[Exalted] Protectors of the River Province

[Academia Nut]

Ake pondered this for a few moments until he said, "Alright, we have here two villages that participate in ancestor worship and one likely to be targetted by a deathknight and a Wyld Hunt on the other side of the river conveniently pushing me towards you guys, and I arrive just as you all are fighting with said deathknight. Okay, does anyone else smell something unpleasant with this situation? As in that someone might have been moving multiple groups of foes into one place in the hopes of them weakening each other first before dropping the hammer on the whole lot of them?"

[LadyTevar]

"No... I believe a Circle is being re-drawn," Teamhair answered bluntly. She pointed to Kolth. "Night." Then she pointed to Ysela. "Dawn." She pointed to Ake. "Noon." Then to Orduin. "Twilight."


"I am a Changing Moon, and I complete the cycle of the Day."

[Academia Nut]

"You are obviously less paranoid than I, it's just that if I thought I might have the opportunity to guide one enemy into another and weaken them first with fighting amongst each other before attacking, I would take it. I do very vaguely remember an incident from more than one incarnation ago involving a Primordial, a behemoth, and an active volcano that worked rather well, all things considered, although I did have to reincarnate afterward," Ake said musingly while stroking his hairless chin.

Shrugging, he said, "But enough of that. I have a thought, if you would hear it. You have wounded your enemy, but not defeated him. You have thus made a grave enemy today, but you also have an opportunity. We know what he is after, and he is still weakened. There is the possibility that we could make him impetuous with rage, make him strike with fury before he has marshalled his forces properly against us. There is a risk, but I feel it worthy enough to speak of. What say we destroy the ancestor cults the deathknight holds dear and replace it with worship of the Unconquered Sun? What say we spit in his face and bring him back here, to a battlefield of our choosing, full of blood and thunder while we wait patiently, our spears sharpened and ready? The risk of staying is clear, but then so is the risk of letting him gather what he needs to strike at us and coming when we least expect him to. What say you? Am I a madman or is there wisdom in my words?"

[SirNitram]

"Smashing ancestor cults does reduce the power of the Underworld, so on, so forth, setting right the balance. However, I'm a soldier. I'm not sure how much aid I can be."

[Academia Nut]

Ake smiled at Orduin and said, "I remember always being a better general than a king, so I can commisserate, but there are always things you can do. For one, you are a Twilight, correct? Do you see the potential for a lump of stone or in a bit of wood to become a weapon? Because I see potential all around me when I look at others. I see warriors ready to be born. I see those ready to fight for their homes if only they knew how. I see those who might not be able to fight an Exalted, but who can damn well make sure that only Exalted fight Exalted instead of us having to wade through minions first. These people have already been targetted once, their lives are in danger. Their lives will be in danger whether we stay or leave, and the only decision is if they will be in less danger whether we stay or leave. I say we smash the cults, enrage the deathknight, and when he comes, he and his minions will not face a circle of Exalted but a circle of Exalted standing in front of a wall of spears and furious faces, such that when we send his soul screaming back to the Underworld all of those that follow the ways of death will know fear down to the pith of their corrupted bones. The Children of the Sun are back and we will not take their shit anymore. But I cannot do this without you, so what say you all? Where does the path of wisdom lie?"

Despite the fact that he was not channelling essence and the glow about him was slowly dying down, one could see the fire and passion behind Ake's eyes as he spoke.

[rhoenix]

Upon hearing this, Kolth couldn't help but chuckle. "Man, I can only do so many personal hobbies without it getting too costly. Besides, I was already planning on visiting both that Deathknight and his boss and giving them tokens of our esteem here soon - but we have to eat and all that too, you know."

Exhaling another billowing cloud of smoke from his blunt, Kolth sighed. "If money weren't a concern, shit, I'd do that for free - can you imagine how funny it would be to get a Deathknight so mad he can't even talk right? Heh."

Taking a few more steps, he now faced the dark forestline beyond them. "However, I don't like feeling like I might have been manipulated, so I'm going to take a look around for a bit. I'll be back."

With that, he threw his coat to the side. As it hit the ground, he was completely gone as if he'd never been - apart from the now-fading smoke.

[Academia Nut]

Ake smirked at the departing Kolth and said, "I always did feel that me and my fellow Zeniths were there to distract the enemy with long, boring sermons so that the Nights could knife them in the back while they weren't looking. What of the rest of you? Should we stay, go, or seek more knowledge?"

[LadyTevar]

"Orduin needs to lie down and heal," Teamhair replied warningly. "While he's not bleeding now, he did take the full length of the DeathKnight's sword into his chest." The look she gave her Solar Mate showed she was Very Displeased that he tried to get himself killed. Just to make sure he'd agree to go get healed, she added extra incentive.

"No sex until you're healed."

[Academia Nut]

"Ah, perhaps we should rest and evaluate our options in the morning when the light of the Unconquered Sun will make things clearer and Kolth will have finished his scouting," Ake conceded.

[LadyTevar]

Ake's concession brought him the full power of Teamhair's lovely, pleased smile as he agreed to her wishes. A couple mortals in the area instantly fell in love with her at that point.

Or maybe it was how her kimono was slipping off her shoulders and showing more than just cleavage.

[Academia Nut]

Ake coughed lightly while he glanced over at Teamhair and said, "Err... ah... good lady... your uh... you... well... err... ah... you may wish to tighten up your... err... ah... dress there as it is ah... well... it is a tad loose."

Okay, now he had a flash of memory and he was glad that his darker skin helped conceal his blush somewhat better than more pale skinned people's would have. He had a feeling he would have to build up skills that the Hunt Leader had neglected if he wanted to stay around her for long and not get into trouble.

[Marcao]

He watched as Teamhair and the newcomer…Ake engaged in conversation. He could not fault the idea the thoughts of the chosen even if he agreed to a degree with the Lunar’s interpretation of the events.

“The situation that you describe is possible Ake but unlikely in my estimation. The hunt would certainly not prefer to take multiple chosen at once.â€

[The Nomad]

The villagers, at first, did not know whether to flee from Orduin, or accept his help. Lost and confused, both by the ordeal of the deathknight's mental influence and the appearance of strange, glowing warriors - including a nine foot tall killing machine-, they accepted his guidance as he helped them administer first aid to the wounded, and despite his wounds he managed to take ashore the remaining villagers that were in the water.

After a while, the powerful animas started to die down, and more than a few were surprised to see that the huge monster with the ever shifting body was in fact a woman of nearly inconceivable beauty and charm - and who had forgotten to tie her kimono properly, which caused even the most jaded among the men to blush. At first they kept to themselves, leaving the Chosen to converse among themselves, then a middle-aged man stepped forward: "I am Konsan, of the Shorewood Road communities," the man said, a bit nervous at becoming the focus of the attention of several strange, supernatural beings. "I... We would like to thank you for rescuing our village... Some of us broke from the spell sooner than most and could see the horrors you were fighting against, which were ready to take us... in there," he waved his hand towards where the eerie fogbank obscured sight some time ago. "We... we don't know how to properly repay you," he said.

Meanwhile, Kolth, still struggling with the recalcitrant remains of his anima and burning caste mark, nonetheless strode unseen into the night. He could find no sign of any 'surviving' nemissary, nor did he spot any suspect tracks - merely the usual animal or human dwellers of Shorewood.

[Academia Nut]

Ake turned to Konsan and bowed graciously before he said, "Your life is repayment enough for me, although I daresay my newfound comrades might wish other things from you as they did considerably more to your benefit than I. For me however, I only wish that you live, for in life there is potential and energy. If you wish to listen to me, then I might ask of you other things, but I do not wish others to follow my words because they feel beholden to me, but because they feel it the right thing to do in following my words and actions. The strongest armies are not built on fear or love, but trust, and thus trust cannot be compromised in any way or the whole system will collapse."

Ake's face took a dark turn at that, old, painful memories obviously dredged up in the process before his features shifted once more, into something more serious.

"However, we must speak to you on what has happened and what is to come. I cannot say if we will stay or leave come the dawn for that is a decision my new allies and I must reach together, but I will insist that you all at least be informed on what you have faced, and may face in the future. We must speak of the reasoning behind why you were chosen for this attack... and why your neighbours were not."

Ake wondered slightly if that may have been going too far, but the people deserved to know what had happened to them and why, and if he ended up stirring up their fears and prejudices... well, if he was lucky he would be able to channel that into something more productive with sheer force of personality. If not, then he would definitely know where he needed to work on polishing his skills.

[rhoenix]

After nodding to himself, having satisfied his suspicions as to clues or other strange beings around this area, Kolth returned to the village as a swift wraith, running swiftly and silently through the underbrush and around trees.

Hearing the voices in the distance within the village, Kolth made sure to stop lightening his feet as he approached the entrance to the village, occasionally scuffing his feat against the ground so he'd be heard while approaching. Smoke trailed up from the still-smoldering blunt held in his left hand, more as he exhaled upward into the sky.

He walked directly up to the gathering of both his friends and the villagers, still purposefully making a little noise as he approached - he was trying to be polite. He strode up to Orduin, Teamhair, Yvela, and Ake, greeting them casually as he did. "Yeah, nothin' around. So, what'd I miss?"

[SirNitram]

"We found a Sun-Priest. Noonday Caste or whatever we call it." Orduin shrugged. He had had very little contact with other Solars, and it seemed rude to use the sobriquet he had learned from the firebrand Immaculate back home: Blasphemous. "He wants to stay, spread the good word. Me? Since I spread word poorly, I go to lay the hell down in my suit. It's got healing systems boosted by a hearthstone. I'll be aboard."

And with that, Orduin went for a well-earned rest.

[rhoenix]

Shrugging, Kolth threw the remains of his blunt in the bonfire. "Sounds good to me - the word I'm best at spreading is 'oh shit, dive for cover,' so I'll go take a nap in that hammock near the top of the ship."

With that, he walked with his normal gait back to the ship - which is to say, silent on accident.

[Academia Nut]

Nodding to the two other Solars as they boarded the ship, Ake said to Konsan, "Perhaps it is time for us all to get some rest. I too took a few wounds. I will make sure to pass on what we know in the morning if we choose to leave in the hopes that you will be better able to protect yourselves."

He then turned to the helots manning the ship and asked, "Permission to come aboard?"

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair walked past him. "Don't ask the Helots... ask their master," she suggested, tilting her head to indicate Ysela. "Otherwise, I'd invite you aboard myself."

With that, the foxy lady followed Orduin down below to their cabin, where she was going to help him clean his wounds and hold him until he was asleep.

[Marcao]

He did not find it difficult to steady his mind and enter the familiar trance. It was the first time in weeks since the last time he had done it. He remembered the first time he had stumbled upon this trick; he had been hunted then and had sought refuge in a darkened cave. Thinking back on those moments of weakness, he could do little but despise how weak he had been then. It was a weakness that he had uprooted and burned out from his body until none of it had remained.

The warmth spread through him and focused on those areas of his body that had suffered harm. He did not need to push himself hard to alleviate the mild discomfort that the conflict with the cloud had brought to him. In truth, Orduin had fared far worse than he had but the chosen had his own way of dealing with adversity and the pain that he had undoubtedly earned. He was Gunzosha. It was not as if he could help his ally, he could aid himself in these matters but it was a selfish power.

The warmth faded almost as quickly as it came and he stood, stretching slightly for a moment before he took a deep breath and held it. He had learned a valuable lesson today, and for that if nothing else he was grateful. He hesitated for a moment as his eyes slid around his surroundings but he did not remain below decks long. It was not where he belonged; it was not where he could best utilize his talents. Besides, while he trusted the others to a point he wanted to watch their new guest more closely. He did not believe the chosen was an enemy, but neither was he truly a friend yet.

His steps carried him to the nearest path that would take him above decks, his steps measured and calm taking into account the Storm Herald’s own movements beneath him. He re-emerged from his momentary exile after Kolth’s arrival. As Orduin prepared himself to leave the stage so did he return to it. His eyes followed Kolth for a moment, taking notice of his usual grace as he stalked aboard the vessel. It seemed that the spirits of the air held their breath where Kolth walked. In the end, his eyes flickered towards Ake and Teamhair when they exchanged words.

“I think the Helots would be offended if I claimed to be their master.â€

[Academia Nut]

"Ah, we are leaving now? I thought we would wait until morning. Ah, no matter," Ake said, before waving over Konsan and quietly whispering what he knew of the attack in the man's ear before he nodded and moved up the board planking on to the Storm Herald.

Plopping his items down on a quiet place, he folded his legs, closed his eyes, and said, "I shall quietly thank the Unconquered Sun for our victory here today and pass on any messages I have recieved. I don't expect a reply, but that is not the point."

[The Nomad]

The month of travel back to Lookshy was uneventful - no river pirates dared attack the Storm Herald, and the ship enjoyed unnaturally good currents and winds.

Upon docking at the Lower City, the crew was immediately but discreetly greeted by a small committee of Seventh Legion officials, who took them in for a debriefing. The presence of Teamhair and Ake caused a few eyebrows to be raised, but nonetheless they welcomed the news of the Black Ship's destruction, though they were evidently worried by the fact that the captain was a deathknight - what were his reasons for striking small communities that rejected ancestor worship, who had gifted him with a set of pipes that could entrance tens or hundreds of human beings...

The General Staff was globally satisfied with the mission's results. While Orduin had merely done what was expected of him as a Gunzosha of the Seventh Legion, Taimyo Teresu Odai mentionned that a few words would land in the relevant hears of the Stores Directorate and Academy of Sorcery to let him examine First Age texts and experiment with exotic ingredients. Yevela's and Kolth's contracts as auxiliaries of the Seventh Legion were to be prolongated indefinitely.
Teamhair and Ake's position were more delicate. Indeed, it would be uncautious for the Lunar to reveal her true nature, for, while Solars had not been heard from in centuries and therefore received the benefit of the doubt, Lunars had been witnessed leading armies of beastmen and Wyld barbarians - such as the recent return of the dreaded Arczeckh in the Hundred Kingdoms.
Nonetheless, with the three Solars vouching for them, they were accepted with little difficulty. The Seventh Legion's budget, however, would hardly be compatible with Teamhair's usual lifestyle of luxury... but even in the grim and disciplined warrior city, there was room for entertainment, and great performers could earn a decent living singing and dancing, if they had the proper contacts.

A short while later, in the Outer Ring, a caravan from the East had arrived, led by the young Liayna Naguno of the Eclipse. With a flair for good business opportunities and a small expenditure of Essence, she had sniffed a notable increase in the consumption of luxury goods in this city, and was on her way to sell her usual merchandise. Soon, members of her caravan would start some genial and viral advertising of their trade in the pubs of the city, though they had been warned that excessive revelry and debauchery was frowned upon in this strict, militaristic culture.

[LadyTevar]

Pity poor Orduin. The Gunzosha had been dragged out of his comfortable bed by the red-haired beauty sleeping with him, and now he was being pulled along behind her as Teamhair systematically explored every booth set up in Merchant's Row.

So far, the Solar had been lucky. Teamhair was a picky and cautious buyer, and thus the Gunzosha was carrying only three bags. Unfortunately, they still had over half the Market to cover.

"You better be buying me a drink after this..." Orduin muttered.

Teamhair answered with a wide smile. "A drink? Of course, you deserve it! Look, this caravan set up over here sells wines. We'll see if we can sample some of their wares before buying." With that, the Lunar led her poor mate over to a fantastically decorated cart where a enterprising young man was genially advertising the Naguno family's luxury wares.

[Academia Nut]

Ake wandered about the parts of the city where he was allowed, carefully examining what he could. He had left his lance and armour back with the rest of his gear at the accomodations he had secured after arrival so as to not frighten the locals. Thus he was only armed with his fists and his knife. But despite the fact that he had focused his skills upon the spear and lance, he was still very, very deadly with just a simple knife, so unless he ran into another hostile Exalted, he should be okay.

Not that there weren't Exalted in the city that could possibly turn Exalted, as he had seen more Dragonblooded than... well... any time in this life, although admittedly he still didn't see very many. For the most part they ignored him, but he always made sure to keep any he saw in the periphery of his vision, just in case. He held no grudge against the Terrestrial Exalted, but his last memories of them hadn't exactly been pleasant.

For today though, he just wanted to move about and sample the feel of the people in Lookshy. He wanted to know how this military city ran, how its citizens felt. He wanted to see where he could apply pressure, where he could relieve pressure, and where he could start building contacts and leverage for later. Armies marched on a few things. First of all, they marched on their stomaches, which included the equipment protecting their stomaches, so having a secure base and a supply train was always important, so that would need friendly contacts with people who knew how to move things needed at point B over there from point A. AKA merchants.

So Ake began to move amongst the crowds, observing the merchants and their trade. Their support would allow him to feed and equip an army if he could acquire it. True, he would need to build up an army first, but it was always a good idea to start acquiring the necessities early and if today that meant just examining the merchants, looking for likely candidates to approach at some hypothetical later date, then the day was well spent.

He also noticed a rather unfortunate looking Orduin trailing behind Teamhair with a number of bags. Ake carefully considered not calling attention to himself before he decided that a team shared burdens so he called out over the crowd, "Ah! Hello my friends! I see you are examining the fine wares of the merchants as well today!"

[Hotfoot]

Liayna Naguno smiled as she floated around the shop her caravan team had set up in the market. Yulong Mei and Miki Han, her two personal protectors had their eyes out for any would-be thieves or absentminded customers. Several members of her crew were manning each table, while the core members of the family were out, shopping for supplies for the next leg of their journey. Li Mao and her assistant, Quan Dao were out looking for trade goods for the next few stops on her caravan route, while Wu-Shen Lao and Jin Han were off finding less common goods.

Jiang Mu had been given the duty of attracting customers, and when the lovely Teamhair came through, he gave Liayna a quick look, then urged Teamhair and her baggage train to where Liayna was modeling some of the finery her caravan had collected.

A fine red kimono with a swan pattern sewn in silver and white thread draped across Liayna's form, accentuating her body and providing a fine canvas for the various jewelry that now adorned her body. It was less revealing than her usual attire, due to Lookshy's less than favorable opinion of raw revelry, but it was still favorable to her figure. A silver tiara with a jade inset sculpted in the shape of a great tree over her forehead was draped by her brilliant red hair. Her hair was swirled with bright green ribbons which flowed from her bun into a loose netting that caged her hair within. Her earrings were delicate chains of silver with finely crafted jade and rubies. Hanging from around her neck was a beautifully crafted but mundane necklace, her Hearthstone Amulet hidden within her kimono, near her hip, under several folds of cloth.

As Teamhair entered, the tall Eclipse eyed the woman carefully, her first thought to try and find something complementary to her complexion. Her skin tone and hair color were similar to Liayna's, and so she knew the immediate path to take as she closed the distance between the two, a warm smile upon her lips.