The Nexus is a gleaming city of stone and glass and something that is not silver no matter how much it looks like it. Gleaming constructs of silver and brass go about the work of maintaining it, moving with mechanical precision and diligence. There are towers that have no walls, just skeletons of metal with floor upon floor of open space, all of it open to the air. There are structures of smoked glass that should not hold up under its own weight, but proves harder than steel. There are long galleries of marble. None of it makes any particular sense.

The storehouses are not full to capacity, but still have enough in the way of preserved rations to sustain the refugees for a time - not long, but enough to buy a little breathing room.

Information about the city is hard to find, and seems to lead to as many questions as it does answers. Alvatter, after some investigation, finds workshops suited to old high theurgy, and filled with the tools of that trade. The portals themselves seem to have been made with similar high theurgy, the sort of magic that hasn't worked properly for ages of the world. There are wards in place that keep beings not truly of Creation from using the portals - bars to Uncreated and to angels alike, that apparently are strong enough to have kept anything from intruding into the Nexus itself.

Rashana is able to unveil a few things about the creators of the structures of the city. They were theurges, old mages who were there when Heaven fell. Their intention in creating this place proves hard to decipher, with her eyes seeing different secrets depending on where she turns them - one portal says it was made to flee, another to invade, a third to trade. The buildings were in some cases built for the obvious purposes they now serve once more, and in some cases claim to have had no purpose behind their construction at all, or one which is bizarre and nonsensical (really, what kind of building would have been made to be the seat of the butterflies' parliament?).

After nine days in the Nexus, settling people and doing preliminary research, one of the portals activates from the other side. A man stumbles through, looking tired and drawn. The portal to the City of Many Daughters closes down again in his wake.

Alvatter spent the intervening days and weeks reorganizing the Order. With the urban sprawl of the Nexus there was no shortage of suitable buildings for the Archive but Alvatter had to facilitate many debates on which building was most suitable and weight the opinions of the dozen or so Archivists that had survived the transition. There was also the resurgence of a long-standing debate concerning trifles such as indexing, categorization, and if certain forms of knowledge or theory should be restricted or left for public access. In the end, for better or worse, many of these decisions were left to Alvatter himself. Still with these matters settled and the Order taking up residence within the area immediately surrounding the new Nexus Archive the groups attentions began to fall on the clearly magical gateways that connected the Nexus to several other realms. Most intriguing among them being Scholar's Sanctum.

OOC: I'll be pulling on the Order of Triumphant Wisdom to become my cult and want to take a small mob of them with me to investigate Scholar's Sanctum.

  "...is also polling very well, despite the groups' relative populations. The suggestion of salvation has proven particularly appealing to the aged, infirm, or otherwise vulnerable. 'Chains and Wolves', 'Flesh and Flowers', and 'Shattered Time' all drew strong negative responses and several disrespectful images.  But if Your Holinesses will follow this one, there is wide public sentiment that the City of Many Daughters sounds welcoming and safe, particularly among males age sixteen to thir—"  Just as the Intercessor—something La has just naturally become—is delivering the popular recommendation, the portal opens!  It's a wonderful omen.

  ...for a breath.  And then another apparent refugee comes staggering out and the portal closes, likely for the better, behind him.  La, apparently, is capable of blushing, and that's what she does now.  Well, and stammering.  And progressively smaller and more controlled gesticulations.  And then she's a picture of poise again, standing politely, hands in her sleeves and feet tucked away, just next to the portal.  "This one apologizes.  The report on the wishes of Irohn will be delayed unexpectedly."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Sat 19 Sept 2020.

Since their arrival, when Rashana wasn't making strides in examining the place they had  taken up residence, she had been re-purposing an abandoned workshop to her specifications, and drawing up plans for critical adjustments for long-term sustainability. Chief on her list was a system suited to provide renewable food in this region that was not suited to agriculture, though she yet needed to tap Sani's aid to make the idea a reality.

Joining the others in council, the optimistic and tireless engineer nodded along with La's assessment of the polling. She didn't concern herself too much with public opinion, and couldn't help the forming of a small smirk as La's delivery veered toward the popular recommendation. Rashana stood, and moved toward the portals. "It's fine, La." She stopped a few paces from the new arrival, apparently unarmed, and her eye was past him to the portal as it closed, before she focused it on him. A cursory glance suggested that he at the least wasn't uncreated, but beyond that... her attention lingered for a moment, drawing inferences based on his appearance...

"La, fetch water." She said quietly, before approaching. "You're safe here. Welcome. You seem like you've been fleeing something? The gate's closed and whatever it is won't be able to follow. Take a moment to catch your breath." That she had questions was without doubt, but she seemed to be trying to keep them in check for the moment.

The man who came stumbling through the portal is best described as worn. The cloth he wears loosely wrapped around his head was clearly of extremely fine make at one point but the blues and purples have faded through to nearly white in several spots, his armor is a patched together mix of brigandine and chain that was pieced together from multiple pieces by someone who's skill could optamistically be described as adaquate - and then the leather outer layer of the brigandine was worn through after that fact. In contrast however both his boots and the curved blade at his hip have been well tended, oiled and cleaned regularily.

"I don't know that I would call Nexus safe, but thank you." He says to Rashana in response to her greeting. "Though that's more down to the residents, not the sucking abyss outside the doors." He does take her suggestion though, bracing his hands on his hips and arching back in a stretch for a moment then taking a breath.

"Thank you for your welcome,. I don't have anything to offer in exchange unfortunately. I lost my pack on the Road from Qanat. That whole sucking abyss thing again."

  La bows her head at the instruction and doesn't return it quite as high.  And then she—who has never yet been without tea close at hand—scurries off for water.

The man strides to the middle of the plaza as La scurries off to fetch water. Stopping short of the center he glances over his shoulder at Rashana.

"On second thought I do have one thing to offer in exchange for your kindness. To my own benefit as well honestly." Turning away from her he fixes his attention on the center of the marble plaza. Under his gaze the stone begins to glow faintly as if under moonlight before flowing and shifting, blowing around like sand caught in a wind. The 'sand' blows around to form a circular dune like ridge some 2 feet tall before settling again and conforming back to its marble consistency, leaving behind a circular two foot high marble wall some 15 feet across.

Content with that effort the dusty man leans down and raps the stone sharply with his fist, a slow gurggling sound eminating from a hole located in the center of the marble circle he had formed. Within moments clear, clean water gushed forth, beginning to fill what was quickly becoming a well or fountain of some sort. When it had filled enough the man unclipped a beatten brass cup from his belt and fills it with the water, holding it out as an offering to Rashana.

"Where I am from, water is considered precious. I know this isn't always the case, but I can offer you little else at the moment."


((OOC: Sorry to post so quick in succession.. but that was too good an opening. Also incidentally drinking from the well will leave people satiated as far as hunger goes for the day as well.

For the curious, this is a combination of the Sandshaper (marble is sedimentary stone) and Asure Oasis Spring gifts. Technically this means I've committed effort, though it's for no set duration.))
This message was last edited by the player at 01:15, Sun 20 Sept 2020.

The blonde girl put a hand on her hip as she assessed him. Her natural gifts made the quality of his gear - and its wear - plain to her senses - well maintained, but roughly-assembled and well-used. "...Then you know where you are. We didn't find anyone else here when we arrived. I'd like to ask---" She paused, as the man made his way to the center of the courtyard, and Rashana stepped after him.

She paused, her head slightly inclining for him to continue as he made an offer...  As the stone shaped itself at his direction, she seemed interested - moreso, as water began to flow to fill the fountain. When he scooped a cup of the water to present to her, Rashana briefly looked to the others, before stepping closer.  "I'd say that water is precious here, too." She began. "I don't quite know the limits of that talent of yours, but we have some of our own. If you know more about this Nexus - and seemingly the lands beyond those gates - we would love to hear it." She said, assessing his battered cup with an eye as she took a drink.

"....Oh~" She seemed surprised, returning the cup to him afterward. "That's some invigorating water... I'm Rashana." She introduced herself, then turned to the others. "I think we should hear him out, see what he can tell us that we haven't been able to glean on our own. Unfortunately, it seems like the gate we were talking about before may not be one we want to pass through..."

Alvatter nodded in agreement with Rashana's assertion.

"Water is immensely useful to us in the Nexus, especially water such as this. If for nothing else I am interested in hearing more about you and your travels thus far. Please come and...well not break bread with us but please come and be welcome in this place."

He considered the gate for a moment and nodded again.

"Yes these things are best left alone for the interim. The Order and myself shall investigate it thoroughly and I will present a full report to the council upon the completion of my investigation."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Sun 20 Sept 2020.

  "The water, Your Holiness."  La approaches carrying a pitcher and a tumbler from god knows where.  There's ice in it.  She stops at Rashana's elbow, glass at the ready and pitcher held turned so that either of them might be pouring it.  There's only time for a breath to reply before she notices the well; it's an obvious moment, since she raises her head sharply and gives it first a suspicious, then injured, stare.

  But she hasn't yet stumbled for more than a few seconds in the face of disruptions by the miraculous, and she doesn't now.  "I see I went too far for it.  I shall tell the surveyors to add a spring pool to their maps."  The pitcher and glass move a short distance back in the direction she came from, and her small movements suggest she is ready to take it away, but she pauses there still facing Rashana.

Not wishing for Bire La's efforts to go to waste Alvatter turned to her and gave a slight inclination of his head.

"If it is not too forward of me to request but I would gladly accept the water on her behalf. As refreshing as I am sure the spring is I have no had a chilled glass in some time."

It was half true. He knew that if he had desired it so there was likely some arcane power he could have called upon to produce ice and in truth he wasn't totally sure that Rashana herself couldn't conjure mountains of ice with a word. Still Bire La had been steadfast in her duties even if he did not always understand why she was. She was an Inheritor after all. Perhaps her humility was why she was chosen in the first place; he could learn from her example.

  "Certainly, your Holiness."  La pivots smoothly on her front foot to deliver to Ilvatter instead of taking the water back to wherever she had been headed.  Apparently, his phrasing suggested she should pour, because there's no hesitation before she does.  She sets the rest of the pitcher aside on a metal protrusion from a nearby portal.

  "Welcome, honored guest—"  She turns to Rakhur then, with a bow nearly to horizontal that she manages to rise gracefully from.  "—to the encamped remnant of the land of Twilight Skies.  We called it Irohn.  Do you have any thoughts on a walled garden, compared to a sea of grass and dust?"

For a moment the traveler seems taken aback by La's greeting. "I would say either of those are preferable to a sea of sand." He holds his hands out to his sides and looks down at himself. "Which is clearly what I've been dealing with. If you mean that as something more specific though I'm afraid I may have missed something." Taking the cup back from Rashana he hangs it back on his belt. "I'm grateful for the hospitality though, last time I was here the city was empty other then it's caretakers. They can get kind of touchy about where you go by the way."

"We've been trying to avoid testing their patience, and limiting where we explore. If you have past experience here, that's sure to be helpful, as well.  I was able to set up a workshop, at least. I have some questions about this spring of yours - I wonder if  it'd be possible to network several together with irrigation piping in order to service water to a larger, distributed community... Given the refreshment that water provided, it might even be able to replace the need for a long-term food supply, or at the least, tide our people over until one can be established."

She gave a nod. "But yes, welcome. We'd love to hear more of your travels through these gates - the better to make a decision about where we should look, first. For all of the Nexus's potential, it feels... unsuited to permanent settlement, to me. Or rather, as if it's already been settled, by someone else, and we're intruding on their space..."

Looking briefly to Bire La, Rashana gave her a slight nod, and again as Alavatter took the water in her stead. "It seems our guest brought his own, but thank you all the same, Bire La." The girl got a curious glance and a smile. "Can we have suitable accommodations prepared for our new arrival? He seems to have capabilities that at least resemble our own, though I know that a stranger's presence may confuse the people. Do you have any ideas of how to manage that?"

  "If that is the case, this one suggests introducing him as the Inheritor of another land's god.  It would be intelligible and non-threatening by the comparison to Your Holinesses.  The people have seen you perform miracles, charge into combat, and sadly, even die, all in the name of protecting them.  Your Holinesses are well-loved figures here."

  The young woman pauses mid-gesture, before it's clear what gesture, to look up at Alvatter and Sani as well.  Her eyes never quite rise so high that they can't be seen for lowered, and the top curve of her cheeks has gone a bit pink when she gets back to Rashana.  "If the Inheritors will permit, this one also has comment to make on Your approach to doing so.  Irohn saw Dhaxiua's heroic sacrifice.  And there are many rumors spreading about why Laila has not been seen since the night road.  This one suggests all three of you make that introduction together, if only to show that you are still alive and well."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:11, Thu 01 Oct 2020.

Alvatter nodded along to Bire La's words, suppressing his emotions over the death of Joshua and the subsequent disappearance of Laila from society. Or at least the remnants of society that were clinging to life here in the Nexus.

"Yes I believe that makes a great deal of sense. I shall send a summons to the Order. Is there a time and location for this announcement?"

Rashana slightly shook her head, more seeming in regret than in answer, her attention turned briefly to the gate with the removed handle, there in the courtyard. "I'm unsure if Inheritor is quite right, but given his power seems at the least similar to our own, it would be the simplest explanation for our people."  She agreed, with a look to Bire La, followed by a nod in Alvatter's direction. "Yes, agreed. We should assemble in the square we've centered our settlement about. Perhaps another display of that power with a more central fountain - perhaps I'll form its design and you can grant it this nourishing water as a gesture of good faith. It's sure to make a statement, Rakhur." She offered him a slight nod, at that. "And to show the people that we can benefit from working together."

Alvatter saw the appeal of Rashana's idea and given that he had already resolved himself of his own intentions gave a slight nod to the trio.

"Then I shall be on my way. The Archivist will likely require some time to put aside their current labors and bring an end to the endless debates. We should be ready to leave the Archive within the next three hours or so."

Assuming there were no further questions Alvatter turned and departed, returning to the Archive to being the arduous task that had been laid before him.

It seemed settled, all told. With a motion to Rakhur, the artisan turned to head for the square. "Come, we should reveal you to the people appropriately, at the least. Bire, please gather everyone in the plaza, and we can make the presentation."

Bire La makes the arrangements, everyone seeming to simply drop what they're doing on the spot and move to the central square of the Nexus, in what has been termed the Naked Spires district after the several bare steel towers without exterior walls found in the area. Another demonstration and some smooth talking by both La and the Heritors has the people more or less ready to trust in him as another inheritor of power.

Food supplies are thus more or less taken care of, for the moment, substantially decreasing the sense of urgency felt by the refugees. The question remains, however, of which portal to open. Rakhur knows little about the other destinations but reports that his own homeland, the City of Many Daughters, is actually a pyramid-city built in a desert.