Welp, here we are again. This post encompasses the second half of the week-before-last's session, plus last week's session. The prior session (which was more of an epilogue) would have otherwise wrapped up early, and if I have time, I like to set things up for the next story. When done right, it feels like the earliest Doctor Who episodes where it was more serialized and even the last episode of one story would give you a glimpse at the next before the credits roll. I'm reasonably certain I've done this before over the course of who knows how many weekly session posts I've done, but I just feel the need to touch on it now.
Anyhow, before we get into it, here's a reminder about the Trinity Continuum: Aegis Backerkit campaign. An age of heroes set in the Ancient World, with some interesting implications for the rest of the setting in a way that I won't detail here. (Spoilers)
But anyhow, from one age of heroes to another...
The next day is a clear one, the drizzle having passed, a nice day to get underway and put all of the unpleasant business in Smolder behind them. They're not quite getting ready to go just yet, still taking advantage of the downtime. Hǎifēng's hanging out on a roof in monkey form, just taking advantage of the opportunity to lounge about, when they hear a commotion down on ground level. They don't think of it much at first -- a ringing, clattering noise like a junk cart or something is making a ruckus. But it's the fact that people are reacting to it with alarm, accompanied by a noise that can only be described as a 'meaty slapping', that gets their attention.
They scramble up to the edge of the roof and watch as something like a wheel made of concentric circles -- some shining metal, some bone, some viscera, with a variety of things attached to them -- rolls out of the parting crowd. It stops at the ground floor of the building and turns sideways, showing off the glowing fire opal at its center.[0] It tilts back, like an eye looking upwards and announces in a booming voice "Hǎifēng! I am here for you!"
Fortunately, Hǎifēng knows enough about the occult that he recognizes what's called an Oldrasek. Also known as the 'Eternal Wheel,' Oldraseks are a variety of messenger demon that memorizes messages and, well... you can guess the rest. Relatively harmless, unless you're between them and the recipient of a message they've been tasked to deliver... or an unwilling recipient. (If need be, an Oldrasek will beat you unconscious or worse if it means getting you to stay still long enough to deliver the message.)
Hǎifēng, realizing this thing isn't a threat, offers to jump down and talk to it. It informs them that it can come up and join them, but just so they can calm people down by seeing it interact with it peacefully they still jump down to talk to it. They ask for the message and it offers to share it in private, so they duck into an alley. It's quieter here, but still in that ominous voice, they repeat the message.
Hǎifēng, it's Copper Orchid. I'm cashing in a favor. Not from the thing you're thinking of, but the other thing. I'm on a business venture in Goldenseal that could use some extra hands, both from you and your friends, conveniently. Just get there as soon as you can, ask for me at the Azure Seaside Hotel.
Hǎifēng takes that in. Copper Orchid, as a reminder, is Hǎifēng's manager/pimp and primary contact in An-Teng.[1] 'Not from the thing you're thinking of, but the other thing.' is sort of a private code phrase from Copper Orchid making it clear that he's not in any serious danger or have a knife to his throat or something, so it's not necessarily a 'life or death' sort of situation. Now, Goldenseal is in Zhaojūn. It's where Gou's from, originally. It's also an extremely cosmopolitan city (Hǎifēng loves actual cities), and Copper Orchid does need help...
So Hǎifēng gets ready to head back to the boat, when the Oldrasek asks them if they want to send a message, or some sort of reply or something. (Because left to their own devices, Oldraseks will absolutely just roll around looking for anyone to let them send a message.) Hǎifēng asks if it can take two messages. It agrees. The first is a reply to Copper Orchid that they're on their way. The second is a message to Cousin Mongo of the Lintha, letting him know where they're headed, wrapped up with a "Love you, bye." The Oldrasek repeats that back to make sure the demon's got it right, and it tilts towards Hǎifēng in kind of a bow before it takes off.
As soon as it's gone, Hǎifēng dry-heaves because the meat rings were just so disgusting. But then they take to the rooftops to head back to the boat. They find Xương in the hammock up on the deck.
"Pack up, boys, we're going to Zhaojūn!" they call out as they start popping out clones to get the ship ready. Xương asks if they should let Bokano know the three of them are leaving, and Hǎifēng simply tasks a clone with doing just that. Xương, naturally, asks why they're going to Zhaojūn. Hǎifēng says an old friend is in trouble, and they very vaguely describe the messenger demon as Gou comes up on the deck and gets caught up. Xương, raised as he was by a Yozi-cult that regularly trucks with demons, immediately says "Oh, an Oldrasek!" and Hǎifēng starts dry-heaving again as they confirm that.
Xương says they're harmless as long as you don't lock your doors. As he and Hǎifēng describe it, there's mention of the meaty slapping sound they make (which, I swear, actually comes out of the book in which they appear). Gou is totally confused at first, until -- right on cue -- he hears a commotion and watches the Oldrasek emerge from the crowd, roll down another pier a short distance away, and just goes off the end into the water.[2] Gou is now even more confused, and Xương just says "Godspeed, you beautiful demon."
As Hǎifēng's clones scramble around getting the boat ready, they clarify that the help is for Copper Orchid, since the others did meet him briefly during their stay in An-Teng some months back. The clone sent out to inform Bokano returns as Xương says that the message sounds pretty urgent, but Hǎifēng's too busy commandeering the ship to go into further detail. But soon enough, they're underway!
It takes them about a week of smooth sailing to get to Zhaojūn. There's a peninsula they have to go around, which perfectly times things that they actually miss some pretty nasty storms as they go around them.[3]
As the ship pulls into port, Hǎifēng wakes up to find something... interesting. They still have (and have been wearing) the silken armor kimono they got from V'neef Gamon. The kimono has the ability to change color, pattern, etc. depending on a number of factors. But also, on its own it might change and shift by some unknown design (possibly based on Hǎifēng's dreams), not that I've done anything with that until now. Today, when Hǎifēng wakes up, there's a distinctive design on it that in my head looks kind of like an Impressionist painting (like in the style of Monet or Renoir). It depicts a figure in silhouette, standing alone in a small boat like a rowboat floating in a harbor, gazing towards a city in the background -- perhaps looking for something within it. The city, while vaguely-defined, looks very much like the city of Goldenseal outside Hǎifēng's window. There's a sense of longing in the image, and it comes together in such a way that as the kimono ripples and moves it makes it look like the breeze is stirring the water. There's nothing particularly ominous about the image itself, but it seems significant somehow.
Anyhow, they get into Goldenseal just fine about noon-ish, and Gou steers them towards a pier where he used to do a lot of business. The group pays the docking fees, and Hǎifēng hands Xương his 'lime merchant' turban as the latter gets ready to go out among normal-ish people again. Gou, compared to his usual higher-class clothing, is actually dressed pretty plainly to help hide his identity given that his family is also in Goldenseal.
"Oh thank the gods, civilization. Rich people," Hǎifēng says as they skip down the gangplank.
The group heads out into the docks and Gou talks to some people he knew back in the day, who have to do some double-takes as he's less recognizable without his topknot. After he indulges in some inside jokes to prove who he is, he shares with them a sanitized version of some of his adventures.
Once that's taken care of, Gou takes them to an inn near the market district that walks the fine line between 'access to the good parts of the city' and 'bare minimum of questions asked.' Once they're settled in they take a rickshaw over to the Azure Seaside Hotel. It comes up that Goldenseal seems a little nicer than anyplace they've been, and Hǎifēng challenges the others the name a good place they've been. Xương says that Smolder's not too bad since you don't have to 'cover your gills,' and Hǎifēng does concede that. Xương also mentions the Mirror City, and Hǎifēng says that that's one good place and one 'maybe' for Smolder.
On their way across town, Hǎifēng stops to shop for themselves and the other two since there's the opportunity. Xương's more than content to sit back and just enjoy the ride as best he can, as he knows he's the least-comfortable of the three in this sort of environment.
They get to the hotel and it's pretty fancy -- a little more upscale than Hǎifēng would expect to see Copper Orchid. "Well, the man knows my tastes," they remark as the three of them go in and head to the front desk and Hǎifēng asks if there's a note or something left for them. It turns out the three are expected and the hotel has someone escort them upstairs. Xương remarks that when it comes to a place like this, normally if he's escorted anywhere it's off the premises. Hǎifēng says they'd pay Xương's food bill for a month to see someone actually try that.
They're taken up to a suite that seems to take up the whole floor where Copper Orchid is lounging in a robe, sipping coffee. Hǎifēng runs over and jumps on the couch with him, excited. "Copper, baby!"
"You made it!" Copper Orchid says, quickly moving his coffee cup so it doesn't spill. "I got your reply," he adds, getting a bit of a thousand-yard stare given the nature of said reply.
"Scooch over, I'm gonna jump in his lap, too," Xương says. "Just kidding. But I'll get some of that coffee."
Copper Orchid offers him coffee and they get into small talk -- how was the trip, stuff like that. Hǎifēng reminds/reassures the others that Copper Orchid knows about who they are, and Copper Orchid summons someone one of the hotel staff to bring them more coffee and fruit before Hǎifēng asks what's going on.
Ah, yes, to business. Copper Orchid reminds them all of the party they infiltrated back in An-Teng, where all of the Guild merchants were trying to convince the royals that they should be handling arrangements and things for the Prince's nephew's wedding. Well, while Orchid was at that party, he made a few business connections. The wedding itself hasn't happened yet, partially because the merchants competing with each other to handle things have dragged it out. But he was in the right place at the right time over the course of all that, and managed to get a possible 'in.' He's not with the Guild and has no desire to be, in case it needs to be said. But he's got a chance to provide some entertainment for the wedding, and if he pulls this off than he'll basically be set as an entrepreneur.
He points out that he's getting past his prime years -- he found his third gray hair, recently -- at about that point where someone like him either needs to diversify his business or find some Dragon-Blooded mistress who might be interested, and he's not sure he's got the constitution for that second option. Also, the Roseblack won't return his messages.
But anyhow, he's got a lead on hiring local a singer to perform at the wedding, named Nha Beh Benin. But she's currently on contract to perform for a Guild merchant, the contract is under renewal, and he's trying to get the contract out from under the Guild. And that's the tricky part, as while he's got plenty of capital, the Guild's better-equipped financially to seize renewal and he's not sure he can outmaneuver the Guild's negotiator. And that's there the Circle comes in -- in addition to Hǎifēng's social acumen, Gou's got his own resources and connections in Goldenseal, and Copper Orchid knows that, while it rarely comes up, Xương's done his fair share of freelance negotiating before and has also worked in Goldenseal a few times.
He makes it clear he's more than willing to compensate them for their time, and let them stay at his place if they want. Xương's quick to turn Orchid down on the last bit, before Hǎifēng can accept, and Orchid at least tosses out an open offer to come hang out or whatever. So they get to talking about the situation and they mention Copper Orchid's competition in broad strokes: There's the Guild, a couple of Dynasts, a local criminal organization, a local theatre, and a handful of independents who have almost entirely dropped off by this point or are clearly outclassed.[4]
So the group talks about who they should worry about first -- particularly Xương, who's talking about scaring off some of the competitors. I'm blanking on the wording, as I didn't think to write it down exactly, but Copper Orchid says that this is the sort of expertise he had in mind when he sent... the message. (The pause is because of the thousand-yard stare he gets when he mentions it.)
He then explains why he sent the Oldrasek -- that wasn't his first choice. But, in trying to save money as he needs every coin he can scrape together at the moment, he had to settle for hiring a sorcerer who'd lowered his rates for Calibration. The sorcerer's spell didn't work for some reason, and Copper Orchid threatened to take his business elsewhere, and so the summoner gave him a 'free upgrade' to send a messenger demon instead. Copper Orchid points out that he'd assumed that meant one of 'those wasp-things, they're real pretty,' but apparently they can't be trusted without constant supervision. So they went with the messenger demon instead.
Hǎifēng points out that that's fair, but they will send the reply back. Copper Orchid acknowledges that that's fair. He was just desperate, and the sorcerer insisted that the spell he wanted to use would have only worked if the group had been in Hell, or the Underworld, or something.
"Ah, yes," Hǎifēng says. "This is when we were in Heaven."
Copper Orchid just stares at them, their facial expression clearly saying 'Of course.' He says that that thought breaks his brain slightly, and Hǎifēng's going to age him. Hǎifēng then explains that they were in Heaven for a tournament, which they won, and that leads Copper Orchid to say he feels his fourth gray hair coming in. While there's some playful banter back and forth, the extra fruit and coffee arrives.
With the addition of extra food and drink, the group starts getting down to some sort of plan. Copper Orchid explains that Majestic Khadra, a local Guild factor[5], owns a pleasure barge being managed by a merchant named Olasinbo. Nha Beh Banin has been performing on the barge regularly as part of her contract, and the Guild's negotiator has been holding salons there while things are getting sorted out and it's the best place to find the people interested. Xương says they need to whittle down some of the competitors, and Gou asks if Copper Orchid knows where they could start. So Copper Orchid breaks down the bidders in a little more detail.[6]
In no particular order, there's...
- The Guild, of course. Specifically, Majestic Khadra and Olasinbo, who hold Nha Beh Banin's contract.
- V'neef Boru, the satrap of Zhaojūn, who has been courting Princess Zhao Mnemonrai Feiyen and seeks the contract to impress her.
- Sesus Chay Darim, local Realm garrison commander and Boru's rival for Feiyen's hand, also trying to impress her by getting the contract.
- Princess Zhao Menmonrai Chulin, Feiyen's younger sister who's presumably trying to keep it out of either Dynast's hands, either as a grab for attention or out of spite.
- Suzhao Ginger, a local business owner trying to get Beh Banin to perform in her dens of vice, though she's operating on behalf of a local gang called the Snakefire Syndicate who've taken an interest in Beh Banin for some reason
- Teng Serey, impresario and manager of the Transcendent Peacock, a local theatre and playhouse whose interest in Beh Banin should be obvious
- A handful of smaller businessfolk, who've mostly either fallen off already or are just lingering on paper in case they get lucky
Xương says the theatre and the Snakefire Syndicate are probably the best places to start with. Hǎifēng agrees and there's some discussion as to whether it might be dangerous. Xương says that most gangs tend to be juvenile and just angry at the world, but their loyalty comes from a family-like bond and that's a possible way to get in and negotiate.
Hǎifēng openly wonders what Xương means by 'negotiate,' and the former Lintha says there are a lot of tools in the negotiation kit, and acknowledges that violence is one of them and he likes it because it almost always works. Gou says you just have to show them you're stronger than they are, and Copper Orchid chimes in that the strategy worked with the Onyx Jackals back in An-Teng. Hǎifēng's surprised their leader survived that, and Copper Orchid mentions she's actually still around, doing the gang thing. (But then, ICly, it's only been a few months)
The conversation focuses on dealing with gangs in general, and how the thing to do is take out the head of the snake, so to speak. It's a logical first move. Copper Orchid hasn't been in Goldenseal long enough to know how to find the Syndicate, but their representative can usually be found at Khadra's pleasure barge. Xương mentions he's got issues dealing with the Guild, and Copper Orchid totally gets it. At least he peddles flesh fairly -- he doesn't truck with slavery, especially in the ways that the Guild deals with it.[7]
Xương expresses a concern about his self-control if he had to play nice on a Guild pleasure barge. Hǎifēng says it's likely to feel dirty in places you can't describe, and everyone else agrees. But they're pretty sure they can talk their way in.
Copper Orchid says that since he's part of the negotiations he can get them onto the barge as long as they can behave. Gou immediately starts to do the "Who, us?" joke when Hǎifēng informs him that Orchid's serious, at which point Gou's like "Oh."
Copper Orchid tosses out the possibility that Xương stays off the barge, hangs back in general, and if need be they can bust him out as a secret weapon. Xương says that if he's across the table from a Guild negotiator, he's gonna be angry. Orchid says that maybe they can use that. But going to the barge, feeling things out, and getting a read on the Snakefire Syndicate representative is a solid start.
So we fade to commercial and come back with everyone in new clothes (with Xương in a turban, chest and musclegut out, doing his 'lime merchant' routine), strolling up along the riverside to where the boat is anchored. Xương tells them that if anything goes wrong, he'll wreak unimaginable havoc.
Copper Orchid goes over the plan, mentioning for the first time that the Guild negotiator's name is 'Jotaro of the Flowing Silk' (as Gou and Xương have reason to recognize it). He says they'll signal Xương if they need him, and Xương says he'll come running if he sees anima banners. Gou says he can fire his flame piece into the air if they need Xương, and Copper Orchid just stares at him for a moment, recognizing just how out at his depth he is. Xương says this is going to be like throwing a jar of bees into the middle of things and hoping the bees don't turn back on you.
As they head up onto the boat (imagine something like Jabba's sandbarge from Return of the Jedi, just an actual boat on an actual river), they can hear Nha Beh Banin singing something best described in real world terms as something like Chinese opera. They get onto the boat which seems to just be an ongoing party with food and drink and the like. The singer, a short, curvy, dark-haired woman with blue hair dark enough that it looks black unless the light hits it just right, stands next to a small stage where a puppeteer puts on a marionette show of some mythological or historical battle, presumably the subject of the opera.
Copper Orchid takes Gou and Hǎifēng to a table where the refreshments are and says he's going to go track down Suzhao Ginger, and he leaves them there. As they look around, Hǎifēng glances at the front of the room and spots the man he presumes is Jotaro laughing at someone's joke. Jotaro's the very picture of 'bishounen pretty boy,' thin and perfectly tanned with a long black ponytail.
Hǎifēng's gaze, however, is drawn to Jotaro's kimono: In kind of an Impressionistic style, it depicts a humanoid silhouette standing on a balcony above a bustling cityscape, gazing out over the city and into a harbor beyond. Like they're looking for something out there. As the moves, the silk shifts in such a way that it looks like the breeze stirs the water in the harbor. It's clearly a companion image to the one on Hǎifēng's silken armor.
And then something clicks in Hǎifēng's head...
They're looming over a figure all in white, casting a shadow over him. They can't clearly see his face, but something 'fills in' Jotaro's face in the vision. He calmly looks up at them, his expression as placid as a calm sea.
"Now, now, you're not going to get what you want that way," he sighs.
The vision blurs.
Now they're at an island festival, sitting with 'Jotaro' and some dear friends: Omari-Khenti and their mate, both young and vibrant and alive, beam with pride as they watch their daughter fumble with her new crown. The drinks are neverending and fruity, and it seems like the party will go on forever.
The vision blurs once more.
Now they're in their favorite sitting room, Yu-shan's red Calibration sky shining through the window. The attackers are dead before they even realize 'Jotaro' threw his cup of tea. The saucer slits a throat like a razor, the teacup meets another skull like a sledgehammer. The third assassin is clearly confused by the literal blade of scalding hot tea that has punched through his chest.
Unfortunately, the assassin's Sidereal leader blocks the tea leaves that fly like needles at her eyes.
'Jotaro' rises from his seat, shifting into his immaculate Dreaming Pearl Courtesan stance with a subtle hand gesture indicating for 'Hǎifēng' to run.
"You've ruined that tea set," he says to the Sidereal, his placid face hiding his terror.
'How dare they,' 'Hǎifēng' thinks. 'Only I get to scare him like that.'
The vision fades.
...and then they snap back to the barge where Jotaro -- Hǎifēng's Solar mate from the First Age -- is still laughing at someone's joke, unaware of Hǎifēng's presence for now.
Hǎifēng sharply gasps and stands up straight like they just saw a spider they don't want to go near.
"Oh, shit."
Smash cut to credits as we leave it there.
-----
[0]-- I'd share a picture, but can't find one online and don't feel comfortable lifting the image from the PDF.
[1]-- I've described him as kind of an Asian early-90's Ted McGinley. Handsome, bronze skin, and hair that does indeed appear to be an almost unnatural shade of copper -- enough to suggest possible spirit/god heritage, albeit very weak. Just enough to seem exotic.
[2]-- I respectfully request you hold any questions about why Hǎifēng was so much faster getting back than the demon, as the bestonly answer I have for you is 'because it's funny.'
[3]-- I've actually got a thing set up to handle somewhat-realistic weather, as opposed to handwaving it all for plot convenience, and just sort of the way it came out is that they missed some storms by a couple of days. I like that extra detail, which is why I put in the time setting up the weather thing.
[4]-- My notes are a fuzzy on some of the details, as parts of them suggest I covered a couple of subjects multiple times over the course of the conversation. I think I went broad strokes on early stuff and more detail later, or possibly just repeated a few things to make sure everyone had it straight. For the sake of this write-up, I've made some executive decisions to weave it into a coherent narrative.
[5]-- 'Factor' is a title indicating major investors and managers of the Guild's hub cities -- merchants wielding power over an entire region. Many hide behind aliases and operate through proxies, to protect themselves against upstarts and rivals.
[6]-- For those of you paying attention to such things, this list is a mix of original and canon characters. More detail can be found about Goldenseal, Zhaojūn, and some of these particular individuals in The Realm or Exigents: Out of the Ashes. (The latter, as of this writing, is only available as a crowdfunding preview manuscript, but pre-ordering the book via Backerkit page could get you a copy if you're so inclined.)
[7]-- In particular, he mentions the Guild's practice of buying borderline-mindless, soul-eaten slaves from the raksha -- often after having sold those people to the raksha in the first place.
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