[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1PHeonq.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][center][h2][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQD-mc07HlQ]♫[/url][/h2][/center][hr][hr][center][color=808080][i][b]Present:[/b] Yalen Castel [@pantothenic], Valerian Remi Leclere [@yoshua171], Maura Mercador [@Ti], Salomé Xiuyang Solari [@Emeth], Trypano Somia [@A Lowly Wretch], Ingrid Penderson [@dragonpiece], Niallus Saberhagen [@McKennaJ71], and Abdel Varga [@YummyYummy][/i][/color][/center][hr][hr]		[color=A9A9A9]There was a sense of finality to it. A light rain fell that morning as they rose from their beds, coating everything in a thin, clammy layer of coldness. Outside, Wangang was a vast grey expanse of rooftops, streets, and plazas, the trees having shed some half of their leaves by now.

	It had been a near thing, the night before. Nearly, had they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. A simple miscommunication, or had there been more at work? People shuffled into the central courtyard, yawning, stretching, and rubbing sleep from weary eyes. Accusations had flown last night but, against incredible odds, they had made it out through a half-dozen portals, gathering back at the inn within an anxious half-hour where they’d been unsure if their friends had lived or died. Some had spoken secretly. The Exemplar Wu Long, after exchanging words with Trypano, had quickly disappeared. 

	There was a wagon waiting for the nine youths, and more than one pored over it. Elaborate outfits in a variation of the style of the Retanese courts were laid out and labeled with their names. Yet, there was none for Xiulan, they noticed, and two extras: women’s clothes for… 

	[color=ffdead]“They mean to kill you or turn you. I’m your school-appointed protection.”[/color] Jocasta materialized behind Yalen with a soft smirk. [color=ffdead]“She was looking for her own portal here, so I gave her one.”[/color] Rolling up beside him, she pointed to one of the balconies, where a girl who most would’ve recognized from their classes or campus parties was sitting on the railing, legs crossed at the ankles, looking down at them. 

	What more could the Tan-Zeno have said that Xiuyang wasn’t perfectly capable of saying for herself? She came down and made introductions. More than one was curious about her reasons for coming. More than one warned her to turn back. It took a special sort of insanity to [i]want[/i] to become embroiled in this fast-spiraling catastrophe. 

	An impromptu morning meeting quickly developed. Some voiced their apprehension about attending the dinner. Others stridently insisted that they would remain resolute and stay the course. The Twin Emperors had to fall. Still others were more circumspect. First and foremost, they maintained, all should strive to make it out of Retan alive. Information flowed in fits and starts, some more willing to share and others less. As a general rule, however, Jocasta’s presence seemed to help… [i]encourage[/i] them to be more open. 

	It was Kaureerah who noticed it first, however: [color=deb887]“Wheere ees Xiulaun?”[/color] A handful of them looked amongst each other. None had seen her. [color=deb887]“Wheere ees Mr. Wei end Yeen end Yaung?”[/color] They were often shadows in this place, busy bustling about, cleaning, cooking, and turning up sheets. There was no breakfast prepared for them, but the table was set and there [i]was[/i] a pot boiling in the courtyard fireplace as well. 

	The next half-hour was a maelstrom of activity as they scrambled to piece matters together. For the first time, the nine youths, plus their pair of new additions, communicated and worked efficiently as a team. And, through these efforts, a devious plot to rob them of their magic via plushtail oil was uncovered. Yalen, Ingrid, Maura, and Niallus conspired to turn this about on the Twin Emperors and their lackeys. Despite an attempt at a cover-up, they soon deduced that Xiulan and all three members of the Wei family had been forced to attend their kings and were likely in grave danger. 

	It became  a waiting game. They ate their breakfast. They shared, prepared, and cleaned their poisonous clothing. As best they could, the others brought Xiuyang and Jocasta up to speed. Outside, the rain came to an end, but it did little to make the city a more welcoming place. A thin film of ash coated everything in sight and great was the panic at the previous night’s ‘eruption’ of Bailong Shan. The entire summit of the mountain had been blown off, chunks flying as far as a mile distant. Somehow, miraculously, not a single person had been killed. 

	Yet, that did not stop thousands from trying to flee Wanggang, believing the previous night’s cataclysm to have been merely a warning of further volcanic activity. These ground up against the recently increased city guard, taxing and straining. The carefully sewn tapestry of Retanese society was fraying precipitously at the edges and, it was under this cover that those who sought to undo it completely slipped into the capital.

	Yet, even amid this cataclysmic upheaval, Some things continued as normal. The usual vendors, hucksters, and pickpockets were out in abundance. Some offered discounts. Others were selling masks of dubious manufacture and effectiveness to help their customers breathe safely in the ‘tainted air’. It was against this backdrop, and as they had just finished their purchases, that the Ersand’Enise Eleven watched as eleven litters, carried by enormous men large enough to be part ogauraq, appeared in a line. Single file, they wound their way toward the inn’s gates and, single file, they stopped in front. Their doors opened, beckoning the eleven in: one person to a litter: no more and no less. It was two o’clock in the afternoon, by Retanese reckoning.[/color] 

[hr][hr]
	[color=3CB371]It took one hour for everyone to be properly attired. During this time, their litter bearers neither spoke nor substantially moved. They did not struggle in the slightest to carry their assigned passengers, though the trip was not a quick one. The clouds cleared, the sun glowed, and the air sparkled with the dust of Ingrid’s great explosion, lending this vast foreign city an almost ethereal air. Through slatted windows, they peered out as they passed the chaotic port district, wound through streets packed with workshops, and made their way across plazas and down grand avenues. Leaves fluttered off from trees and blew about as they passed squadrons of patrolling Goldcloaks. The chill in the late rezaindian air made war upon the sun and its brave rays, and this seemed a battle it was destined to win, sooner or later.

	There was a sense of inevitability as they approached the gates of the Forbidden Quarter. White Knights formed up to either side of them, the very sight of the highly-trained battle mages - some of whom they had fought only the night before - doing much to set some ill at ease in their little boxes. They had already witnessed the brutality: people who tried to leave the city without permission - people who panicked or ‘disrupted public order’ - were beaten and some hauled away. The Knights followed in silent formation until they were at the gate. Then, there were commanding shouts made in Retanese and they did not so much as slow when they passed through. 

	Beyond, lay the houses of the rich and grand, of the exemplars, the nobles, and the highest court officials. Beyond, lay gardens, temples, libraries, and shops stocked with only the highest quality goods. Here, there were not so many people and not so much bustle. If the rest of Wanggang had teetered on the precipice of outright panic, this portion did not. Yet, they were human like the rest and, upon sighting the procession of eleven, hardly a single passerby failed to look up. The handful of children they saw pointed and made excited exclamations. One, in the middle of training with four others in the art of water telekinesis, lost his concentration and would’ve soaked his teacher had it not been for the master’s quick reflexes and exceptional control. Playfully, he splashed the boy before exhorting him to focus, and all of the children laughed.

	Gradually, through their entire ride, they had been winding their way upward towards a vast twin-towered palace that sat on a terraced hill, surrounded on all sides by wild and extensive gardens. Unlike many of the lesser palaces and mansions they had passed, there were no walls here, merely hedges. A great many exotic birds, cats, and monkeys fluttered, scampered, or swung about, peering curiously or cautiously out at these newest visitors. There was no obvious entrance. The guard captain escorting them merely announced their presence in Retanese. There was a pause as Kaureerah, in the lead litter, tensed up. Her bearers had not slowed in the slightest. They were about to slam headlong into the thick tangle of plants. 

	Then, it parted, armlike tendrils and photosynthesizing tentacles, unlocking, unwinding, and peeling away. The litters had not slowed even once. The White Knights, however, did, for this was where their journey ended. Great lawns surrounded the shimmering white road that they rode upon, and Rikard realized that the entire thing was made of diamond. A line of trees, great and ancient, paralleled the road to either side, their leaves unnaturally green in an eternal Nashibansek summer. There were no sounds save the marching of their bearers’ feet, the creaking of the wooden litters, and the whisper of the wind and distant calls of the animals. The lawns gave way to forest and seas of bamboo. Every once in a while, they would pass a small but richly-appointed house with a black roof, or else a garden with exotic fruit trees and vegetables in a well-pruned plot. What they did not see was another sapient being for as far as they looked. It was a tunnel of verdant green, with splashes of sudden colour and sound and it was mesmerizing. 

	Then, it was over. They stopped: all of them at once, without a single word spoken. The doors, unbidden, unlocked themselves and swung open. The wild, ethereal forest was behind them and a plaza before. Jocasta found her wheelchair waiting, and Maura as well. There were multiple pavilions in view, but one in the distance that stood out as far larger and more opulent than the others. 

	A single woman stood there to greet them. She was young and pretty and had a patch over one eye. To some, she was already known. [color=de5400]“Welcome,”[/color] she addressed them. [color=de5400]“I trust your trip here was pleasant enough.”[/color] She did not actually give them the opportunity for substantive answers before continuing. [color=de5400]“Please, come along and - oh! - do leave any gifts or food you’ve brought with your porters.”[/color] She smiled sweetly, but this was not a request. [color=de5400]“There’s no need to carry anything here. Their Serene Highnesses will receive these once they have received you.”[/color] She smirked. [color=de5400]“After all, you’re the main show, and you’ve already demonstrated your goodwill by… passing some of our tests and still attending.”[/color] She bowed her head slightly and, once they were all ready, began walking, hands clasped behind her back, visibly restraining her bouncy step, at some junctures, from turning into an outright skipping motion.

	So, they followed, for what else could they do? After about half a minute, they came upon the large bald man who they had seen before. He did not so much as move until they were past. Then, he followed them, silently, seeming to move as if he were slowed underwater while somehow still keeping pace. While a bamboo hedge maze stretched out in one direction and a Nikanese garden in the other, the pavilion they had sighted upon arrival soon became clearer. This one perched on a small lawn beside a peaceful lake with enormous lily pads, a brisk stream at its far edge, and a serene island in the middle. There was no bridge visible and no obvious way to reach it save for swimming or the use of magic. A single tree rose upon it, branches heavy with plums that seemed almost to glow in various subtle colours.[/color]

[hr][hr]
	[color=CD5C5C]Underneath the gently flapping white fabric that now glowed golden with the sinking sun’s rays, lay a pair of enormous tables. [color=de5400]“Please do try to remember your etiquette here,”[/color] said the woman with the eyepatch. [color=de5400]“This [i]is[/i] a royal dinner, all told, regardless of where it might lead.”[/color] There were already some twenty-two figures seated around them, and a handful up and moving around. Various students who had met with them recognized the remaining seven members of the Black Guard. To both their relief and trepidation, Xiulan and the Wei family were there. Wu Long and two of the other Exemplars were present as well, along with Captain Zhu, Captain Zhao, Ming, Zihan, and Yawen. Last were Lady Matsuhara and Mr. Bao, looking distinctly unhappy, and a quiet man in simple dark clothing who sipped a glass of deep red wine. 

[hider=The Mysterious Guest][center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f7/b3/61/f7b361e138f4a60c18bf93a1744cb1f5.jpg[/img][/center][/hider]
	Slightly away from the table on the left, however, was Yong, busy playing some sort of tag game with a short, athletic, middle-aged man. A second man, identical to him, sat at one head of the other table, opposite Wu Long. Upon their approach, he rose and offered a small bow. He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. [color=PaleGreen]“Ah!”[/color] he exclaimed, [color=PaleGreen]“You’ve made it.”[/color] His smile twinkled in his eyes. [color=PaleGreen]“Please,”[/color] he continued, [color=PaleGreen]“Come. Be seated. You’ll find your places labeled.”[/color] He clapped his hands together, businesslike. [color=PaleGreen]“I am Ten-Re, Emperor and Protector of Retan and your host this evening.”[/color] He gestured at the man who was playing with Yong and both halted briefly, the former fondly tousling the latter’s hair. [color=PaleGreen]“This is my brother Ten-Jiu, also Emperor and Protector of Retan. It is an honour to finally meet you.”[/color] He cleared his throat before a procession of introductions could commence, and raised his right hand. [color=PaleGreen]“Now, while I’m sure we all have plenty we’d like to say and ask, I ask that we do so over dinner.”[/color]
[color=FireBrick]“It is… [i]quite[/i] ready,”[/color] his twin interjected, [color=FireBrick]“and I’m quite ready to eat. We can multitask, right?”[/color] He grinned. [color=FireBrick]“你呢，勇？你饿了吗？” (and you, Yong? Are you hungry?)[/color]
  
	[color=BC8F8F]“我不是!”(I’m not!)[/color] the boy protested, and Ten-Jiu laughed and shook his head. [color=FireBrick]“Then you’re always gonna be a small-fry!”[/color] he teased, and Yong stuck out his tongue. Then, from the half-dozen buffet tables surrounding them came twice as many platters, all in the sturdy arms of more of those almost automaton-like servants. 

	[color=FireBrick]“Oh, and don’t worry about poison,”[/color] Ten-Jiu reassured the guests, being the first to eat, [color=FireBrick]“If we’d wanted you dead,”[/color] he continued, speaking while chewing, [color=FireBrick]“you’d already be just that.”[/color] He swallowed and grinned and those skilled in sonic magic may have noticed him dampening sound around the ears of the child who had grudgingly taken a seat beside him. Mr. Wei shot more than one anxious glance in his son’s direction, but Yong seemed quite oblivious to it all. 

	[color=PaleGreen]“Indeed,”[/color] Ten-Re agreed with his brother. [color=PaleGreen]“You’ve been called here, in good faith, to discuss how we might avert a conflict that will surely prove ruinous not only to the parties gathered at this table but, more importantly, to this land and the millions of people who call it home.”[/color]

	Ten-Jiu nodded, tearing chunks off of a bloody rare steak with predatory eagerness. [color=FireBrick]“Mhm,”[/color] he followed up, [color=FireBrick]“They’re everything. They’re why we do this. They’re why we have the laws about magic I’m sure you’ve all noticed and questioned by now.”[/color] He shook his head and gestured with his chopsticks in his brother’s direction. [color=FireBrick]“His big idea, by the way.”[/color] The emperor snorted. [color=FireBrick]“Never woulda come up with it myself.”[/color]

	[color=PaleGreen]“Retan is too big,”[/color] clarified Ten-Re, and he shook his head with sad determination. [color=PaleGreen]“It was falling apart under the later Jiang emperors. Aside from the last one -”[/color] He paused. [color=PaleGreen]“No offense, my dear.”[/color] He smiled apologetically in Xiulan’s direction. [color=PaleGreen]“- they were good people, and they tried their level best to rule well.”[/color]

	[color=FireBrick]“But an empire like this doesn’t work with ‘good people’ at the helm.”[/color] Ten-Jiu managed to not quite [i]glare[/i] at Wu Long. [color=FireBrick]“Nah. It needs mean bastards, like us!”[/color] He scowled and dabbed at his lips with a silk kerchief. [color=PaleGreen]“It requires fear and power at the top and then softer, more accessible layers beneath. This is, of course, regrettable, but utterly necessary.”[/color] Ten-Re shook his head. [color=PaleGreen]“Better some smaller harms for the greater good than the absolute chaos that would ensue if magic was freely available to everyone in our great nation.”[/color]

	Most of the Black Guard ate in silence, though some, like the massive, stocky man who they now recognized as Sleeping Carp, did not eat at all. Golden Monkey stuffed his face greedily, stealing, angry, paranoid, predatory glances at some of the students. Smoking Bandit scarcely took his pipe from his mouth to chew. Evil Eye chatted gaily with the others. Laughing Squid seemed on edge and one who they hadn’t seen before, who had to be Stormcloud, distinctly awkward. Cold Soup merely studied those with her, while Mountain Spring was already into his second bottle of baiju. Lucky Dragon and Wu Long played eye tag from across the table, both trying to look like they were ignoring the other. Yawen stole glances as well, periodically, in her father’s direction as he encouraged Yong to eat by making it into a game. In general, people spoke in a dance, their conversational feet perched perilously on a razor’s edge between the functionally casual and matters of the most dire importance. 

	Then, as they were being served a sweet and savoury variety of desserts, Ten-Jiu leaned back and patted his stomach. [color=FireBrick]“Now that we’re fully and happy,”[/color] he announced, ruffling Yong’s hair again, [color=PaleGreen]“comes the part where we all kill each other.”[/color] He picked something from between his teeth and grinned wickedly, [color=FireBrick]“Or, rather, we kill anyone who decides to fuck with us.”[/color]

	Ten-Re scowled deeply. [color=PaleGreen]“My brother speaks with an uncultured tongue, and it does nothing to bring us closer to an equitable solution.”[/color] He stood and spread his arms, the very voice and picture of reason. [color=PaleGreen]“I would heartily prefer for us to avoid a costly conflict,”[/color] he entreated. [color=FireBrick]“With this in mind, we have brought all living major players in this little drama to the stage at once,”[/color] Ten-Jiu clarified. They were presently eating some sort of cookie each. As they bit down, Most found themselves biting into a tiny metal plate. On these were simple instructions. [color=PaleGreen]“At your earliest convenience, I would like you to take a walk with the person named on those plates you’ve just discovered, separately, for the sake of privacy. They will listen to you and make you an offer. For those of you who accept, rich rewards will await. For those who don’t…”[/color] Ten-Re trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken, and Ten-Jiu stabbed the last piece of steak with his knife. Thin, oily blood dripped from it to pool in his plate before he shoved it into his mouth and chewed with a toothy smile. 

	[color=BC8F8F]“作为一个国王，你吃得很乱!” (You really make a mess of your food, for a king!)[/color] Yong pointed out. The emperor reached out and gave the boy a little flick behind the ear.[/color]

[center][hider=The Temptation][color=808080][center][h2]The Temptation[/h2]
Abdel: Sleeping Carp, walking on water
Ingrid: Evil Eye, garden
Kaureerah: Lucky Dragon, pavillion one
Maura: Yawen, Chicken: pavillion two
Niallus: Cold Soup, streambank
Rikard: Stormcloud, plaza
Trypano: Laughing Squid, garden
Valerian: Golden Monkey, hedge maze
Xiuyang: Mountain Spring, island
Yalen: Smoking Bandit, hedge maze 

[i]Each player will receive a Private Message within the next two days, detailing the offer your character will be given. This will be played out IC.[/i][/center][/color][/hider][/center]