2025-06-06 Orbulin Located
General Summary
Scene: Investigating Varakleion
Stelsor asks his Unwoven Coadjudicator about Varakleion
The inner demon is upset to hear the name.
It says to steer clear of this guy.
It mentions that Varakleion has the protection of Cecelyne and may have other connections.
“Varakleion is a spoiled brat, taken under Cecelyne's Wing under suspicious circumstances. He was thrown out of the Endless Desert after he overstayed his welcome. Said to go "see his dad".”
Fortifier tries to recall rumors about this but fails to remember them.
We speak to the Ar-Duke
Said he had seen the Eye of Autochthon exploding over Yu-Shan and he saw a great brass continent called the Orbulin which was supposedly part of Autochthon. It is said to be captained by Varakleion, who claims to be the child of the Primoridals Autochthon and Cytherea.
Orbulin is like the eye-socket of Autochthon.
Stelsor asks if he’s heard from the Confederacy about admitting Metagalapa.
The Ar-Duke says that, last he heard, they wanted him to move Metagalapa back to its original position and, when he tried to tell Mana-Tui to relocate, that’s when he noticed he couldn’t reach them.
Stelsor wants the Metagalapans to help in liberating Thorns.
The Ar-Duke is on-board with attacking The Mask of Winters, but he’ll still need to get his mountain back.
Scene: Research venture results
There is currently an open portal to Autochthonia! (One for each direction actually.)
Metagalapa is inside Orbulin.
Defining Intimacy of Varakleion is to prove himself worthy.
He seems to have a major complex about falling short of who his parents are.
We can pray to Autochthon at the Great Cog to locate Orbulin and the closest portal to enter Autochthonia.
Varakleion Profile: Insecure, Isolated.
We’re fairly sure that Orbulin is flying somewhere in Autochthonia and Metagalapa is inside it.
Scene: Preparations
Fortifier spends a dramatic scene praying at the Great Cog in Nightnail to get a vision of how to enter the Autochthon.
Joined by around 30 of the Autochthon Lives Cult.
The East’s portal to Autochthon is in Four Winds Throne, the manse at the center of in Greyfalls.
The giant mouth with the waterfall has the portal hidden inside it.
Stelsor tries to see if Norma Jean is available to accompany us, but she’s not able to get away.
Dreamflower prepares some minor artifact talismans for protection (that will help ward against the Blight).
Scene: Travel to the portal
Stelsor wants to create something that will help ween people off of Black Sunshine. He calls it Twilight because it is made by both the living and the dead.
Scene: Entering Autochthonia
We pass through the falls into the portal.
Fortifier recognizes the region below as most likely Caslat, the most commercial of the Eight Nations.
Dreamflower is excited by everything she sees and wonders if there might be some texts we can get while we are here.
We encounter a gigantic cloud and narrowly maneuver to avoid it.
The cloud is continental-sized, likely the Orbulin.
The cloud is a First Age artifice feature that lets it do stealth similar to what Little Cloud has.
We decide to try to sneak aboard to find Mana-Tui before we try to assault this.
There’s no obvious openings on the top or middle, but in the bottom is a gigantic hole. The city of Nexus could fit inside this hole (40-50 miles across).
The hole appears to be ancient damage.
Dreamflower discerns that whatever did this wasn’t motivated by malice
We fly into this hole.
Scene: Flying into the Orbulin
The insides of the ship are especially dark. Even the lighting crystals we brought
There are great symbols holy to Autochthon on the floors . There are depictions of garda birds, giant Dragon flies, feathered serpents.
An assemblage of 5 cogs, rotating and grinding against one another.
A 5-story brass tower is the closest structure. It sits carefully between the holy symbols.
The only opening on it seems to be a door at the base.
Scene: on-foot before the Brass tower
Fortifier approaches the door and sees some signs that read to “mind the door” and “keep it closed”.
These are the first secular symbols we’ve seen in this space covered with giant holy symbols.
The tower is obviously newer than the rest of the Orbulin construction. It isn’t conflicting with the geomancy of the space, but it isn’t as harmonious as it ought to be if it was planned from the start.
Fortifier strikes a loud knock with his gauntlets.
There’s a big spark on each of the knuckles when he connects with the brass of the door. The tower rings out a musical note like a giant bell.
A voice inside is unhappy at who is making this sound, but Fortifier identifies himself
The door opens itself.
Inside is a glowing steam smoke fog
Fortifier looks with All encompassing Sorcerer's Sight
There’s at least one elemental of smoke here.
Varakleion greets Fortifier as one of the chosen (though there’s a bit of a sneer on the “chosen” part).
Varakleion wants to know who the companions are
Stelsor introduces himself and mentions being connected to Cecelyne.
Varakleion comments that he hasn’t seen his aunt in a while.
When we get to introducing the Ar-Duke, the Solar shouts an incantation and disappears. (This seems to be an Evocation of his artifact armor.)
We hear a voice begging for help and see Hidden by Radiance on the far end of the chamber. Hidden is crawling, struggling to move.
Fortifier demands to know the meaning of this.
Varakleon says that the climate wasn’t agreeing with Hidden by Radiance.
Stelsor tries to get back to striking a deal.
Fortifier wants to know by what authority Varakleion claims this space.
Varakleion says he built the tower himself. He also points out that his (supposed) dad has done nothing to stop him.
Fortifier scrutinizes Varakleion to determine his intimacy toward the Blight.
Varakleion feels the Blight is protective.
Fortifier asserts it is time for Hidden by Radiance to leave. Varakleion claims he is doing nothing to stop Hidden from leaving.
Fortifier glares at the smoke in the room and uses Terraforming Protocol to vent clean air out from his chest, blowing the smoke aside long enough to enter and carry Hidden out of the tower.
The doors of the tower close behind Fortifier and Hidden.
Dreamflower uses Chaos-Repelling Pattern to help cleanse Hidden of the Blight from the smoke.
Hidden says that he heard Mana-Tui below.
Hidden was here when Metagalapa was captured. He says Varakleion placed the brass tower on top of the mountain and then sank it into the ground of the Orbulin. It is deep below us right now.
Hidden was in Great Forks when he was invited to a gathering of friends.
They told him to climb the waterfall of the statue in Greyfalls and when he did, Varaklion’s ruffians captured him and brought him here roughly 4 days ago.
Fortifier asks Hidden if there might be items in Claslat below that we could gather up for this, but Hidden fears that will take too much time.
We hear the clanging of combat on the other side of the doors. The Ar-Duke must have gone in while he was invisible.
Combat
Fortifier charges in and grapples Varakleion
Ar-Duke and Dreamflower attack Varakleion
Stelsor transforms into his tunneling form to try to tunnel down to Mana-Tui
Varakleion attempts to struggle free from Fortifier’s grasp but fails.
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