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Mare Internum: An Exalted Quest

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Crumplepunch said:
I swear to god I just thought a rope would be useful I wasn't even thinking of the bondage thing.
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I honestly wouldn't even have thought about it had it not been for the detail of Rooster enquiring about its make and purpose only for Vesper to glance at the child in the room and scuttle that train of conversation.
 
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For A Better World 78
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    • ctulhuslp said:
    [X] Let's look at the small paper package.
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    "Alright, last one."

    You remove the package from the box. It's a little larger than your hand and fairly light, an oblong block wrapped in brown waxpaper and string.

    You lay it on the ground and start picking at the string. After a few fruitless moments you give up.

    "I can't open this one handed."

    ROOSTER: "Looks too big for my fingers too. Cinnamon?"

    CINNAMON: "Me?"

    INTEGRITY: He could untie it. He just wants her to feel included.

    "Could you untie this string, please?"

    CINNAMON: "Oh, yes, okay, I've got it."

    She leans forward and fumbles with the knot. In seconds, it is undone, and Cinnamon scurries back to her corner.

    "Thanks. Alright, here goes."

    You brush aside the untied string and flick open the waxpaper covering the package.

    It's a pack of cards, a neat stack of thick, pressed papers. The painted back of the top card depicts a curled imperial dragon, red faded brown with age.

    ROOSTER: "Oh! You play cards, Vesper?"

    "I don't know, maybe."

    You turn them over, looking through the designs. You recognize them from your dreams. The Ace of Banners. The Dragon of Lamps. And the mysteries; the Sun, the Lightning Bolt, the Prisoner, the Monk...

    Creation.

    You stare at the card, the once brilliantly colored depiction of a heart surrounded by clouds and rainbows is faded, its paint cracked around the edges.

    At the bottom of the card face, in minute, delicate calligraphy, indelible through the years, is a message.

    Never forget that I love you.

    ROOSTER: "Vesper? Are you okay?"

    INTEGRITY: He sounds nervous. He's probably worried you're going to freak out again.

    [ ] I'm okay. I'm good, actually.
    [ ] I'm sad and I don't know why.
    [ ] I don't know how I feel.
     
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    • I'm glad that the vote I wanted was the one picked here.

    And I'm glad that we saw this last. And I'm glad Creation spoke with us.
     
    For A Better World 79
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    • Legionman said:
    [X] I'm okay. I'm good, actually.
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    "I'm okay. I'm good, actually."

    ROOSTER: "Oh, good. That's good."

    You shuffle the cards back into their pile and fold over their paper cover.

    Someone loved you, and left you a message telling you to remember. You don't remember them, but at least you remember the feeling. You decide that this is for the best.

    "Thanks for looking through this stuff with me, I appreciate it."

    He brightens immediately.

    ROOSTER: "You're welcome!"

    [ ] I want to look at my jade again.
    [ ] I want to look at that cocaine again.
    [ ] We should talk about where this rope came from.
    [ ] Let's look at those cards again.
    [ ] What do you make of all this stuff?
    [ ] I think I'm done here.
     
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    • For A Better World 80
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    • Parabola said:
    [X] What do you make of all this stuff?
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    "What do you make of all this stuff?"

    ROOSTER: "Well, let's see."

    He holds up four huge fingers and studies them contemplatively.

    ROOSTER: "You've got some, uh, some jade. Lots of jade, actually. Imperial currency bars."

    CINNAMON: "Bars are, uh, the highest value currency in practical circulation. Everything above that is functionally a unit of account or treasury bullion."

    ROOSTER: "I'm not sure what you're going to spend it on around here, but it's nice to know you're rich, right?"

    He lowers one of his fingers.

    ROOSTER: "There's some, uh, some drugs. Nice horn? Probably pretty expensive."

    CINNAMON: "I have no opinion on the drugs."

    ROOSTER: "I also have no opinion on the drugs." Rooster affirms quickly.

    He lowers another finger.

    ROOSTER: "You've got a rope. A weird rope, with moonsilver. I don't know what to make of that one. Maybe it's some kind of weird artifact."

    He lowers another finger, leaving only his index.

    ROOSTER: "And a pack of cards. They're pretty nice, sets like these get handmade for speciality markets, they take a lot of work. Pretty old though, you could probably get someone to restore them. Because, as I mentioned, you are rich."

    CINNAMON: "You might like to play cards."

    ROOSTER: "Yeah, like you said, maybe."

    He lowers his last finger.

    ROOSTER: "And, uh, that's it."

    "I had a copy of the Thousand Correct Actions in there too. It's in the pocket of that gambeson you're carrying. Which was also in there."

    ROOSTER: "Huh, okay. I've never gotten around to reading my copy. I guess that confims you're not a Dynast."

    WAR: Technically there are Dynast legion officers, but they are in a minority. House legions and satrapial garrisons are much more lucrative and prestigious.

    CINNAMON: "You, uh, you didn't pack any clothes. Or any useable money. Or, uh, anything practical for travel at all, actually."

    You think about that.

    "Maybe someone stole them. Or maybe I lost them gambling."

    AWARENESS: DIFFICULT
    6 2
    CHECK PASSED

    you gambled with jade

    "Oh, wait. Maybe I won the jade gambling? Logris said I was gambling."

    ROOSTER: "I mean... maybe. But nothing else you have is nearly that valuable. What could you have staked for it?"

    "I had a daiklave."

    ROOSTER: "Oh! Wow, that's cool. What was it called? Where did you get it? Where is it now?"

    "I don't know, I don't know, and, uh, maybe in the eye of a giant sea monster?"

    ROOSTER: "What?"

    "I'm not entirely certain if the sea monster is a metaphor yet, but it definitely has my daiklave stuck in it."

    Rooster looks to Cinnamon, who shrugs.

    ROOSTER: "Well, let me know, I guess. I'd love to take a look at it. I want to do jadesmithing like that one day."

    [ ] Could you make anything with this jade?
    [ ] Do you want some cocaine?
    [ ] Can you use this rope to make anything?
    [ ] Is there anyone around who could restore my cards?
    [ ] Okay, I think I'm done here.
     
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    • [X] Is there anyone around who could restore my cards?

    Glad it won. Any link to Creation (or whoever inspired Creation within her) is worth restoring.
     
    For A Better World 81
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    • UARTman said:
    [X] Is there anyone around who could restore my cards?
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    "Is there anyone around who could restore my cards?"

    ROOSTER: "Hmm. I'm not much with a paintbrush myself, but I'll ask around. I know there are a few legion people who do stuff like this to hawk at market for some side pay. I'll make sure I find the best and get them to do a good job. Give me a couple of days."

    He loops the string deftly around the small waxpaper bundle and pockets it.

    "Thanks Rooster. How do I pay them? One jade bar?"

    CINNAMON: "Uh, Vesper, a treasury bar is about two lifetimes worth of legion wage, and also non-Dragon-Bloods can't legally own jade currency."

    SAGACITY: Technically, as a magistrate, you aren't meant to own jade currency either. At least not this much.

    What, really?

    SAGACITY: There is a general prohibition against magistrates accruing wealth. This is decided on case by case basis, but legal precedent suggests that carrying around jade bullion in a trunk is probably not allowed.

    "Well, I'll figure something out."

    ROOSTER: "Don't worry about it, I'll cover it. I've hardly touched my backpay so my credit is good around the camp."

    "I'll figure out some way to pay you back, then."

    ROOSTER: "Don't worry about it!"

    INTEGRITY: He means it. But he also wouldn't mind if you paid him back.

    [ ] Group hug?
    [ ] Alright, let's get out of here.
    [ ] Abruptly get up and leave without saying anything.
     
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    • For A Better World 82
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    • Broken25 said:
    [X] Group hug?
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    "Group hug?"

    Rooster shrugs and opens his arms.

    ROOSTER: "Yeah, sure, come here."

    You step in next to his chest. With him sitting down it's more like a proper hug, but you're still sort of just grappling with his shoulder. His arm encircles your back.

    Cinnamon is still sitting in her corner, wide eyed.

    "Cinnamon, it's a group hug. It has to have three or more people, otherwise it's just a hug."

    CINNAMON: "Oh, uh, okay."

    She approaches cautiously. Rooster opens his arm to allow her entry. You put your other arm on Cinnamon's shoulder.

    "I mean, only if you want to. This would be really awkward otherwise."

    She nods rapidly, eyes slightly dilated.

    Rooster's arms encircle you both, drawing you into this, the group hug.

    It's warm. Within yourself you have built emotional walls so thick that you no longer know what lies beyond. You feel them gently erode. Time passes.

    LOGRIS: "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

    You look over the plain of Rooster's shoulder to see Logris, returned to her tent, the place where you currently are.

    You see that looks uncharacteristically dishevelled. Her normally finely-pressed coat is streaked with grey dirt and torn at the shoulder, and her pale blue hair has worked its way loose of its bun, hanging in curls around her shoulders.

    [ ] Ask what happened.
    [ ] Invite her to join the hug.
    [ ] Blame Rooster for the group hug.
    [ ] Blame Cinnamon for the group hug.
    [ ] Ignore her and continue the hug.
     
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