Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

15th of January 2007 A.D.

The slow beat of the music muffled by ornamental stone and very much intentional sound proofing, the red of the tablecloth, the way the light dances in the decanter, the rustling of the curtains turning the uncommon evening wind into a strange and furtive thing, this is altogether not the kind of place one might expect high stakes diplomacy to take place, unless it be the kind of diplomacy that ends with one of the parties lying face down on the table. But the Hanging Gardens is where the new Lord of Las Vegas had chosen to meet with his guests, partly as a show of favor to Arlene who has emerged as one of his strongest supporters and partly because she is the only one of the local players to offer. Fortunato was 'still setting the big top back up' whatever that meant and Big Corey had declined to have federal agents, no matter how well behaved in any of his establishments.

Which is how you and Tiffany end up to one side of a table laden with so many bottles and decanters of colorful dizzying liquids that you could probably get a horse drunk alongside a gurvel who could probably drink all of it and not feel a thing. Alright that is a bit unfair of you. Flame of Exemplary Passage and his subordinates are too busy marveling at the construction, the lights, the power outlets and the chairs to pay much attention to the drink. They might all be diplomats, but what exposure they had to Earth had been third hand through Iris files, a far cry from breathing the air of an alien world.

So it is with some relief that you recognize Agent Hyde again, accompanied by another three of his colleagues similarly attired and while not unphased certainly less phased than usual. You offer a smile and a shrug. What can you do? the expression seems to say.


Fight and bleed and try not to die, these are the answers that come out in the hour long presentation that takes up your side of the introductions. Rather than the wide holistic approach that your negotiators had taken in dealing with the White Council, meant to assuage any fears that you were hiding some dark secret, this is designed specifically to deal with the crises Las Vegas, why you meddled, how you are planning to comport yourself in the future and why the important person to talk to isn't you. A chance for the Lord of the March to come into his own.

To your surprise Harromont's account of the events of last Sunday is direct and without any of the artifice he used for instance when talking to Correy. While he certainly did not minimize his own contribution or those of other local actors like the Temple of Ishtar, the Pallbearers or the wyldfae he makes it very clear that absent external intervention none of the local powers could have stopped the gate opening on its own after its appointed guardian had been turned. "The landmine might not have run down to the second but on the scale that such powers contend that might as well have done so. This city finds itself at a crossroad, at a meeting of strangers who like travelers of old met at sunset and then spent the night fighting back to back against brigands and beasts. We do not have the luxury of parting for all the world is here and here we must stand. I am willing, nay eager to share information about threats with those who would help to counter them."

Like the proverbial coin slotting in place those are the words Hyde seemed to be waiting for. The Library has procedures for sharing information at various levels of classification. They had even had a hand in the modern classification system if they are to be believed, but metaphorical coins aside there is one sticking point, money, specifically what Harromont is planning to run his operations on. The agents make it very clear that they cannot accept any form of wide scale tax evasion be it by means mundane or arcane, an odd line it seems to you at first though the more you think about it the more sense it starts to make.

Odds are good there are plenty of people in government who are aware that the Library of Congress is not entirely forthcoming with their information, even Daedalus suspects that and yet the librarians are tolerated, respected even, to think back to that phone call from the reservoir. If on the other hand they were suspected to be doing nothing more than enriching their cronies that trust is liable to shatter, the pieces hard indeed to fit back into place.

So t he pledge is made, the parchment —Harrowmont insisted— signed and the Treaty of Las Vegas comes into effect.

"I hope everyone has the sense not to upset the ass as it's learning the way," Tiffany whispers as things break up.

"Hey!" you shoot back, no sense name calling. Personally you think the Lord of Las Vegas has proven himself brave in conflict and skilled in peace.

"I meant the animal, old Assyrian proverb," she counters with an expression like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

With that at least you leave the city and your memories of Sandra fey behind. Though as you race across the desert you have the strangest feeling that eyes of stone are tracking you. Something tells you not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

---

Triumphs

1. Forged your first Splendor 1 XP
2. Investigation of Nemesis 1 XP
3. Learned of the Starborn and their place in elder ages 2 XP
4. Gained the respect of the Archive/the Seer/Ivy 2 XP
5. Traveled to the land of Avalon, the heart of the Summer Court 1 XP
6. Met in Peace with both of the Queens of the Fey 1 XP
7. Navigated the intrigues of the Summer under delicate circumstances 1 XP
8. Tiffany forged a pact with one of the Exalted 2 XP
9. Gained a measure of respect from Titania 1 XP
10. Heard the Song of Talhaearn and understood it 1 XP
11. Slew Iku Turso in open combat 3 XP
12. Exorcised Nemesis from the lords of the fey 1 XP
13. No one in Avalon was harmed save your enemies 1 XP
14. Unraveled the New York City Nemesis plot 1 XP
15. Managed to save Katherine 2 XP
16. Struck a bargain for visitation with the Shih 1 XP
17. Were there for Rosie at the birth 2 XP
18. Found the seediest dive in town and recruited the bouncer 1 XP
19. Discovered an elder vampire's plot 1 XP
20. Bargained safely with a spirit of drowning 1 XP
21. Exfiltrated a vampire out of a hostile underwater sanctum without doing any damage 2 XP
22. RPG Ambush dealt with safely and without undue attention 1 XP
23. Broke Little Tommy's enthrallment 1 XP
24. Killed and consumed the vampire 'Nathanael Cobler' 2 XP
25. Discovered the the Sun Red Contingency and tracked down its pair 2 XP
26. Got the locals to cooperate 1 XP
27. Unraveled Sandra's plots at the university 1 XP
28. Dealt with the chemical attack at the Xanadu with no victims 2 XP
29. Contacted and recruited Red Court Vampires despite previous animosity 1 XP
30. Shattered the Chaos ritual 3 XP
31. Traversed the Tunnels 1 XP
32. Destroyed the Posessed Vampire Orpheus 2 XP
33. Slew the Dragon 3 XP
34. Captured Sandra 3 XP
35. Dealt with the lesser Outsiders 2 XP
36. Set up the New Lord of the March 2 XP
37. Eliminated the Red Court presence in Las Vegas 1 XP
38. Revealed yourself to a portion of the US Gouvernment and signed a treaty with them 2 XP

Total XP: 2 (Unspent) + 58 (Earned this Arc) = 60

How do you spend your Experience?

Special
[] Alchemy: The Art of transmutation, not merely of matter, but mind and spirit. To all you have learned from Bob, all you have read in Harry's books the insights of an elder age are added, as steel is alloyed from charcoal and iron (Cost 3XP/Dot)

[] The Sight, birthright and peril for all who are born with a wizard's depth of understanding (Cost 13 XP Discounted by 2)
Mus study with Harry before you can make use of it

[] New Ability 3xp

[] Ancient sorcery spell 10xp

[] Attribute current rating *4xp

[] Ability current rating *2xp

[] Caste Ability current rating *1xp

[] Caste or Favored Charm Charm rating *3xp

[] Other Charm Charm rating *4xp

[] Willpower current rating

[] First dot of a Sorcerer Path 4xp

[] Follow-up dots in a Sorcerer Path current rating *3xp

[]Merit current rating *4xp

[] Remove Touch of Frost (2 XP)

[] Buy down Nightmares (4 XP)

[] Write in

OOC: And we are done. Congratulations for making it through the mega-arc guys. Enjoy your XP.