To the Letter, Or, The Sidereals Deal with an Outside of Context Problem (Exalted/Destiny)

[GreggHL]

Far, far overhead, both invisible and in the shadow of a cloud, there hands in the air a spitting, if miniature image of a monster if Il-Yeddo's past battles. An eight-sized Adamant diamond, thirty feet wide to a side, with a small constellation of tiny identical crystals floating around it.

The orbiting array twitches minutely as attention is focused on the individuals in the crowd, the shadoweded alleyways nearby. Essence patterns are observed and compared, as the flying Alchemical seeks to find every Essence wielder in the city.

In addition to the Grater, she also sees several of his Lieutenants- all of whom now hate and fear him for some reason- all of whom are Ghost-Blooded. She also sees, floating invisible next to Mnemon, is a woman with the hooves of a deer. Her rough knowledge tells her that it is Mara, the Soul Drinker. Demon of the Second Circle.

One focal tilts down to read lips, watching Mara whisper into Mnemon's ear about the Abyssal.

Something about a ten-foot pole and not touching it.

"…so V'Neef apparently thinks I'm a drooling fuckwit like Ragara because I'm older than her, because she tried to substitute one niece for another and tried to pass her off as Ebeli." Mnemon leans her head on one hand. "I want to find out why."

Turncloak munches on a chicken skewer. "Sounds like a lot of bullshit," he says with a mouth full of meat.

The gong is rung by an oiled up, shirtless Earth Aspect, and the tournament begins.





Wandering Horizons steps onto the sands with bare feet and draws himself up to his full height. The blue bandana on his forehead, the studded vest over his otherwise bare chest, he looks larger than before. Wiry, cunning, and definitely meaner than he usually looks, and smiling with a mean grin as he faces his first opponent, a bare-chested martial artist. The heroic young man launches into a flying kick, unaware that the Endings has mastered First Pulse.

An art which is almost entirely about fighting dirty. Spectacularly dirty. Several punches to the testicles later, and the first match is over. The first match was a spectacle, a massive victory, with the display of mastery of panache.

Afterwards, Wandering Horizons realized he was basically participating in a tournament meant for toddlers and was bored. So, he stomped them with the same detachment and brutality one might fight toddlers. After all, if children were violent, why do they keep losing fist fights against him?

The second two rounds were won with the cold detachment of a master, but the caution of one who has drowned in a kiddie pool.

And so, now Wandering Horizons finds himself across the sandy arena from the man in a black cloak, with a bladed helm masking his face. "You fight well, in the Old Style. But you've caused me enough trouble. Now you face-"

The cloak is thrown back. Horizons sees the soulsteel harness, covering his chest, his arms, his legs, in sharp, bubble cut knives. Almost as if they are scoops, designed to carve out the viscera of his opponent. Horizons can see why he was told not to hug this man.

"THE GRATER!"





In the VIP section, Mnemon chokes on her wine. "Okay, but why though?"

Turncloak munches on a churro. "You have no idea how annoying that man was after a fight. It's just the swishing and dripping. I had to bully him to learn a Necromancy spell to have a skeleton with a mop follow him around." He gestures to the arena. "You see a skeleton with a mop there?"

In the arena, the Grater begins with a flying kick, Horizons ducking beneath, weaving between bladed punches and attempts to grab at him. A swinging kick to Horizon's knees followed by Horizons ducking behind the Grater, looking for an opening.

"Don't the Abyssals have more ceremonial, edgy names?" Mnemon asks, gesturing to Turncloak, "Perfection of Turning-"

"Yeah yeah," Turncloak responds, munching on a piece of fried bread, "So the story is that he had a rivalry with this rat Lunar a while back, and was a rival of the chef who the rat had taken under his wing. One thing led to another, the Black Exaltation came to him, the kitchen wasn't fit for cooking anymore."

Mnemon rolls her hand to continue, the old man appearing again to refill her wine.

"So anyway, he gets brough to the Neverborn, they ask for his title, he says 'The Grater', and they're fine with it."

The Grater, arms out, rushes at Horizons. Part hug, part grapple.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Turncloak yells.

The Grater turns, looking up to the balcony. Beneath the helmet, perhaps he is even blushing. "Senpai?!"

And leaves himself wide open. Horizons cracks his knuckles. "You know, I've been worried since the start of all this. That if I wasn't careful, if I wasn't focused, I might lose control and break something. Or someone. But we have a nice, wide open opportunity, don't we-"

Star has returned sitting in the crowd, and is munching popcorn.

In a display of transcendant mastery and exquisite patience, Horizons walks up behind this totally distracted Abyssal, taps him politely on the least barbed part of his armor, and then suckerpunches the fuck out of the man so hard his Fate feels it. And with it, utilizes the freshly learned essence paralyzing poison that an advanced student of Charcoal March of Spiders can bring to bear against his enemies.

"Aw damn, I think I killed him."

Star vanishes and appears next to Wandering Horizons, placing a straw hat on his head. She vanishes again and picks up the Grater's cloak, and was never there in the first place.

"Wow," Mnemon calls out, "He's cadaverrific!"

 

[Ardenzian]

Still needs more Shaxx

 

[GreggHL]

To explain what Star does next, we need to go back a bit to her manse in Yu Shan. Prior to Wandering Horizons stepping upon the sands and beating the sadly unprepared contestants who were not yet ready to fight a Sidereal, Star appeared in the sitting room of her manse where Little Beam was getting wine drunk. There, she performed a preppy, happy dance, shaking her ass for her boyfriend. While doing so, she did preppy, dancy actions to reach out and grasp several strands- first two, then another, then a fourth, pulling them together with her dance motions to tie them together into a careful bow.

Followed by a final, inky black thread, tying them all together.

This also brings up the question of why Star does this, which itself is a simpler question to answer- if one were to ask Star of the Shiftless Sky's closest friends, they would tell you she enjoys Astrology.

Especially fucking people with it.

Dry.

Shortly after the Grater drops to the ground, a woman appears atop the highest pillar of the Arena which may have not been there previously. She is wearing a cape that is, like, five sizes too big. She is also wearing a blindfold.

Without showing off her movement, she appears in the arena. She begins to posture, gesturing and emoting for the people in the cheap seats. "Lo! You have slain my grandfather! I am here to avenger him! He is my hero, my senpai, my greatest ally! And you have slain him!"

She throws off the awkwardly oversized cloak which goes all of one and a half feet and thuds on the ground. She is wearing a blue toga and looks like Star but absolutely cannot be her.

"I am the greatest martial artists of this time for any other! I have been trained by generations upon generations of Graters! I am the Grater Grater, Karai! There are none that are my equal! I am here to finish you!"

She points dramatically at Horizons, wind billowing around her for some reason.

"Come, you fool! I shall conquer you! Come at me with absolutely everything!"

There is a faint tic, a small movement that only the greatest of martial artists (and Turncloak) can see. A tick that screams 'miss me intentionally Wandering Horizons' but is hidden by the katas that she starts doing. She enters into a crane kick stance, kiahing loudly as she waits for the first punch for the fight.

And the crowd goes wild.

Wandering Horizons picks up the remarkably rigid corpse and begins walking towards the exit of the Arena.

"HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU!" the Grater Grater Karai yells, "Come back and hit me!"

Turncloak, sitting in the VIP balcony, has never seen this person before. He reaches over to help himself to come of the finger foods arrayed around the lodge, giving the cringing Mnemon an inquiring 'mind if I have some' glance after he's taken his first bite.

Wandering Horizons sighs, turns around, and walks back over, dragging the remarkably rigid Grater with him. He stares at the Grater Grater Karai for a long moment, and throws the most half-hearted kick he can manage.

"MMMM" Turncloak points appreciatively at half of one of the little stickies on his plate. The other half is in his mouth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The Grater Grater Karai drops, slowly lowering herself to the ground so not to scrape her knees. "I AM UNDONE. THE GREATEST MARTIAL ARTIST IS DEFEATED BY AN UPSTART! I AM DEADED! GRANDFATHER GRATER, I AM SORRY!"

The goes still.

"I AM DEAD."

Followed by a, "BLERGH."

The Crowd Goes Wild. Cheers erupt from the stands. Every class, from contestant to noble to kind, stands up to applaud with wild, absolute abandon. Even Turncloak stands, clapping as he wipes a tear from his eye.

Mnemon physically keeps herself from showing appreciation. She needs to keep from giving this any mind. But slowly, so slowly, there is the sound of two marble slabs slamming against each other.

Mnemon, First of her Line, stands and claps, applauding the performance.

"So beautiful," Turncloak says, "Fuck I hate her so much."

The clapping continues, the swell slowly, mercifully, dying down. Exhausted of effort, pushed to the limit of her will watching it, Mnemon drops her arms to her sides.

"I'm going home."

With that, she turns, walks past Turncloak, and exits.

========JOB DONE=========

(+2 XP)

 

[Ardenzian]

Well that was underwhelming

 

[GreggHL]

The streets of Heaven are paved with Jade bricks, and that means there are small gaps. Which means that, as he drags the Grater through the streets of Heaven, the Abyssal's head hits every gap along the way. Wandering Horizons walks through the streets of the Celestial City, holding the thighs of the frozen, rigid Deathknight underneath his arms, taking care to not leg the bubble knives cut his delicate skin.

He hums to himself, ignoring the scraping sound of the Grater's helmet blade along the bricks. He takes the short route, walking up the stairs over one of the pedestrial bridges, walking down the stairs on the other side. Then realizing it was the wrong route, walking up the stairs again, ignoring the metallic clanging of the abyssal head bouncing along the jade steps before walking along the bridge, and walking down the steps there and completely ignoring the ramp.

Several minutes later, in front of the office building he calls his own, the Endings listens to the Celestial Lion.

"Look, I know the rules. 'A Creature of Darkness may not set foot in Heaven.' I know that, that's why I'm dragging him by the ankles!"

He climbs the stairs to the fifth floor of the building, whistling to the sounds of the metallic clangs, holding both legs beneath one arm as he fumbles for his keys. Dragging the Abyssal into the closet, he pulls the Grater fully in, laying him out completely. Taking a pair of thick gloves from the corner, he grabs the blades of the helmet, pulling him up, and gently-but firmly- grinds him up and down on the corner wall until the bubble blades catch and the Grater is locked in place.

Wandering Horizons takes his straw hat off, holding it against his chest, and looks into the still, frozen gaze of the Grater. He places the hat over the Deathknight's head and walks out of the closet. Hands on the small of his back, he stretches himself with a pop and sighs.

"Need to remind Lytek to get over here when he dies."

Wandering Horizons walks out of his office and locks the door behind him.

 

[Ardenzian]

I have questions as to why Grater is now a hat rack

 

[GreggHL]

The Vats in the Vat Space inside the Primal Forge are prepared and ready. The two Alchemicals- Syuria and Meticulous Itirent Raine- have been hard at work connecting the metaneural pathways between the vats and the patient. The doors to the Vats open and Five walks in, in her Colossi form.

"Priestess," Raine says, her hair pieces hovering by the Vat next to her, "The Cosmosphere Dive will be ready soon. We just need the go-ahead from the Deathknight."

Five nods, happy to be in someplace she will not bump her head. "Understood. Have you been…the term…read in to everything else happening in the Primal Forge?"

Syuria floats over. "We are not in here this entire time, Priestess. We have been visited by the Overseer of Storage and have been told about the Sister currently inside the Forge."

Five squats down to eye level, which is awkward because she is twelve feet tall. "Additionally, the Great Maker requires the assistance of Ligier, the Green Sun, to help heal the Traveler. This is more of a long term warning, really, as Calibration- which is the time a Demon of the Third Circle can be summoned- is not for four months."





On the far side of Ardurgia are the tents- the very nice tents that the Exalted have created, and where the Sorcerer would be. Holding the reigns of his brass horse, Ligier rides through the city directly towards the Sorcerer. He is aware she has been initiated into the proper Circle of Sorcery, and thus he is ready for her to fulfill her promise during his last visit.

Which is when, of course, Ligier grabs the reigns and jerks his horse to the left. He takes a quick detour down a cobblestone, freshly cleaned and polished street. The street leads down to one of the many fields in which the Dawn Caste practices war with her soldiers. Upon this field, a mortal has bested Brilliant Jumping Spider in the field of combat and she has her at sword point.

Ligier opens his mouth to congratulate the mortal, when he finds himself seizing the reigns once more and jerking his brass steed to the right. "Again?" the First Among Equals asks himself, "What is it with this city?"

He urges the horse on, down well paved streets, past ruins of a distant, lost age that the Exalted have yet to clean up, past the watching silver fox who makes eye contact and says absolutely nothing. He waves to the silver sphere at the center of the city, as it is only polite, and trots the horse into the section of the city with the smoke belching forges and workshops.

As if a moth to a candle, he urges his brass horse through the courtyard and into a particular forge in the back corner. Sliding off of the mount with a single, smooth motion, he swans into the workshop and finds standing at the forge a young man with dark, sandy hair, in thick protective smock and gloves, and holding a brass rocking horse.

"Magnificent!" Ligier declares.

The young man stammers, holding up the rocking horse, and falls to one knee. "Lord Ligier! Welcome back!"

The First Among Equals strides into the workshop, lifting up the toy, and smiles. "A pleasure, young man! To see you once again, knowing you capable of two life's works! I must ask Brilliant Jumping Spider what she is feeding you!"

The truth is, this is the second time he has been to this city. The first, he was beckoned by this same young man when he created a brass sword, a masterwork that a forgemaster could hope to make in a lifetime, and of course Ligier blessed it. And so, he blesses this child's toy as well.

The door to the forge swings open and V'Neef Ebeli skids to a stop, holding up a hand as she catches her breath. "I just…got told…by Spider." She bends over, hands on knees. She looks up, first at the young blacksmith. Then at the rocking horse. "…again?"

"I have been beckoned three times in the past few hours, Sorcerer," Ligier says, handing the horse back to the young man, "This place is truly audacious and wondrous. Is it because it is outside of Fate, unconstrained by the rules of the Loom? Is it because your fellows have made it their home."

Ebeli raises a finger. "Take a sniff."

Ligier cocks an eyebrow. He exhales, to takes a deeper breath. To Measure the Wind, and he senses the change. His eyes open wider. "Most wondrous indeed."

Ebeli pulls herself up straighter. She takes her staff, the young blacksmith recognizing on some level what is happening and hurrying out, grabbing the other star-struck workmen to clear out of the forge.

Around the feet of the First Among Equals, silver sands begin to gather. Cecelyne, pulling him back. "Make it good, Sorcerer."

She slams down the staff. The prongs around the hearthstone separate, orbiting it. Golden light writes into the walls and floor the binding runes. She spreads out her arms and the staff rises, spinning and flaring with essence even as her own caste mark flares upon her brow.

The light edges into the circle around the cecelyne sand and becomes solid, sunlight writing. A cage of light and magic. A web of sorcery and ancient oaths. The Oaths of Surrender, written from floor to ceiling of the workshop.

"I invoke the Mudra of Victory over the Primordials," she chants, her anima flaring into a tree trailing rose petals, "And remind you the oaths your sire swore.

"I invoke the Brass City Which is Prison Which is King, and reach forward to seize his heart!"

The sands ignite with green fire. A glass pillar which nearly reaches the ceiling. Green flame which washes against the web of golden light. It pushes against the sunlight, pushes against the world. The first cracks appear in the pillar, in the cocoon-

And it bursts open with emerald flame. Floating in the middle of the bleached workshop, the runes fade, and Ligier lowers to his feet and bows.

"Good show, Sorcerer! I am bound!"





The great dome radiates the light of the Green Sun through its countless layers, and it is before Kiddo enters the outer gate of the Demon City that he sees the electric blue blur passing in the distance, with Orabillis sprinting behind him. "So does that happen a lot around here?"

"THE END OF ALL WISDOM CHASING SOME UNFORTUNATE SOUL? QUITE OFTEN!" Shaxx claps him on the shoulder and leads him through the harbor gate. "IF YOU WISH TO VISIT THE FORGE OF THE GREEN SUN, YOU MUST HEAD TO THE INNER LAYERS OF THE DEMON CITY. OR, YOU MAY JOIN ME AND MEET MY MENTOR, THE BLACK BOAR!"

Kiddo folds his arms and nods, thinking. Then a knife goes right through his helmet and out the other end and he collapses, dead. The young woman with a paige boy haircut skips away in the distance.

"AH, YES. YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ADORJAN! TO BE YOUNG AGAIN!"



End Chapter 16

 

[Pyro Hawk]

... So what is Adorjan's opinion of the Guardians?

 

[Ardenzian]

... So what is Adorjan's opinion of the Guardians?

Click to shrink...

Annoyance in that they don't stay dead?

 

[GreggHL]

With a flash of Light, Kiddo opens his eyes, taking a deep breath and also swearing, because he swore he was close to beating his record of most days since dying. At least, since becoming a Guardian. He does not sit up, or stand, or any of the other normal things he does after Sparklemuffin revives him, however. He notices his face is buried in white, rough fur. He also notices that he is on someone's very broad, manly shoulders. Being carried.

"WELCOME BACK, GUARDIAN!"

Kiddo looks 'down', which is more a general direction, to see the one horn helm of Lord Shaxx. He looks 'up' to see Sparklemuffin. "Were you carrying me?"

"MANY GUARDIANS AND GHOSTS MAKE THE MISTAKE OF REVIVING THEMSELVES IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADORJAN. THAT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA, AS IT CONFUSES HER AND CAUSES HER TO BECOME OBSESSED WITH THEM."

Sparklemuffin floats across the fireman-carried Kiddo over to Shaxx. "Does this happen often?"

"ADORJAN TENDS TO AVOID ME," Shaxx says in level tone, "THE SILENT WIND ITSELF IS OBVIOUS ENOUGH THAT ANY GUARDIAN WHO WANDERS INTO MALFEAS WILL SIMPLY SUMMON A VEHICLE AND LEAVE AT FIRST SIGHT OF IT. SHE MUST DON HER HUMAN FORM FOR SUCCESSFUL HUNTS."

"Vehicle," Kiddo says. He looks down at his companion. "Do we have a vehicle of any sort? You've been in the Salient, right?"

"Five's hardened all the vaults against me. I'm still searching for a Guardian vault in there."

But, Kiddo thinks, the Guardians did not exist during the Primordial War, when the vaults were made. However, there are now Vex present in the Primal Forge, which means that he is probably going to end up getting sent back in time to fight in the Primordial War. "Keep at it, Buddy."

"RIGHT, YOU ARE NOT FROM SOL." Shaxx gently lowers Kiddo down onto his feet. On his belt, he opens a pouch and a red-and-white Ghost flies up. The eye of the Ghost lights up and forms into a long, metal bike. But without wheels. It floats above the ground on some sort of advanced technology, possibly magitech. Long handles extend from the neck, blades low to the ground at the front, and a turbine glowing blue at the back.

"I HAVE A SPARE SPARROW, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO HAVE IT."

Sparklemuffin runs their eye-light over it, and it vanishes into the inventory. "Thank you, Lord Shaxx. I appreciate this gift, greatly," Kiddo says.

Shaxx slaps them, meatily, on the back. "IT IS THE ROLE OF THE ELDERS TO HELP THE YOUNG! BESIDES WHICH, YOU WILL NEED IT TO ESCAPE THE EVENT HORIZON OF MY MENTOR!"

Which is when Kiddo notices how everything is slightly distorted. As if moving, sliding upwards and to the side, towards something. Naturally curious, he turns, and stares into the light crushing distortion that is heading right towards them.

"Oh, right. Isiodoroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"

And then there's the time dilation.



Chapter 17:

Relatively Synchronized

 

[Ardenzian]

In the middle of a re-read and I just realized something. In Destiny there is a old Golden-Age term for people like Abeti who have dreams\visions of the Traveler (or rather the sisters), they are called Speakers

 

[GreggHL]

It is a nice day in Heaven. The sky is blue, the Sun is winning in the Games of Divinity, and you are gathered in a fish and chips place which does not serve fish and chips, but is run by a Fish and a sapient bag of chips which keep making disgusting kissy faces with each other. Star is busy with solving a problem with overwhelming joy in Creation, and so it is the three of you who are gathered this day.

Wandering Horizons sits in the booth, the far corner of the booth, trying to avoid anyone seeing him. He is nursing a coffee he has poured generous liquor into. Five is sitting in the chair. More squatting in it, as she is twelve feet tall, and Turncloak is standing by the counter of the café, watching. Mainly because they are doing pour over iced coffee for him, and it was worth the wait.

"Sorry I'm late!"

V'Neef Ebeli walks into the café, her staff trailing behind her. She walks up to the counter and gets her coffee- as she ordered ahead using Infallible Messenger- and walks to the table. She stops and looks at Five.

"Growth spurt?"

"Of a type."

Ebeli nods and sits down, as Turncloak finally makes his way over with his drink. Ebeli claps her hands. "So! I know you wanted my help with something in the Primal Forge, but I- well, this is awkward but! Wandering Horizons, can I ask you a question about Fate?"

Horizons looks up from his heavily liquored coffee. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I did nothing." Ebeli smiles, raising two fingers. "Okay, so, if a Demon of the Third Circle were to appear in a zone outside of Fate, and then immediately be bound, would the Loom notice?"

The Endings stares at her. He sometimes wishes he had those Solar or Abyssal or Infernal bullshit charms that let you kill with a stare. But he simply stares at her. Turncloak waves his hand excitedly.

"Scone! Barrista, we need a scone here!" It was the loudest he had ever spoken around them. The most excited he'd ever been around them. He looked beside himself. Hanging one very word, but desperately needing something akin to popcorn.

The scone is delivered. Extra heavy, for Turncloak to dramatically bite through.

Wandering Horizons starts to mutter loudly and talking to the small prismatic secretary he had on hand to get the paperwork just in case the laws of reality were broken. "It's not even Calibration yet. What did you do?"

"I did nothing." Ebeli is the very image of innocence. Turncloak reaches towards his niece with a shushing gesture.

"No no. Let this happen." He savors the first bite of the scone. It was a good scone. His eyes are locked on Ebeli and Horizons.

"Okay," Horizons says, "Which one was it?"

Ebeli turns her eyes to the Abyssal. "Turncloak?"

"Mmf?" Elder Deathknight. First Abyssal. Too much scone.

"Remember how you said you'd want to talk to Ligier at some point?"

The Deathknight stops chewing. It's the creases around his eyes. Glee.

"Well, the good news is that you don't have to go to Hell to do it."

"Fucking Ligier? Really?" Wandering Horizons doesn't even raise his voice. He simply bangs his head, loudly, on the table as he just gives up.

Ebeli turns back to the Endings. Hands up. "In my defense, I was minding my business."

"Youf summoned ffucking Ligier?" Scone was swallowed. Turncloak washes it down with more coffee. "This is so much better than I hoped for." It was whispered like a prayer. He reaches out and takes her hand. "Ebeli. Ebeli, this is important. Does Faded Lotus know yet?"

"I didn't summon him, he was beckoned. Three times. In one day. So, I bound him."

Five simply sits at the table. Taking this all in.

"And no, everytime Faded Lotus shows up Ligier makes himself absent. Either hides in Mitiera's sanctum or just goes immaterial."

Turncloak sits back, a slow smile on his face. He leans back into his chair and takes another bite of scone. Chews thoughtfully. Sips his coffee. Even better when Autochthon hit the back of Princess Magnificent's teeth.

It is a good scone. Bits of cranberries, bits of candied orange rind. Not goth in the slightest, but he wasn't going to hold that against this coffee house. You never used a good scone as a cause for animosity. It was sacrosanct, even among the Abyssals, which is why there were no scones in the Underworld.

"How difficult will it be to get an audience with the Green Sun, Ebeli?"

She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Right. The reason he's bound. He's in a good mood, partially because it's not general purpose or to walk around being my pretend husband."

"Why not?" Five asks. She glances around. "Is that not the typical reason one summons Ligier?"

"My mother thinks that, yes, but she's more a socialite." Ebeli folds her hands on the table. "Ligier is bound for ayear and a day to focus on helping Kalypto develop into a balanced, respectful being capable of living in harmony with Creation and Heaven."

More silent stares.

"Kalypto?" Horizons asks.

Ebeli sighs, louder. "So there's been a development regarding That Which Persists…"

 

[Pyro Hawk]

I'm sorry, I think Heaven just ran out of the millennial supply of Ominous Thunder Heralding Impending Doom. And this is Post-Scarlet Empress Disappearance Creation so you know how much stock they had...

 

[GreggHL]

I'm sorry, I think Heaven just ran out of the millennial supply of Ominous Thunder Heralding Impending Doom. And this is Post-Scarlet Empress Disappearance Creation so you know how much stock they had...

Click to shrink...

The key is that it all happened outside of Fate, so the Pattern Spiders didn't panic.

Especially the whole thing with the 'Not quite dead Primordial is now a living Primordial again.'

 

[GreggHL]

There is a brief explanation of the process. The sorcery involved. But really, the drama.

"So," Ebeli says, rubbing her temples, "That time we were in Heaven the first time wasn't just because we were being Solars and being all glorious and shit. It was also because we were looking for the Mate."

Turncloak holds up his coffee cup, and the bag of chips walks over to refill. "The Mate?" he asks.

"The Mate?" Five asks, "Who's mate?"

"When Mitiera was turned into the City Mother of Ardurgia, she sort of let her second circle souls loose," Ebeli explains, the fish coming over with a plate of biscottis. "One of our side-projects is finding them, and we found the Mate, and by which, I mean Mitiera's mate, working in the Department of Long Lasting Patnerships in the Bureau of Heaven. Who we needed, because we needed Mitiera's Progenitor Soul, the Child."

Five counts off her fingers. She is trying to make sense of this, but it involves this Rainbow running around Yu Shan and that means sense is an alien concept.

"Mitiera needs the Mate in order to make the Child," Horizons finally says, "It's symbolic. Usually. Was it symbolic?"

Ebeli shakes her head. She has a sort of far away, haunted look in her eyes. The look of someone who's seen things. Heard things. Especially at night, in the otherwise quiet city of Ardurgia, as the woman she saw as the prim and proper loving mother was…occupied.

Loudly.

"But you're V'Neef's kid," Horizons says.

"It's the dissonance," Ebeli says, staring into her coffee, "It's one thing to just…walk in on Mum. Because I know her. She's her. She's the Woodest Wood Aspect who ever Wood Aspected. It's another thing when…you hear them. Mitiera and the Mate, and the three months it took them. Three months we didn't see them. Only hear them. And she was still around, because she co-locates."

Five stares at her. She had a mental image of the Mother of Children. She may have to re-assess it.

"Anyway, then the Child was there. Because the idea was that Mitiera was going to have That Which Persists accept the Child as its new Fetich soul."

Turncloak dramatically sips his coffee. "But."

"But Neos, the Child, is a child, and Mitiera refused to let her child be changed to fit in the hole in Twippy's soul structure, and so there was this endless argument happening in the basement." She pinches her nose, takes a deep breath. "So, I convinced Mitiera and Twippy to allow me to use Unity of the Closed Fist."

Turncloak is laughing and it is as unsettling as it should be. "Isn't…that the spell that merges people together?" Five asks, "And you did that with a Primordial?"

"In theory it's based on the mechanism Primordials use to form their collective consciousnesses which eventually form into their Joutens," Ebeli says, completely ignoring the other question, which is why she merged with an actual Primordial. "It was, needless to say, exactly what was needed! Twippy decided to that rather than changing Neos, Twippy changed themselves, and using the Encounter Suit Autochthon launched at Ardurgia earlier that day-"

Five raises a question, visible concern on her face.

"-emerged from the dome as Kalypto, That Which Becomes." Ebeli sips her drink. "Anyway, we're helping guide her into being a balanced Primordial who can live in harmony with Creation and Heaven, and helping her create new intimacies. Which is how she forms Third Circle Devas."

"…how?" is all Horizons can manage.

"We took her to a farm."

Horizons continues to stare at her.

"She doesn't like chickens," Ebeli adds. After a moment of silence, she claps. "Anyway! You said you needed my help with something in the Primal Forge?"

 

[paradoxdragon]

Kalypto, That Which Becomes.

Click to shrink...

So on a scale of Ebon Dragon to Gaia, how Creation-friendly is Kalypto??

 

[Pyro Hawk]

So on a scale of Ebon Dragon to Gaia, how Creation-friendly is Kalypto??

Click to shrink...

From the sounds of it, around if not beyond Gaia. But also someone able to have opinions about things and uh...

They are a Primordial with a rather Human/Mortal compatible mindset. I'm not sure about you but considering this is Creation, I am a tab bit utterly terrified by that latter.

 

[GreggHL]

So on a scale of Ebon Dragon to Gaia, how Creation-friendly is Kalypto??

Click to shrink...

Currently, very, but that is because they are very limited to what they can do. The Ardurgia Rainbow is trying to have her develop intimacies- and as consequence 3rd circle souls- which are friendly to Creation.

 

[GreggHL]

The vent opens up, and the four of them drop to the floor of the Primal Forge. Well, the Floor. Kiddo is waiting for them, leaning on a brass sword, Ghost floating over his shoulder with a new shell with viridian markings on it.

"Kiddo?" Five asks, "Weren't you in Malfeas?"

"Weren't you shorter than me?" Kiddo asks, craning his neck at the twelve-foot tall Five. Five stares at him. Stares down at him, one eyebrow raised. "Okay, so I took the shortcut back."

"What shortcut?"





Grabbing Ghost and holding them close, Kiddo launches. Rising into the skies of Malfeas, he clears the brass spires, the clouds of acid drug rain, past a wandering sphere of the Principle of Hierarchy. One fist extending, the Titan directs himself, a missile propelled by Light and electricity.

Directly into the cloaca of the passing Ebon Dragon.

HHHHHNG! Harder, daddy!





Five stares at Kiddo. Kiddo stares back. As if to establish dominance.

"Makes sense you could get to the Labyrinth through there," Turncloak says with a nod. Horizons takes out his flask, takes a sip, and reaches up to offer it to Five. Ebeli simply stares. Not at them, though. She stares at the Traveler, in the distance, from which life sprawls beneath it.

Because the Traveler is a ball, and ball is life.

"SO THAT'S A PRIMORDIAL," she says, maybe a bit too loudly.

The others do not answer her. They have other, more important things to take in.

"So, your name is Sparklemuffin?" Five asks.

Sparklemuffin, formerly Ghost, sighs. "Yes. Occasionally, Ghosts take names before they find their Guardian and I was one of them and it's a really dignified name and I was given it by a very dignified person."

Kiddo clears his throat. "So, what are we here for?"

Horizons walks over to Ebeli, places both hands on her shoulders, and starts walking her. Not towards Ball. But towards the manor that has been set up. "Just ignore the ball, Ebeli. Not your concern. Yet."

"But it's a Primordial!" she stammers, "It's the sixth Primordial-class being I've seen in my life! Is this normal?"

"Probably depends on the era," Horizons says with a shrug, walking her past the threshold of the manor, into the sitting room, and into sight range of the seven V'Neef Bijars. Ebeli blinks, staring at the seven exact copies of her other twin sister. The seven look at her. Ebeli raises a finger. She is visibly thinking, whether or not to run, screaming, and whether or not she could make it before someone tackled her.

"So is this an alternate universe thing?" she asks.

"The fuck did you figure that out?" one of the fire aspects asks.

Ebeli nods. "Okay, before we go further, what am I in your Creation?"

"Infernal."

"Infernal."

"Infernal and Bride of the Ebon Dragon."

"Infernal."

"Solar."

"Solar."

"Lunar."

She points to the Water Aspect. "Okay, why Lunar?"

"You asked so many questions Aunt Mnemon tossed you out a window."

Ebeli nods, satisfied. "Perfectly sensible." She turns to the Chucklefucks. "Okay, the fuck's going on here?"

 

[GreggHL]

The shores of Creation shimmer, and the Great Slayer sets foot on the world denied to his King. Rosette floats over his shoulder. They stand in tall grass, trees in the distance, within a leveled field. Trees around them are bent over- not crushed, but swiped, as if by an immense hand or paw. His eyes scan over the field to see bits of claw, tufts of hair.

"Judging from the slope of Mount Meru that I see, we're in the Scavenger Lands," Rosette says, "If this is the situation I think it is, Ligier's been beckoned into an area outside of Fate called Ardurgia, which is near the Meander Gate."

"Forces?"

"There's a Solar Sorcerer he is eager to be bound by there, as well as a mixed group of Celestial Exalted. Not generally hostile. Lots of happily bound demons." Rosette flits over to face the Slayer. "It's also the current resting place of That Which Persists, which we thought was a Neverborn but is actually a Primordial who is still loyal to the King."

The Slayer nods. He muses that in his head. The Neverborn are one thing- they died in service to the King of Kings. But a loyal Primordial? That is something else entirely. And these Exalted- who normally he would consider his enemies- live amongst it?

"They protect it?"

"According to Prince Ligier, they are working to help heal them."

The Slayer grunts. He has to see this for himself. Perhaps they may be potential allies. He is himself a loyal questor of the King of Kings without a doubt. Perhaps others can be seen, of not as subjects, but as allies in common cause against mutual enemies. Such as the hated Fae.

"Uh. Uh."

Rosette. Rosette is looking past him. Looking up. The Great Slayer turns. Ah, yes. The trees in this area did look as if they were swatted aside, as if by a great paw.

"Meow."

The great paw of a mountain straddling cat.

"So that's a behemoth and what is it doing here."

The Great Slayer cranes his neck with an audible crack. "Find Ligier. I will handle this."

Before Rosette can protest, he unholsters his twin barreled sword of rage, and charges towards the Cataclysm.

 

[GreggHL]

"…so you touched a free-floating artifact at the bottom of the biggest casino in Creation, on suggestion of the Deathlord who was giving you advice." Ebeli stares at one of the Fire Aspects. The one that is her sister from this Creation. The one who nods.

"In my defense, it is not the worst idea I have ever had," Bijar responds.

"That is so much less of a defense than you want it to be." Ebeli pinches the bridge of her nose. "Okay, so I am assuming that you then went to Oramus, the Dragon Beyond the World, and that is why I have had another Primordial appear to me in dreams to teach me a Solar Circle Spell?"

Five nods. Turncloak gives her a thumbs up. "You're welcome."

Ebeli rolls her head back and makes a long, angry moan. "Can we stop doing that? I can safely assume Primordial Dream Visitation is not the normal way a Solar Circle Sorcerer learns spells! Am I right? Tell me I'm right."

Five shrugs. "You are among the first Solar Circle Sorcerers of this age."

The Water Aspect Bijar offers Ebeli a seat to sit in. Ebeli takes it. "Okay. Bijar, why were you taking advice from a Deathlord?"

"It's only her, we all appeared after she got in touch with Princess Magnificent," the Sidereal responds, pointing at the Fire Aspect. The original, or at least native Bijar, folds her arms with a huff, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"Oh yeah, come down on me because you're in Mom's good graces for once. Do you have any idea how much shit I've been dealing with since the entire House upped and vanished?"

Ebeli blinks. She makes a T with her hands, the Old Realm symbol for 'back the fuck up.' "Are you telling me Mum hasn't told you where she is? Where the entire House is?"

"Do you think I'd take advice from a Deathlord if I knew where anyone else was?"

Turncloak sips his coffee with a grin. This shit was getting good. The Water Aspect hugs the native Bijar to try to calm her down. It just makes steam. Ebeli stands up, tapping her staff on the floor. "Okay! Okay. Here's what we're going to do. First, I'm going to cast the spell, send you all back where you belong. Second, House V'Neef is inside a city outside of Fate called Ardurgia, and we are going to go there and we are going to yell at Mum."

Bijar stares at her sister for long moments. She stands. "You're actually willing to give Mom shit for this?"

"I am a gods damned Solar Exalted and I do what I want. Also, we have a third twin sister who you were probably not told about and you'd like her."

The two sisters stare at each other. Bijar quirks her lips in a grin, nodding. "Okay, fine. Let's yell at Mom. How dependent on you is Mom at this point?"

Turncloak loudly sips his coffee. He is still an asshole, if an amusing one. "I was initiated in Solar Circle Sorcery by Autochthon," Ebeli says, "I convinced him to do so by-" Ebeli balls her hand and coughs.

"By setting your mother up with the Great Maker," Turncloak finishes, sipping his coffee, "So yes, your sister is, in fact, setting up a booty call between your mother and a Primordial. Who designed the superweapon you're trying to take control of."

Ebeli rolls her eyes. Stamping her staff on the floor, her Anima flares into existence, six circles of golden light appearing around the other six Bijars. Ebeli snaps her fingers, and the otherworldly copies of her sister vanish.

"Okay, done. What about the artifact?"

"Poyo!" "Poyo!" "Poyo!" "Poyo!" "Poyo!" "Poyo!" "Poyo!"

Hopping into the sitting room, the Things That Are cheerfully wave. Ebeli stares at them. Her caste mark glows, and she examines them with her Sorcerer's Sight. She stares at them for a moment longer, then then turns it off. "Okay! So, let's fix this!"

She taps her staff again, the other stepping out of the way as Turncloak gives his little buddies a thumbs up. The golden circles surround the behemoths, the other six vanishing before the Thing That Is puffs its cheeks and ejects the flat plate.

Which slides across the ground and taps Wandering Horizons on the foot. Six other Wandering Horizons, all identical, appear around the Udr artifact. All seven roll their head back and give out identical moans.

Ebeli sighs. "So can we just shove this thing in Elsewhere?"

 

[Ardenzian]

Now I wanna know what'd happen if the thing touches Autocthon

 

[Nealend]

Now I wanna know what'd happen if the thing touches Autocthon

Click to shrink...

Do you want an Engine of Extinction? Cause that sounds like a great way to get a visiting Engine of Extinction.

 

[GreggHL]

Supernatural visitors are a regular thing in the city of Ardurgia, and Ebeli returning with a Sidereal, an Abyssal, a very tall young woman, Kiddo, and her other twin sister wasn't something that got a lot of attention. Well, the last thing was, because the members of House V'Neef that the passed on the way through the Gatehouse and into the Garden District were visibly surprised Bijar was there.

The Garden District has been claimed by House V'Neef, as they were almost entirely Wood Aspect and thus had a thing for cultivating plants. A vineyard was already taking shape, as well as trees for shade. Warm greetings of 'Anathema' from the senior adopted members of the house as they pass, and Ebeli scans the varied and sundry, before slamming her staff down. Above the District, a mile high effigy of Ebeli's face, formed of fire, appears.

"Where's Mum?" she asks, like the voice of a god speaking down from a mountain. It then disperses.

"I am so disturbed by her going to bat for me like this but also kind of happy about this," Bijar whispers, standing next to Five.

A shuffle among the bushes, and muttering among the other House workers on whether or not they should get involved. It becomes a sort of internal struggle- who wants to get involved? Who wants to stick their dick in this particular blender? Who wants to tell what looks to be a particular incensed Ebeli, and the unfavorite where V'Neef is, especially because this might end in an actual fight?

The answer comes in a sudden chill and a bolt of ice slamming into the ground, dispersing to reveal V'Neef Abeti. She idly twirls the totem in her hand and waves.

"What." Bijar manages, soft and flat.

"What." Ebeli manages, soft and flat.

Abeti hurries over, taking Bijar's hands in her own. "Hi! I'm Abeti, and you must be Bijar, right?"

"…right and what was that?"

"It's a totem I received from a dream vision but that's not important. Mom's at her tent and I'll take you to her. Ebeli, Ligier's on his way to talk with you."

Ebeli raises a finger to ask a question, but an aura of rhimefrost surrounds her sisters and launches them off towards the tent city. "I have so many questions."

Sparklemuffin scans the place where they were standing, shell rotating. "Did she say dream vision? Ebeli, does your sister have a history of dream visions from the Traveler?"

Ebeli shrugs. "She's gotten visions from Gaia in the past, and said she was receiving visions from a hawk made of light, and with a woman who seemed similarly related. Why?"

Sparklemuffin stares at Ebeli. Stares long and hard. Before they can reply, the brass automatons arrive, laying down a road of rose petals, followed by twelve Blood Apes carrying a platform upon which stands the Green Sun.

"Sorcerer! Welcome back! And you have brought most distinguished guests!"

Five blinks. Looks at Ebeli, then at Ligier. Her cheeks tinge red.

Turncloak stares at the newly arrived Ligier. He sips his coffee and considers his actions for a moment. "Green Sun, we greet you." He produces his thermos. "Coffee?"

Ebeli curtsies. "Ligier, this is-"

"Wandering Horizons, Turncloak, Yekkido Reigo, and Kiddo. It is a pleasure to see you once more!"

The Green Sun steps off the platform, four arms wide, as the Blood Apes lower it to the ground. Ebeli glances between the Chucklefucks and the First Among Equals. She taps her fingers together.

"You've…met?"

"He was trying to kill us last time," Horizons says.

"He was not," Turncloak shakes his head and looks at Ebeli, "The Seeker of Power sought wisdom up his own ass. And found Malfeas. The Tyrant King and the kids disagreed on some things. Ligier gave us an opening."

Ligier, smiling radiantly and perhaps radioactively, laughs. "They and their companion faced an Avatar of the Demon Emperor himself and laid him low. As such, they have my personal protection should they ever set foot in the Demon City." Ligier turns from his Sorcerer to you, one hand laid upon the hilt of his sword, a very vision of magnificent nobility. "Now, I am to understand you are here to see me?"

While it is true that one does go to see Ligier if Ligier is available, you do have two things to discuss with him.

First, that you have to ask him to work with Autochthon.

The second, is that you have a ring with his Queen inside it.

 

[Ardenzian]

The second thing should help with the first