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Tenken	Sometimes called 'Decadence' or the 'City of Temples', Great Forks is one of the three greatest cities of the River province. Great Forks is a city of gods, and they have done their best to build it in the aspect of Heaven. The fantastic wealth and power of Great Forks makes it second only to Lookshy in raw military might, and though Nexus is an unparalleled economic juggernaut, Great Forks is known as one of the richest cities in the world. Centuries ago, three tribal deities founded the city at the juncture of the Yellow and Rolling Rivers, where fertile soils support slave-worked plantations of marijuana and qat. The three founding deities still rule today, at the head of a bureaucracy of a thousand temples. The three founding deities - Spinner of Glorious Tales, Weaver of Dreams and Victory, and Shield of a Different Day - generally shortened by mortal tongues to Talespinner, Dreamweaver and Dayshield. They managed to frighten away the Deathlord - Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers - through the crafting of a story of mighty victory over a Deathlord and wards and walls of illusion that hid the city. After this deathlord fled for fear of her own annihilation, the united groups of refugees led by the three respective deities stayed and built up the city. Today, the city is thriving with more that a quarter-million citizens, and nearly twice as many slaves. The entire city is shot through with temples and shrines, monasteries, stupas, pagodas, and sacred groves. The palaces of renowned gods dominate the high hills of the city, while countless little gods and nameless spirit vie for favor in the city's warrens and recesses. Pilgrims and orgiasts throng at all hours amid the chanting, dancing, and feasting of each day's many festivals. With the return of the Exigence, heroes come to Great Forks from every corner of Creation to vie for the Second Breath, while exigents empowered elsewhere have followed to meet with their own kind. The city's triumvirate has offered patronage to these heroes, and the services they perform in exchange gives the city new military and economic might - strength it will need to confront the threat of the Deathlord, Mask of Winters. The military might of these Exigents, and the sheer number of godlings and spirits and elementals in the city also worries the Realm, affording Great Forks a degree of power and individuality. It is to this city that Iron Reed Scholar and Tenken now travel towards by means of flight. While neither Exigent nor Spirit, Tenken will fit in among the numerous god-blooded and Godlings, being god-blooded himself as a progeny of Ahlat. His burgeoning legend has spread throughout the East and Southeast somewhat, but he works to further this end, as do the handful of priests working on his behalf. There is one such priest in Great Forks named Himitsu, and Tenken will seek him out. Other spirits here, and even sidereals and The Loom see Tenken as a spiritual being, believing him to be a legitimate agent of heaven due to his artifact sword and jacket - Tenken hopes to leverage these in his dealings here.
Iron Reed Scholar	Iron Reed and his entourage fit in surprisingly well themselves, they're nomadic by nature and working where and as they do, Great Forks is well known to many of them. Hee sends them out into the city to see what they can learn. Also buying him time to spend with his new companion. He has spent much of his journey reading, the skiff moving leisurely through the sky. "It will be good to see Great Forks again, it's been some time." He smiles as he looks to Tenken, his eyes studying the other man. "It's always good to visit after extended time in the more... Remote locales."
Tenken	Tenken nods, flying alongside the skiff at a similarly leisurely pace. His sorcerous wings allow for fully functional flight, though they don't have physically tangible form. The wings look more like slowly waving tentacles that roughly form the shape of wings, with ethereal tendrils that glow pale blue. "I haven't been to Great Forks much myself, though one of my priests is in the city. His name is Himitsu, one of the followers I gained during my battles and travels after leaving... Harborhead." Tenken doesn't speak much of his home, or Harborhead, and especially not the deity there (his father), but he also has never made a friend that was similarly an exalt. Having another solar as a travelling companion and friend was a luxury that many exalts don't find, so he opens up more than usual. The city of Great Forks truly was a welcome change compared to the remote locales that Tenken had frequented lately, with art, culture, parades, parties, decadence, and just general excess abound. Tenken is somewhat excited to return to Great Forks, to begin the task of building his legend in the area, and vying for the sponsorship and building of relationships with other gods there. Keeping his eyes trained ahead, he asks, "So Iron, you've told me about the cultists some... I wonder what they are doing this far out in the region. Last we saw them it was in a pretty remote area, and now Great Forks. It seems they are really spread out everywhere.. just how large is the organization and its branches? Do they have the capability to threaten such a place as Great Forks? Based on their actions before, I admit it comes to mind... that their agenda and intentions likely aren't to just participate in the revelry here."
Iron Reed Scholar	Iron Reed smiles as he looks at Tenken. "The Order is nomadic by nature, small groups travel seeking out what knowledge they can and returning it to the sanctuaries." He closes a book, slipping it back into the recesses of his robes as he speaks, his expression becoming severe for a brief moment. "We are far from organised. The Sanctuaries guard what we have gathered, their members forming autonomous organisations, while the rest of our Order travels freely." He shrugs motioning to the city below. "Great Forks is a hub of information. Many of my brothers and sisters pass through here. I am hoping to find leads on potential allies as well as though that have become heretical."
Tenken	Tenken nods, "Hmmm, do you have any baseline estimates on how many have become heretical? Id be happy to help track them down and address the issue, as those factions would pose a threat to myself and my own property, as well as to others. As for information, I'd guess that the temple district would be a good best, as the individual temples, especially the larger ones, would have their own repositories for texts and information. Small libraries in those could produce leads, as well as information that could be useful generally. As for locating members of your order, I'd say that taverns are among the best places as any to find things out. Collecting information is easily done at such places, where lips are loosened by drink, smoke, and other drugs - Great Forks is a place where this is particularly true" he says with a laugh. He points down a cobblestone street towards the temple district, where signs hang on both the left and right advertising shops of different types as well as alehouses and taverns. Brothels and dispensaries also litter this street, and throngs of festive citizens move about, among which materialized spirits of different types can be seen. Elementals and small spirits performing labor and tasks walk along with their summoners, and Tenken makes a mental note to seek out texts or a mentor to learn the art of elemental summoning before leaving this town.
Iron Reed Scholar	Iron Reed sighs closing his eyes as he thinks, his hand reaching up to run lightly through his hair. "Fifty, a hundred at the outside. How many sects they've formed I cannot say, but I know of five and suspect several others." He tilts his head to the side as he seems to consider. "It's hard to say, the down side of such an autonomous force."
Tenken	"Well, depending on how many allies they can muster, the downsides could be severe. Say for example, that each is capable of summoning demons or elementals - with a matter of months, or even weeks, they could have a force capable of threatening any village or smaller town for example. Really anywhere without a functional and capable military force would be threatened in such a case," Tenken thinks on the matter, then spotting the beginning of the district. He gestures toward it, asking if Iron would like to seek out a temple or stop in one of the taverns for signs of the order. It would be unlikely to just happen across the members in such a large and bustling city.
Iron Reed Scholar	"Some will have sorcerers yes." Iron Reed's tone becomes severe, then he's shaking his head. "Most will likely not be that... Severe however." He nods towards one of the taverns, his relaxing. "Shall we find somewhere to rest before we hunt information? Preferrably someone we can talk privately. I will admit you're the first of our particular... Organisation I've met."
Tenken	Tenken chuckles, "Well, an organization isn't what I'd call it. Not quite an ethnicity or profession either." He winks, saying "I do understand what you mean though. There is likely nowhere that is 100% safe to speak of such matters except for one with wards and sorcerous workings that are designed to the specific purpose of shielding the information, and based on what I've seen in my travels, particularly when people in our.... 'organization' are hunted... such things make me uneasy to speak of it in a crowded place as well. With this said, we can speak in general terms about it, at least until we are in a place such as my fortress" Tenken says, referencing his floating castle manse a day's flight to the south near the coast. "We should likely find a place to rest though, I think you are right. This pursuit of information will likely take some time, perhaps more than a week even, so we should find lodging." Pointing at an inn/tavern to the left, Tenken says, "This looks like as good a place as any." The worn signpost outside of the establishment had a purple animal of some sort on it, a strange and awkward looking creature from an another land. Faded words underneath it said "The Happy Alpaca Tavern & Inn".
Iron Reed Scholar	Iron Reed smiles as he looks at Tenken. "I am an opimist. I like to see the organisaiton we could be." He shrugs with a chuckle. "Perhaps that we need to be as things stand, but that's a discussion for another time. I have some fairly potent wards in place at my headquarters." He nods to the Happy Alpaca. "Seems a good spot."