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Lessons of Dynasty Part 1: Abecedarian	By : JohnDoe Category: +A through F > Exalted RPG Views: 470 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Chapter 8 – Exactly How It Sounds

Realm Year 736, 7^th Day of Ascending Air, Saturnsday
Ragara Bhagwei’s office
Noon

Cynis Ganan knocks and lets himself into Ragara Bhagwei’s office. He’s washed the fogshark gore from his body and changed his clothes. A green-eyed, non-descript woman sits opposite Bhagwei’s desk. Ganan’s eyes glaze over her and settle on the dominie.

“Sorry, master, am I… early?”

“No,” Bhagwei responds with characteristic curtness, “This luncheon is between the three of us.”
Ganan nods, “Very well… you made it seem as if there would be… more people here.”

“Oftentimes it is just myself and Madama Wataru. I used to involve the Head Librarians, in your day, but the practice has become understandably… tedious. In any event, with your history,” And he gestures between Ganan and the woman, “I doubt we shall have such issues.”

“I beg your pardon, dominie, but I don’t believe I quite follow?” Ganan says, staring hard at the stranger.

The woman, a scholar, no doubt, rises smartly and extends a hand, “Ylva Wataru.”

Ganan takes her hand and kisses it lightly, “Instructor Cynis Falen Ganan,”

“Yes, I know who you are, believe it or not, we have met,” Ylva smiles pleasantly.

“Of course,” Ganan says uncertainly, “Forgive me, I don’t have a head for names and faces. Give me dates and blueprints and it’s a vault,” He taps his forehead, “But I don’t recall you at all. Entirely my fault, you strike me as a very learned colleague.”

Ganan casts a quick look at his mentor, who for some reason looks exasperated.

Ylva smiles gently at Bhagwei, “Would you like me to ask him or shall we proceed?”

Bhagwei shakes his head in a resigned manner.

Ylva turns back to Ganan, “There was some matter with missing students and fogsharks this morning? Did you have any… assistance with that?”

“Yes…” Ganan says slowly, “I had a guide, a Wood Aspect I believe. She was a superstitious and suspicious woman – brandishing a talisman before her as we braved the fog. But she knew the weather, and the quickest route to find the missing students.”

“You don’t,” Ylva presses, “Recall the name of this guide? From… two hours ago?”

Ganan shrugs apologetically, “Hopefully this reassures you, that fault lies not with yourself. I’m just bad at remembering names.”

“And you don’t,” Ylva continues, “Remember an ‘Ylva Wataru’ from when you were a student here?”

Ganan pulls a face, “No, I’m pretty sure I’ve never met anyone called ‘Ylva’.”

“Except me?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“My name is ‘Ylva Wataru’.”

Ganan takes her hand and kisses it lightly, “Cynis Falen Ganan, Instructor.”

Bhagwei interrupts, “You’re doing this deliberately to torment me know.”

“A little bit, yes,” Ylva grins.

Ganan looks puzzled, Bhagwei gestures for them both to sit.

“We are here,” Bhagwei begins, “To determine if any of our new students merit the designation of a ‘person of interest’. All Dynasts, are, of course, of interest. And our students doubly so. This is for those who are exceptional among the exceptional.”

“Huh,” Ganan lets out involuntarily. Bhagwei invites him to continue, “As I recall Dominie, that once, a long time ago applied to me.”

“Before your accident which led to the loss of that status, yes,” Ylva confirms.

“My apologies,” Ganan continues, “I’d always had this… I suppose childish theory that the status was somehow tied to ‘destiny’ and the apocryphal ‘Chosen of Heaven’. It makes a lot more sense that we, the learned instructors of the Heptagram, should actually be the ones to make the distinction.”

Ylva mutters under her breathe “And now perhaps you’ll concede that we were right to strip Instructor Ganan of his ‘person of interest’ status?

Ganan makes a confused face.

Bhagwei presses on, “Do you have any recommendations for us?”

“Just one, master, Mnemon Alinos Danireya. The ringleader for this morning’s unauthorised excursion. This… obviously serious lapse in judgement aside, she’s been a model student and is obviously gifted far beyond her peers. And her lineage is impeccable.”

“It certainly is,” Ylva adds with a smirk.

Ganan’s expression is still fixed in confusion from Ylva’s last remark.

“Ylva, your thoughts?” Bhagwei continues.

Ylva takes a long, steadying breath, “The starts portend great things for the daughter of Alinos. My superiors have designated her a person of interest under the eyes of heaven. I do not personally agree: she should be expelled, with immediate effect, and transferred to the Cloister of Wisdom.”

“On what grounds!” Ganan blusters, instinctively coming to his best student’s defence.

“Three strikes: the wanton destruction of a copy of the Annals Gildas, replete with the subversion of a custodian to cover up her crime; lying to a faculty member to incriminate an innocent girl for her own crimes; and travelling outside of the safety of the Heptagram, endangering her life and the lives of others.” Ylva continues, “Four strikes if you count corrupting the integrity of an instructor. But I don’t, because I don’t expect any better.”

Bhagwei responds with measured coolness, “Obviously, this will require some careful consideration, and deliberation.” He rings a bell and luncheon is served.

Ylva takes the opportunity to eat, as does Bhagwei. Ganan does not.

“Master, Danireya is the most gifted student to grace the Heptagram since…”

“You?” Ylva offers, timing her swallow and next bite perfectly.

Ganan tenses the muscles in his neck, “I was searching for a less self-aggrandising example, but yes. Me. And I was the most gifted student to walk these halls since Mnemon Alinos.”

“Until you were duped like a patsy into revealing Realm secrets to Lookshy, betrayed sorcerous knowledge into the hands of an Anathema, and, ah, lost the ability to walk these or any other halls.” Ylva takes a sip of tea.

“Regardless, if there’s one Dragon-Blooded in a generation who deserves to be a ‘person of interest’, it’s her!”

“Needless to say,” Bhagwei says, speaking slowly and brooking no interruption, “I must discount my personal feelings in this matter. Danireya is contentious and shall be resolved when Ylva joins you for your class tomorrow. Are there any others?”

Ylva shakes her head, “Ledaal Ludila might make a middling Satrap one day, but she’s not a person of interest. There are… plans in motion for Cherak and Chalan, but I see no need to waste precious resources on the likes of Solu and Rowena – so long as we can beat them into middling sorcerers, nothing else is required.”

“Then we are adjourned. Ylva, will you finish luncheon with us?”

Ylva rises, “I have pressing matter existing persons of interest.” Bhagwei nods and she makes to leave, she lingers in the doorway, “I can’t wait to see how Ganan reacts to meeting Ylva Wataru tomorrow.” And with that parting remark she leaves.

“Master, who is ‘Ylva Wataru’?” Ganan asks, his perennial look of confusion returned.

Bhagwei raises two fingers to his temple, “Do not concern yourself. Mnemon Danireya: it is important to me that she receive the best possible education. I want her designated as a person of interest.”

“Well, it’s not like…” Ganan fumbles for the right name, “That woman can stop you.”

“No,” Bhagwei agrees, “Ylva can’t. But I am reliant on her for a great many things. I would prefer her swayed to our way of thinking.”

“Of course, master. I will prepare an especially challenging curriculum to demonstrate her superiority.”

“No,” Bhagwei, disagrees, “Her academic achievement is not in question here, but her temperament. Here is what you must do.”

Ganan eats whilst Bhagwei outlines his plans.

****

The next day

Shogunate History is the last lesson of the day. The class files in and takes their seats. Ro has convinced the gang to sit in the front row: they scooch Hari along to the end of the row so they can all sit together. Kinesei’s gang take the back row.

As it turns out, receiving detention does not in any way diminish the amount of work a Heptagram student is expected to hand in, despite the loss of their weekend study, meaning the next couple of weeks promise to be all but impossible for our intrepid gang of wilderness explorers.

Cynis Ganan stands at the lectern, a green-eyed scholar sits demurely at his side, clearly a great expert in some field or another.

“We teach you Shogunate History, that you may have a proper foundation. Not for life within the Dynasty, your primary schooling should have taken care of that, but for sorcery itself. To become a sorcerer, you must understand from whence this power comes from, and the struggles and lessons of our forebearers. Some of you, have taken heed of the true meaning of these lessons,” And here he gives and gentle nod to the Tepet cousins in the middle row, “And some of you have not.” And here he meets Reya’s eyes and stares her down.

Reya flushes with shame as she breaks Ganan’s gaze and she toys with the notes on her desk.

Udi covers her mouth and coughs, “Pussy.”

Ganan would normally let such hazing slide, but is on this like an avalanche. “You do not speak when I am speaking. One additional week detention, Ludila.”

“But sir!” Udi protests.

“Be silent, or I’ll add additional weeks for not only for you, but for your entire gang of troublemakers,” And here he throws a dangerous look to the boys in the back row.

Udi bites her tongue and seethes silently.

“And so, tonight’s lesson is… suspended. Instead, we shall have an exam.” Ganan pauses, expecting a wave of groans from the class. The room is completely silent. “The exam will be one question, anyone who gives a satisfactory answer may leave class early and commence private study.” This causes a little murmur between excited students as anticipated, and Ganan permits himself a small smile.

The students put away their calligraphy brushes and retrieve their quills – brushes are neater, but quills allow exams to be finished faster.

“You can put away your quills, and your books. This is an oral test of judgement: a hypothetical scenario.

“You learn from divination that the Realm is about to be destroyed by an imminent threat. You have two, and, for the purposes of this exam, only two choices.

“In the first instance you may warn the matriarch of your Great House. She will, with absolute certainty, believe you. Your entire House will gather in a favourable Satrapy, and then the Realm will be destroyed by this great threat. You, and your House, will survive on the Threshold, living in the fashion of a cadet house. The rest of the Realm will be destroyed, but you will live on, lessened, but safe from the threat which destroyed the Realm. This is guaranteed.”

Ganan pauses and turns to Solu, “Solu, you may imagine yourself of higher birth for the purposes of this scenario.”

Kinesei and his gang snigger. Ganan permits this only for a second or two before giving them a warning look to shut them up.

“In the second instance, you may warn the Empress herself. There is no guarantee that she will receive you. If she receives you, there is no guarantee that she will believe you. If she believes you, there is no guarantee that there will be time to enact an efficacious plan against the threat. If the plan is enacted, there is no guarantee it will stop the threat. If it does stop the threat, there is no guarantee that the Realm will survive. At all. You may die. Your family may die. But there is a chance of saving the Realm.

“Which of the two options do you choose?”

The rest of the class takes a moment to ponder but Danireya’s hand immediately shoots for the air.

Ganan turns to Ylva and smiles broadly at her. He makes a pantomime of looking around the class to see if any other students have reached an answer so decisively before calling on Reya.

“How much of a chance, sir?”

Ylva snort-laughs and Ganan’s smile dies on his face.

“You do not know. You, in fact, cannot know until you have chosen your path. That, is the nature of the question. Perhaps your odds are as good as one-in-ten. Perhaps your chances are not even one-in-a-hundred-thousand.”

Reya pauses to consider from a moment. A small voice to her left speaks without permission.

“Option one.”

Ganan’s focus shifts sideways to Rowena, “Rowena, stand. Go on.”

Rowena looks at her empty desk and speaks quietly, such that those in the back have a hard time hearing. “The correction option is to ensure the safety of one of the Great Houses. It… it doesn’t really matter if it’s my House or not, but that’s a n-nice… bonus. Sir.”

“Why?” Ganan presses.

Rowena balls her hands into fists at her sides, and raises her head to look at Ganan. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to speak without stuttering, “You know I know why, sir.”

Ganan nods, “Acceptable, free study, go.”

Rowena gathers her things without daring to look at Hari on her left or Reya on her right as both girls gape at her open mouthed. She runs off to the library.

“Does anyone else wish to tender an acceptable answer?” Ganan asks. Something in Ganan’s tone suggests that he will not accept an identical answer

Kinesi, more out of bravado than thinking he has an actual shot stands, “I also say option one!”

“Why?”

“Because… I don’t want me and my family to die? Sure, we might survive with option 2, but I’m just a kid – is the Empress even going to listen to me.” He smiles and chuckles turning dramatically to his classmates, expecting a round of laughter that doesn’t come, “So, uh, that’s why.”

Ganan inhales slowly, “It’s a crude answer, but keep what you’ve said in the forefront of your mind as you continue your studies in the Heptagram. Acceptable, go.”

Versi raises a hand, cautiously, expecting a trick. Ganan calls on her to stand. She clears her throat, as if ready to begin a long winded speech, “I would pick option one. Throughout the centuries, House Tepet has always had to rely-”

“Acceptable, go.”

Versi immediately shuts up grabs her things and runs out the room before Ganan can change his mind. This causes a rumble as every student in the class except Reya and Udi turn and say something to their neighbour.

Hands go up, all picking option one. Everyone’s reason is accepted until Reya and Udi are the last two in the class.

“Reya?” Udi hisses as Ganan turns his gaze on her expectantly, “What do I?”

Ganan clears his throat to remind them not to talk. She immediate snaps bolt upright but casts a nervous look at Reya.

“Would either of you like to tender an answer?” Ganan looks expectantly at Udi, who is visibly sweating.

Reya raises her hand, “I would, sir.”

Ganan turns his attention back to Reya. The girl notices the green-eyed woman sit straighter and stare directly at her.

“I would like to pick option two,”

The lectern splinters under Ganan’s grip as fingers of invulnerable bronze smash through the wood. He looks more dangerous than when he was beating the fog sharks to death. He is staring at Reya as if he wants to rip her head off her shoulders.

“OPTION ONE!” Shouts Udi quickly, packing up her things, and standing to leave, “I pick option one because, uh, that’s what everyone else picked apart from Reya. So that makes it the right answer, I can go right, thanks, bye.”

Ganan is locked in rictus, not trusting himself to move, or even breathe as Udi slams the door behind her and runs away.

Ylva stands neatly, “For the record, Ledaal Ludila’s answer was not only acceptable,” she mentions to Reya as she passes, “But ‘what everyone else picked’ ranks actually ranks number three on the list of acceptable answers. Thank you, Instructor Ganan, I’ve seen enough.” And she follows Udi out of the door.

Ganan inhales and exhales deeply a couple of times. He turns and awkwardly limps to his desk where he gently puts down the handfuls of splintered wood from the lectern. He releases the magic that turns his skin to bronze and falls heavily into his chair. He rubs his leg, it aches. Reya looks at him, expectantly. He looks up and the ceiling, closes his eyes and sighs:

“Why?”

“The question is one of certainty weighed against risk. Is it right to take a bigger risk for a greater reward? In light of my actions yesterday, there’s a clear moral here which Rowena and Kinesi cottoned immediately: we risked our lives for a reward, and it was foolish to do so. Life rarely offers us certainty, but this scenario does – we can be certain of survival or we can risk for something great.

“This isn’t about following the school rules and being safe. It’s not about what we did yesterday. It’s about sorcery. It’s about life. As sorcerers, as the Princes of the Earth, do we play it safe, or do we risk the safety, not just of the Realm but of all Creation, for glory.

“The wisdom of our ancestors, the Immaculate Texts, the Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier, the very institution of the Realm tells us in one voice: no. Creation must live on. Essence fever must be tamed. The world doesn’t need heroes to die in glory, it needs soldiers to guard the walls of Creation.

“But it’s wrong.

“We shouldn’t be taking the safest path because the safe path lessens us. We lose the Shogunate of our ancestors. Then we lose The Realm. We live on, sure. Perhaps for a thousand years – longer than the Realm itself. But we are lessened. And every time we choose security over ambition we are lessened. Irrevocably. No, worse than that.

“Because if we were bold enough to plum the ruins of the Versino for its lost knowledge, we might be able to claw back some of what we once lost. Every time we choose safety over ambition, we are lessened, and it requires even more ambition, even more danger, not to advance our cause to glory, but just to claw our way back to zero.

“We have a duty to protect Creation, true, but we have a higher duty: to make Creation better than it is now. That’s why we fight wars against the barbarians at the edge of the map. That’s why we experiment and make discoveries and have children. We have a vital drive within all of us that needs more than just survival: we need to live.

“And that’s messy. And we make mistakes. And fail.

“But we have to try.

“I have to try.

“I pick option two. On the one hand we have the wisdom of all our ancestors and every girl in the class. And on the other, I can only offer a single example in my defence… but I think it’s a good one.” She pauses, inviting Ganan to ask her to elaborate.

Ganan opens his eyes, looks sadly at Reya and says, “No you can’t.”

Reya smiles and opens her mouth to speak.

Ganan cuts her off, “The Scarlet Empress entered the Palace of the Anathema when the Great Contagion was at its height. There was no safe place in Creation. Every direction meant death. She moved from the certain death of the Threshold, to the Blessed Isle. Option one, moving towards safety. She risked nothing – the world and all her sworn kin were dead either way. She took no gamble, option one. And she founded the Realm, not to be the strongest it could be, boosting the Dragon-Blooded to our greatest numbers, power, and efficiency, because she had seen what happened to the Shogunate, when powerful daimyos clashed and warred against her. Instead she built her Realm to endure, with her at its heart, and no rival powerful enough to challenge her. The certainty of a lesser Realm, against the glory of a restored Shogunate. Option one.”

Reya closes her mouth. Ganan hauls himself painfully to his feet. He takes his cane and a pile of three books and shuffles over to Reya’s desk. “You’ll use the rest of the today’s time to write an essay. Bagrash Köl. Jurul. Berit.” He lays a book on the table for every name. ‘The Cost of Hubris’. At least these three works referenced, a weeks detention for every 100 words short of two thousand.” He gestures to the Varangian clock behind her, “You may not leave class early and I suggest you use all of your time. You may leave the essay on my desk when you are done.”

And then he turns away and “clacks” his cane off toward the door.

“I had to try!” She calls after him, almost involuntarily. She smiles to herself and looks down at her desk, dropping her voice to speak just to herself, “Just for me. My own ‘Vision of Gold’.”

She resignedly pulls the book on Bagrash Köl towards her and flicks it open. The lesson isn’t long enough to read three books, let alone write an essay, and she’s already behind on tomorrow’s homework. She doesn’t notice Ganan freeze as she talks to herself.

Painstakingly slowly, Ganan turns to face her, “What did you say?”

“I’m sorry Master Ganan, it won’t happen again, I’ll do the essay.”

“No, what did you… what did you just say?”

Reya glances at him, “I said I had to try. It’s who I am.” Ganan gestures at her, to continue, “My Vision of Gold?”

Ganan walks back to her and slips into Udi’s seat beside her, “Where did you hear that expression?”

“Vision of Gold? I… read it?”

“Here?” Ganan says with urgency, whether excitement or panic is hard to tell. He leans toward her like an eager child, “At the Heptagram?”

“No, in mother’s library. My mother. She has an extensive private library. It’s from an old astrology book… Oriveto by al’Thor.”

“I’m familiar with it, go on.”

Reya shrugs slightly, “I don’t think you are, sir, with respect. It’s an old book. Handwritten, I think we have the only copy.”

“It’s about as big as my hand, bound in yellow leather and written in bright green ink. Go on.”

“How did you-”

“I was your grandmother’s brightest student, and before it was Alinos’s, it was Nanals’.”

“Then you know? Of course, you know. You bloody know everything. Like with your hypothetical, the study of prophecy – of which there is very little evidence that astrology works, regardless of what we’re taught in cosmology class – can be broadly divided into two camps, a Vision of Bronze, option one, or a Vision of Gold, option two. I mean, the book doesn’t say it outright, but it implies you could divide the Exalted that way, I guess.”

“Exalted?”

“Well, that’s tricky. The old Realm the book actually uses, is more commonly translated as ‘Anathema’. But I mean, more like Earth Aspects, steady, unchanging, traditional, bronze,” She taps him playfully, “You know, because you’re usually magically made out of bronze. And Air Aspects who… think… more idealistically. And I know you don’t want us to take unnecessary risks, and I respect that, I swear I do… but the Realm needs visionaries.”

Ganan leans back, “I am surprised she gave it to you to read.”

“Gave? I’ve read everything in mother’s library.”

Ganan snorts, “Mnemon Alinos has one of the most extensive private libraries in Creation. If she has a dozen books she has a thousand! Some of the most complex tomes of magic in existence written in over five languages. You can’t possibly have read… by Pasiap’s blood you have, haven’t you? You’ve read her entire library. I read quickly and it would take me… years.”

“Five. I started when I was four.”

Ganan taps Udi’s desk idly and stares off into space in thought, “Read until the end of the lesson but forget the essay. I need to speak with the domini.”

****

Ganan does not return to the classroom until the next morning. When he does, there’s a three-thousand-word essay waiting for him, brushed in the finest calligraphy on a silk scroll.

‘The Cost of Hubris’ by Danireya, First Year.
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Lessons of Dynasty Part 1: Abecedarian