The Most Parsimonious Observer of Sacred Topologies
Basic Information
Name: Simon (Shortening of title, real name unknown)
Title: The Most Parsimonious Observer of Sacred Topologies
Type: Sidereal Exalt
Player: Dan Hannah
Caste: Chosen of the Maiden of Secrets
Concept: Procurer and broker of information, divine and earthly
Political Affiliation: The Bureau of Destiny, the Gold Faction, the Hundred Kingdoms
Anima: Bundled tea leaves scribed in Old Realm with secrets unknown to all slowly unfold as though brewing
Background
In every major city of the Hundred Kingdoms, just outside the terraces of the government center, always in an alley off of the beaten path, there is a small tea shop. It is rarely open, an occasion marked by a baleful green lantern hanging in a porthole window. Inside, only a few seats are available, and the patrons, often scholars, diplomats, and officers, whisper their secrets in hushed tones. Visitors come as much for the tea as the company: Exotic leaves from around Creation, prepared masterfully by the proprietor of the establishment, who is always a middle-aged man, who looks a shade older than that in the wrong light, frequently a retired diplomat who can talk shop and knows the trade. Without exception, he bears a small paper brooch in the shape of a geomantic symbol marking him as a member of the Sacred Topology, a network of trusted information brokers operating in the Hundred Kingdoms.
In reality, the Sacred Topology is staffed entirely by the Resplendent Destinies of The Most Parsimonious Observer of Sacred Topologies, or Simon, a Sidereal Exalt chosen by the Maiden of Secrets. Though he has traveled the Hundred Kingdoms extensively, Simon was born in Sendai to the younger sister of its queen. During a civil war and the coup that followed, Simon was orphaned by the soon-to-be king, who nevertheless took pity on the young boy. As Simon was technically a viable successor to the throne, the king had him installed as a palace servant, so that he would never be able to stray into the notice of those able to discover his secret.
Simon's proximity to high society required a genteel upbringing. He was raised by older servants, and though it was not a particularly loving upbringing, he was safe, fed, and well-educated. Simon did not remember the full truth of his tragic childhood, only the terror and chaos of the civil war. Its horrors tattooed in his memory, he was grateful for the structured life of the palace. As he got older, he gained a reputation for being quiet, obedient, and observant. The King never forgot his charge, and Simon's unique relationship with the monarch made him the frequent subject of the King's attention. Soon, the king began to ask Simon to report on the goings-on of foreign visitors to the palace, a duty Simon performed without hesitation. By the time he was a young man, his duties had expanded to full-on espionage; he was the king's shadow, a personal spy replete with loyalty, talent, and with no link Sendai's government, plausible deniability. And so, Simon spent his second and third decades of life spying on the king's enemies (and allies), and occasionally worse. All the while, Simon trusted that whatever his scruples, his activities prevented a recurrence of the horrors of his childhood.
And then, the king died. Childless, the throne passed peacefully to his oldest living cousin. To Simon's surprise, she knew nothing of his activities, only that he had a dubious reputation among the palace staff. Unable to place her trust in him, she dismissed Simon and sent him away with his freedom and a generous nest egg, a final token of the late king's fondness for his treasured shadow.
Without purpose or employment, Simon decided to re-invent himself. The preparation of green tea was taken very seriously in Sendai, and Simon had performed the ritual many times for the king's guests. The ritual appealed to Simon's love of structure and procedure, and his detail-oriented mind relished cataloging the intricacies of every variety. He used his funds to open a tea shop in Sendai's diplomatic district, which quickly became a favorite of government types in the area. Simon, well-versed in espionage tradecraft, quickly found himself in the information trade. For years, Simon managed the tea shop and the information brokerage behind it, and carved out a nice living for himself in Sendai's merchant class.
From his unique vantage point, Simon always worked toward stability. Any short-term cost was worth long-term stability: Simon would not visit the horrors of his childhood upon any in the Hundred Kingdoms. One fateful day, Simon was approached by a buyer offering a king's ransom for information on troop movements near Greyfalls. Simon knew of their cause, but he also knew that their revelation would likely start a war. Risking his reputation, he refused the sale. Upon choosing to keep the information a secret, Simon prevented a war with the Realm. Having truly grasped a secret's power, he Exalted as a Sidereal.
Simon was quickly located by the Bureau of Destiny, which found great advantage in having an agent well-versed in the variety of cultures dappling the land of the Hundred Kingdoms. He was trained as an agent of destiny and given two charges:
- Ensure the flow of information in the Hundred Kingdoms is aligned with fate.
- Investigate any supernatural events outside or in defiance of fate.
The Bureau of Destiny impressed upon Simon the dire consequences of straying from Fate's plan, and he has transplanted his ardent defense of stability to their cause. With their backing, he created the Sacred Topology and expanded his tea shops across the Hundred Kingdoms, which he now travels in support of his mission.
In perhaps his one act of defiance, Simon supports the Gold Faction. He feels the time of Dragon-Blood rule has ended, and that their increasingly violent internal squabbles will plunge creation into chaos. Simon believes that while the Usurpation was necessary at the time, the viziers can use the lessons of the First Age to shepherd in a more measured Solar rule.
Footnote: Simon has since looked up the truth of his parents' death in Heaven's records, but it does not affect him; that was a different life, a long time ago.
Additional Info
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Merits
Contacts 5: The Sacred Topology
Most people "in the know" -- high ranking government officials, courtly advisors, diplomats, generals, spies -- know of the Sacred Topology. The organization, if it can be called one, is a politically neutral information network operating in the Hundred Kingdoms. Although its stated purpose is murky, its operators claim to provide a peaceful channel for information to flow discretely without the baggage of accountability or direct espionage.
The network itself is simple: It consists of operators, who are sworn observers and conduits of information, and factors, individuals who are entitled to contribute to and take from the Sacred Topology.
The operators of the Sacred Topology fit a very specific profile: They are always male ex-diplomats with an appreciation for tea. Beyond that, they work diligently to refrain from doing anything memorable or interjecting opinions. They are trained to be flies on the wall, and the inability of patrons to recall any precise details about them is testament to their skill. Operator are the tellers and brokers of the Sacred Topology -- they decide a secret's value and which pieces of information can be traded for what.
Factors are the suppliers and consumers of the information flowing through the network. To become a factor, an interested individual must seek out a tea shop with a green paper lantern in the window and deliver a secret to the operator there. The operator will take some time to verify the veracity and secrecy of the information. If the secret is good, the would-be factor will receive an invitation back to the tea shop in the form of a paper crane on their window sill. Upon their return (and presentation of the crane), they are given a paper brooch signifying their membership in the Sacred Topology and invited to sample its wares. The paper brooch is intentionally fragile, designed to signify the delicate nature of membership -- a factor who loses or destroys their brooch must repeat the membership ritual.
The Sacred Topology roughly operates as a creditor for secrets. A factor may always ask an operator for information. If the operator chooses to divulge any, he will note the transaction in the factor's register. Factors who take substantially more information out of the network than they contribute will find themselves out of the loop until they re-balance the scales. In some circumstances, operators will will accept other forms of payment, including money, favors, treasures, and stranger things yet. It is up to the operator to decide what remuneration is fitting.
Indeed, operators are given wide latitude to to make decisions about what information is traded -- they may refuse any request at any time. This has led some to accuse the network of serving an agenda, but operators deal useful information frequently enough that every major kingdom is nevertheless willing to support their own factors and play by the rules.
A final note: The tea shops where factors and operators meet to exchange information are considered sacrosanct -- no violence or direct espionage is permitted within their walls. Because most kingdoms benefit from the Sacred Topology's existence, state-level violations of this rule are rare. Individuals have, on occasion, attempted to stage ambushes at the tea shops or threaten operators for information. They have, without exception, disappeared.
Backing 3: The Celestial Bureaucracy
The Celestial Bureaucracy, and in particular the Bureau of Destiny, strives to keep things in Creation chugging along according to Fate’s roadmap. This aligns perfectly with Simon’s devotion to order, and he is fanatically loyal to their cause. In turn, his superiors, who trust in both his loyalty and capability, have given him an unusually large degree of support for a Sidereal so recently Exalted.
Resources 2
Although Simon isn’t super wealthy or very materialistic (beyond tea, on which he spends entirely too much money), he has spent years successfully trading secrets. Although he usually operates according to his principles, he isn’t above making a profit when he can, so he does have a decent amount of cash on hand. He mainly uses it when bribery is the easiest path forward.
Artifact 2: Silken Armor
While investigating the events that occurred at Fogscream Redoubt, Simon chanced upon a set of Infernal Silken Armor on a dead Infernal Cultist. As much a pragmatist as anyone, he decided to appropriate the gear, as interested in its concealed protection as he was a clearly-Infernal garment interwoven with strands of Starmetal...