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Dynasty of Dovak	By : JohnDoe Category: +A through F > Exalted RPG Views: 4983 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Session 46 – Ganan (110XP 88DX, 99XP/80DX spent; 2WhP 9GP 14SP), Melody (110XP 88DX, 107/60 spent), and Jinabar (110XP 88DX, 75/60 Spent) – A Walking Study

Mnemon Melody and Cynis Jinabar approach Mnemon Peasa in Bent Creek’s half-constructed city hall. She is half surrounded by petitions and half-solutions to the various problems plaguing the mining town.

“Leaving at midnight then?” Peasa says without looking up.

“About that.” Jinabar opens, “We were hoping we could leave our shieldback here.”

Melody looks sideways at Jin at the use of the word “our” but lets the comment go, “He needs a few days rest and proper stabling. We’ll be back after we’ve caught the demon loose in Kirighast.” There’s a pause, Peasa doesn’t say anything, “We can pay? Well, Ganan can pay.”

“You know that I literally run a jade mine?” Peasa says, setting down her quill to peer at the Dynasts.

“What… do you want?” Melody ventures cautiously.

Jinabar cuts in, “What does anyone want? Home, family?”

“I thought you were only supposed to subtly imply that.” Peasa responds with a mocking sneer, “I’m doing just fine here.”

“You subtly imply things when they’re not actually within your power to give,” Jin makes an open hand gesture, “But Mnemon will be Empress. Do… you have your Matriarch’s ear?”

Peasa relents, “I presume the man is the sorcerer then? Summon your demon outside of town. We’ll stable your lizard.”

“Excellent.” Jinabar clasps her hands together, “Would you like some help with… this.” She gestures at the pile of work.

“Yeah, you enjoy that.” Melody excuses herself, and finds herself drawn to the infirmary by the brick barracks that houses the mine’s patrician overseers. She spends her morning healing those injured by mining accidents, learning which mines are overseen by which families in the process.

****

As evening draws near, Ganan puts the finishing touches on the opera house roof. The ramshackle work crew of those too injured to work the mines look on in awe. A finely dressed Dynast wearing a reinforced breastplate approaches Ganan as he climbs down from the roof.

“Who, exactly, are you?” The Dynast says, folding his arms across his chest.

“Cynis Ganan.” Ganan answers forthrightly, holding out a hand and sending a pulse of essence into the earth to cause the slightest tremor, “My sisters and I are hunting an unbound demon.”

“An unbound demon?” The Dynast scrutinizes Ganan closely, “Here?”

Ganan thumbs over his shoulder, not really having any idea which direction is West, “Kirighast. This is an unscheduled stop: Mnemon Peasa is family… uh… I think. You are?”

The Dynast’s eyes narrow, but at this moment Jin and Melody arrive.

“Imperial Overseer Peleps Howdarn.” Jinabar says warmly, embracing the total stranger, “The only mind in the east sharp enough to work out that water travels down-hill. I see you’ve met my idiot brother. Cynis Falen Jinabar.”

“Your brother, it seems, has done a great service for Bent Creek.” Howdarn says as he eyes Jinabar suspiciously. He produces a lump of uncut jade, a little bigger than an obel and tosses it to Ganan who plucks it from midair. “Just how many of you are there in my town?”

“Just the three of us.” Jinabar smiles sweetly.

“And Mott. And Clapper.” Melody adds under her breath.

“But we’re leaving, right now. Mnemon Peasa has kindly agreed to stable our shieldback-”

Melody jabs Jinabar hard, and unsubtlely, in the ribs.

“My sister-in-law’s shieldback lizard,” Jinabar corrects, “Whilst we make our way into Kirighast to take care of an unbound demon we believe may be behind the recent spate of murders.”

Howdarn’s eyes narrow, then his expression seems to soften. He gives a winning smile, suddenly playful, “In that case, I wish you well. I suppose I’ll be seeing you all again once you’ve slain your demon?”

“Only to retrieve my mount and thank you for your hospitality.” Melody gives a short bow.

“Well, if you are here to try and steal some jade, the city hall is also only half-built.” Howdarn seems to glow with an almost mischievous light. “But if you’re just leaving, I won’t keep you.” Howdarn turns and leaves.

As Melody and Jin look at each other and consider following the enigmatic man, Ganan makes his way back to the stables to fetch the supplies needed to summon a second agata. Melody and Jin decide against it and hurry after Ganan. They unload the supplies from Clapper and head a short distance out of town, and off the beaten track.

****

The sun hangs low in the sky as Ganan sets up the ritual circle. The cage at the focus point surrounded by objects Ganan insists are essential to summon an agata, but which Melody and Jinabar think are ridiculous (bright copper kettles, brown paper packages, bells, winter clothing).

Ganan turns to the empty air and speaks, “If I give the order to attack, the strike to kill the agata I am about to summon.”

Melody nudges Jinabar in the ribs and chuckles.

Ganan turns to Melody and Jin, “Don’t let anything disrupt the ritual.” He warns.

Ganan lights five candles as the sun sets. In silence he rings a bell, turning to the cardinal directions in complete silence.

The forest seems unnaturally still as the border between Creation and the demon realm starts to weaken.

Melody draws her bow, her eyes sweeping furiously across the clearing. Jinabar tightens her grip on her wrackstaff.

Ganan begins a chant in Old Realm, recalling the defeat of the enemies of the Dragons at the hands of the Exalted.

An ominous wind blows, and on it the scent of dried bones, rotting flesh, burnt sugar and frozen laughter.

Ganan pours a chalice of wine out on the ground for the fallen Dragon-Blooded.

The temperature around them drops to match the night-chill of the Endless Desert.

Ganan draws his belt knife and turns to the cardinal points again, intoning the names of the Immaculate Dragons as he does so.

“What in the name of Ahlat is this?” A trio of Brides of Ahlat stumble into the clearing, weapons drawn.

“And here I thought this was going to be easy.” Melody mutters.

Jin approaches them, arms spread, “Proud warriors of Ahlat, we are travelers from the Realm. All is as it should be, go about your business.”

The Brides are not swayed.

Ganan begins chanting in a language stranger than Old Realm. Guttural sounds which shake the very boarders of Creation.

The Brides attack.

Jinabar leaps forward, bringing her wrackstaff down heavily on the lead Bride, her anima starting to glow with power. The blow leaves the Bride reeling, a nasty gash on her head from where the jade met flesh.

Melody shoots an arrow straight into the gut of the next Bride. She doubles over and falls to the ground.

The trailing Bride stabs at Jinabar – the Dynast’s blow leaving her over-extended – and drives her away from her wounded sister.

The Jinabar’s opponent raises a firewand, taking aim at Melody with military precision. She fires. Melody responds with an arrow. The Dragon’s arrow cuts through the gout of flame, harmlessly dividing the flames in two and safely dissipating the blow.

The formerly trailing Bride tries to push her advantage, but Jinabar surges Essence into her movements, bringing her staff up to block.

The firewander bayonet charges Jinabar. Her blade finds the lip of Jinabar’s armor and gashes the Dragon’s flesh as her anima flares up into a roaring bonfire

Jinabar spits a glob of fresh dragon blood in her attacker’s eye and swings her staff around, knocking her assailants back.

Melody gives Jin covering fire, but can’t get a clean shot into the swirling melee.

Jinabar smashes her first opponent in the ribs, and she goes down.

Melody fires another arrow into the melee, driving the remaining bride back a step.

The Bride recovers her footing and lunges at Jin again, but she twirls her wrackstaff like a baton, collapsing it and extending it again at the last moment to block her assailant’s blow.

Melody puts an arrow through the last Bride’s knee, and she drops to the ground.

Jinabar kicks the Bride’s weapons away, as Melody takes out her healing kit. She staunches the fallen Bride’s wounds, as Ganan continues the ritual.

As midnight draws Ganan shouts out “Come forth Agata! Beauteous Wasp!”

A faint green glow traces out a rift between Creation and Hell and an agata is pulled from the demon realm into Creation.

“By the ancient concordant, you are mine to ride for a year and a day! Speak your name and be bound to my will.” Ganan commands in Old Realm, white light surrounding him as his anima starts to glow.

The beauteous wasp flits in the air for a moment, distracted by the various objects Ganan positioned around the summoning circle.

“Ndiza.” The agata replies after but a moment’s hesitation.

“It is done.” Ganan intones in High Realm. At once the surroundings return to normal, like the tension being let out of a rope pulled taught.

“Tisi materialize.” Ganan commands, and his other agata takes form, “Melody, you ride Tisi with Cresta. Jin, take Ndiza and I’ll ride with you.”

“Who died and put you in charge brother?” Jin asks rhetorically as Melody bandages her wound.

Ganan bows mockingly, “I am at your command, magistrate. Clearly you know more about demons than I.”

Melody mounts up, “Follow me and stay close. The whole point of this is to arrive in Kirighast by morning.” Her tone doesn’t leave any room for joking.

Ganan mounts Ndiza behind his sister, “What about-?” He gestures to the Brides of Ahlat.

“Leave them,” Jin replies, “They’ll live, and they’ve learned a powerful lesson about who holds power in Harborhead.”

The agata kick off from the ground and speed off into the night.

****

Melody spends 8XP to train Cloud-Harnessing Method.
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Dynasty of Dovak