2024-09-20 Nexus Peacebuilding - pt 1

General Summary

Scene: Peace talks on Mercenary Lord Blaine Pardoe of Ember's ship

Factions and representatives present

Essence of Spice Trade, Architect of Nexus

Essence of Spice Trade brings 4 battlegroups of Nexus mortals that he has lent some of his power to.

Essence of Spice Trade also brought, Whispered Nothings, a priestess of Luxana, goddess of written records to record and sort of notarize these talks.

(In truth, Whispered Nothings is a Resplendent Destiny of Flying Eiderdown aka Selene, chosen of Jupiter.)

The timeless order of manacle and coin

Anacreon Thousand Brushstrokes

Creon Flecktar Blood-spatter

The Guild

Factor Norma Jean

Factor Blue Eyes

Factor Byorn

Tang-Zen Crime Syndicate

Combative Mattresses (Exigent of Marpola Brancino, god of organized crime)

Ma-Ha-Suchi’s interests

Golden Chrysantemum(human form but visible Moonsilver tattoos)

Tidetamer (in obvious Orca-human-hybrid form)

Note Passed to Stelsor by 'Whispered Nothings' Saturnday morning

Other background info

In the crime war that has happened over the last 3 weeks, thousands have died on the Guild or Coin sides.

Recall that Combative Mattresses nephew was killed by the Guild in their initial show of force.

Bears-Fangs is interested in meeting Tidetamer, Dreamflower helps introduce them.

Fortifier speaks with Combative Mattresses, hoping to learn more about if there are parts of the city or sectors of crime that each faction could “own” instead of fighting over most of them.

Combative Mattresses explains the Tang Zen started out as a protection racket, mostly protecting people from the Guild.

There are certain trades the TZ doesn’t deal with but the other two criminal organizations do: particularly trading with the Fair Folk or trading in indentured labor.

Fortifier asks if the TZ have any particular advantage or product that the other factions do not?

"Solid" Eressanada Purrio’s forgeries are unrivaled by Mortal hands, so that’s a unique advantage.

Nurlissa, Chosen of Masks’s masks were another angle the TZ had tried to work, but that has become messy as people began using them to magically impersonate extremely influential individuals on the Council of Entities.

CM points out they didn’t invent this particular trade. Rather, they got the idea after the Platinum Lady bought a mask from Nurlissa. (This seems like a new piece of info.)

CM feels that only the Platinum Lady’s sponsor (the The Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears) could be responsible.

Fortifier floats the idea CM lending support to the Circle if we move on the Platinum Lady’s operations in the Blessed Isle.

(The Circle had found a ledger in Nightnail long ago that they had postponed following up on.)

If the Coin is truly interested in divesting itself of its holdings in Nexus, CM suggests the Circle consider who they want owning those pieces: the Tang-Zen or the Guild.

Fortifier asks if CM, as Exigent of Organized Crime, has some power to affect these other factions himself.

CM mentions that part of the mission Marpola Brancino charged him with was to challenge the Guild, which had grown lazy from over-exploiting Nexus. By prodding the Guild this way, the Guild becomes sharper criminals, leaner predators, but are also prevented from becoming so decedent that their parasitism collapses the society they feed upon.

Fortifier is greatly perplexed by Marpola Brancino/CM’s paradigm: that societies, or Nexus at least, benefit from a moderate amount of criminal activity. So very different from the rigid cultures of Autochthonia who find little to no utility in criminals, treating them as malfunctioning parts to be repaired or discarded before they can corrode entire systems.

CM is wary of Selene’s disguise and worries she might be a scout for some group that could bring a Wyld Hunt down on the Exalted of Nexus.

CM believes the greatest crime (or sin) is getting caught; and he has no intention of getting caught.

CM mentions Mercenary Lord Ember and Fortifier asks if CM has heard something.

CM shares rumors that Ember is in Champoor, hiding from his enemies.

Fortifier introduces CM and Bears-Fangs.

Golden Chrysanthemum walks right up to Thousand Brushstrokes to loudly introduce herself to the Coin.

Scene: Tea below deck

Participants adjourn below decks where Dreamflower serves tea, blessed by Chalai.

Looking at Factor Byorn, his demeanor seems like he is barely under control, and the other two factors seem to be watching him as well, as though they are also uneasy about what he might do.

Dreamflower strikes up conversation with Norma Jean, who we’ve met in the past at Liveeasy, and Norma Jean introduces Factor Blue Eyes.

Dreamflower attempts to address Byorn, who reacts unintelligibly.

Norma Jean explains Byorn encountered something that changed him.

Dreamflower offers to have a healer examine Byorn and the other 2 factors accept.

Fortifier examines him with Flawless Diagnosis Technique. Byorn, a mere mortal, has somehow stared directly into The Maw of the Void and it has stared back into him.

Detecting the yawning void behind Byorn’s eyes, Fortifier woefully tells the other factors that their colleague was exposed to a tremendous negative energy and might never fully recover.

The other two factors seem genuinely sad to hear this, a reaction one generally doesn’t expect from rival Guild Factors.

Circle attempts to feel out the three Factors socially

We all notice Byorn looks at Norma Jean a lot and Bears-Fangs recognizes Byorn certainly has (or had) an infatuation with Norma Jean.

Based on Dreamflower’s previous research in the documents we stole from the Guild Ziggurat, these 3 factors were likely selected for these talks because they are the most pro-stability of the local factors. No Factor achieves their position by being nice, but these practice some restraint.

Assistant-Factor Nyeah and Steele Cast are remaining civil for now, but seem unhappy to be seated together.

Looking more closely, Dreamflower notices it is Steele Cast who feels he has done something to hurt Nyeah’s feelings.

From his body language, Steele Cast appears to feel guilty.

Based on what we know of these two’s past, the norm was Nyeah to manipulating or abusing Steele Cast, yet their current spat seems reversed.

Dreamflower’s Motive Discerning Technique infers that Nyeah apparently caught Steele Cast with Flora.

Nyeah is torn between anger and sheer shock.

Character(s) interacted with

Essence of Spice Trade, Architect of Nexus Combative Mattresses Tidetamer Golden Chrysantemum Factor Byorn Factor Norma Jean Factor Blue Eyes Assistant-Factor Nyeah Steele Cast

Related Reports

Previous: 2024-09-13 Ship Shape

Next: 2024-09-27 Nexus Peacebuilding - pt 2

Report Date

20 Sep 2024

Primary Location

Nexus

Related Characters