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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 4739025" data-attributes="member: 5203">The Immaculate ReceptionDay broke over the city of Lynnisbrook, though only Zanka and Ayama were awake to witness the dawn.  Kaliel was still resting, recuperating from his wounds, and Ghost was still asleep after a later night than the rest.  They had returned to their inn from Tunato’s manor just past midnight, but Ghost had gone off after that to meet his underworld contact to deliver the promised goods from the factor’s home.  He also mentioned going to find a brothel.    “I need something to take my mind off how sloppy that was,” Ghost had said, looking displeased.    “We could not have known that the artifact was not in his home,” Kaliel argued.    “That is not the problem,” Ghost sighed.  “The entire job was brutish and lacked finesse.  It was like trying to pick a man’s pocket using a warstrider.”    Furrows appeared on Kaliel’s brow.  “I thought that you were in danger, and came to your aid.”    Ghost waved his hand in the air dismissively.  “You misunderstand, my friend.  I do not fault your decision, or your actions.  I fault my own.  It should not have been necessary for you to rescue me.”    The Nightbringer had, in fact, questioned whether he should take credit for the job at all; though he desired to build his reputation on the way to becoming Creation’s greatest thief, the butchery they’d had to commit was not the reputation he’d hoped for.    Zanka, however, had put his mind at ease.  When Tunato’s death was discovered – which they reasoned would not be known immediately, since the factor had been somewhat reclusive – Zanka said would begin spreading the rumor that the infamous thief Resplendent Ghost of Midnight had robbed the factor’s manor, but in the process discovered a horrible truth; that the factor was possessed by a malignant spirit. The infamous thief had recruited help to go in and eradicate the taint of evil, but Tunato Kun had been slain in the process.  The story was simple – as it was mostly true – and disconnected Ghost’s burglary from the violence done.  The evidence in the basement would be more than enough to incriminate Tunato, and any who might have witnessed Kaliel’s anima igniting would attribute the strange lights to ghosts rather than Anathema.  Still, Ghost had not seemed particularly pleased when he left one of his tokens atop Tunato’s desk to mark the crime as his own.     The night had passed, and in the morning there was no news about Tunato, and so the four Solars set about the task of preparing for the reception at Lady Rinalta’s manor.  Ghost sat at a table, carefully altering their stolen invitation to take Tunato’s name off, and replace it with Zanka’s.    “There is a tailor’s shop, not far from Tunato’s manor,” Zanka was saying to Kaliel and Ayama.  “The two of you should go there this morning and get suitable clothing.”    “I have my uniform that I wear when negotiating mercenary contracts,” Kaliel said.    “I doubt that will be sufficient,” Zanka said.  “That uniform is suitable for a military person meeting other military persons to negotiate military arrangements.  It will not be suitable for a formal diplomatic reception.  You and I will already stand out to some degree because we are Northerners – being improperly dressed will only draw more unwanted attention.”    “What can we expect at this reception?” Ayama asked.  “Do we know what the agenda of the Realm agents is?”    “We do not.” Zanka admitted.  “That is why Ghost and I will spend the morning gathering just this kind of information.”    After going to the tailor and leaving him with specific instructions, as well as a good portion of Kaliel’s silver, Zanka and Ghost went on a tour of the upper-class salons and teahouses, learning all they could about the reception and the guests of honor.  Within minutes, the mundane details were known – there were about a hundred guests expected, comprised of the wealthiest residents of Lynnisbrook, and there would be a dramatic reading of a scene from a old play about one of the Elemental Dragons and the mortal man she loved.  They also heard several rumors about some of the alliances, dealings, and trysts that were expected to occur during the reception.  Unfortunately, they quickly found that the populace knew few of the details of the reasons for the Realm’s visit.  They did learn that the Immaculate representative had not yet arrived in Lynnisbrook, and it was feared that the reception might need to be postponed.    “Who else can we talk to?” Zanka asked.  “Someone in this city must know more about why the Realm is here.”    “There is one person we can see,” Ghost said.  “Come with me.”    They walked up to the gates surrounding Lady Rinalta’s manor, and Ghost approached the guards stationed there.  “Please inform Lady Rinalta that Chuzei Tendo would like a few moments of her time.”    “Right away, sir,” the guard said.  A page was summoned, and the message was sent inside.  While they waited, Zanka flashed an inquiring look at Ghost.    “If Resplendent Ghost of Midnight is to become Creation’s greatest thief,” he explained quietly, “then there are times when it is inconvenient to use that name.  For more public occasions, I am Chuzei Tendo, a traveling nobleman’s son from Greyfalls.  It was Tendo who located the fabled Divine Gift to End Suffering and saved Lady Rinalta – thus I have some small amount of recognition here which I can leverage.”    Indeed, within a few moments Ghost and Zanka were being led through the halls of the manor.  They saw preparations going on all around them for the evening reception as they made their way up to Lady Rinalta’s chambers.  They were given a private audience with the lady, with only a few guards present.    “Thank you for agreeing to see me,” Ghost said.  “I know you have much to do, and will not take up your time.”    Lady Rinalta, though still somewhat frail from having endured years of illness, was looking much stronger and healthier.  “It is good to see you here under fully lit circumstances, Chuzei Tendo,” Lady Rinalta said.    Ghost smiled.  “Lady, may I introduce you to my friend Zanka Odokari, who hails from the North.”    “And a lovely young woman she is,” Rinalta said, extending her hand.  Zanka curtsied, and took the hand that was offered, clasping it briefly before sitting on a nearby divan.  Rinalta looked at Ghost again.  “But I don’t think that this is the only reason you have come to see me.”    “It pleases me that your mind is as sharp as ever, and that soon your body will be just as hale.”  Ghost leaned forward.  “I am aware that there is a reception being held here tonight for two visitors from the Scarlet Empire.  I would very much like to attend  - it is not often that one is able to meet citizens of the Blessed Isle.”    “I see no reason why not,” Lady Rinalta replied.  She walked to a desk and pulled out an invitation, which she quickly filled out.  “You are an honored guest of this nation, after all.”    “I am curious,” Zanka asked as Lady Rinalta handed the invitation to Ghost.  “What has brought the Realm here?  From what my friend Tendo has told me of you, you are a firm supporter of the Confederation.”  She smiled politely.  “Of course, I know that as the ruler of a nation, you must often have to make decisions that conflict with your personal opinions.”    “This is true,” Rinalta sighed.  “It is no great secret that our own military is not large, and our treasuries are not vast enough to afford mercenaries.  Despite the amount of silver that we produce, most of the wealth gets sent south by the Guild.  There have been signs that there will soon be an escalation in the conflict between the Linowan Nation and Halta, and that the Bull of the North may be preparing another offensive against the Linowan.”    “Which will put pressure on the Linowan to acquire resources,” Zanka concluded.  “And your own kingdom lies close enough to their borders to be a target of raids.”    “I  have had an unspoken agreement with the Linowan since I came to power,” Lady Rinalta said.  “Perhaps the only thing I can truly say I have provided to my people. That agreement that came close to being broken when I was afflicted with that terrible disease.  I fear that another push from the Bull may be enough to end that accord.  Lookshy is too far away to aid us, and their eyes are fixed upon the problems in Thorns.”    “And this is when the Empire came to you,” Ghost said.    “Indeed.  House Cathak has offered to station a full dragon of their House legions here in Lagan, and the Immaculate Order has proposed using Lynnisbrook as a staging area for a permanent Wyld Hunt.  Neither would be enough to prevent a full invasion, but it would be a deterrent.”    Ghost and Zanka exchanged a brief glance.  A Wyld Hunt here would make life very uncomfortable for them.    “Would I be correct in assuming that you would be willing to entertain a viable alternative?” Ghost asked.    “Definitely.  Do you happen to know of one?”    Ghost smiled.  “Well, I did find the Divine Gift to End Suffering.  Perhaps I can find a spare army laying about somewhere.”    “Will you have something ready by tonight?”    “I will do my best.  After all, I would hate to see such a fine, beautiful young ruler such as yourself pressed under the thumb of the Empire.  If you are going to be pressed under anyone, I would prefer it was me.”    Zanka raised her fan to hide the smile on her lips as one of the guards chuckled a little.  Lady Rinalta fixed that guard with a stare.    “Report to the Master of Drills,” she told him.  “Tell him you are to work upon the basics of discipline.”    As a much more subdued guard departed, Lady Rinalta returned her gaze to Ghost.  “I look forward to seeing you this evening, Chuzei Tendo.  I am sure you will enjoy the dramatic presentation.”    “I am looking forward to it.” ۞     The companions met at mid-day at their inn, to report on what they had learned.  Ghost and Zanka relayed their experiences to Kaliel and Ayama, in particular the details of the Empire’s offer to Lagan.    “After our measurements were taken this morning,” Kaliel said, “Ayama and I went our separate ways.  I went down to the docks to speak with the crew of the Cathak’s ship.  Though I had hoped to learn some details about how a First Age vessel such as that one operates, the crew appear to be fairly ignorant of how it works.  However, I was there when the Immaculate representative arrived.”    “Ah good,” Zanka said, “then there will be a party tonight.”    “He is an Earth Aspected Terrestrial,” Kaliel explained.  “Of a size that rivals my own.  He was heavily armored and bore a large tetsubo, both of white jade.”    “I thought that Immaculates did not use armor,” Ghost said.    “The Earth Dragon Style can be practiced while wearing armor, unlike most other forms of unarmed combat,” Kaliel said.  “I could not catch his full name – something with ‘Ground’ in it.”“He is known as Ground Ripple,” Zanka said, “and his companion who arrived yesterday is Cathak Ejon.”Kaliel nodded in acceptance of the new information.  “He arrived in a very small craft, with an escort of five other Immaculates.  Two of them accompanied Ground Ripple to the manor, and the other three went off into the city.”“I saw those other three,” Ayama said.  “I went into the poor sections of the city, near the river, where I was teaching the people about cleanliness and doing some healing.  The monks came and were doing much the same as I was – they were espousing the tenets of their faith as well, of course, but mostly seemed interested in aiding the less fortunate.”“The important thing to consider is that the Immaculates are here, and are prepared to make Lady Rinalta an offer,” Zanka said.  “How shall we respond?”“What is the status of your forces in Chrysanthemum?” Ghost asked.“My company consists of about a hundred troops,” Kaliel replied.  “I could spare no more than seventy.”“That is less than five hundred,” Ghost said.  “Hardly a tempting offer to counter House Cathak.”“I am more concerned about this Wyld Hunt the Immaculate is offering,” Kaliel said.  “They would be within striking distance of my own city from here, and there are enough rumors that Chrysanthemum is ruled by an Anathema that it would become a target.”“Perhaps if a portion of your soldiers could come here,” Ayama said, “and help to train the local populace as a militia.  We could also attempt to negotiate with the Linowan, or even the Haltans if that is necessary.  And then Lady Rinalta would be able to address the Realm’s offer from a stronger position.”“We have much to discuss,” Zanka said, “and only a few hours remain before the reception.  We will only have one chance to keep the Empire out of Lagan.  Let us see what kind of offer we can make.”</blockquote>

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