Back at Moonspire we tried to keep busy while we waited anxiously for return of the elemental with news. Olvir spent time with Damil, our young priest of Flowing Nila, teaching him how to make use of the Essence he’d gifted him and teaching him Charms to best inspire those he’d come to lead. [Charisma Excellency & Herd Reinforcing Stance].
Song, when she wasn’t working on the grand Temple plans, spent time in the Academy where her knowledge of alchemy was worth jade and learnt from some of the other tutors, Ozric Greeneye, Master of Enchantment and Atol Birchome, Master of Geomancy. Both were skilled at least to her own level in their chosen disciplines and though she found Ozric a little staid, one of his students, Arnfinn Kolbein, showed potential and she made a note to see if his hidden capabilities could be developed at a later date.
Afra’s ex-housemates were settling in well and the oldest and brightest among them were beginning lessons. They were growing used to occasional visits from the strange cat which visited them, especially as they felt secure in their new home.
Olvir, restless, couldn’t find enough in the Forge Cathedral to keep him busy. His mind was on the dangers threatening the land he knew so well and so took off to Jadespike, stopping at Hengethorn to warm them of the crazed Dragon-Blood, possibly Akuma, who was carving a swathe of destruction across the local area. At Jadespike he pondered on how the mine could be better protected and hit upon an idea as he watched a young girl and her familiar, a doe, at play. It reminded him of his early days with Teela and he hatched a plan. It was, of course, a rather unusual plan and not free of danger – but this being Olvir, he put body and mind into it.
If the girl could form such a bond with the doe perhaps she could also train other animals – ones more able to protect the town. Remembering the raptorcat Caelan had knocked out which he’d caged the first time he was in Jadespike he thought he’d ask her what she reckoned. Surprised the Lunar was talking to her at all she wasn’t too sure what to make of his suggestion; she was scared of raptorcats – rightly so as they could easily take down a full grown man. But if she had a tame one – well, what couldn’t she do?
Leaving her to think on the matter he spoke to Song about his idea via the Jadespike tree. Song was typically noncommittal, the tree-face raising a gnarled and woody eyebrow in a mirror of Song’s own as she remarked that it would be a challenge for all concerned, but ultimately leaving Olvir to decide. Song suspected he’d already made his mind up.
Olvir had also pondered asking the wood spiders to help, recalling our epic adventure to catch them a tyrant lizard all those months ago and the formidable reputation the spiders had. What did Song think about asking them? She didn’t think they’d be keen to assist, suspecting any aid they could lend would be offset by the time the people of Jadespike would have to spend hunting for food to keep up their end of the bargain. Olvir could see her logic, but thought it may be worth speaking to them anyway so that evening he trekked out to their territory where, as before, he let out a bellowing roar to announce himself. Soon enough, a wood spider scuttled out to determine if the commotion was a threat. Olvir was familiar enough with their chitterings by now and offered them a puzzle: how to protect a village against an Akuma? But the spider dismissed it, not keen to play, as it said, a game of strategy rather than a puzzle as offered.
Olvir wasn’t done yet though and had always favoured the raptorcat plan. The forest grew deep in some parts around Jadespike where Olvir had caught an adult beast not long after he’d first Exalted. Summer was progressing and Olvir by now a keen hunter so it wasn’t a surprise that he found a clutch of newly hatched raptors, scaly and lizardlike, mewling in their nest – and taking one was hardly any trouble.
Whether a raptorcat, even when fully grown, could stop an Akuma was uncertain... but Olvir was not content to do nothing. Perhaps Jadespike’s newest inhabitant could one day prove to be the winning factor in a fight, whatever that might be. So Olvir developed his Luna-bestowed powers yet further and instilled in the beast not only a greater intelligence but also an intimacy towards the town and inhabitants. Then it simply fell to the young girl to train it and that, while Olvir was fairly sure she could, would remain a challenge she would have to face. She certainly took to the challenge as well as could be expected, though her doe familiar perhaps was less keen…
Back in Moonspire, Caelan had also been busy training his motley band of followers and keeping them occupied. Pondering how he could get them some real battle experience without pitting them against dangerous foes he went to visit Kashlyk at the coliseum where he found him overseeing the driving of a large herd of cattle into his sanctum. The god made Caelan welcome and invited him in and as he looked around waiting for Kashlyk to herd the beasts into pens he spotted someone else lurking at the back of the god’s sanctum-coliseum, a person with an unusually androgynous body and pale, almost waxy skin with – and he was sure he’d seen correctly – the head of a snake. Whoever they were though, they were endeavouring to keep out of sight and he turned back to Kashlyk as the god gave him his full attention.
Kashlyk was certainly keen to have new fighters in the coliseum although he remarked somewhat pointedly that Caelan would put on a much better show than his men. In addition, Caelan was justifiably concerned for his cadre of proto-warriors and didn’t want to put them at considerable risk… which rather limited the fights that could be arranged for them. Kashlyk was prepared to arrange something though and once the details were worked out also had an invitation for us all to come along to see a new match in a few days time.
Olvir was still away in Jadespike but Song and Caelan went along – the battle a midweek performance featuring as the headline act an individual described as ‘The Living Embodiment of how a Snake Fights’. Taking to the arena floor was the mysterious stranger Caelan had seen in Kashlyk’s sanctum versus a group of enthusiastic but still fairly inexperienced warriors and to the cheers of the crowd, the snake-person emerged victorious. Song watched the Essence of the snake-creature as it took down those arrayed against it noting that while its Essence equalled her own its Charms were solely focused along a single Celestial Martial art. Caelan had Song to explain the Charms it used but also had an appreciation of a well fought battle to entertain him… though it wouldn’t be the last time he’d have cause to focus clearly on the snake-person’s combat style.
A week passed while Olvir saw his raptorcat plan through, Song focused on the Temple building, Caelan continued training his men in the art of airship flying and Kashlyk ensured another battle was staged for his latest coliseum recruit. Watching as it fought more powerful opponents this time, the snake-person moved with incredible speed and grace, its limbs seeming to whip like a seven section staff as its charms enabled it to shrug off lethal cuts as mere bruises while turning its own attacks into fierce strikes which seemed to ignore the protection of its armoured foes.
In one round it faced a group of fighters and had disabled three of them while the echo of the gong still hung in the air. Caelan needed to use his own charm to keep up with its movement – most of the rest of the audience saw merely a blur as the fighters dropped to the floor.
As the battles came to an end with the snake-person victorious it announced a challenge to take on any and all comers in its next battle. Caelan didn’t need a lot of provocation to stand and announce he’d be happy to defend his title in the arena.
Olvir had left Jadespike (with only a few parting tart remarks from Sissay about raptorcats) and so was back in time for Caelan’s fight. He’d seen the earth elemental at work and reported it had left carrying its consignment of blue jade – but since he travelled faster than it would do through the earth he’d beaten it back.
He and Song went to watch Caelan do battle as planned and as the two faced each other across the arena floor a flurry of betting activity showed support for both sides – though slightly favouring the Solar. Song gave a sharp whistle of support – using Luna’s gift to shift her voice to mirror a kite and as such, the echo resounded around the coliseum for a little longer than planned. As Olvir complained about temporary deafness the gong was struck and the battle on.
The snake-person moved fast and first, aiming for his opponent’s throat and despite Caelan’s attempt to block with his daiklave he was struck – first blood was drawn. His return strike was dodged with the almost unnatural movements of his serpentine opponent but Calelan wasn’t about to provide an easy target either and as the snake-person unleashed a series of strikes the Solar deftly avoided each blow. Caelan struck back, aiming at its throat and mirroring its action even as a final bead of blood dripped from his own already-sealing wound, but the snake-person bent at a seemingly unfeasible angle to avoid his blow. The two warriors stepped back, eyeing the other before leaping once more into the fray.
A flurry of attacks ended as Caelan landed a blow and his daiklave drew a thin line of blood across the serpent’s torso. It recoiled but Caelan pressed forward though the snake-person proved to be as supple as water and even Caelan’s valorous attack failed to make contact.
Watching from the side, Song saw with active Essence sight Caelan’s foe draw on the inner power of the serpent to launch a flurry of lightening attacks. The Solar parried all three but with barely a whisker to spare and followed up with a flurry of three attacks of his own which all failed to make contact... though on the last his opponent seemed to allow an opening. Caelan followed up with an immediate thrust of his daiklave but his powerful blow was deflected by the pure strength of his opponent’s parry and when the snake-person struck back it breached his defence and with a piercing strike cut deep into Caelan’s side. He staggered back, blood flowing freely; shocked he’d been injured so grievously.
Wounded but not about to admit defeat, Caelan looked within himself for hidden reserves and found them boundless. The spirit of the Sun, and the Sun’s chosen, cannot be so easily extinguished. The Unconquered Sun did not earn his name without a reason and his Chosen are not those who weaken under the blows of their enemies when the power grows in them. Summoning his strength and feeling valor surge within him, his wounds started to knit and heal, and glittering on his forehead so only his opponent and the sharp eyed in the crowd could see, his caste mark showed the provenance of his newly acquired power.
“Child of the Sun, it’s been some time... at last a worthy adversary.” Caelan realised it didn’t speak with hostility but with the tone of one warrior to another and it was an old recognition, as if the snake-person had dealt with Solars many aeons past. Recognising the tone of respect in its words Caelan gave a silent but definite acknowledgement of his opponent before the fight resumed with barely a sign of interruption to the crowd. Its movements were no less quick but Caelan’s next strike fell true and cut deep, drawing a scarlet gash from the snake-person’s shoulder across its chest and spilling its blood onto the sand.
His opponent stepped back and yielded. Caelan, in the heat of battle and full of the power of a new charm, stepped back as if to aim but the cry of victory Song gave helped him focus. He stopped, stepped back and deliberately relaxed his stance as the snake-person turned to address the crowd, declaring Caelan the greater warrior and stating openly how it would look forward to another battle, inviting those in the crowd to take it up on the challenge. Olvir evidently didn’t fancy challenging it but was bold enough to venture – loudly – on the fact Caelan seemed to have carried out the fight with only one hand, Indeed his stone arm which he’d carefully kept to his side throughout the fight hadn’t seemed to hamper him; only his supernatural skill had enabled him to fight without penalty.
Olvir’s comment raised the hackles of the snake-man who looked directly at him, inviting him to join it on the sands but Olvir realised the nature of the situation and simply stood and bowed, acknowledging it as a better fighter than himself. Meanwhile Caelan was enjoying the adulation of the crowd as his opponent left the arena. Kashlyk bowed to him too, the coliseum god pleased with the fight especially as he had noticed the glittering caste mark on Caelan’s brow – but as ever, disappointed the Solar hadn’t been more obvious with his power. Kashlyk bowed a little lower than Caelan did in return although he Solar didn’t notice as the fire of battle left him and he dismissed his sword to Elsewhere.
With all attention on him he chose to draw on the emotion of the occasion, cutting through the murmurings of the crowd. Raising his voice he declared how it was an honour to fight in the coliseum and he was grateful to Kashlyk to have granted him the opportunity twice now. Both of them, he said, gesturing to himself and the snake-person (who now stood at the edge of the sands with its chest healing thanks to the coliseum god’s ministrations), were clearly fighters accustomed to victory. It wasn’t easy to yield but he felt he’d won by the barest of margins.
Nevertheless, he had won. Caelan’s group of followers began chanting his name and it was quickly taken up around the arena. As it echoed to the sound of their chanting and appealing to the adrenaline stirred up by the combat Caelan asked those present to think not just on the fight they’d seen but also what it meant: a sign that Kashlyk had powerful friends who considered Moonspire to be important to them... and who would exert their wrath on any fools who’d wish it harm. They should carry the word of that when they left and make sure it spread.
He was carried out of the arena by his followers (with a little prompting from Song) and he certainly didn’t want for drink that night. Olvir and Song came up with a jaunty tune to celebrate his victory that only poked a little fun at his stone arm… and soon enough Olvir’s baritone encouraged the inhabitants of taverns across town to sing out loudly.
The next day Caelan received an invitation from Kashlyk to meet with the snake-person back at the coliseum and not long afterwards the Jotun Song had summoned arrived at the manse with the blue jade. Varten got to work crafting it into shape ably assisted by an excited Van-Oris and the Forge soon rang to the sound of efficient manufacture.
Taking up the invitation Caelan had received the following day we visited Kashlyk who welcomed us once more into his sanctum. Caelan had a strange surprise as he stood talking to him… a little vial of rich looking liquid materialised next to him which Song caught before it fell, fascinated by the sudden appearance of ambrosia. Just the appearance of it in Kashlyk’s sanctum suggested he remained part of the Celestial bureaucracy and that his sanctum was something unusual; she suspected he must have considerable power or have garnered favours to make it so, as ambrosia usually only appeared within Yu Shan. The substance was a materialised form of prayer and in itself suggested Caelan had garnered worship, probably from his display in the arena the other day.
The snake-person had fully recovered from the battle and when Kashlyk introduced us it greeted Caelan first, with evident respect. It also recognised Olvir from the arena and assumed, since he kept company with Caelan, he was someone of significance as well. Olvir told him his name and that he was Chosen of Luna and curiosity assuaged, it turned to Song. She wasn’t about to give it such info without an exchange however and had it guess at her nature in return for its own. Asking if she was one of the Maiden’s Chosen she shook her head – Chosen of Luna was its second guess. Its end of the bargain was to reveal its own unusual nature: it was an embodiment of the Snake style of Martial Arts. All Celestial Martial Arts had such embodiments it explained: they were called into being by the existence of the Art and practitioners of it skilled enough to master it. There were less of them than there were Celestial Exalts but at least one for each Art.
It was keen to try Olvir in combat and the burly Lunar obliged while within Kashlyk’s sanctum, soaking up the damage meted out but finding his opponent as lithe as a snake and difficult to grapple. It also invited Song to fight but she was less keen: not being a combative creature she knew she’d not prove nearly as much of a challenge as Olvir or Caelan. However, adapting its methods the snake-style-embodiment taught her some ways of fighting and she employed one of Luna’s knacks to meld the musculature of her human form into that of more flexible animal shapes to make herself a little more lithe and flexible. When the battles were done, Kashlyk asked it to give us some space. It was fairly evident the embodiment was subservient to him – Kashlyk said he’d arranged for it to visit and it would stay for ‘as long as he wanted’.
The coliseum god had a favour he wanted to ask which he thought might help us in return. Asking us if we were familiar with ‘the first people’ of the Unconquered Sun it was (of course) Song who was able to call to mind memories of draconic beings and sacrifices of hearts, and asked Kashlyk if he meant these dragon-men. Dragon Kings, he corrected; whilst most had died millennia ago, others had entered hibernation. Some of them, he said, were old friends and it was these he asked if we’d be able to find, awaken and bring them to him. One in particular had dealt with Akuma in bygone ages he said and may be able to help us.
They lay in hibernation encased in crystal in a location to the south and slightly east – we recognised some of the description from the circus route but from there it diverged. It would take us around three weeks (even at our fast speeds) to get there from Moonspire and he warned us the place may have changed or been damaged in the intervening time. There could be other beings there but it would only be the Dragon Kings we’d be able to hold conversations with he said, somewhat mysteriously. He didn’t need us to go after them immediately, indeed he had no set time scale – just that he would like to see them. Agreeing to help we collected the details before returning to the manse.
Back in the Forge and with the sounds of airship industry around us we discussed out next moves. Olvir was all for helping out Kashlyk but Caelan had some more training he wanted to do with his men and we were all waiting on the elemental to return with hopefully a lead on where the Akuma or Amber Roshani had gone. Resolving to wait until the elemental returned – which would be within the week – Caelan went to get on with training while Olvir and Song went to check out the manse defences, something they’d meant to investigate for some time. The remains of the mechanical beast lay scattered where they’d fallen and there were no new foes but as looked like nothing had disturbed things we secured the door to the manse as best we could and when that evening Olvir went to visit the Celestial Lions he asked what they could tell us of the security around the place. They knew only that the defences were to stop ‘all but Celestial Exalted from treading within the domain’ and we had to hope that remained the case... though if there were other Celestial Exalted who came calling we’d have to deal with that if it came up. Chatting about what we’d been doing since his last visit Olvir talked about the snake-person and they were surprised to hear we’d met an embodiment. After losing a few games of Gateway Olvir headed back to the Forge to sleep.
It was another three days before the elemental returned. Song called the others and listening intently we heard how it had begun with few leads and drifted from village to town seeking the words Song had asked it to find. Then it had found the town of Likoma, a place with a reputation for devotion to lore of all kinds (and indeed, considerably strict law as well). Our ‘King Scarlet Dawn’ was confronting Justicar Delgar and demanding they assist him in locating Amber Roshani... but the Justicar was arguing since Amber Roshani has committed no crime within their jurisdiction they could not assist, and so the Akuma had killed Delgar in a rage. Likoma suffered considerable damage as the Akuma demanded anyone who knew Roshani’s whereabouts show themselves – but no-one did.
When he left town the elemental reported he met with an erymanthoi who had a message for him – that our ‘King Scarlet Dawn’ didn’t have much time left, so he’d better hurry. The ‘Sentry Watchpoint Tower’ would be his were he to be successful but the blood ape was happy to point out his punishment for failure would be extreme and told him where to go next, so evidently his movements weren’t entirely random: he was told to make for Tebati, moving on to the Chapel of the Silent Gods and then Hunyani if he’d still not found her.
Olvir did a few quick calculations and suspected the Akuma would have made it to Tebati already and would reach the Chapel of the Silent Gods in three or four days depending how he travelled. It ought to take another five or six to get to Hunyani, but it would take us five or six days ourselves to get to the Chapel of the Silent Gods – so we might catch him there if he dallied in his destructive urges at Tebati.
Song didn’t want to walk unaided into battle so summoned a Thunderbird while Caelan and Olvir checked maps to make sure their calculations were correct, but we didn’t dally and left that evening with Ariorn’s saddlebags packed and both Lunars travelling with Caelan on horseback.
We did pause to sleep, but the breaks were swift. Arriving at Tebati we found broken houses but the people rebuilding and while saddened not to have been able to prevent it knew we had to push on to have any hope of stopping any further devastation. We travelled onwards to the Chapel of the Silent Gods where, as we approached, Song spotted wards radiating out from the main building and understanding the magic was designed to repel animals, warned Caelan to stop Ariorn approaching in case it would do her harm.