< City Underground | Sol Invictus Logs | Deep City >


  • Lai Misuna walks in confidently, then seems to notice Cerin. "...ah, you've come to see the sights," he says, deadpan.
  • Cerin nods "Just so. The turning of the year finds you well?"
  • Cerin is obviously concentrating on being civil and polite. The fire in his eyes from before has faded.
  • Markuran dances in a slow arc behind Cerin and Zahara, keeping his eyes on this person Cerin is speaking to with such lights in his eyes. Mmmm..his arms around the brilliant sapphire goddess tense slightly. He forces himself to relax in her soothing, cool embrace.
  • Birds-of-Trinity , on impulse, pulls back her veil and tackles the elegant gentleman sitting beside her, in order to see if he was as impressive a kisser as his countryman.
  • Zahara keeps only a friendly hand on Cerin's arm, disengaging herself partly from him, watching Lai with feigned disinterest, "A friend of yours, Cerin?"
  • Cerin nods, finding her hand on his arm calming him far more than any efforts of his own "Zahara Zhan, this is Lai Misuna, Lai Misuna, this is Zahara Zhan"
  • Rovash reacts to Birds' action with delight, grabbing her with many of his arms and providing an excellent kiss.
  • Lai Misuna? nods, without sincerity.
  • Zahara smiles and curtsies politely to Lai, "Any friend of yours, is a friend of mine. Pleased to meet you, Lai Misuna."

<LaiMisuna?> "I am quite well, Cerin, little thanks to your own efforts. Alas, you have proven to be even more unreliable than I feared."

<Cerin> "I must offer my apologies for that, but events got rather beyond my control."

  • Zahara smiles, "I'm sure he will make up for it in the future, whatever it was."

Rannath turns to Lai and looks as if he is about to begin shouting, when a strange-looking god with a bizarrely abstract form seems to grab him by the arm and begin to drag him away; he appears powerless to resist.

  • Markuran pulls the serpentine goddess close, kissing her deeply before bowing and making his excuses, a God seems to have kidnapped one of his circlemates, and wandering off in the general direction of Rannath
  • Birds-of-Trinity extricates herself and notes that she is impressed at Rovash's technique.
  • Lai Misuna? begins to push past the Solars. "The lightshow is about to begin." He walks past Cerin with no greater acknowledgement.

<Cerin> "Farewell Lai, I would not want anything to happen to you until we next meet."

  • Zahara steps aside to allow him to pass, sizing him up and pondering how nice he'd look with a proper necklace.
  • Lai Misuna? pointedly ignores Cerin as he wanders towards the center of the city.

<Zahara> "Nice guy." she notes, smiling slightly.

  • Cerin grips Zahara's hands a little tighter as he walks off. His rage is slightly boiling over into the unity. He turns to smile at Zahara "Yes, quite"

Markuran sees the strange abstract being drag the Solar into the door of a tall, ornate building, which then shuts rapidly.

  • Zahara squeezes his hand calmingly, "I'm sure the pleasure of your next meeting will be even greater."
  • Birds-of-Trinity looks distracted for a moment.

<Lai Misuna?> Rovash smiles. "That was an entirely unexpected pleasure, my dear."

  • Cerin 's eyes flash once more before they subside, and then he nods "It will. Now, should we find somewhere good to watch the lightshow?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "While in Heaven, one must taste its delights. Unfortunately, I fear I must absent myself for a moment...I sense something is afoot." She sends a pulse of curiosity through the Unity.

<Zahara> "Somewhere high, like the tower." she smiles, and points up to one of the spiraling towers, "Away from everything down here."

  • Rovash nods. "Understood fully, my lady. I shall send a messenger to further elaborate upon our future meetings?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "nothing would make me happier."

  • Rovash waves with three hands as Birds departs.
  • Zahara sends a sense of new calm in response.
  • Markuran confronts the newly-closed door, banging loudly on it.
  • Cerin feels the curiousity, and responds with reassurance and apology. He smiles up at the tower, and sweeps her into his arms, starting to run up the building with her.

The door does not seem to open.

  • Birds-of-Trinity sends out a note of understanding, and takes the opportunity to continue exploring.
  • Markuran growls at it and returns to the others. Mild irritation leaks through Unity as he walks back.

As Cerin and Zahara reach the top of the tower, the lightshow begins -- a beautiful and elegant display of abstract patterns in numerous shades begins to float through the air above the city, twirling and reshaping itself from moment to moment.

  • Cerin holds Zahara on his lap as he watches the swirls of colour and light, letting his anger melt away with the beauty of it all.
  • Zahara holds on to Cerin as they watch the light show, rubbing his shoulders a bit until his tension departs. "There is so much ugliness in the world, but this makes it worthwhile."
  • Cerin sighs contently as Zahara rubs, relaxing with a smile "It does."
  • Markuran rejoins the water goddess, sliding his arms around her and twirling her off into a the shadow of a tiny pagoda where a giant bonsai offered shade and berry bushes offered sweet refreshment. Another male, a slim willoy thing with four arms and golden fur, tossed his shining antlers in frustration as Marku stole the Goddess back, but wandered off to find his own prize as Mark and the Goddess curled up, enjoying the lightsho

<Markuran> Mark and the Goddess curled up, enjoying the lightshow with eachother.

The lightshow lasts for an hour before the beautiful, flickering lights leave the sky and return to the streets of the city, where they resume carousing with the other festivalgoers.

  • Cerin smiles and kisses her, looking out over the festival again with her for quite some time before taking her down again. When they are on solid ground, he whispers to her "Petal is having a meeting tomorrow."
  • Zahara nods in response and after a few minutes walking back, "Will you attend?" she whispers

<Cerin> "I will try to take down the minutes, at least."

  • Zahara frowns, whispers "If only we knew how those crystals worked.."

<Cerin> "they would be most useful." he whispers

<Zahara> "If you need me..." she trails off.

<Cerin> "You will know." He sends her a little love through the unity.


The next day, Cerin can easily spot Petal as he wends through the streets of the Celestial City -- he does not know where this meeting takes place, but the trail is easy to follow.

  • Cerin is no longer clad in the grey clothes trimmed with gold, but the garments of flowing red as he moves through the crowd, hanging well back from the flower god, the distance impeeding his tracking not at all.

The flower god wends his way through the streets, finally ducking into a tall, narrow tower. Cerin can see the spirit's Essence as he wends his way up through the building.

  • Cerin waits a while, to see that no more people enter the building, then slips up after the god, anima wrapped around him as soon as he sets foot in the tower, running up the stairs as a silent crimson blur, dappled by shadow

Unfolding Petal reaches the top of the building before entering a small room.

There is the barest whisper behind Petal as Cerin slips in behind him, another blur and Cerin is up the wall balencing on the chadelier, as Petal turns round to welcome one of his guests to the room.

Already waiting in the room for Petal's arrival are several compatriots. Lai Misuna sits in a chair, a glass of wine in one hand. At the far end of the room, a spirit -- vaguely humanoid, but quite tall and of distinctly animalistic bent -- paces back and forth loudly. In another chair, the Dragon-King whom Cerin observed the day before sits, drawing two oddly-shaped knives against one another with a disturbing sound.

Cerin thinks he notices something odd about the beastly god, but when he looks closer it seems that it was nothing, after all.

The beast shouts gruffly at Petal as he enters: "You're late."

The Dragon-King draws its knives together again and invites the new arrival to sit, with an evil grin.

<UnfoldingPetal?> "Thank you, Kasima. Quiet, you," he says, turning to the pacing beast. "You worry too much. Everything is proceeding smoothly."

Lai nods. "This should be a cause for celebration!" he says, raising his wine. "We are at the cusp of our great undertaking's final success!"

<UnfoldingPetal?> "Yes. Ten-Beasts-Rising, sit down and speak with us like a civilized deity."

The pacing god grumbles, but complies.

The four begin a long conversation about their current undertakings -- instigating conquest on the part of the Haslanti league, tricking the plains nations into signing on with Mask of Winters, distributing powerful weapons to no fewer than three southern cities, and otherwise instigating devastating war on a large scale amongst the nations of Creation.

  • Cerin listens with interest. Poor, poor Gem.

It becomes clear that Lai seems to be the primary direct agent of these deals, having travelled throughout the lands in order to manipulate events to the Order's liking.

The three gods have each had their own responsibility: Petal has been in charge of the slow rollout of the Exaltation process, beginning with a small test in Lebon (Bertrand's hometown) and advancing on to "the zero hour." Kasima has been further investigating the Underways and searching for greater resources; Ten-Beasts-Rising has gathered "other resources."

"What about resistance from the Chrysanthemum?" Ten-Beasts-Rising asks irritatedly later on in the meeting. "They seem to have their hands full addressing the coming fae invasion and the Shadowed Unlife Equation, both of which I have worked to bring to their attention," Lai responds.

<UnfoldingPetal?> "We do not expect them to be closely observing our actions at the critical juncture."

  • Cerin thinks to himself about this. Legions of God Exalts descending on a wartorn world with the weapons of the past. And-...

<TenBeastsRising?> "And what of the returned Solars? They pose the gravest threat to this plan. If any of them discover that simply by reforming th---" "SHHHH!" Lai interrupts him. "Do not speak that, even here."

<UnfoldingPetal?> "We are unconcerned with that threat," Petal adds. "Given the state of the world, it is an extremely unlikely event. We expect we can easily prevent it from ever occurring."

<Kasima?> "Exactly. Neither the Knights nor the Suns are a threat today," Kasima states, then chuckles.

  • Cerin smiles to himself. Would you still say that if you knew where I stood, Kasima?

Lai sips his wine, then stands. "Indeed. We are poised to bring about a new world order -- the one that should have come at the fall of the Primordials. And my new bretheren shall deliver it to you. It is but three months from the day that we launch our offensive."

Ten-Beasts-Rising makes a somewhat odd, jarring motion, and Cerin notices that... something odd is going on with his Essence flows.

<LaiMisuna?> "For now, my fellows, I suggest that we retreat for the night," Lai says. "I shall contact you in the normal manner when it is time for us to again meet."

The others nod, and one by one the four begin to file out of the room.

  • Cerin lands on the floor once all have left the tower, slipping out after the strange god, watching this ...flow more.

Once the meeting ends, the god's Essence flows seem to subside to an imperceptibly-different-from-normal level -- he wanders back out into the Carnival, and seems otherwise not odd.

  • Cerin vanishes into the crowd. a few minutes later he is back in the greys, and trying to find the Circle. Curiousity and Satisfaction through the unity

<Zahara> "I find it difficult to concieve of ALLOWING a Fae onto my property.. into the heart of my manse."

  • Cerin fades into view behind Zahara kissing the back of her neck "A fae into the manse?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "You are the one who can bind men by their words, Zahara."

<Markuran> "He will be weak, the Cascade is already an entrapment, a block to shifting flows."

<Markuran> "But I do not approve of letting one of those..things..near our stronghold."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "He really -is- a very good kisser, too. You should track him down while he's still in Heaven." She gives the men looks that suggest they they will also do well not to miss out.

  • Zahara smiles and tilts her head back to smile at Cerin, kissing him in return, "Hello dear." she taps her fingers, frowning. "What part of the manse will he enter?"
  • Cerin raises his eyebrow at this "Who is 'He' and why is he coming to the cascade?" as he wraps arms around Zahara

<Zahara> "And how big is this love of his? I have seen some.. quite .. large fae."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "That's an excellent question! Two of them, in fact."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Or four?"

  • Birds-of-Trinity screws up her face in contemplation of this.

<Zahara> "Just.. answer them one at a time, Birds."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "I don't know, Rovash the Infinite, he wants to find his long-lost lover, I don't know. Suppose we ask?"

<Zahara> "That sounds like a good idea. Do you know where to find him now?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "I think I can make him find us."

<Zahara> "Send him a kiss, hmm?" she smiles mischevously

  • Birds-of-Trinity concentrates, recreating the seven-pointed star pattern that she scattered over her dress earlier. But this time, there is something upsettingly asymmetrical and incomplete about it.
  • Zahara watches, intrigued, "What's that?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Rovash's symbol is the seven-pointed star. I think that his retainers will understand that this variation of it signals how upset I am over being away from him."

Within less than seven minutes, Rovash has arrived.

  • Cerin watches him as he approaches with interest

<Zahara> "You are a curious creature, Birds."

  • Birds-of-Trinity repairs the discordances of her garments as the fairy approaches.

<RovashTheInfinite?> "My second-most-beloved darling, your visage calls out for my presence. How may I serve you?"

  • Zahara 's amusement seems to freeze slightly as she eyes the approaching Fae.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "My sister in the sun was anxious to meet with you."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Or perhaps only anxious."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "I am not certain."

  • Rovash The Infinite? bows deeply to Zahara, nine of his arms making various conciliatory and relaxing gestures towards her.

<Zahara> "I have questions before you will be allowed to enter our haven."

  • Zahara makes no such moves in return, and her tone of voice could freeze a glacier.

<RovashTheInfinite?> "I would be only too happy to answer you, kind madam."

<Zahara> "Indeed. Firstly, where exactly must you stand during your... ritual?"

  • Cerin tries to stop himself from starring rather rudely at the essence surrounding Rovash...

<RovashTheInfinite?> "Ah. The location where the sun first strikes the earth upon the second day of Resplendent Water. From the reports I received of your illustrious construction, I believe that would be... a storage closet."

  • Zahara thinks darkly to herself that it is probably her FAVORITE storage closet, "Does it require the sun's rays to actually strike the earth there?"

<RovashTheInfinite?> "That will not be necessary. I merely need to stand in the appointed place."

  • Cerin tilts his head slightly watching a wisp of essence curl off.
  • Birds-of-Trinity notices that, with some concentration, she can make her dress look like she is fidgeting without actually having to move. How nice.

<Zahara> "And this lover of yours," she asks, looking the Fae up and down, "She will not cause damage in any way to the manse, or its people?"

<RovashTheInfinite?> "Absolutely not. She is the gentlest soul which has ever walked these lands! I promise you, no harm will come to any whom you protect."

<Zahara> "And if your definition of harm does not match mine?"

<RovashTheInfinite?> "I will happily swear to yours, should you allow me this opportunity."

<Zahara> "Why is she locked away where you cannot reach her?"

Four of Rovash's arms move to place the backs of their hands squarely upon his forehead. "Alas, she is not locked away; she fled from me, lo these many years ago. I wish to call her back to me, but only upon that very spot, where our love first germinated, will she hear my call."

<Zahara> "And if she refuses you?"

Eight more arms join the previous four. "Then I shall perish on the spot!"

<Zahara> "Then you must allow us to experiment upon you first."

  • Rovash The Infinite? 's hands return to his sides, and he grins. "I will be only too glad to subject myself to whatever exquisite torments you might devise."

<Zahara> "Do you feed on your own pain, as well as that of others?"

  • Rovash The Infinite? grins. "No torment is too great for me to suffer, if it will bring Injara back to me!"

<Zahara> "So it would seem." she lifts a brow. "If we allow you entrance, you and yours, and all those of your lands, must never harm a Sunlander in any fashion. Ever."

  • Rovash The Infinite? rubs his chin with three hands, curiously. "Hmmm. Never, you say. Even by accident?"

<Zahara> "Even by accident."

<Rovash The Infinite?> "Hmmm. I am so very accident prone. Nevertheless, a sacrifice I must make! I shall do this."

<Zahara> "This extends also to our property, land, and the creatures under our care."

<Zahara> "If this oath is broken, you, as well as the oathbreaker, will submit yourself entirely to me for punishment, which will be dealt out as I see fit."

<Zahara> "For this, and only under these terms, you shall be allowed to call upon your love." she holds her hand out to him, waiting.

He reaches five hands out to touch Zahara's.

  • Zahara concentrates for a moment, imposing her will on Creation, and the Oath is sealed with a shimmer of the air, the Essence flying over to the Office of Oaths once it's done displaying.
  • Rovash The Infinite? brings up eight pairs of arms in a respectful palms-together gesture and bows. "Thank you!"

<Zahara> "You may come to the Manse one week from today. We will prepare you a greeting."

  • Rovash The Infinite? nods once more, and turns to leave.
  • Cerin blinks as the fey finally removes himself from his vision.

  • Birds-of-Trinity pokes Markuran.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Hey, what was that Selonis was saying about the Islands of Glass?

<BirdsOfTrinity> "I think we should take one over."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Or maybe just get a look."

  • Cerin laughs softly "One or the other?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Well, we can start small."

  • Birds-of-Trinity thinks.

<Cerin> "I still dont know which of the gates will take us there.."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "You think Selonis could be bothered to explain a little?"

<Zahara> "Perhaps, but we should consolidate our hold on the Sunlands before we expand too much further, I think. We don't want to lose control."

<Cerin> "Oh, I know whihc co-ordinates will take us there. Just not to which island?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "*Which island?* Okay then!"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "We'll just...umm...where is a gateway?"

<Yu-Shan> Several gateways line the outsides of the Carnival district.

<Cerin> "There are some to the north of the Plaza."

  • Birds-of-Trinity looks very excited.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "When the party is over, we should stop there on our way home."

  • Cerin nods.

  • Birds-of-Trinity snuck around the back of the gateway, making a big show of trying not to be seen. Theatrically.
  • Cerin waits for Birds to emerge again, before he activates the gate. He tries one of the 2 character combinations.

<Yu-Shan> The unusual crowd milling about the area either truly misses Birds' dramatic actions, or make an equally impressive show of ignoring them.

  • Birds-of-Trinity whispers loudly to Cerin, "The COAST is CLEAR." She is obviously enjoying this immensely.

Upon inputting the two characters, the Old Realm glyphs upon the ring begin to glow a soft green.

  • Cerin tries to keep a straight face. "Thank you."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Green. That's new."

  • Cerin nods "It is." He steps through.
  • Birds-of-Trinity follows.

The two find themselves standing on the opposite site of the gateway, still in the gate chamber within Yu-Shan. The symbols continue to glow a soft green.

  • Cerin laughs!

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Hm. I guess we did something wrong."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Or....RIGHT!"

  • Cerin quickly and casually retargets the gate to somewhere esle

<Yu-Shan> The second Cerin touches the first symbol, it begins to glow a soft yellow.

<Zahara> "Yellow is also new" Zahara comments, having followed them.

<Cerin> "hmmm." he touches the second one.

<Yu-Shan> It glows yellow as well.

  • Cerin smiles "How curious!" he the third character.

<Yu-Shan> The gate roars to life.

  • Cerin smiles and steps through!
  • Zahara steps through after him and Birds

Cerin finds himself, for the second time this week, with a truly breathtaking view. He stands upon a small plateau -- no more than fifteen feet across -- covered in silken, bluish-green grass. It is held onto lower such platforms by a thin, winding piece of purplish-red stone. The entire island -- as large as a large city, it appears -- is held together by such tenuous connections. From many of these platforms, fountains of crystalline blue water spring up, and begin to lazily waterfall between the numerous plateaus downwards, ever downwards. At the bottom edge, the water falls off, seemingly forever, into the void below. The sky is colored in broad swathes of purples and blues, like a strange impressionist painting. To one side, the vastness of Heaven can be seen -- the great adamant walls that rise up from its sides, and the top of the great Dome visible above them.

To other sides, the distant forms of other islands can be spotted.

The wind is cool, just enough to invigorate. The air smells of lemon and fresh mint.

<Cerin> "..." Cerin takes a very long look.

<Markuran> "It should not be hard to find the 5th Isle at all, should it Cerin? That is where I am to meet Selonis."

<Zahara> "We should build a house here too."

  • Cerin nods absently

The Solars can hear the faint sound of the crystalline rivers tinkling, like tiny wineglasses, as it flows over the rocks and downwards towards the void.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "This is beautiful."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Are all the Islands similar, or different?"

  • Cerin nods again "...I cannot see."

<Markuran> "Selonis said they were different. He described the one where we will meet."

<Cerin> "Perhaps we should try to find that one."

  • Birds-of-Trinity seems to think this is a capital idea.
  • Markuran nods. "If you think we can."

<Zahara> "I like this one, though."

<Cerin> "But we can always come back."

<Zahara> "True. Okay, let's go."

  • Cerin tries another code.
  • Birds-of-Trinity cheerfully walks through.
  • Cerin follows
  • Markuran sticks his head through first, then walks along
  • Zahara follows along, giving one last look at the waterfalls

The Solars step out into the location that Marku heard Selonis describe. The four of them stand upon a platform of intricately carved mahogany, tied at its four corners with thick jet-black ropes that head off in four directions. The ropes lead out to massive jade pillars -- some as small as a man, others apparently as wide as hundreds of feet -- bearing elaborate designs which hang, pointed straight upwards, in the air. Some are tall enough that neither end is visible, while others can be seen to simply float, unheld, in the air. They are connected by hundreds, nay, thousands of tiny ropes, with platforms ranging in size from the small one the Solars stand upon, up to some that are hundreds or thousands of feet across. All sway slightly in the warm, musky breeze.

<Zahara> "This one isn't as nice as the last one." she pouts. "I liked the waterfalls."

Cerin notices that the designs upon the pillars seem to be slowly shifting as the moments pass.

<Markuran> "This will be most interesting for a battleground...most interesting.."

  • Cerin studies the changing patterns for a brief moment

The patterns seem almost to be evolving, growing ever more grand as each moment passes -- for a second, Cerin thinks he understands how the patterns on every pillar fit together into a stunning whole, but the knowledge rapidly flees.

  • Zahara reaches out and tests a rope, to see how sturdy it is
  • Birds-of-Trinity looks around with extreme interest.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Marku, we need one of these."

The ropes do sway somewhat menacingly, but a tug reveals them to be quite sturdily anchored.

<Markuran> "We can always just come and use this one, Birds. I don't think we even COULD make one in Creation.."

  • Cerin gasps and closes his eyes briefly "...I lost it..." he concentrates harder, watching the patterns letting them all flow into place in his mind once more.

<Zahara> "Lost what?"

<Cerin> "There is a ...pattern. In the designs. I almost ...understood it."

  • Markuran runs out and jumps onto one of the nearby platforms, then hurls himself further into the field of ropes and floating slabs of wood. As each one dips dangerously under Mark's weight, he jumps to the next without thinking.

The pattern begins to coalesce again -- the template, the blueprint of this world... but it is too vast to comprehend at once.

  • Zahara inspects the pattern along with Cerin, trying to condense down the greater pattern into an individual one that fits into the greater whole
  • Birds-of-Trinity excitedly activates Windblown Leap and cavorts among the platforms.
  • Markuran plays a short game of tag with Birds amongst the platforms as Cerin and Zahara boorishly study.
  • Zahara studies while the children amuse themselves.
  • Cerin sighs "...Its too big."
  • Zahara pats him on the shoulder, "We will create our own wonders."
  • Cerin nods. "We will." he tears himself away from the pattern that is building in his mind again. He turns back to the gate to avoid it. "I wonder where the other sequences point too."

<Zahara> "Marku! Birds!" she calls, gesturing to them. "Come on, it's time to go."

  • Cerin tries another 'context' sequence.
  • Markuran returns with a bound that shakes the platform badly. "This place is a wonder. We must come more often, even when Selonis is not here to meet me..."
  • Birds-of-Trinity does the headfirst-falling thing again, stopping in midair to look Zahara in the eye before landing.
  • Zahara does the twirl her finger in a circle to indicate Birds should end up rightside up thing

<BirdsOfTrinity> "This place is fun."

  • Cerin looks at the purple runes with interest. He tries a destination sequence.

<Markuran> "I take it Cerin is doing what Zahara disapproves of and simply walking through gateways until something interesting appears on the other side?"

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Forget Cerin. That's what I 'm doing.

  • Cerin only hears half of that, as he steps through.
  • Markuran treds on Cerin's heels, stepping through second
  • Zahara shrugs, "I've given up. I don't plan on healing them past the brink of death."
  • Zahara follows after
  • Birds-of-Trinity grabs Zee by the scruff of the neck and dives for the gate!
  • Zahara squeaks and bites Birds' hand

The group find themselves standing upon a small island, a grey rock sitting within a black ocean. Black trees jut up from the rock, bearing no foliage. A blood red sun blazes away in the sky, though it sheds little light; stars the color of ashes dot the sky around it.

  • Markuran stares around. "We aren't in Heaven anymore..."
  • Birds-of-Trinity , on the other side of the gate, yelps and pulls back her hand.
  • Zahara licks the blood off her lips, adjusts her dress, and looks.

<Cerin> "I didnt think we would be."

<Zahara> "I've got a baaad feeling about this."

<Markuran> "Where are we? Hell? the Wyld? Some lost place?"

  • Birds-of-Trinity tastes the air.
  • Markuran hunkers down at the edge of the island and cautiously sticks a finger into the black water

The air is dry and stale; an uneasy feeling pervades the place.

<BirdsOfTrinity> "I wonder...."

The feeling is strangely familiar, actually.

  • Birds-of-Trinity lets a few motes trickle out of her soul, to flame in the air.
  • Zahara frowns and walks to the edge of the island, staring out across the black sea

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Marku, do you have some orichalque?"

<Markuran> "only that in Armsbreaker."

  • Cerin pulls back the sleaves of his shirt. His bracers are below.
  • Zahara fingers her multiple collars, and one necklace, absently, at the mention of orichalcum. She has one of everything, basically.
  • Birds-of-Trinity , moving in a haze of luminous darkness, draws her weapon as well, and looks at Zahara. "I had forgotten."
  • Cerin watches his bracers, and the reactions of the natural essence of the place to Birds' anima.
  • Zahara smiles "Always be prepared, I say."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Why does this place feel so familiar?"

Birds' aura flares up, the brilliant golden hues seeming muted, faded in this air. The orichalcum in the artifacts reflects the flare somewhat eagerly.

  • Markuran has quit IRC (Ping timeout)

<Cerin> "Mask Of Winters." he states then "We are in the underworld."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "Oh."

<BirdsOfTrinity> "It makes my skin crawl."

  • Cerin nods "Perhaps we should depart to greener climes?"
  • Markuran nods "In a moment.."
  • Cerin sets it back onto creations context. then enters the Sunlands gate.

<Zahara> "There is nothing interesting here, anyway." she breaks a branch off the tree and steps back toward the portal, waiting for Cerin to set it

  • Zahara steps through
  • Cerin follows.
  • Markuran eyes the various trees and nods to himself slightly. Wrapping his massive arms, larger in circumfrence then the tree's own trunk, and hauls the tree from the ground. Tree under his arm, Mark follows Zahara

<Yu-Shan> Many branches break off as he drags the accursed thing through the gateway, but Markuran succeeds in his goal.

  • Zahara looks from her branch to the tree and back again, "showoff" she mutters.
  • Markuran smiles broadly. "Why settle for a branch?"

At the end of the following day Cerin calls the other solars to his rooms. He and Zahra have spent much of the day contructing various occult wardings against scrying and everything else they could think of. When they are all assembled within the rooms, He starts to speak "I know what the Lily plans."

<Markuran> "The end of the world?"

  • Zahara sits to his left, relaxing finally after all the delicately gruelling work. "Finally, you can speak of it."

<Cerin> "In a certain sense, yes. Its more like a coup, though."

<Zahara> "Tell me more."

<Cerin> "Lai has been a very busy man, fermenting troubles. He is behind the expansion of the Haslanti, the alliance with the Mask, he no doubt has a hand in our invasion, and he has given cities to the south weapons far too powerful to be in mortal hands. They want the world in disarry. For the true plan."

<Zahara> "Sounds like a good start to taking over the world."

<Markuran> "We can deal with the Southern cities, I think..the Haslanti are less of a problem to us."

<Cerin> "Meanwhile, Petal has been slowly advancing the propagation of the Exaltation process, Bretrand's village was merely a test...they plan to raise an army of Exalts. Kasima the knife..the god of the olichike I pointed out to you...he is the one who has been sacking the underways for weapons and items of power. Ten-Beasts-Rising has been investiagting 'other things'...unfortunately he was most vague."

<Cerin> "In what these things were...and his essence was...most bizzare."

<Markuran> "How long until they can attack?"

<Zahara> "bizarre how?"

<Cerin> "They do not fear us. Unless we can reform the '...' Lai was most rude and interupted at that point. And they do not fear the Cysthanthamum..that group we found mention of the in texts from Rathess. Lai claimed to have distracted them with the Fae invasion and the 'Shadowed Unlife Equation'"

  • Zahara frowns "I dislike that man."
  • Cerin nods emphatically.

<Markuran> "He is unimportant. If his..patron is killed, he will be nothing but a stain on humanity."

<Cerin> "They will start to move at the end of the month of Descending Air."

<Cerin> "His essence...it spluttered...it did not flow smoothly."

  • Zahara ponders, "Reform..reform... I wonder if there was anything in any of my texts about forming or reforming something..." she closes her eyes for a long moment, mentally paging through the things she's read and seen in the past..
  • Markuran sorts through his own vague memories, whispering under his breath. Occasionally, his mutterings remind Zahara of something else she had forgotten, sending her mind down other paths
  • Zahara sighs after a few moments, coming up dry. "I can't figure out what we need to reform... but that essence sputtering, did it look like it was being.. redirected? It happens sometimes when it's forcefully redirected. Maybe into wards or something."

<Zahara> "Or, maybe it's being redirected into little Exalts"

<Markuran> "Several?"

<Markuran> "Since you didn't say the Flower God? was..sputtering.."

<Cerin> "Perhaps... though I didnt notice a similar pattern in Petal...and it faded as he left them...though it could be."

<Zahara> "Hmm then I would suspect they had warded the building against outside interference."

<Cerin> "It is fortunate I was standing on the chandelier just above them, then."

  • Zahara chuckles, "Brilliant of you, really."
  • Cerin smiles broadly "Thank you"

Tags: (:tags Yu-Shan, Lai Misuna, Rovash the Infinite, Unfolding Petal, Ten-Beasts-Rising, Kasima, Sidereals, Fair Folk, Shadowed Unlife Equation, Selonis, Isles of Glass:)

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