A Sidereal who enjoys paperwork has to deal with the consequences of getting blackout drunk during Calibration. May end up saving the world and getting a corner office.
Lumi Quest: Where Even Death Will Not Save You From Paperwork (Exalted, Sidereal)
- Thread starter GreggHL
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The Beginning; The Hangover
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
You feel the gentle rocking beneath you. The steady creaking of the wood, the air upon your face. You drift back into wakefulness, though the memories of what came before are hazy. Something happening. Something...momentous.
You don't remember what, or how you got here, but the throbbing in your head and the dryness in your mouth and the way you can feel your tongue touching the roof of your mouth as you think about how it moves inside of your mouth and touches your teeth and you feel it like that means you have a hangover as well. You open your blurry eyes and see a face encircled by hair. It sees you, and grunts.
"Hey you. You're finally awake. Must have caught you eventually, hm?"
Your vision clears and you can see it is not a man, but rather a Celestial Lion that is on all fours and staring at you with what you can only presume is judgment. Lots of it.
The Lion trots off and sits at one side of the desk, opposite another of its number. You notice that you are in an office. A very nice office. If offices had an attractiveness, it would be spectacular, although not in the same way that a beautiful person or god is. It is well put together. Everything has its place. Every corner measured, every object perfectly set to maximize the feng shui. Even the curtains of the windows are opened to exacting degrees to let just as much moonlight in as needed.
But you are in a chair, very comfortable, and sitting in front of a desk. It is etched in starmetal, built from maple and mahogany, and unlike what one would expect of the Bureaucracy of Heaven, it is not covered in reports or paperwork. Rather, the only things upon it right now are a tea set, which the owner of the desk uses to sip tea. The owner you recognize.
He is old. He is the only Exalted you've ever seen to look old.
It would be unfair to call him your boss. It would be better to say he is the man your boss prays to for the fertility of his daughters.
Chejop Kejak, the leader of the Bronze Faction, the eldest of the Sidereals, sips his tea, and smiles. The smile does not reach his eyes.
"Good morning. It is 3 Ascending Air. You have been asleep since you were picked up, and care has been taken that the hangover you have is less severe than it would be otherwise."
You swallow, your throat dry.
"Prior to the last Calibration, you have been here for five years, and have been a boon to the Five Score Fellowship. Normally, you would have been given easy assignments, but the return of the Solar Exalted also meant the return of Solar Circle Sorcery, and so the Five Score Fellowship was otherwise occupied. You were given the task of managing Little Beam during the Carnival of Meeting."
Chejop sips his tea.
"What is the last thing you remember?"
You think. What do you remember, though the haze of hangover?
"I remember I was trying to convince Little Beam to accompany me to Creation to check on my brother." You furrow your brow. "I wasn't successful. He convinced me to try a drink he made, which was Celestial Wine with chunks of Celestial Peaches in it, like ice cubes."
You huff. "Celestial Peaches which I think he stole. Where is Little Beam, anyway?"
"Being punished." Chejop lets that hang in the air. "The Most High has asked for leniency. This indulgence has been granted, as this is the sole thing he has asked. But we are not here for Little Beam, Luminous Sky. We are here to discuss what you did during the Carnival of Meeting."
-------------------------------------
Welcome to Lumi Quest, Where Death Will Not Save You from Paperwork.
You are Luminous Sky, Chosen of Serenity, and you have been a member of the Five Score Fellowship for the last five years since you were picked up in the South following a previous year of adventuring with your Exalted adopted brother. It's complicated.
But more importantly, you are a bit of a rising star of the Fellowship due to actually liking paperwork, much to the horror of your fellows. Thus, you have volunteered to various tasks and sundries that the Sidereal Exalted normally believe beneath them, and this may have landed you into hot water.
But first! We need a montage.
During the Carnival of Meeting, you were given Little Beam duty, assigned to shepherd the Golden Monkey while all the other Sidereal Exalted were busy.
Were you a bad enough Entry Level Ninja to wrangle the Monkey King?
No.
You were not.
At one point, Little Beam convinced you to get black out drunk on Celestial Sangria. Our first choice is what you and Little Beam did during the Carnival of Meetings.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam picked a fight with the Malfean Envoy and splattered them across a celestial highway. Malfeas is enraged and needs to send a new envoy. This is the default state of things, but still.
[ ] You and Little Beam broke into Luna's nature sanctuary and taught the savage beasts how to read.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam tried to jack the Daystar. You helped.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam stole the List of Creatures of Darkness and Enemies of Creation and declared Lytek a Creature of Darkness. This was quickly resolved, but still.
[ ] You stole the sigils of the God of Bad Disguises and God of Disguising Yourself Badly and switched them.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam fought a Dragon King and awakened him.
[ ] You flagrantly abused your Social Charms to put the bureaucrats in charge of the Cerulean Lute.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam and somehow got past the wards guarding the Primal Forge. You now have in your possession a rock. You do not know what the rock is or what the significance is, just that it came from the Primal Forge.
[ ] You did shots with Jupiter, the Maiden of Secrets, and learned something you shouldn't have.
[ ] Belligerent Little Beam and you snuck into the Loom of Fate with several bottles of Celestial Wine and got sloshed with the Pattern Spiders.
Choose four (4) actions that you and Little Beam did during the Carnival of Meeting. This will be important for later~
You don't remember what, or how you got here, but the throbbing in your head and the dryness in your mouth and the way you can feel your tongue touching the roof of your mouth as you think about how it moves inside of your mouth and touches your teeth and you feel it like that means you have a hangover as well. You open your blurry eyes and see a face encircled by hair. It sees you, and grunts.
"Hey you. You're finally awake. Must have caught you eventually, hm?"
Your vision clears and you can see it is not a man, but rather a Celestial Lion that is on all fours and staring at you with what you can only presume is judgment. Lots of it.
The Lion trots off and sits at one side of the desk, opposite another of its number. You notice that you are in an office. A very nice office. If offices had an attractiveness, it would be spectacular, although not in the same way that a beautiful person or god is. It is well put together. Everything has its place. Every corner measured, every object perfectly set to maximize the feng shui. Even the curtains of the windows are opened to exacting degrees to let just as much moonlight in as needed.
But you are in a chair, very comfortable, and sitting in front of a desk. It is etched in starmetal, built from maple and mahogany, and unlike what one would expect of the Bureaucracy of Heaven, it is not covered in reports or paperwork. Rather, the only things upon it right now are a tea set, which the owner of the desk uses to sip tea. The owner you recognize.
He is old. He is the only Exalted you've ever seen to look old.
It would be unfair to call him your boss. It would be better to say he is the man your boss prays to for the fertility of his daughters.
Chejop Kejak, the leader of the Bronze Faction, the eldest of the Sidereals, sips his tea, and smiles. The smile does not reach his eyes.
"Good morning. It is 3 Ascending Air. You have been asleep since you were picked up, and care has been taken that the hangover you have is less severe than it would be otherwise."
You swallow, your throat dry.
"Prior to the last Calibration, you have been here for five years, and have been a boon to the Five Score Fellowship. Normally, you would have been given easy assignments, but the return of the Solar Exalted also meant the return of Solar Circle Sorcery, and so the Five Score Fellowship was otherwise occupied. You were given the task of managing Little Beam during the Carnival of Meeting."
Chejop sips his tea.
"What is the last thing you remember?"
You think. What do you remember, though the haze of hangover?
"I remember I was trying to convince Little Beam to accompany me to Creation to check on my brother." You furrow your brow. "I wasn't successful. He convinced me to try a drink he made, which was Celestial Wine with chunks of Celestial Peaches in it, like ice cubes."
You huff. "Celestial Peaches which I think he stole. Where is Little Beam, anyway?"
"Being punished." Chejop lets that hang in the air. "The Most High has asked for leniency. This indulgence has been granted, as this is the sole thing he has asked. But we are not here for Little Beam, Luminous Sky. We are here to discuss what you did during the Carnival of Meeting."
-------------------------------------
Welcome to Lumi Quest, Where Death Will Not Save You from Paperwork.
You are Luminous Sky, Chosen of Serenity, and you have been a member of the Five Score Fellowship for the last five years since you were picked up in the South following a previous year of adventuring with your Exalted adopted brother. It's complicated.
But more importantly, you are a bit of a rising star of the Fellowship due to actually liking paperwork, much to the horror of your fellows. Thus, you have volunteered to various tasks and sundries that the Sidereal Exalted normally believe beneath them, and this may have landed you into hot water.
But first! We need a montage.
During the Carnival of Meeting, you were given Little Beam duty, assigned to shepherd the Golden Monkey while all the other Sidereal Exalted were busy.
Were you a bad enough Entry Level Ninja to wrangle the Monkey King?
No.
You were not.
At one point, Little Beam convinced you to get black out drunk on Celestial Sangria. Our first choice is what you and Little Beam did during the Carnival of Meetings.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam picked a fight with the Malfean Envoy and splattered them across a celestial highway. Malfeas is enraged and needs to send a new envoy. This is the default state of things, but still.
[ ] You and Little Beam broke into Luna's nature sanctuary and taught the savage beasts how to read.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam tried to jack the Daystar. You helped.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam stole the List of Creatures of Darkness and Enemies of Creation and declared Lytek a Creature of Darkness. This was quickly resolved, but still.
[ ] You stole the sigils of the God of Bad Disguises and God of Disguising Yourself Badly and switched them.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam fought a Dragon King and awakened him.
[ ] You flagrantly abused your Social Charms to put the bureaucrats in charge of the Cerulean Lute.
[ ] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam and somehow got past the wards guarding the Primal Forge. You now have in your possession a rock. You do not know what the rock is or what the significance is, just that it came from the Primal Forge.
[ ] You did shots with Jupiter, the Maiden of Secrets, and learned something you shouldn't have.
[ ] Belligerent Little Beam and you snuck into the Loom of Fate with several bottles of Celestial Wine and got sloshed with the Pattern Spiders.
Choose four (4) actions that you and Little Beam did during the Carnival of Meeting. This will be important for later~
You a protagonist now; The Judgment
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
[X] You did shots with Jupiter, the Maiden of Secrets, and learned something you shouldn't have.
[X] Belligerent Little Beam and you snuck into the Loom of Fate with several bottles of Celestial Wine and got sloshed with the Pattern Spiders.
[X] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam tried to jack the Daystar. You helped.
[X] You and Little Beam broke into Luna's nature sanctuary and taught the savage beasts how to read.
The Old Man opens the folder on his desk and rifles through it. He cocks an eyebrow. "Let us see just what you and Little Beam were up to."
You shudder. You do hope it is nothing too embarrassing. Nothing too damning. Nothing that too besmirches your reputation with the Bureau of Destiny-
"It says here that you helped Little Beam in his attempt to steal the Daystar."
Oh no.
"The Daystar," the Old Man continues, "The Chariot of the Unconquered Sun. It says the attempt was unsuccessful, but that Nysala was...displeased."
He sips his tea. Lets the words hang. "Luna, however, is amused. Less amused by Little Beam and you breaking into her nature sanctuary and committing unspeakable acts towards her savage beasts."
A reed thin attendant made out of reeds comes by, placing a saucer with tea and cookies on the table next to you. You sip the tea, loudly, to hide the squeak.
"Unspeakable acts?" you ask.
The Old Man flips a page. "It says you taught them how to read. Mm. Of course, we have different definitions of what counts as 'unspeakable,' though I would avoid the Incarnae of the Moon for the meantime."
Luna knows who you are. Oh dear.
"It also says that you and Little Beam snuck into the Loom. With several bottles of wine."
His smile becomes a line. He glances at you. Then back at the folder. His brow furrows, a rare sign of concern crossing his normally stoic face. Reaching up, Chejop Kejak pinches the bridge of his nose before turning back to you.
"Mm. That may be a boon. We will revisit that later. Although, I am curious what happened when you went drinking with Jupiter."
Wait what. You stare at the old man. "I..." Your mouth feels dry. You sip your tea. "I don't remember."
The Green Garbed Maiden leans against you, giggling like a schoolgirl. Little Beam is passed out, several other passed out Pattern Spiders making a sort of pillow fort of spiders. You are yourself more than a little tipsy, or perhaps knurd.
Then Jupiter leans in and whispers in your ear in a drunken slur,
"Y'know, the God of Health, God of Peace, and God of Luck are running a fuggin scaaaaaaaaam up in the North!"
The Old Man stares at you. It is a gaze filled with judgment. So much judgment.
"If you remember it, be sure to think about whether or not it should be shared." He closes the folder. "So. Calibration is over. You have an assignment. Effective immediately."
The chair shifts. It carries you on tiny little feet, shuffling along as the table keeps up so you can finish your tear. The Old Man walks alongside you, holding his wrackstaff and humming to himself in bemused fashion.
"Sir?" you ask, "What is my assignment? Is this a punishment?"
"Of course it is. Examples must be made." The chair walks you out of the office, down the hallway, with the Old Man keeping up. As you finish your tea, the table retreats and you exit the building.
The skies of Yu Shan, the Celestial City, are bright with the Sun hanging overhead. Then the Moon. Then the Sun again.
"You will be given the Resplendent Destiny of a traveling Thaumaturge named Ryza. Your mission will be to investigate a Fate error in the East, where you will be sent."
You nod. "I understand. Do we know anything about the Fate error?"
"We understand it is obvious."
You must have traveled fast, because you find yourself sitting in front of one of the great Gates, the gold and silver woven stone before the tunnel of adamant. Six celestial lions sit in front of you. You stand up, bowing respectfully to the Old Man, and walk into the tunnel.
It takes moments to go from one end of the tunnel to the other. As soon as you set foot onto Creation's brown shores, it snaps shut. You turn to the Gate, to find it returned to a wooden overgrowth. A huff, and you turn back to your surroundings.
You see the trees of a forest in the distance, a valley you overlook. Rocks and boulders and trees as far as the eye can see.
You look over the horizon of the East, of the Scavenger Lands and Hundred Kingdoms, so far from where you were raised.
You look out into the distance, to get an idea of what the Fate Error is, what is so obvious.
Then you watch as Mount Metagalapa, the great floating mountain of the East, descends to the ground.
"Yeah that's probably it."
[]Start heading towards Metagalapa and figure out why it fell from the sky.
[]Assess your surroundings and look for civilization.
[]Write in.
[X] Belligerent Little Beam and you snuck into the Loom of Fate with several bottles of Celestial Wine and got sloshed with the Pattern Spiders.
[X] Belligerent Drunk Little Beam tried to jack the Daystar. You helped.
[X] You and Little Beam broke into Luna's nature sanctuary and taught the savage beasts how to read.
The Old Man opens the folder on his desk and rifles through it. He cocks an eyebrow. "Let us see just what you and Little Beam were up to."
You shudder. You do hope it is nothing too embarrassing. Nothing too damning. Nothing that too besmirches your reputation with the Bureau of Destiny-
"It says here that you helped Little Beam in his attempt to steal the Daystar."
Oh no.
"The Daystar," the Old Man continues, "The Chariot of the Unconquered Sun. It says the attempt was unsuccessful, but that Nysala was...displeased."
He sips his tea. Lets the words hang. "Luna, however, is amused. Less amused by Little Beam and you breaking into her nature sanctuary and committing unspeakable acts towards her savage beasts."
A reed thin attendant made out of reeds comes by, placing a saucer with tea and cookies on the table next to you. You sip the tea, loudly, to hide the squeak.
"Unspeakable acts?" you ask.
The Old Man flips a page. "It says you taught them how to read. Mm. Of course, we have different definitions of what counts as 'unspeakable,' though I would avoid the Incarnae of the Moon for the meantime."
Luna knows who you are. Oh dear.
"It also says that you and Little Beam snuck into the Loom. With several bottles of wine."
His smile becomes a line. He glances at you. Then back at the folder. His brow furrows, a rare sign of concern crossing his normally stoic face. Reaching up, Chejop Kejak pinches the bridge of his nose before turning back to you.
"Mm. That may be a boon. We will revisit that later. Although, I am curious what happened when you went drinking with Jupiter."
Wait what. You stare at the old man. "I..." Your mouth feels dry. You sip your tea. "I don't remember."
The Green Garbed Maiden leans against you, giggling like a schoolgirl. Little Beam is passed out, several other passed out Pattern Spiders making a sort of pillow fort of spiders. You are yourself more than a little tipsy, or perhaps knurd.
Then Jupiter leans in and whispers in your ear in a drunken slur,
"Y'know, the God of Health, God of Peace, and God of Luck are running a fuggin scaaaaaaaaam up in the North!"
The Old Man stares at you. It is a gaze filled with judgment. So much judgment.
"If you remember it, be sure to think about whether or not it should be shared." He closes the folder. "So. Calibration is over. You have an assignment. Effective immediately."
The chair shifts. It carries you on tiny little feet, shuffling along as the table keeps up so you can finish your tear. The Old Man walks alongside you, holding his wrackstaff and humming to himself in bemused fashion.
"Sir?" you ask, "What is my assignment? Is this a punishment?"
"Of course it is. Examples must be made." The chair walks you out of the office, down the hallway, with the Old Man keeping up. As you finish your tea, the table retreats and you exit the building.
The skies of Yu Shan, the Celestial City, are bright with the Sun hanging overhead. Then the Moon. Then the Sun again.
"You will be given the Resplendent Destiny of a traveling Thaumaturge named Ryza. Your mission will be to investigate a Fate error in the East, where you will be sent."
You nod. "I understand. Do we know anything about the Fate error?"
"We understand it is obvious."
You must have traveled fast, because you find yourself sitting in front of one of the great Gates, the gold and silver woven stone before the tunnel of adamant. Six celestial lions sit in front of you. You stand up, bowing respectfully to the Old Man, and walk into the tunnel.
It takes moments to go from one end of the tunnel to the other. As soon as you set foot onto Creation's brown shores, it snaps shut. You turn to the Gate, to find it returned to a wooden overgrowth. A huff, and you turn back to your surroundings.
You see the trees of a forest in the distance, a valley you overlook. Rocks and boulders and trees as far as the eye can see.
You look over the horizon of the East, of the Scavenger Lands and Hundred Kingdoms, so far from where you were raised.
You look out into the distance, to get an idea of what the Fate Error is, what is so obvious.
Then you watch as Mount Metagalapa, the great floating mountain of the East, descends to the ground.
"Yeah that's probably it."
[]Start heading towards Metagalapa and figure out why it fell from the sky.
[]Assess your surroundings and look for civilization.
[]Write in.
Last edited:
Character Sheet: Luminous Sky
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Luminous Sky
Chosen of Serenty
Sidereal Exalted
Age: 23
Motivation: To make the Old Man give her a genuine smile.
Essence 3
Virtues:
Compassion 4
Temperance 3
Conviction 2
Valor 2
Willpower 8
Attributes
Physical:
Strength 2
Dexterity 5
Stamina 3
Social:
Charisma 4
Manipulation 3
Appearance 5
Mental:
Perception 4
Intelligence 4
Wits 3
Abilities
Journeys
Resistance 3
Serenity
Dodge 5
Linguistics 3 (Old Realm, Riverspeak, Watertongue, Firetonge)
Performance 3
Socialize 5
Battles
Presence 5
Secrets
Investigation 4
Larceny 4
Lore 3
Occult 4
Stealth 4
Endings
Awareness 4
Bureaucracy 5
Integrity 2
Martial Arts 5
Medicine 2
Specialties
Bureaucracy (Commerce) +2
Performance (Singing) +2
Astrology:
The Ewer (House of Leisure) 3
The Messenger (House of Journeys) 2
The Pillar (House of Leisure) 1
Thje Sorcerer (House of Secrets) 1
Charms:
Awareness
Fateful Awareness Excellency
Prior Warning
Second Awareness Excellency
Bureaucracy
First Bureaucracy Excellency
Icy Hand
Dodge
Absence
Duck Fate
Second Dodge Excellency
Investigation
Efficient Secretary Technique
Second Investigation Excellency
Linguistics
Abandoned Words Curse
Second Linguistics Excellency
Lore
Methodology of Secrets
Second Lore Excellency
Occult
First Occult Excellency
Performance
Heart-Brightening Presentation Style
Presence
First Presence Excellency
Force Decision
Presence in Absence Technique
Second Presence Excellency
Socialize
Cash and Murder Games
First Socialize Excellency
Shun the Smiling Lady
Stealth
Blinding the Boar
Martial Arts
First Martial Arts Excellency
Second Martial Arts Excellency
Backgrounds:
Backing 2
Connections- Sidereal 3
Mentor – Sidereal 2
Salary 3
Sifu 3
Intimacies:
Leaping Sky (adopted brother)
Happiness (Duty)
Paperwork (It's a necessity!)
Apartment (Sanctuary)
Adopted family (love)
Boss (Respect)
Yu Shan (Kind of a home)
The Five Score Fellowship (Family)
Who are you?
You do not remember your original, birth family. Something happened when you were too young to remember, and your family- those that raised you, those you remember- found you on the outskirts of a Shadowland. They raised you alongside their son, naming you Luminous Sky because of your sunny disposition. You and your brother, Leaping Sky, were inseparable. You were curious and kind, and he was protective and brave. So much so that when you went on an ill-advised foray into ruins near your home and got jumped by monsters, he Exalted as a Dawn Caste protecting you.
You were there when your brother discovered his power, his calling, and were still by his side when he met others like him- his Circle. They knew you mainly as Sky's little sister. At least, until on the day of your eighteenth birthday, you Exalted. But not like Sky or the others. You were different. You were a Sidereal.
You could help.
So for a year, you helped the Circle- one of them despite not being a Solar, or the beast men Lunars. You found your calling with paperwork and spirits seemed to recognize what you were, but you had no idea what you were really doing. Until five other Exalts- in Yellow, Blue, Green, Violet, and Red came to the burgeoning city the Circle had created, looking to take you with them. Sky was, of course, protective. He probably would have won the fight if you didn't stop it yourself. But you agreed to go with the others- the Sidereals- because you knew that your family had found you.
For the last four years you have been training with them, leaning things you've forgotten and understanding Destiny, the Loom, and Fate. You've found your niche- paperwork, lots of it, and you dove right into it with aplomb. Because this was the paperwork which made the world work, and you understood the necessity of it.
Much to the concern of your fellow Sidereals and your mentor.
But as your fourth year closes, you are called to take part in Calibration, and assigned a new duty towards a single god. Which you are fully confident you can handle.
Last edited:
Creation is huge and that means it has huge guts
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
[X]Start heading towards Metagalapa and figure out why it fell from the sky.
You hope your Sifu isn't angry at you. Given, she's always angry, all the time, but you have yet to be the target of her anger.
Yet.
"Eeeeeehhhhhh."
You rub your forehead, and concentrate. Banishing worry. Failing. Sifu is a scary lady and you never want to be on her bad side.
"Right. Where am I?"
You turn to the closed Gate, tapping your foot. Chewing on your lip, you remember your training on what is in Creation, and landmarks that are associated with the celestial gateways.
"Right. Gate 19. I'd says that's...about five hundred miles."
You let that hang off your lips.
"Five hundred miles."
On average, a person who is traveling unencumbered can travel up to three miles an hour. Considering normal travel times and the the normal hours a day one can walk from one point to another, it would take you...hmmmmmmmmmm.
"Two months to get there from here. Oh no no no nonono."
You'll probably go insane before you get there just from the sheer boredom, but you have to get there if you want to get back into Yu Shan and put this all behind you. So you look down to the satchel that was placed next to you before the Gate closed, and then sit down to assess what supplies you have.
You rifle through the bag.
"Okay, let's see..."
You take out a small bag, shaking it and hearing the tinkle. "Local currency. Sound like silver."
You take out two rolled up strips of paper.
"Prayer strips. One looks like orichalcum, save that for emergencies."
A collapsed rod. "Extendable walking staff. Looks mundane. Fancy, though."
A sleeping roll, definitely magic because it folds up to fit in the satchel, and a similar collapsible tent. A manual on Thaumaturgy. A subject you haven't studied and yet you are cast in the Resplendent Destiny of. Cute. And rooting around a bit more, you hit paydirt.
A rope with three knots.
"Sorcery capture cord. Wonderful. What's in it?"
No notes. No writing.
"I have no idea."
Dammit.
"Save that for emergencies." You put everything back in the bag. Mostly. You put the money in a smaller bag on your belt and check your clothes. Nothing fancy. Tan long jacket, normal blouse, skirt. Definitely doesn't look like you're from Yu Shan.
You extend your staff and start walking.
You need to get to Metagalapa, that much is obvious, but you don't want to take two months to get there, so the solution is obvious.
You need to a find a god. Or a horse. Or a god that is a horse. Or at very least transportation.
So what do you do?
(Note: we have:
Supplies
A sorcery capture cord with three unknown Terrestrial Circle Spells
One mundane resources 3 prayer strip
One Orichalcum resources 5 prayer strip
Resources 2 in money
Walking stick
Thaumaturgic Manual to one unknown Thaumaturgic Art)
[]Write in
You hope your Sifu isn't angry at you. Given, she's always angry, all the time, but you have yet to be the target of her anger.
Yet.
"Eeeeeehhhhhh."
You rub your forehead, and concentrate. Banishing worry. Failing. Sifu is a scary lady and you never want to be on her bad side.
"Right. Where am I?"
You turn to the closed Gate, tapping your foot. Chewing on your lip, you remember your training on what is in Creation, and landmarks that are associated with the celestial gateways.
"Right. Gate 19. I'd says that's...about five hundred miles."
You let that hang off your lips.
"Five hundred miles."
On average, a person who is traveling unencumbered can travel up to three miles an hour. Considering normal travel times and the the normal hours a day one can walk from one point to another, it would take you...hmmmmmmmmmm.
"Two months to get there from here. Oh no no no nonono."
You'll probably go insane before you get there just from the sheer boredom, but you have to get there if you want to get back into Yu Shan and put this all behind you. So you look down to the satchel that was placed next to you before the Gate closed, and then sit down to assess what supplies you have.
You rifle through the bag.
"Okay, let's see..."
You take out a small bag, shaking it and hearing the tinkle. "Local currency. Sound like silver."
You take out two rolled up strips of paper.
"Prayer strips. One looks like orichalcum, save that for emergencies."
A collapsed rod. "Extendable walking staff. Looks mundane. Fancy, though."
A sleeping roll, definitely magic because it folds up to fit in the satchel, and a similar collapsible tent. A manual on Thaumaturgy. A subject you haven't studied and yet you are cast in the Resplendent Destiny of. Cute. And rooting around a bit more, you hit paydirt.
A rope with three knots.
"Sorcery capture cord. Wonderful. What's in it?"
No notes. No writing.
"I have no idea."
Dammit.
"Save that for emergencies." You put everything back in the bag. Mostly. You put the money in a smaller bag on your belt and check your clothes. Nothing fancy. Tan long jacket, normal blouse, skirt. Definitely doesn't look like you're from Yu Shan.
You extend your staff and start walking.
You need to get to Metagalapa, that much is obvious, but you don't want to take two months to get there, so the solution is obvious.
You need to a find a god. Or a horse. Or a god that is a horse. Or at very least transportation.
So what do you do?
(Note: we have:
Supplies
A sorcery capture cord with three unknown Terrestrial Circle Spells
One mundane resources 3 prayer strip
One Orichalcum resources 5 prayer strip
Resources 2 in money
Walking stick
Thaumaturgic Manual to one unknown Thaumaturgic Art)
[]Write in
Author's Notes: Sidereals
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
So, one thing to remember about Sidereals:
Solars are Direct.
Sidereals are not.
A Sidereal Exalted has many tools in their bag, but many of them are not used for what they appear to be used for.
That, and Sidereals have an advantage- they don't bully gods, but bribe them. An Essence 2 God would be glad to have a Sidereal owe a favor to them in return for a ride. Or even a handful of Quintessence or a the like. Think of it as the carrot and the stick- because Sidereals are educated in how to deal with gods (and 'deal' with them), they usually go to gods to help them.
And as Creation is Animist as Fuck, that means that literally everything around them has a god that can be prayed to or bribed.
Solars are Direct.
Sidereals are not.
A Sidereal Exalted has many tools in their bag, but many of them are not used for what they appear to be used for.
That, and Sidereals have an advantage- they don't bully gods, but bribe them. An Essence 2 God would be glad to have a Sidereal owe a favor to them in return for a ride. Or even a handful of Quintessence or a the like. Think of it as the carrot and the stick- because Sidereals are educated in how to deal with gods (and 'deal' with them), they usually go to gods to help them.
And as Creation is Animist as Fuck, that means that literally everything around them has a god that can be prayed to or bribed.
Last edited:
'What would my mentor do' involves violence, generally
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
[X] Pray to the God of Metagalapa for more information.
Mount Metagalapa is a thing, and it is in Creation, and so in theory it should have a god. You muse on this as you unfurl the more mundane prayer strip. Mundane compared with the Orichalcum on, but still. Mount Metagalapa is five hundred miles away, but you don't necessarily have to go there to fix this.
Still, a part of you wonders what will happen. There are theories over Mount Metagalapa. Theories over what it is, many of them conflicting, and you're not sure which ones are true.
Some theories point to it being a lost flying fortress of the First Age.
Some point to it being an Unshaped, trapped in Creation after the Balorian Crusade.
Some point to it being a lost Primordial Behemoth.
Some point to it being a very old, very sleepy, and very big Lunar Exalted.
So if it's the last one this may not do anything, or it could hear someone talking in the back of its head and then charge over to where you are to silence you. Which would still mean you didn't have to travel five hundred miles!
On the prayer strip, you masterfully write the situation- you have seen the Mountain descend and want to know what has happened. Walking over to some stones, you take out the flint from your survival pack, placing the strip on the stone, and strike the flint on your metal staff.
It sparks and you pray, and the prayer strip vanishes in flame. And it may take some time for a prayer to get through, so there's the question of what plan B is...
It's not a question of 'what would your mentor do,' as you don't have a starmetal mace. It's more a question of what the standard operating procedure is among Sidereals in this situation.
And you know the standard operating procedures. It was one of the first things that was drilled into your head.
Walking down into the forest, you find a convenient stump to stand on. Climbing onto it, you tap your staff and flare your caste mark.
"Hello! I am looking for a ride to Mount Metagalapa! Who wants me to owe them a favor?"
The dense, overshadowing ceiling of the forest rustles. The branches around you move and a strong, supernatural wind blows through the grass. From it comes the first- small and plantlike, like petals animated by strings.
Then beings start walking out of the trees, bark and sticks given form.
Then the droplets of water from the trees, the condensation upon the leaves, gathers together. It becomes a twirling spiral, then a shape with legs and arms and...a floating throne of condensation, holding aloft the translucent figure staring you down.
"Oho, Vizier," it booms, its voice bass and salty, "Welcome to my forest. You come here seeking to owe me?"
"That depends on whether or not you're offering me a ride?"
You really should have done practical field lessons on dealing with gods. Then again, these are terrestrial gods.
Yokels.
"Are you the leader of the local Terrestrial Court?" you ask.
The moist figure raises a hand towards the canopy. "I am Dewdrop On Leaves, God of the Condensation of this forest, and there there is no leader-"
"That's a stinking lie!" a voice that for some reason is pitch perfect to a human baby shouts. The source of it turns out to be a large boulder. On smaller, bouldery legs and with bouldery arms, stomping into the field and pointing a bouldery hand at Dewdrop.
"You know well enough that I'm the leader of the Terrestrial Court because all the mortals make offerings on my rock!"
The rock turns to you.
"My apologies, Vizier. I am Rolling Moss Stone, and I would be glad to work with you."
"Yes, if you don't want to get anything done, they're a perfect choice."
Welp. Arguing and bickering terrestrial gods. You did expect this. You have the training.
So how do you cut through water-versus-rock argument?
[]Cash and Murder Games to make Dewdrop subservient to Rolling.
[]Icy Hand to beat some honesty into them.
[]Shun the Smiling Lady to make one of them pariahs.
[]Write in.
Mount Metagalapa is a thing, and it is in Creation, and so in theory it should have a god. You muse on this as you unfurl the more mundane prayer strip. Mundane compared with the Orichalcum on, but still. Mount Metagalapa is five hundred miles away, but you don't necessarily have to go there to fix this.
Still, a part of you wonders what will happen. There are theories over Mount Metagalapa. Theories over what it is, many of them conflicting, and you're not sure which ones are true.
Some theories point to it being a lost flying fortress of the First Age.
Some point to it being an Unshaped, trapped in Creation after the Balorian Crusade.
Some point to it being a lost Primordial Behemoth.
Some point to it being a very old, very sleepy, and very big Lunar Exalted.
So if it's the last one this may not do anything, or it could hear someone talking in the back of its head and then charge over to where you are to silence you. Which would still mean you didn't have to travel five hundred miles!
On the prayer strip, you masterfully write the situation- you have seen the Mountain descend and want to know what has happened. Walking over to some stones, you take out the flint from your survival pack, placing the strip on the stone, and strike the flint on your metal staff.
It sparks and you pray, and the prayer strip vanishes in flame. And it may take some time for a prayer to get through, so there's the question of what plan B is...
It's not a question of 'what would your mentor do,' as you don't have a starmetal mace. It's more a question of what the standard operating procedure is among Sidereals in this situation.
And you know the standard operating procedures. It was one of the first things that was drilled into your head.
Walking down into the forest, you find a convenient stump to stand on. Climbing onto it, you tap your staff and flare your caste mark.
"Hello! I am looking for a ride to Mount Metagalapa! Who wants me to owe them a favor?"
The dense, overshadowing ceiling of the forest rustles. The branches around you move and a strong, supernatural wind blows through the grass. From it comes the first- small and plantlike, like petals animated by strings.
Then beings start walking out of the trees, bark and sticks given form.
Then the droplets of water from the trees, the condensation upon the leaves, gathers together. It becomes a twirling spiral, then a shape with legs and arms and...a floating throne of condensation, holding aloft the translucent figure staring you down.
"Oho, Vizier," it booms, its voice bass and salty, "Welcome to my forest. You come here seeking to owe me?"
"That depends on whether or not you're offering me a ride?"
You really should have done practical field lessons on dealing with gods. Then again, these are terrestrial gods.
Yokels.
"Are you the leader of the local Terrestrial Court?" you ask.
The moist figure raises a hand towards the canopy. "I am Dewdrop On Leaves, God of the Condensation of this forest, and there there is no leader-"
"That's a stinking lie!" a voice that for some reason is pitch perfect to a human baby shouts. The source of it turns out to be a large boulder. On smaller, bouldery legs and with bouldery arms, stomping into the field and pointing a bouldery hand at Dewdrop.
"You know well enough that I'm the leader of the Terrestrial Court because all the mortals make offerings on my rock!"
The rock turns to you.
"My apologies, Vizier. I am Rolling Moss Stone, and I would be glad to work with you."
"Yes, if you don't want to get anything done, they're a perfect choice."
Welp. Arguing and bickering terrestrial gods. You did expect this. You have the training.
So how do you cut through water-versus-rock argument?
[]Cash and Murder Games to make Dewdrop subservient to Rolling.
[]Icy Hand to beat some honesty into them.
[]Shun the Smiling Lady to make one of them pariahs.
[]Write in.
Icy Hand; Nice Ride
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
[X]Icy Hand to beat some honesty into them.
More and more you understand the lessons of your Sifu in how to deal with others. More and more, you see the wisdom of her words. Why, you ask yourself, are these lessons so readily applied?
Still, job's a job. So you leap off the tree stump and grab at Dewdrop's wrist. A spark flashes in your eyes and the fight leaves the spirit's face.
Followed by you kicking off of him, landing on the boulder's head, and grabbing them.
(Charisma+Bur on Dewdrop: 13 dice, 7 successes)
(Charisma+Bur on Rolling Moss Stone: 13 dice, 8 successes)
"So! Here's what you're going to do."
A few hours of your telling them how it was going to be, and them agreeing in a professional manner, and you were on a cloud chariot pulled by azure horses and heading towards Metagalapa.
At which point the past day managed to catch up to you and you fell asleep from exhaustion.
At which point you found yourself on a placid lake, standing, and facing a immense mountain that hovered over the world. Your training cleared things up, of course- you were in a dream, drawn in by a powerful enough god, and you had received an answer to the prayer.
"Mount Metagalapa, I assume?"
It speaks with the rumblings of crashing earth and grinding rocks falling from on high.
METAGALAPA HAS NOT FALLEN
"Many pardons, but I saw the mountain-"
THIS AUDIENCE HAS ENDED
And your eyes flutter open as the chariot lands, dissipating into essence. The fallen mountain is now in walking range- dominating the horizon, but without the apocalyptic debris and clouds you would expect from a fallen mountain.
"So Metagalapa has not fallen. What am I missing here?"
[]Efficient Secretary Technique to get information about Metagalapa's god.
[]Figure out what the spells on your Sorcery Capture Cord do.
[]Walk up to Metagalapa and whack it with your staff.
[]Write in.
Supplies
A sorcery capture cord with three unknown Terrestrial Circle Spells
One Orichalcum resources 5 prayer strip
Resources 2 in money
Walking stick
Thaumaturgic Manual to one unknown Thaumaturgic Art)
More and more you understand the lessons of your Sifu in how to deal with others. More and more, you see the wisdom of her words. Why, you ask yourself, are these lessons so readily applied?
Still, job's a job. So you leap off the tree stump and grab at Dewdrop's wrist. A spark flashes in your eyes and the fight leaves the spirit's face.
Followed by you kicking off of him, landing on the boulder's head, and grabbing them.
(Charisma+Bur on Dewdrop: 13 dice, 7 successes)
(Charisma+Bur on Rolling Moss Stone: 13 dice, 8 successes)
"So! Here's what you're going to do."
A few hours of your telling them how it was going to be, and them agreeing in a professional manner, and you were on a cloud chariot pulled by azure horses and heading towards Metagalapa.
At which point the past day managed to catch up to you and you fell asleep from exhaustion.
At which point you found yourself on a placid lake, standing, and facing a immense mountain that hovered over the world. Your training cleared things up, of course- you were in a dream, drawn in by a powerful enough god, and you had received an answer to the prayer.
"Mount Metagalapa, I assume?"
It speaks with the rumblings of crashing earth and grinding rocks falling from on high.
METAGALAPA HAS NOT FALLEN
"Many pardons, but I saw the mountain-"
THIS AUDIENCE HAS ENDED
And your eyes flutter open as the chariot lands, dissipating into essence. The fallen mountain is now in walking range- dominating the horizon, but without the apocalyptic debris and clouds you would expect from a fallen mountain.
"So Metagalapa has not fallen. What am I missing here?"
[]Efficient Secretary Technique to get information about Metagalapa's god.
[]Figure out what the spells on your Sorcery Capture Cord do.
[]Walk up to Metagalapa and whack it with your staff.
[]Write in.
Supplies
A sorcery capture cord with three unknown Terrestrial Circle Spells
One Orichalcum resources 5 prayer strip
Resources 2 in money
Walking stick
Thaumaturgic Manual to one unknown Thaumaturgic Art)