Mare Internum: An Exalted Quest

[Crumplepunch]

[X] The tunic was a gift, I want to keep it.

Click to shrink...

Iris picks up the remains of the tunic, looking over it with a critical eye.

IRIS: "I'll see if I can get this to the seamsters tent, they might be able to patch it up. Maybe they can take it out so it fits you better, too. Let me get you something to wear in the meantime while you bathe, though."

LILY: "I'm going to get going before I catch any more errands. Don't want to miss marching orders."

IRIS: "Pah, that old goat Colter won't be moving until he's told, just like always. If he gives you grief, girl, you send him to me."

"Thanks for the help, Lily."

She gives you a warm smile and nods to her mother before ducking out of the tent again.

IRIS: "I've got to run a few errands, so I'll see about your clothes. You take your time now, you look like you've seen enough excitement."

After Iris leaves, you settle down in the cool water in the corner of the tent and start the process of cleaning yourself. Iris has provided a sponge, a stiff brush and a block of lye soap identical to the one you used yesterday. The monks, still busy with their patient, ignore you, and are ignored in turn.

You are just running the brush experimentally through your hair to try to disentangle it when someone appears in the mouth of the tent.

He's an unassuming man, dressed in an off-white shift like Iris. He's bald, slightly wrinkled, dark eyed. He would be entirely unremarkable except that he is staring at you with an astonished expression.

INTEGRITY: Recognition. Horror. Embarassment?

The man quickly turns on his heel and leaves the tent.

[ ] Get up and follow him.
[ ] Ask the monks who that was.
[ ] Ignore it.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Ask the monks who that was.

Click to shrink...

"Hey, who was that at the entrance just now?"

One of the monks turns to you briefly.

MONK: "Wellren, lady. He's one of the surgeons."

"Is there any reason why he would know me?"

MONK: "I think he operated on you last night."

"Oh. Why did-"

MONK: "Lady, please, we are in the middle of surgery."

"Right, sorry."

You get back to the important business of scrubbing yourself. With the assistance of brush and sponge you are able to cleanse much of the grime that clung to your skin even after yesterday's waterfall bath.

You hear a commotion outside, the clattering of metal armor.

Mei sweeps into the tent, snarling helmet held under one arm, followed by a pair of her runners.

MEI: "You! What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm taking a bath." You hold up the sponge to show her by way of explanation.

Mei's runners, a young man and woman barely out of their teens, are both staring at you, goggle eyed. The woman's mouth hangs open.

MEI: "Give us a moment, would you two?"

She closes the tent flap, blocking their gaze.

Mei sets down her helmet on a pallet.

MEI: "Well, what are you waiting for? Get dressed, we've got to go."

"I don't have any clothes. Iris is bringing me some."

Mei rolls her eye in exasperation.

MEI: "You know what? Fine, we'll do it here, it's not like I haven't seen it before."

She hauls a small crate over next to your tub and sits down opposite you.

[ ] Are you going to kill me?
[ ] Is everyone okay?
[ ] What happened at the northern pass?
[ ] Do you want a report?
[ ] Could you warm up my bath water?

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Do you want a report?

Click to shrink...

"Do you want a report?"

MEI: "No, I'm here for your personality. Of course I want a fucking report. Colter said you were in surgery."

"I am in surgery."

MEI: "You're in a bath."

"The bath is in the surgery tent."

Mei closes her eye and keeps it shut.

INTEGRITY: I think she's counting to ten.

MEI: "Okay, are you wounded?"

"Yeah."

MEI: "How did you get wounded?"

You look down at yourself.

"A few different ways."

MEI: "Okay, let's try this. Did you fight an undead Exalt with a reinforced skeleton?"

"Yeah, I did."

MEI: "Did you win?"

"Yeah."

MEI: "And you left the body with Colter."

"That's right. How did you know it was an undead Exalt? You couldn't tell from the corpse."

MEI: "First smart thing you've said since I came in here. I guessed because I fought one too. Ex-earth aspect. I'm guessing yours was fire, based on the state of the forest."

"That's right. He had backup. Raigi with grey skin and blindfolds who could see through the smoke clouds."

Mei looks thoughtful at that.

MEI: "I've heard of stuff like that from Tengese ghost cults. Something to ask the sorcerer about. How many were there?"

"Less than forty. And yours?"

MEI: "About fifty, but they didn't have blindfolds, like you describe. They crumbled when they hit the legion line, but the undead creature was wrestling Rooster evenly when I got there."

"I saw the explosion."

MEI: "You and everyone else. Damn thing wouldn't stay down, I had to go overboard. Was yours a Dynast?"

You shake your head.

"Lost egg, like us."

She narrows her eye at you.

MEI: "Well, you remember some things. And lost egg is real bad news."

"Why is that?"

MEI: "We knew a couple of Dynasts were missing that could have been remade into these things. There's maybe a dozen Dynasts in Ashglass. No lost eggs."

WAR: DIFFICULT

CHECK PASSED

"He came from your legion."

MEI: "That's what I'm thinking. We lost fifteen Dragon-Blooded legion officers in the storm, and almost a dozen more in navy officers, monks and civilian administrators. If they've all been turned like this, we're in for a hell of a fight, even if our reinforcements land intact."

[ ] Is everyone okay on the north front?
[ ] Are you still going to try to capture Ashglass?
[ ] What can I do to help?
[ ] I think you owe me an apology.
[ ] Can we talk? You said we would talk if I survived.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] What can I do to help?

Click to shrink...

"What can I do to help?"

MEI: "I don't know, what can you even do, except charge madly at things and survive getting perforated?"

Iris returns as you are about to venture an answer.

IRIS: "I left the tunic at the seamsters and picked you up a- oh, begging your pardon, dragonlord, I didn't see you there."

MEI: "Iris, are you running sewing errands for a civilian when I told you to expect a wave of casualties?"

Iris dumps the pile of clothes on the bench.

IRIS: "As far as I've heard this civilian is the reason why we don't have a wave of casualties, so I figured she was worth a favor, lady."

MEI: "Why is she in a bath?"

IRIS: "She said she needed a bath."

"It's true, I did say that."

MEI: "You shut up."

Iris addresses you, pointedly ignoring Mei.

IRIS: "Lady, the seamsters are working on your tunic, but I don't know what tent you're in, so I'll need to tell them where to deliver it."

"I don't have a tent."

IRIS: "What's this? Why doesn't she have a tent, dragonlord?"

"She's a civilian, I don't have to give her a tent."

IRIS: "I'm a civilian and I've got a tent. What, you expect a prince of the earth to sleep outside?"

MEI: "Iris, we're trying to have a conversation here."

IRIS: "Well, where am I supposed to send this tunic?"

MEI: "Send it my tent! I don't care! Just go away!"

IRIS: "Fine. I just think you should give her a place to sleep, if you're sending her off to battle, is all. That's a medical opinion."

Mei glares steadily at her.

IRIS: "Oh, stop it, I've seen it often enough. I'll go off and do my orders and leave you to your conversation."

Iris stacks up some bamboo scrolls in her arms and leaves you alone, save for the silent monks and dying man.

MEI: "Insufferable." She sighs. "She's not wrong though, you did good today."

Her tone is so grudging that you decide not to give your opinion on this because you feel like confirming that she said it will be met with immediate aggression.

MEI: "I should set you up somewhere. What do you think you're best at, aside from fighting? After you recover, I mean."

[ ] I'm pretty good with anatomy, I think. I could help out here.
[ ] I know how to make stuff. Maybe I could help out the engineers?
[ ] I guess I can lift and carry stuff. Chop wood? I don't know, I feel active.
[ ] I've got good eyes. I could ride a demon, like your sorcerer suggested.

This is a consequential decision, please vote.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I'm pretty good with anatomy, I think. I could help out here.

Click to shrink...

"I'm pretty good with anatomy, I think. I could help out here."

Mei looks around and considers this.

MEI: "Trying to turn back the wheel a little, are we? Isn't it a little late for that?"

"I've got time."

She makes a noncommital sound in response to that.

MEI: "Fine. It'll keep you busy, at least. I heard someone saying you were stealing hammers yesterday."

"I think she technically gave me that hammer."

MEI: "Hrm. I'll set you up as a brevet specialist. You answer to officers of talon and above, but you don't give anyone orders, got it?"

"I wasn't going to."

MEI: "Feh! I suppose I should give you an aide."

"An aide?"

MEI: "A helper. Someone to run around and deliver your messages, fetch your laundry, that sort of thing. Can't have you stumbling around like a beggar demanding help from sympathetic passersby all the time."

"Who's my aide?"

MEI: "Gods preserve me from ruinous decisions. I have to pick some poor sap to put up with you. You know what, why don't you pick? It's usually someone young so they get a bit of experience out of the combat rotation, but it could be anyone."

You consider your options.

[ ] Brindle, from Fincher's unit.
[ ] Toothsome, from Fincher's unit.
[ ] Feathers, the engineer.
[ ] Lily, from Colter's unit.
[ ] Cinnamon, Logris' aide.
[ ] Can I get Fincher?
[ ] Anyone? I pick you.
[ ] Actually I'd rather you picked someone.

This is a consequential decision, please vote.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Lily, from Colter's Unit.

Click to shrink...

"Lily, from Colter's unit."

MEI: "Iris' girl?" she considers this. "She's one of his medics, so it's not ideal. But I guess you need someone to patch you up more often than half the legion put together, so it's not like it's a waste of her time. I'll get it worked out with Mercer, see if we can shuffle someone over."

She makes a note on one of her little slate pads.

MEI: "I'll send a runner with your lodging when I get it organized. Lily will meet you there."

"Alright."

MEI: "In the meantime, I want you to attend an autopsy on the creature you killed after noon mess, over in the main surgery. We'll see what the medics and sorcerer make of it."

"Can't we use the one you killed?"

MEI: "Nah. What's left of it will be too hot to dig out of the crater I left it in for a few hours yet."

"Right. What time is it?"

MEI: "You've got a couple of hours. Try not to make any more trouble. Speaking of time, I'm in a hurry."

Abruptly, she stands to leave.

[ ] Wait, can we talk about our past?
[ ] Wait, can we talk about what happened last night?
[ ] Wait, can we talk about what is happening now?
[ ] Wait, can we talk about what's going to happen?

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Wait, can we talk about what happened last night?

Click to shrink...

"Wait, can we talk about what happened last night?"

Mei turns, obviously impatient.

MEI: "What about what happened last night?"

"I don't know what happened and nobody will explain it. I was training, Logris and Fincher were there, and then I don't remember anything. Apparently I hit a tree? Why is Fincher in the lockup?"

Mei screws her eye shut in annoyance.

MEI: "You know what? Fine, I'll tell you. Fincher is in the lockup because she poisoned you."

"Oh, she told you about that?"

MEI: "You just said you couldn't remember."

EMBASSY: DIFFICULT

CHECK PASSED

EMBASSY: Abort, abort! She's talking about last night, not the night before. Fincher must have poisoned you twice. On no account should you reveal to Mei why she poisoned you the first time.

"Oh, I just meant that rhetorically."

Mei narrows her eye at you but does not question your odd use of rhetoric further.

MEI: "Okay, let me tell you what happened from my perspective. A tree exploded to the north of camp, scattering shrapnel over a wide area. Fincher carried you down into camp. While you were getting surgery to stop the blood loss, I asked her what the hell happened."

"And what did she say?"

MEI: "Apparently she fed you an apple filled with a large dose of blue nightshade."

"What? Why did she do that?"

MEI: "Her plan was for you to become very inebriated so you would miss our duel and I would think you had backed out and gotten blackout drunk instead."

SAGACITY: Blue nightshade is a soporific and euphoric. Its symptoms are difficult to distinguish from alcohol. Large doses can cause blackouts and delusional episodes, however.

"So..."

MEI: "What actually happened was that you decided to, and I quote, "do some Immaculate martial arts" and detonated a tree, filling your body with wooden shrapnel."

"Can I do Immaculate martial arts?"

MEI: "Apparently fucking not. Anyway, she ruined our fight, so I confined her to lockup."

"Because she ruined our fight? Why are you acting so much nicer today?"

MEI: "Is this what nice looks like to you?"

"Nice-er. Yesterday you wanted to burn my head off."

MEI: "Well, maybe I still want to today, but I've had a chance to cool off. So to speak. I don't want to talk about it."

She turns to leave again.

MEI: "I'll release Fincher. Half the reason I had her under lockup was because I thought you might come after her, but I don't think that's likely now. I still want you to avoid her, though."

"What, why?"

MEI: "We'll talk later."

She leaves. You hear a commotion of voices outside, including a deep resonant one that is unmistakably Rooster's, but you there's too much chatter for you to make out the words.

Alone again, save for the dying man and silent monks, you return to your bathing. You catch a glimpse of the reflection in the surface of the water. She looks rough.

REFLECTION: "So, Fincher poisoned you, again. What do you think about that?"

[ ] I don't think I like Fincher any more.
[ ] I think that was pretty messed up.
[ ] I think she was trying to help.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I think she was trying to help.

Click to shrink...

"I think she was trying to help."

REFLECTION: "By poisoning you?"

"Yeah."

With your conversation concluded, you finish up in the bath and remove yourself from it.

You dry yourself as best you can with the bundle of cotton cloth left beside the tub. You note that the whole left side of your torso is a pale, unhealthy purple from where you were struck with a burning log during your fight. You're lucky your ribs weren't crushed by the impact. Maybe you have the jade bone inserts Fincher mentioned to thank for that.

The bundle of clothes Iris provided includes your britches, gambeson and swordbelt, plus a lightweight knee-length linen tunic and a pair of heavy wooden sandals. You dress yourself as best you can; the swelling in your left hand has gone down so you can use it more or less as well as before. However, the sleeve of your gambeson will not fit over the forearm cast. You'll have to carry it. It's pretty heavy and cumbersome when its weight isn't properly distributed as intended.

You pass the monks on your way out. The patient is pale, with a bluish tint, and his breathing is shallow and rapid. The monks appear to have finished their work and are offering prayers.

SAGACITY: VERY DIFFICULT

CHECK PASSED

SAGACITY: The perforation is not significant enough to cause heart failure but the blood pooling in the chest has already collapsed his lung. He will die soon. There is nothing you can do. Even if you had administered to him immediately during the battle, it's unlikely you could have saved him.

INTEGRITY: It's not exactly an encouraging beginning to your new duties, but the knowledge that you couldn't have done anything differently makes it a little easier, somehow.

"What's his name?"

MONK: "It's Stone. It won't be long now."

Better luck next time, Stone.

With nothing more to do here, you leave the tent.

Your first thought is that night has somehow fallen since you enterered the tent mid-morning. But no, it is only Rooster, blocking your light.

ROOSTER: "Hello!"

He looks a little rough, though nowhere near as bad as the reflection. He sports a black eye and has a bandage around his forehead. He's wearing an enormous steel breastplate that looks like it could double as a temple bell. It's got a few dents in it.

"Hi Rooster. What happened to you?"

ROOSTER: "I got into a fight with a, uh, a zombie, I guess? It was real strong. What happened to you?"

"Yeah, that happened to me as well."

ROOSTER: "I heard! That's why I'm here. Dragonlord Mei said I have you to thank for the backup arriving."

"She said that?"

ROOSTER: "Well, she said "that fucking end table" but I think she was talking about you, no offense."

"I don't even know how to take offense to that."

ROOSTER: "Anyway, I wanted to come and say thank you and check you were doing okay! The dragonlord said you were naked so I thought I should wait outside."

"Well, you're welcome. Thank you for the finger." you hold it up to show him.

ROOSTER: "I'm glad you like it!" he beams.

"So you're allowed to talk to me now?"

ROOSTER: "Well, the dragonlord didn't object when she met me just now, so I guess it's fine?"

"She seems to be in a good mood."

ROOSTER: "Do you think so?" he thinks about this. "Yeah, I guess, maybe."

"So what are you doing now?"

ROOSTER: "Oh, the dragonlord gave me the morning off to recover. It's just a little bruising, but she insisted. I think she gets a bit protective about me."

[ ] You want to hang out? I've got a couple of hours.
[ ] Good to see you're okay, I'll talk to you later.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] You want to hang out? I've got a couple of hours.

Click to shrink...

"You want to hang out? I've got a couple of hours."

Rooster breaks into a grin.

ROOSTER: "Sure I do! Oh, let me carry that for you."

He reaches down to hold a platter-sized hand in front of you. You pass the heavy gambeson to him. He holds it up to examine it.

PHYSIQUE: SO BIG

ROOSTER: "Hey, this is pretty good work! Where did you get it?"

"It was in a box of my stuff. I don't know how it got there."

CRAFT: Speaking of which, we should probably look through the rest of that stuff at some point.

ROOSTER: "Oh, right, the memory thing. Hmm." He looks it over from various angles. "You know, I could probably make you some heavier armour to fit over and around this, if you wanted."

"Do I need more armour?"

ROOSTER: "Well..." he gestures down at you. "You probably wouldn't have taken that leg wound if you had a decent pair of greaves. What's that, a spear?"

"Arrow."

He nods.

ROOSTER: "Never hurts to have some decent protection. Better the armour gets dinged than you do."

"I'll keep that in mind."

ROOSTER: "So where do you want to go?"

PHYSIQUE: ASK FOR HELP GETTING BIG

[ ] Want to help me look through my stuff?
[ ] Can you help me exercise?
[ ] Maybe we could go for a walk somewhere.
[ ] I don't know, what do you want to do?

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Want to help me look through my stuff?

Click to shrink...

"Want to help me look through my stuff?"

ROOSTER: "Sure! Where is it?"

"I left it in Logris' tent."

ROOSTER: "Oh, the navy lady? I know where that is."

He sets off northwards past the rows of tents. He's not walking particularly fast, but he has very long legs, so you have to jog to keep up.

ROOSTER: "Say, did you get into some sort of trouble last night? You were sleeping awfully late in there."

"Did nobody tell you?"

ROOSTER: "Tell me what?"

"I blew up a tree and got cut up pretty bad."

ROOSTER: "What? Why did you do something like that?"

"Uh..."

[ ] Fincher drugged me.
[ ] I was training.
[ ] I can't remember why.
[ ] That tree had it coming.