The Return of the Scarlet Empress IC

[Ifni]

Eris nods quick acknowledgement to Skandi, and circles to the side, to force the demon to split its attention. Unnatural as the creature is, hamstringing may not work, but it must still have joints, to move as fluidly as it does. It and its mate seem like solitary hunters, fighters yes, but not soldiers accustomed to guarding each others' backs...

"Risa, a little help would be much appreciated!" she shouts to the Wood Aspect as she feints quickly at the lion's flank, backing off as it spins to snarl at her. "Dammit, Chosen, we have a job to do!" She closes her lips tight on the words What would Dace have wanted? - she's not feeling a great deal of patience for Risa at the moment, but pushing her too far could be counterproductive.

The Eclipse moves in again, the tattered ribbons of her coat flying about her in the gusting breeze from the fires, like green and shadowed banners in the wind. Her shoulder protests as she brings her sword up and back; the wound's not deep, and not hindering her seriously, but still a reminder.

Not a feint, this time - Eris brings her daiklave down with all the strength and speed she can muster, hacking at the joints of pale jade, at the places where the creature's marble flesh flows and moves and heavy armor-plating would impair its mobility.

Can you know fear, demon? Can you know pain?

If so, she will find its weaknesses. If not - it's still what has to be done.

"You're welcome too! Plenty of giant jade lions for everyone!" she calls to the troops and guardian demons at the gate, her tone bright and friendly and jaunty - out-of-place, amid the corpses piled at her feet and the blood drenching her sword, and yet oddly bolstering even in its irony - as she ducks the fury of teeth and claws and hacks again and again at the jade. In her eyes there is for now no anger, only the chilly focused intensity of her task.

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Normal attack, saving motes for defense while I see how this goes. We're still in mass combat, right? (since the defenders are a unit?) That's why I'm describing it as multiple blows over a long tick, even though mechanically it's just one roll. (And ha, teodozjia, see how you like being stuck in mass combat with no War.)

(The bit about "oddly bolstering" is just that she has Charisma 5, and she is acting optimistic and cheerful despite having a giant lion trying to eat her. No mechanical effect, though, just the juxtaposition between outward confidence/charisma and the degree to which (warped) Conviction is driving her internally.)

(14d10)[7][4][2][4][9][2][2][3][7][8][3][8][7][6](72) grand daiklave attack
EDIT: 6 sux.
Possible stunt: (3d10)[1][7][10](18)

Base damage is 15L/4.

EDIT: Just a note, if Lauren damaged one of the lions, I'm attacking that one if I can. May as well focus fire.

[Maugan Ra]

"Hmm. I'd say 'knocks him out for his own good'. Then maybe runs for it with him over her shoulder." Zhou says in return, watching the ongoing fight. It feels slightly morbid to do nothing of real consequence while such a frantic battle is being waged just within his line of sight, but this isn't his fight. He's an outsider here, and he has no right to get involved in a civil uprising. He just needs to rest, regain his essence, and then report in to the General Staff.

Still. A reunited Exalted host, huh. An interesting idea. Certainly, the glories of the First Age were built on the backs of such beings... but then, so was the fury and grief of the Uprising.

To do it over again, and do it right this time. A tempting prospect, if it's possible.

[The_Snark]

Good luck with that is her first reaction. Isa herself isn't sure what she's working towards right now; would she rather see the rebels succeed and ride out the turmoil that's sure to follow, or end it now and try to minimize the damage? A poor set of choices. And truth be told, she hasn't given the future of Nexus much thought. All she knows for certain is that she doesn't want Waters to die.

The naked selfishness of that thought strikes her all of a sudden. Is this how you were taught to act? Your own desires before the common good? He would be ashamed.

"I..." She hasn't lied to Burning Waters yet—omitted, yes, but never actually lied—and now doesn't seem like a good time to start. Whatever happened to make him despise Sidereals so much? Primal Elegance's influence, or had Fate wronged him somehow in the past? There are many people who blame the Loom and its tenders for their misfortunes; some of them are even right. "I'm not sure what to tell you. None of this was planned."

She looks sideways at him. "I don't know what you've seen or heard to make you hate us so, but I came to you in good faith. I've done nothing against you."

[industrious]

Burning Waters

"When I look at you," he says, still refusing to do so, "my heart races, and I start to smile - without trying to do so. When we were drinking together, I felt younger than I had since my last night in Greyfalls. When you said yes, I trust you, I was elated."

"I don't know what you did to me to make me feel this way. But don't say that you've done nothing to me."


Counciler's Estate

The Comet's second card carves a slice through the Teodejia's hide; Eris's blow knocks it to the ground. At some unseen signal, the two dematerialize.

And the guards on the walls begin to clap for their saviors.

[Ifni]

"... curse it." Eris glares futilely at the empty air. "I don't suppose any of you can tell where they went?" Her gaze goes to the mansion behind the gate, and her face pales.

She registers the applause. Oh. That's rather sweet. But not helpful, at the moment.

The Eclipse pulls her scarf down around her neck, reaches into an inner pocket that somehow survived the shredding of her coat (of course she could reform it in seconds, but the visible evidence of battle might be handy in the immediate future), and retrieves a rag. First wiping the splattered blood from her face, she begins to clean her daiklave as she strides purposefully toward the gate.

A sparkling grin up at the soldiers on the wall, although her eyes remain very cold, and her voice has a hard edge to it behind the surface friendliness. "Glad we could help out! You fought well. But we need to see the Councilor right now."

Especially when they don't know where those demon-lions went - although surely the Councilor will keep bodyguards with him, and if they could've bypassed the defenses to attack him, they presumably would've done that originally. Unless the original mission was kidnap and is now assassination...

[industrious]

Councilor's Estate

"Right this way, ma'am."

The Councilor is in one of the basements, behind a large iron door, and seated at a desk. Elderly and tall, with wiry arms and with a face that looks as if her skin has been stretched over bone. A middle-aged man stands by her side, stylus and tablet at the ready.

"Thank the gods you've come," she says. "what's it like out there?"

[Aevylmar]

Skandi impales the earth with Moonwrath and leans onto it for a few long moments as he takes slow, deep breaths, and the rage passes.

He then takes his bows before the soldiers, resheaths his weapons, and turns to follow Eris, the Lunar at the Solar's side.

At the Councillor

"About as bad as it gets!"" the wolf growls, mock-cheerfully. "Everywhere is on fire, filled with rioters, being looted by mercenaries, or all three, and there's at least one full-glowy Exalt out there causing trouble. Now that you're safe, can you stay that way, please?"

[Lix Lorn]

Sigh.
"Do you have NO subtlety?" Lauren scowls.
"It's better than it could be. We've scattered some mercenaries, scared off some minor demons-but they could be back-and killed at least one exalt today. We've gotten this far, and I for one don't intend to let you die now."

Pause.
"...what's going on, anyway?"

[Ifni]

Eris sheathes her daiklave in her coat as she follows the guards into the mansion (causing more than a few surreptitious, wide-eyed stares from the soldiers). She acknowledges the presence of her allies with a nod and a brief hand-gesture. Skandi, Risa, Child, they've all been more than useful - and the mystery Exalt, who she needs to study further. But first things first.

Stepping into the basement, the Eclipse glances sideways at the adamant-armored woman as she asks her question, then bows quickly but respectfully to the Councillor. Her voice, as she straightens and begins speaking, is hard and precise and businesslike. May as well get the briefing out of the way first.

"Ma'am. Skandi has the general picture right. It's a coup attempt, using mercenaries subverted by a combination of mind control and the promise of reward; the initial explosions largely targeted the Council buildings and the embassies. The Nighthammer Iron League were marching through the streets of Cinnabar with plunder on their minds - a few hundred troops there. The Bronze Pioneers and Hooded Executioners may also be compromised."

"More importantly, we know who's behind this. Primal Elegance, the playwright, was an Exalted agent of the Yozis, aiming to break the Scavenger Lands apart using Nexus as a fulcrum. He's dead - I don't know if you saw that at the play - but this rebellion was part of his plan."

"His known surviving allies are an Exalt named Burning Waters and a spider-totem Lunar. The Lunar was at the play. Burning Waters... Skandi spoke to him earlier, and gauged him as an idealist anarchist, working out of Firewander; I don't know if he's a pawn or player in this."

She takes a breath. "Because - this is important - I think there's an excellent chance Elegance set the rebellion up to fail, tonight or later. Attacking the embassies makes no sense for someone who actually wanted a new stable order in Nexus. And what Elegance sought, before he died, was to make the mighty what the once-meek dread." A pause, and her lips twist wryly. "Unfortunately I can't give you supporting evidence for that beyond my own sworn word and the embassy attacks, I picked it out of his mind just before the end. But I think he may have done something similar in Lookshy, launching an attack not with the intent of succeeding, but to provoke a desired reaction. It is very important to me that we - that you - do not give him that desired reaction."

She studies the Councilor. This has to be a lot to take in - but nobody makes it onto the Council of Entities without being sharp, and good at thinking on their feet.

"I'll try to answer any questions you have. I, and I believe my allies -" she glances at the others, "are here to support the Council, to try to put a stop to this." And crush those who've earned it by their actions. If Elegance wanted the populace to dread their rulers, that's reason enough for a light hand - but those mercenaries are another matter. She has a few ideas.

"My questions for you, ma'am - do you know where the other Councilors are, or have a means to contact them? You work closely with the Emissary. The rebellion must have some means in mind to neutralize it. I'm not asking for details, but if the rebels knew what you know, can you tell me what their plan of attack would have to be?"

[The_Snark]

Despite herself, her heart skips a beat. Stupid. How much time had she spent worrying and questioning his motives for much the same reason? And now the idea springs on him all at once: she enchanted me. She did this. It's not really me.

And yet, it means he doesn't hate her. Not entirely. She'll take any spark of hope she can get at the moment.

"When we met this morning," Isa says after a moment, "I thought you must be a sorcerer. I felt called to you, even before I saw you. I still do. I don't know what I did to you, or you to me, or if somebody else is tying strings to both of us. But..."

"It doesn't matter right now," she bursts out. "None of it matters if you're going to run off and get yourself killed! Please. There must be something else. Live past dawn, and then we'll have time to work out whether you believe me or not."

[industrious]

Ephiselle

"I see."

The Midnight Queen is a hard woman, and secretive.

"Pay up, Vindication."

Wordlessly, the scribe hands over a small coin.

"Now then," she begins. "Whether or not this Primal Elegance planned for this rebellion to fail, there will be consequences in any case. The Dogma is clear on this point. Any participants in this rebellion are to be executed without exception. Your own display of violence in defense of Nexus, however, is not considered wanton. The two allies are to be hunted down, and bounties posted for them."

She meets Eris's gaze levelly.

"The Emissary has never failed Nexus. When the demon Jacint came here with sinister intent, the Emissary drove it back into Malfeas. There is no power that I know of that can defeat the Emissary."

Burning Waters

He looks at her, then, and his eyes are of someone older than his apparent youth. His lips turn upwards, involuntarily, and slowly, his head tilts forward in a nod.

"When the sun rises," he says. "meet me at the guardhouse. But I cannot let them die without a leader. I owe them that much."

[Ifni]

Eris nods curtly. "I know the Emissary defeated a Dawn caste in personal combat, as well. I'm not worried about methods to defeat it directly, so much as subvert or neutralize it."

"The Emissary obeys the Civilities issued by the Council, yes? What happens if they contradict or modify the Dogma? Has it ever been tried?"

She meets Ephiselle's eyes, her own just as hard. "As for the penalties for participants in the rebellion - well, so. I don't object to you hunting down the ringleaders. Or the mercenaries who betrayed their oaths and fought for nothing more than gold." Anger edges her voice, and something more - a thread of anticipation, although it's well disguised. "But for the rest, for your own people, the once-meek who might have been caught up by a firebrand's words, especially if your definition of 'participant' is broad-"

She shakes her head. "It does matter, Councilor, to me at least, if you serve Elegance's and the Yozis' ends. And I think you would find my help useful, for the remainder of the night. Manifestly, the Emissary is not protecting Nexus now. If you don't think it can be defeated or subverted, can it be delayed? Distracted?"

The Solar's face is calm and impassive, but her green eyes bore into the Councilor's. "If you truly have no ideas regarding the Emissary... tell me so, and I'll accept it. Likewise if you believe the Dogma is absolute and in this regard not subject to interpretation, and Elegance's trap cannot be prevented from closing. The rebels obviously have something in mind for the former, but if I have to look elsewhere for that information, so be it. Ensuring your safety removes some possibilities, at least."

"But if your concern is that such knowledge might be used against you - if I can believe your reputation, you know me, Ephiselle. You know that I've lived in Nexus for ten years and never made a move against the Council. Paid my taxes on time and everything." Her mouth quirks slightly. "I would think that if the rebels already have a hint to a vulnerability, holding back information from potential allies might be rather counterproductive. But I can and will give you my oath as Eclipse caste, if you can satisfy me that our goals here at least approximately coincide."

She shrugs. "Or if you don't need or want my help, if you're confident enough in the Emissary, and your ability to hold out until it comes back... I can walk away. I have friends who may be in danger, who may have died while I fought here. I can't speak for my companions, of course." She glances at the others. Child is a Sidereal, he might seek preservation of the status quo no matter what, if what Chimes said was correct. The others seemed more idealistic, though. "And I'm glad to know that the Emissary probably won't try to kill us for defending the Council, it's appreciated." There's no sarcasm in her cool voice. She turns her hand. "Your choice."

I've told you what I want, and what I'm willing to give in exchange. Not Nexus-as-home, anymore; too many witnesses to a Solar fighting with my daiklave. And I won't risk my life to advance Elegance's schemes. If the Dogma is immutable and the Emissary's return is imminent, nothing I do here matters much, now that we've saved your life and told you what you need to know - and if that's the case, I have better things to do with my time and blood.

But it's not. You know something. I heard the half-truth in what you said. So are you just withholding information out of habit, or to see what I'll offer, or do you mean to keep it secret from me even if the rebels might have figured it out already?

Ball's in your court, Councilor.

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Firing Judge's Ear Technique from Personal as soon as Ephiselle gets to "Now then".

Do you want to go to social combat, or just keep it as talking?

Difficulty 4 Perception+Investigation/Socialize to pick up that she's actually rather enthused at the thought of painful consequences for Elegance's allies and the mercenaries, I would think.

[The_Snark]

Finally, he stops avoiding her eye. Is he... smiling? Yes; a little. Thank you, Maidens. But his words aren't as comforting as she might wish. Of course he can't just abandon the people he led to this—that isn't the sort of person he is—but what does he mean to do? Can he really survive the battle until dawn, worn-out as he is by the duel with Zhou? She hates to let him vanish into the night when he's come so close to death once already. But she can't very well demand those answers of him, not when he's just barely starting to trust.

"There are other Exalts out there tonight," she says at last, "the ones who were hunting Primal Elegance. Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, Terrestrial. They'll be hunting you now; they think you're a Yozi-worshipper, or at least working for one. Be careful."

This won't end well, Kharal Zhou had predicted, but he doesn't know her. She is Chosen of Endings, one of the favored servants of Saturn. All things must end, but it is her right to choose the time and manner.

The prayer she invokes is one every Sidereal knows by rote. Normally it is recited with respect but no real passion, more bureaucratic formality than act of religious devotion. Not so now. The Primordials made man without fangs or claws or scales so that their fear and desperation would empower their prayers, and heartfelt desire speeds Isa's request on its way to Heaven and the pattern spiders. She weaves in a traditional prayer to Mars—the one invoked by families and spouses and sweethearts all across Creation when their loves ones march off to war: please, bring him back safe—and a prayer to Venus asking her blessing, and one to her own patron: not yet.

And she weaves all these things through the constellation of the Gull, which represents the simple joy of being alive, and stands on tiptoe to brush Burning Waters' cheek lightly with a kiss.

"I'm holding you to that meeting," she says with a glimmer of a smile. "No dying without me, all right?"

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It's time to try astrology! I had always sort of assumed it was a dramatic action, but it looks like all the time-consuming bits are optional. Isa is spending 6 motes on the Second Performance Excellency (well, technically the Second Bureaucracy Excellency channeled through Heart-Brightening Presentation Style, but it comes out to the same thing) to enhance the prayer roll, and also spending a point of Willpower for an automatic success.

Charisma+Performance: (8d10)[8][8][5][5][10][9][10][2](57) +4 successes
Stunt: (3d10)[5][7][1](13)

And this is as good a time as any to see if she needs to suppress Temperance: (3d10)[5][10][1](16)

[Maugan Ra]

"Well... damn." Zhou says slowly, from where he's leaning back against the wall. "Looks like neither of us win the bet."

He straightens up. "Well, I'm going to go track down the others. I think I saw a Solar anima flare over that way during the fight, so it makes a good place to start."

With that, he takes a short leap - one that carries him above the level of the fight, and onto the rooftops, and starts heading in the direction of the Councilor's Estate, where he last saw that anima.

Hmm. I'll have to tell the council here about the Embassy as well, though probably via messenger until my anima subsides. Still, find the others first, then work out what to do next.

...oh Dragons, I'm probably the ranking Lookshyan in the city now. That means I have to do the politics in the fallout of all this. Crap.

[industrious]

The Battle for Council Tower

He kisses her, then, and takes her in his arms, and smiles.

"And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment" he says, sounding as if he's quoting poetry, but it's not anything Isa's hard before. "We'll see each other again."

Burning Waters runs off to war, side by side with the rebels condemned to death, and his voice cries out in rage and fury, for blood and justice, for an end to what is certain in favor of what must be better. And his men love him for it, and they charge the front lines of the fortified defenses, arrows raining from above, trained troops at their front and guardian demons at their flanks.

From a distance, Isa can see the light and darkness interwoven between Water's spear and anima; can see the reflections of blood drops scattered upon the crystal weapon and the night the Exalt carries with him. His men fight bravely, and his voice is always there, always calling out, always rallying and urging them forward in a futile attempt to better their lot.

But it cannot last, and under the weight of so many opposed to Water's dream, and so much force applied against him, it shatters. The darklight begins to dim, and it sputters, guttering in protest. And then it becomes even greater, for one shining moment, and is gone.

They fought to the last men. And as Isa turns her face, Emerald is there, a strange expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Isa," he says, without any of his usual vitriol or rancor. "I'm sorry."

Isa

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As Waters begins to fade and falter, the demons pressing at his sides and the archers winnowing his troops away, he looks back at his Sidereal, and smiles once more, white teeth gleaming through the night.

Fate shatters once more, and when Creation reasserts itself, Burning Waters has died a glorious death in battle.

[Tavar]

Child speaks up, with a hint of world-weariness in his voice.

"Not sure even Nexus could disguise this for what it is, Eris. Rebellion, and a class based one at that. And since it's class based, everyone who's held power over the poor all these years is going to be scared ****less, and most of them are going to want to crush those making them scared.

I figure there will be 2 options: reform or tighten the fist. And, honestly, I don't think the Scavernger lands can afford the chaos it will bring if Nexus tried to reform. Not now, not with so many forces stirring the pot. "

Child lets out a short sigh.

"Crushing dissent will take troops, though, and it looks like someone's subverted a decent number of mercenaries. Probably want to check all of the forces out. You probably also want to check on the councilmen: at least one was at the play, so who knows what Elegance did with him.

I'd suggest nailing down that stuff soon. I'll try and check on the rest of our" a slight delay, as if he's unsure of the word to use."friends."

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I would have seen the light from Emerald's banner, right? If so, I'll head that way.

[Ifni]

Eris glares at the Chosen of Battles. "Yes, it's a rebellion. Yes, from what Skandi told us about Burning Waters, probably it has elements of a class revolt, and yes, I'm sure that's what a lot of people are going to fixate on - even though all the 'rebels' I've seen so far are mercenaries motivated by nothing more than a desire for shiny things."

"But we should know better, because we know who actually instigated this, Child. You were there at the theater too. Is it that you don't trust my word as to his intentions? I have no reason to lie to you here, it would surely be a damn sight easier if I agreed with you. Do you see another way to interpret what he wanted? Or are you just okay with abetting the Yozis' plans if the alternatives are harder?" There's scorn in her voice, sharp as a knife. "Perhaps I should expect that of you, Sidereal. Preserve the status quo, and protect Creation against outside threats - but a Lunar told me how you prioritized those things, and I see that he was right."

She takes a breath, and forces the icy rage back under a mask of composure, looking to Ephiselle. That was... not wise. They should be presenting a united front to the Midnight Queen; she's one of the most feared people in Nexus for a reason. But it had felt good, oh yes.

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I have more I could say/ask (reacting in more detail to Child's planned course of action - she actually agrees with a fair amount of it, but feels that if the rebels think they have a chance of putting the Emissary out of play, that's more important than knocking off more mercenaries), but it would be directed at Ephiselle as well, and I don't want to throw another wall-of-text at her before letting her react to the first one. industrious, let me know if it looks like she's waiting for anything from Eris.

Also, hoooooow am I being the (semi-)idealistic one while in Deliberate Cruelty. industrious, if you feel I'm unfairly letting "want to posthumously kick Elegance in the teeth to the maximum degree possible" override "want to hurt people and make them fear me", let me know. The thing is, it's not a Virtue conflict, they're both keying off Conviction...

[Aevylmar]

Skandi tries (and succeeds) to avoid snickering as Eris chew out Child.

"What you may want to consider, Councillor, is that Burning Waters was one of Elegance's most valuable resources, and is sufficiently strong-willed and unpredictable so that he may have been able to learn valuable information about his plans. For the security of Nexus, you cannot simply execute him."

He grins his wolfy grin and gives her a few long moments to think it over before continuing.

"And if you're going to keep the blade unbroken a few moments longer, why not turn it against your enemies? We need his secrets, and after that? He'd make an excellent firepot."

[Tavar]

Child opens his mouth to speak, but then pauses, takes a deep breathe, and enunciates slowly, like a man trying to keep control.

"Excuse me? Who said anything about hard or easy? I said one would bring chaos in the short term, though the other will bring it in the long term. And the situation now...if the Scavenger Lands are to survive they can ill afford Chaos.

Yes, we know who instigated this, but we caught him too late. The Rebellion has started, which means we cannot simply stop the instigators. The others who rose up will fall as well. But that won't be enough: the trick about Rebellions is that if one occurs, and either the causes aren't solved or the rebellious groups aren't hammered down, more will follow. But in Nexus...the problems are too deep, to endemic. Oh, it's possible to change, but the only way to do it fast enough would shake the foundations of the city, quite possibly destroying the city. The other option, well, is it good? Just? No. But it keeps this city together. It keeps the Scavenger lands whole. Quite likely it keeps more alive in the long run.

And while Elegance may have planned some of this, he planned to be alive to take advantage of the situation, and he likely did not plan for our involvement. Think: would this place still be safe if we had not destroyed that company outside? If Elegance had not been killed? The Rebellion may have failed, but it would have been a bloodier failure, one that crippled Nexus, rather than just dragging it to it's knees. And the Response to that rebellion would have been much, much harder. Yes, I advocate pressing the poor to stop a future rebellion, but if his plan had succeeded I imagine they would not settle for pressing the poor. Oh no."

He pauses again, but this time he doesn't breathe deeply. No, he lets his anger go, and all those in the room can hear it.

"As for your accusations, a Lunar told you? I imagine I can know the one, and I am surprised to see you believe his words. The only Status Quo we protect is the one where Creation still exists. We've killed many to keep it so, and lost so many more in the trying. If you would rather believe a lie that protects your self worth, go ahead Eris Stormcow.

I have work to do."
A quite voice in the back of his head, though, wonders if all of his anger is directed only at her.

He doesn't listen to it, though. Simply uses his rage to move his feet faster.

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Congrats, you pushed one of his buttons!

[industrious]

Ephiselle

The Midnight Queen has raised the Art of The Eyebrow to a peerless form.

"...The Emissary is gone. Temporarily. He does this infrequently, travelling to some unknown location to either recover or recharge or renew himself. If he could be delayed, it could be then, I suppose."

"As for this Waters...it matters not. I do not have the time or the inclination to risk capturing an Exalt to uncover the schemes of a dead man."

"And in any case, we have little need of mercenaries. I have been in contact with Lookshy; they are sending a full two dragons to assist in stamping out this menace. The advance guard should be here by dawn."

[Ifni]

The Eclipse's lips crook in a bitter smile as the Chosen of Battles walks away, and she says to his retreating back, "I can tell when people believe what they're saying, Child. So many beliefs. The truth is harder to find."

But is he right? It's tempting, to be sure. Have they already ruined Elegance's plans enough? Should she move now to stabilize the city that's been home to her? It is important to send a strong message, that this sort of thing will not be tolerated - and any of the poor who fought in the rebellion would have known the likely consequences. So long as the crackdown is not far beyond what's expected, and mandated by the laws of Nexus, it should not greatly change the level of fear the once-meek have for their rulers...

And a little more fear could be healthy, whispers a part of her that's been quiet until now. You know how to do this, you've done it before. Carrot - and stick. Reform, yes, in the future, for long-term stability - but both sides have to feel there's not a better way to get what they want, there have to be incentives to take the slow difficult approach. You can't give the impression that violence will be rewarded, or that's what will happen every time some hothead gets impatient with the negotiations.

She turns back, to meet Ephiselle's gaze.

... what is it with eyebrows? Elegance had used his to great effect, too. Perhaps I need to work on that.

Eris looks around for a chair; if she sees one, a quick imperious hand-gesture beckons one of the guards to bring it over.

"Well, that's very interesting, Ephiselle. I didn't think internal unrest was covered by the treaties of the Confederation. Or that the Dogma permitted foreign troops inside Nexus."

"I have many more questions. But mostly I'm curious as to what you want of us."

That, after all, is the basis for any deal, any alliance. What can I get here, and what can I offer? I've told you your leverage...

The Solar folds her hands under her chin, and gives the Councilor her full attention, green eyes bright and enigmatic.

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Join Debate: (2d10)[9][8](17)
Possible stunt: (3d10)[1][2][8](11)

I need to learn that Nocturnal "I go first in social combat" charm.

[industrious]

Child

And along the way, he sees a Dragon-Blood, bounding across the rooftops...

Emerald

The elder Sidereal then curses, ruining the moment.

"Bugger."

He reaches down the front of his pants, and pulls out a letter that wasn't there a second ago.

"Yishie has new orders for us. We need to gather the little birdies up, birdies meaning The Littlest Solar, the Lunar Beastie, and The Army Brat and board the freighter Lucky Starr before dawn. Sierra's coming too. And by, we, I mean the three of us."

[Maugan Ra]

Zhou spots the faintly glowing scarlet aura around the other man and changes course to meet him en route, grateful than his own anima was at least partially beginning to subside.

"Ah, Child, right?" he says, hoping his guess was correct - there was something about the Sidereals that just made it near-impossible to be entirely sure what they looked like. "Stormwrack and Isa are both back that way. They were alive, the last I saw - we just watched the last of Burning Waters' men get defeated, and the man himself is dead. I was trying to track down the others and regroup."

[The_Snark]

"You know," Isa says in a strangely distant voice, still staring out at the spot where Burning Waters used to be, "I think I actually believe you."

He did it to himself. One moment alive, if pressed hard; the next gone in another of those world-warping miracle/blasphemies. He promised. Right before it happened, he smiled. (At her.) Not mocking, not sad, a real smile. But then... It isn't possible to return from death.

Is it?

Stormwrack's announcement pulls her out of her daze. "I... Why?" Of course the missive won't say, they never do. She's not thinking right. "Who sent it?"

By which she really means: who in Yu-Shan is monitoring the situation that closely?

[industrious]

Emerald

"I just told you. Yishie. A-yishie-a Ura."

"And one of our agents acquired some important information of the Thorny variety. Unfortunately, he's being tracked. We need to get him out of Creation and back home before Sir Deathknight of Killing Things finds him and rips out his spleen."

"Honestly, you people seem to think I just lounge around all day drinking baiju and pissing on the Old Man. I have duties same as anyone. Except for being able to drink baiju and piss on the Old Man while doing them."

He pauses, looks at where Waters fell.

"...I still want that oath before I tell you anything."

[Tavar]

The short walk has given Child time to cool down a bit, so he doesn't quite snap at Zhou.

"Back there with the Midnight Queen. Trying to figure what's going to happen with this mess. You found Isa and Emerald? Together? And not at each other's throats?


This I have to see."

He seem much more energized, almost cheerful as he heads in the direction he indicated.

[industrious]

Child

"Honestly, you people seem to think I just lounge around all day drinking baiju and pissing on the Old Man. I have duties same as anyone. Except for being able to drink baiju and piss on the Old Man while doing them."

He pauses, looks at where Waters fell.

"...I still want that oath before I tell you anything."

Stormwrack and Isa, surprisingly enough, aren't about to attack each other. Stormwrack's anima is still quite potent, but that's more a sign of weakness than anything in a direct conflict.

[The_Snark]

Ah. Well. There's a mission that crosses faction boundaries if any does, even if the orders come from That Woman. Deathknights trump just about everything else. And yet... board the freighter Lucky Starr before dawn, Stormwrack says...

She would have liked to keep that rendezvous at the gate. Even if he doesn't come, even if he's dead, it matters that she be there. A matter of promises kept. And if she leaves now, she won't be sure. Isa hopes, she fears, but she doesn't know.

Perhaps Fate will provide a way. In a city like this, on a night like this, it will take time to track everyone down.

Or not. Right on cue, a figure limned in the red aura of Mars appears at the end of the street, approaching quickly. "We'll talk about that later. For now..." She grimaces. "Find the others, I guess."

[Maugan Ra]

Councilor's Estate

Zhou draws to a halt outside the walls of the estate, tilting his head to look up at the guards standing watch there. His anima is thankfully no longer totemic, but even so, he's visibly swathed in a cloak of vibrant flames that make the air itself ripple with heat distortion.

"I have a message for the councilor and my friends who were fighting here earlier." he calls up to the guards - no need to explain why he can't go in and deliver it himself, given the way that the ground under his feet is slowly charring black. "Burning Waters, the leader of the rebellion, is dead."

[industrious]

???

"That is good news, Chozei."

There is another figure at the gates, dressed exquisitely cut mortician's robes crafted from black leather. A black leather band holds his long hair from falling upon sharp, delicate features; one could cut themselves on his cheekbones. Upon his left breast is a pin in the shape of a skull.

"Come, now, loyal guardsmen," he says softly. "Let us in. Or has your mistress advised you to give insult to foreign representatives?"

The gate opens quickly, and the two walk into the Councilor's room.

"Ladies and gentleman," the man says, preempting Zhou. "Burning Waters is dead."