Well hello there, folks. I hope everyone's keeping it together right now, as things are especially rough and stressful for a lot of folks. I'm not gonna get into it, but at least wanted to say it before offering up a serving of escapist fantasy.
Also, before I get into the post, I just want to say that I didn't pick last week's post title with the intent of following it up on this one. It just came to me in the moment. (Maybe it's a sign of a deeper issue, but sometimes I feel it's important to make sure people know I'm not always as clever as I appear.)
Anyhow...
So where we previously left off, the group had arrived in the oasis city of Baryngol. It's a walled city built around a powerful spring, surprisingly large and civilized for being a week's journey into the sun-baked wastelands of the Southwest -- not quite desert yet, but getting there. If you need a quick visual, think of Gerudo Town in Breath of the Wild, but full of swan people.[0] The wall is marked with various warding symbols against the Fair Folk, though there's no obvious sign as to whether they have any real power or not.
Si-Yeon clears everything with the guards at the gate and she leads the caravan in. As the trio heads in, with packs stuffed with the artifacts they've previously picked up[1], it becomes clear that it's actually a pretty active trading spot, as something of a 'gateway' into the larger desert where people are getting supplies, selling things brought out of the deeper desert, and so on. There's a spot nearby where she can set up to stay for a bit with their animals and announces to the caravan staff that the plan is to stay in town for a week and then move on. She knows that not all of the guards and staff are necessarily staying on for the rest of the journey, but she does say that if anyone changes their mind before the caravan moves on to the next stop they'll be welcomed back. Also, she's basically rented out an entire inn for the staff, even those leaving, for the week. It's pretty obvious that she's expecting to get a lot out of this trading expedition so she's shelling out a bunch of money up-front on that gamble.
As she starts paying the guards and other staff who are either sticking around or simply not following the caravan route, she takes the trio of Lunars aside. I can't remember if she tells them this now or if it was part of her larger public spiel a moment earlier, but she informs them that she's expecting to reach the Mirage Kingdom right before Calibration, which is in a couple of months. Part of her plan is to try and make sure they take her in and let her stay a while by showing up close enough to Calibration that they're not likely to dump her out in the middle of the desert during the most unstable time of the year.
But naturally, as the group doesn't necessarily want to spend the next two months fighting random monsters and bandits, they're gonna go a different route. So before she parts ways with them, she compliments them on their subtlety -- she may not know exactly what and won't speculate for purposes of plausible deniability, but she knows they're Exalted and appreciates that they were able to deal with that gang of mutants without lighting up the desert. She comments that as one approaches the Wyld, there are... things... attracted to anima banners, even above and beyond the fact that they're a big honking signal flare of stuff going on. She says that she travels around the Southwest enough that there are a few coastal towns where her name might get some favors if it it comes to it, and she hopes to work with them again in the future. The trio agrees, and Xương tells her he hopes to kill more mutants for her in the future.
Once she's gone, Hǎifēng asks the others just how many of the guards and staff just outright shat themselves at their little display in the fight with the bandits. Shango theorizes about a third. Hǎifēng also just takes a moment to mention that the lizards were hobgoblins, and they talk about how that's interesting and stands out a bit. But then, hobgoblins feed on fear, and it's clear that they had a rehearsed dramatic display that properly kicked up a good bit of it when descending on travelers. So then the group splits up to grab information and supplies.
While doing so, Hǎifēng also goes and gets some region-appropriate clothing for the group for ease of traveling, as well as some moisturizing oils for Xương. After all, as kind of a human sea monster, Xương is increasingly miserable the farther away they get from the coast and everything dries out more.
After a montage of the Lunars talking to the locals, they re-converge at the inn where in addition to the clothing and moisturizers that Hǎifēng has acquired, they also have information on the local leadership. Baryngol is run by a Governor Kotyan, whom they're pretty sure is swanfolk and works for the Devil Princes. The locals don't talk about it much openly, but it looks like Baryngol might be a vassal state of the Mirage Kingdom. Xương's also learned about a figure known as the Treasurer, a local fixer and businessman who may have ties into the larger artifact trade and how it connects to the Devil Princes. They all agree that this Treasurer doesn't sound at all like some shady mob boss and everything there is certainly on the up-and-up.
They also point out that the local noble class seems to be entirely the swanfolk -- the humans aren't oppressed, they're just not in charge, which is rare in Creation. This gets into a larger conversation about the differences between beastfolk and Wyld mutants (though to be fair, there's very little difference between beastfolk born of Lunar magic and people granted animal traits by the Wyld), and Xương argues that it makes sense if this place is part of a larger Lunar kingdom, and that each of the Three Devil Princes probably has a dynasty of beastfolk descendants and one of said Princes is likely swan-shaped.
This leads into an explanation for Shango's sake about where beastfolk come from,[2] that somehow segues into how Hǎifēng pilfers Xương's drug stash for contraceptives (as they don't want to create any beastfolk of their own by accident), and in turn somehow lands on the subject of Shango being a virgin. Hǎifēng has now decided they're going to get Shango laid.
So the group gets back on-track and decides to try and have a word with Governor Kotyan. Hǎifēng suggests this might be more Shango's element, partially because of the three of them he's the most comfortable with that stratum of society and partially because, well, this is a place where beastfolk are common so the group could hypothetically walk around in their hybrid forms without a fuss, and Shango having an avian aspect might get him on the governor's good side. And it's an awkward conversation, because there's no good way to say "you're both bird-people so you might get along," (at least in the real world it's hard to say, it might be a less-sensitive thing in Creation) but the logic is still sound.
It's early afternoon, and one of the hottest parts of the day when the group heads for Governor Kotyan's court, so it's mostly kind of quiet -- a lot of people stay indoors and rest right now. They reach the court where a couple of guards, one human and one swanfolk, stand outside. Shango says they don't have an appointment as he and his associates have just arrived today but were hoping Governor Kotyan's available for a word. The swan guard leads them inside and through a building that isn't quite a palace but is certainly a well-kept estate. It sort of reminds them of V'neef Gamon's estate, or at least what it looked like before Xương kaiju'd it.
The trio are led to a group where the governor, who is indeed swanfolk, is holding court.[3] But as nothing important is going on, they're beckoned forward. Shango introduces himself by his full name, and gestures for the others to introduce themselves rather than speaking for them, and they do so. The governor, picking up on the fact that they're nowhere close to local, asks where they're from. Xương simply says "Around An-Teng," and Kotyan remarks on how that's a little further afield than they're used to. He gestures for them to have a seat at one of the nearby sitting cushions and has some tea brought out as well as some biscuits and some fresh fruit.
Xương is immediately uncomfortable -- he's not great with aristocrats and nobles in general, especially once they start having servants bring people tea and snacks. Hǎifēng's quick to act as sort of a buffer and help keep Xương calm and defray his stress and just asks him to follow their lead. Xương quietly agrees that he can do that, and settles into a routine of staring off into space and eating snacks without looking at them.
The governor asks what he can do for such exotic visitors, and Shango says they're looking for the Mirage Kingdom. Kotyan asks the court to give them some privacy, and waves everyone else out of the room. Hǎifēng, meanwhile, tries to get Xương to show some decorum and the Lintha just stops in the middle of lifting a piece of fruit to his mouth, sticks out a pinky, and keeps going. Kotyan asks the group what they want with the Mirage Kingdom.
Shango says that they've collected some artifacts and seek the Mirage Kingdom to trade them. Koytan says that as a vassal and defender of the Mirage Kingdom, he needs some reassurances before he helps them. Shango offers to undergo whatever trials he may have in mind, while Hǎifēng uses Glance-Oration Technique to suggest flashing his Caste Mark at Governor Kotyan. So Shango kind of shifts tracks mid-sentence to work it into the conversation, in sort of a 'maybe this will help' sort of way as he lights up his forehead with the shifting phases of the moon.
Governor Kotyan is surprised and impressed -- as far as he knows, they haven't had any Lunars come through Baryngol in a while. So having reached the 'now that's a horse of a different color' portion of the conversation, he says that he cannot just give them directions on his own, but they have to talk to... the Sentinel. He gives them directions to a stall in the market, where they are to explain to a human in a light-green turban that the Governor sent them to meet the Sentinel. Then he looks at Xương and asks if he can have someone bring him a sandwich or something, as Xương as eaten all of the snacks.
It basically takes everything in Xương's being not to lunge at him, and Governor Kotyan recoils and insists sincerely that he was legitimately concerned. He offers anything else he can help and wishes them luck, telling them to carry Lunar's blessings as Hǎifēng and Shango all but drag Xương out of there before he loses it.
"And this is what Shango has to deal with local potentates," Xương laments once he's outside and catching his breath. He takes a moment to vent his hatred and frustration for nobles, and takes a gulp from his rum flask. Once he's ready, the crew heads the market in search of the stall, which is easy to find. It seems to be the stall of a random junk peddler, who asks if there's anything they'd like to see. Shango begins to explain that they're there looking for the Sentinel and information on the Mirage Kingdom, and the guy just stares at him until he mentions that the Governor sent them. At that point the human sets out a 'back in five minutes' sign and leads them into the tent behind his market stall, where there's a set of stairs leading downwards into an underground chamber. He offers to lead them, but they go down without him.
They come down into some sort of literal underground club. Not an opium den or anything like that, but just your typical wretched hive of scum and villainy. Near the stairs, which seem to be some rear entrance, there's a corner booth with a figure in the shadows, visible only in silhouette, protected by a pair of armed guards. They approach the booth, with Shango in front, and Hǎifēng using Lion-Mouse Inversion to make Shango seem like a predator and the boss of the group. The figure in the shadows wordlessly gestures for them to speak.
Shango says they're seeking the Sentinel at the Governor's behest, and a familiar voice says "Did he now?" as the figure leans into the light and reveals himself to be... Governor Kotyan?
They're completely thrown off, nobody has any clue what to think and they're trying to figure out how he got down here so fast and they work out that it might be just possible. While they're baffled and just trying to roll with it, he gestures for the guards to move out of the way and stop blocking the light, and moves in the booth so Shango can sit across from him. The guards then move to block the group from the rest of the room.
Shango goes into a little more detail about the artifacts they're looking to trade in the Mirage Kingdom. The Sentinel waves for someone to bring them drinks and asks about what their larger goals are, suspecting (rightly) that there's a bigger picture. Shango says there is indeed a personal quest involved.
At this point, though, something clicks in Xương's head. This is not the same person. It might be a twin or something -- probably not a clone, like Hǎifēng's trick, but either way the Sentinel is not Governor Kotyan. He then interrupts the conversation, asking if they're twins or just a talented body double or what. With an amused gleam in his eye, the Sentinel asks why he thinks that.
Xương points out that he's a doctor. Earlier, he saw the governor move with some apparent strain in his arm. He just saw the Sentinel move that same arm, which while appearing strained seems strained differently -- Kotyan seems to have a bad shoulder, whereas the swan guy they're talking to now seems to have a bad elbow. Also, he's hiding it well, but there's some swelling in his jaw, possibly from a recent blow to the face, that Kotyan didn't have. He'd barely notice, except it's slightly affecting his speech. He'd probably miss it altogether if not for his medical training.
The Sentinel is pleased and impressed and reveals that he's correct. He and the Governor are siblings, along with a third sibling who is the aforementioned Treasurer. Part of protecting the Mirage Kingdom's secrets means that they're bound to test anyone seeking the Devil Princes, and the leadership of Baryngol do this by sending visitors bouncing from one sibling to the next while they all pretend to be the same person, and see if they can figure it out. He guesses that they're Exalts, which Shango confirms by reverting to human form. Xương mentions that they'd previously sent word and that the Devil Princes should be expecting them, but the Sentinel (whose name is Dorbei, though I can't recall if he actually gave it) shrugs and says that just because the Devil Princes are expecting them doesn't mean that word has gotten to every outlying town and vassal.
But rather than make them do any further song and dance, he peels a label off of a bottle and draws them a map to a nearby oasis called Sharsagaan. It's over a hundred miles outside the city, but as Lunars they may have ways of making that easier to deal with. He warns them, though, that nothing is ever straightforward when it comes to a kingdom run by Lunars and so there may still be tricks and tests ahead of them. But for now, they just have to face a 'guardian and a sage,' and he reassures them that he doesn't mean 'in combat.'[4] But he shares with them some food and drink and sends them on their way, out the 'proper' door of the club.
Once the Circle is outside, Hǎifēng checks in with Xương to see if he's doing okay. Xương reassures them that he is, and that one day they'll have a chat about all this, but the short version is that it's rare that an aristocrat or noble could ever convince him they're worth something.
So the group gets themselves set up, and they take flight in their respective bird forms and wing it. They watch as playa becomes desert, where cracked earth is overtaken by dunes. A dust cloud appears in the distance, and as it comes closer they can see... a boat? And not, like, some sand-glider or something. Like, an actual boat sailing across the land as though it were water. They see a single individual on it, obscured by a cloak the color of the desert sand.
The individual glances up at them and Xương decides to go down and land on the boat in human form. The others follow, and they see someone wearing some sort full-body white jade and orichalcum armor that looks distinctly like what we in the real world would recognize as power armor. (This is because it is, basically, power armor.) A firewand is strapped to their back. The visor on the front of the helmet opens up, revealing a man, a Southeasterner with taupe skin. He's more than a little surprised, but he rolls with it for now. He asks if they're from Baryngol, and they respond in the affirmative. He then asks who sent them, and Xương says that that's complicated in a tone that seemingly conveys everything he needs to know, as he laughs and says "Okay, I got it."
He introduces himself as Dakuri and they have an exchange where the Circle explains the basics -- they're heading to the Mirage Kingdom, trading artifacts, there's a larger task, and so forth. Dakuri guesses that this task involves gods or demons or what have you, and says he knows a thing or two about that as his forehead lights up with a golden sunburst. That's right, golden -- not green, or bleeding, or anything like that. This is an actual, honest-to-goodness Dawn Caste Solar Exalt.
This is actually kind of reassuring to them. Also, barring retconning some details into a gap in the backstory, this is the first time any of them have met a proper Solar. He explains that he can give them a lift to the oasis. They'll arrive pretty late, but he comments that's probably for the best because 'he' usually comes out at night anyways. The 'he' in question being the 'sage' mentioned earlier, a being that lives at the oasis whose real name is unpronounceable but he goes by 'Facet,' because -- as Dakuri explains -- he is a 'facet of a diamond mirror.' Whatever that means.
But he says that at the oasis will be a shortcut they can take to the Mirage Kingdom proper, which Xương isn't thrilled with because it sounds like magical travel and as we've established, he really hates magical travel. But it's either this or spend days or weeks wandering the desert -- the Kingdom is not only deep into the desert, but it's also really close to the Wyld. So a more mundane route is going to be long and dangerous. Also, apparently, it's nigh-impossible to reach the city through non-magical means anyways.
So they get underway in a peaceful little trip. The group makes small talk with Dakuri, talking about their respective pasts. The Solar is originally from the Varang City-States, a country with an elaborate caste system based on astrology and he was literally born under a bad sign and consigned to the lowest classes. He turned to a life of petty crime, eventually had to flee the city, escaped to Paragon because they have, um, a very unconventional extradition situation.[5] But he didn't get along well with Paragon, stuff happened, he Exalted as a Solar and went out wandering the desert, and the Devil Princes found him, gave him a job as a ranger keeping an eye on things, and loaded him up with gear (like his magical power armor and his land ship).
Eventually they arrive at the oasis around midnight, a bright sliver of the crescent moon in the otherwise starry sky. There's no structure or settlement at the oasis, but the water glows with a light blue glow as if lit from beneath. Dakuri stops the boat next to the oasis and lets them off, and says that he'll stick around for a bit but give them some space, and then after they talk to Facet he'll help them get the rest of the way to the city.
The trio, not sure what to expect, approaches the oasis and the glowing pool of water. Once they get close enough to look into it, there's a spray of water and sparks of blue light as this bursts forth:
Cue the Great Fairy Spring music.
The creature, a benign Wyld creature called an epochine, hovers in front of them and immediately notes that they arrived with Dakuri, which in his eyes speaks well for their character. Xương remarks that he is a character, but it doesn't mean that he has character. The group introduces themselves, and the creature introduces himself as Facet, and talks about about himself, about how old he is and has seen so very much. I can't remember all of the little details, but this entity is older than Creation, and has supposedly seen more worlds end than there are stars in the sky. He gets a pretty solid read on the characters' deal, because -- according to him -- he's basically seen just about everything.
Xương says that Scroll should really talk to this guy, and so we retcon that Scroll is actually with the group, folded up and hiding in one of their backpacks. Which makes sense, on reflection, as while they wouldn't be fond of the idea of a trek across the desert, hanging out on the boat alone waiting for the others to come back was a less-enjoyable option. So Scroll emerges from the backpack and unfolds themself in front of Facet, who's like "Huh. Neat." (Epochines love things that are new and different, and I imagine that Scroll is sufficiently unique enough to count.)
So Scroll's going to hang out at the oasis and pick Facet's brain while the Circle goes to deal with the Princes. Dakuri comes over to check in and sees that they're getting along pretty well with Facet and remarks that he's a good judge of character. (It's pretty obvious that the only real 'test' here is to just make sure the three of them aren't total dicks.)
Dakuri explains that the portal to the city is through the pool of water, which looks pitch black and ominous now without Facet lighting it up. Dakuri offers to take them through the portal on his boat, to make it a little more comfortable for Xương. Xương talks about how it's nice to have some different travel companions to talk to, because they don't make a lot of friends these days. And, Xương comments, they've killed so many Immaculates, but they keep making more. At which point Facet glances over from his conversation with Scroll and ominously says "For now."
But back to the portal business. Hǎifēng asks Dakuri if he can steer the boat into the portal, and Dakuri says that's actually the plan. He again tries to reassure Xương that it's not that bad, to no avail.
But they all pile back onto the land ship and he sails it right at the pool of water, as Facet and Scroll have stepped aside. He gets to the edge and rather than 'falling' into the pool, it's more like the world rotates around them and the pool comes up to meet them. They vanish into a black tunnel with the distinct feeling of going down a waterslide or rapids. It's all pitch black at first, and there's no earthly way of knowing which direction they are going. There's no knowing where they're rowing, or which way the river's--
Xương throws up over the side, and Hǎifēng laughs at him before suddenly throwing up over the other side. The puke just sort of hangs there in the air for a moment before fizzling away into sparks. Shango just shakes his head and calls them "lightweights" before, yes, he himself blows chunks.
Eventually they see stars around them, as the blackness becomes the night sky. It looks like they're riding on a path of clouds, and beneath in the distance they see the desert floor fade in. To someone from our world, it looks like a video game map slowly rezzing in, piece by piece. The sun is coming up over the horizon, and they can see it -- a beautiful walled city ahead in the distance, a heat-mirage already shimmering above it. They fly towards the city on the boat, and as they approach, the city on the ground starts to shimmer and blur as the city in the sky appears more and more solid.
It becomes clear, both literally and metaphorically, that the capital of the Mirage Kingdom is a flying city. And that the city on the ground is the actual mirage. They continue flying at the city, and they can see what looks like a translucent geodesic dome over it, the sky behind it looking like it's being viewed through frosted glass. They fly towards it, certainly not showing any signs that they are slowing!
They pass through the barrier, finding themselves in what looks like a lake or a sea approaching a dock. Behind them is the shimmery 'frosted glass' effect, and for the moment the desert seems toe be gone, like the water behind them just goes on forever. Ahead of them a city with what's best described as a 'Thousand Nights' aesthetic with walls and structures equal parts technological and fantasy rises before them[6], on something of an incline building up to a tower in the middle. Dotting the edges of it are spires that hum and buzz.
As the group gazes upon the city in awe, Dakuri steers them to a dock.
"Welcome to Mirror City, capital of the Mirage Kingdom," he announces with no small amount of awe in his own voice.
And we left off there.
[0]-- So Gerudo Town with something like the Rito, I guess? I mean, I wasn't aiming for Breath of the Wild references with this but I'm not gonna shy away from a shortcut for easier descriptions.
[1]-- I forgot to mention it before, but they are still hauling a buttload of artifacts they've collected. For simplicity's sake, they've managed to load everything into a couple of big, boxy hiker's backpacks except for a staff that's easy enough for one of the three to carry. For simplicity's sake, I've ruled that the packs are just small enough to vanish appropriately when they shift into animal forms.
[2]-- I think I've touched on this before, but in Exalted there are a couple of ways this can occur. First, sometimes wonky things happen in the Wyld: people get transformed, and sometimes certain acts can lead to human/whatever-hybrids that shouldn't exist coming into being. More commonly, though, it's Lunars. In earlier editions Lunars could create beastfolk by breeding with mortals the old-fashioned way, particularly while in hybrid form, and create offspring touched with their magic and with their animalistic aspects that could themselves breed true. Second edition, as with a great many vague 1E concepts that didn't need to be fleshed out, went all-in on this and took it to a gross place with certain Lunars building up armies of beastfolk. While 'the old-fashioned way' is still an option in 3E, Lunars have access to Charms that let them create places where mortals could willingly undergo trials and become full beastfolk if they succeed, and this is where a lot of beastfolk and beastfolk bloodlines originate.
[3]-- By the way, while it wasn't intentional when I created the character, as I prepared a particular voice for him (which I do with some characters but not all of them), he wound up sounding like Evrart Claire from Disco Elysium. Apologies for not including an explanatory link, but I just couldn't find anything good with the character that wouldn't spoil the game.
[4]-- Admittedly, that last bit was my way of reassuring the group that I knew we were coming up towards the end of our playing time and thus wasn't building up to another combat.
[5]-- I don't know how much of this is going to be a thing in Third Edition so I'm going light on the details. But in the past, in Paragon if you want to live there you have to swear an Oath of Citizenship to the ruler that's magically-reinforced by some powerful First Age artifacts that punish you with pain and/or death if you break the laws, but it also gives the ruler of the city the ability to spy on you whenever he feels like it, which means that few places will take you back once you've sworn the Oath. The only known escape from the Oath is Celestial Exaltation. But, again, that's First and Second Edition. We don't know how it'll be in Third, but we do know at least some things are going to be different.
[6]-- Again, if you need a visual shortcut, think Shevat from Xenogears (though not Solaris). Maybe Zeal from Chrono Trigger.
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