Session 20230810 To the Serene Monastery
General Summary
Bertrum (and Lyris) announce themselves as Solars while Nightshade conceals her new status and goes with the mortal monks at their lessons in Falling Blossom style, under the supervision of Balantin a senior monk. While the "Solars" discuss philosophy and religion with the Mistress of the Grey Walls, Nightshade explores the Manse with his guide. Finding your way through the rooms on the ground floor is difficult, with a loss of concentration leaving the wanderer back in the training hall, later this effect would be discovered to not apply to those attuned to the Manse. The hearthroom is the single room on the upper floor (with a trap on stairs), a cupola observatory with a crystal lens ceiling that for some reason shrinks the sky (this was explained by the Mistress as making it easier to see a wide section of the sky at a glance). Nightshade admitted to the Monastery's leader that she is also a Solar but asked her to keep this secret. She agreed, but tried (unsuccessfully) to convince Nightshade that keeping her identity as a Night Caste secret was just playing into the fears of people of the Anathema and that it would be better if she was open as much as possible, only using stealth and secrecy when necessary for a specific objective. Nightshade briefly saw a large spider in the observatory from the corner of her eye but could not find it again. The hearthstone was not present in the hearthroom. An Illuminated One will be arriving on the next day to instruct them.