Mare Internum: An Exalted Quest

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Hear me out, is it possible that I am the sorceress-queen Yonris incongnito?

Click to shrink...

"Hear me out, is it possible that I am the sorceress-queen Yonris incongnito?"

SAGACITY: No.

LOGRIS: "No."

LOGRIS' FACE: No.

"Why not, though?"

LOGRIS: "Is that a serious question?"

"I just want to know why I couldn't be. I mean, can you prove it?"

Logris stares at you for a moment.

LOGRIS: "Wait here."

She turns and enters the tent. Long moments pass.

PRESENCE: Wait, did she just ditch us?

Just as you are wondering where you should go next, Logris reappears, carrying a scroll case. She unfurls a map and holds it up to you, pointing at the centre.

LOGRIS: "Here."

NAVIGATE: NORMAL

CHECK PASSED

NAVIGATE: This is a map of the isle of Hoxiahn. You can see Ashglass up there at the top, and Thazaniel over on the east coast. The island is the shape of an egg, barring a few dents and craggy outcroppings, tilted slightly off its axis towards north-by-east. In the center there is a lake, almost perfectly circular, like a volcanic caldera. Logris is pointing at that part.

In neat, High Realm characters, the label reads "GRAVE OF YONRIS".

"Oh. What happened to her?"

LOGRIS: "The legend goes that she tried to pronounce a curse on the name that every child in the Realm knows but holds close, and never invokes unwisely. The Empress took notice, and now Hoxiahn has a volcanic lake."

SAGACITY: You have hear similar stories from other disasters. Golden fires from the sky. Waves that swallow island chains. Lightning storms that scour cities to dust. If you speak her name, she will see you, and you had best hope she likes what she sees.

INTEGRITY: You see a blurred face through a haze of blood. A weight in your ruined chest. Worse than disappointment. Indifference.

"Is it true?"

LOGRIS: "Who knows? But whatever the specifics, Yonris is absolutely, spectacularly dead. You are not Yonris. I can only do so much to clear up all of your wild flights of fancy, but please try to put this one out of your mind."

THOUGHT RESOLVED: The New Black Jade.

Logris rolls up her map and slots it back in its case with an air of finality.

LOGRIS: "Now, I should prepare. I will organize a space, and speak to talonlord Fincher about supervising our session. I will send a runner for you in a few hours. Try to stay out of trouble."

She turns to return to her tent.

[ ] Thanks, Logris.
[ ] Wait, what should I do now?
[ ] Can I come in? I want to hide from Mei.

 

[Crumplepunch]

Yonris Ur-Kadun, the last sage of Melthasine, master of the four keys of Yatan, sorcerer-tyrant of the South and the Seventh Tiger. A legendary warlord of the late Shogunate, she ruled over the scattered isles of the Southwest with an iron fist. She defended her domain from the endless tides of the Fair Folk when they rose to swallow Creation, and when an Empress rose on the Blessed Isle to burn those endless tides away and demanded fealty from her new subjects, Yonris Ur-Kadun would not kneel. She joined an alliance of like-minded rebels against the new order and prepared to take the Isle for herself.

Her allies' fleets were crushed, burned in their invasion ships or executed on the steps of the new capital. The imperial histories say that Yonris fled north with her Baihu fleet, to the remote isle of Hoxiahn. She subjugated the native Raigi and entrenched herself against possible invasion. It was, the imperial histories say, the last resort of a rebel opportunist and coward.

But this makes no sense. Yonris had a well defended position, a fortified series of principalities across the coast of the Meiyu sea and the islands beyond. What could she hope to gain in some gloomy backwater that she did not already possess in her treasuries and fortresses? What possible strategic advantage existed in Hoxiahn, so far to the north, and so remote from the supplies that fed her armies?

It is said that Yonris Ur-Kadun stood upon the towers of Domdaniel, Where the Rainbow Ends, and pronounced a doom upon the Empress. The challenge was answered with fire that scorched Domdaniel to its bedrock. Nothing was left of the great manse or its master.

But this too is suspect. We have only the Setoris family accounts and the Raigi oral histories as sources, and they differ in specifics. The Raigi say that she is waiting under the lake, having encorcelled herself to a magical sleep that will end with the death of her hated foe, the Empress. And how could anyone who witnessed the specifics of her death have survived to give an account in any case? Domdaniel certainly existed, and a volcanic lake which locals call the Grave of Yonris lies in its place. Yonris certainly vanished on Hoxiahn in the earliest years of the Realm. Beyond these facts, history remains opaque.

Is it possible that you are Yonris Ur-Kadun, the Seventh Tiger, returned from your grave Where the Rainbow Ends? In a word, no. Although histories agree that Yonris was a water aspect, they also agree that she was inhumanly tall, with full-body jade tattoos. You're pretty sure you don't qualify.

Still, there is something there. You feel a connection to this place that goes beyond memory. Something primordial and ancestral whispers in your blood, the same blood that carries your Exaltation. Yonris had children, and you share an ethnicity with her claimed descendants. It's not completely impossible that you could be related. Maybe.

Does it matter? Even if you could prove it, who would care? But it isn't for others, is it? It's something to hold in your heart. A connection to the world that has left you adrift. Maybe.

Spoiler: Thought Cabinet

Diamond and Thunderbolt
The highest calling of any Dragon-Blood is to fight the Anathema. They are some of the few adversaries in the world who can outmatch you in single combat, and a material and spiritual threat to the order of the world. Those who have slain one of these terrible creatures have a unique place of respect anywhere the Realm or the relicts of the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate hold sway. Could you be one of these heroes? Is your secret mission to slay the human demons that haunt this island?
War -1 (Personal Deeds Only)
24 hours.

The Dweller in Chaos
You had a daiklave. How did you obtain this precious treasure? What is its history? Where did it go? Is there any chance you might be able to get it back? Probably not, honestly, but surely an outside chance of having a cool sword is better than nothing.
Craft +1 (Contemplate the Material)
Integrity -1 (Memory Hole)
12 hours.

Mysterious Stranger
Someone has changed the numbers. What does it mean? You have to know. Someone is here today who wasn't yesterday. Do you remember their face from before they were here? Will you remember them tomorrow? Why are they here, what are they planning? You have to know.
Integrity +1 (Someone Has Changed The Numbers)
Presence -2 (Wild-Eyed Paranoia)
10 hours.

The Prisoner's Dilemma
You asked for the gag back. Why? Did you derive some value from it? Was it the joy of violence? The warm satisfaction of eating well? The exhilaration of surviving danger? Was it perhaps that it was just funny? Is it possible that it might be some other, mysterious, fifth thing, heretofore unknown to you? Take some time to ponder the gag thing. Then talk to Fincher about it.
Integrity +1 (Do You Know What You Want?)
Sagacity -1 (Obviously Irrelevant)
8 hours.

Those Jagged Peaks
The Realm sucks pretty bad, just generally. The Dynasty in particular sucks dick. But why does it suck dick? What destructive incentive structures are at play? What about its systems of power perpetuate inequity and injustice? Is it possible that it actually sucks dick for everyone, including those that ostensibly benefit from it? Formulate a structural critique of imperialism and aristocratic power structures. Then talk to Logris about it.
Embassy +1 (Systems Are Important)
Presence -1 (Thought Over Action)
Physique -1 (Enervating Nerd Energies)
12 hours.

The Wolf and the Falcon
Why did you introduce yourself as the Wolf of Sibun? Did you have something to do with the disaster that destroyed the winter palace thirty years ago? Did you once know what happened there, and why? Is it at all possible that you secretly an Anathema? To the last one, no, you are absolutely not, but have a good think about that other stuff.
Embassy -1 (Revel in Infamy)
20 hours.

The New Black Jade (Complete)
You are definitely not Yonris, so I hope you didn't waste too much time thinking about that. Still, it was interesting to contemplate. The other stuff you learned might be important later. And maybe you have some connection to this island. Maybe.
Navigate: +2 (I Know This Place)
Craft: +1 (I Know Its Works)
Sagacity: -1 (Still Can't Believe You Thought About This)
Special: Gain additional dialogue options about your possible ancestry.

Unbroken Rushes (Complete)
The Realm has taken everything from you, and it has done it more than once. Then you were made to visit its horrors on others. What could you have been, if not for this? The memories remain hazy, but the lesson is clear. Never let go of the hate.
Stealth: +2 (We Act in the Shadows)
Navigate: +1 (Know the Better World)
Presence: +1 (Revolutionary Fervor)
Embassy: -1 to Dynasts and Realm patriots only. (Offputting Intensity)
Presence: -2 to Dynasts and Realm patriots only. (Misplaced Loyalties)
Special: Gain additional subversive dialogue options.

You are currently thinking about Unbroken Rushes (Complete), Maker, Builder, Breaker (17 hours), and The Opening Gate (23 hours). You can change your thoughts when you sleep.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Thanks, Logris.

Click to shrink...

"Thanks, Logris."

LOGRIS: "Oh, think nothing of it. One has to keep useful, in trying times."

LOGRIS' FACE: I do appreciate that you finally thanked me, though.

She returns to her tent and draws the drape shut. Your meeting is over.

So now what?

Your mind slowly sifts through possibilities of what to do next.

PHYSIQUE: What, are you stupid? You've got to fight Mei in less than half a day, and you're weak. You've got to pump yourself up, get some training done! Go on a run, lift some rocks, work up an appetite!

SAGACITY: How much training can we actually do, though? This would really be more about psychological preparation.

INTEGRITY: If we need psychological preparation, there's only one way to go. Get the good drugs. The top shelf stuff.

EMBASSY: Is that really going to help us in psychological preparation?

INTEGRITY: The way I see it, we did our best work while we were half out of our mind on dehydration-induced delerium. Our body has been out of sorts ever since then. Mess yourself up. Change a bit of wiring upstairs. It will shake you out of this funk.

EMBASSY: Well, speaking of funk, Logris did obliquely suggest that you should clean yourself up a bit.

PHYSIQUE: What? It can't be that bad, we haven't even worked up a sweat.

EMBASSY: We have been planted in the dirt several times since yesterday and we've made no effort to take care of ourselves at all. And goodness knows how long ago it was we last made an effort before we washed up on the shore. And we should really organize a place to sleep, it's not like Mei is going to get anyone to set us up a tent.

PRESENCE: Look, that's the least of our problems at the moment. Everyone hates us. We need to earn some goodwill with the legion. We're capable, we can make friends. It will work in our favour if Mei ever turns on us. We need all the help we can get.

CRAFT: Help, yes! Have you forgotten that Fincher confiscated all our gear? We don't actually have a weapon for the duel at all, let alone the best available. We need to track down some quality gear as a priority.

[ ] Go for a run around the countryside to warm up.
[ ] Track down Toothsome to try to get some drugs.
[ ] Look for a place you can clean up and make yourself more presentable.
[ ] Find out what you can do to help out the legion.
[ ] Try to find a way to recover your equipment or find something new.

This is a consequential decision, please vote. The top two results will determine how we spend the next few hours.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Try to find a way to recover your equipment or find something new.

Click to shrink...

[X] Look for a place you can clean up and make yourself more presentable.

Click to shrink...

Potential futures loom before you. Synapses abruptly pop and cascade in your brain, like the beams of a long-rotted structure finally collapsing under their own weight.

You need stuff. That much seems clear. But what stuff? What is stuff, really?

CRAFT: Focus. You need a weapon.

What's a weapon?

CRAFT: You use it to fight.

Why would you fight anyone?

CRAFT: You're going to fight Mei.

Oh, right. Right. And the weapon?

CRAFT: You're going to fight Mei with a weapon.

Great. Perfect. What's the problem, again?

CRAFT: You don't have a weapon.

So I need a weapon.

CRAFT: You got it.

EMBASSY: There's also the small matter of hygiene.

WAR: We're in a war camp full of dog-soldiers and sailors. I don't think this is really priority for anyone.

EMBASSY: Well, I'm sure Logris for one would appreciate you making the effort.

INTEGRITY: It wouldn't be bad for you. You might think you are wasting time when you do anything for yourself, but you never are.

Wait, what's all this? Am I that bad?

AWARENESS: Yes.

CRAFT: Yes.

EMBASSY: Yes.

Wow, okay. So what should I do?

EMBASSY: Usamir seemed well groomed, and deferential to you, in his own way. He's in charge of the navy auxilliaries. He might be able to help you with getting your own tent, and maybe some supplies. Perhaps even a weapon. And his tent is right there. If you can stand him.

STEALTH: Easiest way would be to just steal a weapon, right? There's lots around, this is a war camp after all.

WAR: You could ask for one from the quartermaster, assuming Mei hasn't told them to block you.

EMBASSY: Especially if you flash the ring.

WAR: As for your other problem, you could ask someone in Fincher's talon. They might still have your gear, and they might be more likely to help you out than a random stranger. Orison is in charge while Fincher is recovering.

PRESENCE: Or Brindle? Fincher says he likes you.

NAVIGATE: Or you could talk to Rochar. She sort of owes you a favour for bringing up the arbalests to Rooster, right? And she's in charge of the Paleans, they probably have their own supplies.

Alright, I have decided.

[ ] Talk to Usamir.
[ ] Find Brindle.
[ ] Find Orison.
[ ] Find Rochar.
[ ] Find the legion quartermaster.
[ ] Look for a weapon to steal.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Find Orison.

Click to shrink...

Alright, so your weapons were confiscated mainly because you literally attacked Orison. But he said to say no more about it, right? It should be fine.

Your first retrace your steps to find Fincher's tent once more. The headaches have changed now. Every so often there is an alarming popping sensation, and your brain flops around inside your skull as though you slammed your head into a wall. It's less painful than the sculptor's file, but far more disorienting.

Orison is no longer sitting where he was. Presumably he has more important duties to attend to than sitting around waiting for you to talk to him.

AWARENESS: NORMAL

CHECK PASSED

Luckily you spot Wheeler the scout as he rounds a corner heading further into the heart of the camp, and jog to follow him.

You come across a neat row of newly erected tents, around which you spot several familiar faces from Fincher's talon. Orison is sitting on a crate, hunched over a folding desk, writing something with a stylus.

"Hey Orison."

ORISON: "Lady." He continues writing.

"Could you help me out a bit?"

He lays down the stylus and looks up.

ORISON: "And what can I help you with?"

[ ] Say you need a place to clean up and sleep.
[ ] Say you need your gear back for a duel with Mei.
[ ] Say you want your gear back without mentioning your duel with Mei.
[ ] Ask him where you would be able to find the best gear in the camp.
[ ] Ask him who has the most luxurious quarters in the camp.
[ ] Ask where to find someone else.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Say you need your gear back for a duel with Mei.

Click to shrink...

"So, about the gear that I had last night."

ORISON: "Mhmm." he scribbles something on his slate.

"I'm going to need that back. Mei challenged me to a duel."

ORISON: "You're going to duel Dragonlord Mei?"

"Yeah."

ORISON: "Dragonlord Mei, the famous duelist?"

"Yeah, her."

ORISON: "Huh." he underlines something on the slate he was writing on.

"So can I get my stuff?"

ORISON: "Sorry, lady. We handed over all the extra gear we looted to the quartermaster when we arrived in camp, including the stuff we... the stuff you were using. Standard practice, you know."

[ ] Oh come on, that was nice gear, you must have kept some of it.
[ ] How about a place to stay?
[ ] Where can I find the quartermaster?
[ ] Alright, can I get some directions around camp?

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Where can I find the quartermaster?

Click to shrink...

"Where can I find the quartermaster?"

Orison points over towards the back of the camp, near the manse entrance.

ORISON: "Over behind the command tents. Got a temporary structure set up. Lots of guards."

"Thanks. So can I just go in there?"

ORISON: "Couldn't say, lady. Do you think Dragonlord Mei has told them to let you in special?"

You think about that.

"Probably not."

ORISON: "You'll be needing a pass, then."

[ ] Can you give me a pass?
[ ] I've got a pass (lie).
[ ] I've got a pass (show the ring).
[ ] Is there any other way to get my gear back?
[ ] Actually, I wanted to ask about something else.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Is there any other way to get my gear back?

Click to shrink...

"Is there any other way to get my gear back?"

ORISON: "Nope. No way at all."

He scribbles away at his tablet for a moment.

ORISON: "Being a magistrate and all you'd never commit a crime like stealing it by sneaking in or bribing the guards or getting an officer to fraudulently claim it on your behalf."

"I wouldn't?"

ORISON: "Well, I assume. And right you would be to not do that. Or do that. I don't really give a shit."

[ ] Can you give me a pass?
[ ] I've got a pass (lie).
[ ] I've got a pass (show the ring).
[ ] Can I get you to fraudulently claim it on my behalf?
[ ] Alright, thanks, I'm going to head over there now.
[ ] Actually, I wanted to ask about something else.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I've got a pass (show the ring).

Click to shrink...

"I've got a pass." you hold up the imperial seal.

ORISON: "So you do. Maybe that will work out for you."

He returns to writing on the tablet.

ORISON: "Good luck with that."

"Why good luck?"

ORISON: "Well, lady." he leans in conspiratorially, over his desk. "I heard someone saying there was some nutter running around with a fake imperial seal. Just a rumour that's going around, right? But we wouldn't want to give anyone like that weapons, would we? They'll probably not recognize your very genuine imperial seal, just as a precaution."

"Why would someone start a false rumour like that?"

ORISON: "Couldn't say, lady. Maybe you should investigate."

[ ] Can you give me a pass?
[ ] Can I get you to fraudulently claim my gear on my behalf?
[ ] Alright, thanks, I'm going to head over there now.
[ ] Actually, I wanted to ask about something else.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Alright, thanks, I'm going to head over there now.

Click to shrink...

"Alright, thanks, I'm going to head over there now."

ORISON: "Alright lady, you take care now. I'll be here until tonight if you need anything else."

You depart and follow Orison's directions towards the quartermaster.

[X] Access Inventory (When Alone)
[X] Interact with Imperial Seal

Click to shrink...

Spoiler: Inventory

APPAREL
Officer's Tunic (Apparel, Chest) - A light summer-cut tunic in scarlet linen, legion officer issue. It's too small for you, but it fills you with a warm, patriotic glow.
Ruined Boots (Apparel, Shoes) - Once-fine leather footwear ruined by hard use and a lengthy soaking in the sea. If these boots could tell stories they would probably be very long and tedious with occasional bouts of kicking things.
Sturdy Breeches (Apparel, Legs) - A hard-wearing sheepskin garment, covering the legs down to mid-calf. Uncomfortable and damp, but endued with admirable structural probity.
Engineer's Cloak (Apparel, Cloak) - A hooded woolen cloak, reinforced with leather. Its dark grey dye signifies the position of legion engineer.

WEAPONS:
None.

OTHER:
Imperial Seal - This heavy jade signet ring marks its bearer as an imperial magistrate acting under the plenipotentiary authority of the Scarlet Empress. Who in their right mind would give you such a thing? ([ ] Interact with Imperial Seal)
Etched Flask - An unremarkable copper water flask that someone has scratched an Immaculate mantra into. It's dented, as though it was used as a projectile at some point.
Fingers - These are your fingers. One of them is missing. It's a mystery. ([ ] Interact with fingers.)
Reflection - This is a face that you are in and you hate it. ([ ] Interact with reflection.)

You take out the ring and interrogate it.

"Hey, are you going to be of any help at all?"

The imperial seal is silent.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

THE IMPERIAL SEAL: Fix her.

"Fix her? Who, Mei?"

THE IMPERIAL SEAL: Fix her.

The shadow of a memory flashes over you, like a cloud over the sun. Incredible pain, physical and emotional. Darkness shrouded in red. Bile rises in your throat.

THE IMPERIAL SEAL: Whatever it takes.

You put the ring away, hands shaking uncontrollably. You really don't want to talk to the ring any more.

[X] THINK ABOUT Mei

Click to shrink...

You don't really want to think about Mei. You remember her eye, in many times, in many contexts, in many places, a fulcrum on which your past reality is precariously balanced. Everything surrounding it is confused and blurred, a wash of sensation and bitter emotion.

Answers might come, but not from this.

[X] THINK ABOUT Logris' face

Click to shrink...

You think about Logris' face. It's quite symmetrical, isn't it? And eerily expressive. Impressively large glasses.

Your mind buzzes, unhelpfully empty, in response to any further attempts to clarify a thought about Logris' face and your attitudes towards it.

[X] Objectives

Click to shrink...

Wait, what are you doing? You might have blacked out a little while trying to figure out why you like Logris' face so much.

EMBASSY: I am so glad you asked.

SAGACITY: We have been keeping a list.

Spoiler: Objectives

Major Objectives:
Lift the siege of Ashglass.
Enter Ashglass.
Fight a duel with Shadowless Mei.
- OR Stay away from Mei.

Tasks:
Claim your prosthetic finger from Rooster.
Acquire narcotics.
Acquire subversive pamphlets.
Explore Thazaniel with Logris.
Find drawstring materials for the Palean arbalests.
Get cleaned up.
Find somewhere to sleep tonight.
Acquire a weapon for the duel.
Train with Logris.

Questions:
How did I lose my memory?
Who am I?
Whose face is this?
Who cut off my finger?
What was my name, before?
What happened to the fleet?
Why was I sent to this island?
Why is the Raigi army so big?
What's up with the weird unit in the Raigi siege force?
Why is the weather on this island so strange?
Why is my body so badly injured?
What is the nature of the Five Part World?
Who killed Fincher's scouts?
Who changed the numbers?
What did I do to Mei?
Where is my daiklave?
What was the corpse monster Logris mentioned?

A weapon! Right, that's what you were doing. You stop dithering around and proceed to the quartermaster's tent.

It's not really a tent. A kind of shed has been erected, not as sturdy as Rooster's workshop but still a far more permanent than the legion tents. Half a dozen legionaries in madder coats with black sashes stand at the entrance.

WAR: Black sashes mark them as camp guards. Probably a temporary designation from the ranks, given how messed up normal order is with casualties.

Right. Now what?

[ ] Try to bluff your way past.
[ ] Bribe the guards.
[ ] Demand entrance using the imperial seal.
[ ] Look for a way to sneak in.
[ ] Force your way in. Mei's not going to get any more angry at you, after all.
[ ] Reconsider and go somewhere else first.