon had summoned were dismissed and the Solars talked. Lynn's agenda had been rather simple, she only wished to see that her people found a good home. This quest having been completed successfully, she had intended to return to her ship. But two things had happened. First she had overheard Prosperous Standard's ominous words to his assistant, identifying them as anathema and that if they caused any trouble he would reveal their nature and second she'd been essentially kidnapped by the Majordomo in a case of mistaken identity. But rather than seek to immediately return to her ship, she was intrigued by these other Solars, and there is strength & safety in numbers. Perhaps it was fate that they had met? So she had remained, though not entirely sure how to go about meeting them that wouldn't be...awkward.
• It was decided that for now, she would be one of them.
• Ginger, having grown bored with grown up/Solar talk, wanted to visit her friend Thorn, one of the rescued Mahanaga slaves. Aapo sent Kanji with her and the Majordomo to escort them. Alabaster Mountain explained the situation of the Mahanaga refugees to him as well and that they were to be given accommodations and that the river folk slaves would be kept on as palace slaves. Sapphire Veil also requested that Grace be sent to her immediately. Grace was soon reunited with her master, who received her with a loving SLAP and was sent to their room.
• That night there was a large informal dinner and matters of state aside, the topic of discussion amongst the nobles at the table with the Solars was the murder investigation. The prince had been murdered in his room, his two guards outside the door poisoned. Following the removal of the bodies, no one had been allowed admittance save for those investigating.
• The Solars were quick to volunteer their various skills to the cause, save for Aapo who had dedicated his attention to a large stack of steaks he's gathered onto his plate & sneaking bits of baked fish to Kanji who was hiding under the table in his lap.

15th Day of Ascending Water

• Lynn worked with the alchemist to deduce the nature of the poison that had been used while Alabaster Mountain & Sapphire Veil viewed the body. Crimson Slate summoned forth a serpent & egg, an earth elemental and bid it to use its skills of investigation to aid her in checking out the crime scene. While the others investigated the murder, Aapo took more of Taruzake's samples and the recipe with him to the palace head chef and presented them as a gift.
• The companions reconvened with the other nobles involved in the investigation and shared what they had learned. The poison used was a rare poison used by the Momus of the Bayou, an individual that was well known for promoting & benefiting from a long ongoing war between the regions of Rana and Bourbon, supplying both sides with mercenaries, weapons and other tools of war. The prince himself had been murdered using Crashing Wave Style martial arts, while his guards were murdered with Ill Lily Style, both signature styles used by the Momus' elite assassins, the Harbingers of the Final Breath.
• It was also learned that the use of the earth elemental that Crimson Slate in the manner that she had been using it (having allowed it to swallow & move about with it's egg in it's throat) was considered dire ill fortune for the place where it did so. The snake, smirking if that was possible, spit it's egg back up & coiled around it. Crimson Slate looked rather put out by this tid bit of information.
• So things seemed to be pointing in the direction of someone having hired the Momus' assassins to kill the prince. Sapphire Veil was going to slum it into town in order to gather information while the others attended to a variety of plans. Alabaster Mountain unable to sleep went out for a night stroll and Crimson Slate busied herself with her sorcery. Aapo slept like a log.
• Sapphire Veil hit the town garbed in Grace's finest peasant clothes. The right question here, the perfect comment dropped there and very soon she found herself face to face with a member of the very criminal element she was trying to find. Sapphire Veil easily saw straight through the drunken charade of the woman Violet almost as soon as she and her nameless companion stumbled into the seedy tea house where she sat. The act quickly put aside they relocated to the docks where they could talk with less ears about them. Violet was a messenger of the Guild of the Ever Shifting Breeze, one of the Five Shades Association that specialized in burglary, conniving and spying (and identify themselves with the shuriken sigil).
• While Sapphire Veil and Violet discussed a variety of issues and potential future alliances, Crimson Slate was engaged in yet another sorcerous conjuration. After hours of grueling ritual, she found herself face to face with a rather aloof, confused, annoyed & snooty cloud person, who did not relish her surroundings in the least. Bribing her attention with a lovely blue gemstone donated to Crimson Slate by a rather hesitant Alabaster Mountain, Crimson Slate was able to converse with the elemental. After a rather short battle of her own morality she bound the elemental for a year and a day and socketed her crystal into Mecha-Horse, granting it the power of flight.

16th Day of Ascending Water

• The following morning Alabaster Mountain gathered up his companions in order to welcome his family that were just arriving. With all the political intrigue and suspicion going on, Lyn felt that it would be wisest of her to submit to voluntary house arrest. Upon request she would remain in the palace library, watched by Taruzake until matters could be further sorted out.
• The Solars are present as Alabaster Mountain and the Lionroar nobles welcome his rather large and confusing family...with their far more confusing names and rather complex emotional states, relations & reactions.
• Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil visit his mother, the Queen, sisters and maids in her chamber. Sapphire Veil quickly makes a splendid impression upon them all and it is revealed to Alabaster Mountain that his younger brother had left to find him shortly after he had vanished. They discussed other family matters while Sapphire Veil continued to assess the usefulness of the royal daughters, particularly the eldest.
• Meanwhile, while Aapo and Crimson Slate spent some time in the courtyard, Aapo coaching Ginger and Thorn in combat maneuvers and Crimson resting from her long grueling night of conjuration, they were approached by Alabaster Mountain's aunt and bodyguard (cousin?). They wished to know what he had been up to since he had gone missing & how they had met. Crimson Slate spun the tale of them being scavenger lords and that Alabaster Mountain had been called to the lifestyle as many a bored noble has been and informed them of the roles of each of the party. Aapo retained enough sense in his head to keep his mouth shut for the most part and not blabbing out that they were Solars destined to put the world right once again. So...he just smiled stupidly at them. They had also made mention of an anathema (Exalted you stupid humans) in the North who had led an army victoriously against the Tepet Legions. Content with their answers, they departed and allowed the children to resume sparring.
• The day passed and later in the evening they were all escorted to the great dining hall where dinner was prepared and served to the nobility and friends, including Alabaster Mountains' companions who were placed "beyond the salt". A great deal of conversation passed, some small talk, some serious talk and then suddenly the family erupted into an argument. The Queen excused herself from the table and the magpie of a Dowager began to accuse the King of how poorly he ran his family. The middle daughter spat out how cruel the magpie was and fled after her mother. Everyone continued on in silence while the King and his mother continued to glare at each other from across the table. Sapphire Veil was then invited to entertain them all with a song. She strung her instrument with the magics of the Exalted Sun and thus pulled as the heart strings of all those around her as if they were the instrument in her hands. By the end of the song, everyone present wept. The Dowager had let down her veil and was still. The King and his family wept freely for their hardships & loss. Aapo cried under the enchantment of the song, glaring at the lute-wielding witch the entire time. Why did Crimson Slate cry? Perhaps she missed a horse she had as a child?
• Following dinner, Sapphire Veil and Adamant Truths went for a walk and ran into the magpie Dowager. She rudely warned him from making a spectacle of himself and drove icy lances from her eyes into Sapphire Veil's brain while inquiring if she or Crimson Slate had any intimate relations with Alabaster Mountain. Sapphire Veil denied her own involvement, but hesitated and stated that Crimson Slate did not, "that she knew of". while meeting the magpie's eyes it with a cool, unshaken gaze. Sapphire Veil dismissed the man and his advances and retired to her room.
• Following an invitation to join Alabaster Mountain and Loyal Ash in post-dinner fornication, Aapo quickly shuffled Ginger & Thorn into a bewildered Crimson Slate's room, quickly followed by an irritated fennec flung through the doorway after them. Crimson Slate took this as an opportunity to teach the children their letters and encouraged them with a game of educational violence.

17th Day of Ascending Water

• The Funeral. The companions were all seized by servants and garbed in white and lavender mourning attire for the funeral and marched off to join the royal family and nobles. Following specific orders on how they should proceed, they followed the family in the procession. While they moved slowly to where the ceremony would be conducted, Aapo noticed a woman at a gate attempting to force her way past the guards. He smoothly loosed himself from the procession...in his mind...while nearly knocking over a column holding flowers, stepped on Crimson Slate's toes, got his foot tangled up in a folding chair, all the while swearing loudly about all this crap strewn in his path - and asked what was happening at the gate. Aapo asked the woman, who he noticed was pregnant, and the guards what was happening. She claimed to be the deceased prince's mistress and simply wished to be part of the ceremony - to see him one last time, to say goodbye.
• While trying to calm her down and negotiate an alternative, not his strong points, Aapo took no notice that half the royal family & his companions had stopped the procession and were all gathered up behind him until a terrified guard cleared his throat while gesturing behind him.
• All but the King, Queen, Alabaster Mountain, Dowager and girl (and Crimson Slate, Sapphire Veil & Kanji who had all hidden around them) were sent away. To those listening, it was quickly obvious that the King knew the girl and just as quickly noticeable that the Queen saw she was pregnant. It was quickly revealed that the King knew of her and had paid her handsomely to vanish. The Queen, who had no knowledge of this, seeing the woman who now carried her grandchild inside of her, was furious with the deceit of her husband.
• The procession and ceremony was called back into order, and the Queen insisted that the late Prince's mistress be included and treated as a member of the royal family.
• The funerary ceremony was conducted by a Dragonblood and two members of the Morticians' Guild of Sijan.
• Just following the funeral, Alabaster Mountain was seized by a strange sensation that seemed to be calling him to the top tier of the city, to the bridge that arced over the great waterfall. He gathered up his companions and they traveled up to the great height where he found a secret chamber. His caste mark flashed, thankfully with no witnesses about and the hidden portal opened itself to him. The Solars entered and the door closed behind him as the circular chamber floor illuminated and they began a speedy descent deep down into the depths of the mountain to where a massive chamber was revealed to them. In the center of the room was a large statue of the Exalted Sun. They all stood silent, taken over by the awe of this majestic sight...
• The Solars investigate the massive statue, finding a strange broken First Age device at the base of the statue. Alabaster Mountain and the others quickly attuned themselves to the manse then he attached the hearth stone, plucked from the font of water where it formed, to his bracer. Suddenly the layout and abilities of the manse complex revealed themselves to him & he knew that he was the previous master of the place.
• After determining that the manse was somehow linked to other manses in the region, but the exact relationship eluded them & unable to unravel the mysterious device's purpose at the base of the statue, everyone set out to explore the manse. They found abandoned suites, a dining/great hall & kitchen, all filled with still operating First Age technology and utilities. On the top floor they were able to bypass sealed doors (thought to be related to the other manses that were not currently in conjunction with the central manse they were in) by jumping from balcony to balcony.
• Alabaster Mountain found an armory, his armory, which had been stripped bare, save for his previous self's artifact weapon and priestly robe. He immediately began to attune the massive tetsubo to himself while the others were exploring elsewhere.
• Crimson Slate, Sapphire Veil & Aapo found themselves in some sort of geomancy workshop and found a map of the region with six small manse models placed on the map representing the linked manses. Crimson Slate was giddy with excitement at this find and they copied down the locations and the types of nodes:
  • 1) Earth manse near Delbrannan
  • 2) Earth manse in Gorral
  • 3) Earth manse on the cliffs between Lionroar & Venrathi (this one they had already learned of)
  • 4) Water manse on the edge of the river near White Sentinel
  • 5) Air manse above the cliff between Venrathi & White Sentinel
  • 6) Wood manse across the river from Lionroar in the forest
• They then continued on and found what was probably once a great library, though it had been stripped entirely bare, leaving not a single parchment or book behind. While they explored, Sapphire Veil began to have her suspicions about Alabaster Mountains connection to this place and finally put her finger on it, noting to him that they would discuss this at a later time. The other two noticed the exchange, but otherwise remained oblivious to the truth of the matter.
• The Solars, having explored every corner of the manse, finally left and the manse sealed itself behind them, just an unassuming wall and they strolled back down to the castle. Sapphire Veil detached herself from them and went down into town to "buy" some clothes from shop keepers unaware of her discounted (free) purchases.
• Crimson Slate & Aapo went together to check on Ginger & Thorn and then proceeded to the wing where the other survivors of Mahanaga were living, wishing to ask them questions about the still enigmatic attack on their home. They learn little more than they had from Ginger & Taruzake, but they do learn that the storm that had brought the strangers had come from the north.

18th Day of Ascending Water

• While Crimson Slate & Aapo slept late, Alabaster Mountain and Crimson Veil rose early and joined the royal family to meet the ship from the gloomy Morticians' Guild of Sijan and are introduced to the far more gloomy death speaker, XXX, who immediately makes dark & vague reference about Sapphire Veils' entourage of the dead following her. The Queen requests that he use his power to speak with her dead son in order to determine who his killer was, but he says that he cannot. After they finish attending to the Mortician's Guild, Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil hold counsel with the Queen and she confides in them that the King suspects his brother of the murder.
• While Crimson Slate remains secluded in her room, summoning elemental after elemental to bind and usher into her "horse", Alabaster Mountain goes to speak with his cousin, Adamant Truths. He persuades him to seek out Sapphire Veil and ask her on a date that evening. Meanwhile Sapphire Veil was arranging a meeting with Alabaster Mountain's aunt, who responds by inviting her to join her for a bit of tea.
• Sapphire Veil has brunch with the death speaker from Sijan and they make arrangements to meet that night so that she may speak with the weeping ghosts following her.
• After finishing some more training with Ginger & Thorn, Aapo considers a night on the town, but after hearing the strange sounds coming from Crimson Slate's room on the other side of the wall from his, he decides that maybe a night spent in with the kids, weapon ready, would probably be more prudent.
• Crimson Slate continues her magics and more spirits find themselves coexisting inside her horse, the snake & egg who had obeyed her before, a fiery creature, a wood spider; "Get into the horse". And meanwhile, her very special mount becomes more & more intelligent from the growing number of spirits within him.
• Unaware of the elemental maelstrom brewing some few doors away, Sapphire Veil meets with Alabaster Mountains aunt and her bodyguard for tea. They make small talk, Sapphire Veil plays some music, and then suddenly she finds herself the target of an intensive yet subtle game of seduction as the other two women wield innuendo and lay siege to Sapphire Veil's will in an attempt to get her into their bed. Sapphire Veil barely wriggles out of the situation and tea is concluded with her skirts still tied about her person.
• Sapphire Veil slips from one wing to another and joins Alabaster Mountain and his mother for dinner. Alabaster Mountain then joins his father and Sapphire Veil goes on her evening date with Adamant Truths, ending with her having to once again defend her right to remain clothed, though he proves to be far less skilled (and ill equipped versus Sapphire Veil) than his female relations.
• Later that night, after Crimson Veil had collapsed exhausted from a day spent sorcelling elementals into a mechanical horse, Aapo lay snoring with Ginger draped under one arm, Thorn using his stomach as a pillow & Kanji curled up on his chest, Alabaster Mountain curled up with Loyal Ash as if he were a large teddy bear, Lyn still awake in the library, reading book after book as if they were in danger of vanishing with the rise of the sun, Taruzake mindlessly bored to sleep lay in her lap, and Sapphire Veil creeping through the night, a single shadow amongst many in the palace, on a quest to quiet the ghosts that she had always known were there. She met with the death speaker and received some answers to the questions she sought to ask.

19th Day of Ascending Water

• Early before the sun had any inclination of rising, Aapo was awake. Today was the day for training. He checked his list of names, those who had expressed interest in his "special training" and before daylight had touched the horizon he was beating on doors, barking orders and soon found himself in the gardens with Ginger, Thorn, Grace, Loyal Ash, Crimson Slate, Alabaster Mountain and the two monks from Mahanaga all standing half asleep before him. And then the training began. The guards on duty watched in nervous awe at the grueling training session, knowing that something not quite natural was occurring before their eyes, but unable to determine what it was.
• Lyn, still awake, her newest chosen book before her eyes, mountains of already read books covering the table & floor around her seat in the library was encouraged to get out and get some air by Alabaster Mountain as he had followed Aapo to the mornings training session. Taruzake, frightfully bored over the last few days, highly encouraged this notion and so Lyn, still reading, took a stroll into the gardens, pausing a moment to observe the strange training spectacle before proceeding to a fountain that Taruzake had suggested they visit...still reading the entire time, oblivious to the fox god's attempts to draw her attention elsewhere, anywhere but the texts that must have filled her veins with ink by now. For her own good of course.
• Sapphire Veil rose from sleep and contemplated what punishments she would bestow upon Grace that day for making her dress herself, even though it had been Sapphire Veil's wish that Aapo train Grace. Still, she should be able to do both and must be punished for this unspeakable failure in her duties.
• Dressed in commoner garb, Sapphire Veil set out into town, seeking out rumors or tales that may clue her into the location of the assassins that she knew must still be in town. She heard of three individuals who were desperately seeking passage out of Lionroar and that they were meeting with one Captain Blue Fountain not long after noon at the dockside Mudlark tea house not long after noon. The time of the meeting soon approaching she issued a complicated origami letter to be delivered to Crimson Slate requesting subtle assistance.
• The letter arrived just as Aapo's five hour training session was winding down. As the non-Exalted members of his training crew limped off to collapse, they discuss who should go & who should stay. Aapo grows impatient as Lyn & Crimson Slate begin to talk meaninglessly about sorcery and sets out to the docks. Noticing the walking disaster had went on ahead, Crimson Slate rushes after Aapo.
• This leaves Lyn in Alabaster Mountains company. They go to retrieve some of his gear and she makes the mistake to comment on his weapon, thus prompting him to erupt into a long diatribe about its origins, his family, the history of his family, the history of weapon manufacturing and whatever else he was able to manage to come out of his mouth. Lyn, unable to get a word in, much less stop him from talking, panicked and fainted in order to stop him from talking. She could think of no other way to escape.
• Sapphire Veil pretended to study a fishmongers wares as she watched the tea house and awaited her backup. Watching for signs that would identify a martial artist she did not have to wait long before she spotted exactly who she sought. Three individuals, two men & a woman, two of whom (man & woman) she marked immediately as the two martial artists bearing the styles that had killed the prince, approached and entered the tea house. Shortly after this Aapo & Crimson Slate arrived and were persuaded to gaze at the collection of fish displayed before them. They made their plan, and after Aapo had been pathetically, easily convinced by the fishmonger to buy some fish, they approached the inn.
• There the three of them were, with a man who was obviously a seafarer captain by his dress and standing. Guessing that he was a local, Sapphire Veil devised a plan to incite a furious streak of patriotism in the patrons of the bar. Singing a song about the great city of Lionroar, about the death of their beloved prince, about unity in this time of troubles against the unseen enemy, she quickly brought her plan to a successful fruition. Captain Blue Fountain was moved by the scene and then harshly declined his tree clients and joined in the patriotic revelry of the others in the tea house.
• The other three, suspicious that something was not quite right anymore, began towards the exit. The three Solars were already moving to flank them, but they had been spotted and identified as a threat. The three dash across the threshold and one drops a token from his pendant, which creates a great grey cloud of strange gas in the door way. Aapo launches himself through the obscuring smoke, using its cover to summon forth Slaughterous Prelude. Crimson Slate vaults up over the doorway and out onto the window and Sapphire Veil leaps to another window. One of the men, bearing twin machetes, had positioned himself just outside the door and attacks as Aapo flies past him. The other two, the martial artists, hurry to vanish into the crowds, each rushing down a different directly on the docks. Aapo pursues the girl, Crimson Slate pursues the man and Sapphire Veil remains to deal with the machete wielding man at the tea house.
• Sapphire Veil wasted no time in wrapping her sleeves about her opponent and used them to choke him into unconsciousness, pulling him through the window and face-first into the floor.
• Aapo had a more difficult time with his target. Running into the crowd she nearly vanished, but he channeled his essence into his voice and commanded the people of Lionroar to obey his commands and put them into order, dissolving her hiding places. She turned to fight and Aapo, who commands his "troops" to capture her & quickly realized he was not facing a normal human and that his normal attacks would not work on her, nor his normal defenses, as she managed to poison him without so much as breaking the skin, using essence to deliver her poison into his bloodstream. Growing more & more frustrated and his essence quickly dwindling, he commanded those enthralled by his voice to cease their useless attacks on her and to turn their backs on him & cover their eyes. As they do so Aapo's frustration erupted into Solar light, his nine tailed anima engulfing him, guiding his devastating attack as he cleaved the startled woman in half.
• Crimson Slate pursued the man and after a failed attack revealed black jade armor, determined she was facing one of the Dragon-Blooded. She whipped a lasso around him, but a flash from a concealed hearthstone freed him from its grasp. The man was then suddenly upon her, wielding an artifact garrote which he effortlessly slipped around her neck and began to untether her from the world of the living. Sapphire Veil rushed to Crimson Slate's aid, having subdued & bound her opponent, leaving him to be watched by mortals, hoping he would not awaken. Surging essence into her attacks, though the nature of which she kept hidden from the onlookers, she was able to subdue the Dragon-Blood as well.
• The fight concluded, Aapo spent the last of his essence to rocket into the sky, vaulting from the docks to the bridge over the city in one leap, a brilliant fox tailed comet, seen by all in the city, soaring over the city that then vanished entirely as he sealed himself within the Solar manse at the top of the waterfall.
• Alabaster Mountain and Lyn, who had been walking and talking at great length during the events at the tea house (after Lyn had been revived from her convenient fainting spell and fed by an insistent & worried Alabaster Mountain who felt that she had been neglecting her bodily needs during her stay in the library) saw the light and knew something bad had happened. They met with Crimson Slate & Sapphire Veil, who were delivering their version of events to the guards who had arrived, telling them that they had found the assassins, captured two of them and that one, who they had slain, had turned into an anathema, it's demon bursting forth from it when they killed it, thus the light everyone saw.
• Solars, prisoners, guards & corpse were all brought back to the palace where they explained their cover story to the Queen and the others assembled. The relief that the assassins had been captured/killed was overshadowed by the threat of anathema.
• Sapphire Veil, knowing that the woman Aapo had faced off against was skilled in the use of powerful poisons, suggested that Crimson Slate and Lyn go check on him in the manse. Her concern was confirmed when a frantic Kanji erupted into the room attempting to explain in his way that Aapo was dying. The two opened the door to the manse and found the entire place lit up from Aapo's aura. They found him pale, trying to relax in a First Age armchair, already nearly dead from the poison, drinking Taruzake's wine to relive some of the burning pain coursing through his blood. The two of them immediately went to aid him, to bolster his immunity against the toxin. Moments later, Aapo grinned at them, bid them goodnight and with a spasm fell into unconsciousness. Lyn & Crimson Slate kept at it, though it looked as if his life was ready to end. Through their skills, they were able to bolster his fading immune system long enough for the poison to run its course. Aapo, so very close to death, would live.
• Back in the palace, the Queen demanded to see the prisoners. Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil attempted to dissuade her, but she was determined, she would look upon the faces of those who murdered her son. They escorted her to the prison and opened the door just in time to witness the Dowager just as she slit the throat of the machete wielding man. She turned in terrified surprise at the Queen and those assembled with her as they gazed back at her in horrified shock.
• Chapter Two: Mountain Storms
• The Dowager with her magpie face dropped her murder weapon and stood tall & still as chaos erupted. The Queen was gibbering, an enraged King barged in, guards crowding in unsure of what to do and then Alabaster Mountain slammed his tetsubo into the ceiling calling for silence. And he received it.
• The Dowager was taken away by the guards. The King sought a death sentence, but his brother called him aside to speak with him about the rashness of such a decision. While the brothers discussed the matter, Sapphire Veil & Alabaster Mountain visited the Dowager in her cell and found her rather surprisingly forthcoming with her story once she had ascertained their opinions on what had happened. She freely admitted that she had contracted the assassins to kill her grandson. Because he was a failure, he was unfit to rule, spending his time womanizing, drinking & in pursuit of other wasteful vices. It would be a far greater disaster if he were to ascend to the throne as King. She refused to see the family and her nation shamed and sullied by someone so unworthy to sit on the throne. So she took what actions she felt were necessary to ensure the best for her family and her kingdom since no one else was prepared to take actions, especially her soft son the King.
• Meanwhile back in the manse, Crimson Slate began to prepare to summon an elemental that could heal Aapo. She and Lin began to discuss sorcery, losing themselves in the conversation until Kanji eventually interrupted with a crudely scribbled note and an ink covered paw reminding them about the nearly dead Aapo lying between them. Crimson Slate conjured up a relatively amiable, but dumb, wood mantis named Tsi who immediately went to work on fixing Aapo.
• Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil sought audience with the King and Queen. While the King still sought an execution, Alabaster Mountain informed him of a block on the writ of execution, an old law the Dowager herself, having done her homework, informed him of. The King could not have her legally executed, only Soaring Father Majesty could make such a call. While father and son argued over legal mandates, Sapphire Veil spoke with the Queen, calming her from her frantic state.
• As they were leaving the King & Queen, Alabster Mountain and Sapphire Veil were approached by a very worried looking Majordomo. He informed them that somehow word has gotten out about the Dowager and the part she had played in the Prince's murder. He informed them that a mass of angry citizens were gathering at the palace gates demanding her head. Alabaster Mountain appeared atop the palace gate before his people and attempted to calm them down, though he was somewhat less than successful and the people cried even louder for proper judgment, pushing themselves against the gate. Alabaster Mountain pulled for his beloved tetsubo and vaulted from his place high above the people & crashed to the ground, his weapon cracking the stone before the started crowd calling for silence. Justice would be done. Hearing of the upheaval of the citizens, Sapphire Veil, who had grown to respect the Dowager, especially after hearing why she had done what she did, stood outside the Dowager's cell as guardian.
• Alabaster Mountain summoned and sent Taruzake to find Aapo and the others, but he was unable to pierce the defenses of the manse. Frustrated, but no time to spare, Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil attended a meeting with the Guild Factor, who informed them that things were very grim in the Guild section of the city and that the people wanted the Dowager's blood for her crime and her fear that if they did not get what they sought, it could lead to an unwanted upheaval.
• Back in the manse, Aapo awoke from a strange dream, that he knew was not a dream, but a memory of his life as Scarlet Morning. He discussed this with Crimson Slate & Lin. Crimson Slate revealed her past life vision as well. They discussed what they had remembered of who they had been and what implications could be involved. Tsi finished its work, having mended the worst of the damage and popped off to wherever wood mantis' dwell. The three Solars departed the manse and made their way back to the palace to find out what all had happened since the chaos they had left behind.
• Alabaster Mountain and Sapphire Veil were informed that the procession to visit Soaring Father Majesty would continue as planned and that they would depart in two days time. In addition to determining the the King's heir, the fate of the Dowager would be brought forth before their god. The journey would take two weeks to complete.
• Unknown to the others, Lin visited with some of her people who had come to work in the palace as slaves. She discovered that the Dowager's food was being poisoned by someone, a little at a time so that it would kill her slowly and without an obvious trace. Lin did some investigation and procured an antidote which was to be included in each meal along with the poison, negating its effects. Silly would-be assassin. Lin is smarter than you.

20th Day of Ascending Water

• Early in the morning Sapphire Veil filled Crimson Slate in on what all had happened. They discussed the journey to visit the kingdom's god and Crimson Slate's fear of the Hunt's attention being drawn from Aapo's Solar anima being seen. They decided it would be best if Crimson Slate took someone with her & made haste to visit the god instead of waiting around for the procession. Alabaster Mountain was consulted and spoke with his parents. While the King sought to go, it was finally decided that Crimson Slate & Sapphire Veil would go instead and they left post haste on the back of Crimson Slate's robo-horse, much to Sapphire Veils' dismay.
• Meanwhile Alabaster Mountain spoke with his mother about his wish not to remain as the ruler of Lionroar. She sought to understand and he informed her that they were being hunted and told her about Mahanaga. About the strange dragonblooded clad in black who came from a storm seeking the scavenger lords and destroyed the city. The Queen, looking grave, told him that she had spoken with the refugees housed in the palace from Mahanaga. And she had heard this story...but it was not scavenger lords the storm riders had said they were seeking. It was... "anathema" finished Alabaster Mountain. And so he told his mother the truth. She stated that he was her son and that she loved him regardless and felt that the tales of the anathema were untrue. If he must leave to find himself, then he must do what he must do.
• While others attended to heavy matters, Lin decided to take a stroll through the gardens where she came upon Aapo, Ginger & Thorn as he directed them in their daily exercises. Once done, Aapo sent them off with Kanji to play and invited himself to join Lin in the garden for tea. A moment of awkward silence as Lin tried to burn his Guild sash with her eyes until she prompted a conversation with, "So Aapo, how do you manage to live with yourself?". Aapo stared back rather confused at such an odd question.

• Lin and Aapo continued their chat after a moment of silence, speaking very openly of slaves, war, change, Lin's prophecy, promised lands & Aapo's destiny of war, getting to know each other better and somehow coming out of it liking each other more. Aapo filled Lin in on some of their past journey and she was most particularly intrigued about Potrimpos, wondering if he could be a part of her prophecy. Eventually Alabaster Mountain who had taken to the gardens to read a book Crimson Slate had lent him on sorcery, drew their attention and they joined him, though Lin's eyes barely ever left the book he was holding. Aapo, who had yet to see her eat food, came to the conclusion that she lived off a diet of tea and written words.
• Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil wooshed through the countryside leaving a trail of dust, perplexed peasants and the smell of ozone mixed with delicate perfume in their wake. In a matter of hours, again much to the disagreement of Sapphire Veil's delicate posterior, they arrived on the mountain top where Soaring Majesty Father resided and found him there. They joined him in his domain and informed him of all that had happened. The god was very pleased to hear that Alabaster Mountain had exalted and told them that he and the Deacon of Stone, who he had been in his previous life, had been best of friends, though he was a young god and that he never did understand why he had been taken away by the Deliberative. After hearing of the terrible matters that called for decisions that only he could rightfully make, he decided that rather than waiting for them to take their time coming to him, he would instead go to them. A strange shimmer and folding of reality and Crimson Slate, Sapphire Veil and Soaring Majesty Father were standing in the garden next to the other three startled Solars. Lin tried to catch the book Alabaster Mountain had been reading, in case he was so startled it fell out of his hand...which it didn't. Even with a little help from her, just a wee tug. Drat.
• Soaring Majesty Father was so pleased and honored to be amongst a full & complete circle of Solars. Terrified servants witnessing him bowing low to the others poofed as if they too had the gods powers of travel. Moments later the King, Queen and others in the family were stumbling over themselves to appear before him. He dismissed them, stating that they would be called upon when they were needed. Two very confused looking monarchs and their kin departed and left the god and Solars in the garden. They discussed a few things and Sapphire Veil suggested perhaps the manse would be a better place to meet. Soaring Majesty Father agreed and so they walked openly through the streets amongst the awed citizens who parted before them and followed behind them up until they reached the entrance to the manse. The SECRET entrance to the manse the god was informed. He had found the anathema story so distasteful and when reminded of it he asked of the gathered citizens who had heard of it before and when people had responded he proclaimed that the word anathema would no longer be used, instead they would be addressed as the Chosen of the Unconquered Sun. The people were confused and some frightened. And then they were dismissed and practically fled the bridge, or at least far enough to look like they fled as they watched from afar.
• The god and companions entered the manse and further discussed a variety of matters. He identified the mysterious thingie-mabob at the heart of the structure as a device that once converted essence into an oil to be sacrificed to the Unconquered Sun. He answered a variety of questions to the best of his ability, including Aapo and Crimson Slate's curiosity about the Sidereal exalted from Aapo's memory of the First Age, though he knew very little of them. Alabaster Mountains previous life was also laid out before everyone, though he quickly stated he did not wish to further discuss it, but that his past life's memories were also coming through.
• While the others discussed current events and past lives, Alabaster Mountain & Soaring Majesty Father stepped off and sealed themselves in a side chamber where they had a private discussion.
• ...Which resulted in the manse activating and rising above the river for all the world to see. And they did. The other Solars quickly forgot their conversation and started beating on the door, which opened to reveal Alabaster Mountain & Soaring Majesty Father looking quite content with himself. The rise of the manse immediately drew a crowd, including the river god (who quickly retreated once he saw who all was gathered), the dragonblooded priest of Soaring Majesty Father, his acolytes, the city guard and some others. They were allowed to enter, saw who was present, were told all was as it should be & sent away by their god.
• Soaring Majesty Father left the manse in order to speak with the King, Queen and Dowager regarding her crimes. Aapo, Sapphire Veil & Lin eventually left the manse and soon found that the palace staff and citizens were terrified of them. Aapo managed to snag one and requested that they ease up & act natural. Which the poor terrified servant took as a divine command much to his dismay. Sapphire Veil visited the Dowager and Lin went to check on her crew. Crimson Slate and Alabaster Mountain remained in the manse for the time.
• Dinner with the royal family was a very awkward and largely silent affair, the scrape and ring of silverware on plates and eating seeming to echo in the room. Eventually Alabaster Mountain suggested that Sapphire Veil should play something. Aapo, remembering the last time she ensorcelled his emotions, took his plate and left the room to eat in the hallway. Sapphire Veil declined and suggested that perhaps the palace minstrel should perform instead.
• Following dinner, Alabaster Mountain and his parents had a private (albeit Sapphire Veil managed to hide and listen in) meeting with Soaring Majesty Father where they discussed Alabaster Mountains fate, who would be heir and the Dowager's fate. It was decided that the Majordomo would act as Steward over the city in Alabaster Mountains absence and that he would either return with his brother who would be heir or he would fill the role himself in one years time.
• Next, the Dowager was brought forth for her judgment. Soaring Majesty Father decreed that her mortal life would end, touched her forehead and she was transformed into a goddess. She would exist now as the Eternal Ivory Dowager and it would be her job to insure that only those who are fit would rule. It had been the job of the Kings & Queens in the past, but he had underestimated familial sentiment in the process of weeding out those who fell short of true nobility. As she had done in life, at great risk to herself, she would not do as a god of his court. The family was...less than pleased at this judgment, but they accepted it.
• With Alabaster Mountains' immediate family situation coming to an end it was agreed that they would all be leaving the next morning. Finally. Crimson Slate & Aapo were preparing to leave the palace in celebration at a dockside bar when Ginger sprung before them. She was also excited about leaving and said that she would go and tell the people of Mahanaga to start getting read... Crimson Slate and Aapo were not exactly planning on taking all the survivors with them. If they did, there probably wouldn't be many survivors after a few months. Ginger didn't quite understand. Crimson & Aapo decided that they'd better go talk with the refugees. They explained that they were not slaves and what opportunities and choices they had before them. In the end, only the two monks wished to go with them. Just as they were about to try and dissuade them, one of the monks suggested that they would be able to act as protectors to the children on the journey. Aapo was sold. The monks would go with them. Problem solved. Time to go drink themselves stupid while Kanji babysat Ginger & Thorn.
• While Crimson Slate and Aapo headed down to the docks to celebrate, Sapphire Veil and Alabaster Mountain were in the manse. Sapphire Veil urged Alabaster Mountain to leave Loyal Ash behind, using a variety of arguments and then bid him to go tell his servant that he would not be going. Alabaster spoke with Loyal Ash, who insisted that he wished to go. That there was no place for him at the palace without Alabaster. In the end, Alabaster Mountain agreed to let him travel with him. Alabaster Mountain then retired to the manse for the night.
• Lin was walking back to the palace from her ship when a very sudden blizzard struck the city. Very sudden. And very powerful. At that moment Alabaster Mountain was awoken when his manse-sense alerted him of many powerful dragonblooded had appeared in the city and were storming the palace. He awoke Sapphire Veil and they left the manse at supernatural speed through the icy and almost blinding blizzard, headed towards the other Solars he could sense, grabbing a confused Lin as he passed her by. Within moments the three of them burst into the bar where Aapo and Crimson Slate were drinking and alerted them. The Storm Riders who destroyed Mahanaga had returned. At the moment they stepped out of the bar, they could see all the lights at the palace suddenly winked out.
• Aapo grabbed Lin & Alabaster Mountain and charm-jumped up the his room's balcony. Setting them down, he crashed through the window, grabbed Ginger, Thorn & Kanji and bounded them towards the safety of Lin's ship far away from the palace battling the urge to rush on into the fight.
• Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil were flying courtesy of mecha-horsie towards the palace when they were suddenly attacked by a storm serpent.
• Quickly concocting a plan of action to distract the dragonblooded so that Alabaster Mountain could reach his gear in the vault, he and Lin jumped up to the third floor prince's suite balcony and found the massive doors had been blown off their hinges. A black clad fiery weapon-wielding dragonblood and two others greeted their arrival. Lin released her essence into the world and shaped it into a fiery inferno which she hurled at them, but they were absorbed by the dragonblood with a sneer. Alabaster Mountain prepared himself for battle just as a flying Aapo was cresting over the balcony railing to land beside them.
• Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil were hurling attack after attack at the serpent, but it was too quick and continued to dodge or swipe aside their attacks. Sapphire Veil summoned forth her iconic anima and ran up it's length and dove down upon the creature, delivering a powerful blow to it's head. Though it did not seem to suffer much from the attack, it did seem to annoy it. A moment later, the creature had vanished into the storm, leaving Sapphire Veil to plummet through the blizzard to the city below. Fortunately Crimson Slate and mecha-horsie was there to catch her.
• Aapo crashed down onto the stone balcony just as Alabaster Mountain hurled one of the massive fallen doors at the storm riders, after taking a moment to reflect upon a very picturesque flash back to his early training days (Aapo & Lyn applauded), but they evaded and regrouped. Three Solars facing three dragon blooded. Lyn summoned forth an essence weapon and joined the fray while Aapo & Alabaster Mountain continued their direct attack, though their foes continued to evade most of their attacks. Alabaster Mountain found himself being slowly strangled by the air aspect using small flying discs that encircled him with bonds of solid air, while Lyn & Aapo focused on the fire-sword wielding dragon blood. Unfortunately this allowed the other fire aspect to slink away to prepare sorceries to use against them. Aapo's opponent found himself unable to penetrate his iron skin on his first attack, took this into consideration and then made another attack that breached Aapo's defenses & wounded him. The dragon aspect then made the fatal mistake of making some smug quip & Aapo summoned forth the Red Dawn to destroy his enemy. One dragon blood down, two to go.

...aaaaand....some more stuff happened. A bit about Alabaster Mountain being strangled to death by spinny flying air discs...and more fighting...and stuff. Your befuddled narrator must have been dozing off at this point or intent on a bowl of food because the details at this point escape me.

• Meanwhile down in the gardens Crimson Slate & Sapphire Veil landed on a rather banged up flying horse. Crimson Slate sent him away to safety and they entered the palace & quickly found themselves facing off against a number of the storm riders.

...and again the details of the battle get a little foggy. Dragonblood & mortals perish to dramatic spinny fans, sorcery & huge flying sky cutters. And things went badly, because Crimson Slate died. Yes. She died. It really sucked. In the Other Place, Her Mad God forlornly wandered off from the Table to smoke a clove while he contemplated her replacement...

• Alabaster Mountain, finally freed of the spinning air discs of slow strangulation doom made a run down the hallway in hopes of reaching the armory while his companions held balcony. He didn't make it too far before he was felled. Then suddenly the Eternal Ivory Dowager was standing with Lyn & Aapo with Sapphire Veil at her side and a motionless Crimson Slate at her feet. She insisted that they all depart immediately. The fiery storm rider then drew a crystal from his belt and hurled it at her. They had heard of these crystals. Lyn valiantly threw herself into the path of the crystal, which harmlessly bounded off her chest and shattered on the ground, sparing the goddess a terrible fate. But Aapo & Sapphire Veil had both spied another crystal on his belt; this one glowing. Aapo single mindedly began to go for the crystal, not knowing that within seconds of having seen it, Sapphire Veil had effortlessly snatched it from the man. The Eternal Ivory Dowager again commanded them all to flee & that she would see to Alabaster Mountain who had fallen. Aapo refused to leave without the crystal, so Sapphire Veil informed him, firstly that he was a moron & secondly that she had it. Sapphire Veil drew forth the crystal and hurled it at the wall...but it did not break. The power of the god sealed within the crystal made it nearly invulnerable. Time seemed to stop. The shocked storm rider touched his belt & then wasted no time in lunging after his stolen captive. But Sapphire Veil was quicker and retrieved the crystal. Before the dragon blood had further time to react, Aapo grabbed Lyn, Sapphire Veil and the fallen Crimson Slate in his arms and bounded out of sight of the palace headed towards Lyn's ship. On his second landing and hop in the gardens, they saw massive first age machina land next to them & begin to pursue them. The ship would not be able to outrun their pursuers.
• Then once again the Eternal Ivory Dowager was before them with Alabaster Mountain. "Give me the crystal", she demanded and Sapphire Veil hesitated only a second before placing it in her hand.

And then the blizzard, the ship, the storm riders and all of Lions Roar was gone.

• The goddess had used the power within the gem to transport them safely to Del Brannan. But one of them did not wish to be rescued. Aapo demanded to be sent back immediately and her failing to do so he sought to depart immediately and make his own way back. Back to Kanji and his children. The goddess explained to him that the ship had already left without pursuit and was on its way to Del Brannan that very moment.
• Disgruntled Aapo went to sulk in a corner until his room was prepared and he left them. Alabaster Mountain was conscious again and it was revealed that Crimson Slate was still alive (Mad Gods rejoice!). The goddess had watched the fight while she was invisible and when the blow that should have killed Crimson Slate had felled her, the goddess had used her powers to minimalize the damage to her body, just barely keeping her out of deaths hands. Lyn immediately set to work doing what she could to heal her companions. It was soon explained by Alabaster Mountains cousin, the lord of Del Brannan, that the goddess had quickly taken him and the royal family with her to the safety of his home following the capture of Soaring Majesty Father. Who as it turned out, was the deity trapped within the crystal they had rescued. He would be given some time to cool down within the crystal, so that when he was released back in his sanctuary he would be able to be reasoned with and not rush back only to be captured again.

23rd Day of Ascending Water

• They each passed the next few days in different ways. Alabaster Mountain touched base with his family and then began to make his way around the palace and city, spreading Taruzake's rice wine and how to make it to the people. Crimson Slate rested and contemplated everything that had just happened to her. Sapphire Veil studied those around her, mapping out the dynamics of this household and the city & spending time with Alabaster Mountian's cousin. Lyn found the library and spent her time quietly reading while she awaited the safe return of her ship and her people. Aapo had his meals delivered to his room and never set foot outside his door. The Eternal Ivory Dowager returned to her lords sanctuary and freed him from his crystal imprisonment. She later carried word back to the Solars that the storm riders had soon left Lions Roar following their escape, though their whereabouts were once again unknown.
• Three days had passed when suddenly Aapo, who had not been seen in that time, poked his head into Lyn's bedroom door and informed her that her ship would soon be docking. Since the day Aapo had exalted, he had never been far enough from Kanji to have lost his connection. The past three days had been an endless waking nightmare for him as he tried to endure the massive void he felt in the center of his being added to his worry for Ginger & Thorn. And wondering what exactly his exaltation had made him into...not what he'd originally expected. Then that sense of Kanji suddenly returned. He was distant, but he was there and coming closer. The ship had finally come near Del Brannan.
• The Solars all went to the docks and found more upon Lyn's ship than they had expected. As Aapo hurtled himself onto the ship & grabbed up Ginger, Thorn & Kanji and Lyn was reunited with her people, others stepped off the ship. Crimson Slate's mecha-horse, the two monks from Mahanaga who had wished to go with them to protect the children, Loyal Ash who was picked up by Alabaster Mountain and squeezed nearly blue, and Grace. The last stepped off the ship so timidly and presented herself to her master, preparing for the slap that would come. But it never happened. Sapphire Veil coolly examined her servant and accepted her back. Later, back in the privacy of her room, she told Grace that she felt she had been mistreating her in the past, that that would now change as Grace was ready for the next step in her training. Grace, restraining her mixture of terror and elation, humbly thanked her master and then guarded the door to the room from intruders so that her lady could rest. Crimson Slate's mount informed her of what had come to pass after their escape. He had released her horse from the stables and watched as it galloped off back towards its homeland. He then found the monks, Loyal Ash and Grace and delivered them all to Lyn's ship that had already left.
• We love mecha-horsie. Even if this poor befuddled narrator cannot remember his name to save his life.
• Terrible things had happened. But at least it was a morning full of happy reunions.

25th Day of Ascending Water

• Chapter Three: Winter Temples
• The companions and their party with Lin's crew depart Del Brannan on her ship and travel upon the river towards Lookshy. Having completed the Tiger Warrior Training Technique for dexterity, Aapo plans to initiate another training session focusing on martial arts. Lin wishes her crew to partake in the training, though a few minor problems arise. It turns out that Weeping Peony is preggers and River Sword considers himself bound by some sort of honor to decline any instruction from someone other than his own mentor who cannot first best him in combat...so he challenges Aapo to a duel.
• Aapo agrees to Lin's terms to not use his powers on River Sword and adopts a wooden sword to fight with. The entire ship assembles to watch the duel. Sword Lin does quite well for himself and gives Aapo a few scrapes & bruises in the fight. Aapo, enjoying himself, finds it difficult to strike Sword Lin - and when he does it is deflected to only inflict minor harm. In his usual, fashion, after two relatively failed blows, Aapo channels essence into an attack, unseen by watchers, and lands a blow on River Sword who yields. Lin, standing nearby holding her soul blade ready to engage at any moment if things got ugly, glared suspiciously at Aapo's innocent grin.
• The duel out of the way, the training commenced.
• That evening Sapphire Veil invited River Sword to join her for tea and they discussed martial arts.

Resplendent Water

1st Day of Resplendent Water

• During another evening of the river journey, Crimson Slate's continued frustration with her secret, yet thus far nearly useless book, finally hit a mile stone. When the light of the full moon struck the pages of the book, silvery writing appeared on the pages. She snatched the book up and began reading the secrets that had been hidden upon the pages.

5th Day of Resplendent Water

• Aapo wakes everyone up early and starts the Tiger Warrior Training Technique for strength.

8th Day of Resplendent Water

• Lin finds Thorn below deck hiding behind crates crying. She speaks with him of his concerns regarding Ginger and Bronze Dusk, one of Lin's crew that she had taken to following around, as well as Ginger threatening to sick snakes on him. Lin puts Thorn to work on the ship in order to keep his mind off things and then goes to find Aapo to discuss Ginger's serpentine threats. Lin does not quite receive the responsible guardian reaction she had expected...instead Aapo laughed in her face about it, finding it rather hilarious. Lin, seeing that Aapo was not going to impart her wisdom upon Ginger with any real effect, asked Kanji to do so instead. Kanji nodded sagely at her and nodded. He then bounded off after Aapo. Lin swears that she could soon hear foxy laughter and Aapo chuckling.
• Aapo did speak to Ginger about the threats...but seemed more to stress not getting caught more than not making the threats in the first place.
• That evening Sapphire Veil, Grace and one of the monks from Mahanaga had tea to discuss a few matters regarding the monks faith and his feelings for Grace. It was revealed that his faith had been faltering just as his feelings for Grace had been growing. After he had been sent away, Sapphire Veil asked Grace what she thought of him. Very coldly she laid it out that she would never have feelings for someone who could not even adhere to a sworn oath. What good would he do if you could not depend on him? Sapphire Veil, looking pleased, asked if she would sleep with him. Grace replied that she would if she needed to, but did not relish the idea. Sapphire Veil continued to sip her tea, a smile hidden on her face.

9th Day of Resplendent Water

• Weeping Peony, still preggers, needed a truly warm place to rest and the ship stopped in the village of Reverence. They went into an inn to sit & talk & procure rooms...as well as further spread the glory of Taruzake's wine.
• Not long after having sat down to talk, a group of rather tattered Immaculate Monks entered the inn and were bullying people for their coin. Ignoring Lin's pleads for restraint & caution, Crimson Slate picked a fight. Tensions were rising and the "Immaculate Monks", drew their weapons. At that instance, Aapo summoned Slaughterous Prelude from Elsewhere into his hands. The one dragonblood amongst them gaped, cried out "Anathema!" and attacked. The fight was very short & very pathetic. The entire inn was also empty within seconds, the people screaming and fleeing in terror. Storm clouds above her head, Lin stalked back to her ship with everyone following and they made haste to leave Reverence behind them.

10th Day of Resplendent Water

• Crimson Slate summons a sobeksis named Gold in the Shallows (aka, "Goldie" or "Save Point") and binds him for 101 days to be the ship medic. Goldie hunkers down and goes below deck where he heals Weeping Peony and Winter Duty of any ailments.

12th Day of Resplendent Water

• Yet again Aapo wakes everyone up early and begins the Tiger Warrior Training Technique for dexterity.

18th Day of Resplendent Water

• As the ship begins to near Great Forks it is apparent that the weather is taking a hasty turn for the worse as the sky darkens and the temperature begins to plummet in preparation for the annual final blizzard commonly called Mela's Last Gasp.
• Two hours from port, the blizzard strikes. Crimson Slate summons a doldrum, a kind of air elemental. The spirit creates a bubble of calm in the storm around the ship and they sail relatively safely into port where they dock, with considerable trouble due to the churning waters. Lin managed to dock the ship and they tied it down. The hollow immediately vanished and the blizzard came down upon them once again in full force.
• The companions and crew trekked through the blizzard in search of a place to stay. After two packed inns turned them down, they were approached by two men with serpent tattoos who said that they had been expecting them. They explained that they served the god Scales Beneath the Water who had predicting their coming. They followed the two priests into a small temple. On their way there, Lin, Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain took note of a shrine to the Unconquered Sun in an alleyway & made note to check into it later.
• Once they were all gathered into the temple, the two men sent numerous priests out to scout for lodging and soon returned, having found that the Rising Vine Lodge still had rooms where another party had canceled. Everyone was led to the lodge, but the five Solars and Ginger were requested to remain.
• After the others had departed, the god Scales Beneath the Water manifested to them and requested them to stay and dine with him and inquired if two of his peers would also be allowed to accompany them. Two more serpent gods manifested and joined them at the table. They spoke at length of Potrimpos, who they obviously regarded very highly and they showed a great deal of respect towards everyone, especially Ginger who they called the Avatar of Potrimpos. They also informed the party of the very unusual snake outbreak in the city of Lookshy making them all suspect that Potrimpos was being held prisoner there. One of the snake gods spoke with Lin about a dream she had had about her which sounded very much like some of the lines of Lin's prophecy. After dinner was concluded the companions were led to the lodge for some well deserved relaxation and warm baths.

19th Day of Resplendent Water

• Before they had even had a chance to get a good nights rest, Aapo was hammering on everyone's doors, waking them up and dragging them out into the snow for five hours of intense Tiger Warrior Training Technique stamina training.
• After the training was completed and they had a chance to properly attire themselves the Solars sat at a table in the commons to have some breakfast. While they were all discussing their plans, a woman approached the table calling Aapo, "my little Pony". Aapo, without blinking or even looking, gracefully stood up approached the woman, taking her by the arm and began to escort her away while the table looked on and Sapphire Veil asked who the visitor was. Before Aapo could walk three feet the woman had disentangled herself from him and taken his seat at the table. She pulled up a chair next to her & a disgruntled Aapo sat next to her.
• Introduced as Lily, a childhood friend of Aapo who had also trained with him, the woman was a rising & ambitious member of the Guild. The longer she was present, the deeper Lin seemed to vanish into her hood at the opposite end of the table. Lily, based in Nexus, had been visiting her mother while attending to some business in the city. She & the Solars discussed a variety of matters, including her nickname for Aapo, which she refused to discuss further since it was obvious that he did not wish the matter known. Lily charmed the table (except for Lin) and invited them all to join her the next day on the balcony for a Masque, an offer Sapphire Veil quickly accepted for them all before anyone else could speak.
• A fat painted dandy of a man then appeared calling for Lily and was introduced as Loquacious Suitor, the owner of the Masque. He and Sapphire Veil took an immediate interest in each other and oblivious to most of the others at the table, they began a complicated & subtle game with their fans, communicating privately with each other about martial arts & a request that she perform for him. The conversation ended abruptly when Aapo, who had been watching & somehow understanding, audibly joined their silent conversation. They ignored him in a manner he had grown rather used to from Sapphire Veil.
• After Lily and her fancy companion left them, Crimson Slate & Sapphire Veil vanished upstairs to have a private discussion. Loyal Ash invited Alabaster Mountain to join him at a steam & spa he had seen. Aapo wandered off on his own, leaving Kanji to babysit Ginger & Thorn. Lin, after being assured that Crimson Slate had the resupplying of the ship well in hand, left to investigate the Unconquered Sun shrine she had glimpsed the previous day. Sapphire Veil left to find Loquacious Suitor to continue their conversation that Aapo had so rudely interrupted and Crimson Slate left to go shopping.
• Aapo strolled by the dojo he and Lily had once trained at underneath his uncle to find it had been converted to a perfume & scent shop. He then went on to spy on his parents shop from afar and took up a position leaning upon a building across the street where he could watch them for a while. Wondering if they would recognize him or not if he went in to buy some sweet cakes...the last time they had seen him him he was not even ten years of age.
• Crimson Slate went about her business and with her unparalleled skill & some luck, was able to find everything they needed, purchase it with Alabaster Mountains funding & arrange for it all to be readied the following morning.
• Lin found the old shine to the Unconquered Sun was tended by an old blind man named Vision of Steel. He had lost his vision in the war and afterward was only able to see the sun in his blindness. Even his dreams were void of sight, save for the sun. And the dreams led him to the shrine. They spoke at length about the Unconquered Sun and his lack of worshipers until he admitted that he could see the sun now when he looked towards her. He then began to teach Lin the four prayers of the virtues of the Unconquered Sun.
• Alabaster Mountain & Loyal Ash were enjoying themselves in the steam room when another man, a dragonblood, joined them. They spoke of a variety of things and the man inquired about purchasing Loyal Ash. Alabaster Mountain explained that he was not for sale & claimed that he was no slave, but his servant turned companion. After some more talk, the three of them adjourned to another room with one of his slaves for some more intimate interaction.
• Shortly after Crimson Slate had finished making the arrangements for the following morning, an old woman approached her, stating that she was a messenger with a private message for Crimson Slate alone. They adjourned to a more private location and the woman shapeshifted into a man with the silver markings of a Lunar. He introduced himself as Anointed Starfall and stated that he was here regarding the debt owned by the demon Crimson Slate had freed, Sondok She Who Stands in Doorways. He asked why Crimson Slate had freed the creature & she admitted to the folly as based largely on ignorance & inexperience. Anointed Starfall offered to be her teacher in celestial sorcery, but only when her essence was more refined. But first he demanded an oath from her that she would never willingly or knowing speak of his lodge or teachings to anyone save for himself.
• Sapphire Veil sent Grace forth to find Loquacious Suitor and was informed that he was at a slave auction and wished for her to join him. She arrived, quickly making use of an orange offered by Grace to combat the stench of the place. Loquacious Suitor asked if Sapphire Veil would use her keen eye & people watching skills to pick out the most promising slaves from the bunch. Sapphire Veil scanned the slaves, assessing their movements, their grace & poise & told him which ones he wanted. He purchased them all & thanked her by gifting her one of the slaves.
• After watching his parents at work for sometime, Aapo mustered up the courage to approach them, guessing that after so many years they would not recognize him. He purchased a box of sweet cakes from his father and in the process, discovered that he had a younger brother. He snacked on a sweet cake while walking back to the inn deep in thought...a brother. Interesting. He got to the inn and surprised Ginger & Thorn with the sweet cakes.
• After having had his fill of the steam house entertainments, Alabaster Mountain left and decided to go visit the shrine to the Unconquered Sun. He met Vision of Steel and they discussed the shrine and how he had come to be there. Vision of Steel told Alabaster Mountain how he too, like the woman who had visited earlier, shone like the sun in his darkness. Alabaster inquired of the woman & identified her as one of his companions. Vision of Steel then showed Alabaster the prayers and taught him the prayer of the shield. Alabaster Mountain departed, but not before making a generous donation to the old blind man for his good works in keeping the shrine.
• That evening it was time for them to all (minus Lin who adamantly refused to patronize such a barbaric event that was surely to rot all of their souls for attending) meet Lily at the Emerald Masque. They gathered and met Lily on her balcony. Lily introduced Aapo to General Blood Linnet, who was in charge of Great Forks military. She informed him that since the war their military has been lacking & was interested in his training capabilities that Lily had bragged about. Aapo expressed his interest & told her that he may pursue the matter after his current task was concluded.
• They watched the shows and bouts until Loquacious Suitor came for Sapphire Veil. It was time for her to perform. Sapphire Veil, disguised with a mask, did a stunning essence enhanced performance, delivering feelings of loss into the hearts of all who were there. Even Aapo, who once he'd seen her take the stage, had busied himself singing a song about beer, staring at the ceiling with his fingers in his ears, could not help but tear up a tiny bit, able to FEEL the power of her performance.
• At the end of her performance, a dark & mysterious woman on a balcony opposite the others, broke the somber silence with applause and tossed a single black rose that landed at Sapphire Veils feet. Sapphire Veil immediately knew what this woman was, somehow just by looking at her...a death knight of the nearby shadowlands...and she shuddered inside as she took the rose and bowed. Alabaster Mountain looked and saw his missing brother standing next to the woman and immediately began to make his way around to her balcony. The event was concluded & people began to egress. Alabaster Mountain was stopped by two grim looking guards at the door to the balcony and called for his brother. His brother summoned him in, and from a glance from the strange woman, the two guards allowed him entry.
• Aapo asked Lily and General Blood Linnet who the woman was. The General told him she was called Ebon Midwife of Wormwood Dirges, an emissary from the shadowlands for one of the Death Lords seeking to establish good relations between their two realms. Aapo, seeing Alabster Mountain with the woman and infused with curiosity about her, made his way towards them.
• Crimson Slate joined Sapphire Veil below where they discussed and kept a wary eye on their companions, wondering why in Creation they were with the woman and dreading that it was THEM who was with her.
• Aapo arrived and noted that the two guards were not men, but nemisaries, ghosts wearing corpses - terrible creatures from the shadow lands that serve death knights. He called for Alabaster Mountain and with her permission was allowed to pass by the creepy guards to join them on the balcony. Alabaster Mountain was catching his brother up on what all had happened & chastising him for having just left, though his brother pointed out that he had done just the same. Their argument went back & forth with no real conclusion save the observation that his brother was enamored, quite possibly unnaturally, with the Ebon Midwife and that someone, quite possibly again the Ebon Midwife...or her undead, was leeching his blood. Alabaster Mountain was rather disturbed, but also determined to ship his brother home to the family. While Alabaster and his brother spoke, Aapo started up a conversation with the Ebon Midwife asking questions about the shadow lands, her role, the people who lived there, the dead who unlive there, their intentions and a few other things, genuinely curious about it all. She spun a very good sales pitch and Aapo was left wondering exactly what all the fuss was about. Yeah, they're kinda creepy, but hey - if their exports are good, why not. Alabaster Mountain and Aapo began to take their leave when she stopped them and spoke a few words to Alabaster about how poor a ruler his brother would make & that his place was with her. Alabaster, in a moment of uncertainty, fell prey to her words and decided to the Abyss with his family - they could fix their own damn problems and his brother could make his own way, more likely to an early grave, but it was not his problem. Aapo, a little stunned by this sudden change of heart, pressed his hand against Alabaster's forehead to check for fever.
• Alabaster Mountain and Aapo rejoined the two girls below and they discussed the strange woman and their concern that Alabaster had happily provided her with their currently temporary residence. Loquacious Suitor bid them fare well and when asked give his dismal opinion about the Ebon Midwife. It was obvious that she was not very popular. The Solars discussed the matter further and what it could mean to their plans & what to do about the throne of Keldin as they left the complex.
• All but Aapo decided to attend a private after party being thrown by Loquacious Suitor. Aapo wished to return to the inn, check on Kanji & the kids, and have a few drinks in the common room rather than socialize with a bunch of painted art snobs. As soon as he arrived, the inn keeper informed him that Lily had come by and left him a gift in his room. Aapo went upstairs and opened the door. Ginger, Thorn & Kanji were fast asleep in the corner bed. Then he noticed a man wearing a slave collar who stood up and faced him. Aapo wasn't sure if he should laugh or strike something, for Lily sure had developed a very sick sense of humor. The man was his uncle, his old mentor & first lover, Capering Puma...the once proud man he himself had left to be sold into slavery.
• The other three arrived at the party. Sapphire Veil quickly lost her companions and began work on a plan she had hatched. She posed as an agent for the mysterious masked performer that had captivated the audience that night. She began to spread word about the mysterious performer, about her mysterious background & her current journey of tours across the land. People were captivated about this mysterious performer and after a few short hours she was the talk in many a cloister of people. Sapphire Veil's plan to gain worshipers had begun well.
• Then the Ebon Midwife showed up. Alabaster's brother approached him and they began to speak about the family and the throne. The Ebon Midwife began to mingle and made her way towards Sapphire Veil, commenting on the mysterious performer to some that she had passed, praising her, all the while with her eyes on Sapphire Veil.
• Alabaster Mountain, having rediscovered his temporarily wavering sense of family duty, tried to convince his brother to return home, but he continued to refuse, obviously because of his being smitten with the death knight. The Ebon Midwife approached and hearing the conversation, summoned Alabaster Mountain out to the balcony where they could further discuss his brothers fate. As soon as Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil saw them go, they ascended to a higher floor where they could spy on their conversation.
• The Ebon Midwife made her offer, his brother would return home as asked, if she was allowed to spend one night of sexual pleasures with Sapphire Veil and that he argue in her favor when offering this deal to her. Sapphire Veil, hidden & listening above, was in shocked and horrified by the concept. As soon as the Ebon Midwife left, she had a very icy conversation with Alabaster Mountain as he lived up to his agreement and spoke in favor of the offer. Sapphire Veil ended the conversation stating that she would not do this. But that she felt obligated to decline the offer in person on the morrow. She left them then without another word.
• While the others were at the party, Aapo was left to his awkward conversation with Capering Puma. Before the conversation goes on very long, Aapo rips the slave collar off of a shocked Puma, effectively freeing him from slavery. When asked why, Aapo simply states that a great deal has changed and that the concept of Puma being HIS slave was disgusting. Aapo gives him the choice to leave & strike out on his own now, or travel with them & help protect his children. Puma accepts the offer to travel with them for now and so Aapo explains a few things to him; such as the fact that he is one of the chosen of the Unconquered Sun, a solar exalt, who are wrongly called anathema by those who created the immaculate philosophy lie to suppress the solars in order to keep themselves in power. Puma receives this information with little shock and remained in the room while Aapo went downstairs to drink. Aapo later drunkenly stumbled upstairs & was quietly pleased to see that Puma was still there, sleeping on a palette he'd made on the floor. His last coherent thought before bed that he actually remembered mecha-horsie's name. His name is Fidelis. Yays!

20th Day of Resplendent Water

• Everyone rises the next morning and convene downstairs for breakfast. Capering Puma comes down with Aapo and the children and somewhat awkward introductions are given. Sapphire Veil sends Grace with a letter to Ebon Midwife requesting a meeting. While awaiting a response, she updates Aapo and Lin on what had happened the previous night. She was planning on taking Crimson Slate with her to decline the Ebon Midwife's request and in hopes of being able to strike up a different deal to free Alabaster Mountains brother from her entourage. Grace returned with another letter and after reading it Sapphire Veil had a change of heart and wished to go alone. Crimson Slate refused and rather heatedly talked her out of it.
• Crimson Slate (with Kanji on her shoulder) and Sapphire Veil left to attend to their business with the Ebon Midwife while Alabaster Mountain, Lin, Aapo, Ginger & Thorn all went together to visit the shrine to the Unconquered Sun.
• Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil are received by the Ebon Midwife who seemed only momentarily surprised that Crimson Slate was in attendance as well. She graciously welcomed them both and Sapphire Veil wasted little time in declining the offer, but that she sought to make a different deal. The Ebon Midwife was not having it. She did not invite Sapphire Veil there to talk politics, or make deals for her master, she wanted her for herself. She had been moved in a way by her performance that she had thought impossible and in that moment a new want had been born. She wanted Sapphire Veil in a bad way and pulled the strings of the conversation just so, but every time Sapphire Veil's original resolve had begun to falter, Crimson Slate would pop into the conversation and drag her friend back out of the clutches of the death knight. Ebon Midwife changed her strategy slightly & offered to involve Crimson Slate as well...and something in Crimson snapped. An icy resolve took hold of her and she was invincible to the woman's charms, causing the conversation to become somewhat heated. Unawares to them all, Aapo who had been listening in on the conversation via Kanji called a halt on their trip to the shrine and did not continue until he felt the conversation had again cooled down and the danger passed. Sapphire Veil began to scope out what she might be able to gain personally from the Ebon Midwife, but found Crimson Slate blocking most avenues of conversation and negotiation at this point. The parlay had been concluded so long as her friend was present so they made their farewells and departed.
• The others had arrived at the temple and a somewhat unsettled Vision of Steel at meeting yet another glowie-person and Aapo were introduced. After some conversation, the three solars set to work transcribing the last two prayers. Lin quickly discovered that, while fluent in both Riverspeak and Old Realm, Aapo did not know how to read or write and began instructing him while copying the prayers.
• When Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil arrived at the shine following their visit with Ebon Midwife something strange began to occur. Once all five of them had entered the shrine, Vision of Steel became unnerved by a strange sound. Only those able to sense the spirit realm were able to hear it, a slight musical chorus, barely audible. Out of curiosity, Lin flared her caste sign and Vision of Steel jumped and then reached towards her, asking if she had done that. He had seen her caste sign. Aapo did the same and he saw his as well. Crimson Slate stepped out of the shrine and the light and chorus ended abruptly. She stepped back in and they all flared their signs at once. Suddenly, they could all hear the chorus, four distinct voices singing a very complex song and the shrine began to fill with brilliant light.
• Suddenly, overcome with emotion at the beauty and complexity of the song, Sapphire Veil fled the shrine leaving her shocked companions within. Lin tried to comfort her and was brushed off, but when Crimson Slate went to her, she turned and hugged her. After a moment she had regained her chilly composure and returned to the shrine, ignoring any inquiries to her well being. Once she had entered again the song and the light returned. Ginger and Thorn looked in and were amazed by the light that did not pass the threshold of the shrine. Aapo called them in and they were assaulted by the song which they had not been able to hear just outside the door. The solars were all glowing, their cast marks shining and Ginger's serpent sign given to her by Potrimpos also began to glow. Sapphire Veil was given paper and pen and she closed her eyes and lost herself in the song. She began to write, documenting the music of the song, pages and pages of musical notes until finally she stopped and opened her eyes to look at the stack of pages she had generated. She then took up her instrument and began to play in accompaniment with the music all around them.
• Vision of Steel who had been in awe all this time, bent to his knees and began to pray, requesting that Alabaster Mountain (who had been pointed out earlier by Aapo as a priest of the Unconquered Sun) pray with him. As they did so, to the ethereal chorus echoing to Sapphire Veils hauntingly played melody and the light of the solar exalted (and one small greenish snakey light)..and Thorn, Vision of Steel began to weep what looked to be molten gold. He removed his blindfold and everyone could see that his eyes had regenerated, but the iris' were bright metallic gold.
• He could see again and the rightful rulers of Creation renamed him Vision of Gold.
• Chapter Four: The Ruins of Hollow

21st Day of Resplendent Water

• The River Sparrow departed Great Forks early in the morning and set off towards Nexus. Before the ship had made it halfway out of the harbor, five Great Forks enforcers materialized out of thin air upon the ship and requested the captain. Lin met with them and they explained that they had been instructed to search every riverlin ship leaving the city due to a number of escaped riverlin slaves. Lin had the ship drop anchor upon their request and she scrutinized their papers to assure no foul play was involved. The agreed to allow their search and they were unable to find anything on board save for a very disgruntled and inconvenienced Sapphire Veil when they demanded she allow them to search her room. The enforcers thanked Lin for her cooperation and vanished. Aapo asked Lin if she really had anything to do with it and she proclaimed her innocence, a lie that some of her companions clearly saw through but only laughed and continued with what they were previously engaged with.

23rd Day of Resplendent Water

• The evening of the 23rd day was filled with the terrible sounds of an unpracticed fiddle player as Aapo put bow to string in his attempt to master the instrument with no previous training. Ignoring the cacophony of auditory pain going above deck, Winter Duty sought out Lin and informed her that she needed to go see Weeping Peony who was crying & inconsolable, but would not say what was wrong. Lin spoke with Weeping Peony and was informed by Bronze Dusk that he had spied River Sword and Grace being intimate together. As soon as Winter Duty heard this, she marched out of the room with a stony determined look upon her face. Lin attempted to console Weeping Peony and quickly excused herself as she sought out River Sword and/or any of the others involved in the matter. She ran across Bronze Dawn and asked where the others were. She rudely dismissed Ginger, who then sought out Aapo and instructed Bronze Dawn to go and attend to Weeping Peony. Lin quickly found River Sword, Grace and Winter Duty in the mess hall. Winter Duty marched up to Grace and slapped her hard across the face and arguing ensued.
• Above deck, summoned by the terrible noise Aapo was producing, Sapphire Veil had fled her room to snatch the fiddle away from him. She proclaimed that if he truly insisted on playing the crude instrument that he would allow her to instruct him in the means for the sake of her sanity and not as a kindness towards him. Aapo, somewhat shocked, accepted the offer. At about this time they heard the resounding slap and arguing from below and both rushed below deck to see what the commotion was about. As soon as Sapphire Veil learned what had happened she demanded that Winter Duty be punished for touching her possession to the extreme of requesting that she be thrown overboard. Lin and Sapphire Veil have a heated discussion as the details of the situation come to light. Aapo dismisses himself upon realizing this was a girl matter that had nothing to do with him, snatched his fiddle back from a distracted Sapphire Veil and fled back to the safety of the deck.
• Lin and Sapphire Veil each go their different ways. Lin takes River Sword to her chambers and Sapphire Veil takes Grace to hers, each intending to interrogate their subordinate. After hearing River Sword's story, Lin lectures him about how their guests are poison and to avoid them. She gives him the choice of reconciling with his wife or else he would be put off the ship at the next port. She sends him below to remain in the room with Save Point until she sends for him again. Meanwhile Sapphire Veil gets the story from a rather unconcerned Grace.
• Later that evening Sapphire Veil approaches Lin and apologized for her behavior earlier & for Grace's actions. The two take several veiled snipes at each other, Sapphire Veil stressing her ownership of Grace as a thing and Lin ending the conversation stating that she had no concern for "things".
• Lin sets about the ship and instructs her crew that they are no longer to interact with their poisonous guests. When at last she speaks with Weeping Peony she is somewhat chastised for taking this stance, that it is impractical and not their way or the way of wisdom, but anger. Lin takes her council and reascends her directive to her crew.

24th Day of Resplendent Water

• Sapphire Veil sends a letter to Weeping Peony requesting a meeting and she accepts. Sapphire Veil seeks out Lin and informs her of her intent to make amends by teaching Weeping Peony in the arts of the bed chamber. Lin is flabbergasted and their conversation goes poorly. Lin seeks out Weeping Peony and discusses this meeting and her concerns, but finds that the pregnant woman is actually more open to the offer than she would have guessed. Lin warily agrees to Weeping Peony's wishes to meet with Sapphire Veil and leaves the room.
• Later in the day as Aapo attempts to "quietly" practice the fiddle on desk he notices Ginger and Copper Fang talking. He tunes into Kanji's hearing and listens in on the conversation to find them discussing the theology and rituals of Potrimpos. Aapo, having been one of Capering Puma's students, understood and appreciated the concept of learning and education, though it was never quite his strong point, smiled to himself and continued to play.
• Sapphire Veil meets with Weeping Peony and they discuss the charms & secrets of the bed chamber. Lin secretly listened in for a while, dismissing Aapo when he attempted to speak with her, until she determined that the session was not going to be harmful. She then sought out Aapo and he requested her further assistance with his reading & writing studies by asking for a book with small words he might practice with. Lin took him to her room and selected a book of riverlin legends for him to read and learn from.

26th Day of Resplendent Water

• Early in the morning Aapo awoke all those who would participate in yet another session of martial arts tiger warrior training and the deck was filled with crew and companions as his essence surged throughout himself and through the bodies of his students.
• About halfway through the training Aapo was annoyed to find Alabaster Mountain and Grace's attentions to his instructions faltering as they were distracted by something off deck. River Sword went to investigate the sounds of churning water and as soon as the reached the side and looked below he yelled a warning just as a river dragons head rose up above the side of the ship. On the opposite side of the ship another rose up to regard the tasty treats that had interrupted their frenzied mating season below. Three other dragons would rise from the water and attempt to crawl upon the deck of the ship to devour the meaty snacks scurrying about.
• Crimson Slate summoned Fidelis to her and soared up into the air, grabbing rigging and ropes and performing some sort of bizarre exalted macrame. She had a plan. A rather clever plan, though everyone else though she'd gone slightly loopy. Aapo bid Ginger & Thorn to get below deck and summoned forth the Red Dawn and snicker-snacked one of the serpents heads from it's body. Alabaster Mountain lunged atop the dragon that was attempting to devour River Sword and liquefied its innards with his mighty tetsubo. Sapphire Veil, having been alerted to the dragons when one of them shoved it's clawed let into her quarters stealthed up topside and then sprang forth into the battle unseen from the shadows unleashing fury upon one of the beasts gravely injuring it. Lin is scratched by a dragon as it snapped at her, but it's blow snapped her bow holster, dropping the bow into her hand allowing her to flawlessly draw it forth and within a second loose four arrows into the beast slaying it. Crimson Slate lassoed the dragon that had been injured by Sapphire Veil with the rigging she had knotted for the purpose and then the final uninjured dragon. She then let loose her sky cutter which arced through the air and split the injured dragon open ending its life. The weight of the slain dragon tugged at the one remaining and then dragged it down below the surface of the water. The battle was won and the crew quickly set to cleaning and salvaging the dragon carcasses for sale. As soon as clean up was completed, Aapo mercilessly summoned them all back on desk and lined them into formation to complete his martial arts training for the day.

27th Day of Resplendent Water

• The River Sparrow arrived in Nexus early in the morning and the companions traded and compiled their shared knowledge of the vast city. Upon arrival the passengers departed the ship as Lin and the crew saw it to the dry docks for overdue maintenance. Aapo, not believing that many of them would take up the offer, invited them all to come and stay in his home. To his surprise, they all accepted, so they all followed him into town. To Lin's dismay, her acceptance had meant to be a snipe at him, but Aapo being who he was missed the subtle jab entirely.
• The companions, who really need some sort of group name, arrived at Aapo's home and were greeted by his slaves Winds & River who were both very happy to see their master returned. They were given rooms and meals & once she got over the shock, River was instantly endeared of Ginger & Thorn.
• Alabaster Mountain and Loyal Ash shared some words and affection as Alabaster Mountain officially freed him from the bonds of slavery and accepted him as his true companion.
• Crimson Slate headed out to meet with Torfalen Dar to get the variety of gear they'd collected over the months appraised to sell to the Guild.
• Sapphire Veil requested Aapo's blessing in her use of Ginger to do a little information reconnaissance at the house she had once trained in - she would send Ginger with Grace to apply & was going to train Ginger how exactly to FAIL.
• Aapo remained home to enjoy a nice bath and meal as he caught up with Winds on everything that had happened in his absence.
• Crimson Slate met with Dar (the man, not the dragon clan or Norrath) and they discussed a variety of matters. Crimson Slate had the items appraised and was given information regarding getting repairs for Fidelis in Lookshy town of Nexus. After she had left, Fidelis pointed out that she had failed to notice that the man was a solar like herself. She nearly spun around to return, but decided to run to the guild and cash in the gear first. On her way there, she runs into Alabaster Mountain who had been out shopping for crafting materials.
• Sapphire Veil, disguising herself as a common servant, went out into the city to call upon one of her contacts. She inquired into the status of her old house and particularly about herself and the circumstances behind her speedy departure. She found out that she was presumed dead and that another girl, one Sapphire Harp had been made a scapegoat in her place for the events that had transpired.
• Crimson Slate and Alabaster Mountain go shopping with some of their newfound funds and purchase a number of items & materials for their use, especially Alabaster Mountain who had been studying the perfection of a number of crafting skills.
• Crimson Slate parted ways with Alabaster Mountain sending him off with his purchases back to Aapo's home. Crimson Slate visits Mr. Dar once again, reveals her identity as a solar and he reveals himself to be of the Twilight caste. She asked him to join her for a drink at a wine bar and he accepted.
• That evening Winds had booked a feast to celebrate Aapo's return home & invited a great number of guests, largely well known mercenaries and Guild members who Aapo had worked with in the past, as well as his companions. Aapo himself extended the invitation to Lin, making no mention of what sort of people would be attending.
• Many many courses of food came & went over & over, though not a scrap would be left upon the plate when it would leave Aapo's presence. Most of Lin's food met its fate at his hands as well for she spent much of the evening hooded & glowering at everyone present, especially Aapo...and his two happy - HAPPY slaves who she thought morons.
• During the feast, Iron Prestige, a Guildsman he had worked with in the past greeted him and drank in his honor. He had one of the women entertainers from Sapphire Veils' house with him and treated her as little more than a cheap common whore. Sapphire Veil was beside herself with carefully hidden rage - she and the other spoke the fans & Sapphire Veil was horrified that it would appear her house had come to prostitution. Sapphire Veil pulls Aapo aside & drills him for information about the man. Aapo offers what little he could & agreed to her request to investigate further. Sapphire Veil entered the building and spoke with the other woman after she had finished pleasing Iron Prestige. She discovered that a group called the Garnet Wolf Consortium had taken over her house due to unpaid debts. The old leader of the house had vanished and a new one had replaced her. In order to pay their debts, the sisters of the house were forced to sell their bodies or else wind up in chains.
• The night deepened and they eventually all returned to Aapo's home for sleep. River informed Aapo that Crimson Slate had been in her room the entire night & was still up reading by moonlight next to a window.

28th Day of Resplendent Water

• That morning Sapphire Veil spent some quality time speaking with and getting to know her new slave. She gave him money & bid him be off to purchase an appropriate gift to give to Ginger as a present for the services she was to render that day.
• Aapo visited the Guild tower, checked in & then sought out some information regarding Sapphire Veils house. He was informed that they had been in debt and were thus taken over by the Garnet Wolf Consortium who bore the proper papers. Since then they had been forced to offer not only their art, but their bodies as well by the new management. Aapo was also told that they were very concerned with an escaped girl named Omali, who had apparently stolen something of great import to them as the rewards was very generous and escalating quickly.
• Ginger and Grace enter the house to apply Ginger for membership where she performs poorly. Aapo is able to watch via Kanji who Grace put a bow on & held. He noted a great number of guards, a very great number inside the building, far more than outside - as if guarding from anyone escaping. Ginger failed miserably, a task that took a great deal out of her, more than if she had performed exceptionally well as would have normally been her way.
• Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain went together to Lookshy town and ran into Rueful Gander, someone she had known back in Lookshy when she lived there. They spoke of crafting & magi-tech & made proper arrangements for Fidelis to be repaired after Rueful had scrutinized him (and them) with essence viewing goggles - Alabaster Mountain would be present as they worked on Fidelis so that he could better learn some of the skills. It was not until after they had left that Crimson Slate suddenly realized her folly. With the goggles he would have seen her essence. Alabaster Mountain had claimed to be god-blooded, but she had no excuse. Rueful had known her when she was mortal & would now know that she was a non-terrestrial exalt.
• Lin sought books & was accompanied by a very eager River seeking to spend some more of Aapo's recently acquired additional cash flow after Crimson Slate had given him his share of the artifact sales. There was still space on the shelves she could fill with useful books (thus putting Aapo's often pointlessly random books he'd purchased in the past for decorative purposes). As they were about to enter a book store, Lin was grabbed and pulled aside into an alley by another of the riverlin. He informed her about the riverlin gathering that would take place during Calibration. Lin then quickly feigned a stumble back into the street & rejoined River to enter her favorite book store.
• Later in the day, Grace and an exhausted Ginger returned home and were sitting at the table with Sapphire Veil & Aapo as Grace informed them of everything she had seen & learned. Not too much beyond what they had already found out on their own, though Ginger informed them that she had seen a great many demons inside. Monkey demons, the same kind they had fought before outside of Mahanaga. Sapphire Veil thanked Ginger for all her good work & Aapo as well for having conceded to her request. She bid Ginger to look for a present in her room, a token of her appreciation. Grace & Sapphire Veil continued to talk as Aapo slipped out and popped in to visit Lin. He informed her that he had noticed on one of the Guild boards a schedule for a notorious slaver who frequently trafficked in riverlin slaves that was due to arrive in Nexus soon. Lin took this information as a taunt rather than the kind gesture Aapo had meant it to be and responded unkindly. Aapo, a little bruised by her reaction said he was just trying to help & left her to return to Sapphire Veil and Grace just in time for Ginger to burst into the room, now wide awake, with an adorable plush fox with a great likeness to Kanji, who was sniffing it in horror to discover it was made from real fox fur. Kanji's horror was escalated when she produced a dagger from within the faux animal. He retreated onto Aapo's shoulder from the demented little girl as the continued to stab & draw the dagger from his likeness. She raced off followed by Aapo's orders not to stab Thorn...or Bronze Dusk (Lin would never forgive him).
• Alabaster Mountain & Crimson Slate paid another visit to Torfalen Dar where they discussed sorcery and the incident with Rueful Gander. They debated over the best course of action, most of which involved violence, threats or blackmail of some sort. Crimson Slate would have none of it. She was determined to talk to him in person first, even if it meant risking some danger to herself. They left Mr. Dar's home and Crimson Slate bid Alabaster Mountain good night as she began to head towards Lookshy town. After a few moments, she turned around and asked Alabaster Mountain, who was attempting to mask his massive presence with a street lamp a tenth his size, why he was following her. She requested that he leave her to this task alone and left again, this time alone save for Fidelis.
• Crimson Slate and Fidelis debated on the best course of action. Crimson Slate would only settle for talking to Rueful before considering any other option, but she did agree to wait for him outside of Lookshy town, where she could approach him away from the guardians' whose armor granted them essence sight as well. She spotted and joined him on his walk home. They discussed the matter and he made it very clear that he was not interested in any sort of trouble, just as she was not & that in this interest not a word from him about the subject would be heard by anyone else. She was providing him money & a chance to work on something of great interest, which is all he wanted from her. Her secret out to him she asked if he would be able to repair the device upon her cloak as well & he agreed to do so while he was at home that night.
• That night Sapphire Veil was awoken by a sudden severe chill in her room. Grace was shivering but otherwise unresponsive no matter how hard she tried to wake her. Then the apparition of her old teacher, the Jewel Matron Opal, appeared to her - a visage of terrible violence. The ghost pleaded for her aid in discovering the truth behind the Garnet Wolf Consortium's take over of the house. She told her that documents had been forged & herself murdered. She bid Sapphire Veil to find Omali, for she suspected the girl possessed proof to show the Consortium's claims were a lie. But that the girl had passed beyond her senses into the wyld twisted region of the Fire Wander. And then the ghost was gone leaving Sapphire Veil alone with her sleeping entourage and an icy iron resolve to save her house...and make it her own.

Descending Water

1st Day of Descending Water

• While at breakfast Sapphire Veil informed everyone of her previous night's visitation and requested their aid in ridding the House of Gems of the Garnet Wolf Consortium that had ursurped it. While they discussed the matter, Winds announced that the Ebon Mistress was in the foyer seeking to meet with them all. She was shown into the dining room and given Aapo's seat. She revealed that she had been researching the House of Gems and the Garnet Wolf Consortium per Aapo's request (which gained him quite a few stares and glares, especially from Sapphire Veil). She stated that it is a relatively new organization only recently recognized by the Guild and that its roots lie in a group called the Wolves of the Red Sand, a martial mercenary group from the south with an unsavory reputation & well known to make use of monkey demons. They had joined up with the new Garnet Mistress and formed the Coalition just prior to the take over of the House of Gems. She had also discovered that the organization had been after the child Omali even before they had taken over the House of Gems.
• Aapo thanked her for her assistance and she asked if he had any knowledge whether or not the entertainer known as <insert name here> would be performing within the city. With a quick glance at Sapphire Veil, who was still glaring at him over her pouridge bowl, he stated that he wasn't sure - that she was supposed to be performing at the House of Gems, but with it in it's current state he could not say.
• No sooner than the Ebon Midwife had left the room the companions exploded into a variety of questions, which led to arguments over having any associations with the Ebon Midwife, Aapo's defense of her, Crimson Slate's adamant stance that she was evil, and some personal jabs were made by more than a few at each others morality & integrity. Following the turmoil Sapphire Veil thanked Aapo for having done as she'd asked, though not necessarily in the way she might have expected..or wanted. The companions, now somewhat raw & grumpy, turned their focus on the matter at hand. They needed to find the girl first thing, which meant entering the chaos of the Fire Wander. They were going to visit Torfalen Dar to find out if he had any suggestions on a course of action and whether or not he possessed any charms capable of aiding them against the wyld energies. As they finalized their plans, Aapo & Alabaster Mountain made a quick escape under cover of a hand job quickie, so that Alabaster could ask Aapo a question concerning a remark he had made in the argument with Crimson Slate about having heard something that Alabaster knew he had not been there for. Aapo admitted that he was able to share Kanji's senses. They then made good on their excuse for leaving the conversation and returned just in time for everyone to depart.
• The solars arrived at Torfalen Dar's home and no sooner had he opened his door and looked upon them all, he made excuses to his servants for his departure and went back with them to Aapo's home. Aftear hearing of thier plan and questions, he admitted that he indeed possessed charms capable of holding back the wyld energies, but that he would have to travel with them, a prospect that visibly excited him and he was more than happy to agree to go with them when asked.
• The six solars left Aapo's home and headed towards Fire Wander, though they were momentarily diverted as Aapo started wandering in another direction, pulled by forces he could not fully understand. It led him to a tower made entirely of skulls. He had a flash of memory...he had fought here once, Crimson Morning had fought here once, against the terrestials. He was weidling a terrible axe that drank in their blood and sent them to the underworld by the dozens. And then he was back, Aapo again, but there was a terribly strong tug at his soul. There was something inside the tower, something that was his, that he needed - that needed him. The tower reacted to his presence, the skulls of the structure would watch him with the light of the sun within each socket. Aapo resisted the pull, first thing first, they had to rescue the girl from Fire Wander. This mystery would wait until they returned, though it continued to haunt his thoughts all the time after he'd wandered off.
• Torfalen Dar created a bubble of stable creation around them all and they entered the Fire Wander, which appeared as a great deal of smoke and fire all aroudn them. It was difficult to see through, though after some tests, Aapo & Alabaster Mountain stepped out into it and found it easier to see while within, and that it was not smoke at all. If anything it was...sterile. Then their orihalcum burst into flames. They both lept back into the bubble and the metal stopped burning, though their other possessions were not entirley unharmed. They wandered in the smoke for a short time until they came across the corpses of slain demon monkeys.
• Then there were arrows shot amongst them and a voice in the gloom called for them to identify themselves. They answered and the voice asked for permission to enter their "adorable" little bubble. They agreed and were soon greeted in person by the very charismatic, "King of Fire Wander", who was one of the fae. He spoke to them of his realm and agreed without cost to escort them to the tunnels that would lead them down into the old ruins of Hollow below, which is where the girl child and her pursuers had gone. He showed them a few sights of his realm, including the massive domed structure capped with orihalcum, the source of the largest plume of flame that could be seen even outside the region. And then they were arrived at the tunnel he had spoken of. As a token of their appreication, he requested they give him Torfalen Dar, for he was truly curious of him and his curiosu bubble. They regretfully declined the request and bid him fare well and descended below.
• Once below the solars found themselves no longer surrounded by the wyld energies and Torfalen Dar was able to drop the bubble he'd been maintaining. They were in some sort of First Age tunnel. Shortly after arriving they found the spirit of an old man, the memory of his mind fading, but the sight of Omali being pursued by the Garnet Wolves had somehow triggered this shade from the First Age and he wept for her as he surely had wept for the loss of his own daughter so very long ago. As soon as his tale was told, he faded away leaving the tunnels eerily quiet. The solars began to explore the area when suddenly they were attacked by monkey demons and two of the Garnet Wolf soldiers who had been hiding above them. As they fell upon them from above, Aapo cleaved the first man in half on his descent.
• The battle was brief and bloody, though rather dramatic & visually stunning as Sapphire Veil had invented yet another new & interesting way of using her anima in a charm combo to deceive and delight an onlookers (unless they were those who had their heads severed in the process), but the foes of the Solars were defeated, though during the battle Lin's use of a defensive charm had triggered some sort of First Age security system. Serpentine devices rose up from the floor below her and surrounded her and then descended back into the floor to vanish with her. The Solars were unable to figure out what had happened or what her fate was. Aapo hacked at the tiled floor for a while, but barely chipped off some bits of stone.
• Crimson Slate had a flash of memory or recognition or something and suddenly realized that the Garnet Wolf Consortium was tied in with Sondok...stand in doorways or something - the evil demon chick from way back when the Solar were looting Crimson Slate's previous self's tomb and her buddies. So all of this was happening because SHE (not the other Solars who are totally innocent) freed Sondok into the world. Bad Crimson Slate, bad!
• Then suddenly they heard a high pitched girlie scream echoing from the distance. Alabaster Mountain kicked in his super speed and carried Crimson Slate and Sapphire Veil to the edge of a large chamber where a little girl had climbed up atop an obelisk and was surrounded by monkey demons and Garnet Wolf soldiers who seemed more intent on having fun taunting her at the moment than actually apprehending her, which they could have already easily done. Alabaster Mountain dropped (hurled) them off & went back and fetched Aapo & Torfalen Dar and returned as the girls had lept into action, Sapphire Veil gliding across the way trailing silk and streamers behind her and Crimson Slate riding upon her sky cutter like an glittering aerial surfboard. Alabaster joined the battle and hurled Aapo like an overweight javelin into the fray while Torfalen Dar vanished into the shadows where razor sharp blades would erupt at his foes. Within seconds the foes were dead and the little girl had been plucked from atop the obelisk by Aapo & placed into Crimson Slate's hands (who immediately looked bewildered by this development, so Sapphire Veil quickly snatched her up and began to attempt to soothe her).
• Before they had as much as had a moment to figure out what was going on the sound of applause drew their attention to some horribly, yet fantastically garbed man standing on a landing a level above them. He began talking about this or that, but Aapo interrupted him by asking who he was. He pointed at the slaughtered bodies around them and said that those were his and that he was - yeah, that was enough talking, he needed to die and Aapo was quite content to summon forth the Red Dawn to hurtle across the distance between them slashing at him with his essence axe. The man looked momentarily taken aback, but not for long. Within a second he had distance, largely removed Alabaster Mountain's neck and jaw for having gotten in his path and ineffectively landed two attacks on Aapo, though his defensive charm had protected him. Instead of frustrating the man, this excited him visibly. Aapo knew that in their current condition they would not be able to defeat him having seen what he had just done to Alabaster Mountain and he himself was nearly out of essence for the fight. He swallowed his pride, looked at the others and said "Run". Then Aapo activated his jump charm and began to bound deeper & deeper into the unknown tunnel systems while being pursued by the strange man surrounded by his creepy nauseous green aura who ran nearly as fast as Aapo was jumping. But it worked. He'd lead him away from the others and the girl.
• The others debated on what to do, but finally decided that they needed to get the girl to safety. They question the child as they moved along and with Torfalen Dar's help they began their way through the Firewander. Once out, two planned to return to the tunnel systems to wait for Aapo's return - or to find his body if need be.
• Aapo was running out of essence, only seconds remained before he would find himself left powerless to fight his new foe. He had hoped to find another point to access the surface & to request aid from the King of Firewander if possible to escape, but it seemed more likely that he would not find it. Then he found a way out into an old cellar of a building. When he came out he found himself very close to the tower of bone that had drawn him to it earlier. He wasted no time and spent the last of his essence to hurtle across the way directly into the tower entrance...and did NOT disintegrate. The strange man stopped and shunned the solar light from the tower, which had entirely lit up as soon as Aapo entered. The man grabbed a cloak off a nearby commoner and vanished into the curious crowd that was now starting form outside the forbidden tower.
• Within the tower Aapo was confronted by his own previous self. A withered cadaver clinging to a massive axe, the Grim Cleaver of Massacres. He knew it. He remembered. It was his. Always was his, awaiting him to reclaim it. So he did. And it was good. Very good indeed.
• Aapo waltzed out of the tower, grinning with his new toy in hand. The crowd parted before him staring in awe. Then the tower of bone shuddered and turned to bone dust, the cloud spreading over a goodly distance and covering everything and everyone in white dust. Aapo took to walking a wee bit faster and sat down at the edge of Firewander to hopefully find his friends soon.
• The others made it out of Firewander...and found Aapo waiting for them already. They each traded stories and decided that Aapo's home with Crimson Slate's wards would be the best place to stay the night. Upon arriving there, Aapo sent Winds & River away with Ginger & Thorn to stay someplace else in case there was danger he wanted them away.
• That night Aapo visited the Ebon Midwife at her home to discuss the events of the day and the strange man. While there he also met the Ambassador of Sijan, who turned out to also be a Solar. Very interesting. The Ebon Midwife stated that she did not know of such a creature, but that she would inquire of her sources for any information that may prove useful.
• That night Aapo kept watch atop his home in the garden chatting with startled pigeon while the others slept below....and Lin...wherever she was.
• Nexus pigeons really have little of interest to back up a very long conversation FYI.

2nd Day of Descending Water

• To say the day started poorly for the companions would be a gross understatemet. Shortly after a mysterious godly voice announced to the multiverse, "AJ, DO YOUR ROLL", that everyone would immediately then forget hearing (except for whoever this mysterious AJ person is), Aapo & Sapphire Veil found themselves in a conversation on the roof of his home. When Aapo told Sapphire Veil that he had visited the Ebon Midwife something in her mind snapped, rendering her cold, emotionless & without her usual social etiquettes, however few she typically reserved for Aapo in the first place. She insulted his intelligence yet again, but this time something went wrong. Just as the switch in Sapphire Veils mind had been switched, so too did something inside Aapo, but in a much more vulgar manner. As the madness gripped both of them on the rooftop, Aapo's mind was shoved to the side and he was the Scarlet Morning again in this pathetic little place filled with even more disgusting mortals going about their sad little lives. Aapo shoved past Sapphire Veil and summoned forth his Grim Cleaver of Massacres and from atop his home began to hurl the axe through the air at the citizens of Nexus below & calling it back to hand only to release it again, killing swaths of people in the busy streets with each throw the entire time laughing wildly with his nine tailed fox anima roaring about him.
• Crimson Slate awoke suddenly to the sounds of screams & terror from outside her window. She quickly met up with Alabaster Mountain in the hallway after he'd just learned what was happening. Crimson Slate needed only seconds to decide that it was in their best interest to vacate the area & leave Aapo to deal with his problem before the dragged them down with him, or worse, turned his madness upon them as well. Crimson Slate quickly packed her things & departed. Alabaster Mountain found Sapphire Veil interrogating the terrified Omali child, brandishing a hot poker about with intent to torture her with it. He took the girl and left to follow Crimson Slate.
• After the citizens in the area had all been slain or fled, the city malitia were flooding into the area. Aapo lept down from the roof and met them, clearving through their ranks as if they had been made of straw. Sapphire Veil ran up behind him while lecturing him about the foolishness of his actions. Seeing that he was entirely focused on the massacre at hand and ignoring her, she slapped him in the face. Aapo paused a moment and then turned his fury upon her. Sapphire Veil having just seen the Ebon Midwife open a nearby doorway & beckon her to follow, dashed through the entrance...and...rippled to somewhere else. Ebon Midwife instructed her to stand where Aapo could see her & lure him through the portal she'd just stepped through. The plan worked, Aapo charged through in pursuit of Sapphire Veil and then suddenly found himself in the Realm of the Dead with Sapphire Veil and the Ebon Midwife. He also found his rage had been left in Nexus and his wits returned to him.
• Crimson Slate and Alabaster Mountain (with Loyal Ash & Omali) picked up Fidelis and headed towards the docks where they saw that Lin's ship was already under investigation. They turned & made their way to Torfalen Dar and informed him of what had happened. They discuss their plans for departure from the city and then summon Taruzake to lead them to Kanji, Ginger, Thorn and Aapo's servants Winds & River.
• Aapo & Ebon Midwife step aside for Sapphire Veil to converse with a quartet of little ghost girls who keep following her about. After deciding on a plan to construct a false corpse of Aapo to leave behind, Ebon summons a servant to deliver a message from Aapo to Winds, instructing him to put into action Aapo's will, consolidate all his accounts, liquidate his Nexus resources and for him, River & Thorn to travel to Great Forks and set up there. He would return to them, under a different name, when he could. In the meantime, Ebon Midwife agrees to lead Aapo & Sapphire Veil through the Labyrinth beneath Death to Lookshy.
• Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain find the others at the inn. Ginger holding a near comatose Kanji informs them that Kanji insists that Aapo is dead. Then Ebon Midwife's servant arrives and informs them of what had happened & delivers Aapo's message to Winds and informs the others that Aapo & Sapphire Veil will meet them in Lookshy.
• Ebon Midwife, Sapphire Veil & Aapo return briefly to the world of the living inside Torfalen Dar's home where they startle a servant who fetches her master. Torfalen Dar very cautiously appears in a doorway (having just been told Aapo had been on a killing spree) and speaks with Aapo, who requests some scissors, razor, dyes and clean clothes. Torfalen fetches these things and while Aapo goes about changing his appearance & clothes, the door to the lab where they had emerged is closed off while Sapphire Veil "pays" Ebon Midwife for her assitance. Twice. With nekkid lesbo shagging. Torfalen spies this through a false mirror into the room & informs Aapo. While they get their thing on, Aapo communicates to Crimson Slate via Kanji-gram their location & plan.
• Crimson Slate, Alabaster Mountain, Ginger, Loyal Ash & Omali leave the inn (the monk with them to remain with Thorn and the othes as their protection) and go in search of Masks that would disguise them for their escape. They head into Lookshy Town adn run into Oolonna, an old friend of Crimson Slate's mother and her teacher from the academy days. They go to her home and discuss the situation. When Crimson Slate outs herself as an anathema, Oolonna is horror struck, but says that now is not the time to speak of such things. While they discuss their needs, another man enters & before introductions can be made, he immediately recognizes Alabster Mountain and Loyal Ash who he'd had a fourway with not so long ago in Great Forks. Within moments, they find themselves with a flight booked on an airship to Lookshy. Oolonna does not entirely look pleased with this outcome, but plans to go with them and have a much more in depth discussion before they ever set feet upon Lookshy territory.
• Aapo (now dressed as a servant with a bushy brown mustache & soul patch & shaved head) waits for the Ebon Midwife & Sapphire Veil to finish playing naked twister & dress. Then they gather up Grace & Veridian Spider (who had both fled when Aapo went berzerk), thank Torfalen Dar & return to Death where they enter the depths of the Labyrinth (where they start getting an occuult tutorial montage from Ebon Midwife).

• Ebon Midwife leads Sapphire Veil & Aapo through the Labyrinth, a dark & terrible realm caught between the Realm of the Dead and Oblivion, which can be "seen" through the disturbingly numerous cracks in the walls & floors (which are made of souls FYI). Shortly after entering, Ebon Midwife introduced two individuals that had been trailing them...being at this point little more than background charactes, rangers of the labyrinth really, their real names have been left out. Instead we shall call them Swifty & Bandaid-Man. They had been summoned by the Ebon Midwife to scout out a perimeter around their travels to warn of any dangers that might appear.

3rd Day of Descending Water

• That "morning" in the Labyrinth, Sapphire Veil awoke...either from a nightmare or into another one she was not really sure. But her senses & self control that had deserted her the previous day in Nexus had been returned to her in her sleep & the reality that greeted her was not a kindly one. Sapphire Veil wished to convince herself that the Ebon Midwife had somehow worked some power over her, though she knew it to be untrue. She confronted Aapo & then the Ebon Midwife & slapped her. She then retreated to where Grace was, hugged her to a great deal of shock from her retainer, and sulked quietly. They departed their camp and continued their journey through the dark & dismal realm.
• Meanwhile Crimson Slate, Alabaster Mountain, Loyal Ash, Ginger & Fidelis (in cargo poor guy) were away upon an airship from Nexus bound to Lookshy. A storm was brewing outside when Oolonna entered their room and sat down. She wished to discuss their intentions in Lookshy and about their claim of being anathema. She made it clear that if she was not left convinced at the close of the conversation, there would more than likely be a great deal of violence and bloodshed that would be most unfortunate. They tell her of the Solar exalted and their troubles, of the men in black, which she identifies as the Black Phalanx. She states that they are a dragonblood group who had stolen a large airship about 120 years ago called the Midnight Hunter (tempest class ship). They discuss their intentions in Lookshy and after som discussion are able to convince her that they pose no ill intent. She states that she will allow them to land in Lookshy, but that so long as they are there they would stay in her home and only be allowed out into the city with a pass bearing escourt.

4th Day of Descending Water

• The companions in the Labyrinth continued their journey. At one point Bandaid-Man appeared to Sapphire Veil and told her that if she ever struck the Ebon Midwife again he would kill her. Seconds after the words had left his mouth, Swifty appeared from the shadows behind him with a blade to his throat, apologizing to Sapphire Veil for his discourteous manner and that it would not happen again. He summoned his companion to travel with him to scout and discuss some things that needed discussing. Later on Ebon Midwife apologized to Sapphire Veil for his actions as well.
• That night after everyone had gone to sleep save for Aapo who had found he was unable to sleep well in this place, Sapphire Veil, with a grim look to her eyes, began to wander off - she wished to be away from all of this & the Ebon Midwife...even if that mean losing herself forever in the Labyrinth or perhaps Oblivion beyond. Aapo stopped her and they discussed the matter, of what they both had done the previous day & that it was done & in the past. That they both had things to do and somehow actually managed to talk her out of whatever it was she was seeking to do. Sapphire Veil laid down with Grace & Viridian Spider and tried to sleep.
• Two dimensions away & far in the sky, the others are met by a rather unexpected surprise when they spy ship guards dragging a very confused looking Torfalen Dar away to the brig. Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain speak up for him. Oolonna takes their story about him & then quenstions him, comparing answers. She assures that he should be released once they dock & he is taken to the police & his trespass recorded. Shortly after this they see Looksky upon the horizon and the ship begins docking procedures with the great sky tower.
• Back in the depths below Death, Swifty & Bandaid-Man appear & inform the Ebon Midwife that a terrible undead barbarian horde of some repute had been spotted and were headed this way. Ebon Midwife & Bandaid-Man remain in the Labyrinth to lead the horde astray while Swify would lead the others back to the Realm of the Dead & then into the borders of the Shadowlands just near Lookshy. The run with him and as they depart the Labyrinth and race for the exit into the Shadowland, they spy the barbarian leader and his minions. A shiver runs up Aapo's spine as he looks into the face of his former life, at Scarlet Morning weilding a negative image of his own axe, crawling up before an endless horde of all the dead who had ever fallen to his wrath. They flee back into the warmth of the living realm. Swifty later informs them that the Ebon Midwife had been gravely wounded defending them & that she was being taken back to Great Forks to heal. He would be remaing with them in Lookshy, though he then vanished.
• Both groups are reuinted in Lookshy, Torfalen Dar collected & they all meet up at Oolonna's home. Torfalen Dar informed them that he had fled his home when he had been tipped that people were coming to collect & question him. He had stowed away on the airship in order to escape & follow the others. Ginger summons up a sad little snake that proves to be less than useful, but he is followed by a snake god, the one that Potrimpos had sent them to see about a batman infested manse (I'm Batman). He informed them that the snake horde that had been called to this area had left...assumably to follow Potrimpos who had been moved once again. /sigh The snake god stated that he would put feelers out & see if he could find out which way Potrimpos had been moved.
• They all go to sleep unsure of what the next day would bring...well save for Crimson Slate who had all sorts of plans in her little red head.

5th Day of Descending Water

• The party awakens & while breaking their fast in Oolonna's home discuss their plans.
• Aapo plans to take Ginger & Omali with him around the town to visit inns, pubs & bars & hand out copies of the recipe for Taruzake's wine. He gets one small, plump & meek little servant girl with a passport to travel with him.
• Sapphire Veil, Grace & Veridian Spider plan to seek out & haunt the entertainment hotspots, where they will sew words & interest of the mysterious performer and possibly arrange a performance. A very eager passport wielding servant presents himself to her (unknown to everyone else, it was Swifty in disguise).
• Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain head out to the school for sorcery where she seeks to talk with one of her prior professors. They get a passport bearing servant as well.
• Crimson Slate & Alabaster Mountain went to the school and met her old professor. They launched into a rather long & complicated discussion that possessed a rather great emotional weight to it. The professor tries to convince her that she should abandon this foolish & dangerous quest that is more likely to get her killed & put her astonishing power & knowledge & ability to work for the greater good of Lookshy. Crimson Slate is conflicted - she had hoped to receive encouragement to pursue what she knew she must finish, but instead she found a tug of war over her deepest intimacies. Eventually they left his office & no sooner than his door had closed, she turned to Alabaster Mountain and began to cry, guild eating at her.
• Eventually Aapo returns home with two drunken children and a passed out servant (who had misplaced her passport while drunk (into Aapo's pocket)). He hears Crimson Slate weeping in her room & opts to pretend not to have heard anything. Alabaster Mountain goes to comfort her and Crimson Slate tells him her story. Then Sapphire Veil returns home with her crew & once Aapo tells her about Crimson Slate she goes to console & talk to her. While away, Swifty, Alabaster Mountain, Aapo & Grace have a rather in depths & insightful conversation as Grace is empowered by the tea served to her by Swifty.
• Sapphire Veil assembled everyone together, save for Crimson Slate who wished to keep to herself for a while. She announced that it had to end, the secrets & veiled pasts. That it was time for them all to start trusting each other & in order to do that they must all disclose their pasts.