Edited by Master of the Hunting Mist

Players: Clan Clan, Master of the Hunting Mist

Freehold is a small village that is unremarkable for its farming and village commons. A spring Festival has just ended, and with the bonds to the Earth and Wood renewed, the common folk look forward to an early planting season and a rich harvest. Outside the village proper is a two-floor house that has seen better days; the exterior has not seen much in the ways of repair. The Villagers seem to avoid it, despite its well-tended garden out front, and the tall man in a black buff jacket who seems to be tending the grounds. Perhaps its the claw strider that roams the grounds, though not out front where it might pounce on anyone.

Hunting Mist finds himself chopping wood, swinging an axe with a fresh haft of hickory.

         Nothing puts a spring in Clan Clan's step like spring. No more bitter cold, no more layers and layers of clothes. The young woman wears a simple white spring Kimono with blue flower pattern on it. Black wood lacared Geta, and large red jade bangles. Beauty unmatch by anything you have ever seen before. Looking more like a rich Realmite than someone who should be walking alone one the road. Stranger yet is the fluffy amber tail and cat like ears on her head. The fur matches her hair, and form how they move they seem quiet real. Waving to you with a smile, seemingly coming closer.

Slowly, Hunting Mist puts the axe down as he appraises the approaching being. He has a sense that she simply isn't from around here. His first thought was that she was some Realm Dynast slumming in some rural setting, but the tail and the clothes gives her some otherworldly air that he simply cannot dismiss.  "A good day to you, ma'am. Sumthin' I can help you with?"

Hunting Mist is, in fact, staring at Clan Clan's beauty.

         Grace she has in multitudes, seemingly floating across the ground for a moment. "I'm a little lost." she admits, though cheerfully. Voice soothing, warming, calming. Even your plant seem to enjoy it, blooms starting to open just a smidgin. "I'm looking about here for the Rumors of a Solar in the area...but I don't know were I am now..." she frowns

Hunting Mist blinks at first, just sort of going stock-still like he just got pole-axed. "Uh, er, yer in Freehold, ma'am. This rumoured Solar, he in any kind of trouble?"

         "Oh no." she waves a hand nonchalantly. "I was just looking for him, its hard to be a Solar these days and people need to stick together.". She nods happily. Electric blue eyes meeting with your's, they seem to *know*, and they tell you so. Tail twitching up. "So~? do you know where I might find him?" voice as sweet as honey.

Hunting Mist sighs heavily, grabs his jacket, and heads to the house. "C'mon, ma'am, see if we can talk about this inside, away from pryin' eyes.", he says as he leads the way. "I can get some tea going, and we can discuss who needs t'stick t'whom."

Hunting Mist gets to the door and holds it open for Clan Clan.

The interior of the house is large, roomy, with the feel of a generational family having lived in it comfortably. Some sense of haunting loneliess has recently settled into it, but this doesn't seem to have anything to do with how clean it is, the astrological charts up on the walls, occult texts lining various shelves, a couple of books over on a desk, open, and a pile of hand-written notes in a cramped scrawl on one side.

         Clan Clan bows to the man as he holds the door open. "Thank you sir!" she chirps and walks in. Going right to your kitchen. From within her tiny kimono she pulls forth two cups, a pot and a small container of tea. Were all this would fit within her fairly tight fitting kimono is a mystery. "Names Clan Clan. I'm kind of like you." tail wagging, though her back is to you as she works on perpairing the tea. "I repersent a group that helps young exalts like yourself."

         Stopping suddenly inside the door, Mist's eyes go wide as he watches Clan Clan work her minor miracles. His brows wrinkle as various thoughts move through him, and something of a conclusion whispers from within.   "You're from Heaven. From Yu-Shan."

         "Did my accent give it away? Drat, thats no fun, I don't get to be mysterious." The cat-eared girl pouts. Ears drooping a little and tail pausing in its wag as you speak. "I try to be as cool as my coworker's but they are so much better at it. Ah well. How do you take your tea?" setting the pot on and adding so leaves to the two cups.

"A bit o'sugar, if you please.", says Hunting Mist.

         Leaning against the doorframe, Hunting Mist looks over the wall of the kitchen as he answers. "Your appearance is, well, unearthly. Coulda been one o'th'Silverfolk, I suppose, an'that was my first guess. But you had no travel dust on you, no sign of you having even so much as *moved* more than a few yards in dirt. Everything on you is done up perfectly. Ideal, even. That doesn't happen here, short of magic. Even then...the style that you have is unlike anything in Creation."

         Looking down at her self and adjusting her clothes a bit, yanking up the top of her kimono a bit. "Hmmm I guess..." she scratches her head. "I try to look nice I guess. Anyway!" a bit of sugar goes from her sleave into your cup. "So I'm here to offer you a hand in our organization. We help you, teach you about your power. Offer assistance and the like. In return our goal is to at some point unify creation and push towards a better world. So you might be called into help now and then."

         "Sounds like a fine thing. Except...I'd ask about why and the how of us and about Creation and its current position.", Mist says as he stands and goes over to the kitchen table. "I have a wonderin' about why the Solars have been gone so long, and what's happened with Creation in our absence. Think those questions might bother yer organization any?"

         "Well it would, but we know why. A group from heaven took it upon themselves to put you guys away. They had a good reason; turns out Solars were not designed for peace time. Their shards have unique flaws that cause minor mental hiccups that later become major psychosis if not monitored and attended to. Rather than trying to fix it they took the easy way out. They out numbered us. See as how few bannered under us because of all the trouble created by the 'crazy' God Kings, even Sol turned in disgust. But now your here and we can help!" cheerful and honest to a tee as she goes on. Pooring the tea into the cups, handing one to you. "Let it steep a bit."

         Master of the Hunting Mist stands still at the table, a look of horror growing over him as Clan Clan keeps talking. Something about what she says rings true, even the 'crazy' God King line. He already knew that Sol Invictus had turned his back on Creation; was he the one that put all the shards away? What happened that was so wrong that Creation's greatest champions had to be locked away like dangerous weapons? Who else was Clan Clan talking about? Mist slowly lowers himself into the chair in front of his tea, confusion and hurt warring on his face, "By His Bright Burning Gaze, what happened, Clan Clan?"

         "Well ... its not a pleasant story." Ears drooping a bit. "Some of use have clear memories of it. Maybe not the war but the time before it ....", closing her eyes Clan Clan tries to collect herself for a moment. "I'm bound not to tell you the group who did it, for they officially don't exit. Neither does my group. You can call us the Cult of the Illuminated." brining her cup to her nose and taking in the sent a moment before sipping it lightly. The decorum of someone who belongs in a castle. "Though if you talk to anyone with some know-how.." shifty eyes she leans in and whispers, "Gold Faction.". Smiling like she told you a dirty little secret. "Honestly were still not sure how you got out of the Jade Prison but were happy you did, creation is a mess." she seems to avoid the topic of the past for the moment.

         Rubbing his eyes with one hand, Hunting Mist seems quiet for a moment. A shudder works its way out of his system, as if some strange tension was released, and he looks up to Clan Clan. "My name's John, by the way. Never mentioned it yet, thought I ought to.", he says and holds out his hand to Clan Clan.

         Clan takes the hand and pulls herself closer giving you a hug, like one might give to a good friend or sibling. "Nice to meet you John." taking her seat back she gives you a warm smile, still holding your hand, the act of closeness trying to comfort at the least. "Sorry to lay this all on you at once. My peoples' general rule is secrecy, but I think friendships are built on the truth not lies."

         John accepts the embrace almost like a child; he felt vulnerable to Clan Clan's news, and the reassurance was needed. He may not appreciate everything yet, but small gestures like this are important to him at these times. John nods, "Yeah, well, I ain't made for this high-end muckety-muck stuff an'politickin'. It is a fair bit to take it, an' I don't even have an idea about the scope of damage done to Creation, or who all is her enemy.", John sits straighter in his chair, "So yer Cult people can help out, can they? Maybe. I'd at least like to hear what they have to say, and what needs to be done."

         Giving your hand a squeeze, happy you seem to be taking it better than most at least, Clan Clan continues. "Well there are the obvious threats. The Wyld, for you, the wyld hunt will try to stop you. Seems the other group has had all this time to Demonize you. Don't worry, it's only big in the realm, the beliefs are only lightly given into out here. Then there is the undead, the deathknights and the Deathlords. Demons as always causing problems, but that is mostly our job, plugging up those holes." going over the list, eyes looking up in thought. "I know it sounds like a lot, but the more we work together the easer it will be."

         "Well, the Wyld I seem to be particularily handy in dealing with. I seem to know a great deal about it, and my Sol-given might is like a spear pointed at its heart, if the Wyld had one. Th'Hunt, well, I'm a hunter m'own self, so I figger we're on even footing there. The Deathlords, you call'em? They're new, and honestly, they creep me out a bit. Naw, th'list ain't th'problem. It's what we can find out, and what we can bring to bear on it. Alright, what would th'next step be?". Finishing his thoughts out loud, John sips his tea, pinky extended.

         "Well good, I'll point you to Orduin of Tools. He has some skill in dealing with them too. He is one of the more established Solars in the East." Clan Clan sips her tea some more, happy with the blend she got from heaven. "Most important right now is for you to learn about your powers, and establish yourself. What do you want to do?"

        You say, "What, the guy with th'crazy Lunar wife?"

         "W-wife?" Clan Clan blinks "He is most definetly not married, gods save us if he got married ..." she looks physically shocked by this. "His mate is a guy too." she sighs "Unless Vol got the ...." she grumbles to herself, some obsenites are said in old realm. "Anyway. He is not."

         "Hmmph. Zera somethin' or other. Sumthin' t'do with turning a prostitute into a city-destroyer out of spite over somethin'?"

         Shrugging, John sips a bit more tea and ponders. "I got a bit of work here. I'm taking care of this place for its owner fer a bit, not sure how long that's gonna be for. I'm hankerin' to explore Creation, get a bit seasoned with the troubles people are facing. Meet people, get t'know them, get known in return. Anyone I should avoid off the top of yer head?"

         There is a great sigh of relief at this. "Oh gosh only Zera. Had me worried there." leaning back in her seat a little. "Avoid? Well ... scarry looking people, obviously. Swords that scream with the souls of the damned is a good indication of a bad guy." putting a finger to her lips. "Other than that, I haven't seen Vathrin about...Shadowed Fortune is dead ..." shaking her head. "I'm not much in a fight so I don't often get a lot of names of the bad guys."

         "Alright. I'll be doing my own thing then, fer a bit. You seem to know how to find me, so I won't worry about that. I guess yer free t'come an'go as you please with me, Clan Clan."

         "If there's need for someone like me, gimme a shout. And this training yer offering intrigues me. I'd like to know about that some."

And of course, in a dream, Master of the hunting Mist finds out the *real* reason the Usurpation happened...

You paged Chejop Kejak with 'Holy crap! Its Ketchup Carjack! You owe me money from a previous life, buddy!'.

Chejop Kejak pages: Yeah, I get that a lot.

Chejop Kejak pages: I've got your money, by the way. I left it inside the Jade Prison for you - pick it up whenever.

You paged Chejop Kejak with 'Bet you started the Usurpation just to avoid paying your debts back.'.

From afar, Chejop Kejak admits nothing.

You paged Chejop Kejak with 'lol'.