The Risen Shadow

Prologues

Darker Days Ahead...
Wayfare to an Uncertain Asylum

Summary

(I may have altered things unintentionally because I forgot them. If you remember differently but like the alteration, sweet. If not, lemme know, and we'll straighten shit out. Also, if there's stuff I straight up forgot, that'd be good to know, too.)

The story began with the mixed-Exalt circle re-convening in Great Forks. Arellious and Aktuelle had traveled South, through the Marukan plains, where they ascertained that the blight plaguing their lands was, in fact, the work of necromancy. Their suspicions were further confirmed after a brief attack by the Seven Seasons Widow, who had ventured far into Marukan territory, though the battle was short lived, as the Deathknight had other matters on her mind, and wished not to create such an obvious disturbance outside of Thorns's territory. Lazarus had just returned from Greyfalls, after conducting a series of several successful guerrilla attacks against the Imperial stronghold. Steel Heart's Fury had been attending to his tribe, though was drawn back to Great Forks after he learned that a series of newly arisen, and particularly brutal ancestor cults had been threatening both the welfare and membership of his growing barbarian federation. He deemed Aktuelle best equipped to consult on such a matter, as he feared the involvement of the Deathknights in these cults, as Fury had already slain one nemissary in protection of his tribes.

Once they met up, Aktuelle informed that group that the Council of the Concordat would meet to address the growing incidence of plague in Marukan Alliance - all members of the Council were concerned on such matters, given its proximity to the Mask of Winters' stronghold. The group decided this was the best route to pursue. Though they were strong in and of themselves, protecting the Marukan Alliance would be much easier if they were able to garner the support of the kingdoms within the Confederation of Rivers. Aktuelle planned to ask the Council for the kingdoms to organize help for the Marukan alliance, lest they be made slaves to the Guild, the only other organize who could hope to support the range towns in their famine. Fury, though less interested in the affairs of urban governments, agreed to accompany the group, as he had reason to believe the cult had its origins in the wild area around Nexus. Thus, the group set out to travel to Nexus, and though their journey was free of peril, it would be the last time the Exalts would have such luxury in the months to come.

In Nexus, the councilor and astrologer Takeshi Irugawa was known as a diehard nightlifer, and had as of late been courted about the city by Taguhla, a wealthy Guild investor. He'd been grooming Takeshi for market information, and, as the main organizer of a potential caravan outing to the Marukan alliance, hoped to find out whether the investment was a good one, or if official help from the Confederation of Rivers would make a Guild outing in Marukan a worthless venture. Little did he know that Takeshi was in fact a rogue Deathknight, Whispers from Beyond, already with a set of troubles of his own (see Wayfare to an Uncertain Asylum for more about that). Thus, it was unsettling to Takeshi when he encountered Typhon, the Mask of Winters' foremost agent in Creation, at an upscale Nexus casino. The meeting was short lived, however, as Typhon dropped a few ominous witticisms and made his way out. Though the encounter was unnerving, Typhon's presence in Nexus was to be expected, as he was the Voice of Thorns, a representative to the Council of the Concordat.

The group's first night in Nexus was already frought with peril - tracked and cornered by agents of the All-Seeing-Eye, Lazarus and Typhon teamed up to slaughter the unsuspecting, would-be assassin. It was unfortunate for Lazarus, however, that the scuffle was in dire proximity to his lodging for the evening. Typhon, who had more spacious accommodations, fled the scene quickly, and the group was left to deal with Takehsi's investigation into the eight murders that had occured. Remus, who had some clout with the Council of Entities, was able to bargain for some slack, and things proceeded ahead.

Fury, in the meantime, had been looking into the origin of the newly formed ancestor cults, and seemed to have been able to trace them back to an old, grey-bearded man, who shall henceforth be referred to as The Grey Man. The Grey Man, nearing the end of his life, had approached the Deathknight White Bone Sinner, an ambassador to Sijan from the Deathlord Walker in Darkness, in hopes of obtaining a proper burial in the grave city. When the White Bone Sinner obliged, people claiming to be Grey Man's friends and family soon began to flock to White Bone Sinner, beseeching him to lead them in praise of their dead ancestors. Always eager to encourage recognition of the dead, the Deathknight, though puzzled, agreed to take the reigns of the cult. It is unknown whether it was at his urging or random impulse that the cult soon began to turn to ritual rape and human sacrifice, but its affairs became increasingly more widespread and brutal, which is what had drawn Fury's notice.

The meeting of the Council began, and it was soon apparent that a sharp divide was beginning to form. Arbogassu Remus, the ambadassador to the Council of the Concordat from the Marukan Alliance, delivered an impassioned speech condemning the Council's acceptance of blatant evil in its lands by continuing to grant Thorns membership. Not at all hesitant to abuse his powers as an Eclipse Caste Solar, he easily won the favor the council with his initial proclamation.

Typhon, an Abyssal Exalt himself, was equally ready to use every trick up his sleeve, though he scarcely needed it. The silver-tongued ambassador remained calm, turning Remus's fiery passion against him and painting a picture of the Voice of Marukan as a warmongering tyrant. His words hit home with a number of Confederation leaders, most of them tired of incessant combat within the Scavenger Lands. Remus retorted with another admonishment, this time against the nation of Thorns itself, attempting to illustrate that it had no place in the among the Confederation of Rivers. Typhon was again ready, illustrating that while Thorns had its faults, most of the major kingdoms within the Scavenger Lands were no better when examined under the looking glass. The back and forth continued throughout the day among other issues, but Typhon had come prepared for just an assault, and while Typhon could answer for Thorns, Remus could not do the same for every nation in the Council, and it appeared that at the end of the first day of meetings, the Council was not yet convinced they had an enemy in Thorns.

That night, Fury and Lazarus, who had been tracking down the ancestor cult and learned earlier of a meeting this night, brought the group to the meeting spot. Sure enough, the cultists began to assemble, hoping for the first time to hold an audience with their revered leader - The White Bone Sinner. Along with him had come the ghost-blooded ambassador from Sijan, Tadeusz McKallintz, a close ally of the White Bone Sinner, somewhat oblivious to the Deathknight's true nature.

Fury and Lazarus had disguised themselves as members of the cult, and when the White Bone Sinner began his mass, the pair did not mince words. Full-out combat quickly ensued as the two Chosen cast aside their disguises. While Fury staved off the crazed hordes and dealt with Tadeusz, Lazarus engaged the White Bone Sinner. Though the Deathknight was able to deal Lazarus a crushing blow with his soulsteel goremaul, Lazarus, a warrior by trade, made short work of the Walker In Darkness's diplomat, unleashing his swordsmanship skill to its fullest extent. Night briefly became day as Lazarus brought the wrath of the Unconquered Sun down upon the Abyssal, rending him messily in two pieces with a series of well placed strikes from his orichalum daiklave.

((Somewhere in here Aktuelle is attacked by Seraph and nearly killed, Saros takes him to find a solar healer in the region. If my memory serves me that happend after the first day in the council but before or seperate from the encounter with White Bone Sinner. As I'm sure we remember Fury made sure that Aktuelle was present at the rest of the Council meetings as well. Also, I dont remember what if anything came of Saros' break into Typhons house but I thought that may have happend pre-White Bone Sinner. Though if nothing major came of it there is no need to include it.)) --FyreFly 12:14, 13 October 2008 (EDT)

((Aktuelle was attacked after the first meeting, but it was on the second day before the second meeting occurred. I recall this because I remember scrambling up to Remus's office before the meeting began while Remus contacted Ky Vox, a Silver Faction Sidereal, hoping he'd know of a local healer capable of handling the damage. I think Saros broke into Typhon's house during the second day of meetings as well, post-WBS. If there's another party to break the tie, it'd be nice to have some light shed on the situation. If not, it doesn't make a tremendous difference, I'll just see to it that it gets put in somewhere.))

Characters

Player Characters

• Arellious Kalar (Dragon-Blooded, Air Aspect) - Tony
• Lazarus (Solar Exalt, Dawn Caste) - Drue
• Ledaal Sarefine (Dragon-Blooded, Fire Aspect) - Brian
• Saros (Sidereal, Chosen of the Maiden of Secrets) - Brian
• Steel Heart's Fury (Lunar, Changing Moon Caste) - Dan
• Whispers From Beyond (Abyssal Exalt, Day Caste) - Tony

Storyteller Characters

Solar Exalts

• Aktuelle
• Remus

Sidereal Exalts

• Domino
• Phaeron Briggs

Lunar Exalts

• Seven Devils Clever

Abyssal Exalts

• Seven Seasons Widow
• Typhon
• Unerring Crossroads Pilgrim
• White Bone Sinner

Terrestrial Exalts

• Mayhiros Tesos
• Mayhiros Raygar

Mortals

• Tagula