Ghanima/Jophiel - Nexxian and BSE finally meet (in progress)

by **Ghanima** Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:42 am

19:54:09 Ghanima - Amongst the heavy cloud cover which had blanketed Nexxian City and the rest of the western continent a frigate emerged; breaching the sea of white bathed in full moonlight. One of Redpoint’s more specialized vehicles solely for discretely ferrying those of political importance could have been mistaken for a black bird having flown far too high as it engaged a path toward a behemoth looming some twenty clicks away. Had said important cargo— the Duchess of Nexxian Kingdom had been looking out of the long, thin viewing port window in the triangular contraption she would see that the black hull keeping her safely contained against the danger of Sanctum’s upper troposphere. Said behemoth in the foreground was Maur Prima itself, its black capstones glittering in silver light. The current view revealed, for the most part, the Ziggurat— the most important political hub in the empire which also contained museums and mausoleums preserving ancient culture, -
19:54:21 [Ghanima] the most prestigious university in the Black Sun, the core of the Orda Wain order of sorcery which even the Empress was a high ranking Pythoness and of course— the upper tiers for Her Infernal majesty, the council and quarters. Where the city-ship’s aft met with the lowest floors of the Ziggurat a highly secure exclusive dock had been built; its dark interior with crimson lights dancing across the walls blotting out the Duchess’s view of the sky within moments. They had arrived in BSE after twenty minutes of sky travel; the militant steward in his blue and black turban and uniform finally emerging from the pilot’s pit to inform the woman they had arrived. A slight lurch would rock the frigate as it was locked and powered down in it’s assigned terminal— and even more of the bedecked Imperial militants would be waiting to ferry her as the door opened, the ramp extended and she was introduced, finally, into Maur Prima’s docks.-
19:54:30 [Ghanima] ’Well met under the Black Sun, Duchess of Nexxian.’ the highest ranker near barked with a heavy accent. Each soldier stomped their feet in an official manner and did a partial about-face to form a human corridor for her. It was all quite...official. Once properly flanked, they’d escort her from the rather minimalist security hub for aero traffic into the actual structure— it was beautiful, of course. Obsidian flooring and hanging tapestries all in the same blue, black and silver as the soldier’s uniforms extended throughout the lower sprawl only broken by paintings and busts of former rulers and their weapons— including Utraxa-Din Maur, Ghanima’s late father and the former emperor. He had the same skin, eyes and short silver hair flicked with pure red.

20:08:25 [Jophiel] Air travel was a hassle, a bothersome claustrophobic experience that Jophiel had never cared for. Being confined among the skies seemed like such an improbable ideal, it placed one at the mercy of the metal design that chartered them. The fact that it was much more difficult to connect to the lines through layers of unrecognized metals and various other materials didn’t help. So it was no wonder that, upon exiting the transport, that her expression seemed more like a hard frown than awe and wonder at the setting. She snorted for a moment, fussy? The duchess? Before reaching a hand to rub the back of her head through locks she’d allowed to hang down. Her attire was simplistic (always, when her collective dressed her). A pair of expensive slacks, red heels, and a red silk shirt that hung around her slender form in a more poncho style. Sunglasses in place she moved toward the guard that greeted her, flanked by two of the collective dressed in business professional attire. For once they lacked the stuffy jackets
20:08:28 [Jophiel] that normally came with bodyguard fashion. This time they were wearing rolled up sleeves of white and button up vests—in Katherine’s case, her vest was unbuttoned and her shirt slightly messy, with just a hint of wildness to her gaze. Both wore red sash belts that hung partially off their hips, but they were easily told apart. For once it was Annie who was replacing the normally present Ilyah as guard, her mousey form and freckle kissed face casually turned this way and that to take in the surroundings. She seemed nonplused but it wasn’t her job to be impressed. In fact, she it might not have been her job to guard since a thick notebook also hung from her waist bound in what seemed like flesh colored strips of leather. Still, the backup was of no importance. Once the guards of BSE turned to make the human corridor Jophiel was carefully apathetic as she walked down the line. It would do her no good to come upon these people all snarls and irritation.

20:38:04 Ghanima - The halls at night were free of life save for guards, per their duty and every now and then a figure— likely female, in a cowl, several layers of black tulle-like fabric that flowed like translucent water over matching black kaftans of Konstari silk would pass the traveling entourage. These figures seemed nonplussed by the militants and foreigners and yet, now and then their eyes would find the duchess from a gaze of softly red, glowing eyes. She might have seen the effect before Jophiel remembered the strange eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar as she had scanned them over Jophiel before returning to a near colorless set of irises. They were reading her, somehow and in the same way— but more likely their version of ‘glancing’. Had they deduced she was far from human or a null in power? Who knew. The party of visitors would be free from the strange eyes of the wandering Orda Wain witches and sybils that traipsed the hall once they were introduced to a lift with a viewing window at its back showing-
20:38:19 [Ghanima] , finally, the front expanse of the city framed by the sky and moonlight. Unlike Celesin it was not minimalist and, instead, well lit, gilded and bursting with culture while it seemed to operate in several stacked layers of contained civilization rather than being one, long wide sprawl. No established city in the continental empire was said to match the beauty of the traveling Maur Prima. The view wouldn't last long before she made it to the upper tiers of the Ziggurat and escorted to a single chamber which dominated two thirds of the entire floor. They were four levels from the highly restricted atrium, capstone temple and the personal floor the empress had to herself. By what she had been told, Jophiel could assume this was the ‘Solar Lodge’ or, the empirical chamber containing the throne and dais. Double doors opened and introduced them into the open air— clearly an enchantment had been levied within the structure to keep the air from becoming thin and unbreathable and when they stepped inside their feet -
20:38:40 [Ghanima] would sink slightly into fine black sand. Indeed, a chaise-lounge style throne in a slight bowl shape with no back, back cushions and seemingly carved of pure obsidian contained no empress to be seen. Instead she stood in front of an absurdly large ingleside— less a fireplace and more of a vertical pit that dominated one of those solid wall segments in the Solar Lodge. Ghanima has been staring into a fire roaring taller than she herself was; the flames only broken away from by an announcement in a language Jophiel would not recognize before all but two militants at the door cleared the chamber. Mirrors reflected the firelight from all eight structural columns all across the enormous open chamber and gave the room a glittering effect. It seemed their purpose was more than decoration. ’Hail, my guest. You are Emperor Arcerion’s niece, holder of the power monopoly in our sisterlands, yes? Duchess Jophiel Shuinai...I’ve heard only praise in your name.’ -
20:38:46 [Ghanima] The woman left the fire and approached; her cultured voice husky and low for a woman— and especially at her stature. Once the distance was closed between them Jo could deduce the empress’ height….hardly over five feet. ’Do you care to dine with me?’

20:58:05 [Jophiel] Nostrils flared and Jophiel gave a slow lick of lips as she moved. The lines here weren’t as wild as Redpointe but just as foreign. She could hear the metaphorical song in the back of her consciousness but the words—just as incoherent as always—weren’t as easily understood. It wasn’t the manufactured and dominated perfection of Nexxian but they didn’t make her feel as looney as she had in Redpointe either. Still, as they moved she ‘tasted’ and dipped among the power she interpreted there up until she felt something unusual upon her form. A red gaze would meet a golden one behind her special frames and lips would pull back to reveal teeth that were abnormally sharp. It wasn’t an entirely kind expression, but one that let the viewer know she was very aware of whatever she was doing and didn’t necessarily appreciate the gesture. Still, she doesn’t voice the disapproval—would it have been rude? She did not like being reminded of what Mesi had done to her so long ago, was all. Instead her focus is on their
20:58:07 [Jophiel] walk to the final destination. When they reached the room and she stepped out onto the sand she was greeted with a rather pleasant sight and the ping of Ghanima’s existence against her senses. She’d seen this woman before, some while back, but hadn’t talked to her. “I appreciate your act of kindness, though I am a holder of very little.” She didn’t reckon herself very powerful, nor forceful enough to hold a monopoly over much. At the end of the day she was ruler over a piss-poor conglomerate of worthless meat-sacks and smoldering rubble. She couldn’t imagine much praise had been spread about her. Her own tone was husky though accented, tinged by the language her family spoke and the odd animalistic phrases barked at the collective. As for dining of course—“I will join you for dinner.” That was what she’d come for after all, though she wasn’t sure how much of it she’d be able to properly eat. “You… know my uncle?” Annie and Katherine would remain standing in their place, easily ignorable
20:58:16 [Jophiel] and pretty stable—sans Katherine’s looks about the area.

21:11:04 Ghanima looked the woman over as she spoke and noted she looked far more like a native of her empire than someone related to the tall and pale ruler who’d opened commerce and alliance between their empires only two months prior. ’A title is all that you need. Empires will come soon enough. You have our collective condolences for the aggression against your duchy...it is an unfortunate turn of events— if I may offer assistance in restoration efforts, you are encouraged to call upon us.’ Ghanima briefly turned away from the Duchess and her entourage and approached something that resembled a sieve upon a podium; the ‘bowl’ capped with a gilded metal lid with a crystal handle which was lifted to reveal softly smoldering coal pucks. Dainty brown hands seized fresh cubes of pressed fragrance and placed them atop the pucks after sweeping away what must have been spent ash from yet more incense. -
21:11:07 [Ghanima] ’How was your travel to Maur Prima for you and your guardwomen? Pleasant, I hope?’ A wide area of the sand floor between the throne and ingleside simply rose from the found— revealing a solid black platform two feet from the sands. The chamber doors opened again and stewards skulked in with wide, overstuffed satin cushions for the Empress and Duchess. As a formality her entourage hadn’t been brought seating arrangements— it was assumed their job was to protect, not socialize.

21:30:15 [Jophiel] There’s a sharp sound behind Jophiel, a snap as the book is removed from its ring on Annie’s waist and cracked open by the ‘secretary’. From behind her ear she removes a pen, though it looks to be made of glass and the ‘ink’ is an odd blue. She’s writing in the book, an action that Jophiel seems to ignore. It’s irrelevant to their visit, at the moment, and a task of the guards but nothing to special. Once the chairs were brought in Jo would move forward to take her seat, all the while speaking with the Empress. “I thank you for the assistance. We may yet need it.” But she was still uncertain about the future of her city. “The travel was… fine.” though she preferred to travel without walls. “I’m still unused to moving in such a way.” As for the guards, she was sure their own feelings were more about security than comfort. Still, upon landing she felt fine enough and even the odd foreign taste of the lines wasn’t too bad. Familiar, in a way that had nothing to do with the fact she’d
21:30:18 [Jophiel] felt them before and everything to do with her true blood, perhaps. Once seated she’d link her hands together upon her lap and (if their seating arrangement allowed) fold her legs tucked up against her side upon the cushion. “And how is… Maur Prima.” She had never expected to be within the Black Sun Empire without Daul and while she was a trained politician she hadn’t exactly spoke with a great deal of leadership that weren’t human.