 Ahrimal 2009-10-19 . chapter 31The Sidereal Exalted have become increasingly vital to the administration of the Pantheon. They are high officials and dignitaries of the Bureau of Destiny, each a Chosen of the Five Maidens. In their entirety, they are the Five-Score Fellowship, with 20 shards each for the Maidens of Journeys, Serenity, Battles, Secrets, and Endings. The Gotei 13 are beginning to work very closely with the Sidereal Exalted of all Five Maidens, especially the Chosen of Saturn, Maiden of Endings, and Chosen of Jupiter, Maiden of Secrets. In fact, some Sidereal have begun teaching occasionally at the Shinigami Academy, especially Sidereal martial arts styles, which shinigami have proven remarkably adept at learning. The shinigami who choose to specialize in hakuda are developing a strong interest in learning them, and each one chooses to specialize in a different style. Captain Soi Fon, as one of the foremost hakuda experts, seeks to master all the Sidereal martial arts styles. In fact, she has already mastered the Charcoal March of Spiders and Prismatic Arrangement of Creation styles. Her Sidereal sifu are currently teaching her Obsidian Shards of Infinity, Border of Kaleidoscopic Logic, and notably Quicksilver Hand of Dreams as well. It will take time to master all the current styles she is learning, but once she is done, she hopes to start learning the Scarlet Patterned Battlefield and Citrine Poxes of Contagion styles.
Captain Kurotsuchi, his four eldest sons, and Sasori are observing Soi Fon's progress with great interest. In fact, one of their current experiments is to create specialized combinations of kaizou konpaku and kaizou gigai technology in order to determine if their constructs can master Sidereal martial arts styles. They have begun with the Citrine Poxes of Contagion style, and so far they and the Sidereal sifu are encouraged by very promising results. It is so fascinating that Mayuri, his oldest sons, and Sasori also discuss the progress of this research while spending some time with the rest of the family. Of course, by family time, it means that Daedalus and Hephaestus are helping their younger brothers family modify their zanpakutou in all sorts of unnerving ways, while Sasori is walking Mayuri's youngest sons through the process of creating their new bodies. Mayuri, his wives, Josef, and Nikola are enjoying the leisure activity of creating new toxins and other drugs. Sasori, Daedalus, and Hephaestus will want to join the fun later by testing the drugs on recently acquired test subjects, one of which is a version of Szayel. In fact, he has already been driven even more insane than before thanks to the experiments of Mayuri's youngest sons. (It would also be a good chance to flesh out Josef and Daedalus more.)
Heero Yui, the one with the zanpakuto Heaven's Wing, has finally mastered his bankai. As such, he has met the final condition of the elders of House Kuchiki to be adopted into the family and wed a highborne daughter of the Kuchiki line, one who is Byakuya's cousin, no less. Heero has served very devotedly as a retainer of Captain Kuchiki, saving his life and that of the Kuchiki elders numerous times, hence why Captain Kuchiki wished to adopt him into the House, especially with such an magnificent zapakutou like Heaven's Wing. The wedding ceremony is private and open only to the members of House Kuchiki, though news of it spreads quickly. Heero is very appreciative of his good fortune, as he had already fallen in love with his wife some time before the wedding, and now his determination to serve Lord Byakuya, House Kuchiki, and the 6th Division well is stronger than ever. One could not ask for a more devoted vassal.
Orina is relaxing with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra by shopping through the stores in Sereitei. It is a new experience for Ulquiorra, especially, much to Grimmjow's amusement.
The artistic renaissance in Magia is proceeding very nicely. The Queens thought of an interesting framework by asking the Magian Toreador Kindred to teach in the conservatory, with a fine arts academy for the other arts having branched off. With their centuries of experience in the fine arts, they make excellent teachers, while at the same time, the students also inspire them and help prevent them from burning out and becoming jaded. The Ventrue of Magia have also offered to fund the most promising talents of the academy. The works of art and performances they produce will not doubt be bought for handsome sums, so it is a very profitable arrangement for all involved parties.
Aside from the Toreador, archmages with a passion for art, many fae like the sidhe of Changeling: the Dreaming, and even dragons are teaching in the conservatory and fine arts academy. The silver dragons of Magia have taken to teaching their students how to craft exquisite jewelry inlaid with finely cut gems. In return, the students make fine, customized jewelry interwoven with enchantments for the silver dragons' hoards. Meanwhile, a few red dragons who follow Corellon have offered to make their lairs into art galleries to host the works produced by the students. The students need the publicity to seek out patrons, and in return, they will create arcane works of art for the red dragons to add to their hoards. The gold dragons who initially sponsored the construction of the conservatory have taken to inspiring and sponsoring the best students who will also craft splendorous works for their hoards. Of course, it is reciprocal. The gold dragons also reward young artists who produce particularly exquisite works with items from their hoards. Olothontor does much the same for promising young musician virtuosos if they deliver a particularly inspired, moving performance. As of late, Olothontor prefers to listen to the Magian Symphony Orchestra; he especially enjoys listening to the retrieved works of Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Haydn.
Since there are an increasing number of conservatories and fine arts academies in Magia, the Queens have decided to hold an annual winter masquerade, a diginifed and regal event whereby the finest, aspiring young artists can showcase their works and performances. It is also a chance to craft vivid, intricate masks, or illusions and polymorphs in the cases of the attending liches and dragons. If the masks have sophisticatedly entertaining enchantments and cantrips woven in, so much the better. If the students of the magic academies have such inclinations, they are also welcome to attend and showcase their work, combining art and magic, same as the fine arts students. The Queens and their inner circle, which include Lord Reiichimaru and Lord Gromph Baenre, are not lacking in their mastery of the fine arts either, and they also give enchanting, elegant demonstrations during the masquerade. Afterwards, the Queens will be attended to by the Weird Sisters, along with Luna and Artemis, before retiring with their advisors to a private meeting room, whereby they exchange gifts of intricately crafted arcane items. The items must wed form and function, providing potent spells as well as being breathtakingly beautiful. Gromph has an especially fine sense of aesthetics, and the Queens are as pleased with his gifts as he is with the ones they have bestowed on him. The students follow the example by also exchanging such gifts with one another. In fact, crafting such a gift or practicing to deliver a superb musical solo by classical composers of old like Mozart for the winter masquerade has become one of the assignments all the teachers in the Magian conservatories and fine arts academies have set before their students. Even the teachers in the magic academies have begun giving the same assignment.
In Nihon, a version of Shirou and his love Saber are in the NMSD and have recently returned from a mission. Kazama Kazuki and his sister Hazuki (Samurai Showdown), have recently finished defeating and sealing a powerful, rampaging elemental demon for the NMSD. The siblings are not part of the NMSD, though they usually take assignments from them since the pay is very good. Beyond that, they continue living a carefree life as nuke-nin. Hazuki is making a delicious meal for Kazuki, seeing as it was a very exahusting job, and her brother rather enjoys her cooking. |
 Ahrimal 2009-09-22 . chapter 30Perhaps one of the expeditionary ships sent by Soul Society has returned laden with all sorts of unique and fascinating specimens for the 12th Division. Captain Kurotsuchi, with his sons Daedalus, Hephaestus, Josef, and Nikola, along with his son-in-law Sasori are thorougly enjoying the early Christmas present and are feverishly conducting new experiments as a result.
Some lords of Darth Krayt's One Sith order seek out Sailor Korriban and attempt to persuade her to side with them in order to undermine the NMSD from within. However, they are shocked when Sailor Korriban shows herself to be surprisingly loyal to the other Sailor Senshi. Sailor Korriban's magic combined with her vast skills in the Force give her more than enough of an edge; she proceeds to tear out any and all useful information from the Sith Lords' minds before killing them rather messily. Sailor Korriban passes on what she learned to her sister Sailor Senshi, who proceed to make preparations to deal with the One Sith, asking Sailor Korriban to lead the effort. She is more than happy to do so, as the campaign will surely yield spoils and power aplenty that will be to her benefit and that of the other Sailor Senshi.
Subject Name: Olothontor
Type: Blue Dragon
Origin: Forgotten Realms
Encounter: Olothontor, the Minstrel Wyrm, is defined more than anything else by his love of music. One of his interests is to research spells that can allow him to record and replay music effortlessly, with the end goal being a library brimming with beautiful music. He has resided in Magia for many years now. With the patronage of the Queens, along with sponsoring several archmages skilled in such matters, Olothontor has begun constructing his library of music.
At the same time, the Five Queens are also acting as patrons to some Faerunian gold dragons who have also resided in Magia since the city was first created; the gold dragons are sponsoring the construction of a conversatory for the study of music as well as the other fine arts like painting and dancing. They have an understanding with Olothontor and are collaborating with him to some degree so that both projects may soon reach fruition.
Subject Name: Gromph Baenre
Type: Drow
Origin: Forgotten Realms
Encounter: Gromph was originally the eldest son of Matron Baenre and the archmage of Menzoberranzan. In the Halloween World, he played a vital role in helping to defend Magia time and again, epsecially from Lolth's depredations. Among other feats, he persuaded no few fellow drow mages to leave Lolth and go to Magia instead. He himself has resided in Magia almost since the beginning, acting faithfully as a Royal Mage and one of the Queens' closest advisors. He is overseeing the establishment of a new magic academy, based upon Sorcere, teaching magical arts that the drow have honed and refined through their centuries of arcane studies. The Queens have also appointed him the headmaster of the new Sorcere. Gromph and the other Magian drow wizards still compete with one another to gain prestige and power, but all the same they do serve the Queens well and sincerely, so the Queens are content to leave them to their games of intrigue. |