Exalted: The Tale of the Three Fell Strokes

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== Homecoming ==
As they made their way back home, they discussed what to do next. There was a concern that with the Wild hunt on their way, the best way to keep the city of Marull Vaar safe would be to lead the hunt away from the city. But the auditor assassins presented a new level of problems. Reeds and Hephastia were reluctant to leave, whilst Tokumei and Daxi were more open to the idea. However they agreed that ultimately they would need to talk to Belar about this first as she would likely know more about what threat they faced. 
When they returned Marull Vaar, Daxi spent some time investigating the criminal activity in the city and found a conspiracy to act against the Exalts. Weapons were being smuggled in at a warehouse. Hephastia spent some time at her forge and with her apprentices. Whilst Tokumei visited the Dam and Reeds renewed his merchant connections. 
Later the Solars returned to their newly constructed home to discuss what to do next and sent message to the Palace asking when Belar would like to see them. As the messenger came back far too quickly it turned out that the answer was "Immediately" as the messenger had met with a messenger from the palace coming the other way.
She and several of the Dragonbloods met in a chamber, Belar seeming much healthier than she had been, although one of the Dragonbloods had bee badly wounded recently.
The circle shared the news of the various enemies that they had encountered or knew about:
* The Wild Hunt
* Bal Sho and the Underworld enslaved exalts with their timetravel plot.
* The Nulbarans beneath the ocean
* The criminal conspiracy within the city with links to the Lintha.
* The court of Flesh that was still at large.
The Dragonbloods shared their own information on this and when Tokumei offered to leave Belar was firmly against it. They were all Anathema now and the wild hunt would not be deterred, so they would need to make a stand. However the two immediate threats were the court of Flesh that had been abducting people from along the road to the North up the coast and the Lintha conspiracy. They agreed to divide the labour with the Dragonbloods facing the conspiracy in the city, whilst the Solars who had already bested the Marquis before, head up the coast to destroy them. With the plan agreed, they set off the next day. 
== Hunting the Marquis ==
Before departing Marull Vaar. Daxi wanted to make sure he was able to raid the waterfront smuggling operation that he'd become aware of. 
The plan was for Daxi and Tokumei to get inside, whilst Reeds and Hephestia wait outside ready to spring in to action if needed. 
Disguised, the infiltration team moved in taking out the outer guards without raising the alarm. Before passing by the guards at the entrance to go in to the warehouse, where a couple of dozen people were either loading and unloading goods from a boat that had docked through a hole in the floor, or were acting as guards. 
As crates were unloaded they were being checked by a man named Po at a desk who checked the contents of each box. 
Daxi split off going to the upper levels to take out as many guards as he could, whilst Tokumei followed Po out when he took a break, incapacitated him in an alleyway and used her robes and skill with makeup to impersonate him. Sitting down at his desk and inspecting the ledgers as people came to have the boxes inventoried. Each box seemed to be a kit for a single person to wage guerrilla warfare, with blades, light armour, rope and other supplies, in some cases even including some fire dust. 
Daxi arranged the unconscious guards where they stood, making it seem as though they were merely resting their eyes on the job. However a few minutes later a figure burst in claiming that they had seen a silt strider just a few blocks away and that everybody should pack up their things and go, as they didn't know how good they were at infiltration. 
Daxi dropped down on him and said "Surprisingly good as it happens" and the room erupted in panic. Most of the conspirators tried to flee, but one stayed and threw a lantern at a collection of paperwork in an attempt to burn the warehouse to the ground. 
Tokumei leapt up out of her chair and flung herself across the room attempting to catch the lantern before it fell. She missed, but was able to gather the fire and turn it in to the sorcerous motes needed for Thousand Thunderous Birds which wreaked a swathe of destruction on the smugglers, but still a good quarter of them got away, although one of their leaders and much of the weapons caches and paperwork were captured by Daxi and the others. 
The following day they left the city on Snails in search of The Marquis and the Court of Flesh. 
Travelling up the coast through thick jungle, they stopped on the first night where Hephestia and Tokumei sparred a bit, with Tokumei primarily focusing on her own defence leaving both exhausted by the time Hephestia scored a hit. Reeds found some food which was cooked up, but before going to bed, Tokumei offered to check Daxi over for ay issues with his stance and circulation with a careful massage. He seemed to slouch a little, but was otherwise quite okay. 
She offered the same to the others, Reeds had his chakras oddly displaced and slightly twisted, which Tokumei wasn't able to fix exactly, but she did straighten out the energy flows between them to give him a restful night for once. 
Hephestia on the other hand was still tense, frustrated by the betrayal of the gods. Tokumei suggested that gods were not always as great as legends suggested and pointed out that the Dragonbloods believed heaven to be rife with corruption and even the Unconquered Sun had left his children in a perilous position. She drew a comparison between how Ninegala treated her worshipers and how Hephastia treated her tools with care and diligence to keep them safe and performing at their peak. They went to bed and continued the journey the next morning. 
Travelling further through the jungle, Reeds began to smell a familiar scent of rot and Wyld energy. The Marquis was nearby, so Daxi dismounted and scouted out the area. The foliage began to sprout terrible fleshy appendages the further in he went. Rows of lower mouths stacked above each other resembling fungal growths, trees thick with hairs, fingers and mossy meat became increasingly common. Daxi even had to evade a tree on which grew clusters of wild flickering eyes. However he was not able to get close enough to make out further details before patrols of creatures similar to the hounds they had encountered earlier, came too close for comfort. These hounds were more bipedal and their skulls were not as deformed, but were otherwise grotesque and misshapen humans twisted in to these unnatural forms that would giggle in a creepy manner. 
Returning to Snails they plotted their approach. Daxi suggesting that the best way to attack would be a frontal assault whilst Reeds thought that playing to its story would be best. Although Tokumei countered that we didn't know what that story was. 
So Reeds charged up Snails and had him rush towards the Marquis's location. Strangely, rather than attacking, the creatures attempted to form themselves in to two columns to either side of Snails. but Snails barrelled through them too quickly. 
However they were completely unprepared to find a large tent made of stretched living skin. Its highest point was equal to Snail's eyes. 
Tokumei and Daxi got down and approached cautiously whilst Hephastia circled on her tornado and Reeds waited with Snails. 
Heading inside, the ground beneath was a grotesque pink carpet that felt like the surface of a vast tongue and the flaps of the tent were disturbingly yonic in their imagery. At the centre of the dark tent the Marquis was waiting in a bow, but he rose infuriated that only some of the party had come. from the ceiling figures waited curled and attached to the top of the tent. Surrounding the central ring were sets of stepped seating in a ring. 
He insisted that this was unacceptable and that he had made such lavish preparations for them. This was not how it was meant to go at all. To which Daxi pointed out that they can't follow a script that they have not been given, nor should he expect people to dance if they haven't been given the steps. The Marquis insisted that his Father come in. Thinking that this could only mean Reeds, Tokumei stepped out and persuaded Reeds to come in, which did not satisfy the Marquis either. 
But then he referred to his Father as "She" and Tokumei asked Hephastia to come inside as well. 
Once she did so, the Marquis's mood changed completely. His odious suit of flesh brightening in smiles and tears of joy welcoming his "Father" who had freed him (Presumably from the court of Flesh) as the blow from Widow's Steely Remorse was still a visible scar. 
He had been visited by somebody who had told him that to attract Hephastia's attention, he would need to do something that resonated with her. So he "created" things and now wished to show them off to her, to make her proud of him. 
With a look of horror on her face, Hephastia stood in shocked silence. 
== It Takes a Circle to Raise a Circus ==
With his audience assembled - the "clowns" filing into the seating areas and the circle joining him in the ring - the Marquis clapped his hands and his creations burst in through the curtains of the tent. Both were colossal mountains of flesh like the bulk they found at Hontari, but each had been made in the likeness of circus animals. One, a Giraffe of sorts whose neck was a long tentacle studded in thousands of tiny teeth, and the other a skinless Elephant whose eyes and mouth were compounds of all the eyes and teeth of the people it was sculpted from.
What followed was a frantic battle as the circle leapt from floor to audience to rafters as the Marquis and his two creatures proved more than a match for the Solars. While it was unable to break through her armour the Elephant stomped Hephastia into the ground, and the Marquis dogged pursuit of Tokumei kept her on the back foot as they duelled across the audience, up the back of the Giraffe and into the rafters. As the Solars fought the clowns in the audience seemed receptive to the Solars' acrobatics, and with Reeds' encouragement the crowd remained entertained (and not throwing objects at the "performers" in displeasure). 
Eventually the flames of Tokumei's Firebird ignited the grass, and the combatants were forced to fight their way to the rafters. While the Marquis remained mostly unharmed, his creations were not so lucky; the Giraffe's neck was sliced off in a gout of blood and the Elephant slain... only for a second, smaller Elephant to burst forth from its carcass like a revolting chrysalis. But at last, the rising flames proved too much for all participants, and those who could flee via the roof did so, the rest spilling out of the entranceway.
Reeds was one of the first to leave and found a peculiar masked figure, clad in all manner of different outfit pieces, admiring Snails. As the others began to congregate the masked figure revealed he was in fact Thurzd Would-Be-God, the Rakshasa who had ascended to godhood as a result of the Circle's actions in the mirrored hall. After using his powers to wander Creation, assembling what he felt was the grandest possible outfit for his new status (made, as it was, from what he considered to be the most appealing headpiece, boots, gloves etc) he had somehow talked his way onto some sort of agricultural committee in Heaven. Not realising the large amount of very boring work this would entail, he had made one last trip to his old haunting ground and in doing so had been the one to talk the Marquis into the project the Circle had just burned to the ground.
The Marquis, a little crestfallen that his tent had burned down & his creatures underperformed, asked his "father" if she was proud of him & had enjoyed his performance. Hephastia, trying her best to appease the Marquis for fear of any other "gifts" he might have in store for her, responded in the affirmative, but encouraged him to find something else to do with his time rather than mutate humans into bizarre monsters. As his powers were beginning to calcify, like those of the Court of the Ascendant Insect, from being outside the Wyld for so long, the Marquis agreed to let Thurzd guide him & his followers to one of the remaining Wyld hotspots in the Grey Eye Peninsula while he decided what to do from now on.
== Strangers in a Strange Land ==
A little shaken by their adventure, and with the flesh coating the trees beginning to dissolve into mush the Circle returned to Marrull Vaar to report their success. The hunt for the Goisagi's remaining weapons caches continued, and after conferring with Bhailu De & Khungwa, Hephastia drafted up plans to protect the city in case the Realm did attack. Firstly, to protect the portside entrance of Marrull Vaar by creating an "outer port" further up the river towards its mouth, and secondly to create a series of three towers guarding the major waterways of the Northwest swamp any overland intruders would have to traverse.
However, the prospect of their next step loomed over them - travelling up the coast to Zhaojun to assess how close the threat of the Wyld Hunt was, and if possible to thwart it. As they travelled, Reeds filled them in on Zhaojun's many provinces & regions, and what little he knew of the political situation. As far as the Circle knew, the established Zhao Mnemonrai royal family, married as it was into the now disgraced House Mnemon, was on its way out and two other houses now made plans to share the throne between them: House V'Neef, whose scions & agents they had met before, and House Cathak, who Tokumei in particular had good reason to dread.
== A Game of Many Hidden Players ==
After calling in at Riven in search of Blue Jade (rare in these parts outside of artefacts & treasures stashed away in dark corners like this one) the Circle set up camp in Yaonan, the nearest province on the predominantly Zhao mainland. Hephastia began her crafting by day and tutelage under Ninegalla in sorcery by night. Reeds began setting up an alibi by purchasing businesses in the far Southeastern province of Chiaolun & the guerilla-ridden Northern province of Xioru, trusting that switching back and forth between these alibis with any border-patrols they encountered would throw off any inspection. Tokumei travelled between the major cities of the nearby provinces seeking what information she could about the political situation up the coast of the Meiyu Sea in Goldenseal. And Daxi took a little adventure up the coast to Taishu.
Tokumei's findings were brief, but frustratingly provided as many further mysteries as answers. The Cathaks were newcomers to the region, and it wasn't clear why they were suddenly so interested in territory this far south. The Scion of Cathak chosen to marry into the royal family was also an enigma: Cathak Python was a name unfamiliar to Tokumei despite her upbringing, and the name itself seemed strange. V'Neef meanwhile were seeminly looking to consolidate their holdings inland, capitalising on their acquisition of Cadet House Yueh from the dying House Tepet & their popular Scion V'Neef Totori.
Daxi meanwhile found quite the adventure. Finding himself in the seedy lower levels of an offshore city in Taishu, he found himself tangled up in the attempted assassination of Yueh Kho Gui, the heir of Cadet House Yueh. Unbeknownst to him, Kho Gui was accompanied by a secret agent posing as his guide, a spy posing as a bush hunter, and now a pack of killers sent seemingly by the Lintha. Following Kho Gui and his guide, the Pipe-Smoking Man, and the spy Dinh across the floating night-market, they took refuge in a temple to the river god that had yet to be converted into an immaculate shrine. Striking up a friendship, Kho Gui revealed that he was in Taishu to drown his sorrows; with the V'Neef/Cathak alliance to take over Zhaojun, his betrothal to his childhood sweetheart V'Neef Totori had been anulled, and he was now forbidden by his house from contacting her until the wedding to Cathak Python was finalised. Torn between his love of Totori and his duty to his house, Daxi advised him to do what his heart told him, and to not be too concerned with what was "impossible" or not. The two agreed to meet at a secret point offshore of Riven in three days time, where Daxi could introduce him to the rest of the Circle.
== A City of Ghosts, and the Ghost of a City ==
While they waited for Daxi to get back, Tokumei filled them in on what she had discovered. 
The Mnemonrai family were in the process of being replaced in almost all important offices by V'Neef and Cathak appointees. V'neef had a longstanding relationship with the city and their transition was a largely graceful handover, whilst the militant Cathak were relative newcomers unfamiliar with the city, so that was taking longer. 
Tokumei, Hephestia and Reeds went in to the ghost city of Riven in response to rumours of a "Snatcher" taking the ghosts of the ancestral dead. The whole structure was a massive web of half-collapsed structures (The majority being a ghostly shanty town but with some being as early as the first age) over a yawning void held together by cables and fibres. Near the centre of the web was a larger more central structure which seemed more stable and ancient.
Exploring within they found a female ghost furtively running between structures and intercepted her, querying what had her so scared. She mentioned an elder ghost named Sanuk and Reeds performed a funerary rite with the ritually prepared juice from certain berries which she drank with the abandon of somebody stranded in the far Southern desert. 
Travelling down they encountered the central structure which was densely packed with ghosts and the doorways sealed solid. Reeds performed his ritual offering of a sculpted jar of burning herbs and they announced their business to come and see Elder Sanuk. Inside he greeted them as children of the Sun and informed them that there was indeed a fearsome creature that came crawling from the areas beneath the structures of the city and had carried away many ghosts, but that its attacks (which involved it leaving lumps of hair behind) were stopped about a week ago. This coincided with the ghosts collectively driving off a host of Linthan necromancers from Riven. Given that things now seemed at least stable and there were no immediate leads, they returned to the surface world. 
As they returned they met Daxi who revealed his recent adventures and wanted to introduce us to some friends he made.
== Full Disclosure ==
After some rest they rowed out to a small rocky island in the bay where they met a Dragonblood by the name of Yueh Kho Gui and his associate a pipe smoking man named Jiao.
Yueh Kho Gui was from House Yueh, a Cadet house of Tepet, which transitioned to become a cadet house of V'Neef. He was childhood friend and betrothed of V'neef Totori, a women destined to be the next queen of Zhaojun. However with the change in power dynamics, he has been pushed aside and would instead be wed to Cathak Yukitada, a former student of Tokumei's. 
Tokumei recounted that during her studies that Yukitada had seemed a prodigy. Well versed in war, culture, magic and the arts, however there was a dark sociopathic bet to her mind, whilst she hid it well she looked upon a gruesome training accident with fascination and curiosity rather than the horror of her fellow students. She was one of Tokumei's early charges and was believed to be on the fast track for military command. 
However Totori was instead to marry a complete cypher known as Cathak Python. His name was distinctly unusual for a Dragonblood of the isles and for somebody not within the main families to be given governorship over a powerful and lucrative territory such as Zhaojun would be very unusual. Nobody had seen him so far, but he was most of the way through an official tour with Totori, in which they would assess the offices and visit the areas where they were soon to rule over before being officially wed. During this time they were also expected to get to know each other. 
Yueh Kho Gui, was rather evasive about what he actually wanted, The Solars tried to tie him down to what he would like to happen, but he was torn. He wants to be with Totori, but this would bring ruin on his family and the state of Zhaojun which he also cared about deeply. 
The pipe smoking man called Jiao admitted that he represented the Ministry of the Blue Robe, a secret police service within Zhaojun. The man who tailed Daxi was another of their agents, though obviously working for a different faction within the Ministry. He mentioned that there was an older, severe looking Cathak woman leading them. Which Tokumei identified as House Mistress Cathak Delilah of The Manse Hosting Smouldering Embers, her former Mistress.
The Pipe-Smoking Man, behaving much more pensively than when Daxi had met him earlier, seemed wary of the party and their intentions, but once satisfied that the Circle's intentions were good, revealed that he had indeed been keeping an eye on Yueh Kho Gui, though for which other faction in the Zhaojun government he represented he would not say. He admitted however that he was nervous about further people ingratiating themselves into the situation, as another outsider had recently become the bosom companion of V'Neef Totori whose intentions were as yet undetermined. A woman named Crystal Breaks the Waves...
== Getting there is half the fun ==
The group were visible shocked by the mention of Crystal and The Pipe Smoking Man was curious. Hephestia explained that Crystal was a circle-mate of theirs. Thankfully neither men pressed further. 
Tokumei asked Yueh Kho Gui if he knew Totori's heart. He said that having known her most of his life, they were deeply in love and that the day his engagement was announced was the happiest of his life. He felt certain that she shared his desire to be together, but was equally constrained by expectations of her family. She asked him if he had a letter he wanted to send to Totori and Tokumei promised to deliver it unopened and unread if possible to do so.
Without enough information to form a full plan at the time, Tokumei suggested that they arrange a code word so that they would know any communication was genuine. Yueh Kho Gui chose "Nightingale". He would head up the coast on the peninsula with his crew and be nearby. The Solars would travel overland and inform him when they had more information. 
So they set off, travelling at breakneck speed overnight around the outskirts of the provinces, arriving eventually in Chiaolun. Reeds was exhausted by the all night travel. Tokumei used her artefact quill to complete all of the necessary paperwork which passed muster with surprising speed. When she retured, the sounds of rhythmic hammering were audible and exotic golden tools appearing and vanishing as needed as she stretched and melded rare metals and jades as Hephestia worked on yet another legendary artefact. 
Daxi went off to rub shoulders with some of the more wealthy merchants, discovering that Totori and Python did come through a few weeks ago, but had spent very little time there. He said that he didn't think that they touched the ground in their entire visit stepping from a luxurious palanquin carried by two dozen servants straight to the aptly named Silver Palanquin.
Tokumei went to the Silver Palanquin (A 3 storey building gilt in silver, some of it real) in the guise of Lysa of Ossium, taking with her some of Reed's cash. Playing the role of an advisor to the monarch eager to find out what the new ruler would be like. There was a magistrate talking with a guild representative, but she felt far too uncomfortable with the guild, so instead talked to a circle of women. After some social niceties she steered the conversation towards Cathak Python. Apparently much of the delay was manoeuvring who would join which house, a delicate and important affair. 
A tall man who looked to be in his late 30's by mortal standards, with a military appearance, he had brilliant red eyes, black straight hair in a top knot and a resting expression of stoic seriousness. She related that he was quite quick to anger when a servant made a mistake. 
She came back with a lighter purse (As the Silver Palanquin was not a cheap place) and related what she had found.
From then as they moved from Quebae to Fubae, they kept the journey speed down and actually passed another swamp-strider as well as strange toads the size of horses being used by local farmers. Passing through several checkpoints and getting stopped on the third. 
They arrived in Han Nan city, a place where 3-storey structures were the rule rather than the exception. Reeds pointed out that it was once organised on geomantic principals. but these had been twisted over the centuries, creating streets and alleyways with endless twists and turns that served little purpose.
Reeds went around doing a fair amount of trade both to maintain their cover and gather gossip as well as seeking to recoup funds. 
He found the people he was told about when he was last in Marull Vaar. The family consisted of Chijun Zhou (brother of the matriarch Song) and his wife Lin. They also have a daughter. 
== The City where even the malcontent seem content ==
Reeds has been given an address and set out with Daxi whilst Hephastia worked on her projects and Tokumei went to seek a job within Goldenseal its self. 
The roads are a geomatic nightmare
Travelling around Reeds noticed that the beggars were oddly clean and keeping an eye on Reeds and Daxi. 
As they travelled, Reeds and Daxi received careful gazes. As if they saw Reeds as a powerful gangster and Daxi were his bodyguard. To avoid these glances, Reeds took a longer and more discrete path to the manor.
The main door of the manor had the name: [Zhao] Chijun Song above the door, but the first character had clearly been recently removed.
The servant who answered the door (Fong) and his assistant (likely his son a gardener) said they would ask the master and left them outside for about 10 minutes. 
They came back and opened the main gate and they were invited in to see Chijun Song. 
The interior had seen happier days and many treasures were missing, likely sold to pay for the upkeep. 
They were invited to a conversation pit with a brazier in the centre where they were joined by his wife Han Nan. 
Reeds knew that their family were ancestor worshipers. Back in Marull Vaar they knew that the 
Mimi, the Pandafolk slave maid of the household. Bought as a slave when she was an infant. Bought down some tea and snacks. 
She was purchased to help their daughter Mei
Daxi asked Mimi if she was happy ad she just averted her eyes and looked sad.
However Reeds started talking trade. 
The host is a trader, who wanted to revive his fortunes and Reeds tried to sell him on a trade route. 
Daxi notices that he's being watched by beady little eyes from the stairwell that Mimi came down. Reeds had a smell of a child in the area. 
Chijun Song gave the impression of being an opportunist. 
Reeds showed him some rare mother of pearl materials and seemed extremely impressed. He stressed that he had all the local contacts and Reeds insinuates that they could be business partners. 
Mimi was scolded for taking care of the child instead of clearing away the tea.
Zhao said that he needed to attend another business associate.
Tokumei found an employment agency that serviced Golden Seal and found a job appointment to serve in Golden Seal as a Concierge through the Silken Pavilion Employment agency. Although she needed to get several permits and the intake would begin tomorrow.
Hephestia did her work on her crafting from the security of their hotel room. The Zhao ad Meiyu came from further North and settled in Baiyu lands. The met up with Reeds in a local Teahouse had he returned, catching each other up on events.
Meawhile Daxi suck through the rear servants entrance of the Zhao Chijun Song manor.
Inside he saw Zhao meeting with a government official clothes, who seemed to think Zhao was wealthier than he was, apparently a tax inspector.
He hid to avoid Mei who spotted him disguised as Mimi was sneaking in to the kitchen to get Turkish Delight and Daxi moved back to track down Mimi who is cleaning then broke in to Zhao's office. In Zhao's office he found paperwork relating to his debts.
He made copies and returned to the inn where the others were staying. Tokumei made dumplings for Hephastia, but she had already eaten, so it was for breakfast tomorrow. 
They shared information on their plans and Reeds confirmed the Zhao's dire financial situation from the documents.
Their next move would be attending dinner with the Zhao's whilst Tokumei sneaks in to the city. But first she asked Daxi to give her some pointers on disguise and stealth.
== A very civil society ==
Tokumei had been given a folded envelope with an elaborate Origami seal upon it by the employment agency. They had told her to travel on the Celestial Path to a certain hotel. 
She left late in the evening, wearing an immaculate pressed robe in her disguise as Lysa, a former member of the royal household staff of Ossium. To allow plenty of time in case she became lost or stalled. 
The Celestial Path was an elaborate gondola covered in various types of gilded metal and wood that rose up in the distance into the night sky. The directions given indicated that the destination could be reached from the top of the tower. She did not need to pay, as the guard examined her envelope and gave an understanding nod, as she was let onboard. 
She sat down and was joined shortly afterwards by an unremarkable gentleman who took the seat opposite reading a gazette. They made small talk and he included the word Nightingale, indicating he was an agent of Yueh Kho Gui, likely a Blue Robe. He gestured to see her papers which she subtly handed over. He carefully removed the seal, carefully avoiding triggering an ink trap within. He mentioned that this appointment would not be close enough to the action, so replaced her letter in another similar envelope with a different address. She nodded and silently took it back once it had been resealed. The new address was for the Concierge of the Six Diamond Cups Pagoda. 
As he left her, she carried on her journey. She has arrived entirely too early for the sake of safety, so took a slow walk to admire the palace by starlight. 
After some time she arrived a god 5 minutes early for her appointment, heading through the side door , presenting her envelope to the staff desk where she was given the dossier for her assignment; Ostiary General Epimachus Nestor. 
The same evening, Daxi, Hephestia and Reeds travelled through Han Nan to the house of Zhao and Lin, as they arrived, Reeds could smell people smelling of rich food leaving by the back entrance. They were invited in and politely moved through to the dining room where they began to make small talk and discuss business dealings. 
Lin mentioned that there was a great displacement that when the Northern realms splintered off. She thought that Golden Dias may be involved. Her husband tried to quiet her, but she added that the government would surely have those insurgents under control soon. But she seemed to be aware that they were her families former patrons and allies, seeming to stick to the official party line. 
She spoke to Hephastia about Marull Vaar, and pointed out that it had much improved since their last visit. Reeds probed them on their needs, Marull Vaar was in need of high quality structural lumber and Reeds could offer high quality luxury goods. 
Zhao mentioned that there was a trade summit at the Mountain View Hall that would be starting soon ad that with a lucrative new trade partner he could secure invitations, if Reeds had some suitable luxury goods. 
Lin gushes about the gardens and her lavish descriptions give them a fairly good idea of the layout. Including the Emerald Lotus pond with the Opal Heaven Pavilion in the centre. A personal favourite of the incoming queen. The Mountain View Hall, the Listening to the Rain Pavilion, the Pavilion of red spider lilies, the great stone boat and the oldest part is the Wier of the Sunrise where there is the Aureate Dais. This was the spot where the Zhao ad the Baiyu first landed on this coast and where the wedding will be held. As well as the Garden of all seasons which is so beautiful she has never been to it. 
Mei has a seat next to Daxi and has been peeking at him all through the meal and asking Daxi
Mei: "Are you an adventurer?" 
Daxi: "I've been on some adventurers, does that make me an adventurer?"
Mei confided that she thinks Mimi likes him. 
As she served up quail. Mimi seemed to be about to say something, but didn't follow through to Mei's annoyance.
Daxi regaled Mei with highly edited tales of the time he got in to a fight with a Pandafolk on the ship. 
She revealed that Mimi was going to get "married" to another Pandafolk who was down the coast, but there was some sort of war and Mimi looked mortified about the tale. Though when she spoke to her father about the marriage he changed the subject. 
There was an old Zhao tradition, the queen is not being married in an aspect month. She's a Fire aspect and she's not being married in her aspect month. 
They talked about the upcoming marriage and talked about Princess Totori marrying Cathak, before going back to trade deals. 
V'neef controls the merchant Navy, but not the Imperial Navy which is House Peleps. So the Yueh Cadet house's naval presence is useful for the security of the area. 
As Daxi gets up to use the water closet, Mimi finds him and confirms that she was due to be mated with a fighting panda down the coast, but it was stopped when they found out. He revealed that he had was a freeman who travelled the world. 
He told her about his village, and how he left to travel the coast. He tried to reassure her that freedom exists and what she could become. To answer his earlier question, if she was happy? She said that Mei was the source of her happiness and she loved the girl as if she were her own, which was the sole source of her happiness. 
The rest of the evening passes normally. 
Back in the the Six Diamond Cups Pavilion in the morning, Tokumei brings the black morning tea for Ostiary General Epimachus Nestor, who was staying as a guest of House V'neef. She carefully cultivated her poise and accent to match with her falsified appearance as a Migdan of Ossium. Despite him coming up and carefully inspecting her, she seemed to pass his inspection with no suspicions. He was going to have a bath, she would fetch breakfast and dictate a letter for him over as he has his breakfast. 
As she went to the kitchens she listened out for who else was in attendance and there was a "Ms Crystal Breaks the Waves" in attendance. But she's a late riser so wouldn't take her breakfast until much later. 
She went back with the breakfast and took the letter: 
_______________________ 
My dearest V’Neef, 
Once again the privilege is mine to be your humble servant in this matter. I have pursued the line of inquiry you have requested. Leads have not been forthcoming although this is itself a clue. 
The House of Bells have not been able to find information about Cathak Python. To be in the position he is in then he must have graduated from the their ranks and at the very least I should have been able to contact the other four members of his fangs.
I know that the Cathaks are notoriously tight lipped about such things, but when one member of the fang reaches high glory there are 4 other high ranking brothers in arms or a tragic tale.
Something else is going on but I regret to inform you I was unable to find the details and I can’t currently determine if your daughter has been sold in down the river by this deal. 
Ever your servant 
Ostiary General Epimachus Nestor.
_______________________
With that she was dismissed until 10 and used the opportunity to brig Crystal's breakfast up to her. She wanted it left outside the door, however Tokumei waited and caught her eye as the door opened. 
== Old friends ==
Crystal opens the door and sees Tokumei and her eyes widen. Complimenting Tokumei on her tan, she invites Tokumei in conspiratorially fashion and closed the blinds. She moved something Tokumei didn't see. 
In the confines of her suite of rooms, Crystal tells her story of how she read the books with a hidden message. Shaken, she'd headed to the Caul to link up with an old flame, but the Caul had its own events, presumably triggered by the Bronze Tide arriving, making leaving to come back difficult. Eventually Crystal made it back to Zhao Jung and she talks about Totori with great warmth. 
The only bit of knowledge she has about Cathak Python, who remains a mystery is that he went to the House of Ancient Stones, a school that Tokumei recognised as being for troubled exalts on their last chance. His military exploits are genuine but his deeds are shrouded in secrecy and he's not a Blue Robe (local secret police). 
Tokumei asks about getting a letter to Totori and abut how she was feeling about the marriage, given the problematic past of her bride to be, and Crystal assures her she could deliver the letter. Crystal also mentions Totori's favourite places and the two start wondering about how Totori would react to her old fiance coming back for her (probably would like to escape with him), and whether they could get Totori alone. Crystal says she may have something that might help, and she reaches behind her and pulls a bell out and rings it. As Tokumei goes into her fugue state, she see an green glint in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Reeds heads towards the trade summit being held in the palace that Zhou has invited him to. Reeds had muddied the waters of the local bureaucracy to slow any reports of his name from spreading. Hephaestia poses as his guard and Daxi disguises as a person who looks a lot like Tokumei calling himself Meitoku, in a bid to appear as a servant. They pass huge five storey golden pagodas and cross moon bridges. On the way, Tokumei reports by Infallible Messenger that she's met Crystal and given her the note. They continue through small decorative labyrinths of waist high walls that Daxi recognises as a trap to slow invaders and make them easy targets for archers. Once past this they encounter palaces of Zhao architecture rather than Baiyu architecture, including the Pavilion of Red Spider Lilys. Finally, their destination is a side-palace with a huge mural of firetop mountain. 
Inside the trade summit, they find that the guild representative from Merrull Varr (Mohan Rao) is there, representing the Guild, nodding and smirking at Reeds when he enters, while Hephaestia goes to stand by the wall with the other guards. Meanwhile, Daxi is pretending to be one of the servants and moving around. 
The happy couple enter and the group get their first good look at Cathak Python, a military dynast noble with a wiry military trim and a direct manner. The pair take two large chairs near the entramce, while everyone else sits around a hollow round table. Armed bodyguards surround everyone, and traders are mostly seated by their primary trade routes. Python has a predatory gaze and seems impatient, while Totori seems sad. 
(While this is going on, General Nestor attends a military meeting with Tokumei attending on him) 
During the trade meeting Crystal comes in with the letter from Yui and delivers it, causing an immediate reaction from Totori (putting her hand to her mouth and seeming to be near tears). She excuses herself and is seen animatedly talking to Crystal on the way out - Python isn't pleased by this. Crystal notices the others in the hall, but doesn't say anything. 
Reeds can't do anything as Zhao, his partner, is about to speak, and he slips him his most special and prized possession, a piece of luxury wood he has not shown yet. With a renewed sense of energy, Zhao makes a great pitch for his business. Then its Reed's turn and he blows the room away, even though he's nervous that he's using his real name. 
After the meeting, the Guild representative heads out to Reeds and they have a coded conversation, where he asks Reeds should he invest, or liquidate his investments? Reeds suggest investing in Riven, a coded message to look further afield. Mohan Rao says that the former representative was removed as being too close to the previous administration. 
Meanwhile Nestor is coming to the Pavilion of the Stone Barge, an artificial stone island in a lake made to look like a two story barge, with Tokumei in tow, and he meets Totori and Crystal. He seems genuinely warm and grandfatherly to Totori who says she's glad to escape the meeting. Nestor says Totori's brother will be gone soon.
Tokumei headed in to the main palace but on her way she was hit with an Infallible messenger from an unknown source. She discovered that the palace had several discreet servant passages which she used to infiltrate the palace and get the lay of the land within the palace walls.
Reeds meanwhile he got an invitation to dinner in the palace. Daxi found a list of guests significant: Epimachus Nestor, Cathak Yukitada, Cathak Python was meant to be there but cancelled due to a headache and replaced by somebody else. Reed Whisper (Something Something) Shall Wilt. The party takes place in the Garden of All Seasons.
The pathway through the garden takes us historical dioramas on a seasonal basis - the sub-gardens we passed showed off: the Seven Tiger Rebellion (five tigers carved of black stone pinned down like bugs), the arrival at Zhao Yun, the Imperial Expansion, the Realm vs Zhao Yun War, the establishment of the capital of Shu-Yen and Zhao Yun being welcomed into the Realm as a satrapy.
Tokumei activates Easily Overlooked Presence, then Nestor and Yukitada turn up. And then, our sudden surprise guest arrives: our old friend V'Neef Tokel (The Ivory Pearl).
== An Oddly Tense Party ==
V'Neef Tokel sees Reeds, smiled and waves him over. Yukitada rolls her wine in her glass and saunters over to ask for an introduction to Reeds. Tokel introduces Reeds and his adventures, then waves to Nestor and says hello. Tokel turns out to be Totori's brother who Nestor mentioned earlier. He had a safe journey down the coast, but it delayed him.
General Nestor tensed up when he realised Reeds was there, but doesn't react beyond. He mentions Yukitada's trips off shore which she appears shocked he knew about, but Tokumei saw that it was a facade and Yukitada knew that Nestor was aware. She said she was trying to track down her errant husband-to-be, suggesting that accidents happen. They talk about the waterways being clear now the Tide have gone.
Tokel chimed in that the Grey-Eye peninsula was unfortunate and the Immaculate order had been making some progress inland. He spoke about the issues with the Living Cities on the peninsula and the northern part of the 'The Endless Horizon' where people who step in are lost in endless lands. Only salting the Earth the whole way was able to make a dent in it. Whole tribes of Pelleth were found dead within the area.
Yukitada asks Reeds about the court of insects, and that they would be starting to trade with others in Canilla. She implied it was important to know about who you do business with again and raised the idea of becoming a business partner with him. Reed was confident he was already being cautious. 
Nestor didn't seem to have great social graces and ignored this conversation, instead mentioning that Sho-Ru has a porous border, so he's setting up a jungle warfare campaign to burn out the rebel strongholds.
Reeds asked Nestor about the Silver City. Nestor knew about the military history of it and Tokel said something of the lessons of military history. Reeds also mentioned the Shadowland in Riven and the hole in the world around the Silver City, suggesting that perhaps this should be of more concern to the satrapy.
The Golden Dais (Mnemon loyalists) are suspected to be involved with the rebels. A servant present seemed to be spying for the Golden Dais (Daxi later trailed him and saw him sending a messenger bird off), was probably quite concerned about the prospective campaign against the rebels. Nestor was keen that now that Mnemon was gone many of their schemes would also be gone.
Reeds spotted that Yukitada already knew what Reeds mentioned about the Pit and the Silver City and didn't want that to be discussed. But Reeds was able to keep things on the topic, mentioning the Silver City was behold the Grey Eye Peninsula. Yukitada's servant seemed to react to the mention of the Silver city. He seemed to be of a military background, hair close cropped, eyes pale green with some scars. 
People go back to talking about the aftermath of the Bronze Tide and Tokel blanched at the mention of Lathe mentioning it was a bit of a problem and could do with some soldiers whilst other people spoke about reopening trade to the South. Tokel said that there was some cult in Lathe. The whole city constructed on a giant skeleton. One of the ancient Linthan ancestor spirits during a primordial war with the Nilbarans and its body was turned into the framework for Lathe. Some cults in the city are devil worshipers. Reeds mentioned the bodies washed up on shore during the Spear Empress' rampage of the aquatic entities. The remains in the drinking hall of Nulbarun matched these underseas creatures. Yukitada's bodyguard seemed particularly curious about this as well. 
Yukitada asked how Reeds became aware of all of these things. She declares "It can be hard when there are so may other things going on in the world, don't you just wish you could step away from it all," successfuly instilling an intimacy of self-distrust of "Maybe we are playing Gods" in Reeds. Then she bluntly asks Reeds what he was doing here. 
Hephestia had a look at the dynast representatives to judge their adherence to the Immaculate Philosophy. She concludes that: 
* Tokel isn't much of a believer in the Immaculate Order. 
* Nestor has a genuine hatred of Lunars in particular as the most common form of Anathema, but isn't as fanatical about Solars. 
* Yukitada supports the Immaculate order as much as it supports her interest and no further. 
Nestor leaves the party as it breaks up, intending to go to bed and wanted to do some sightseeing the next day, so Tokumei was instructed to meet him in the morning. She looked around Golden Seal to find a good view of the Cathak pavilion where the meeting the next day would take place, and saw Yukitada's servant turn into a bird and fly off. (Lots of birds leaving, since this was about when Daxi saw the servant also send a messenger bird). 
== The Ambush ==
Tokumei and Daxi made their way into the Red Spider Lillies Pavilion. 
A large courtyard with a guest pavillion at one end and the three remaining sides had covered walkways around the edge. 
Daxi hiding among the eves of the shelters around the periphery, whilst Tokumei transformed her robes to resemble the Red Spider Lillies themselves and lay down in the flowers. 
Meanwhie Reed and Hephestia were outside, slowly making their way to the Pavillion. 
Hephestia refused to leave his side as she feared his assassination, but discussed with him her concerns about their growing power and how terrible they might become. Oddly she found Tokumei to be almost too self effacing. As they talked they saw an unusually large bird rising up in the night sky.
In the garden however Cathak Yukitada arrived and was shortly afterwards followed by Cathak Python. He concirmed to her in whispers that he knew that two of them were here and where they could be found. So the two of them stepped out to reveal themselves. 
They gave small polite greetings and Tokumei surmised that Delilah was no doubt nearby. To which she obligingly stepped out of the guest pavillion.  
She was truly much worse than Tokumei remembered with a rasping voice and a nearly destroyed nose and Tokumei did offer an appology and an offer to heal Delilah, but she was uninterested in that. 
Python was impatient and they flexed up ready for a fight. Delilah took out a bundle of white sticks, cat bones as it would later turn out, and broke them summoning 5 globules of blood in the air. Tokumei adopted a defensive stance, Daxi attacked Delilah, but only shredded some of her clothes. Yukitada wreathed herself in fire, advanced on Daxi and caught him on the backfoot with a solid strike causing him to fall backwards awkwardly. Python struck at Tokumei with a whip sword, which she easily parried. 
However by now the demons Delilah had summoned formed a semi-circle around Python. Tokumei lept away to guard Daxi only to realise too late that the Blood Ape demons were not for her. They lunged at the demon-blooded Python and slew him in an instant. Yukitada drew a small horn and signalled for the guards.
Hephestia and Reeds arrived, seeing that some of the guards were either already in motion or had been placed nearby ready just for this. Hephestia summoned her tornado and she and Reeds swung in towards the Pavillion. 
The blood apes as one chanted out their loyalty to the Glorious Solar Empress Tokumei and death to the Empire of the Dragonblood. 
Surprised, Tokumei shifted her robes to the robes and helm of the auditors to at least cover her face and present a disguise. Daxi was handed off as the Tornado swung in to the courtyard, but rather than leave, Tokumei lept up and over the nearby walls heading back towards the palace, despite the best efforts of Yukitada to stop her. 
== The Rescue ==
Distraught, Hepaestia demanded to know where Tokumei was, and after consulting with the others, she turned the tornado and raced through town back to their Inn. Quickly, they packed up and Reeds raced Snails to a a lake a distance to the south of the city. 
Racing across the water to the island, a surprised Reeds stops the mighty beast in the middle of the island and the three exalts debate what they should do. Hephaestia decides that whatever they will do will require her to finish Tokumei's weapons, which she spends the rest of the night doing, quenching the fan in the lake water.
In the meantime, Tokumei makes her way through the palace's back entrances to find Tortori and to convince her to leave. After getting caught in a corridor that is lowered wholesale into the floor, Tokumei breaks through the top and climbs up into the central part of the palace where she knows Tortori is being kept. 
As Tokumei walks through the palace, she smells a weird smell, as if of wet hair, and urges her firebird to carefully scout the area. Finding a central courtyard where people are clearly waiting for her, she tries to flee, only to succumb to the dreadful, familiar sound, of a tinkling bell.
A dazzed, mesmerised and obedient Tokumei enters a courtyard, where a giant sharkheaded man with two attendants waits with the woman everyone thought was Crystal. Dropping her disguise, she is revealed to be a fallen Lunar called Nephrite Cobra. 
The sharkheaded man is revealed to be Shiaku, Blood in the Water, father of the slain pirate from the start of the Circle's adventures when retrieving the young scion of V'Neef referred to as the pearl. As a grieving father, he is aiming for revenge against his son's killers, and the two attendants with him are revealed to be necromancers involved in a ritual which is related to the smell of drowned hair. They seem nervous and are desperately keeping something in check.
After restraining Toumei with special handcuffs that suck in her essence, all the parties talk freely in front of Tokumei, who lapses back into her servant role of years past, and she serves tea to all parties as they discuss the trap they will spring on the Circle. Tokumei is instructed to send an infallible messenger to the Circle, which she does (to Hephaestia), telling them to come and claim Tokumei or she will die. 
The Circle try to negotiate a better meeting place, but are admonished by Nephrite Cobra via Tokumei in a second message and the Circle agrees to come. However, Hephaestia indicates she will not go peacefully. Preparing some firebombs from stores on Snails, she summons her whirlwind and embarks Daxi to take him to the fight.
Meanwhile, Reeds departs on Snails and goes to search out Totori's original fiance who is waiting in the bay. He finds him and tells him of the problems the Circle have had, but to Reed's surprise, the fiance decides he will not run away this time, and sets sail with is men to the palace.
As the boat bears the palace, Hephaestia swirls up the streets of the city and over the wall and the head of a surprised Nestor. She swerves under a hail of arrows and then pulls the whirlwind up and over the rooves of the palace, finally cancelling her stormy mount above the central palace roof, where she deploys the firebombs and tucks to crash through the ceiling with her Invulnerable Skin of Bronze, leaving Daxi to follow more carefully through the hole she has made. 
== The Fight for the Fate of the Circle ==
Hephaestia's entrance crushes the two attendants, killing them, and the fight starts. Daxi squares up with Nephrite Cobra, while Tokumei receives the weapons Hephaestia has made for her, freeing herself from the manacles and starting to help the Circle, only to be stopped by eruptions of wet, drowned hair. The Drowned king of the Migdans lives once more as a ghost and has come to take his revenge!
Hephaestia fights Shiaku as Daxi and Nephrite cobra skirmish around them. Meanwhile, Reeds moves the men into position of Snails and they step into the now burning building to go looking for the rest of the Circle. 
Slowly, Hephaetia grinds away at Shiaku, only to have one of her attacks turned against Tokumei through the warping influence of the ghost. Eventually, having pushed Shiaku back a little and kept off the hair tentacles, she unleashes an attack on Shiaku to kill him, only to open herself up to his counterstroke. As she splits him from one side to the other with her spear, his bone sword smashes into her armour threatening to do the same. Only by purging her essence through the bronze skin around her allows Hephaestia to walk away unscathed, but she is now unarmoured.
Meanwhile, Tokumei, still groggy from her imprisonment, has been fairing badly with the tentacles and suffers great injury. Daxi, on the other hand, has been fighting Nephrite Cobrea to a standstill, taking some small wounds in the process, but also stealing a piece of paper from her pocket. As Shiaku dies, Nephrite Cobra unleashes a monstrous power to turn her into a giant version of her cat form, a powerful lunging monstrosity that swipes Daxi through several walls.
Recovering, he sees Tortori, who finally alerted to the mess takes an interest, onlyo to meet Reeds and her fiance Gui. Together, they choose to join the fight against Nephrite Cobra and Daxi strikes the killing blow against the Drowned king with some final help from Tokumei.
Nephrite cobra changes to a bird and flies away, safe from any retribution. The Circle talk to Tortori, telling her all they know, while Totori harangues them for their involvement and failure to control the situation. Tokumei tries to apologise but Hephaestia won't let her, maintaining that it is the fault of The Realm for ignoring all of the struggles of the region that the Circle has warned them off and being more concerned with conquest and killing them than actually stopping the fallen exalts. She then picks Tokumei and carries her inside to Snails, in order to let her rest. 
With that, Reeds spirits them away from the palace. 
The others 
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