Spinning - Heavenly Duties

[scarletharlot]

The Fallen City:

Funded by the Cerulean Lute, each year a different Chosen of Serenity is selected to co-ordinate a mid-Calibration event - the first day being dedicated to the 'outsider' festival and the last day to meditation on the year ahead, the Great musical performance. Tickets were once free, but aren't any longer. The seating is done in order of status - places for the arcanae are kept at the front, in case they attend, with less senior gods at the top back. There is a large alter to Venus at the front and the performance is dedicated to her.

These performances are meant to be conversation starters and traditionally involve elements of satire. Very different styles have been tried over time and it is a great honour to be asked to co-ordinate one. A bad performance can make someone a laughing stock, but going too far with political satire, even during calibration, can be dangerous when gods bear grudges for so long.

Spinning was Golden Revelry's second choice (she's not unpopular with him: her dislike of the sidereal factions and disinterest in stopping the mortal drug trade - if she were mortal she'd want to be on drugs as well - make her useful to him from time to time). After she was asked to submit a proposal, Uvanavu's crowd apparently backed her as the second choice, perhaps because they thought her work might be useful to the revolutionary aims of the gold faction. She can't see it herself, isn't her piece suggest the pointlessness of trying to train solars? But then the meaning of art is decided by the audience...

Anyway, the first choice was the much more senior Auburn Radiance, but she was killed during the capture of Thorns, and these things are usually planned so long in advance that they were relieved to find anyone half way decent. She was overwhelmed by dank evil, singing the gentle peace of lethe at them all the time, apparently. Really puts things into perspective. Note to self: don't waste good songs on zombies.

Pyramid is hoping her work will throw her into the limelight a bit - a helpful position to be in as a chosen of serenity if you need to get stuff done - and this will put on track her (quiet and as yet undeveloped - she doesn't want the bureau of secrets knowing) radical plans for a modern shake-up of Yushan. The time of gods like Livilla should be passed and the censors should be incorruptible.

Pyramid has hired onto her permanent staff the conductor for the orchestra, so he does not have to worry about anything but bashing the pseudo pattern spiders into shape. The recently formed Celestial Lion a cappella group (they really aren't focussed on their work any more) should go down with a splash too.

Pyramid Marketing:

Soon after Calibration (to give the recruits some time to train under training god Ini Chativ - also hired onto her staff) the scheme will go live. While she in no way intends to corruptly use the calibration show to launch her company, Pyramid hopes that it will encourage good intentions towards unemployed deities. If it does then other Bureaus or Committees might call on our Outsourcing Dept for Temps (paid minimum wage for a short term contract generally, but a percentage fee paid to the Bureau of Seasons to work its way to us can be agreed). This would mean we can take on more gods.

If the project works then in not too long we will have a heaven-wide agency of almost full time temp gods, flexible and trained for a limited variety of tasks. A bit of a weird concept for gods, a little unreliable from the perspective of a perfect hierarchy, but undeniably pragmatic. If this does come to pass then Humanity will inevitably claim control. This is fine - the emergency work for the Bureau of Seasons will then just be a single Department. This future possibility for the project has not really been put to Seasons, under whose auspice the project will operate at first, but it makes sense to start off with a) what Spinning knows and what she has authority to personally command and b) in a single Bureau that really obviously could use a team to help.

Until we begin to make some money to pay the gods, the first bunch of trainees are doing this as voluntary work for the good of creation, called by the playing of a song on the flute that seems to truly embody the essence of Fortuitous Fellowship. This doesn't break any rules; it only calls on people who would be interested in volunteering anyway.

Trainees sign a contract to work a length of time proportionate to the amount of training they receive. They can leave at any time by paying a small nominal fee for the training (equivalent to a month's pay at Salary 1).

The permanent staff, on my retinue, are Ini Chativ and my secretary, whose the resource management and contracts department at present. Ennico Sorrel had made sure the work we're going at the moment isn't stepping on the toes of his bosses at divine relocation (only temporary work), and explained how our ultimate aim is really to give them more work. It's also kind of running out of flat pack cabins and training rooms in the gardens of her manse at the moment. The Bureau have assured us some unassigned office space soon...

[scarletharlot]

A Visit to Fakharu

I'm glad I'm nosy. If you're going to stay alive in this job it helps. It's no good trying to work your serenity wiles on someone who turned monk since you last met them and it's no good trying to hurry a censor off on a three-year retraining programme when he's jumpily awaiting the birth of his first child.

I've worked in the West for a while now. Some see it as a dead end job, but where better to learn about the power of the past than working for a Bureau that's lost so much of theirs? Unlike the Blessed Isle, the East, the North, even the South, these days no one pays that much attention to the West. Good place to try things out. So, just time to pop down and see Fakharu. For the brief time he's had his wife I have considered her a pain, flitting about softening him up and singing at bumble bees. And what if she were to die? I do not trust that he wouldn't go insane and I wouldn't enjoy the job of trying to calm him down.

I have a debt to call in with his stablehand so that, were this to happen, I get one of his carefully pure-bred elemental steeds. Maybe it's not just a matter of time until one of the brighter death lords thinks it'd be funny to take down his wife and and wait for his inevitable revenge, and then for him to be outlawed by heaven. Bet Chejop would mop up his library.

Of course if he can get hold of enough hearth stones he'll probably be able to keep her about a bit longer. He's blooded her obviously, so maybe she'll stick around until he can bargain away the West to the Guild gem dealers. Disgust, me?

But now, as I was saying pre-rant, now her fragility might come in handy. I've had her report for months. Unless she's very careful, she's about to get ill during child birth, so it says. I don't think the powers that be would be up for her death (see above for reasons), but I can't help but wonder whether they hope a prolongued sickness on her part might put him off the whole breeding with mortals business. Anyway, I'm bringing some strengthening tea - it's not so hard to get a good deal on magical elixirs when you put on a prayer mask and yell (in the store's back room obviously) - and a proposal.

Unlike during my previous visits, I don't pause to glare glumly at the soggy sky when I wander out of the gate on the rocks near Fakharu's palace (or Wyrm Lair as I've been grumbling to myself - and the bureau of secrets I guess - lately). I whistle to the boatman and wait for him to paddle me across. He ducks his head when he sees who it is: ha, nice to see someone remembers me threatening to get his wife eaten by a hurricaine if he even thought about discussing his gout with me again.

I arrive; proceedure happens. I'm very, very polite. I have a blanket woven from the softest wool of the southern gorabrand pebble-goat, so smooth it can be pulled through a wedding ring, so they say. I send it off as a gift to keep the expectant mother warm and dry. This hurries things up a bit: having this wife also makes him so predictable!

Eventually I'm shown in to see Fakharu.

"Warm greetings, wise Dragon, I am glad to hear your offspring will be appearing proudly into the world soon. I hoped the blanket might be an appropriate gift for mother and child - it is said the southern air is bred into the fabric to keep it warm." I already seem to be losing his interest. Nice. "I have also brought some Emerald-Breath Tea to give your mortal wife strength." Now he's looking at me to see what I want. "I have also brought you some information regarding the birth", good-o, colour drains from his face, "I don't know what reply you have received regarding your request to the... relevant Bureau, but I have not been sent by them. You are, I know, acquainted with the sense of duty with which I perform my work. I believe any grief suffered by you could have far-reaching and damaging effects on this land. For this reason I am here to offer you what help I can. I am sad to report that only part of your request has been implemented. I do know what information you have on this, but while both mother and child will survive the birth and while your son will indeed be great - if it is a boy of course - your wife is not scheduled to leave the momentous occasion behind totally unharmed. I know you have Lady Iolanthe here to birth the child herself, but even so the long pregnancy, the birth of so great a child, your wife, a woman, there is still the threat that she could be weakened and, well, I have a copy of a report here."

"I have spoken with a healer and they recommended the Tea, since the code refers to something internal and the Tea is very good for the kidneys. I myself will create your wife a fateful blessing when it comes near to the time of her birth and I will seek help from others I can call upon: this could be enough to change her fate, but I cannot be certain. I am also prepared to add my efforts to your own to find her some artifact that will allow her to draw life force from Creation. If there is another way I may help I will. I am aware that the decision upon your request probably came from a position greater than my own, this is why I have come here in person, so that our conversation could be as private as possible. I am sorry for the worry this may cause you, but, for the good you do this land, I will do what I can to help."

"I apologize for bringing up other duties while I am here - I was going to just pass a message along, but while I am here perhaps this could be resolved quickly" especially since it's been 7 months since he's replied to any messages, as he very well knows. "I have a meeting in the morning so I am not permitted to remain long in the West at this time, but I need to enquire about the possibility of receiving three visitor passes to the Western Detention Zone. I only ask because it is reasonably urgent. I have been given the task of composing this year's Calibration Opera for Serenity and I am writing a fictional narrative which includes some beautiful weather harmonies... Anyway, to help me with this I am trying to speak with some of those spirits who were involved with the Bureau of Seasons back when the weather played a more intricate role. I am liaising with various peoples, but I am also aware some trials took place some time ago and 700 years ago there appears to have been a great shake-up in the Bureau, so it is difficult to contact many individuals who know about that time. I believe that, considering the range of prisoners in the detention centre, I might be able to find some information there. I have musical ways of divining who might be useful, artifacts and so forth, so I would only need a day or two."

"The other passes are for two others Chosen by the Maidens, who will be coming to look after me. They are also involved in some project for the Convention on Essence Users or some sub-convention thereof and have some concerns about some artifact or other. I don't know how much more than that you want to know at this stage, but of course I'll supply copies of all the relevant orders and paperwork." Paperwork, must be his least favourite word, or maybe it just appears that way. "The chance of them finding much out in the Detention Centre seems low - we don't doubt the spirits there would be unable to contact the bearer of this artifact, but in the course of my enquiries they hope they might hear something useful. In return for your help, I would of course be happy to set aside two good tickets for the Calibration Opera, so you can see the results of what we've learnt", he wont go, and, unless he's prepared to leave his wife vulnerable to Yushan, he won't let the lady go either, but he'll probably find a way of bartering the tickets for something.

"I apologize for asking you about this now, but time for research has been getting ever shorter."

[scarletharlot]

Throwing Off the Suspicious

Since one of the gods we've questioned reported me to Succor and we met a Yushan Fed hidden in the prison it's probably time for some face-saving: upon our return from prison I'll get some of the dancers for 'the Fallen City' rehearsing weather-type movements. At the end of the week we'll have a slot on the Tempestuous Arch of Beatitude over the Yellow-Brick Road so that commuters can be cheered by the musical notes of a storm calming that mimics the peace in their hearts, knowing that they are off for another day of doing the glorious work of heaven. I'll stand by icy-handing the occasional reluctant spectator. This isn't unusual publicity for a show - in my relations pack advanced snippet-showings are recommended - so hopefully this will advertise the opera and prove to anyone suspicious that my trip to the prison was for a good reason.


Now if anyone is still suspicious that I might be trying to ferret out secret and important information I'll remind them that I just don't do things like that. Singing, dancing, Bureau of Seasons disaster remedy work and harmony. That's what I'm about. Since I've had to fire my previous housekeeper, I shall - complaining and bewailing my situation - open my doors to applicants. And when I say my doors, what I mean is that I am going to build a mock house, advertise for housekeepers, put a different applicant in each room and then open the doors for gods to come through the different rooms, like an exhibition or gallery, and choose their favourite housekeeper/exhibit at the end, over canapes. The winner will be hired on probation, under my very tight contract, and there'll be a collection at the door with the money going to the slums. I'll call in a few favours to get this publicised and if there's demand have a week-long selection process.

And hey, if they choose someone interesting, we'll run a little report updating her first month's progress. The words running over clouds.

[scarletharlot]

Fleeing the Orgy

Orgies, not Spinning's thing. Well this one is technically hers, but she's just not that sort of Serenity and once you begin down that path, within two shakes of Equorius, god of horses, you're like Succour... which surely can't be his real name. Still it's nice to be with the right sort: the fun party crew. They get a bit much after a while - all the 'fuck this' and debauched luxury - but at least they aren't pretending their existence outside work serves any purpose. I laugh with them for a while, they don't think the Housekeeper wheeze is attention-grabbing enough. I throw in my spouse idea: a shy young god or whatever, nothing that can't take a human form, who needs a helping hand in their travails about Yushan. Broken Tankard adds 'and a warm bed at night' and I throw a 'celestial' peach at him, pointing out that the peaches aren't up to much. They think it's a hilarious idea, and I leave them nuzzling each other, as I go for a bit of a wander.

A breath of fresh air, maybe. I'll be missing tomorrow morning anyway, after the warning, so I've got until the afternoon. I hire a cloud, get the driver, blissfully silent, to drive about a while so I can look down and see Yushan. You can see the shape it should be, the shape it was meant to be - it's breath-taking - but there are the slums and other blobs distorting the picture, things that shouldn't be there. Somehow I end up landing by the Temple of the Lost gods. I ask the driver to wait and go inside, telling him to report to Pyramid Mansions with my location and for payment, if I'm not back in forty minutes. I walk around, wondering how many gods from the slums I could summon to this place.

I pause for a moment and then go to collect the items Argent Quill wanted sent to him; following his instructions. Without examining them here, in this eery place, I return to the cloud and ask to be driven home. There I unwrap Argent Quill's treasures, whatever they are.

[oneiros]

The sprawling complex of the Halls of Lost Civilisations is particularly eerie in the twinkling starlight of Saturn's current ascendency, so you choose not to tarry overlong. Slotting the cube into the memorial stone for the Avutani, you descend into the storeroom, quickly grab the chest he described and head home.

Once in the more comforting evirons of your own manse, with your faithful (if somewhat nervous since the sacking of the last housekeeper) staff attending to your wishes, you carefully open the elegantly lacquered box.

Your eyes are immediately drawn to the luminescent foil stamped with the symbol of the Unconquered Sun that wraps three whole bars of shimmering ambrosia. To think that he had tucked such wealth away in that ancient repository... you almost forget to look at the rest of the contents: a carefully folded sheet (about 2ft square) of what looks to be very finely woven silk, inlaid with possibly moonsilver threading and five thin pieces of jadesteel piping with thin strips of orichalcum running through the metal.

[scarletharlot]

The Mantle of Brigid?

If it's the mantle of Brigid he's not having it. Well I don't care about the ambrosia, although if he doesn't answer the questions properly he isn't getting it. Better find out what this other thing is. First stop would be to examine it myself:

I'm reasonably learned in the ways of history and occult, but I've never bothered to learn an excellency. What I do have an excellency in is Craft Fate. Calling for the manse to brighten the glowing crystals, laid into the walls, I squint at the silk, turning it over in my hands. I look at the magical materials, the silk... the weaving of this piece, so much simpler than the weaving of the loom, so much easier for a sidereal to read. I spread my essence out into the cloth, feeling for the hands that made it, feeling for the trace their work made on the loom, and then I draw out a single thread of essence, of knowledge, and I remember, a memory I never had, what was the purpose of this cloth?

If that doesn't work, I get Anavi in and see if he has any idea why his old buddy might treasure this.

[oneiros]

Trying to bend your mind to unaccustomed analysis, it seems that if you were to put the piping and the silk together, you'd have what amounted to a steel-silk diamond framework, kinda like a kite, really - a very exquisite and expensive toy maybe.

You bring in Anavi but he shakes his head, not recognising it at all or why Argent Quill would want it.

[scarletharlot]

Bugger it: perhaps it'd take messages for him? Can one attune to it?

[oneiros]

You try pushing some energy into to see if anything happens but it remains still and unresponsive.

[scarletharlot]

Making Appointments

"Kal-Reyon-Zarr dear, would you mind taking a little journey for me? Here's some coins to hire a cloud and possibly bribe a doorman. Can you see if I can get an appointment with the Steward Eternal Sunshine tomorrow, early before he starts work? Only for five minutes, it's just about an artifact I've found that I'm not sure of the use of. His address is written here. Oh and he's bronze faction so be polite. If he's out of heaven then can you go to Labouring Apprehension's workshop and ask the same question for an appointment with him from his clerk, Fizzing Dragonwings may be her name...I'm not sure. Make a fuss if anyone says no, for the good of heaven and all that.

Boy, whatever your name is, Kal-Reyon's friend right? I know you don't work for me...you do tonight, alright? Good. I need you to visit the Steward Opalescent Steel's house - I don't think he's left Yushan yet - can you make me an appointment to see him briefly tomorrow morning, mid-morning perhaps. Somewhere private might be best.

'Lara - well your real name's unpronounceable, what do you expect - find me a sorcerer who's free for the next couple of days. Terrestrial's fine, but they need to be able to carry a passenger. Try and get a reasonable rate from them. See if any of the Serenity ones can be requisitioned for free first of all, it's connected with...oh hell it's connected with the opera. On your way folks. Everyone else leave me.

Ini Chativ, wait a moment please. Ini Chativ, thank you for your report on the team's progress. I have two test missions in mind for the trainees. They'll be paid as if they were real jobs. I need a team who can travel reasonably well, one of whom must be able to communicate efficiently, one or two of whom must know the West well, all of whom are loyal to heaven, none of whom are from the East and who, in your opinion, are well-disposed towards the exalted of the first age (you can't mention that bit to them). I need another group who are strong and have some architectural oomph. Any with contacts in the Terrestrial Western courts would be a plus. I'll give you the briefings in the morning."

Well time for a few hours sleep and then to find out that every single one of those people is busy. Then to the Icy Handing, and the shouting.

********

"Ini Chativ, thank you very much for your help on this, you put the star in staff. Anyway, here are the reports I promised you. The second involves building a temple. All the details are in there, basic designs too: I will appear to dedicate it myself, later; lavish but impersonal. If you look at page eighteen there are details on the gods of the area. When it says offer the father god another Trawler if they think I'm asking too much in return for that favour he owes me, that refers to my binding an elemental to their land. There's half a bar of quintessence in here: use it to buy the material for the building and the ward: it needs to stop dematerializing within the central chamber, gods as well as creatures of darkness - you can't be too careful right? Good acoustics would be very helpful. Don't worry about the Dragon Lines though, and the wards needn't last more than six months, they just need to be tough.

There are other tasks that need to be completed while they're there. A tsunami wiped out a lot of the island last year, a small unit of pirates, possibly Lintha led, took more of the people prisoner, they need some caves built, engineered to not fill up easily with sea water. It doesn't *have* to be earth elementals doing it: it's a volcanic island so there are some pretty active earth elementals around anyway, a god could encourage them into action.

It's only eight miles from the gate: the hillock should be visible as you leave the gate so if they start walking towards the sea you've gone the wrong way. The details are enclosed anyway: that won't be the mission you'll be accompanying them on.

You'll be going on the first mission. I still have to confirm some of the details to that one, but it's going to require your particular skills. I'll bring you more details on this later today. I know you signed my staff contract, but just to reinforce that our conversations and the ways I describe these missions are confidential. Thank you." Even after you've sung your staff to sleep at night, it helps to be polite to those as useful as Ini Chativ - he could have charged me a lot more, I suppose he's hoping for publicity. Breakfast...where's that peach from last night...ah, I'll save it for later. Bribes are, after all, bribes.

"Kal-Reyon-Zarr, there you are. So was any of what I asked last night possible?"

[oneiros]

[I presume the Ini Chativ stuff is to do with the Disaster Recovery Team so will leave that aside for the time being, I'm afraid.

Kal has no luck getting an appointment with Eternal Sunshine, just that he's "away on heavenly business". Labouring Apprehension (a craft god?) can see you though.

The 'boy' cannot get hold of Opalescent Steel, his staff believe that he's gone to the convention HQ in Icehome

Lara is able to hire you a small god who knows Terrestrial circle sorcery for transport.]

[scarletharlot]

Meeting Appointments

[Nope, has very little at all to do with the disaster recovery team, apart from being made up of them, and the meetings are pointless without it, but I'm assuming he can gather some chaps and I have gained a whole lot of money recently afterall]

"Eternal sunshine was only tangentially relevant; I'll survive. Lara, I know it's sickeningly early in the day, but big favour. I want you take the map I sketched and you neatened up, collect your daughter from wherever she lives near gate 41. I have written her some orders - just need to get them signed - to enter in order to drop off a parcel, which she has to do personally. She will also be authorized to bring a spirit for her protection and a spirit to bear her. This means you and the sorcerer go with her. You find Argent Quill and offer him the parcel I'll give you to bring in return for answering you a question, which I'll write for you.

I am taking the precaution of having your daughter go with you because she is mortal and this should make it very difficult for anyone to impede your passage. Mortals are permitted on the exiles' islands and hopefully their employees are too. Your orders will in no way refer to you entering the prison, just delivering a parcel. If you travel in, without stopping, no one should stop you - entering is not what concerns them. When you go to exit your mortal employer and heavenly orders should be enough. If there is any problem refer them to Article 227 of the Heavenly Mandate of the Unpenitent Survivors. While they're trying to remember what that is run away. Only joking. No need to look at me like that. Somewhere in that article there's supposed to be something about them not being able to hold those not charged with any crime. If there's any problem declare me your advocate and demand that I be summoned to represent your cause. If you aren't back in two and a half weeks I'll come and get you.

I'll bring you the parcel, question and some extra money in case anyone needs paying extra later on today, but start preparing. I'll take questions then. Nothing bad, or at least nothing permanently bad, can happen you you, and I'll give you the fortnight off around Calibration as a reward for your dedication over this past decade. I would hardly be sending my secretary to the exile's prison if I did not believe it might be important, would I? Doing important tasks of heaven is my job and thus yours. It is what you are paid for and all that we can care about. I hope this is clear." [Activate social combo Tidying the Pyramid 1wp, with Heart Brightening Presentation Style 2m, 4th Bureaucracy Excellency, and Icy Hand 1m . Afterall, the prison is not the place I'd want to take my favourite god-blood]

*****************************************************

"Kal dear, I need to try again since everyone is so busy. Could go trot off to the Bureau and beg an audience with Revar-Io [if that's the Thunderbird lady's name]. Leave a message saying I have some more information about what we discussed last time. Be more respectful than you've ever imagined you could be as well. I'll try to avoid getting overwhelmed by vagabonds in your absence. I'll meet you somewhere central - we have much to do - say Virility Point? Or is that too near Serenity? No, it'll do. See you later. I'll be as quick as I can if you can be ditto.

*****************************************************

Now off to Labouring Apprehension. Not any old Craft God, but a specialist in weaving. It is said he was born from the loom itself, which is nonsense and only said very quietly, but still it speaks for his reputation. Onto a cloud, off a cloud, into large, woven workshop. Odd, fluffy dragon fly doing needlework. That'd be Fizzing whats-her-name. I smile frostily and she buzzes for a second, before remembering my appointment. In I go, small man, wears several hats at once, a craze that hasn't caught on since most of us don't have the long, flat head of some Eastern bone needle like Labouring Apprehension. "Good morning sir, you start work early. But then I suppose an immortal does not have to pause." Distraction makes for poor social chit-chat. "I was just wondering if you could tell me what this is". I pull out Argent-Quill's kite thing. "It would be fantastic if you could value it for me as well".

*****************************************************

Crap, not long until the day will have properly started. Onto another cloud and off to the training ground where I met Blue Fins last time. If I make the time right they should still be doing their morning drill. If he's not about then I guess I'll have to gate-crash on Yeruna Masserine instead, whose reputation to mine ears isn't warmer than mine own.

[oneiros]

[Sorry for the short form nature of all of this, would rather play it all out properly but don't have time right now, I'm afraid.

Ini Chativ - don't think there'll be a problem with this really, at least most people in Seasons and Serenity are aware of your 'eccentricities'

Lara - this part is fine, assuming you can get the permissions...

Kal - thunderbird lady is Zutaka (not Revar-Io), but he manages to leave a message with her assistant.

Labouring Apprehension - the craft god looks intently at the fabric you pass him, feeling it, reading the weft of the thread as if it were a book. He runs his delicate digits across the moonsilver embroidery before holding it up to the light of his lamp. You notice as light shines though it that the integrated thread seems to form some sort of symbols.

He suddenly has an idea and picks up a small thin orichalcum rod with a transparent crystal at one end. As he concentrates, a thin beam of sunlight shines across the fabric and as it passes through it seems to split into into a kaleidoscope of colours.

He turns back to you and shrugs. His tone, when he speaks, is somewhat monotonically dour. "This is a lot finer and more extravagently exquisite than other colour-changing fabrics than I've seen before but it seems as simple as that. Shine light - proper sunlight mind you," he gestures out the window where the silvery light shows Luna is ahead, "and it will turn it into a split of colours when it comes out the other side. You might be able to tune it for specific colours depending on light angles I think. Very fancy just for that though. But then the excesses of the high-ups don't faze me any more. I just makes what I'm asked to.

"As for price, it would very expensive down in Creation if you could even find a mortal weaver to make it. Uniqueness alone though would probably rate a sizable value up here if you wanted it in quantity."

Blue Fins - he's still on one of the test battlefields of the Crimson Panoply running scenarios. He seems distracted and his attendant indicates he's getting ready for a mission into Creation. He rather absently signs the paper you put before him before returning his attention to what look like the Linowan troops before him.

Remember you still need a signature from either Righteous Tsunami, Fakharu or the Celestial Security Agency for the visitation writ]

[scarletharlot]

Discussions

[I'm not trying for a visitation writ, just to have the heavenly orders which presumably requires my signiture [as their direct superior] and someone superior to me. If Blue Fins can't do it - though I'll thank him if he can, I'll take it to Zutaka [just include that question too]. You said you get into the prison if you just travel long enough. That's why I'm getting orders for a mortal (and her retinue, in the home that they can't stop a mortal coming and going. They'll have heavenly orders to deliver a package to Argent Quill, a non-exalted mortal in charge, and they've not committed any crimes. That's why I did all the explaining: they won't have a visitation writ. But if they don't come back I'll have to backdate one or something.]

"Sorry to bother you again, Blue Fins. Just thought I'd better pop by before you leave. Two things. Firstly, thank you very much for allowing me to visit the prison; it's more interesting a place than you made out and I spoke to a number of fascinating elementals who were really old. I'm afraid my superior on the item-finding mission I briefly mentioned to you before, came with me - I could hardly say no when they gave me the orders in the first place. I just thought you should know it was they that arranged our sorcerous travel as well, since I believe they're both Gold Faction. If you want a list of the places they visited, they had a guard with them some of the time. For the rest: perhaps the guards would know? If it helps, they didn't look like they'd found anything very interesting.

Anyway, the second thing I wanted to ask you about was a problem around Gate 42. There was a large Tsunami there about five years back, but the island does not seem to have recovered as I had hoped. There's evidence - I'll have copies brought over here tomorrow, but it looks serious - of deep divisions in the Terrestrial and mortal groups. I'm thinking of sending a team in to deal with it, but I'm just trying to get a feel for what they might be facing before they go. The evidence - again I'll send you it with a summary later - suggests that oaths have been sworn that go against the normal motivations of god and man - as were factored in to the Tsunami in the first place. It is possible that a god is behind it - since obviously there is a charm that would allow one - or even at the outside a god-blood. I am making enquiries of my own on those fronts - since things like often leave a paper trail up here - but I was wondering if you could add your name to this letter I'm sending in to Seasons and the Convention of Water to see what they have. Obviously my biggest fear is one of the anathema. I believe there's a very low chance demons are involved, but more likely a solar than demons and I don't want my newly trained team to meet either: we need to make a good impression right now, not get killed/turned into a cult/or indeed fail in any way.

I think we might be able to offer some assistance to the bronze faction in this. While our priority is to forge stability - for example in this place, after all this time of uncertainty, the Wyld must be perilously close - but it's well-known that I don't have any time for the other exalted and have gone out of my way several times to avoid meeting a solar. If you'll help me pull the numbers we have on gods who may have the right charms, relevant anathema in the locale and potential other threats (obviously not yourself, just sign this paper and I'll head off to badger the relevant offices) then I'll keep my people from assisting the anathema and we'll report any anathema information back to you or whoever so you can factor in to whatever your plans are." like destroying heaven by invading the Bureaus.

"I really want this team to do well, so we can get more gods out of the slums and more order back into heaven and earth, and if I have to loosely ally myself with one of the factions, then I'll just have to cope with that. It's not that I don't admire the Bronze Faction, I just don't see why Sidereals should argue with each other over Dragon Bloods. Anyway I've talked into your drill..." [Excellancies used to full where required - obviously no glowing]


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My Lady Zutaka, thank you for seeing my on such late notice. I've brought you this Celestial Peach [one of the real ones] to express my gratitude. While we ourselves are only interested in the trial we discussed in order to narrow down possibilities relating to an artifact, we are a little concerned in case we have stumbled across something important. We do not have enough information yet, but some of our number, looking into the matter in Creation, seem to have come across some sort of plot, potentially involving Mezalarine, or at least allies of his. They have not yet returned to Yushan so I do not have all the details and cannot yet report to you in full, but if one in the Bureau is involved with a terrestrial attempt to change the general of the Aerial Legion then, as someone senior in that general area yourself, it seemed best you know.

I suppose it is so long after the trial we discussed that people have forgotten the destruction an ill-controlled full attack can rage over creation. Still, since so far it appears to only have that small connection to heaven, it probably is not too powerful an attack. I will report more when I have the information.

When I visited the prison of the exiles I met a gentlemen called Indigo Mirage Paradox: was he involved in the trials of that time and imprisoned at the time of the three executions? If so, it would be a concern if, for example, a godblood of his were involved in the wielding of this aerial artifact.

Finally, I noticed my friend wished to speak with you in private when we were last here, to me , without being presumptuous as to your beliefs, that suggests he was discussing Gold faction activity. Now, I myself would prefer strong unity, as the great Thunderbird units fly to battle, but I can understand those who seek other routes to order. There is some evidence, near Gate 42, of oath-taking among the spirits and even mortals. A god could be responsible, but an eclipse caste solar seems more likely to me. You may have heard of my project to find work for some of the gods who haunt the slums of Yushan, although I apologize for even referring to such places in front of one as important as you. One of my teams is to visit an area near Gate 41 and, since I hope this project will succeed to strengthen the Bureau and all of Heaven, I hope they will not end up pitting themselves against a powerful solar.

Indeed, while I do not wish to make arrangements with Gold Faction stewards directly, my respect for you personally would make me glad to gather information on any of the Celestial Exalted's movements we discover while these new teams begin to work in the West. What I am trying to do now is to draw on the records of gods or exalts thought or known to be in the area, but the Bureau and Western Convention, and it would greatly assist my work to have the signature of one as senior as you on my application form." [excellancies used to full where required; obv no glowing]

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Hand in report with any signature's I've been able to add - to some of the Convention of Water and Bureau of Seasons book-keepers [I'll have got two copies of the paper work signed]. I'll offer them free tickets to the Calibration opera, the seats that are offered peaches in the interval, if they can get the information back to me by dawn. At this rate I'm not going to have any guest seats left. I'm going to use the fourth bureaucracy excellancy (+2 motes to allow me to) and spend the willpower so all successes.

I want a list of any eclipse caste solars/activity conjectured to be near Gate 42 and in the entire West - since who knows how far their word spreads, right. We won't have loads of information, but large essence expenditures, new kingdoms and suchlike are often noted and I bet there's a list somewhere - afterall the Convention is pretty bronze faction. Secondly, and less importantly, can they also list as many terrestrial gods in the locality who are known to possess oath sanctifying powers, especially those with god-bloods who might know the same - only the gods in the area need to be noted. Finally, and least importantly, any demonic activity of late.

Then I'm going to use the fourth bureaucracy excellancy in the same way again, while also bribing a scribe I've had dealings with in the past in Seasons, to get some reports written up about the town of Chantesse, near Gate 41, which has indeed recovered very slowly from a Tsunami, to pick out, and enhance (through word order and placing, no actual lying) all the bits that sound like anathema activity and oath-making, especially the bit about the headman's heir refusing to rule because he was 'sworn to another life', to leave out all the other bits, and have the report ready for me to check by tomorrow.

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"Lara, here are your orders. As I said, if you aren't back in two and a half weeks I'll come and get you: I'm friendly with one of the stewards currently in charge of the prison so there'll be no problem. Here is the parcel [it contains the light changer and half a bar of his money). Here is a bar for your expenses [bye-bye party destruction money], please bring back what you do not need and keep track. Here is a letter with the orders on. Read it and learn it before you leave and then destroy it. You're a fantastic secretary Lara so I know your memory will be the best for this. Good luck, you'll do very well."

For Lara

Find Argent Quill in the place indicated on the map. Ask him the question before giving him the parcel. The question is:

"who was behind the request for the soulsteel flute and what was it hoped that it might do".

If he claims no-one told him, etc tell him to draw upon everything he saw and heard. If he refuses to answer or you are not satisfied with his answer, or he does not know, then ask him this:

"Who is still working with chorus of smoke"

If the same thing happens then ask:

"Who in the bronze faction or outside is responsible for your life being spared - not who did the asking or the bribing, I want the big fish who was responsible."

You must be satisfied with his answer. If you are not to not give him the parcel and leave.

You can tell him, that if he answers one of those other questions as well (don't worry about this bit if he has impliedly already answered them in the question he does answer), then I will bring the rest of his stuff when the prison stewards next visit.

Good luck.

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Before going to sleep I'll put my prayer strip on and pray to Astral Onyx, the elemental leading the temple-building team:

"Greetings Astral Onyx, Spinning Pyramid hopes you are settling into the paid group-test. It is important the temple-shell is build in the next day or two, the inside can be slowly added as you like, similar factors apply to your other work in the town. You are representing the whole project, so I wish you well. Build strong and fast. Go well."

"Ini Chativ, I'll get you the information for your team tomorrow. Thank you for this."

It may only be early afternoon but I'm having some sleep.

[oneiros]

[Wow, you've really been thinking about this I'm not sure I can quite keep up with what you're doing...

Blue Fins - sorry, misunderstood, what you wanted. Successful 3-dice stunt to convince him to sign the paperwork and make you go away

Zutaka - she thanks you for the peach. She does not know whether IMP had any involvement and recalls he was exiled about 83 years after the trial. She regrets that she is unable to discuss anything about what she and Succour discussed. She is interested in what you have to say but cannot put her name to the request. She is, however, interested in the reconstruction services of your Pyramid Marketing team and may have some work for them later.

Report/Request - it's going to take time for the request to be processed since it needs to be seen by high-ups in the departments you've indicated. You are told that the Convention on Essence Wielders might be another route to try since they're the ones who have most of the monitoring resources. Also, you know the Convention of Water is not going to be an efficient route - after all there are only 11 Sidereals assigned to it at present and half of those are usually on other business outside the West at any one time.

Scribe - the guy accepts the bribe and starts writing the report saying it will probably be ready tomorrow.

Lara - she heads off okay. This is a 3dice stunt as well but will tell you whether it is successful or not later.

Your day has been fraught with meetings, arrangements and diplomatic double-talking and you've just managed to get five minutes for a nice cup of tea when a new messenger arrives bearing a missive summoning you back to the S/PI/007 offices. Shroud has called a meeting and summoned Red, Ennico and Takezo back from Creation. Sighing, you pick up your mantle and head on out again, making your way to the Perfected Lotus...