Session 1

From Lavosbyssals

[20:50] Lavos Advocate: Most consider the Underworld to be a rather dreary and depressing plane of reality, and these people are not incorrect....
[20:50] Lavos Advocate: It is a place of memory, shadows, and endings that aren't endings, where things that have died and aren't willing to acknowledge that exist. But there is one city that is almost.... festive.
[20:52] Lavos Advocate: In Sijan, all burials are if not lavish, certainly respectful, enough to make a ghost live comfortably on burial goods and prayer. It is a place of means within the land of the dead...
[20:52] Lavos Advocate: and many wraiths have even moved here in search of those means.
[20:52] Lavos Advocate: (Stupid word limit.)
[20:54] mgreenling: (yes.)
[20:54] Lavos Advocate: It is in the city of Sijan, not the surprisingly more dour place in Creation, but the gilded place of luxury and empty decadence, where paper lanterns and chants of prayers crowd the streets that we begin this story.
[20:55] Lavos Advocate: (Where would Sarien and Smoke be staying, actually?)
[20:55] heavensgardener: (Uh. Uh. I...never really thought of it. Other then 'somewhere')
[20:56] Lavos Advocate: (And yes, there are inns, sort of, but they're more general places of entertainment and such than places to slepp, which is pretty unnecessary.)
[20:57] mgreenling: (someplace that doesn't require too much money. <_<)
[20:57] Lavos Advocate: (I notice neither of you have resources)
[20:57] mgreenling: (nope. :D)
[20:57] heavensgardener: (Yeah, we're pretty broke.)
[20:57] Lavos Advocate: (Unliving on a prayer.)
[20:58] mgreenling: (smoke has charisma and larceny, but not resources. :D)
[20:58] heavensgardener: (Five-finger discount. :D )
[20:58] Lavos Advocate: (Unless Quick says otherwise, It wouldn't be unreasonable to say you stay with Maukali, who has Resources 3.)
[20:59] mgreenling: (likely.)
[20:59] Lavos Advocate: (Getting high on help from your friends...anyway.)
[20:59] mgreenling: (^^)
[21:00] Lavos Advocate: (Oh, actually, one last thouht. You both have Manses.)
[21:00] Lavos Advocate: (Maybe you have one in the city?)
[21:00] heavensgardener: (...that works. We may be dead broke, but we're not homeless at least. :) )
[21:01] Lavos Advocate: (Hurray. Mind if I name your Manse, Lynne?)
[21:01] heavensgardener: (Nope. Go ahead. Saves me trouble.)
[21:02] mgreenling: (oh, right. want to see mine? :3)
[21:02] mgreenling: (I don't think they're in the city, but... if it helps. ^^;)
[21:03] Lavos Advocate: So, we join Lingering Smoke and Lost Butterfly Maiden in the Manse of the latter, the House of Sanguine Pleasure, formerly the preeminent brothel in the city.
[21:03] Lavos Advocate: It has through some twist of fate ended up in the posession of Cynis Falen Sarien.
[21:05] Lavos Advocate: Presently, they may be found within its quarters.
[21:05] mgreenling: (the sids must be terribly amused by him.)
[21:08] heavensgardener: Sarien hums absently and vaguely, absently drawing on a sheet of paper.
[21:08] heavensgardener: To most people, it would look like nonsense.
[21:11] Lavos Advocate: Outside may be heard the rythmic ringing of jade bells, chanted benedictions, and horns of bone. It must be another festival. Second one this week.
[21:11] mgreenling: Smoke pushes the chair back and peeks his head out the window.
[21:12] heavensgardener: Curious (ooh, pretty bells), Sarien hops up, leaving whatever he is drawing, to look. But when Smoke gets there first, he instinctively steps back to let him look first.
[21:13] mgreenling: Smoke shakes his head and waves Sarien over to the window.
[21:14] Lavos Advocate: This one appears to be commerorating some fallen hero or another, who just so happens to actually be marching at the front of the parade tramping by the window.
[21:15] Lavos Advocate: It isn't as if these affairs actually tended to have any meaning beyond symbolic and ceremonial. But ghosts ignored that, because that pomp and circumstance was often the meaning that kept them anchored to existance.
[21:17] mgreenling: "Huh. Maybe we should see if this one has free food."
[21:18] heavensgardener: Sarien rests small, pale hands on the windowsill. At least the pomp and circumstance had a meaning, now, other then just being pretty. "Pretty bells~How long will you ring~" soft little murmur.
[21:19] mgreenling: "Wanna go out and see it, little butterfly?"
[21:19] Lavos Advocate: There is indeed food at this one, if you recall correctly. This particular hero had a grand feast thrown in his honor upon death, which made it to the Underworld as a burial good.
[21:20] Lavos Advocate: Of course, ghosts can barely taste the stuff. You can, though.
[21:20] heavensgardener: Sarien turns his head and nods after a moment, a small little nod. "Alright~"
[21:21] heavensgardener: He hops away from the window, and scoops up the little plush frog with button eyes that sits by his drawing.
[21:21] Lavos Advocate: (Guys, Roll Int+Lore.)
[21:22] mgreenling: MGreenling rolled 1 1-sided die: 1
[21:22] heavensgardener: heavensgardener rolled 8 10-sided dice: 7 9 5 2 2 2 3 8
[21:22] mgreenling: (...okay, that was not the right command.)
[21:22] mgreenling: MGreenling rolled 5 10-sided dice: 7 8 6 3 1
[21:22] mgreenling: (there we go. ^^;)
[21:22] heavensgardener: (3)
[21:22] mgreenling: (1.)
[21:22] mgreenling: (er. wait.)
[21:23] mgreenling: (well I rolled. <_<)
[21:23] heavensgardener: (2, Green, dear.)
[21:23] mgreenling: (stupid nWoD rules.)
[21:23] mgreenling: (two. :D)
[21:24] Lavos Advocate: Sarien sees a certain problem with this. This is the burial march of Chumyo Nefvarin Gilshalos, who won Lookshy's freedom from the Scarlet Empire. And Lingering Smoke has the mark of an Anathema.
[21:25] Lavos Advocate: From what you know, this will not necessarily lead to violence(everyone's dead anyway, who cares?) but it will earn you looks.
[21:25] Lavos Advocate: On the other hand, you do have the oppurtunity to meet Nefvarin up close, which frankly, is pretty neat.
[21:25] heavensgardener: "Um~" he lightly taps Smoke with his left hand. It's the same hand holding Froggy, and points to the caste mark on Smoke's head. "Not a good idea~" He doesn't want to cause trouble. :(
[21:26] mgreenling: "Huh?" He rubs his forehead. "Why not? I don't think they're gonna hurt us for it."
[21:27] mgreenling: "Besides. Free food! :D"
[21:27] Lavos Advocate: Why this devout follower of the Immaculate chaplainry did not reincarnate nobody knows, and he's too revered for people to ask about it, except very privately.
[21:28] mgreenling: "Probably damn good free food, too, if an Immaculate's still hanging around."
[21:28] heavensgardener: "But~trouble~"
[21:29] Lavos Advocate: (Hehehe)
[21:29] heavensgardener: Sarien has just about reached his limit for disagreeing with Smoke, sadly.
[21:30] mgreenling: "Bah, nonsense. I'll leave my stuff here and we'll be fine." :D
[21:30] mgreenling: People staring at Smoke? When don't they?
[21:30] heavensgardener: Saroem
[21:30] heavensgardener: *Sarien's eyes lower.
[21:30] mgreenling: "If you want, you can stay here and I can bring you back something good?"
[21:31] heavensgardener: Sarien looks at the froggy in his hand, and brings it closer to him for a moment, almost as if seeming to whisper to it. After a moment, he shakes his head at Smoke. "Froggy wants to go~"
[21:32] Lavos Advocate: It also occurs to them(More Smoke), not everyone there will be an Immaculate, or even care about what some moldy old warlord did centuries ago, because, hey, free festival!
[21:32] mgreenling: "Well then, let's go show Froggy a good time." He grins and fuzzles Sarien's hair.
[21:32] heavensgardener: (oh, Sarien. Such a crackhead.)
[21:33] mgreenling: And they go to find food or other interesting things. :D
[21:35] Lavos Advocate: And thus do our rightous heroes of the afterlife go to the honored burial march of the man who won the freedom of millions, for yea, there was free food.
[21:36] heavensgardener: Sarien's history classes wouldn't have taught it precisely from that viewpoint, of course. :)
[21:37] mgreenling: Some dead religious guy. Whatever. :D
[21:37] Lavos Advocate: Outside of the hallowed manse(brothels can be hallowed) the street is abuzz with devotees, watching the circuit of honored warriors throughout the city. The festival proper is a ways off, once the parade is finished.
[21:38] heavensgardener: Sarien carefully picks his way through the crowd, trying to stay out of anyone's way. If he bumps into anyone, he would trip all over himself apologizing unless Smoke drags him (and Froggy) away.
[21:40] mgreenling: Smoke waves through the people, humming a happy little tune and keeping an eye
[21:40] mgreenling: on Sarien in case he does something weird, or something weird gets done to Sarien.
[21:41] Lavos Advocate: People give Smoke a rather wide berth, and he gets a few unpleasant looks. Some murming can be heard, mostly among those wearing the clothes one may see in Lookshy or the Realm.
[21:42] mgreenling: He meets the looks with a wide grin and a respectful-looking nod. O:3
[21:43] Lavos Advocate: Nefvarin himself, for his part looks stately, adorned in funeral garb and armor of shining white jade, an elegant curved daiklave at his side. He looks not to the crowd, ever ahead.
[21:43] heavensgardener: Sarien tries to get a little smaller in on himself, trying to avoid notice, holding Froggy tightly. He is taking note of everything he sees.
[21:46] Lavos Advocate: At his side march a mostly ceremonial guard of warriors adorned in the finest armor of Shogunate make, often betrayed as former Exalts by the markings of elemental aspect.
[21:48] Lavos Advocate: His train chants prayers to the Dragons, is the crowd most heretically murmurs blessings to him. Slowly, the parade begins to pass the street.
[21:49] mgreenling: Smoke finds this mildly amusing, and enjoys the show.
[21:49] heavensgardener: Sarien just listens to the pretty chanting. He grew up surrounded by the Immaculate Philosophy, yes, but House Cynis was rather far from what anyone would call "devout", and belief? Hah.
[21:52] Lavos Advocate: Eventually, Nefvarin turns onto his last avenue, before the grand banquet. As the parade moves, it reveals somebody even MORE conspicicuous than the good Balamada.
[21:53] Lavos Advocate: A man of great height, nearly seven feet, with bronzed skin, armored in shining orichalcum. He gets an even wider berth than Smoke. A small line of discoloration shows on his neck.
[21:54] mgreenling: Ooh. Wonder who that guy has to be.
[21:55] Lavos Advocate: He is rather obviously a Solar, or at least the ghost of one. He mutters something inaudible through the din, a bitter look crossing his face,
[21:57] Lavos Advocate: By now, the ghostly parade has left the street, but none dare walk upon it.
[21:57] mgreenling: (is he a part of the parade, or just standing there?)
[21:58] Lavos Advocate: (He's on the other side.)
[21:58] mgreenling: (okay.)
[21:58] heavensgardener: Sarien looks up through veiled eyes, lashes half-covering his eyes, at the man in orichalcum. Shiny, and obviously unhappy.
[22:00] mgreenling: Smoke watches the guy, and will happily cross to the other side of the street unless there's some good reason why not.
[22:00] mgreenling: "Well you look like somebody just shat in your cereal, don't you?"
[22:01] heavensgardener: Sarien's hands flutter up (still with Froggy in his left hand) in dismay, but drifts closer, keeping a close eye on Smoke.
[22:01] Lavos Advocate: He looks down at the only man within a mile of comparitive obviousness. "That I should. I was destined to cast down fools like him," he hisses "Before my life was stolen away by the impudence of his kind."
[22:03] mgreenling: "Huh. Yeah, I hear they do that." He shrugs sympathetically.
[22:04] mgreenling: "Sounds like you got quite a story." :3
[22:04] heavensgardener: By now, Sarien has crossed the street as well, and stands a few steps behind Smoke.
[22:04] Lavos Advocate: He doesn't look especially amused. "Perhaps."
[22:06] Lavos Advocate: He narrows his eyes at Sarien.
[22:06] mgreenling: Smoke looks at Sarien.
[22:06] heavensgardener: Sarien blinks.
[22:07] mgreenling: Shrugs. "Well... you look like you need a drink, or some equivalent."
[22:07] Lavos Advocate: "Realmborn." He sneers slighly. "It matters not," he continues. "My crown has been stolen, and it cannot be recovered."
[22:08] mgreenling: "Symbolic or literal?"
[22:09] heavensgardener: Sarien lowers his eyes. "Literal~" he murmurs.
[22:09] mgreenling: (eh? ^^;)
[22:09] Lavos Advocate: "Symbolic, in some sense, literal, if you consider the crown a thing one wears, to make one a king."
[22:11] Lavos Advocate: "Once a nation bowed before me, their immortal god king, who would conquer Creation in fire and blood. But my crown has been stolen with my life."
[22:11] mgreenling: Smoke listens to the guy.
[22:11] heavensgardener: Sarien is listening, too.
[22:11] mgreenling: "So what you hanging around this parade for, if guys like that so annoy you?"
[22:12] Lavos Advocate: He indicates the mark on his throat.
[22:12] Lavos Advocate: "It is without cost, and my nation was not so luxurious to give me a truly lavish burial."
[22:13] mgreenling: "Ah, bad luck..."
[22:14] mgreenling: Hm. Gotta be something better to do.
[22:14] heavensgardener: Sarien just lets Smoke talk to the sad angry ghost of the Solar. He wouldn't want to talk to someone like him, after all, not after how he died.
[22:14] Lavos Advocate: "One prefers to consider it a tragedy, a hero crossed by the stars, a tale the lorekeppers will tell for millenia. But I have my doubts."
[22:15] mgreenling: "What actually happened?"
[22:16] Lavos Advocate: "Beheaded." He states flatly. "From behind, no less. I know not even the name of the man who killed me." He seems quite bothered by that.
[22:19] mgreenling: "Hmmmm, yeah." Smoke fuzzles Sarien's hair. "Seems like that'd be good to know."
[22:19] mgreenling: "Was it one of them specifically, or just a dragon-blood?"
[22:20] heavensgardener: Perhaps knowing his killer's name will help this man rest in peace, after all these years. Maybe. Maybe not. But it couldn't help but try.
[22:20] mgreenling: Probably.
[22:20] mgreenling: :D
[22:21] Lavos Advocate: He shakes his head. "I do not know who or what slew me. A near legion of the Empire came from Greyfalls to end my life. My subjects, my demons, my own strength took many of them, but ..." He indicates his throat again.
[22:22] heavensgardener: "How long ago was this~" Sarien whispers softly.
[22:24] Lavos Advocate: "Not long before Calibration, I believe..."
[22:26] Lavos Advocate: (Okay, we actually need to wrap this up.)
[22:27] mgreenling: (aw. ^^; yeah.)
[22:27] mgreenling: "Huh. You've gotten me curious... mind if we take a look around for whoever that was?" *g*
[22:28] mgreenling: "If it wasn't that long ago, they're probably still... someplace."