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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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Chapter List
- 86
- 87
- 88
Session 79 – End Chapter 8 – Ganan (275XP 220DX, 269/220 spent; 20WhP 83GP 24SP), Melody (275XP 220DX, 251/203 spent), Jinabar (275XP 220DX, 268/220 spent)

Emerging from the teleportation chamber, our heroes slip out into the streets of the Lap. There’s the smell of blood in the air. Though Ganan barrels through the streets without heed, Jin is struck by how far the city seems to have fallen – there are far fewer litters than the last time she was here and less foot-traffic in general. The few Laplanders on the streets walk with their heads down and their bodies tensed to run.

Ganan arrives at the Saber Edge estate first. The once-grand building had seen better days when Ganan was last here thirty-five years ago – and the proceeding decades have not been kind. He lets himself into the building where he is immediately challenged by an aging butler.

“Out of my way, old man!” Ganan barges past him, setting him off-balance.

Jin and Melody arrive just in time to stop the butler crashing to the ground, as Ganan bounds up the stairs two at a time.

“Sorry about him, Hoxie,” Jin apologizes dusting the butler off, “You know what my brother is like.”

The somewhat flustered, butler bows graciously, “It is my fault entirely, mistress Jinabar. Good to have you back.”

Ganan stops at the top of the stairs, he turns and squints at the butler: he does look vaguely like the youthful, laughing Hoxie he knew, “Ah, sorry about that Hoxie!” He calls down, “Didn’t recognize you there and-” A woman’s squeal from the bedrooms cuts him off mid apology. A huge smile comes over his face, as he starts running again, “Ah, that sounds like Theodosia. Some things don’t change, eh?”

“Wait! Gan! That’s not-” Jin shouts out futilely as Ganan disappears, “Well, he’ll find out, I guess.” She turns her attention to Melody, “We’d, uh, we better go up there and stop them killing each other.”

Melody shrugs, “I have no idea what’s going on here, but lead on.”

Ganan bursts into what was Theodosia’s room expecting to find the Saber Edge matriarch in there with his wife. Instead, he sees two women he doesn’t recognize. He immediately covers his eyes and looks away as he shouts out a garbled apology for walking in on them.

One of the figures is clearly a Saber Edge. Freakishly tall, well over seven feet, the same height as Aharon, with Aharon’s dirty blonde hair and dark skin. Ganan notes her piercing blue eyes – quite unlike the gentle, deerlike brown characteristic of the Saber Edges. He can feel those eyes on him even as he looks away. Between her legs, some pale slut, collared and leashed with bright pink hair and… Ganan hears Reya’s voice speaking to him in surprise:

“Gan, is that you?”

Ganan peaks between his fingers. The pink haired girl is sat up now, covering her nudity with the bed clothes. It’s Reya. The unknown Saber Edge girl sits back in bed, her nude body totally exposed without shame, and she drags Reya by her leash to sit between her legs.

Melody and Jin, walk into the room.

Jin whispers to her brother, “Theo… died a couple of years ago. Dragonsgift Saber Edge is the current matriarch of the Saber Edge clan.”

Ganan snort laughs and mock whispers, “Is she single?”

Jin gives him a reproving look and shakes her head, “Dude. Bro.”

Ganan isn’t sure why Jin is so reproving at what seems like a harmless joke. Certainly, Dragonsgift seems perfectly at ease. He screws up his face in confusion and addresses Dragonsgift.

“Well, madame Dragonsgift, apologies for the interruption, but I’m going to need my wife back. We have…” Ganan trails off as he notices the massive two-handed war-sword, Abrojo, leaning casually against the wall next to Reya’s weapons, “That’s my sword.”

Dragonsgift smiles. A hand snakes beneath the covers to fondle Reya as she shortens the leash. “Call me ‘Gifty’. And that’s my father’s sword.”

Something dawns on Reya, though only Jin can read her surprised expression. Both Reya and Jin know Gifty only ever refers to Aharon as ‘dad’. Reya’s only heard her talk about her ‘father’ once before…

“Wait,” Reya starts, “Is-”

Gifty cuts her off with a sharp tug of the leash.

Ganan glares at her, taking a sudden dislike of the girl, “So you’re Aharon’s daughter.”

“Gan, don’t you-” Jin starts to speak, but Gifty immediately cuts her off with a wave of her hand.

Gifty has the air of a cat toying with a mouse, “Guilty as charged.”

Ganan stifles his disapproval, “Well, I think your father is still alive. You see we thought he died in a disintegration chamber, but as it turns out-”

Gifty laughs, something Ganan has said is clearly amusing to her, “Ah that explains why you’ve burst into my bedroom. You’ve just discovered that ‘disintegration chambers’ encode matter as energy, transmits it across distances, then reconstitutes it.”

Melody clears her throat, feeling a little left out of the conversation, “We call them ‘teleportation chambers’. It’s a lot quicker to say.”

Gifty nods playfully, “Yes, Reya was quite helpful at explaining the circumstances of dad’s death. We examined the teleportation chamber quite thoroughly to see if we could restore him. We can’t.” She locks eyes with Ganan, “I know exactly the condition my father is in. Even if you don’t.”

Jin puts a hand on her brothers shoulder, “Gan, you really need-”

Ganan shakes her off and advances with no small degree of menace in his demeanor toward Gifty. “Meaning no disrespect,” He starts through clenched teeth, “And with greatest appreciation for the hospitality of House Saber Edge – we’ll be staying a few days – but I don’t know you. You might be ready to write your dad off as dead, but I’m not. So, I’ll be taking my wife now. If you want to get dressed and help, you’re welcome to come learn from someone who knows what they’re talking about.” Ganan leers down over her.

Gifty drops Reya’s leash, and casually swings her leg over Reya’s head. In one fluid motion she rises from laying to standing. She towers over Ganan, completely nude, places her hands on her hips and looks down at him. Their bodies are uncomfortably close together. She speaks with a quietly controlled fury as he looks up at her:

“I have studied that chamber for my entire life. Of every Dragon-Blooded alive, none have a greater practical knowledge of the first age than me. You couldn’t even get past a basic interface without my dad sacrificing his life for you. And you have the gall to think you’re the expert because, what, you just learned about teleportation chambers a hot minute ago?”

There’s something deeply familiar to everyone in the room about Gifty’s bubbling anger. It’s entirely unlike Aharon, but almost exactly like…

“Oh shit,” Melody snaps her fingers, putting the pieces together. Gifty throws her a silencing look, but whilst Jin and Reya know her, Melody won’t be silenced by a stranger, “Gifty, how old are you?”

“What?” Ganan turns and pulls a face. Jin looks down and turns away. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“I’m thirty-five.”

“Gan,” Melody says, gently, “Is Gifty your daughter?”

Ganan pulls a face and does some quick mental math. For a moment a look of utter terror crosses his face, then he’s visibly relieved, “Remind me to teach you where babies come from, Melody, I feel like a lot of our troubles could be avoided if…” Even Ganan isn’t so socially inept as to fail to read the room. He forces an awkward laugh, “When a man and a woman love each other very much…” He begins, trailing off… his throat becoming suddenly very dry. He turns, slowly, back to Gifty and looks into her eyes, holding her piercing blue gaze.

Gifty speaks slowly, “When two men love each other very much, and one of them is seeing a powerful sorcerer and his neomah every day to reconstruct parts of his damaged body…”

Ganan’s brow knits and he holds out his fingers to count.

“You don’t add a nine-month gestation period if the baby is weaved together by a neomah.” Reya prompts, gently.

“Shit.”

Gifty snorts, “I don’t know why I expected any other reaction from you. It’s not like you’ve shown an interest in me at any other point in my life.”

“What is it with you people and incest?” Jin lights the powder keg and the room dissolves into bickering.

“We’re not related!”

“Technically, she’s your third cousin, five times removed…”

“You mean her step-daughter.”

“This is going to give Muli a complex. He’s already neurotic…”

“I didn’t know she was Ganan’s daughter.”

“I didn’t know she was my daughter!”

“Hang on,” Gifty spits, “I know for a fact that dad crashed your wedding!”

“He didn’t tell me we had a daughter!” Ganan retorts.

“AND you fought together in the war!”

“He didn’t tell me that we had a daughter!” Ganan turns and storms out.

Melody chases after him, “Gan, where are you going?”

“I’m going to bring Aharon back to life, so that I can KILL HIM.”

Jin scratches the back of her neck awkwardly, “Well, I should…” She gestures after Ganan and Melody, “We probably could use your help with this though. If you two want to… finish up and come help?”

Reya makes a face, “Why are Melody and Ganan acting so weird?”

Jin turns and hurries out of the room, affecting modesty, “We can have that conversation once you’re dressed.”

****

Rather than charging directly to the teleportation chamber, Hoxie deftly steers Ganan and Melody into a dilapidated reception room to cool off. The aging butler presents Ganan with his one-year-old daughter.

Lezabe stands and squints at Ganan and Melody quizzically. Ganan drops to one knee and sings softly to her:

“Wise dragon, fierce dragon,
Little ball of claws,
Happy dragon, sleepy dragon,
Roar, roar, roar.”

Lezabe stands, points accusingly, and barks “Da!”

Ganan scoops her up in his arms. Like all of his children, she looks back at him with his eyes. The others join them presently – fully dressed.

Gifty takes the lead, “Well, first things first, Aunt Jin, you are welcome to stay as long as you want, of course. As are your… guests. But we’ll have to establish a line of finance for them.”

Jin looks quizzically at Reya, “Haven’t you been here a month?”

Reya smiles, shyly, “Well we left Paragon in a hurry and we haven’t been our much…”

“I have credit,” Ganan waves a hand dismissively, “Backed by Vallish Macotri and the Triumvirate.”

Gifty wags a finger, “Macotri is dead and the Triumvirate has been replaced by order of Empress Mnemon.”

“Then I have credit backed by Tever Marsune.”

“Also dead. The war had some messy knock-on effects.”

“Then I have credit guaranteed by the Jade Sickle Academy.”

“Bankrupt. Bit of a scandal around a succession claim.”

Reya pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration, “Ganan, we all know you carry money.”

“Yeah, weirdo,” Melody ribs him, “Hand over the coins, stingy.”

“Of all the stories I’ve heard about you, I never thought you’d be so tight with money. A far cry from the man who bought a sword for a total stranger.” Gifty shakes her head with disappointment.

Jin and Ganan speak in unison, “Take that back.”

Ganan looks over to his sister, surprised to have her support. Jin folds her arms across her chest and continues speaking:

“Saying it like that is a disservice to your dad as much as it’s an insult to Ganan. Take it back.”

Ganan pulls out a silver dinar and jade obol and tosses them to his daughter. Gifty snatches them out of the air and hands them over to Hoxie who disappears out of the room.

“Well, I need to get back to the Blessed Isle as quickly as possible,” Melody states, turning to Reya, “Mott is arranging transport for Clapper, but if you could do your thing…” She makes a flying gesture with her hand, “That’d be great.”

Reya looks uncomfortable, “I really don’t want to risk that journey unless I absolutely have to. There should be a picket you can commandeer in the port, and I can have Liir pick you up from Arjuf and Stormwind you directly to the Imperial City.”

“Your hair is pink.” Ganan says, abruptly.

Reya makes a face, “Yes, are you… are you just noticing that? Do you like it?”

“It’s very…” Ganan struggles to find the right word, “Pink.”

“Uh-huh,” Melody shakes her head, “And Liir won’t mind the cross-country trip?”

“Of course not! Forget being Udi’s sworn kin, just name-drop Ganan and he’ll fly you anywhere you like. I’ll send an infallible messenger ahead for you.”

Ganan and Melody share a quick look. Ganan clears his throat, “The boy does like me.”

Reya flicks a finger between Ganan and Melody, “What’s going on here?”

Ganan rubs the back of his neck, “Well…”

“Sextus Jylis, you’re having sex!”

“I mean, just a-”

Melody interrupts, “Yes, yes, we’re having sex. My idea. You said he could play the field.”

Jin jumps in before Reya can respond, “Can’t you just repress this like any normal Dynast couple? Aharon. Is he dead or what?”

“He’s not dead,” Ganan says firmly, “I can get him back.”

“I have no intention of letting you live here for months on end, father.” Gifty says quietly.

“It won’t take months!” Ganan snaps.

“Oh, so you can turn this around in 24 hours?” Reya asks, feigning innocence.

“No! It’ll take some time to familiarize myself with-”

“A week? You think you can master this new first age technology in a week and restore Aharon, when Gifty who’s studied this machine for decades couldn’t do it in a month? You want a month? Same as Gifty? Because any long than that and we’re into months.”

“Alright, I take your point.” Ganan says with resignation.

“Proposal,” Gifty takes charge again, “I give you 24 hours. You can use my f… I mean, your wife can help. I will run through all the reasons why you can’t bring Aharon back, then if you’re satisfied then you do something for me.”

“And what if I find a way to bring Aharon back?” Ganan says, folding his arms.

“If I’m convinced, I’ll help you. If I’m not convinced, you complete my mission and then we’ll look at your crappy idea.”

“Then, I’m in.” Ganan says.

“You don’t even know what Gifty’s mission is!” Jin says in disbelief.

Ganan shrugs, “I’m not the Satrap of Paragon and I’m not needed back on the Blessed Isle. I don’t have anything else going on. What are you doing that’s so important that you don’t want to get Aharon back?”

“Fine, I’m in too. Melody?”

Melody shakes her head, “If I’m sailing back to the Blessed Isle, I need to go. I can’t imagine what help I’d be to you though. I’m… I’m not sure how much help Jin’s going to be either, no offense.”

“That’s okay,” Gifty says chipperly, “I’m not sure how much help Ganan’s going to be. We’re going to be excavating a lost first age city.”

“Well, you’re in luck! Not my ‘thing’ but that’s exactly Ganan’s skill set. He’s Creation’s leading archeologist.” Melody slaps Ganan on the back.

Ganan and Gifty pull identical faces of disgust.

(“What did I say?” Melody side-mouths to Jin.

Jin makes a “leave me out of this” gesture and takes a step away from Melody.)

“I am a professor of historical architecture. I am not an archeologist.” Ganan says folding his arms across his chest.

“That’s right,” Says Gifty, making an identical expression, “He is not an archeologist!”

“Archeologists are dust monkeys, who make up ideas about human behavior from artifacts they don’t understand.” Ganan continues, “They’d be dangerous if they could read.”

“Historians are book-worms, who’d rather trust dusty old texts than the evidence before their eyes.” Gifty speaks as if she didn’t hear Ganan’s point, “They’re barely aware that the world exists outside of their libraries. I am Creation’s leading archeologist.”

Ganan looks at Gifty sidelong, her last sentence seeming to be the only one that made an impression, “Yes, that tracks.”

Melody throws her hands up, “My mistake. Rey-rey, you in?”

“I’ll stay to try and get Aharon back, but I will be returning to Paragon with Lezabe.”

“You’ll come with me dear,” Gifty smiles confidently.

Reya smiles condescendingly, “It’s been amazing, but being my step-daughter is a deal breaker. So, I’m done.”

“You’re done when I’m done with you,” Gifty says, a note of menace entering her voice.

Lightning crackles around Reya as she advances slowly on Gifty, “Don’t challenge me, girl. I enjoy a game as much as the next woman, but when I say I am done, then I am done. I am Danireya of Great House Alinos. Chosen of Mela. The blood of the Empress flows in my veins. Do. Not. Test me.”

(Jin turns to Melody, “There’s a little bit of pee coming out of me.” She whispers.

Melody just nods dumbly.)

Gifty looks uncertain for a moment, then throws her hands up, “Come on, let’s go look at the teleportation chamber.”

****

Melody says her goodbyes and heads to the docks. Getting Clapper down from the Lap is an exercise in caution and the march to the sea is not a short one. She’s surprised to see that the city proper and the coastal settlement both seem to lack beggars: there are a few itinerant workers at the docks, but no homeless or destitute. She makes a mental note to bringing it up with Reya next time she’s in Paragon.

She checks in with Mott and that the travel arrangements for Clapper are all in order before setting sail for the Isle.

****

Ganan, Reya, and Gifty make their way back to examine the teleportation chamber. Ganan is too absorbed by the task at hand to comment on the state of the city. Gifty doesn’t offer an opinion.

Ganan voices several theories but Gifty shoots them all down as she explains the workings of the machine and what they’ve already tried. Ganan shares what they know about the Jadeborn, and Gifty is not surprised to hear that they learned about the technology from the Mountain Folk. Reya sleeps opposite the chamber as Ganan and Gifty work through the night, but after a full day’s work Ganan concedes that he can’t restore Aharon.

“Glad to hear you accept that he’s gone.” Gifty says, brusquely.

“From here.” Ganan adds.

Reya yawns, “Beg pardon? It sounds like you want to break back into the Imperial Manse.”

“The Imperial Manse is shielded. You can’t just teleport in. But we entered when the manse was powered down – meaning you can’t just teleport out. Aharon would have tried to come here but is caught in the buffer inside the manse.”

Reya pinches the bridge of her nose, “Breaking back into the manse is suicide!”

“Well, it’s actually a little more complicated than just breaking in. We’d need to power down the defenses by disrupting the geomancy of the Valley of the Ancients, drill through the indestructible wall, attune to the manse, repair the geomancy of the Valley, navigate back to the teleportation chamber, then reconstruct Aharon.” Ganan gives an apologetic shrug, “But I’m confident it’ll work!”

“Okay, I’m going to park that until Mnemon trusts us enough to think about this plan without executing us for treason.” She manipulates the wind to carry her words to Jin, asking her to meet them back at the estate, “So, something about a lost first age city?”

****

“Dad was obsessed with breaking into the Penitent,” Gifty says once they’re all assembled, “He thought that if he could navigate inside the head, he’d be able to control the essence flows across the south and achieve unimaginable power. But everyone knows there’s no way inside. You can’t blast your way through the head, and the so-called gateways are decorative – they’re solid rock. So, he turned to more… eclectic methods. Which is how he discovered the teleportation chamber and the tunnel.”

Gifty pauses for them to ask, “what tunnel?” Our heroes remain quiet.

“Beneath Creation there lives a race of subterranean artisans-”

Jin interrupts, “The Jadeborn.”

Gifty glares at her before continuing, “Who live in several large cities-”

“Such as Dijak and Urvar.” Jin grins.

“Which are connected-” Gifty talks over the top of Jin.

“By high-speed tunnel cars. You’ve found a Jadeborn tunnel leading to a lost first age city?” Jin looks incredibly smug with herself.

“The tunnel between Dijak and Shining Kren runs not three hundred miles from here. Some three thousand miles long, maybe a fifth of it is filled with debris. Hundreds of miles of blockage, no access to the surface, depraved cannibals lurking in the darkness.” Gifty pauses, “The Jadeborn are an insular lot. They don’t like interacting with the surface, but the world is changing. The Solar Anathema have returned. Mnemon has marched her legions to the defense of Urvar. And the most closely guarded secrets of Jadeborn technology are laid out for…” She gestures at Jin and Ganan with resignation.

“So…” Ganan drawls slowly, “How do we clear thousands of tons of rock whilst beset by an army of cannibals?”

“We don’t. Three Dragon-Blooded can’t do it. We’d need a legion of troops to establish lines. Scores of officers. Hundreds of slaves. In short, it would take the resources of a Great House, deployed to the Threshold en masse.”

“Well House Cynis isn’t exactly in a position to do this so… Tepet?” Jin jokes.

“The clear implication is that she wants House Alinos to back this venture,” Ganan says phlegmatically.

Jin throws her arms up in exasperation, “And my clear implication was that House Alinos isn’t going to march the entire strength of their ‘Great’ House into the Threshold based on the say-so of some random outcaste.”

Gifty gestures at Reya expectantly.

Ganan snort-laughs, “Dozens of reports of ‘lost cities’ are made to the Great Houses each month. Prospectors, treasure hunters, and crackpots make these kinds of claims routinely. And the Houses ignore them.”

Reya clears her throat, “Because they usually come to nothing.”

“Exactly,” Ganan continues, “Especially something as far-fetched as this. These kinds of fairy stories break the fortunes of scavenger lords and guild factors alike.”

Jin squints sidelong at Reya, “I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

“But, if there was a guarantee... then a city full of lost wonders would be well worth the expense.”

“Well, that’s fair, right Gan?” Jin winks at Ganan.

Ganan looks uncomfortable, “If it were guaranteed then anyone would try to take such a treasure.”

“If they knew about it.” Gifty reclines casually, “How many know about the Jadeborn? How many of those know of their cities under the Threshold? Of the tunnels connecting the cities? Of the tunnels that are collapsed and no longer in use? Of collapsed tunnels that also connect to first age cities?”

“Well… then it’s a shame we don’t have a guarantee.” Ganan folds his arms across his chest.

“If Dragonsgift says it’s there,” Reya says authoritatively, “Then it’s there.”

Ganan pulls a face but doesn’t object.

“Well,” Jin says, “As I said, I’ve got nothing to do until my adoption comes through. Make it so!”

Reya cocks an eyebrow, “I’m supposed to be in Paragon. I can’t do anything from here.”

Ganan shrugs, “Well, we don’t have to be here either, right? If we need an army and a chain-gang, then we may as well return to Paragon with you.”

(Jin pulls a face. She doesn’t want to go to Paragon.)

“Actually,” Gifty objects, “We need to make our way to Shining Kren. Having the resources to clear the tunnel is meaningless unless we have access to the tunnel. Of course, that’s a trek: which means we need to prepare an expedition and to get our pitch ready.”

Jin squints skeptically, “We need to pitch why we should be allowed to kill their enemies and do them a great service?”

“We need to pitch why they should trust us to march an army through their home.”

Jin nods, “Fair, fair. Speaking of ‘home’, the manor has seen better days.”

“Well, if I can get the materials, I can do something about that. I can’t imagine you want me to plan field work or to negotiate with the Jadeborn.” Ganan’s sneer behind the words ‘field work’ is pronounced. He turns to Reya, “What are the chances of using the freed slaves from Pangu for this? I’d rather we didn’t bring people here against their will.”

“Demons might be a better option.” Reya counters, “We might be the smallest House, but we have the highest percentage of sorcerers. Hopping Puppeteers and Earth Elementals, conjured forth by dozens of sorcerers.”

Ganan nods, not considering the enslavement of demons wrong, “That works. We’d get this done a lot faster if you’d teach me how to conjure a Stormwind Rider before you leave for Paragon.”

Reya gives her husband a quick kiss on the cheek, “Your daughter can teach you that.” She flashes Gift a quick smile then pats Ganan on the chest, “Best of luck.” Then she walks from the room to collect Lezabe and make ready to head for Paragon.

“She’s… mad at me. Isn’t she?” Ganan asks the room.

“And they say you have no people skills!” Jin laughs.

****

Reya won’t be dissuaded from travelling back to Paragon. In fact, she’s already called Nula and Udi to come pick her up. Even riding a Stormwind the journey takes a not insignificant amount of time to travel from Paragon to the Lap, but Udi and Nula arrive just as Reya is ready to depart.

Udi is unfazed by the delipidated state of the Saber Edge estate – she’s been here recently enough. Nula visibly wrinkles her nose. On seeing Ganan and Jin, her expression changes from disgust to surprise.

“Aunt Jin, what a pleasant surprise! Mother didn’t say you were here.”

Jin nods courteously, “My dear niece, we only arrived yesterday.” Jin’s eyes come to rest on Nula’s mid-rift, “You look… well.”

Ganan follows his sister’s gaze to his daughter’s stomach, then looks back at Jin, then back to Nula, “Are you pregnant?” He splutters out.

“It’s good to see you too, father. Why yes, the journey was quite pleasant. We have been worried about mother, but I’m glad to see everything is fine. Yes, it has been difficult to administer Paragon in her absence, but no – nothing we couldn’t handle, right Ledaal Ludila? My husband? Oh, he is very well, thank you for asking! It simply has been too long! A year? Surely not! You must winter with us in Paragon.” Nula gives her father hard stare.

Ganan pauses, “Your brother sends his regards. Agoram too. I was surprised they have a new hearth. I would love to visit for the winter. If all goes well with our current venture here, we might have quite the vacation location in the near future. And you look… different. I’m sorry I’m not good at small talk, but noticing you look different is surely worth something?”

Reya steps in to rescue him, “Alinos Raenyah, our youngest grandchild, was born four months ago.”

“Congratulations,” Jin says warmly as she gives another polite nod.

Nula returns the gesture, “Thank you.”

Ganan’s brow knits, “Reya’s letters never mentioned you having a baby… And Muli… you didn’t tell your brother?”

Nula’s expression turns dark as thunder, “If anyone cares enough to ask what’s going on in my life, then I’ll tell them.”

Ganan doesn’t have an answer to that.

“Do you have to leave straight away?” Jin implores, “Have you met Dragonsgift Saber Edge?”

Udi interrupts, “We really need to get back. Affairs of state.”

“Say no more,” Reya responds, “I’ll drive.” She holds up Lezabe, “Say good-bye to daddy.”

Lezabe raises a hand and says, “Bye.”

The quartet of Dynasts takes to the sky and blasts off to the east.

****

Jin watches them go and makes a face, “The streets are completely empty. It’s mid-afternoon, where is everyone?”

Ganan makes a dismissive gesture, “Working the fields. Being peasants. Laplanders have indentured work.”

Jin back-hands her brother in the chest, “It’s never been this empty in the middle of the day. Even you must remember that – trying to wheel your damn chair through these streets.”

Ganan makes a confused face and looks up-and-down the streets. Though Reya’s Stormwind is in the distance, the plume of dust is the only thing he can see.

Gifty ushers them back inside, “No, father is right. All Laplanders must work the fields until they turn 43. Very little foot traffic in the middle of the day – this is prime working time. Perhaps you remember the city during a festival.”

Ganan gives a casual shrug and heads back inside. Jin looks at Gifty suspiciously as she follows her inside: there’s no-one over 43 in the streets, there’s no-one carting harvested crops, or transporting water, or selling goods. There are no beggars in the streets, no travelers, no wandering monks. There is something rotten going on here.

“If it’s going to take a couple of weeks to arrange this expedition, we should probably introduce ourselves to the Satrap.” Jin probes.

“The Golden Triumvirate doesn’t take walk-ins, but Hoxie will arrange for you to see them as part of establishing credit.” Gifty reassures her. Jin isn’t reassured.

“Who are the current triumvirs?” Ganan asks absent-mindedly as he looks over the Saber Edge manor for renovations.

“Berit Sijip delivered the city to the Empress. I believe you know her, though perhaps by another name? When the Realm fell to civil war the triumvirs, Peleps Tuchet, Ragara Aloru, and Cathak Sijip all found themselves part of Cathak Cainan’s coalition. The plan was to use the Lap to ferry supplies to Cainan – with his supply lines stretched across the length of the Blessed Isle, this would have been invaluable logistical support. But Sijip betrayed the others, and her house, declaring for Mnemon. Tuchet fled. Aloru was cut down during the siege on the king’s palace. Sijip’s coup left the streets red with blood, but her defection was successful. Nellens Baeden and Tepet Locus were appointed by Mnemon to the Triumvirate after the war. Baeden has his eye cast outside of the city – he has financial interests in An Teng and across the Southern coast. He’s a sorcerer with ties across the Imperial Navy and the Western Imperial Protectorate. Tepet Locus is another sorcerer: he’s young, industrious, keeps the others honest.”

****

Ganan spends the rest of the day drawing up plans to repair the mansion. Rotten boards are sounded out, replacement sketches are made, and he stops to talk to the servants to find out where the hidden problems lie – wanting to make lasting improvements and not simply make the mansion “presentable”.

He starts his work in the servants quarters, ripping out broken sections of building and patching his way through years of neglect. The servants, and Jin’s archons, are grateful for the attention to the long-neglected parts of the building (4SP).

****

The next day, after a simple breakfast, Gifty, Jin, and Ganan, make themselves known to the Imperial Authorities. Their audience with the triumvirs is brief, but all three Satraps are in attendance. Sijip remembers Jin; Locus, though he does not know Ganan personally, his willing to accept him as a member of his house; and Baeden is more than happy to bill Sion and the Merchant Fleet for debts owing. Credit with the Lap’s new brokers is drawn up. The arrival of new Dynasts becomes news among the well-to-do. The entire procedure is clipped and efficient – there’s nothing by way of small-talk or ceremony.

Ganan buys various woods, bronze nails, brass pipes, and other crafting materials. Jin and Gifty begin making the arrangements needed for the coming expedition.

The Lap’s markets are quiet, but not completely deserted. Even here people hurry along, not looking at each other and spending as little time as possible outdoors.

****

The next two weeks proceed without incident. A scant handful of social invitations are extended to our heroes – fortunately, a bronze sorcerer and an exiled member of a disgraced cadet house do not garner a great amount of interest. Ganan spends the bulk of his time repairing the damage to the manor (-20SP: 6GP, 1SP), though he also finds time to practice his martial arts and to add new draconic flourishes to the main banister of the manor’s sweeping staircase – creating an imposing conversation piece that dissuades too many interested visitors (9SP) (once Tepet Locus calls in unannounced and obligingly disapproves of it). His final flourish comes in the form of a grand bronze statue (-10SP: 9GP, 3SP) depicting Aharon holding Abrojo.

“He hasn’t used that sword since I drew the Second Breath.” Gifty sneers as he unveils it.

Ganan clasps his estranged daughter by the shoulder (having to reach up uncomfortably to do it), “It’s not about Aharon. That sword sat gathering dust for a hundred years before a Dragon-Blooded of House Saber Edge lifted it high and resolved to save his clan. Whomever wields Abrojo is the matriarch of House Saber Edge. You are Aharon’s heir: this monument remembers him, but it honors you.”

He smiles at her and walks off, leaving her to her thoughts.

****

Jin spends the time preparing for the venture. Their journey will take them to the Firepeaks – the mountain range west of the Lap. It is a dangerous and wild area, prowled by wasp-folk and dread hyena women. On the other side of the mountains is the relative safety of An Teng – though raids by Lintha pirates have increased since the disappearance of the Empress.

Jin meets privately with Nellens Baeden: the triumvir confirms that almost no trade is done over the mountains, though some goods are moved by ship. Raids on caravans have increased in recent years: no trade has come from Gem in the south in over a year. He does let slip that An Teng has increasingly been hiring Jadeborn mercenaries to fight off the Lintha.

As they banter back-and-forth, each probes the other. At the conclusion of their conversation, Jin makes a move:

“Should I need to discretely ship some of my property, avoiding these caravan raids and, uh, any other interested parties…?”

Baeden smiles and takes a sip of tea, “Oh dearie, I’m sure I could help you with that.”

****

Gifty also spends her time preparing for the venture. It’s something she’s been planning for years and only now has the backing to start making real progress.

Her key meeting is with her primary sponsor.

“So far, it’s all happened exactly as you said it would. My father and Cynis Jinabar appeared via the teleportation chamber. Alinos Danireya has agreed to finance our venture. Gracious Pealing Melody has sailed back to the Blessed Isle.”

“Do they suspect?”

“Jinabar does. Ganan does not. But she’s preoccupied with the mission and she has her own interests that she wishes to protect. They won’t be a problem. Has Golden-Leaf Liseli agreed to our terms?”

“Liseli is keen to avenge the death of their comrade Mishra, but they have agreed to the plan. They will not be a problem.”

“Well then do you want to say it or should I?”

She-Who-Stands-In-Doorways, Sondok, Demon of the Second Circle, Warden Soul of Ligier, motions graciously to Dragonsgift Saber Edge.

“Just as planned.”

****

Ganan has completed projects with five Craft abilities rated 3+ and one at 5 so gains 20SP.
He spends 12DX to train Stamina from 3 to 4 (but has insufficient training time to realize the upgrade). He is refunded 4DX for his Sorcerous Working no longer being relevant.
He spends 8XP to train a 4^th Ox-Body Technique.

Jin spends 5DX to increase her Socialize to 4 and 3DX for a specialty in “Hiding my Motives”.

Melody is temporarily replaced as a player character by Dragonsgift Saber Edge.
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Dynasty of Dovak