Log View

From Exalted MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search


Source Contents
Tenken Often called the City of Temples or the House of Festivals-known simply as Decadence to others-Great Forks is one of the most prosperous and enlightened cities in the Confederation of Rivers. It is known for tolerance, art and culture and is a favored destination for those seeking self-indulgence and hedonism. Spirits and elementals compose a significant part of Great Forks' population, assisting in everything from military matters to bureaucracy and culture. The place positively swarms with godlings, spirits, cults and even some Fair Folk.

While the major exports of Great Forks are drugs and medicines, the place is also a center for the slave trade, as thousands of workers are required to maintain the city's marijuana, qat and tobacco fields. It is a place of revelry and festival, but it is founded on a solid working structure that depends on both mortal and divine contributions.

Great Forks was founded in Realm Year 278, when three groups of refugees arrived simultaneously at the confluence of the Rolling and Yellow rivers, each led by a powerful spirit that had protected it during the journey. The spirits were named Spinner of Glorious Tales, Weaver of Dreams of Victory, and Shield of a Different Day-generally shortened by mortal tongues to Talespinner, Dreamweaver and Dayshield. As the three groups readied for battle over the land, the spirits entered negotiations. At this time, the nearby shadowland (now known as Walker's Realm) was ruled by the Deathlord Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. The spirits knew a war between their three peoples would leave the winner too weak to withstand an attack from the Princess. However, they found that they and their people all had much in common, so they ultimately agreed to share the lands they had all claimed and to make their peoples one.

After they had settled their united folk, Talespinner and Dreamweaver crafted a story of a mighty victory over the Deathlord, while Dayshield warded the people and their spirit allies behind walls of illusion. The sorcerous story drove the Princess away in fear of her own annihilation. Within a year and a day, Great Forks arose from what had been plains and beaches, built by the three peoples and by lesser spirits and elementals.

Great Forks is a thriving city of more than a quarter of a million citizens, and nearly twice as many slaves. The Three, as the gods are known collectively, rule the city by decree and example, tending toward leniency and tolerance, and a merit-based human bureaucracy runs the city from day to day. The Three also encourage learning and education among their citizens, and Great Forks is home to some of the River Province's most famous sorcerers and savants. Many of these individuals vacation or dwell in Great Forks in townhouses subsidized and staffed by the government, in exchange for lecturing at the city's famous university.

What often troubles visitors-and particularly ones from the Realm-is the sheer number of spirits and elementals in Great Forks. Water elementals bring fish to the city's nets, ifrit guard the palace, wood spirits scout the forests and grasslands around the city, and gods serve alongside mortals in many different capacities. God-Blooded are common in Great Forks, and many inhabitants claim descent from a minor godling or greater elemental. Other God-Blooded, not born there, journey to the city to find a place where they will be accepted.

With the city full of godlings and spirits, cults abound, and the Temple District takes up a full third of the city. Hardly a day in Great Forks is not holy to half a dozen different cults or religions, which usually honor it with parades, music and festivals. The Temple District is one of the most crowded parts of the city.

Bright Journey As a God-Blooded herself, Bright Journey always wanted to make her way here. Really, her blood wasn't anything special by this place's standards--unnatural hair and eye colors, sure, but nothing that really stands out. Not like her birthplace of Nexus, nor the small village she'd lived most of her childhood. Here, she'd be accepted in a way she never had been, and being the by-blow of a god wasn't a point of contention, or even danger.

The rich irony wasn't lost on her, though. Here she was, but her great journey beckons. It's right in her name, and the name isn't figurative. Here she might belong...but she can't stay forever. Only until she uncovers the information she needs to know where to go next.

In the short term, though, Ignis traveled with her and Tenzen to Great Forks after their little forest encounter. Bright's bow was humming for days after that; its first taste of demon blood in centuries. At this rate, headed to a city of sorcerers and cults, it might sup again on demonflesh sooner rather than later. But Bright had a different goal--find Tenzen. She'd met Ignis at the arena and he directed her to the Alpaca, and a kind barmaid sent her here, so it's with a full belly and high spirits that she walks into the Temple District...until she -sees- the place. Just like when she got here to begin with, she'd completely underestimated the sheer size of the place. Again. A bit of an annoyed moue crosses her features as she looks at the temples and taverns and brothels. Where in here would he be likely to head?

Seeker A flock of birds flows through the sky dancing left, then right, then left again. It continues to move towards the Temple District of Great Forks. Great knowledge is held inside and that is why the flock is heading there.

With the high flow of individuals that are in the district, landing locations are a bit of a problem. The flock moves closer to the ground and towards one of the few "ally ways", so to speak. The birds being piling upon each other. A form begins to take shape from the flapping mass. It then seems to solidify and a tall lanky man is in it's place.

He stretches his hands to the sky and relaxes them down. Hunkering the pack on his back down, he starts to walk into the flow of people. The library is his destination. Knowledge is what he seeks and this is a great place to find.

Tenken The Temple district is the central, and richest area of the city of great forks. Home to much of the service industry of the city, from brothels to restaurants to tea houses. Many of the wealthy middle and upper class have private homes on the streets here, and one is never more than a moment away from their favorite indulgence in the outer band of the temple district.

Proceeding into the heart of the city, richer and more fanciful revelries eventually give way to a bustling throng of temples and worshippers- with shrines to just about any god one can think of, ranging from little hole-in-the wall affairs with a simple bust and offering table, to the great monoliths erected in honor to the incarnae.

At the dead center of the city, and dominating all those places of worship around it, lies the palace of the three. A great alabaster dome that almost glows during the day, and even at night softly reflects Luna's light. Within it, the ultimate power within the city lies- its three patron dieties, and the mortal council they preside over. Beyond the deities and innumerable spirits that reside within Great Forks, some champions of the gods have received the second breath of exigency, greatly adding to the military might of the city and the Realm, although concerned about Great Forks, doesn't see it as a worthy operation to try and subdue it.

To the north of this dome is the house of functionaries- the bureaucratic and diplomatic nerve center of the city. To the southeast, the house of soldiers, where military concerns are decided. To the southwest is the House of Learning, Great Forks' university and a beacon of knowledge and understanding in this age of sorrows. Finally, a notably uninspired building sits against the great dome of the palace - the headquarters of the peacekeepers who keep this city running smoothly. It is rumored that among the peacekeepers are captains that have received the second breath, otherwise known as exigence, from the most powerful of deities within the city. It is also rumored that such exigents are spread throughout the city in plain-clothes roles, serving the interests of the state in a clandestine capacity in roles ranging from intelligence collection, surveillance, or even covert actions referred to as 'liquid affairs' within the bureaucracy - such 'night work' must be executed by powerful beings as the targets are usually not your average mortal.

Far above the city in the cloud line, Tenken's sanctum is protected by an illusion that bends and distorts light around it, not rendering it invisible but obscuring it enough that an onlooker with hostile intent would have trouble locating it. This floating sanctum was a manse that wasn't quite? stationary. At the moment, he had worked out a deal to have his sanctum within a stone's throw of some of the city's important areas. He had been in talks about contracting with the peacekeepers, but only for particular assignments through his contact at the Happy Alpaca Inn, Gardo. Today, he received word that a previous companion of his had made her way through the inn, Bright Journey, and this spurred him into action as he was curious to find her again and find out what her next steps were in Great Forks and if there was anything he could assist with. Assuming that she would head to the temple district - as most do - he made his way there, flying down to a rooftop and then hopping down to the ground and joining the throngs of people in a city constantly overrun by one festival or another.

Bright Journey Ah, to be alive in the City of Temples. It's not as if it's an unpleasant day out. A bit cloudy, perhaps, but that just serves to cut into the sticky heat of the throng of people out and about today, dancing and gyrating in grotesque oni-like masks and not a whole hell of a lot else. They seem to be everywhere, thrashing to the staccato beat of drums further away. It's easy to tell who's native to the city and who isn't--the former duck and weave between them like champion broken-field runners, and people like Bright Journey who have to frantically spin around and duck to not have an elbow knock their lights out.

Through all this nonsense, though, the architecture looms overhead and at least gives some semblance of a direction to move in. Hood down, cloak tossed back over her epaulets, Bright at least has enough peripheral vision to not get clocked as she heads towards a charming, but quite busy, lunchtime kabob stand. She's not the picture of height, perhaps, but between her striking pink hair and gleaming golden lamellar armor with black cloak, perhaps she'd be a bit easier to pick out among so many others in less obvious shades.

Seeker Walking to the rhythmic clanking of the different accouterments that adorn his clothes, Seeker is reading a book as he walks.

Not in the literal since of the word. He's not holding a physical book in his hands. No. He has one in his mind that he is reading. He had flipped through the pages a while back and had it memorized.

This keeps him rather distracted. He is bumping, lightly of course, into some of the other people. Not totally unexpected with how crowded this area was. This is until he bumped, a little harder than he should have, into a pink haired lady. Her armor making the bumping unpleasant for Seeker.

"Sorry about that!" he exclaims as he gives a courteous node.

Bright Journey The line's long and obnoxious, of course, not because the people are bad per se but they're certainly in the mood to party. At least none of the gyrating dancers are in line at the moment. It sure feels like everyone else is, though, and with the constant chatter punctuated by the drums, it can be hard to hear oneself think.

And then, of course, just as Bright is trying to get used to her surroundings, she's taking a moment to admire a particularly sinuous, well-decorated piece of statuary on the corner when she gets whumped a bit from behind and to one side. Not hard enough to knock her down, but hard enough to surprise her, certainly. And it was on the side with her coinpurse.

Immediately she clamps her hand down on her coinpurse as she whirls around in a swirl of pink hair, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who--? What do you think you're doing?" She lifts the coinpurse enough to realize it's no lighter, and indeed, far from trying to look innocent and distracted, the lanky man that bumped into her looks scholarly. And very successfully looks distracted.

Seeker Bowing deeply, Seeker reiterates his earlier claim: "I apologize, miss." Seeing her grab at, what he assumes is her purse, he puts his hands up and palms facing her. "I have nothing of yours, though I can understand why you would check. If I remember correctly, the crime rates have been a little higher than normal..."

He continues to talk about crime statistics and his arms lower. On cradles his chin, the other cradles the arm cradling the chin. "... that could be a reason. I'm not sure the decrease in harvest to the north would greatly affect the city populace to that degree. Disgruntled temple patrons maybe?"

Bright Journey Well. Bright Journey looks mollified, at least, at the scholar's apology. She bows in return, not as deeply, as befitting someone who wasn't in the wrong but still wishing to show respect. She has an easy grin on her face, though both people have to shuffle a little bit further as the line moves forward a foot or two.

"Well, I suppose if you're not scampering off by now, you must not have my purse. But I'm not sure how bad normal is around...um." Her voice trails off as Seeker goes on, talking about crime rates and harvests and templegoers...and her eyes start to glaze over a bit. "Er...um. Yes. Of course."

Seeker Realizing his audience isn't as interested in the topic as he is, he pauses and asks quaintly: "What brings you to the Temple District? Maybe a bit of divinity in you eh?"

Pink hair isn't common where he is from and, Great Forks being what is was, there were a few god children here. His eyes were wide with excitement at meeting one.

Tenken Tenken scans the crowd, and with his keen visual prowess - ironic due to his use of an eyepatch over his right eye - his golden-honey colored eye spots Bright among the masses. She seems to be engaged in conversation with some type of scholarly man at the moment, and he makes his way through the throng of people. The temple district was always packed with folks for some festival or another, with acolytes and believers of innumerable deities preaching and spreading their gospels. Joining them were some deities themselves, as smaller and less known deities sought to bring followers into the fold and gain their worship in exchange for patronage and favor.

Tenken reaches the pair and waves, his kind face sporting a grin as he greets Bright. "Hey Bright, its been a little while, I must say that this scenery beats the East Woods out in the rural country where we last were? how are you? What are you doing in the city today?".

In the background, a voice cuts through the ambient chatter, shouting from atop a crate shouting about the end of days, "the world will be swallowed by darkness and once all fell to shadow, the light will never be seen again!". There always seemed to be one of those, shouting doom and gloom and apocalyptic visions that he/she heard from 'the voices'. Something about this man sounded a bit different though, so Tenzen made note to remember the man's description, wearing plain gray robes, a medallion with the rising sun stained red, and the distinct characteristic that he was blind. He had no listeners or audience to speak of, as most passed him by.

Bright Journey There's a bit of a smile on her face, a quieter one, when Seeker asks about Bright's hair. She looks just a touch rueful, but still with plenty of humor in her expression as she replies, "Eh. Heh. Figures you'd see that right away." She chuckles. "Better than shaving my head, though, you understand. Yes, I am. At least here it's just...not as big a deal."

She looks ready to explain further, but she pauses as a familiar voice calls out. Her silver eyes widen in surprise and she grins, beckoning the warrior on over. "Well, dip me in candy and call me an apple. Exactly who I was looking for. Good day to you, Tenzen."

With that, Bright steps out of line and faces both men fully, one hand on her hip, the other flipping her hair back over her shoulder. "Nice to see you again. And, I must say, as crazy as it is around here, it beats running down -those- things in a creepy forest all to hell and gone. Lot nicer looking, I suppose, but not a lot of room to move." She grins impudently. "Different kind of punches to roll away from."

She looks about ready to continue, but it's at that time that the morbid priest starts up spouting about being swallowed by darkness and the world will end. Immediately, Bright's face turns serious, and just a little sad. "...Yeah. I just -love- people like him, don't you? Just wish I could call him a liar."

Tenken Turning to the scholarly looking man, he says "Im Tenken, though friends call me Tenzen - either works for me. Ive been called worse!" he says with a chuckle. "Who might you be? A new aquaintance of Bright's?". Looking toward the prophet of doom, Tenken asks, "What do you make of that one?"
Seeker To the new man that has walked up, "Nice to meet you Tenken, I am Seeker." Said with a smile on his face, Seeker continues on. "Not a friend, though that would be interesting. I bumped into this nice lady here and was apologizing."

Turning his attention to the man on his soap box, Seeker comments "With what I know, it can't be discounted entirely. I wouldn't be able to give any definitive answer with out first inquiring about the man's sources, then find out their credibility..." Remembering not everyone goes that deep, he stops himself and self corrects. "I'd have to look into some things to give a sufficient answer to your question." He leaves it at that.

Bright Journey Bright still looks just a bit grim, a night and day switch from her cheery disposition a few moments ago. She eyes Tenken warily for a moment. "Wait a minute. I got your name wrong? Ah, hell, I'm sorry. Figures. We really didn't get that much time to talk, outside the trip to the city." She offers Tenken a bow in apology.

"In all seriousness, though," she continues, "he's just a street preacher. Though he certainly has that end-of-the-world couture down pat." She rolls her eyes. "I don't have to ask if a calamity is going to befall us in...I'm not sure. The next few years, maybe. But I don't have to ask because I -know-." She eyes both men directly, first one and then the other. "The difference is I'm not sitting on my behind waiting for it to come."

Tenken As the three converse, a palanquin carried by two golem-type creations moves by the crowds. The litter is given a wide berth, as standing in front of it is one of the Peacekeepers, the city's 'guard', 'security service' 'intelligence agency' and innumerable other roles mashed up into one organization. Colloquially referred to as 'Keepers', their crest is denoted as a triangle representative of 'The 3', the founding deities, with each point of the triangle sporting their individual emblems. At the center of the traingle is an ever-watching and open eye, a symbol with myriad meanings throughout lore from the first age through the current day.

The Keeper at the front of the palanquin stands approximately 3 inches taller than Tenzen, making him a respectable 6'4", with a sturdy frame and wearing heavy plate armor. The armor itself appears to be a mixture of steel and some type of magical materials such as jade, but mostly crimson in color with golden trim. Strapped on his back is a grand daiklaive of impressive size, and the impression given to all onlookers is that the wielder knows how to use it. His hair is cropped short, stark white, with white stubble on his face. This man is rumored to be among the elite guard. also known as the royal guard within the city. Following behind the procession are 4 figures clothed in all black robes, identically worn with large hoods completely covering their faces, with hands tucked into the opposite sleeves so that no part of their skin is visible. On such a hot day, this is curious in itself, but to those with honed perceptive skills related to the occult and spiritual energies, there is more to these figures than meets the eye.

As the procession nears the group of Tenzen, Bright, and their new friend, the Doomsayer, the old blind man who had been shouting literally all day about the end of times, suddenly goes quiet. Almost imperceptibly, one of the robed and hooded figures traces an intricate pattern in the air with one bandaged hand and then reinserts it into a sleeve.

Seeker Seeker easily identifies that there are differing powers coming from this procession. Those leading exude power. Those trailing exude darkness. He can't put a hand on what as the language they are using is unfamiliar to him.

What a pleasant surprise! Seeker files all these new and unknown runes away in his mental book shelf. It should be interesting seeking out the source of that language. They way the words flow together both written and in word. He wonders what it was derived from and how old the language is. What events in history changed the language to what it is today? What sister languages may there be from the same root? Seeker had some homework to do!

Stepping forward, Seeker addresses the procession. No one in particular, just asking the question as he looks closer at the runes. "What language is this? I haven't seen it before."

Bright Journey The three of them are just people in the crowd, right? Three out of a huge multitude, all of them standing well back and out of the way, right?

Right?

It's no surprise when Seeker starts examining the palanquin, and the whatever-it-is that that one dark robed figure used. No, that's something everyone in the crowd is wondering, though most wouldn't have gotten anywhere. Bright got...well, a little further than the rest of the crowd, but not by too much.

And then he -walks forward- and -begins to speak-. Her jaw drops in shock and eyes widen in dismay. Fortunately, he wasn't really speaking above a normal tone, so perhaps the murmur of the crowd will cover for him, and he certainly isn't getting in front of everyone else in the crowd in just a few moments.

She reaches out and puts a hand on Seeker's shoulder, holding the arm still so he hopefully doesn't try to walk forward further. She's not yanking back on his shoulder, though. Yet. She does lean forward a bit and hiss in an urgent whisper.

"No! Only thing they'll tell you is you're going to -die-. Don't get their -attention-!"

Tenken The four hooded figures clad in monochromatic black garb walk in even strides behind the palanquin, seeming to float eerily behind. No sounds from boots or any type of footwear could be heard hitting the cobblestones, no metallic clanks of armor rubbing together, not even the sound of breathing from within the shadowed hoods. When gusts of wind would whip the robes and cloaks about on their frames, that didn't even produce noise. Something was certainly unnerving about this retinue, but perhaps most unnerving of all was the dead silence about them - a silence that was less an 'absence of sound' but more that all sound associated with them had been, killed.

When approached by Seeker and asked about the series of runes and script on the bandages on its hand, the figure stopped in a manner that was jarring. Everything about the movements, even how they stopped moving, made an observer's instincts burn and made their mind scream that something was wrong here. A primal panic overcomes his entire body. His nervous system courses over with ice, his body won't move. His memories flash in a loop through the worst and most terrifying memories that he has experienced throughout his life. Interestingly, as a possibly unintended consequence, memories from a life not his own also begin to flash through his memory.

Seeker's education with regard to First Age lore, artifacts, relics, society, history - all of this comes into focus and for the first time, they mean something more than curious and interesting stories on the pages of those dusty volumes he would spend so much of his time poring over. He was now seeing the first-person view of events during the First Age, from the point of view of one that was not just alive then, but a significant and meaningful player whose actions shaped the course of history in many ways. He saw his brush, the same one he holds today; the memories of Seeker's past life were awakened through the Solar shard.

Incomprehensible fear suddenly shattered like a glass window pane, and Seeker leans back into the grip of Bright, having lost track of both space and time, somewhat in a daze. In those moments, he had experienced much more than most ever would in their lifetimes, but it would take some time to recover and pore over what he saw, as some of it related to this very area.

Seeker The hand touching his shoulder grounds him a bit. His eyes take in the details about the individual in front of him. Movement, scent, sounds, emanating presence. These are cataloged, tallied, and ranked. Bayesian models form from probabilities of countless actions and outcomes.

He expands his field of vision out to the rest of the procession and the crowd. Assessing their traits, actions, interactions, inactions. He pieces together a broader picture to apply to the bayesian model already created. This complex web of probabilities floats in his mind as he decides what to do next.

He steps back and shuts up.

Now, this isn't due to self preservation. Could this lead to death? Yes! But so would living. No! This was his mind stopping the body because it was deep in thought. Thought on what was in front of him, what they might be doing, and what might come of it. Having been in Great Forks for a short time, he had seen most processions and how they operate when the big three invite them in. This was different. This was different; off. The different energies he could feel, the procession. It was wrong. He needed more information.

And Boy Did He Get It!

Memories flood in from all sides. Seeker races to categorize and place them into understandable bins. Knowledge! Beautiful knowledge! Tombs of old, maps long lost, inventions that are no more. This was fantastic! Seeing the First Age Solar's goals and ambitions come to fruition was an inspiration to Seeker. His thirst for knowledge grew leaps and bounds. Slotting away what he had seen onto his mind's bookshelf, Seeker needed to find a place to review the plethora of data that he had accumulated.

But there is still right now; he had to remind himself. Taking another step back from the procession, he turned to the others he had been talking to he starts, quietly, rattling of some inquiries:

- "What do you know about those occupying the nearby shadowland?" - "Were there any recent high profile kidnappings or capture?" - "What economic affects would the shadowland's occupancy be if those residing were living or undead?" - "Are shadowlands static or dynamic after creation?" - "If the later, what causes the ebb and flow?"

While asked of the two, it was more asked towards the two. He was trying to process his thoughts on the information that was mulling through his head. Complex webs of cause and affect, threads of thought trailing to the unknown due to lack of information (the horror), probable paths for outcomes identified.

Bright Journey Bright's hand is on Seeker's shoulder when the thing does...whatever it does...to Seeker. Her eyes widen as her hand freezes. Rime covering over. Solid block of ice. All but shattering...

But no. There wasn't any real ice on her hand, but the unbelievable chill of death froze it solid just the same, just for a moment. She tried to lift the hand, but nothing. It stood stock still as Seeker pitched backwards, and in truth, she's not strong enough to really catch him well as he falls. Even if she were, she was stock still, frozen in time for a moment, and had no choice but to let him go.

She does at least have the wherewithal to look up at the thing as it glides past...but not say anything. Oh, no. She was never going to do that in the first place. Surely, here was a threat her bow would sing to destroy, if only she could.

Seeker The swarm of new thoughts filling his head needed to be sorted out. Seeker walks into the crowd to leave the temple district. He is mumbling to himself beginning to sort this massive data dump thrust upon him by fate.
Tenken Tenken had noticed the dread aura and spiritual pressure emanating from the 4 figures at the back of the procession, but had kept his distance there. While the boon granted from his relics that made spirits, gods, and even the Loom recognize him as a legitimate agent of heaven; in this particular instance, his intuition told him to steer clear of the retinue. Instead, he focused on the vanguard, the peacekeeper Captain up front, and on the palanquin itself, noting any distinguishing crests, markings, etc. that may provide useful information later.