[X]Check on Ray and Shell and their search for the Eye of Autochthon.
Upon your ascension to sorcery- and upon Ray first standardizing the usage of Sorcery Capture Cords- it became a standard procedure among your circle to always have a sorcery capture cord with three castings of Infallible Messenger on it- one addressed to you, one addressed to Bright Star, and one addressed to Ray. Sky's proximity to you and Peak's tendency to be where you least expected him to be, as well as his own mastery of Infallible Messenger, made needing a cord for them redundant.
You also set up codes. Hence, you sent out an Infallible Messenger to Ray, asking her how the search for the Eye went. A response came back seconds later, in the form of a golden cherub, which carried Ray's voice to your ears and the words,
"It's fiiiiiiiiiine."
Which was the code you worked out for 'It's a serious problem and we don't have time to give you details.'
So you ran up the decks of Ligier's airship and promptly ordered him to set a course for where Ray and Shell had headed off to.
The Eye of Autochthon was a baaaaaad thing. It was, from your studies, an eye of a primordial, and due to the nature of Autochthon's joutens- that they were built and probably modular- it was still connected to his mythos. Hence, it still saw, it still observed, and the mythos of a primordial was stronger than the mythos of Creation.
This lead to bad things. After all, Autochthon's own world-jouten was...barely habitable to humans, even with direct Exalted assistance. You've seen aftermaths of the Eye being used. They tended to be quite bad.
So as the airship continues its flight towards what was the site of the Pearl Court, you had a sit down with Autochthon to discuss what to expect.
"Can you control the Eye?"
The encounter suit shakes his head. "No. I severed direct control with it when I detached it and gave it to the Solar Exalted. I had suspicions at that time of the danger the Exalted represented, and did not wish to give them a...term...back door."
Sensible. Rarity. But good.
"If we retrieve the Eye, can you take control of it?"
"Most likely. As with many actions, it was not one that I put much forethought into."
"Noted." The two of you sit in the airship's sitting room. Demonic servants serve tea, averting their eyes from the encounter suit. You hear the doors open and the sounds of flower petals being spread, and assume Ligier has arrived.
"So, since Bannery Bu can't leave Yu Shan, I had an alternate idea," you say, sipping your tea, "What is your opinion on my mother?"
"Charming human. She is a Dragonblooded, yes?"
"Wood Aspect." You stare at the Encounter Suit past the lip of your cup. "Impeccable breeding."
"Of course. You mention Bannery Bu, so you want my opinion on her because you wish to have her as a guiding hand in my mania."
You nod. "V'Neef is a woman of wonderful manners and most prodigious social charms. I once saw a relief painting of her entertaining Lady Mnemon, Cathak Cainan, the Roseblack, and the last scion of House Viridian. All of them were of utmost mirth and high spirits."
You turn, looking over your shoulder and watching Ligier walk over, two arms folded behind him and two spread out and raised.
"I do not know who those people are," Autochthon says, finger raised, "But would I be correct in presuming they would normally attempt to kill each other?"
You nod. "Odd." You fold your arms and lean back. "House Viridian, or one of their scions, Manosque, was one of the more famous people to have the Eye. He tried to take over the Realm with it, and was close to seizing control of the Realm Defense Grid before his entire army shot into the sky."
You rub your temples. "I thought House Viridian was wiped out to the child, though."
Ligier cocks an eyebrow. His eyes turn from your gaze to the amulet on your wrist, and you get the meaning behind it. Something to do with the Ebon Dragon.
"In any case, Sorcerer," Ligier says, "We are approaching the Wyld-infested area where Ray and Shell went to. I invite you to the bridge."
You and Autochthon follow Ligier up the decks to the bridge, where Florivet steers the airship through the snowstorms with effortless ease. You knew there was a reason you bound him, even if at times you wondered. He was constantly drunk, disorderly, lecherous, and tended to smell. But, he is an excellent captain and navigator, no matter the craft.
He stares ahead- the wings of the master sailor flutter, and the eyes of the furred, canine demon go wide before he pulls up the flask from his side and takes a deep pull of the rum. "So, let me get this straight," the Whim of the Wind asks, "If you got the Bonefire from the Wyld Court back when, what in the name of Mardukth's ever-expanding arse is that?"
You walk past Florivet and can't help but agree with him. And, maybe want some rum for yourself.
It is...big enough that you can see it from the ship, which is still some distance away. Tuning your sight to supernatural, you stare out- flowing essence both into your Sorcerer's Sight and your own Keen and Unsurpassed Sight to cross the distance and make out details.
(Perception+Awareness, 9 dice +6 successes, 20 successes)
You see it. Floating above the spot that was the Pearl Court- at least, the land they once claimed before Ray went to town on them. It overshadows the land, but anchored to it- like an immense tree that has grown out of it. Not as complex as a tree-
An immense trunk, with four shaped and equal arms. Like an immense hypercube, unfolded into a tesseract of quartz crystal.
"Welp."
"Yes," Autochthon says, "Someone has lost control of the Eye."
"I have to ask. Why quartz?"
"My mythos is centered around the Pole of Crystal. When the Eye observes, it stretches my mythos into the fabric of Creation. I can only assume when a wielder loses control over the Eye it causes a logic-failure shaping cascade that snaps my mythos violently over the area."
You no. "So, a primordial brainfart."
"Yes. Exactly."
You rub the bridge of your nose. Florivet whistles. "Okay." You take a deep breath. "We're closer. Can you see out of the Eye?"
Autochthon is silent for a moment. Then, he stands up straight, a puff of steam from his mouth grill and a startled mutter of surprise.
"Autochthon?"
"I can detect the Eye and yes. Yes! I can hear the voice of the one wielding it."
You blink. "The Eye can hear?"
Autochthon places his hand on your shoulder. His senses, his awareness, briefly merges with yours. And you hear. You hear a language completely unfamiliar to your own- something you've heard in whispers, behind closed doors, beneath the floors. Beneath the ground.
"What is that?"
"Rocktongue," Autochthon answers, "The Eye is in the possession of a Jadeborn."
[ ]Find Ray and Shell.
[ ]Find the Eye and the Jadeborn.
[ ]Write in.
