Mission 5: Ransom for the Impious
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Exalted: |
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Chapter 2 |
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The Circle With No Name |
Suggested Music - Battle Scene II from Final Fantasy II by the Black Mages
Prelude
Rizuka knelt idly in the gardens behind the hospital, tending to a patch of plants whose growth she wasn't entirely happy with. This was, of course, a relative term; so strong was Rizuka's Wood-aspect anima banner that it had permanently endowed the garden with teeming life Essence, making it nearly as ripe and fertile as the Elemental Pole of Wood itself. Its most wilted flowers would be exotic blooms in any of Creation's markets. Nevertheless, Rizuka tried to nurture them further. Although she didn't look back, she raised her gaze when she heard heavy footsteps approaching behind her.
"Oak."
Oak's demeanor was less than jovial, as he got straight to business, "Midori, we have a very serious problem."
Rizuka finally looked back and upwards at the giant of a man, standing with some effort. She matched his concern, recognizing that a man as ancient and grizzled as Oak was not bothered by anything but the most grave of situations.
"What's wrong, Oak?"
"Come to the Manse. Let's go."
Although Rizuka had reached a comforting hand out towards Oak's shoulder, he turned before its arrival and began walking. Concerned, she followed him, matching his quick pace.
At the manse, Ruk, Anton, Tiamat, and the Three Elite Fiends stood gathered in the Manse's inner chamber, where meetings with the Fiends were held. They were gathered around something, although at first, Rizuka couldn't tell what. As they got closer, it became clear that it was a body.
Rizuka nudged between Ruk and Tiamat, kneeling at the foot of the cadaver. Instinctively feeling for a pulse and finding none, she looked back to the group.
"Who... is this?"
Gyoki replied, "I spoke with this man last week in Matetha - what he's doing in our damned grand corridor I couldn't possibly fathom, as I don't seem to recall inviting him here. He appears to be quite dead, also. I'd say he was in better shape when we last spoke."
Shedding a bit more light on Gyoki's reply, Ruk added, "This is the man from House Ledaal who hired The Circle With No Name to steal the Broken-Winged Crane. We don't know how he got in here, or why he's dead, but that's not our biggest concern."
Rizuka stood, tilting her head slightly, not fully understanding what Ruk was getting at. Tiamat spoke, holding up a pipe that he'd had in his hands.
"This pipe - it was still lit in the man's mouth when we found him. It's --"
He was cutoff by Rizuka; rarely prone to outbursts of any sort, even she couldn't stop herself from covering her mouth with one hand as she gasped.
"My gods... that's Atlas's pipe. It never made it back from his last mission... my gods..." She turned to Oak, her face having become slightly pale.
"Has the Circle with No Name left yet?"
Oak nodded affirmatively, and Anton, who had done a lot of the legwork in initial intelligence gathering, added, "They left yesterday, yeah, headin' int'Icehome southward."
Rizuka replied, "They could be in way over their heads... We should warn them - let the Harvestmen do this."
Tiamat nodded and said, "This is our dirty laundry and should clean it up. This job clearly isn't what we thought it was."
Anton, Ruk, and Oak were all ready to speak up as well, though it wasn't clear if they agreed or not. It didn't matter. Samsara, the quietest of the Elite Fiends, spoke up, and everyone else fell silent. Her piercing, inhuman voice was disconcerting even to the Order's most seasoned assassins, and her words were brief.
"No. This is as it should be. Atlas's beliefs encouraged the creation of the Circle With No Name. Atlas was not a fool. It is only natural that the new should arise from the ashes of the old - Atlas believed a new age was at hand, and with that new age, a new era for our art. Let the Circle With No Name prove themselves in the wake of Atlas's death; let them demonstrate, as he did, that our art will continue to reinvent itself as time marches on."
The Job
Client: House Ledaal
Target: The Broken-Winged Crane
Type: Theft
Target background: It was said the true copy of the Broken-Winged Crane will be written by a High Priestess of the Yozis, and that the completion of such a text will mark the beginning of the end of the times. Although all copies of the Broken-Winged are considered incredibly dangerous (possessing or reading even a single page of the book is punished by a swift, non-negotiable death in any remotely civilized area of Creation), it was believed previously that the true copy had not yet been written. Professors at the Heptagram believe they have turned up the true copy - still a work in progress, thankfully - and have readily convinced House Ledaal of such. In keeping with growing tensions in the Realm, House Ledaal is concerned that if the All-Seeing Eye is alerted, dormant spymasters from House Iselsi will try to recover the book and use it as a bargaining chip. Ledaal has opted for a different route - and that's where the Grass-Spiders come in.
Simply, the job of the Order is to steal the Broken-Winged Crane before it can be finished. The text was pinpointed by Heptagram faculty contacts in Icehome, where they believe it is currently being kept in the labyrinth underneath the Treasury building. It is also known that the text occasionally resides aboard a commerce airship, The Cicada, which travels in cycles between Icehome and Crystal. It is known that the text was in the Treasury building at the time of discovery, but the agent in question is concerned that the book's caretakers know it was spotted. The agent noted a large shipment of treasury items being shipped to Crystal aboard The Cicada, and is concerned the text may have been moved. Contacts in Crystal are able to verify that the text is not being housed within the city, so the book is either in the treasury or aboard the ship.
Ledaal has stressed that the acquisition of this text prior to its completion is critical to the safety of Creation as a whole. They have authorized the use of whatever means are necessary to obtain the book - House Ledaal's elders have agreed that they will take the blame for any political fallout that occurs as a result of the Grass Spiders' actions, provided they successfully obtain the text. They have also cautioned the Order that many other powerful groups of people, particularly Yu-Shan and its servants, have a strong interest in obtaining this book - Ledaal (perhaps rightfully) does not trust their intentions to be pure. Furthermore, it is not impossible that other Realm intelligence agencies have also uncovered the text, and may be working to obtain it.
((I will post maps of the Treasury building and the relevant Icehome districts in the next couple of days.))
((Check out the North sourcebook for information on the Haslanti League.))
Critical Notes:
- You have been authorized to use whatever means are needed to recover the book, at any cost. Kill whoever you have to, blow up whatever needs to be blown up, drop a Soulbreaker Orb in the middle of the city and then fly the Geronimo through the crater into the Treasury's catacombs to get the book, guns blazing, whatever. Whatever it takes.
- That said, the Haslanti League are some of the toughest, proudest bastards in Creation. They're all good at fighting and they have a large airship fleet with over 100 First-Age quality vessels, any of which they're perfectly willing to bring to bear if they feel their well-being is threatened. Factor in the likelihood of an extremely well-guarded Treasury building, interference from Heaven's agents (yes, that means Sidereal Exalts), the possibility of akuma (it is the Broken-Winged Crane, after all), and stealth/finesse doesn't seem like such bad idea.
- The Grandmothers (North book, pg. 66) are good friends of Gyoki and the Order. They may be able to provide useful information, but they may also alert Icehome to your presence - tread carefully.
- The Treasury is hosting a gala for visiting traders - this would be an ideal time to check out the Treasury building without arousing too much suspicion.
- Regardless of the scenario, the Haslans are unlikely to take kindly to intruders or theft - the fact that the text was stored in the Treasury means the author/owner is likely a friend of the Oligarchy.
Expected Threats:
- Haslanti Guards (Threat level: Low to Medium, Probability of Encounter: Likely)
- Sidereal Demon-Hunters (Threat level: You've read Scroll of Monk and Sidereal 2e, Probability of Encounter: Medium)
- All-Seeing Eye Agents (Threat level: High, Probability of Encounter: Medium)
- Haslanti Air Boats (Threat level: Medium to High, Probability of Encounter: Likely)
- Akuma (Threat level: Very high, Probability of Encounter: Low)
- Demons (Threat level: Medium to Very high, Probability of Encounter: Low)
Team: The Circle With No Name
Mission Status
Job: Complete
Dates: Descending Wood 13 - Descending Wood 26, R.Y. 769
Theft: An attempt at casing the joint by attending the gala didn't go quite as smoothly as was hoped, although thanks to social efforts by Ash and Mesa and diligent fighting on the parts of Zealot, Fay, and Opal, the characters emerged from the chaos alive and confident that the book was in the city, albeit with a heavily injured Fay. Following that, a plan was made to smuggle Opal in inside of a chest, getting her stored next to the book itself in the nigh-impenetrable vault. After Ash assumed the role of a young businessman and secured backing from a trustworthy military official, Opal was placed into the vault. Things got even dicier when the Cicada took flight above the Treasury building, and the remaining characters executed a last-ditch effort to crash land into the Cicada with a hijacked Haslanti airboat and attempted to secure the book from the larger airship. Although the characters successfully boarded the Cicada, they found they'd been beaten to the punch by the Bronze Faction Sidereal Caretaker of Meaningless Excess. After some clever social maneuvering by Ash, a deal was made whereupon Ash would deliver the book to House Ledaal, albeit to a House Ledaal representative who was, in fact, Caretaker in disguise.
Quote of the night: "I think we're finished here." - Disgruntled Treasury administrator
"... I'm willing to accept that." - Ash
Exp. Awarded: Base - 4 for first session, 5 for the second
Aftermath
It was deep into the night, and a single window in the hospital's first floor yet glowed with candlelight. The Circle With No Name, along with Anton and Rizuka, had gathered in one of the private rooms. The room was tense. The mission, although it was a success on paper, had hardly gone according to plan. Given Fay's injured condition and the oddness of the whole scenario, the group had collectively decided to make a return trip to the range homes before handing over an item such as the Broken-Winged Crane. Even the ride home had been spent mostly on edge; although they should have been home free, they found themselves half-expecting to see the Cicada cresting the horizon line, gaining ground on them. Only by the time they'd reached as far south as Nexus did they begin to relax, and even then, it was a precarious calm. Rizuka sat in a chair near the room's entrance, waiting for for the tea she'd made to steep. Anton stood near the same wall, in the opposite corner of the room. Opal, Mesa, Zealot, and Ash had positioned themselves in chairs and stylish leans at various places in the room. The room was given to Fay, who the Circle had brought to hospital for treatment shortly after landing. While Rizuka was busy patching her up, the crew had seen to it that the book was stored safely for the brief time it would be here. Afterward, they'd assembled in Fay's room (typically, debriefing was done in the Manse's chambers, but Fay, as curious and baffled as the rest of her Circle, didn't want to miss any of the answers to their many questions). As for Fay, the wounded Grass-Spider sat up in bed hugging her knees, resting her head on them while she looked at Anton, who presently had the floor. She was determined to stay focused while Anton tried to shed some light on what had happened.
"The White Veil Society."
Anton frowned, a hand on his chin. He leaned back on a small table, pondering for a moment.
"Most people haven't heard of them. Anyone who has will tell you they don't exist - that they're some kinda old wive's tale bored Spiral Academy blue-bloods bullshit about over cheap whiskey. Others are conspiracy theorists; they maintain that the White Veil Society secretly pulls the strings everywhere in Creation, directing some mad play for their own benefit or amusement. The latter is probably closer to the truth, but nobody in their right mind believes either one. Regardless, those folks who do go blabbering about the White Veil Society, trying to claim it exists, have an odd habit of going missing."
Anton shrugged, accompanying the shrug with a cock of his head. He continued, "So what do I know about the White Veil Society?" The Harvestman looked around the room.
"Not a lot."
This was surprising - although other Grass Spiders were more knowledgeable about organizations which they'd previously been members of, Anton was likely the organization's most broadly knowledgeable member in the arena of clandestine circles and secret societies. Despite his professed lack of knowledge, he continued.
"Nevertheless, I'll go on record and cut through the conspiracy bullshit. They fucking exist."
Anton turned his head to the window suspiciously, as though expecting to be struck down on the spot. After pausing for a moment, he looked back to the room's occupants.
"Truly, though, we don't know that much about 'em. We've encountered 'em before - at least what we thought was them, and we're pretty sure, but these guys are good at staying vague. In all our years of existence, I don't think a single Grass-Spider has ever concretely witnessed a person admitting they actually belonged to, or were even affiliated with the White Veil Society. We've had second-hand stories, yeah - Person A says person B is involved and so forth, but a firsthand admission... I don't think so."
Rizuka stood from where she sat with a cup of tea in hand. She'd poured a second cup, which she'd left by the kettle that sat on the table near her chair. There were several other cups around it. As she began to walk toward Fay, she interjected.
"That might not be true, Anton. I know for a fact that there was at least one Grass-Spider who'd made some sort of contact with the White Veil Society."
She looked over her should to Anton, and briefly to the rest of the Grass-Spiders. They all already knew the answer.
"Atlas."
Rizuka smiled - perhaps sympathetically to Fay, perhaps fondly at the memory of Atlas, perhaps both - and handed the cup of tea to Fay carefully, who accepted it with both hands. Fay leaned back into the pillows she'd been propped up against, turning her attention up to Rizuka. The other Grass-Spiders in the room watched her intently as well.
"If any of you would like some red tea, there's plenty in the kettle."
She made her way back to her chair, taking her seat and getting her own cup in hand before sitting. She blew gently on the tea and took a sip before she continued speaking.
"It seemed like in his heyday, Atlas managed to know everybody without anybody really knowing Atlas. He was a big proponent of expanding the organization, and while he was busy doing so, he made a lot of very interesting contacts..."
Anton nodded, replying as he did so.
"That's true. Atlas had said before he was interesting in seeing what the two organizations would be capable of if they ever worked together... Did he ever say anything more to you about that, Rizuka?"
For a moment, Rizuka narrowed her eyes. Although she normally avoided any unpleasant emotional expression, she seemed a tad offended that Anton would pry into her personal matters.
"No, Anton, he didn't," replied Rizuka, flatly.
Anton held up both his hands, deflecting her defensive response.
"Alright, alright, take it easy. I think we've moved into need-to-know territory, just thought I'd check. Ash, you said Ruol mentioned something about sending us a message, yeah?"
Ash nodded as he dug around his coat for a cigarette. "Yeah. At the same time, he said they sent House Ledaal a message..."
Opal chimed in, having taken a seat perched atop the room's small dresser, saying, "They, they, they - who are they?!"
Anton seemed to have an answer, but Mesa interjected first, "Our mission in the Pangu Prefecture! I didn't think about this until just now. I asked the same fucking question - who "they" were... that guy... Ruol... with that pipe in mind, this all had to be connected to Atlas..."
Anton nodded gravely, acknowledging Mesa's insight and saying, "I have a sneaking suspicion that "they" are the White Veil Society, based on Jonas Hare's last words."
Mesa, noticing that Ash was still unable to find a cigarette, produced two, offering one to Ash. Liking their style, Anton got out one of his own. As the three assassins began to produce their ignition sources, cigarettes dangling from their lips, Rizuka spoke up, though her tone was friendly compared to her earlier reply to Anton.
"Gentlemen, please. Show a little respect."
Simultaneously, the aforementioned gentlemen sighed, sheathing their tobacco for the time being. Rizuka smiled brightly in a silent thanks. Anton, meanwhile, continued, confirming that the mystery was far from solved.
"That said, I don't think the White Veil Society is behind all of this - Especially not in Icehome. I think there's at least a third party at play here that we haven't discussed..."
After leaving a moment of trailing silence, Anton continued, maintaining the gazes of the room's listeners.
"This Jonas Hare guy, unless they're really trying to throw us a red herring - not impossible - seems to have interests that run counter to Altair's. I don't think he's connected to the White Veil Society, even if he's aware of it. I'd say the same about the Cicada - whoever controls it, I think they're another party. I'd like to know who put that thing in the air, since it didn't seem like the navy knew jack shit about who was giving the orders. The way I see it... "
Anton returned to a full standing position, stretching and cracking his neck. He gave a brief, silent glance to Rizuka, and continued.
"The first step in getting to the bottom of this is finding out how Jonas Hare, an Easterner, ended up in Icehome searching for the Broken-Winged Crane. It's fruitless to try and ask around in Icehome, as it sounds like their government isn't even in the loop. I have a great deal more contacts in this area than I do there, so I'll start by calling in what favors I can to dig up any dirt on this Hare guy; if this involves Atlas, it involves all of us. As for the Circle With No Name, you guys could try talking to Makoto Seta... He's a... friend... of ours who lives in the forest. He's even older than Atlas, and although the good doctor here would disagree with me, I don't think he's all there upstairs."
Anton gestured to his temple with one finger, rolling it around slightly to indicate his perception of Makoto's senility. Rizuka shook her head with a scowl, although not a hostile one, but rather the sort of scowl a mother would take when scolding her children for engaging in trivial mischief.
"Makoto Seta is a very wise man. He spoke at length with Atlas in Atlas's later days, and he may be able to point you in the direction of Atlas's more recent contacts. Anton is correct in noting that Atlas had toyed with the idea of collaborative work, so it's possible that people Atlas talked to may know about the White Veil Society's agenda."
Anton nodded in agreement, saying, "We need to figure who's aligned with who. Clearly a lot of people are pining for this book, but we don't know who's on who's side. Until we know that, it makes our extended connections difficult to exploit, because we don't know which strings to pull - we don't know who's going to be willing to rat out who, and so forth. So we'll get started figuring that out. As I mentioned, I'll see what I can find out about Jonas Hare."
Before Anton continued, Rizuka spoke up.
"The lot of you should arrange a sit-down with Makoto - I think it's about time you all met him, anyway. Talk to Rustung tomorrow; he's the only one of us who regularly sees Makoto lately. He ought to be able to arrange the meeting."
Rizuka smiled gently, shaking her head again at Anton with a slight roll of her eyes.
"Although I respectfully disagree with Anton's judgments about Makoto's mental faculties, I suppose there is some credence to his warning - Just be aware that Makoto can be a bit eccentric."
As she looked at the fledgling circle, her smile grew as she imagined the number of ways an attempted conversation with Makoto could go astray.
Opal spoke up, taking the lead.
"It sounds like we have a plan then. We'll talk to Rustung, and Anton, keep us posted on what you can find about Jonas Hare. Let's get going, it's late."
Everyone agreed with her wordlessly, with Anton nodding and beginning the train of people exiting the room. Mesa, Ash, Opal, and Zealot followed shortly after. Rizuka stopped by Fay's bedside before exiting the room. She looked to Fay, who despite her best efforts, was beginning to doze off, putting a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Are you comfortable, Fay?"
Fay nodded wearily, sliding down from her sitting position to one lying on her back. Rizuka helped her out, looking down to her once she was settled.
"Let Blink or one of the nurses know if you need anything. You should rest tomorrow, but by the day after, you should be good as new."
Rizuka smiled and blew out the door-side candles which had been illuminating the room before exiting. As she drifted off to sleep, Fay praised the wonders of Exalted healers.