15[20:10] Whew! Long day. Keldar and Stranger part ways not long after their business lunch with the friendly and rational Overfactor of Nexus, with Keldar pursuing his dark business and Stranger returning to Floodwater to change gears entirely. He arrives shortly after Xia Lan, who had a much more trying lunch of free cocktails and rumination. [20:11] 14Stranger is still flexing and shaking out his right hand. [20:11] "Hrrrm," 14he says by way of greeting, putting on a kettle of water. [20:14] 13Xia Lan's sitting in some overstuffed arm chair in the common area, reading through her mail. She looks up as Stranger enters, then slowly begins to pack away her things. "I talked to Tohu," 13she says. [20:14] 14Stranger nods. He won't bother asking if she wants tea; seems rude, given the circumstances of their...circumstances. [20:15] "Will...they...provide the liquor?" [20:18] 13Xia Lan: "On one condition. The game's only played for stakes - promises and agreements don't count. Material goods, souls, things of that nature... so the deal has changed." [20:18] "I want the recipe Xu Sim made." [20:19] 14Stranger: "I can't vouchsafe someone else's work." [20:20] "...I can agree to trying to bully him into giving it up." [20:22] 13Xia Lan: "...good enough, I guess. If you can get him to agree on the stakes beforehand, so much the better. If I lose, I drop any claim to the recipe or objections to its use. Seem fair?" [20:22] 14He puts on some Greengrass. "You're sure you don't want more?" [20:25] 13Xia Lan: "I figure what it represents is enough to discourage this - or anything like it - from happening again. I suppose I could be wrong." 13She looks over her set of completely unnecessary reading glasses. "Am I wrong?" [20:26] 14Stranger: "Honestly? If you've wagered your success in this manner, against the background of the war for Creation? Yes, you are." [20:27] "You will want my warrant, to never interfere again. To let you fail." 15[20:29] Across town, Nessun Dorma brings down his mighty hammer with a thunderous crash... only for it to pass through empty air! "NO!" he roars, pointing at the real Xu Sim with a gauntleted hand. "FIND HIM!" 15[20:30] There's a crater of splinters and stonework in the middle of the room, the ragged remnants of a carpet wedged deep into the ground... but where is that Xu Sim? [20:32] 13Xia Lan: "Stubborn one, aren't you? I suppose you have to be. Still, to just - nevermind, we've been over this. Yes. If that's what it will take." [20:33] 14Stranger: "All I want in return, should I win, is for you keep an open mind to my council. Even if it seems...inglorious." [20:33] "Also, to my counsel." [20:34] 13She blinks. "You said the same thing twice." [20:34] 14He smiles. [20:35] "Do we shake on this, or...?" [20:35] 13Xia Lan: "The pact is sealed." 13She reaches out her hand to shake. [20:36] 14Stranger takes it. [20:37] 14Then he frowns. "I'm going to need to find a keyharp. And maybe a six-string." 15[20:37] Keldar, meanwhile, is feeling 14pretty good about his prospects. An alliance secured, for the good of Nexus. Every able sword arm in the city ready and willing to rise in its defense. Plus... working for the Guild has all sorts of perks. He's got an all-hands meeting with Khelendros in advance of the first performance trials of the joint Green Apples and Dawn Guard company. [20:37] 5 Xu Sim grits his teeth. For such a barren room, there's surely many places he could hide - indeed, several places he did try to hide, himself, both at present and each of the previous times he's been here. [20:38] 13After the handshake: "I'm heading back to the CIO to let Tohu know about this, I'll make sure there's a backing band and instruments for us." 13She turns, then stops. "...you didn't put anything in that tea, did you?" [20:38] 14He sighs, shows her the inside of an empty cup so she can see it's not doctored with an antidote, then pours himself a cup and takes a large sip. [20:39] "If you're up to it, I could use your company. I'm looking for the Dragonlord's secretary. It might be dangerous, and Dawn is otherwise occupied..." [20:40] <@Ferrinus> 12The Tiger of Nexus's mind is on fire with ideas for obstacle courses and war games. He knows exactly how to divvy up the Parko's grounds to simulate all sorts of battlefield conditions, just the right roundabouts and cul de sacs to lease for the sake of trainings on cover, line of sight, proper use of chokepoints... he can't believe he hasn't thought of some of this stuff before, [20:40] <@Ferrinus> 12though, in his defense, he hadn't really tried. [20:40] <@Ferrinus> 12Either way, he just needs Khelendros to sign off. The old man's never thought much of volunteer or conscript militias... and, hell, neither has Keldar. But it's a new day, right? [20:42] 5 With a flourish, Xu Sim takes on a defensive posture and prepares to enter the signature stance of the Crane style. 15[20:45] Xu Sim can't see his sugary doppleganger... but he can see the footprint said doppleganger leaves on the world's flows of Essence. The knots and eddies, the subtle building of pressure... why, it's almost like this hidden fraud is shaping sorcery! Xu Sim himself doesn't know the spell, but he's studied enough to see a resemblance to the dreadfully lethal Flight of the Brilliant Raptor. [20:45] 13She sips. Glad he feels at least a little shame. "I really do have to head back to Tohu. Maybe Xu Sim can help you with Bubo, too." [20:46] 14Stranger shakes his head. "Xu Sim is in the wind. If your business at CIO is involved such that it's not a quick stop off, I'll resume the search alone." [20:47] "...No disrespect to him, but the situation with Bubo is delicate enough that I don't want Xu Sim present for it anyway. Neither him nor Keldar." 15[20:48] "Useless!" Dorma drops into a three-point stance, palm flat against the ground, eyes closed. [20:49] 14He runs his finger around the rim of the teacup. "This might sound odd, but you're about the only one I'd trust on this. Dawn, too, but only for her skills and her unfamiliarity with the man." 15[20:52] Dorma looks up. "There!" If Xu Sim follows his gaze, he'll see his counterpart clinging to a high corner in the back of the room, behind Dorma, near the window, palms and soles flat against the wall. [20:53] "He's trying to unleash fire sorcery," 5 Xu Sim stammers. [20:53] 13Xia Lan: "Flatterer. What leads do you have on Bubo?" [20:59] 14He smiles slightly. "I don't flatter. The situation with Bubo is that he serves Heaven in...some capacity, and we're currently trying to impress upon him the virtues of a life lived in Creation, instead. That means playing matchmaker with him and Astrologer Kratz. Now, I've been to see the astrologer, and the good news is I believe he spent the night there, the night of the council [20:59] meeting. The bad news is he left before breakfast the next morning." [21:00] 13Xia Lan: "In a hurry?" 15[21:01] At the Green Apple headquarters, Keldar strides through crowds of hardened and aspiring mercenaries, who all look up to watch him go but don't stand at attention or salute. It's not that kind of outfit. Khelendros flinches when he sees his top man. "For the love of gods, Keldar. Did you bed down in a funeral pyre?" [21:01] 14Stranger: "He's a most wanted man." [21:05] 13Xia Lan: "Any ideas where he might have gone?" [21:07] 14Stranger: "He was careful to guard his trail, but he left some burnt leavings behind. A scroll, of all things." [21:08] 13Xia Lan: "Sounds like bait to throw you off the trail. Extremely careful but for one tiny clue? Convenient." [21:12] 14He waves a hand. "The man left a number of 'clues.' His tiny spectacles. A looking glass, pointing up at the sky. Those burned scrolls. It's hard to divine intent here; he's a master player." [21:12] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar pauses and sniffs. "...huh. Nah, I think that's some fancy tea I just had. How's it going here?" [21:13] 5 With practically no time to spare to try to counteract the sorcery of his twin, Xu Sim pivots on his foot and begins gently, hypnotically, swirling his arm around in a wide, flowing circle - preparing to counteract whatever bolt might come his way and, perhaps, even to return it to its sender. [21:15] 13Xia Lan: "I'm just saying, if he's good at running away, there's... things you can do to make sure you aren't followed. How masterful is his masterful play?" [21:17] 14Stranger: "Not good enough to keep me from him." [21:17] "...Let's hope, at least." [21:17] "We need a man of his particular quality." 15[21:18] The honey-man burns from within, light flaring in his torso and pushing through his eyes, his mouth, his fingertips. The room fills with tiny meteors that spin all around the room in erratic patterns, never landing or winking out but burning tiny holes through all the solid matter they touch. Mandalas of amber chains knit themselves to barbed life around "Xu Sim", scoring his flesh and leaving rivulets of molten honey to drip and sizzle onto the floor. 15[21:19] "The truth... will never set me free." [21:23] 14Stranger: "We can glean something from his leavings, of course. He was studying Jupiter and Saturn. I'm told those two celestial bodies have particular effect on the workings of Heaven; they should involve him closely. The Ambassador informs me that he is a Chosen of Secrets, whatever that implies." [21:24] "What it implies from his astrology is that he's studying revelation. Jupiter and Saturn together are, not to mince words, the joint patron saints of the plot twist." [21:25] "I don't think Secretary Bubo is pleased with how things are going in the city." [21:25] 13Xia Lan: "I don't think that many people are, at this point." [21:26] 14Stranger grimaces. "His problem, I suspect, is that he didn't plan on caring." [21:26] 13Hah. 15[21:27] Khelendros: "Fine. But only fine. We're well on track to be the finest company in Nexus. But we're not equipped to be the only company in Nexus. We don't have the manpower or the resources. The Guild is bleeding the city dry. They're betting against us, I'm sure of it." [21:28] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar points a finger-wand at his commander. "You're right... about, say, an hour ago. Things've changed." [21:29] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Stranger and I just sat down with Nexus's Overfactor and we worked out a deal. So long as the Dogmas are upheld for the next two months, the Guild ain't pulling out - in fact, they're pitching in with the defense. All the companies they've retained are gonna be joining us and we're gonna have to work out some kind of joint strategy." 15[21:29] Khelendros looks dubious. "At what cost?" [21:30] 14Stranger made Keldar perfectly aware of his own deal with the Overfactor after sealing it. [21:30] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "The cost of upholding the Dogmas, basically. They were pulling out because they didn't think Nexus could stay Nexus - or that someone might use the confusion to rob 'em, basically. I'm on the hook for making a good faith attempt to keep things ticking along, so it's a good thing I'm basically part of the Dawn Guard at the moment." 15[21:32] Khelendros scoffs. "That's it? We were going to do that anyway. You say the Overfactor insisted? You sat down with the Overfactor?" [21:32] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Yep. Not an easy man to find, I can tell you. Stranger managed to set it up, though - I didn't even have to threaten to cancel my bank account or something." [21:32] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Anyway, this means we've got the Executioners, the Legion, the whole set. Pretty sure I can squeeze at least a daiklave out of the Guild's vaults, too, if they're serious about this, which they definitely are at this point. Frankly though I think we can do even better than that. Pellicia's already put out the call for all this town's irregulars and solo operatives, right?" [21:33] 14Stranger: "Now, we could run all over town checking the temples of Jupiter and Saturn. But." [21:33] 13Xia Lan: "But?" [21:36] "More efficient, I think, would be a survey of the temples of the River-Gods, and then narrowing our purview to the shrines in the region between the two of them. Given the secularism of the city, that area is likely to be the most resonant, given that its the stomping grounds of the gods who have the greatest license to operate in the city. If he's gone to ground to seek Heaven, both [21:36] his strongest advocates will be there -- and the most noise to hide him." [21:36] "Otherwise we'll be popping our heads into every other alley." [21:38] 13Xia Lan: "Sounds like a plan. Should we go out armed - well, you always can. Should I grab my swords?" [21:39] 5 Xu Sim clenches his fists and leaps, through flames and across spatters of sickly-sweet burning honey, straight towards the Second Sim; he throws a series of carefully calculated jabs at his adversary's torso and head, leaning into the defenses of his simulacrum. [21:39] 14Stranger: "Absolutely." [21:40] 14He pauses. "...Though I'd like a nap, first." [21:41] 13Xia Lan: "Let me grab my coat, then... ah." 13She shifts. "Don't sleep for too long. I've got plans for tonight." [21:43] 14Stranger nods and retires to his room, leaving the door open a crack. About an hour later, a white cat with black highlights slips into the common room, stalks over to Stranger's door, and nudges it open before going through. A moment later, the door shuts and locks. [21:43] 14Two hours after that, Stranger emerges looking rested. [21:44] 14Wearing different robes, too. He does actually have changes of clothes; they just all kind of look the same. [21:44] 14If Xia Lan isn't in the common room, he'll knock on her door. [21:44] 13She's gone back to reading fanmail, actually. "Welcome back." [21:45] "Thank you." 14He rolls his shoulders and flexes the arm he uses to hold his walking stick. "Ready? We should be done in time to make your appointment at the CIO." [21:46] 13She's dressed in a relatively tight bodysuit with her coat draped over the back of the chair. Two hook swords lie propped up next to her. "I am," 13she says, gearing up. [21:47] 14He smiles and heads for the door. "Then the game is afoot." [21:51] 13There's only a hint of sword under the coat, enough to put caution into the minds of the observant but not nearly so alarming as walking down the street with the swords strapped to her back. A fine mix between being prepared and being friendly. Xia Lan matches Stranger's pace as they leave. "What's the plan when we find him?" [21:53] 14Stranger: "We talk." [21:53] "He's not the threat here." [21:53] "But we keep our eyes open, too -- if we're able to find him, then so are the others hunting him." [21:53] 13Xia Lan: "We're better. But, point taken." 15[21:54] The ground buckles beneath Nessun Dorma's boots as he crosses the room in two strides, punctuating the second with a ringing blow of his hammer that sunders the entire eastern wall of the room and smears smoking honey across the head of his maul. It's over in a single blow, but Dorma keeps swinging and screaming even after the wall's knocked down and the ceiling above threatens to buckle, raining dust and splinters on them both. 15[21:55] Khelendros: "Yeah. Everyone who wants to post their names for paying work ever again have either come here or joined Pellicia's company." 15[21:55] "What've you got in mind?" [21:57] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I can oversee their training. Fold 'em into the exercises we've been doing with the Guard - I've thought of a way to do it that'll probably get them up to speed in a matter of weeks. And... and hear me out... I can do the same with civvies." [21:59] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar motions vaguely around his temple with a hand. "I've seen it all. I get enough able-bodied people - dock workers, carpenters, waiters, whatever - and arrange 'em just the right way, they'll be almost as good as we are inside a month. Good enough to field in half that time or better." 15[21:59] Khelendros: "You're full of shit." [22:01] 5 Xu Sim approaches the fracas delicately.  "Dragonlord. Dorma." [22:02] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Dead serious. I can prove it to you. One week, and..." 12He pauses, frowns, and looks away. "Actually we've got so little time we probably can't afford to wait." [22:04] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "But whatever. We take the irregulars, and then we pull in as much of a civilian militia as we can, as early as we can. Draw up the usual contracts, probably need to leave a lot of the remuneration as backpay but I'm sure my people can sell it. Then we see what we've got after, I dunno, a week and a half." [22:04] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "If I'm right, we keep it up. If I'm wrong... well, it's still warm bodies, but I can direct more of my efforts elsewhere." 15[22:05] Khelendros: "This is the part of the Immaculate fable where you whip the city into a mob and use them to kill every man, woman, and child who opposes you." [22:06] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hey, you know me, I ain't exactly inspiring. This is about passing down practical skills." 15[22:07] Khelendros: "The Keldar I knew wasn't exactly Anathema either. How long have you been hiding this?" [22:08] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar pauses. "...since the job for Sachin. I lit up right as he hucked his chakram at me. One I found him." [22:08] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Look, how much of a problem is that gonna be?" 15[22:09] Dorma: "YOUUUU TREASONOUS HEART-EATER!" Xu Sim narrowly ducks a piece of wood the size of his head that goes flying in the dragonlord's wake. 15[22:10] Khelendros folds his arms. "You tell me." [22:11] 13Xia Lan actually has Stranger hold up before they leave. Best to stay on the low, right? And her outfit, no matter what she does otherwise, is... extremely flashy. Probably one she'd want on stage, maybe. So. Take five. A man with a thick moustache and long curly hair, wearing that same long coat (bodysuit replaced with just a regular ol' suit) with the swords beneath it and topped off with a wide-brimmed hat walks out with [22:11] Stranger. [22:11] 14... [22:11] 14Excellent. [22:12] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Walking around outfit," 13he says by way of explanation. [22:12] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar takes a breath and looks around. "...I shoulda told you. Not sure why I didn't, honestly. I mean, I was paranoid about it getting out and getting a hunt called on me or somethin' but it's not like you would've called one down." [22:13] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "And, hell, if there's ever been a good basis for demanding a raise, right? Still, just seemed safer to try and maintain, for the moment." [22:14] "Thank you," 5 notes the doctor,  "I know you've wanted to do that for a long time. But, Nessun, you have to countermand the order to reverse the quarantine. I've cured the plague. I just have to refine the curative so the other doctors in the city can help." [22:16] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I gotta wonder how long I could've gotten away from it if the Emissary hadn't died soon after, but I guess I'm wandering off topic. Point is, all I wanted - and all I still want - is to keep doing what I've been doing, and that means fighting for the Apples." 15[22:16] Stranger and Dead Man's Hand explore Nexus, tracing the alleys and thoroughfares wedged with shrines to all manner of deities local (every ten yalms or so there's a wreath commemorating someone murdered in the city, and beneath many of them are little offerings to the Black Judge of Nexus to bring retribution to their killers) to cosmic (this hairdresser that Stranger suspects is secretly a brothel is not-so-secretly a shrine to Luna). The Maidens, aloof and mysterious as they are, attract little worship in the best of times. But eventually the two of them are able to find a pair of shrines, a little over two blocks apart, that stand virtually unadorned with offerings, save a small bouquet of mud-trod flowers laid at the feet of the stone brick roughly etched with the sign of Jupiter. 15[22:16] Khelendros: "Yeah?" [22:20] 14Stranger is tapping his walking stick against most things, still indulging in his fake milky-eyed blindness. He'll wait until the coast is clear before examining the shrines -- shouldn't take long, given how remote they are. 15[22:20] Dorma: "LIAR! There is no cure save the hammer and the trowel. You drip poison in my ear. You trick me into cleaning up your messes." [22:30] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Yeah. You know, like - I've been here a long while, actually. It's good. If I've got the power of a demon, then so does Ninth Orchard." 15[22:33] Khelendros looks away, out the window where the troops are drilling. "I'll be straight with you. I don't doubt your skills, or your affection for the company. I don't expect you to sell us out. My problem is this: when the time comes, will you be able to take an order? Whose company is this?" [22:34] "Are you familiar," 5 began the sorceror, "With the rustic tale of the farmer who bore a terrible grudge against a fox? For this fox had stolen into his poultry yard and made off with many chickens - and the farmer was terribly hungry, and terribly angry. And so he swore, as a peasant might, that he would revenge himself upon the fox." 15[22:35] "Are you aware of the sniveling old man who was ground into paste for speaking drivel?" [22:36] "And so one day," 5 continued the sorceror, "The farmer came across this fox, and seized him up, and - for he had had a long time to contemplate the manner of his revenge - tied some rope, well-soaked in oil, to the fox's tail, and set all of it alight. By strange fate, the fox rushed into the fields of the farmer that had captured him." [22:38] "And, it being time of the barley harvest, set it all alight. And the farmer reaped nothing that year, and grieved terribly." 5 finishes the sorceror's parable. "Had I poisoned the Shepherd - your friend - I would tell you I had, and you could smash my brains out, and, satisfied in your revenge, the East would plunge into the Wyld. But I did not poison your friend - I tried my hardest [22:38] to save him, and one day I shall prove it to you. But in the meantime," [22:43] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Eh? Yours, of course. Man, even if you hadn't been a fixture of the company for as long as I've known it, 'snot like you don't know what you're doing." [22:44] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "We've had our - disagreements. But not about anything serious." 15[22:46] Khelendros: "Every disagreement looks serious when you're talking to a demon who can kill you easier than he can look at you." 15[22:46] "What if we disagree about strategy? You've blown me off before. What's to stop you now?" [22:47] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Come off it. I can't kill you that easy-" 12He pauses, not sure how to end this one. [22:53] <@Ferrinus> 12Actually, could12...? 15[22:53] Khelendros: "You see what I'm talking about? You're already planning the fight in your head." [22:56] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "You brought it up! It hadn't even occurred- look, your orders are your orders whoever's taking 'em. It's not like I only followed 'em all these years because I thought you'd take my head off if I kept mouthing off." [22:57] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "And I see a better way to do something now, it should be good enough you'd see it too, right?" 15[22:58] Stranger stoops down to examine the flowers. They're about four days old, judging by the decay, bought from a florist working out of Parko West using flowers imported from up the Yellow River. The man who carried them was left-handed and favored his right leg; a fresh limp. Whoever he was carried them a scant two blocks... Stranger sees dust from the paler stone of the Saturn shrine embedded in the wilted petals. A simple gesture, hard to read intent into, and it happened only a few hours ago. Stranger deduces it's a signal. Someone was meant to watch this spot and take the movement of the flowers as a sign. 15[22:59] Dead Man's Hand sees a more prosaic problem: a handful of guys are winding their way up the alley, carefully reading the crowd for unarmed marks. They've settled on him and Stranger. [23:00] 13Quietly, to Stranger: "Incoming." [23:01] 14Stranger: "Thugs or more than that?" 15[23:01] Dorma moves terribly fast for such a large man in such heavy armor. He's face to plated face with Xu Sim in two eyeblinks, hammer dragging behind him like the anchor of a ship run aground. [23:03] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Likely thugs. Looking for those unable to defend themselves." 13He rolls his shoulder and stretches his arms above his head. "They're in for a surprise, I expect." [23:03] 14Stranger: "How long do you think they've been marking this alley?" [23:04] 13Dead Man's Hand: "That seems like a question for our new friends." [23:05] 5 Xu Sim, for once, is as serene as the setting sun. [23:05] "We're not the first. Like as not the last, though." [23:06] 14Then Stranger straightens and smiles. 15[23:06] Dorma's voice is hoarse. "Then go." 15[23:06] "Leave." 15[23:07] "Your survival is authority enough. Who will dispute you now?" [23:07] "Gentlemen!" 14he'll call out. Then casually, to Dead Man's Hand, without lowering his voice: "Kill them if this goes sideways." [23:07] 13He tips his hat to the new arrivals with a smile. [23:08] 5 Xu Sim bows. "Dragonlord." 5 He turns on his heel and strides out of the room, making a beeline for the camp commandant. 15[23:08] Dorma mutters something as Xu Sim leaves the room. 15[23:11] Khelendros is silent for a time. "...we don't have room to board civilian conscripts." [23:14] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Oh, yeah, we couldn't just pour 'em into the Apple barracks. Maybe just treat training as their day job and send 'em home every night. This is just 'til the actual war, after all, presumably they go back to being bakers or whatever afterward." 15[23:15] Outside, Xu Sim sees an entire crowd of soldiers and the sick gathered around the embassy. The commandant is easy to pick out. "The Dragonlord settled the dispute?" she asks loudly. 15[23:17] Khelendros: "Alright. I'll set the wheels in motion. Rob the Guild blind for me, will you?" [23:18] "He did. Please form the ill into an orderly queue so I may begin attending to them in order of severity. Please also round up anyone who left in the previous confusion," 5 explains the doctor, somehow even more spent than before. [23:18] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "On it. Let me know if there's any trouble securing supplies - between me and Stranger I think we can make the numbers work." 15[23:18] The lead alley bandit is big and bald, with a set of teeth so white and straight they look fake against his face. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone acts tough. Your purses your throats." 15[23:18] *Your purses or your throats. 15[23:19] Khelendros: "Stranger? Is that the squirelly guy who's always hanging around Pellicia?" [23:20] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Yeah. He's a weirdo, but he's got a good head for organization. Helped me negotiate with the Overfactor." 15[23:20] There's a long pause in Lookshytown, but the commandant gives the order and the camp is restored. Patrols are sent back out to look for the infected who already escaped, and Xu Sim can get to work in earnest. [23:20] 13Dead Man's Hand's smile grows even wider as he shifts his hands under his coat. How's Stranger want to play this? [23:21] 14His forehead explodes with light. "I don't have time for 'tough,' fool." [23:22] 13...so much for subtlety. [23:23] 14Subtlety got us here. At this point, this close, advertising helps. [23:23] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar has words with a few other Apple officers, makes sure a message describing his plan is held by the next runner aimed at Pellicia, and then heads off yet again. He doubts he'll be seeing the Overfactor any time soon - ever again, maybe - but he's got a mind to corner Syndic or some similar official and make a formal requisition. [23:23] 14Stranger: "I have questions." 15[23:26] The Threshold Company is who Keldar wants to talk to for requisitions. He'll get foisted off onto some visibly overworked midlevel bureaucrat, though. The factor hasn't returned from lunch yet, he says. Terribly busy. "But your paperwork's cleared, sir. What do you need?" [23:27] "But I could always ask the Dead Man to open his coat instead." 15[23:27] The smaller bandit: "Holy shit." 15[23:27] The larger: "Fuck! No, shit, whatever. Fuck! What do you want? What do you want?" [23:27] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "A daiklave, to start with. Armor, too - jade or better. I'm watching your backs now and you want me good at it." 15[23:28] The underfactor, who was rifling through big ledgers while Keldar spoke, stops immediately, and draws a hiss through his teeth. "Ooooh. Small problem." [23:28] 13Dead Man's Hand: "To be fair, you were warned." 13He pulls a smoke out of his jacket. "Not our problem you didn't listen." [23:28] 14The air in the alley seems to rush back into Stranger's head, and light reasserts itself as normal. He's smiling again. "Excellent! My questions are simple and few. First: have you been casing this alleyway long enough to see anyone else approach these shrines?" [23:29] 5 With triage in progress, Xu Sim begins sorting through them as best as he can. He starts working on producing more of the curative elixir - calling for a scribe to document its ingredients and manufacture whilst he explains to the medical staff how to administer it to the patients, along with some of the possible side-effects he foresees could be possible as a result of the admixture. [23:30] 5 It's been a long road to reach this point and, to some extent at least, the doctor has carefully considered the most effective strategy for handling a large-scale crisis like this. It's not treating royalty, that's for sure - this is medicine for the people, to save the largest number from the worst possible fate. [23:31] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar leans in a bit. "Yeah..?" 15[23:32] Big bandit: "All day, yeah. You looking for someone?" [23:33] 14Stranger: "Has anyone been down here today, lingering at the edges? Not appearing to do much in particular?" [23:33] "Like as not they did not appear a good mark. Too poor." [23:34] "Or too old, or too diseased." 15[23:34] Big bandit thinks for a moment. "Now that you mention it..." He rubs the back of his neck. "I dunno." He turns to the smaller bandit. "Remember how you said there was a guy?" 15[23:35] Small bandit: "Uh... was that today?" 15[23:35] Big bandit: "...wasn't it?" [23:35] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Guy has that effect." [23:35] 14Well, the good news is: we're in the right place. 15[23:37] The underfactor: "I can tell you this because you've got clearance, but don't go spreading it around. Uh, please. Sir." He clears his throat. "All of our jade or better equipment is either out in the field or, uh, lost. Presently." [23:37] 14Stranger: "Think about the space around him. How the shadows fell. What time of day it was." [23:37] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar leans in a little more. "'Lost'?" [23:38] 14Stranger: "Think about which way the Sun fell when he left." 15[23:40] The underfactor: "Well... between you, me, and the potted plant, we sent an expedition into the Tomb of Red-Hot Iron." [23:41] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "How the hell's that work? You float everyone so they never touch the floor or walls?" 15[23:42] "It's very complicated. The lock unsealed on its own a few months back. We had a couple of Blooded guys who were supposed to be able to protect a crew from the heat inside. Maybe they did." 15[23:42] "That was a while ago. Never came back, doesn't respond to sorcery. Bit of a black box. Order from on high was to write it off." [23:43] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "And that's where all your materiel went?" 15[23:43] "Not all of it. Like I said, a lot of it's in the field. We've got crews out in the Scavenger Lands, crews on the evac barges, some leases with mercenary companies..." 15[23:44] "They'll be filtering back into the city over the next few days. Maybe you could try and get them to give up their gear?" [23:45] 5 Xu Sim spends an hour gathering his supplies - the metal salts, the herbs, incense - all of it - enough to refine the formula considerably. It's time that might not, strictly, be necessary to prepare the recipe, but it's time that gives him a moment to catch his second breath after the horrifying experience with his doppelganger. [23:46] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "There's got to be at least one Dragon-Blood or godling or something that you can lean on to trade out their sword for two measely months. They ain't sworn to defend your holdings." 15[23:47] The underfactor: "They are, actually. We don't give these out to just anybody. Part of the contract is a noncompete." 15[23:48] The big bandit: "It was..." 15[23:48] The small bandit: "I think it was around breakfast?" [23:48] 14Stranger: "Do you remember waking up that morning?" [23:49] "And the straight line of time between then, and when you walked to the mouth of this alley." [23:49] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar works his jaw around. "Okay, fine, but are you gonna tell me that every last scrap of worked jade they're carrying around is doing you more good in their hands than in mine? That this situation doesn't merit a little more optimization given changing conditions?" 15[23:50] The small bandit: "Yeah! We get breakfast same place every day." 15[23:50] Big bandit: "Then we got here." [23:50] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Where at?" 15[23:50] Small bandit: "After that... I dunno." [23:51] 14Stranger: "Can you remember anything particular about breakfast that morning, which might tell you what day it was?" 15[23:51] Big bandit: "In the square. Dawn Guard just giving bread away while the temples are shut." 15[23:51] Small bandit: "Where'd we go after breakfast?" 15[23:51] Big bandit: "We came here, right? I remember, uh..." [23:51] 5 At last, he is prepared to begin. Xu Sim takes a deep breath, and begins mixing his ingredients. As he goes, he does not speak, not even to explain why he makes the changes he does as he watches the multicolored smoke pour out from the surface of the liquid. His experiments rapidly refine and simplify, as he iterates on the formula - looking for ways to make it simpler and simpler, [23:51] 5easier and easier to produce at larger and larger scale. 15[23:52] Small bandit: "Oh oh! It's Saturnday, right. Did you throw tiles with the old man?" 15[23:52] Big bandit: "Oh shit, you're right. Yeah! I did. Remember, we were eating those pork buns." 15[23:53] Small bandit: "Love those pork buns." [23:53] 5 Soon, there is nothing left to take away. Each ingredient perfectly fulfills its place, manipulating the humors of the patient in such a precise manner as to utterly eliminate the honey-maze. 15[23:53] The underfactor: "That's not my call. If you wanna get someone to renegotiate existing contracts, you should wait for the Factor, or wait for the mercs, and ask them directly." [23:53] 14What day is Saturnday, in relation to today? 15[23:53] "I don't have the authority." 15[23:54] Saturnday is today. [23:54] 14Excellent. [23:54] 14We're less than twelve hours behind. [23:54] 14...Fewer. 15[23:54] Big bandit: "Sorry, I dunno. Maybe you could find the old man, ask him? He was here around then I think." 15[23:54] Small bandit: "Yeah, yeah! You know old Selin?" [23:55] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Could say that." [23:56] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Listen, buddy, I'm done negotiating. As in, I'm literally done negotiating, having negotiated a bunch of crap, and now I've got a law to uphold and an army to train. I don't have time to ferry a complaint ticket up and down your ranks." [23:56] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "You guys need to be doing the work to put jade into my hands." [23:57] 14Stranger's smile widens. "You could. Thank you, gentlemen. You should consider signing up with the militias. They're paying even better with the Guild behind them now, and well, if you're going to hang around this town in a crisis, you might as well get a steady wage for it." 14He places what meager pocketchange he has on him down on a nearby barrel. "That said, I think we can [23:57] take it from here." [23:57] "Good afternoon." 15[23:58] Big bandit: "Hey, thanks!" 15[23:58] Small bandit: "Take it easy." [23:59] 13Dead Man's Hand tips his hat again. "Y'all find yourselves a better play. Try the roads outside of town. Way more reliable, fewer bigshots." [00:00] "You as well." 14Stranger nods and begins walking the other way to the mouth of the alley. To Dead Man's Hand: "And to think, if we'd only gone to ask about the aqueducts we could have saved ourselves some time." 15[00:00] The underfactor: "Look, I hear you. Plentimon knows I'm not interested in jerking around the Anathema. I'm just saying, there's nothing I can do. I take this to the factor, he's gonna bump me down for wasting his time. I take this to the mercs, they're just gonna bump me." 15[00:00] "Help a guy out." [00:01] 13Change "way more reliable" to "way bigger scores," thanks. [00:01] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "What am I supposed to do?" 15[00:02] The underfactor: "Like I said. Talk to the factor or talk to the mercs." [00:02] 13Dead Man's Hand: "You know he was back at the hideout once? Selin." [00:03] 14Stranger: "Oh, yes. He fixed that leak we had. I offered him a permanent room, but he declined." [00:03] "Was there after we got attacked. Y'all were out there and I was rehabbing, who knocks on the door but him." [00:04] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar sighs. "Alright, point me at the factor." [00:04] 13Dead Man's Hand has a much thicker southern drawl than Xia Lan, in addition to a deeper voice. Hence, y'all. 15[00:05] The underfactor: "He's in his office. If anyone looks at you funny on the way, make like you're demanding to wait in his office for him. He's not supposed to be in yet." [00:06] <@Ferrinus> "Right. Seeya." 12Keldar stands and makes his way into Threshold headquarters. After some confident striding and a few annoyed looks at people who started to raise their index fingers, he's barged into the factor's office. [00:06] 14Stranger: "Didn't know he was visiting. Did he seem strange, at all? Or just an ornery old man?" [00:09] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Knew more than me, and knew that he knew more than me. Aloof. Kind of an asshole. Middling opinion of us." [00:10] "That sounds like him." 15[00:11] Xu Sim gets a lot of incredulous looks for resting while the plague festers around him. But it's wise, ultimately, as by the time he sets to work in earnest the Lookshyans have re-stabilized the camp, and he has both room to work and subjects to work upon. He labors over fires and phials, sending medics to and fro for supplies or to administer samples. As the day wears on, his work gets faster, and his orders simpler, and it's in the span of a bare two hours - the noon bell has scarcely rung - that Xu Sim collapses, the last batch of his cure disseminated, and the thrice-refined formula eagerly copied by the legion's apothecaries and chirugeons. 15[00:14] It's done. He did it. [00:14] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Liked the tea you made, too. Not sure if that changes anything." 15[00:14] All it took was a near-fatal poisoning, multiple brushes with death, and watching someone crush a man who looked exactly like him into paste. [00:15] 14Stranger snorts. "I should hope so." [00:15] 13Hands raised placatingly: "Hey, now. You never know with these weirdo types." [00:16] 14He pauses. "We could go find Selin. Or...we could check the temples. The River-Gods'." [00:16] "They're closed, after all." [00:16] "Where better to hide?" 15[00:17] Keldar barges into the factor's office, finding Syndic of Tithes... stabbing himself with a poison dart? He's seated behind his desk, sleeve rolled up, with a needle embedded in his forearm. There's a pale amber fluid in the tube, its level sinking steadily. "Lock that door, please." [00:17] 14Another pause. "No, let's find Selin. I want to badger him about public works, too." [00:17] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar blinks. "What the fuck." 12He shuts the door behind himself a moment later. 15[00:18] Syndic: "You're looking well. What can I do for you?" [00:19] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Fair enough. You know where he is?" [00:19] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I want artifact gear." [00:20] 5 It's exhausting. It's been dangerous. But it's been enlightening.  "I'll have to tell Stranger-Visits-Heaven about it soon, over a cup of... zzz..." [00:20] 14Stranger: "He shouldn't be too hard to find, given that he seems to be just about everywhere." 15[00:22] Syndic: "Mmm. That could be a problem." [00:22] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Everywhere and nowhere." 15[00:23] "Our cupboards are bare at the moment. This is wartime, and there was an accident a while back. But we gotta get you something. Take a seat." [00:23] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar has a seat. "It can't be that much of a problem. No way every single Dragon-Blood or half-demon or whatever that's working for you right now is gonna do more damage with a daiklave than I am." 15[00:26] Syndic: "Oh, no, definitely not. If that was the problem you'd take your pick of our stock. But it's not that simple, you know?" He withdraws the needle and sets it in a small velvet-lined box, flexing his arm and grimacing. "Reneging on deals with the mercenary companies will make them skittish. Our relationship with local businesses, the free companies among them, depends on the reliability of our word. It's my job to keep everybody happy." 15[00:26] "So let me see if I can make you happy without pissing anyone else off." 15[00:27] "You have time for a couple of questions?" [00:27] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar glances at the box for a moment before looking back. "Alright, shoot." 15[00:27] "You're Anathema, right? Or, Chosen of the Sun. I don't know the polite term." 15[00:28] Where are Stranger and Dead Man's Hand heading? [00:29] 14Wherever Stranger understands he can find Old Selin on a normal day. [00:30] 13Dead Man's Hand knows that Stranger understands Old Selin better than he does. He follows Stranger. 15[00:30] He's probably at work in Floodwater, then. And if action follows intuition, Stranger will find the latter vindicated. He's leading an impromptu chain gang, pulling what looks like an old, rotted gondola out of the canal tug by tug. [00:31] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Yep. Solar Exalted. Dawn Caste, matter of fact, there's a whole mess of nicknames I remember like half of ." 12He taps his temple as he talks, causing an eight-pointed sunburst to flare red on his forehead for about a second. 15[00:31] Syndic: "Mmmhmm. About how long ago?" [00:33] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "How's that relevant?" [00:33] 14Stranger: "Selin!" [00:33] "Need help?" 15[00:34] Syndic: "This isn't public knowledge, but the Tomb of Red-Hot Iron opened a few months ago. Best our guys can guess is nobody actually opened it. Which means it opened on its own." 15[00:35] "You know that a lot of these tombs are Ana- they're Solar tombs, yeah? All sorts of defenses and safeguards to protect their dead masters." 15[00:36] "So our working theory is it opened cause its original master was in town. There's a lot of you in town. Dates would help us narrow it down." [00:38] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar waves vaguely. "You can say Anathema, dude. I do. It sounds cool." 12He pauses. "But, hmm... exact date?" 15[00:38] Selin: "Hooooold--" The team pulling the boat free lets go, and the gondola rocks back onto its bottom, rotten but upright. "I think we're about done here." He nods politely at Stranger's friend with the hat. [00:39] 14Stranger: "Might have a word, then." [00:40] 13Dead Man's Hand tips his hat towards Selin. 15[00:41] "14 Ascending Air is when the tomb opened. Last year, obviously." That's not the day Keldar was chosen, but it is the day Keldar got back to Nexus, alone, after the expedition. He remembers because first thing when he returned, Khelendros made him write the whole thing up, and while he struggled to write it down his eyes kept drifting to the date at the top of the page. 15[00:42] Selin raises his grimy fingers. "I hope you won't take offense if I don't shake hands. Name's Selin." To Stranger: "Lead the way." [00:43] 13Dead Man's Hand: "We've met, under different circumstances." 13He follows Stranger wherever he leads them. [00:43] 14Stranger will lead them off somewhere that he can assemble a fire and beg a kettle and three cups. [00:43] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hmm. Hmm. I think we may be on to something here. What exactly's opened up? What've you found in there?" [00:43] 14Then he'll remove a teabag from his robe and get it simmering. 15[00:47] Syndic: "The entrance of the tomb is under guard. We don't let gawpers or smiths on break stare at it. But since it's the furnace of the Palace Foundry we do keep a pretty close eye on it. The front gate folded in on itself. It was mostly done by the time our guys saw it happen. Opens on a vestibule, Old Realm all over the walls. You know from tombs. Some ways they're all different, some ways they're all the same." 15[00:48] "Hanging in the vestibule was a light fixture. Solid orichalcum." [00:48] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "But the actual floor and walls and such aren't instant death the way the outside is?" 15[00:49] "Yes and no. We had some guys who could touch the place, stand to be inside. It's hot in there but the heat seems to be coming from the walls and not the whole place. We don't have a full workup on how it works." 15[00:50] "Anyway, that light fixture the one thing we salvaged successfully. Hooks and wires. After that the Overfactor ordered a team put together. Our best guys, our best gear." He blows out his mouth, cheeks puffing. "Gone." [00:50] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Know what got 'em? Or they just walk in and never walk out?" 15[00:50] "No alarm sent up, no one got out, no responses to Messengers. Our sorcerers can't see inside." 15[00:50] "No idea." [00:50] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "But you at least watched 'em turn a corner or something?" 15[00:51] "Yeah, they didn't die in the vestibule." 15[00:51] "If they had we'd have gotten our shit back." [00:51] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Any civilities keeping you out? In fact, any keeping me out?" 15[00:51] Selin: "What can I do for you?" [00:52] 14Pouring himself a cup of Forest Blackleaf: "We're looking for someone." [00:52] "He might have been down near the temples earlier. The River Gods' temples. Between them, specifically. This morning." 15[00:53] Syndic: "Nope. We bought the foundry and the tomb under it from the Council outright maybe fifteen, twenty years ago. We had it on lease since I don't even know. It's our tomb. Our property. We decide who goes in, who goes out." 15[00:54] "So what I'm thinking is, if you want to do us both a favor, there's two ways we can go with this information. The first is, you get in, recover the first team's gear, get out. Anything you find in the process is yours." [00:55] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Some bandits spotted him. Forgetful bandits." 15[00:55] "The second is, you recover the gear for us, and we distribute it to our second-best guys." 15[00:55] "And you get the tomb." [00:58] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar taps the table a few times. "Hang on. I just neglect to borrow a couple daiklaves for a few months and I get, at minimum, my own magic-powered foundry?" [00:58] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "There a curse on whoever holds the deed or something?" 15[00:59] Syndic: "Not as far as I know. But then I wouldn't know, cause I don't hold the deed." 15[01:02] "No, this is the Overfactor talking. Standing orders since the place opened. If you're its rightful claimant, we have to try to make a deal." 15[01:02] "Between you and me, I don't get it either. But he pulled rank." [01:03] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Hmm. Well, you were there when he and I worked out our arrangement. ...were you actually conscious for it, by the by? Looked a little green around the gills." 15[01:03] Selin sips his tea. "Those boys have more money than sense. And they haven't got any money." [01:04] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Sounds about right. Think I gave them some good advice, but we'll see if they follow it." 15[01:04] Syndic grimaces. "Yeah." [01:04] 14Stranger shrugs. "They'll either join the militia, flee the city, or die." 15[01:05] "He's very particular about how he negotiates. One of his rules is no cross-talk." [01:05] 13DMH: "They'd better flee the city. Or else what did I give them advice for?" [01:05] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Ah. Well, in that case you saw his forehead at the end. Maybe the guy wants to set a precedent." 15[01:06] Selin: "True of must of us, I expect. Fight, run, or die... there's no fourth way." [01:06] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Either way, if Red Hot Iron's mine then hell yeah I want to claim it. I'll put a team together at my earliest convenience - let your people know they can expect me." [01:06] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "I'll go in, get your stuff, and then tell you which deal I'm taking once I've come back up." 15[01:10] Syndic: "The Overfactor likes to be sure. Can I tell him you're sure?" [01:11] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar makes a few faces. "Ehhh - fine. I'll get your stuff back, claim the tomb. I'll need an inventory, obviously, and if there's more surfaces down there that can turn jade to ash you might not be recovering a hundred percent." [01:11] <@Ferrinus> "Oh, yeah," 12he adds. "In that case, the orichalcum chandelier's mine." 15[01:13] Syndic: "Good! Good. The Overfactor will be pleased. Put your team together and I'll get the arrangements on paper. We can close this deal tomorrow, and from then on it's your discretion." 15[01:13] Selin: "This man you're looking for got a name?" [01:13] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Cool. Your people done any assays as to the tomb's actual size? Like how far it extends underground?" 15[01:14] Syndic: "Yeah, we can get that for you." [01:15] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "You got any magic for resisting heat, that I'll buy or lease, although I got a couple guys. Otherwise, I'll be in touch." 15[01:16] "I should be able to hire out a sorcerer for that." [01:18] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Could be mine's good for it. Either way, I'm off." 12And he's off, the wheels in his head spinning. This dungeon crawl'll definitely go better than his last one. 15[01:18] It's bound to, right? [01:18] 13Dead Man's Hand: "Secretary Bubo, or Astrologer Kratz. Any leads?" 15[01:18] Only way it could go worse is if Keldar died too. [01:18] <@Ferrinus> 12Well, arguably, the only way it could go better if Keldar somehow received a Third Breath to become a hyper-Solar. [01:19] 14Stranger: "Probably just Bubo now." [01:19] 14He sips the tea again. "We just want a word." 15[01:21] NEXT TIME: LadOS