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[ZEITGEIST] The Continuing Adventures of Korrigan & Co.
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<blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 7286240" data-attributes="member: 79141"><p><strong>Session 32, Part Three - The Enclave Ushanti</strong></p><p></p><p>Before her untimely death, poor Helandra had provided them with a means to reach Ushanti – in the form of her Vekeshi contact Jaques, who was eager to meet Kasvarina. Unlike Sentosa, Ushanti drifted slightly through the jungles of Elfaivar, and its interior was not analogous to the real world. Similar to a <em>rope trick</em>, the entrance was an invisible extra-dimensional portal, which changed location each day. As luck would have it, there was enough time to reach Ushanti in just a few hours and they arrived in the early evening. They approached with caution, heedful of Asrabey’s warnings: this had been Kasvarina’s enclave and might be a hotbed of Ob activity. Jaques met them – a talkative, half-elven wideboy who said he had known Gupta’s parents, shook her firmly by the hand (and promised, sotto voce, to tell her more, privately, later).</p><p></p><p>The portal led to a hill that overlooked a field and a forest connected by an impossible river that flowed in an infinity shape. Buildings clustered near the crossing in the centre of the demi-plane, and the whole enclave was scarcely two miles across. Its current ruler, an ebullient eladrin man named Ajit, was only too pleased to welcome them, and happy to have Kasvarina returned to the fold. She explained her predicament, and he granted them free rein to explore Ushanti. That night they would feast, and be his honoured guests. Korrigan tried his best to divine any ill-will, but these conspirators were slippery: he could sense no malice in Ajit. Only as they left his presence did Gupta whisper, “That man is Obscurati.”</p><p></p><p>Thus forewarned they began to explore the enclave, in the company of Jaques and other old friends of Kasvarina’s. It turned out there were many more loyal to the Vekeshi cause than the Obscurati one, and they were keenly aware of the schism: power and authority were held by Ajit and his cronies who had taken over soon after Kasvarina disappeared. With Korrigan’s blessing, Uru slipped away to investigate further. Leon, too, became invisible and tailed the unit from a distance, just in case.</p><p></p><p>The Arc of Reida first led Kasvarina to the matriarch’s gardens:</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>In this memory-event, Nicodemus (in the body of a young human merchant) is escorted into Kasvarina’s garden. He asks her the status of a mission to steal from a Clergy library and slay its keeper, but Kasvarina says she’s busy with matters that are important to her people, and doesn’t have time to keep pursuing these vendettas. She feels the Clergy have been sufficiently punished, and her fellow matriarch Athrylla is trying to pursue an actual peace.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Nicodemus argues with her for several minutes, stating that he has finally hit upon a greater plan, something that will change the whole world. He starts to ask what she knows about skyseers and planar magic, but she changes the subject to the garden, and invites him to stay and relax. Nicodemus keeps arguing, and eventually Kasvarina gets upset and orders her guards to take him away.</em></p><p></p><p>Oddly, in Nicodemus’ absence, Korrigan felt himself drawn into this event. He managed to keep control of his wits, and sensed that the connection stemmed from his possession of the Humble Hook, which must have been around Nicodemus’ neck at the time.</p><p></p><p>Now Kasvarina was drawn to her old home. By now a sizable crowd had gathered to witness the strange reshaping of reality. The Lost Arc of Reida <em>and </em>Kasvarina Varal?!? Inconceivable!</p><p></p><p>A second memory event transpired. Again, Korrigan was drawn in and this time he allowed himself to ‘become’ Nicodemus more fully:</p><p></p><p><em>Kasvarina is browsing a bookshelf when she sniffs the air and detects the scent of cigarette smoke. She tentatively calls out, “William?” but a man replies, “It’s Nicodemus.”</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>She opens the door and lets in Nicodemus (in a new body as always). Their postures and sentences suggest intense discomfort, like they’re talking around an issue. Nicodemus explains that it took him a few bodies to get here, and spotting a map on a table he idly traces his path – “Pala, to the coast, over to Trekhom, then by boat to Vendricce. I had to walk from there.”</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Kasvarina steps close as if to touch him, and he quickly moves to the bookshelf. He suggests a few books he heard of lately that she should get, then mentions that he’s heading back to old Methia to look for someone. She asks if he wants her to come, and he says that he’ll send when the time is right. He might need a year to figure out the next step. In the meanwhile, he suggests she take Vekesh’s advice and keep on living.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Kasvarina responds that Vekesh was caught by the Clergy and killed a year ago. After a pause she invites Nic to stay for a few days. He nods, and the memory ends.</em></p><p></p><p>When it did, Korrigan felt that he knew the way to Pala – to the east of Methia and north of the Malice Lands.</p><p></p><p>Before they had chance to ruminate on what they had learned so far, Uru returned with news that he had overheard Ajit making plans to drug them and have his soldiers murder them in their sleep. Uru had taken the precautionary step of placing a very deadly poison in Ajit’s own drink, when the enclave leader had paused for refreshment a short while ago. He had lingered to check it was consumed, and just long enough to ensure its efficacy. Ajit was dead.</p><p></p><p>Nature abhors a vacuum, and having already scoped out the relative strength of the two factions, Korrigan marshalled the sizable Vekeshi contingent behind him, and led a coup. Ajit’s supporters were caught unawares, and their resistance faltered when they found their leader was already dead. By the time the unit went to bed that night a triumvirate of Vekeshi had been installed as co-leaders of Ushanti (not Jaques, though – he was very much a free spirit), and the Ob loyalists had been rounded up and gaoled, pending trial. Not bad for a day’s work.</p><p></p><p>When the dust had settled, Jaques found time to talk to Gupta. He told her that he knew her parents very well. Yes, they were Panoply adherents, but first and foremost they were Vekeshi – particularly Gupta’s mother. It had often been Jaques’ task to relay orders to them; orders that frequently came from Kasvarina herself. The news that Kasvarina – one of the shining lights and founders of the Vekeshi movement had in secret been working for another clandestine faction had sent shockwaves through the whole movement. As for Gupta’s parents, the nature of their ongoing mission, had shifted over time: to begin with they had worked to weaken the Risuri hold on Axis Island; once the Yerasol conflict was over they had used their contacts in the Docker movement to ensure specific cargo was shifted without drawing official attention: cargo that, with hindsight, was clearly destined for the construction of the colossus.</p><p></p><p>Gupta processed the news that her parents had had an unwitting hand in their own death, that they had been Vekeshi all along, and that she was now travelling with the person who had so fatally misled them. “Now I hate the Obscurati even more,” she said. Then she went to find Uriel, so he could contain her when she transformed, and help her to learn to control her tiger form.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>End of session</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gideonpepys, post: 7286240, member: 79141"] [b]Session 32, Part Three - The Enclave Ushanti[/b] Before her untimely death, poor Helandra had provided them with a means to reach Ushanti – in the form of her Vekeshi contact Jaques, who was eager to meet Kasvarina. Unlike Sentosa, Ushanti drifted slightly through the jungles of Elfaivar, and its interior was not analogous to the real world. Similar to a [I]rope trick[/I], the entrance was an invisible extra-dimensional portal, which changed location each day. As luck would have it, there was enough time to reach Ushanti in just a few hours and they arrived in the early evening. They approached with caution, heedful of Asrabey’s warnings: this had been Kasvarina’s enclave and might be a hotbed of Ob activity. Jaques met them – a talkative, half-elven wideboy who said he had known Gupta’s parents, shook her firmly by the hand (and promised, sotto voce, to tell her more, privately, later). The portal led to a hill that overlooked a field and a forest connected by an impossible river that flowed in an infinity shape. Buildings clustered near the crossing in the centre of the demi-plane, and the whole enclave was scarcely two miles across. Its current ruler, an ebullient eladrin man named Ajit, was only too pleased to welcome them, and happy to have Kasvarina returned to the fold. She explained her predicament, and he granted them free rein to explore Ushanti. That night they would feast, and be his honoured guests. Korrigan tried his best to divine any ill-will, but these conspirators were slippery: he could sense no malice in Ajit. Only as they left his presence did Gupta whisper, “That man is Obscurati.” Thus forewarned they began to explore the enclave, in the company of Jaques and other old friends of Kasvarina’s. It turned out there were many more loyal to the Vekeshi cause than the Obscurati one, and they were keenly aware of the schism: power and authority were held by Ajit and his cronies who had taken over soon after Kasvarina disappeared. With Korrigan’s blessing, Uru slipped away to investigate further. Leon, too, became invisible and tailed the unit from a distance, just in case. The Arc of Reida first led Kasvarina to the matriarch’s gardens: [I] In this memory-event, Nicodemus (in the body of a young human merchant) is escorted into Kasvarina’s garden. He asks her the status of a mission to steal from a Clergy library and slay its keeper, but Kasvarina says she’s busy with matters that are important to her people, and doesn’t have time to keep pursuing these vendettas. She feels the Clergy have been sufficiently punished, and her fellow matriarch Athrylla is trying to pursue an actual peace. Nicodemus argues with her for several minutes, stating that he has finally hit upon a greater plan, something that will change the whole world. He starts to ask what she knows about skyseers and planar magic, but she changes the subject to the garden, and invites him to stay and relax. Nicodemus keeps arguing, and eventually Kasvarina gets upset and orders her guards to take him away.[/I] Oddly, in Nicodemus’ absence, Korrigan felt himself drawn into this event. He managed to keep control of his wits, and sensed that the connection stemmed from his possession of the Humble Hook, which must have been around Nicodemus’ neck at the time. Now Kasvarina was drawn to her old home. By now a sizable crowd had gathered to witness the strange reshaping of reality. The Lost Arc of Reida [I]and [/I]Kasvarina Varal?!? Inconceivable! A second memory event transpired. Again, Korrigan was drawn in and this time he allowed himself to ‘become’ Nicodemus more fully: [I]Kasvarina is browsing a bookshelf when she sniffs the air and detects the scent of cigarette smoke. She tentatively calls out, “William?” but a man replies, “It’s Nicodemus.” She opens the door and lets in Nicodemus (in a new body as always). Their postures and sentences suggest intense discomfort, like they’re talking around an issue. Nicodemus explains that it took him a few bodies to get here, and spotting a map on a table he idly traces his path – “Pala, to the coast, over to Trekhom, then by boat to Vendricce. I had to walk from there.” Kasvarina steps close as if to touch him, and he quickly moves to the bookshelf. He suggests a few books he heard of lately that she should get, then mentions that he’s heading back to old Methia to look for someone. She asks if he wants her to come, and he says that he’ll send when the time is right. He might need a year to figure out the next step. In the meanwhile, he suggests she take Vekesh’s advice and keep on living. Kasvarina responds that Vekesh was caught by the Clergy and killed a year ago. After a pause she invites Nic to stay for a few days. He nods, and the memory ends.[/I] When it did, Korrigan felt that he knew the way to Pala – to the east of Methia and north of the Malice Lands. Before they had chance to ruminate on what they had learned so far, Uru returned with news that he had overheard Ajit making plans to drug them and have his soldiers murder them in their sleep. Uru had taken the precautionary step of placing a very deadly poison in Ajit’s own drink, when the enclave leader had paused for refreshment a short while ago. He had lingered to check it was consumed, and just long enough to ensure its efficacy. Ajit was dead. Nature abhors a vacuum, and having already scoped out the relative strength of the two factions, Korrigan marshalled the sizable Vekeshi contingent behind him, and led a coup. Ajit’s supporters were caught unawares, and their resistance faltered when they found their leader was already dead. By the time the unit went to bed that night a triumvirate of Vekeshi had been installed as co-leaders of Ushanti (not Jaques, though – he was very much a free spirit), and the Ob loyalists had been rounded up and gaoled, pending trial. Not bad for a day’s work. When the dust had settled, Jaques found time to talk to Gupta. He told her that he knew her parents very well. Yes, they were Panoply adherents, but first and foremost they were Vekeshi – particularly Gupta’s mother. It had often been Jaques’ task to relay orders to them; orders that frequently came from Kasvarina herself. The news that Kasvarina – one of the shining lights and founders of the Vekeshi movement had in secret been working for another clandestine faction had sent shockwaves through the whole movement. As for Gupta’s parents, the nature of their ongoing mission, had shifted over time: to begin with they had worked to weaken the Risuri hold on Axis Island; once the Yerasol conflict was over they had used their contacts in the Docker movement to ensure specific cargo was shifted without drawing official attention: cargo that, with hindsight, was clearly destined for the construction of the colossus. Gupta processed the news that her parents had had an unwitting hand in their own death, that they had been Vekeshi all along, and that she was now travelling with the person who had so fatally misled them. “Now I hate the Obscurati even more,” she said. Then she went to find Uriel, so he could contain her when she transformed, and help her to learn to control her tiger form. [B]End of session[/B] [/QUOTE]
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