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The Flower of the Fundamentalists

Scene details

  • Start date: Oct. 16, 2022, 4:04 p.m.
  • End date: Oct. 16, 2022, 7:52 p.m.
  • Location: Cosmopolis - Outlying Sprawl
  • Participants: Reize Seatlan, Ivo Galvan, Anna

Setting: Our heroes investigate the rumored eidola cult in the sprawl outside the city walls of Cosmopolis.

Log


 The hubbub of the Rookery fades as the party departs the vicinity of Atelier Vanguards and descends Cosmopolis's great spiral stair to its vast steel and crystal gates, left open in a symbol of peace, which exit into the suburb beyond. Ivo, cloak swaying in the jungle-dampened breeze, seems to marvel out onto the environs, an expression of shock giving way to pleasant surprise.
 "Last I stood here," he remarks to Reize, "was before I met you, and I've never seen it anything like this."
 Though the noise without the walls cannot compete with that echoing within, the sprawling makeshift town here is active, people milling around a central flea market where fresh produce from the fields cleared at the jungle's edge is bartered for magitech components produced in the workshops of the Rookery. People may be boisterous, but the tone is peaceful and, conspicuously, no Cosmopolis guards in their crystalline gear are in evidence. The people once forced to dwell outside the Spiring City's confines, at the relative mercy of Proliferation, seem to be taking care of themselves.
 "Well, supposedly," Ivo continues, "this rumored eidola cult has overtaken a storehouse for grafting fruit trees. If it turns out to be a dead end, shall we have a snack from there, at least?"
 His tone is light, but he idly caresses his sword's hilt. Yes, when he last stood here, it was the first time he had taken Hauteclare from his father's house. And now it hangs so comfortably at his side... modified, confidently, by his hand.
 "I sense none of my fellows in the vicinity," a voice quietly echoes from Reize's pendant. "But I cannot speak for the city as a whole."
 "Oh?" Ivo didn't seem to expect Kernunnos to speak up. The demigod has, quite prudently, avoided revealing his presence in Cosmopolis thus far. "That's a relief. But even without spirits, there may be their worshippers."


  Unlike Ivo, Reize is one of those who never got to explore Cosmopolis, let alone this subset of the city. As they descend from the stairway and go past the crystal gates, the boy is treated to a change of the environment.

  The growing jungle of a city is noted as he looks around the surrounding area. There are no crystal-armored guards or any presence of the higher caste. The boy is taking in the environment, looking back at Ivo, "At least it is relatively peaceful." He gives a thoughtful look.

  At Ivo's light-toned suggestion, the boy brightens, "That sounds like a plan!" Reize is definitely up for more food, but he frowns, "Though, we should make sure none of them are around. Last time, one that escaped did dress up as a Cosmpolitan guard when we found them at the Elysia Temple."

  What comes as a surprise is Kernunnos speaking, "Ah! Didn't expect for you to speak.." He whispers, looking around the surrounding area to make sure no one spots him speaking to his Companion. He brightens, looking at Ivo, "Why don't we explore the area a bit?"
 

  • Character: Anna
  • 2 years, 2 months ago


 Oh Kernunnos spoke. Even Anna has to glance over at Reize and his pendant as she follows the boys through the hustle of the city.
 "What kind of cult are we talking about, here?" She does have to ask. "Is it the peaceable, nice, friendly cult, or the 'human sacrifice' kind? Becuase if it's the human sacrifice kind well, we should probably. You know." Be careful. She lets the obvious remain unsaid as she purses her lips.


 "Alright," Ivo affirms, a grin broadening across his face as he nods to Reize, "let's keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals, shall we?" Far be it from him to object to exploring a bustling market area.
 As they descend into the busy, muddy street, vendors loudly hawk their wares, shouting from their stands to the milling crowds.
 "Fresh bananas! Mangos! Refresh yourself with coconut and lime!"
 "Black pepper, chili, and cloves, straight from the jungle's edge!"
 "Spiced hot chocolate! Fresh ginger and lemon brew!"
 Their young noble friend beams at the wares on display, glancing from side to side as he chatters amiably.
 "To think it'd become such a simple matter to gather spices from the jungle," he remarks. "It might sound strange to drink hot chocolate in such hot weather, if you're not from this climate, but the goal is to make yourself sweat and so cool down faster."
 His lively barrage of trivia is stemmed by Anna's query, the Cosmopolitan's grin turning lopsided as he glances her way.
 "Well, as far as we know, they're the 'trying to break into restricted archives' kind. Maybe if we figure out what they're really after, we can help halt the lockdown and get in to see Lily more easily."


  Reize gives a very thoughtful look regarding Anna's question about the cult. "Well..." He gives a frown, "Within a temple...." Pause, "Panacea's Temple, which has was a central location of my first adventure, there were a few revenants that carried their principles. They guarded that temple in their afterlife." He gives another frown, "We also had a situation where the Fundamentalists stormed the area, and sacrificed themselves to become an eidola at the Elysia Temple after unbreaking a seal." He grumbles with annoyance, "Lily and I had to reseal that location." ...Nevermind that they were also responsible for unsealing an eidola as well.

 He is leaving that one out. Definitely didn't tell Ivo about that one either.

 There is a bit of a large sweatbead over his head.

 Feeling the weight of the memory crushing him, the boy walks off while chirping, "Time to see what they have for sale~"

 Thoughtfully at one of the vendors, "I'll take some mangos, please! I've never had any mangos before!"
 

  • Character: Anna
  • 2 years, 2 months ago


 "Oh." Cult fanatics trying to break into restricted archives are never good. Anna's reply is little more than a monosyllabic murmur at the thought.
 So they might be the human sacrifice kind of cult instead of the 'sit around a fire and sing with tambourines' cult. Good to know.
 "That sounds pretty terrible." She says when Reize recounts his prior cult experience.


 "They may be more the type to sacrifice themselves than others, based on Reize's prior experience," Ivo quips, perhaps a little too dryly, "but we can't rule the latter out." Though he's discovered his own convictions worth risking his life for, the thought of such zealotry still makes his skin crawl. Who would be willing to end their own existence without a qualm, even for some promised afterlife, when living offers such richness as the sights and smells around them now?
 As the aesthete briefly spaces out, the vendor Reize has addressed brightens.
 "Oh, you must be one of those tourists then, yes? No, an adventurer? One of those brave Vanguards, no doubt!" The saleswoman, noticing his boomerangs, piles on the flattery, though her high spirits seem sincere. "These mangos are sweet as candy! If it's your first time, try them with a little coconut rice!" So saying, she offers a cheap clay plate topped with mango slices and black rice grains drenched in a milky coconut sauce, with a little wooden fork. "We take foreign currency, too!"
 "It's fine," Ivo says, "I've got shards." And he steps in to pay for Reize's mangos, extracting a few dull pieces of crystal for the vendor.
 As the young man's attention is occupied, a cluster of robed figures, rather overdressed in the tropical clime, pass along the main road from one side street to another. They would be inconspicuous, save for the fact that the smallest one in the middle stops stark in the road, leading the ones behind to nearly bump into them. Beneath their hood may be glimpsed the youthful face of a shaven-headed woman who seems transfixed, staring at the party.
 After a few moments, the tallest figure, from the front of the line, steps back to place a hand on her shoulder as though to guide her on. But she does not budge and instead, as a few onlookers stop and stare in perplexity, she clasps her palms together and bows her head as though in reverence.
 "Mm?" Kernunnos's voice murmurs from Reize's pendant. "This feeling..."
 The vendor blinks, glancing over her shoulder for who said that.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20>=12.
Comment: Perception Check
Roll(s): 5. Total result is 5. This is a failure (by 7).


  Luckily for the vendor, Reize is very easy to flatter. "Aww, thanks! We just arrived here and are happy to help out! So if you have any requests that you need done, just post it at the Atelier Vanguards and we'll take up the task!" He chirps.

  Just as he recieves the cheap clay plate filled with the mango slices and black rice grains in the milky coconut sauce, his eyes light up and he starts digging in with the wooden fork. The boy looks very appreciative of Ivo covering the cost.

  . o ( o/~ )

  Given that the boy had been engrossed with the food, he had not noticed the strangely dressed figures not too far from their point. What does get his attention is Kernunnos, who alerts the vendor. "..Err--- this feeling... of great food! I never had mango before! And this dish is delicious!" It also looks like that Reize is pre-occupied of not raising suspicion of his Companion.
 

  • Character: Anna
  • 2 years, 2 months ago


 Reize is buying mangos. This is all well and good, but Anna is paying a bit more attention to the party's surroundings.
 "Uh. Guys?" She ventures after a beat of staring at the hooded figures. "That's little weird isn't it?" She says rather bluntly.


 "Oh, my!" the kind vendor says indulgently, apparently easy to flatter as well, or at least happy to act as such. "Now that you mention it, I do have a little task that a clever adventurer like yourself might be able to help me with." Thanks to Reize's quick thinking, she doesn't seem to think anything more of the odd murmur she overheard. "You see, now that the more dangerous monsters are gone, a pesky flock of parakeets have invaded my orchard and are eating some of my mangos! We used to be able to scare them off by dangling some bright pots and pans from the trees so they'd catch the light and bang into one another, and the sights and sounds would scare them off, but they seem to have gotten wise to it. I'm at my wit's end."
 "Ah," Ivo says, grinning widely again, "that's just the sort of problem that our fearless leader is adept at resolving."
 "Do be careful, though," the vendor then says, looking serious as she addresses Ivo, whom she seems to take to be Reize's chaperone. "Someone taught those birds some rather vulgar words!" She then admonishes Reize. "Make sure to plug up your ears, alright?"
 Ivo snorts, quickly covering his mouth and turning away.

> A new sidequest, "Scare-a-Keet," has been added to the Journal.

 "I don't think it's so weird," the young noble replies to Anna, trying and mostly failing to keep his chortling to a minimum. "Those birds are quite intelligent, so-- oh."
 He espies the robed figure bowing in their direction.
 "Yes, that is a little weird."
 As Ivo says this, before their eyes, the taller robed figure practically muscles the smaller one away, the others following in their wake and disappearing down the side street.
 "Maybe she sensed Reize's mango-defending potential."
 "That was a prayer," Kernunnos quietly says, "to me."
 "What?" Ivo blurts, looking shocked again.
 "Huh?" the vendor chimes in, glancing around, perplexed.
 "Ah, we're-- rare-- raring to go! With-- glee!"
 Nice (?) save, Ivo.


  The mention about the parakeets, however, earn his interest, "We'll look into that soon!" He looks sheepish at the admonishing vendor, "I'll keep my ears plugged!"

  Even when Reize fails to maintain a good foothold of his surroundings, it is by graces that Reize has close companions that are more attentive than their Fearless Leader. That is why that the boy turns his head to look at Anna, "Hah?" His eyes widen, mouth wide in confusion. Though, his eyes stare over towards the hooded figures.

  He tenses up.

  Their attire is not unlike the transformed revenants that he found at the two temples. At least, those folks appear to be more living.

  Given that Kernunnos is more talkative, its best that they part ways from the vendor and follow the group. "Anyway, let's do some more sightseeing!" He waves at the vendor, "We'll swing by the orchard as well soon!"

  Once they distance themselves from the vendor, the boy murmurs, "Let's follow them..." The boy is on the pursuit, keeping an eye on the cloaked figures.
 


 The cultists do not seem to anticipate being followed. Though they turn down several twisting alleys, a glimpse of their trailing robes is sufficient to trail them. Our heroes, having left the main road and its bustle behind, pass by makeshift dwellings where brightly-dyed laundry hangs out to dry from clotheslines crossing between buildings and the sounds of daily life issue faintly from windows and doors. Proliferation may have ended, but the jungle remains vigorous, and trailing vines replete with pink and purple flowers wend their ways up posts and scaffolds, eating their way through the wooden homes with the aid of rain and rot. But their natural perfume eases the typical scents of urban life.
 Eventually, further into the sprawl, the party tracks the cultists to a larger building standing alone in a small clearing. The trappings of an orchard surround it, piles of dirt and rocks unceremoniously scattered as raw materials for cultivation. A small reservoir has been dug where the water is clear and fresh, though blossoms from the vines clinging obstinately to the building occasionally fall and float upon it.
 "The coast seems clear," Ivo murmurs, peering from about a corner. "This must be the rumored warehouse. What do you think, chief? Should we see what they're up to or wait for them to leave? I--"
 He ducks back as a figure emerges from the warehouse, slipping through a door that's faintly ajar. The sprightly figure is recognizable as the worshipful cultist from before, less woman than girl, having doffed her robe to reveal the light smock beneath and a slim, almost underfed figure. She nearly skips over to the reservoir, kneeling down before it to splash some water upon her cheeks before, with a beautific smile, plucking one of those blossoms from the water as it floats past and placing it behind an ear. She then looks up as though hearing an inaudible noise, blinking once, before she smiles widely and looks straight toward the corner behind which the party is obscured before she clasps her hands and bows her head again.
 "Oh great spirit," she says, voice high and sweet, "I welcome you to our humble abode! Please, fear us not."
 Ivo, clearly uneasy, looks questioningly to his friends.


  During their pursuit of the cultists, Reize cannot help but to look over the jungle that has made itself a permanent resident of the more urban city, "...I wonder how long those vegetation will remain." Proliferation ended, right? Did the people decide to nurture the vegetation integrate it as part of Cosmopolis's identity? Or has no one sought to remove them at all?

  While following the trailing robes, Reize looks back at Ivo while crouching at the corner. "Maybe, I want to get a closer---..." He falls silent when the girl emerges from the warehouse. He watches her carefully, uncertain as to what to make of her or the rest of the cultists. His experience was not the greatest considering the temples and the break-in.

  However, it looks like she recognizes their presence...?

  His eyes drift down towards the pendant, "Errr..." He looks abck at Ivo, exhaling a sigh. The cat's out of the bag with this one, huh? He offers his older friend a helpless shrug, and then he emerges from the corner, "...So you can sense him, huh?"

  The young explorer looks over the cultist, now fully present.
 


 The explorer's question, as the party passes through the sprawling suburb, is apt. Proliferation has left deep marks upon the land. The structure of the city itself remains a reaction to it. Such a status quo is not easily changed. But as the reason for the way things have been vanishes like smoke, what of the past will be retained? What value do the have, or will they have, in the new era of Cosmopolis that has just begun? The flowers may work their way into the foundations of these houses, and perhaps the citizens are simply too busy to clear them, or a public service to do so is lacking. Yet they are lovely, after all.
 Ivo spreads his arms in a shrug as he follows Reize from behind the corner, brow furrowed as he looks over the girl. She beams as they emerge, her features friendly as can be, though her gaze seems to see past them in a way that makes Ivo's skin crawl. Yet there is no suggestion of a threat from her so far as Reize can tell.
 "You must be blessed too," she breathes, looking delighted. "I've never met anyone so fortunate before!" Suddenly she falters, hesitating. "You haven't... trapped the great spirit in that pendant, have you? The Enemy entraps the spirits in crystal..."
 Ivo glances at the pendant, but no sound issues from it. Kernunnos, who seemed willing to risk detection before, says nothing, even though he has clearly been detected. The noble ponders for a moment before speaking.
 "The spirit is not trapped," he says gently, as though speaking to a child, "merely resting. He... tragically lost his followers once, you see, and is reluctant to be lauded by others."
 "Oh, how horrible!" the girl says. Tears come to her eyes immediately, a display of open and honest emotion that makes Ivo look oddly uncomfortable again. "How sad! If only there were something we could do..."
 "Perhaps time heals even the wounds of a spirit," Ivo replies.
 "Yes, I hope so," the shaven-headed girl says, reaching up to play wtih the blossom behind her ear before stirring again. "Ah, but the spirits we seek to save cannot wait! Please, will you help us?"
 "You," Ivo manages, "want our help?"
 "The spirits need all the friends we can find," she blurts out, eyes wide. "I don't wish anyone to be hurt, mortal or god, but--"
 "Elyse!" a harsh voice calls from within. "Come!"
 "I can't talk any longer," she quickly says, glancing over her slim shoulder briefly, "but I can't leave this place. Please, won't you help me help the spirits who suffer so?"
 Her voice is like a zephyr, her eyes bedewed, no trace of deception detectable.


  Reize feels rather awkward as he is in the presence of what appears to be a more innocent member of the cultists. His hand unconsciously holds onto the pendant to show his discomfort. The way that she looks past them. Reize doesn't see her as a threat, but it is still uncomfortable.

  "Trapped? No, the 'great spirit' and I have a partnership." He brightens considerably, his gaze lowers at Kernunnos. It is strange that Kernunnos decides not to speak this time despite the clear detection. Reize exhales a sigh, "We're doing what we can for him."

  However, the shaven-headed girl's request has the boy tense slightly. "...Spirits? Which spirits...?" Reize is hesitant on the request, given that Elysia's Temple's basement houses the more malevolent eidola.
 


 "The spirit trapped by the Enemy!" Elyse says. "The fellowship says that the Enemy are sinful, and torment the spirits to be cruel. But I think that they must just not understand how the spirits suffer so--"
 "Elyse!!"
 "I have to go!" she whispers, moving to the door. "Come again! If you bring the spirit, I'll know you're here!" And before the party can say any more, she slips through the door, leaving the party in the courtyard, where blossoms bob silently in the reservoir.
 "That girl," Kernunnos says, "is touched."
 "Clearly," Ivo murmurs, before pausing. "You mean, there's a trace of eidola in her lineage? She seemed to be the only one who could sense your presence..."
 "You understand me well, boy," the demigod replies, "but you speak too freely."
 "Eh? I was just--" Realizing that his explanation to Elyse may have been more on the mark than he realizes, Ivo looks usually flustered. "Sorry about that, Kernunnos."
 "It is of no account. This girl, however, is surely a treasure to this clan," the eidola continues. "I would know more of her goals."
 "She may be able to tell us what they're planning," Ivo says, "though I doubt she knows it all. The trick will be finding a way to communicate with her safely. It's not likely she can just post a request at the Atelier."
 He glances to Reize.
 "What do you think, Reize?" Ivo asks. "I can't say I appreciate my schoolmates being known as the Enemy, but--" He sighs, eyebrows lifting. "That priestess isn't entirely wrong about how they'd think of eidola. Still, it's obvious that the archives have good reason to be locked down. Is this cult just desperate for a new objective? What reason could they have to think research into eidola would be ongoing? Or..."
 The Cosmopolitan laspes into silence, perplexed.

> The party has a new Contact: Elyse, Flower of the Fundamentalists.
> Trust with the Fundamentalists has increased by 10. (10/100)
> Accept Elyse's quest?
>> Yes
>> No


  Now that is a concept that Reize is not used to. "...Touched?" He tilts his head over towards his pendant, "What do you mean by 'touched'?" He looks at Ivo and the demigod, now very confused. "...Wait, there are those who have eidola in their lineage?"

  As Kernunnos and Ivo have a bit of a dispute, Reize's arms fold as he thinks over the situation. They have to figure out how to deal with what is happening in Cosmopolis. On one hand, dealing with the eidola will prove troublesome if they're malevolent. However, given his time with Kernunnos, he has learned that the eidola can also be benevolent.

  He looks at his pendant and Ivo.

>>> Yes.

  "We'll take her up on her offer. I want to know as well." A smile grows, "Truth be told, my experience with the eidola in Cosmopolis was not the greatest, but my bond with Kernunnos helped me realize that there are benevolent eidola and maybe the one trapped could be just as benevolent."
 


 "Supposedly," Ivo says, raising his hands toward Reize to gesture uncertainty. "There are legends to that extent. The followers of Aijanu claim that some eidola can disguise themselves as mortals and even have children, producing 'tainted' bloodlines. I have no idea if that's true, but maybe some sort of contact with a spirit could produce a talent like hers, as in the stories of those who gain new powers from contact with a Gate."
 "I cannot say what my fellows are capable of," Kernunnos remarks, "though I have never taken such a form myself."
 At Reize's words, Ivo seems to relax, smiling softly.
 "Yeah," he agrees, "Kernunnos has taught us a lot. Before, I never would have been so sympathetic to a group like this. We know they're dangerous, after all. But if Elyse is right, and an eidola like Kernunnos is in some sort of trouble, maybe we can help." The magitechnician looks askance at the building where the cult has gathered. "We'll certainly be more likely to show restraint in doing so than this crew."

> The faction quest "Languishing in Crystal" has been added to the Journal.

 "I wonder if we should bring anything to prepare," he murmurs, reaching up to rub his chin as he turns away, preparing to head back toward the market. "She wanted a way to stay in touch. Any sort of phonic communicator risks being found by her fellow zealots. We could designate a place to leave written letters. But it'd be best if we had some sort of unremarkable intermediary, like a carrier pigeon. Or--"
 Ivo suddenly brightens, smiling a little mischievously.
 "--a parakeet, perhaps?"