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 Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 6:18 pm
 Deep within a cavern on the edge of Faetasia’s Hemlock island there was a crackling sound a molten lava spring forth. Melting and changing the cave around it. The stale air sparked to life with electricity. Pillars and a narrow pathway lifted up from the lave, cooling as it his the surface. On the higher cliff that the pathway lead up to a scarlet glow emanated. Pulsed a steady beat. The power that flowed from it with each pulse getting stronger and stronger. As if calling out to something. Someone. All Kuei-Jin in this land would feel it. A harsh tug at their very being. Dragging them to the cave and the blood red orb that sat upon an ebony pedestal. They could not resist it. Pain would sear through their minds if they tried. She dragged them out of their havens kicking and screaming. Although some did com willingly. From near and far they would come. Some traveling great distances to be here. And one by one they would approach to ask their questions and answer her’s. There was much to discuss before her arrival here. Though most of her questions would be about the Cainite Vampires. The blood drinkers who stalked about at night. She had heard whisperings of a new God. A rather untested God in her eyes. He had seen nothing in his short life yet. The Scarlet Queen had come to call.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 6:35 pm
It was a call. A cry. A song from the depths of her very soul, and it woke Meilian from a dead slumber. She knew not how long she had slept; inactivity was an unusual state for a Thrashing Dragon, but Faetasia had gone quiet, and her ancient soul had gone to rest.
She could have sworn she'd been sharing her bed with a mortal when she went to sleep, but it was empty when she awoke. Alas.
She followed the call with eagerness and delight, and when she found its origin, a bright laugh passed her lips.
"Ah, my Queen! At last, at last, are you finally on your way here? It's been so terribly boring."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:53 pm
 Cai had been so bored for so long. Things had been awfully quiet around Faetasia, and she itched for something exciting to happen.
That was when she felt it. The call. Like something was yanking on her insides to bring her where she now found herself. She wasn't the first one here, but she was among the first visitors.
"Is that what that is? Our Queen?" she asked of the other Kuei-Jin in the cave, though her eyes were glued to the orb resting upon the pedestal.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 8:20 pm
And then the meaning of the Call filtered through her mind and her lips curved into a cool smile, distant but pleased. She slowly and carefully began to move, stretching each joint and limb to be sure she did not disgrace herself from the stiffness of having been so still for so long. Once she was fully stretched, and felt her normal limberness coming back to her, the Lady of the Resplendent Crane knew that the world had been awakening again.
Every motion she made in response to the call, every step she took following it, she took with the care and grace that her position required, that she not dishonor herself in the eyes of any who's path she crossed. When she arrived, she took a look around, understanding what was happening. She noticed her equivalent of the Dragons nearby, and chose to stand at a distance, not wishing conflict between their... Rather mismatched... Dharmas to arise. Instead, after making sure she found a place that was properly clean, she fell to her knees and made a full bodied obeisance. "Great Queen. You have come. Long have we awaited you. We are eternally honored by your wisdom and generosity in coming to these lands."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2022 7:30 am
Tendrils of bright scarlet light writhed and twisted out from the orb. One for each Kuei-Jin. Upon reaching them the tendrils brushed lovingly against their cheek. “My faithful. How I have missed you so.” The voice purred and almost ached with need. There was something dark and sinister behind the voice though. Like a poisoned blade it cut through their minds and infected their being. Suddenly the tendrils wrapped themselves around each Kuei-Jin’s throat. Not tight enough to choke them but tight enough to keep them in place. The tendrils bore into their temples. Reaching deep, deep into their minds. The Kuei-Jin would feel an excruciating pain for only a moment before the pain became warmth. Like being embraced into the bosom of a mother. “Show me'…” The voice beckoned. Tendrils urging the information that the Scarlet Queen wanted to the surface. She was wanting to know what the Kuei-Jin had been up to all this time and for more information on the Cainite Vampires. What were they doing? We’re they as complacent as them seemed to her? Tell your Goddess everything
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2022 7:46 pm
Lihua froze as the tendrils lifted up, though not in fear... In respect, and the desire to honor their Queen. She did not move from her deep bow of honor to the Great Lady before them, their Goddess, their shadowed light. The touch of it against her skin was soft, though the words were strange, almost painful...
And so was the sudden sensation of the tendril in her mind. She wanted to cry out in pain, but did not give in, for she would not dishonor herself before the Scarlet Queen in such a way.
When the pain faded, her eyes closed for a moment, and she waited for what was wished of her.
The information desired, she could feel it being pulled up. She sighed and gave it up to the Queen, knowing full well there was little she could do to change what had been going on. The world had gone silent, and still, and she had so few of her Dharma to help her bring the Law to the world, let alone to investigate those barbarian followers of that Caine fellow. She was trying to find what had become of the rest of them, and not give in to the silent rage that they had abandoned the Way.
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 5:49 am
“Enough.” The tendril stopped it’s search. Lihua would feel a sense of disappointment. Thick and heavy all around her as the tendril suddenly disappeared and she was free to move if she wished again. A sudden vision of a figure cloaked in shadow would come to her in her mind. Piercing red eyes that sparkles and glittered with chi would stare at her. Bore through her. “How could this have happened?” The figure asked, it was a rhetorical question. The Scarleet Queen knew. It was Caine’s fault. Him and his horrible abominations. This world. Their world had pulled her beautiful Kuei-Jin off their karmic paths and so they were lost to her. If it wasn’t apparent which how only three had shown up. Their numbers here had not been great as she had been leery in the first place to come here and this just solidified her opinion. This wretched place and the Cainites would pay for this. The Scarlet Queen would burn it to the ground if she must. The figure’s attention turned back to Lihua. Red eyes narrowing as it observed her through her mind. All the while it just seemed like Lihua were still in her bow.”what say you Lihua? Why has your Dharma left it’s karmic path?” The question was oppressive and had a heat behind it that even though it was in her mind Lihua would be able to feel her skin burning just a touch.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2022 9:39 pm
Lihau froze at the word enough, struggling with the desire to look down in shame... Even when she was not sure she was truly to blame, when there had never been many in the Dharma to begin with and the world had practically died, with everyone gone silent for so very long. She did not know what she was to have done in that situation, honestly.
But she was also not so fallen as to try to speak such thoughts, or express them, because she was not so low as to try to lay the blame at the feet of others.
She was the Ancient of her Dharma, it was on her to keep it living, striving... But she did not know how to have done so.
She was not sure if any of the others of her dharma had awoken, of the very few there had been... But she was quite certain she would have to fix this. It was time to write new laws for her people, Laws to find the Lost before others did, so that she could begin to rebuild what should have been all along. "I have no excuses, my Queen... All I can say to you is that I will do better for you, for our People. I will begin again, rebuild what was lost. I will not allow myself to fail you again."
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Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 3:40 pm
The heat fell away but only momentarily. The figure quietly contemplating Lihua. Yes she has drive. She wanted to do better. Wanted her Dharma to survive. Good. That was the kind of drive Scarlet Queen was looking for. Not some sniveling bag of bones to blame their failures on others. Someone who would unite their Dharma. Grow it. Tend to it. Prune it like a rose bush. But with more ruthless abandon. Lihau would feel hands on her face, soft and gentle which did not match the temperament of the figure when it appeared in the mind. The scent of sweet flowers and incense filled the air. However if she lifted her head to look up in reality she would find herself no longer in the cave. She had been drawn into what looked like a very lavish parlor. The hands on her face were pale, long claws scraping at the skin on her face as glittering red eyes set a quite beautiful face looked down at her. Everything framed by bright red hair. “Lihau….” The voice that came from the creature before her was breathy. Sweet like honey yet deep like the abyss. “You’ve toiled for so long but your work is not over.” Leaning in she kissed the Kuei-Jin’s forehead before continuing. “We are straying from the karmic path and this must be corrected. You must rebuild your Dharma as must the others if we are to survive in this world. We stand on the various precipice of change. Will you leap to see if you can fly?” The Goddess released her grip on Lihau’s face and made her way to a high backed chair. “More still the Cainites are a problem. If we are to have enough chi to survive we cannot have competition.” The Goddess leaned angular in her seat as she crossed her legs. The split in her outfit revealing a pale thigh that she tapped a long claw against as she pursed he red lips. “Any that you come across…” She looked thoughtful. “Dispose of them.”
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 11:50 pm
The hands on her face did, indeed, cause Lihua to look up... And her eyes went wide to find herself in what could only be the Queen's parlor. If the claws scraping against her skin caused her discomfort, she showed nothing of it, staying only focused on her most Honored.
"I would leap, for you, My Queen. We may have fallen from the air, but it is time to retake the skies, and show you the honor you deserve, Great Lady." She only raised herself enough to be able to keep a respectful eye on her Queen, to be sure she knew what was going on.
Otherwise, she stayed low to the ground, for she had not been granted permission to stand in the August Personage's presence, and she would never commit such an act of disrespect. She might have failed her Queen once, but she would never disrespect her, that would be an action unworthy of the Ancestor of the Resplendent Crane. If she wanted to rebuild her peoples, and earn the respect and honor of the Queen again, she had to start with herself, and act as one of her status should.
"They will be hunted at need, Most Resplendent. I will be sure to instruct all of our Path to fall on them with the bitter cold of a raging blizzard, and end them. Any who fail to do so... Will be punished, and harshly."
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 6:50 am
Amusement glittered in her eyes as she watched the Ancient Kuei-jin with mild interest. Resting a hand on her porcelain colored face. Shadows around those red eyes darkening and she secretly desired the heads of all Cainites. She would make a new throne. One of ash and bone. They would burn them out like diseased flesh and then this world would be theirs. That was the goal anyhow and the Scarlet Queen had many plans in motion to achieve this. “Then go. And do not disappoint. I would hate to see anything happen to the pretty face of yours.” It was a thinly veiled threat. She had become tired of waiting. Tired of her people dwindling to almost nothing. If the number in which that had shown up at the cavern were any indication of how many were still either alive or active she was in serious trouble. Without them, without the worship and need she simply would not have a reason to exist. She had heard of Gods vanishing when tribute was gone. The Chi around her twin Phoenix tails flared brightly and she snapped her fingers. Lihau would find herself back in the cave kneeling. But she had a renewed sense of purpose. Her Goddess was relying heavily upon her. A dangerous weight to have for sure.
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:42 pm
"Yes my Queen..." Was the last words Lihau would get to say before she was sent off, back into the cave. She felt the weight, the danger... But also that sense of purpose in her very core. She stayed still for a long moment, then slowly she looked around, eying the Thrashing Dragons nearby as she stood.
She had a duty, she had been given the Lady's Law and she would not fail her, she would not give in.
The Resplendent Cranes would grow, and grow strong, and those Cainite fools who tried to stand in their way would be sacrificed at the Altar of their Lady.
This was to be the first of the new Laws she would write for her people.
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