Mare Internum: An Exalted Quest

[Crumplepunch]

[X] That tree had it coming.

Click to shrink...

"That tree had it coming."

ROOSTER: "Oh. I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"I'm glad you think so."

ROOSTER: "Well, I'm glad you're okay now." he glances down at you. "I mean, relatively."

You arrive at Logris' tent.

"Hello?" you call into the covered entrance. "Anyone home?"

There is a scuffling sound from inside. After a moment's silence, Cinnamon pulls back the cover.

CINNAMON: "Oh, it's uhhhh-"

She diverts her attention from you to look up at Rooster, wide eyed.

"Cinnamon, this is Rooster, Rooster, Cinnamon."

ROOSTER: "Hi! We already met, but I forgot to introduce myself, sorry."

CINNAMON: "It's okay!" she squeaks. "Uh, how can I help you?"

"Is Logris back yet?"

Cinnamon shakes her head.

"Can we come in? I want to take a look through my chest."

Cinnamon is looking at Rooster's chest, apparently dazed.

CINNAMON: "Your chest?"

"The chest I left here? A couple of hours ago?"

Cinnamon blushes.

"Oh, yes, of course, please come in."

She holds the tent cover open for you. You enter, and Rooster carefully squeezes himself through after you. It's a fairly spacious tent, but he takes up quite a lot of the interior space.

CINNAMON: "Please, take a seat. Oh, but are you alright? You weren't that wounded when you left, were you?"

"No, I got some new ones. I'm fine though."

You head to the covered section of the tent and find your chest, just where you left it. Cinnamon has done some tidying up and changed the cover on the pallet you were sleeping on. With a little effort, you lift the chest by one of its end handles and drag it into the living area.

ROOSTER: "Oh, that's a nice one. Varangian, maybe? They have an ebony wood like this down there, and they do a lot of fine mechanical stuff."

Rooster is sitting cross legged near the entrance. You note with a sliver of satisfaction that you're a little taller than him when he's sitting down.

CINNAMON: "Would you, uh, like some tea?"

ROOSTER: "Oh, yes please!"

"Sure, thanks. Hey Cinnamon, didn't you say Logris was going to be back soon?"

She nods, busying herself with the tea preparation.

CINNAMON: "She, uh, doesn't really tell me where she goes, so that was just a guess. I don't know when she's going to get back."

[ ] Maybe we should look for her.
[ ] I'll keep an eye out later, we've got stuff to look through.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I'll keep an eye out later, we've got stuff to look through.

Click to shrink...

"I'll keep an eye out later, we've got stuff to look through."

CINNAMON: "Ah! Yes, of course, I didn't mean to- uh, yes, please continue."

INTEGRITY: She wants to see what's in the chest.

"You're welcome to watch, it's your tent."

CINNAMON "Thank you, magis- er, Vesper. It's actually captain Logris' tent, but I do sleep here."

She pours the tea. Rooster holds his cup delicately between his enormous thumb and forefinger.

You pop open the chest. As before, it slides open smoothly with a hiss of air that bespeaks excellent craftsmanship.

ROOSTER: "Ooh, mysterious packages!"

What should you look at first?

[ ] Pick the plain wooden box.
[ ] Pick the small paper package.
[ ] Pick the unmarked clay jar.
[ ] Pick the wax-stoppered horn.
[ ] Pick the scroll tube.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Pick the plain wooden box.

Click to shrink...

You reach for the wooden box. It's a case of unvarnished wooden boards held together with thin metal bands. A pair of simple twist clasps keep it closed. It takes up half of the space at the bottom layer of the chest.

Upon attempting to pick it up, your first thought is that it is somehow stuck to the bottom of the chest. Upon a second attempt, you realize it's just really heavy. You estimate that more than half of the weight of the chest is actually just this box now that the gambeson has been removed.

ROOSTER: "Do you need a hand?"

"No no, I've got it."

You haul the box out of the chest and drop it the last few inches onto the fabric-covered ground. The clasps pop open from the impact.

Inside is a milky off-white gleam. Snug against the thick wooden boards are four long bars of white jade bigger than your forearm, each graven with the complex mon of the imperial treasury.

All three of you stare at it for a long moment.

SAGACITY: NORMAL

CHECK FAILED

SAGACITY: That's money.

How much money?

SAGACITY: A whole box of money.

"I don't know how much money this is."

ROOSTER: "It's a lot of money."

"How much money?"

He thinks.

ROOSTER: "It's half an imperial talent. That's... wait, I need to remember my lessons."

He stops and thinks for a moment.

ROOSTER: "That's about ten times as much as my parents' bakery has made during my entire life. That's Dynast money. I thought magistrates weren't meant to have any wealth?"

"Maybe I'm not a very good magistrate."

CINNAMON: "Ah, Vesper, this is, er, about as much as Captain Usamir gets as a stipend from House Peleps in a year."

"How do you know that?"

CINNAMON: "I used to help with his household finances."

AWARENESS: So she was Usamir's servant?

EMBASSY: That makes sense. Logris said you and she were the only survivors of the Kazudaris. Cinnamon must be one of Usamir's servants who is 'on loan' to his cousin.

"So... what should I do with it?"

Cinnamon shrugs.

ROOSTER: "Bury it? I don't know. There's not a lot of places that will take jade bars as currency around here."

PHYSIQUE: They are very heavy. Maybe you could use them as training weights. Or hit people with them.

[ ] I want to talk about this box of jade some more.
[ ] Let's look at the small paper package.
[ ] Let's look at the unmarked clay jar.
[ ] Let's look at the wax-stoppered horn.
[ ] Let's look at the scroll tube.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Let's look at the wax-stoppered horn.

Click to shrink...

"Alright, let's try our next mystery box. Maybe this one will be full of starmetal."

You pick up the horn. It's from something big, maybe a buffalo of some sort, engraved with geometric patterns and paneled with black lacquer. The stopper is coated with unadorned red wax. There is no indication of its contents.

ROOSTER: "Want me to open it?"

You consider the logistics of opening the thing one handed and decide against it.

"Yes please."

He sets his tea down, you pass him the horn. He holds the stopper gently between his fingers and twists it free.

You sip at your own tea as he frowns in confusion at the contents of the horn.

ROOSTER: "I have no idea what this is. Some sort of medicine?"

"Let's see."

You set your tea down and he passes it back to you.

The horn holds a pinkish powder. On closer inspection, it's a sparkling white powder flecked with slightly coarser grains of brick red.

You stare at it.

INTEGRITY: This is cocaine laced with firedust.

What's firedust?

SAGACITY: Firedust is a naturally occuring resource harvested from the far Southern deserts. It is a powerful incendiary and accelerant. Some cuisines use it in minute portions as a spice.

"Huh."

Rooster and Cinnamon look at you expectantly.

[ ] Tell them it's cocaine laced with firedust.
[ ] Say you don't know what it is.
[ ] Make something up.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Tell them it's cocaine laced with firedust.

Click to shrink...

"This is cocaine laced with firedust."

There is a long silence.

CINNAMON: "Uh, why do you have that?"

SAGACITY: VERY DIFFICULT

CHECK PASSED

SAGACITY: Snorting firedust is not medically advised.

Why not?

SAGACITY: Firedust is a minor irritant when not ignited. It will cause inflammation of the nasal cavity, coughing and shortness of breath. The coarseness of the grain will also cause microperforations and nosebleeds. And intense pain.

Why is it in here, then?

SAGACITY: In the bloodstream, firedust acts as a potent adrenergic agonist to greatly increase blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing rate and pupil dilation. This has a force multiplying effect with the stimulant properties of cocaine, causing a more intense high. Moreover, as an Exalt you are able to more easily survive and recover from the subsequent health issues.

INTEGRITY: The poison will not kill you, but it will make you feel alive.

"Uh, I think it makes the cocaine taste better."

Rooster and Cinnamon stare at you.

Very slowly, without breaking eye contact, Rooster reaches over and pushes the stopper back onto the top of the horn.

ROOSTER: "Let's look at something else."

[ ] Actually, I want to talk about my jade.
[ ] Can we talk about this cocaine some more?
[ ] Let's look at the small paper package.
[ ] Let's look at the unmarked clay jar.
[ ] Let's look at the scroll tube.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Let's look at the scroll tube.

Click to shrink...

You reach down to the scroll tube at the bottom of the chest.

A chill runs through your hand.

INTEGRITY: What you are about to do cannot be undone.

The tube is copper, inlayed with panels of undyed leather. It is unremarkable save for the stamp on the lid; the imperial seal, identical to the one on your ring.

ROOSTER: "Vesper? Are you okay?"

You realize you are frozen in place, unable to grasp the scroll.

Whatever it takes.

"I just need a second."

With an concerted effort, you force your hand to grasp the scroll casing and remove it from the chest. Then you just sit there, holding it.

Rooster and Cinnamon wait patiently. Rooster finishes his tea.

CINNAMON: "Uh, do you need help opening it?"

[ ] No, I don't think that's a good idea. (Put the scroll case back)
[ ] I said I just need a second. (Open it)

 

[Crumplepunch]

[x] I said I just need a second. (Open it)

Click to shrink...

"I said I just need a second."

Before she can reply, you pop open the scroll case with your thumb and slide out the letter within.

The paper is fine and soft, almost like stiffened silk. It smells of roses. Your throat tightens.

No backing out now. You unfurl it.

It's a short letter. The ink is a deep scarlet.

Second Rain, faithful servant of the Throne,

The Imperial Presence has received confirmation of your successes these last months; the final extirpation of the treacherous Tarene line and its retainers has furthered the goal of all the Realm; to maintain a perfect governance and to execute the duties of the State. In this matter you have once again served as an implement worthy of our Dynasty's majestic virtue, for the shaping of a better world.

Though, as we have often imparted to you, your trespasses against the Perfected Hierarchy cannot be forgiven by the Imperial Presence, in Her magnanimity She recognizes the praiseworthy service you have rendered these past decades. As Her perfect rule encompasses all under Heaven, even such imperfect and barbarous things have their place within its order, and may earn just rewards through diligent service to the State.

To this end, in Her wisdom, the Imperial Presence has decreed that you be granted a leave from further duties, until such a time as it is Her pleasure to call upon you again. It is Her wish that you use this time to reflect upon your past transgressions. Thus shall Her indulgence be manifested.

Wear the imperial seal in faith, and with pride in your duties past.

By mandate of the Throne,

Akiyo Shimu, First Minister of the Eye and Hand.

Dictated at the assent of the Imperial Presence, 7th Descending Water, RY763.

ROOSTER: "Vesper? What is it?"

Your vision is narrowed, blue shadows chasing at its edges.

[ ] Look at the name at the top.
[ ] Look at the word "extirpation"
[ ] Look at the word "trespasses"
[ ] Look at the word "decades"
[ ] Look at the word "indulgence"
[ ] Look at the name at the bottom.
[ ] Look at the date.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Look at the name at the top.

Click to shrink...

You stare at the name.

Second Rain.

You hear it whispered in a sibilant chorus.

You have heard it before, many times. It is a name you have been called.

But is it your name?

It is not time to decide. You can't focus on it. You can't think.

Maybe someone else will be able to give you perspective on this.

Someone is saying something, but you don't listen. You look over the rest of the letter.

[ ] Look at the word "extirpation"
[ ] Look at the word "trespasses"
[ ] Look at the word "decades"
[ ] Look at the word "indulgence"
[ ] Look at the name at the bottom.
[ ] Look at the date.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Look at the word "extirpation"

Click to shrink...

To extirpate. To strip from the root. To excise in surgery. To leave nothing left.

Your hands hold the torch and the knife.

"I feel nothing."

You feel motion around you. You hear something thrum behind the ringing in your ears.

"I feel nothing."

There is more to see.

[ ] Look at the word "trespasses"
[ ] Look at the word "decades"
[ ] Look at the word "indulgence"
[ ] Look at the name at the bottom.
[ ] Look at the date.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] Look at the word "trespasses"

Click to shrink...

You see ships burning at sunset, reflecting their radiance on amber spires. You hear wails of anguish and the desperation of a dying city. You smell terror and rotting blood.

your trespasses against the Perfected Hierarchy cannot be forgiven

Over all this, someone you trust with your life smiles and tells you why it is your fault.

reflect upon your past transgressions

THOUGHT GAINED: The Hateful Sapphire Mask

Something jars you out of the memory. Something blocks the page.

ROOSTER: "Vesper, breathe."

Instinctively you obey. Your intake of breath sounds like a death rattle. Tears are streaming down your face, and you don't know why.

Rooster is crouched between you and the letter, holding you by the shoulders. You realize he has been trying to get your attention since you opened it.

ROOSTER: "Hey, come on, don't look at it any more. I'll get rid of it, okay?"

[ ] Tell him you need to finish reading it.
[ ] Tell him to put it away.