City of The Lotus - 1

Reuniting with the gaggle of oddities that are my companions from two years prior was a surprise, though not an unwelcome one. First was Lo, as decrepit as she was when I last saw her. Then Sarkon, Zara, Zigs and Vyana. As fate would have it, we were bound for the same goal. Fate had further interjected in our destiny by adding Gaye Echo to our party.
While I am happy to meet everyone once more, some less than others, I am delighted to see Echo. Finally, someone I can let my guard down around. It's been too long since I've spent time with anyone of decent breeding and station. Though it has *only* been two years, I forget how other Origins see time. If not for his... condition, Sarkon would have suffered the ravages of time as Zigs and Zara have.
Hm.
Lots of Zs...
 
I suppose Echo's lifespan is a cause for concern as well. Though if I recall correctly she had increased her lifespan via connection to Stars.
Ah yes there were other matters that caught my attention today. The young 'Master Lao Wen'. An untrustworthy individual if I had ever seen one. He offered to sponsor us in exchange for finding The Veil. He didn't want it, but he wanted the group he was backing to reach it first. This I can understand, noble politics. Alas we accepted his offer, as living in this city without a sponsor is difficult. Not to mention it appears that the native Hikaru are grating against their Tobu colonizers once again. They worship a... more human iteration of one of my people's Great Ancestors as a deity. While I balk at the twisted visage, I am still glad Mother Amaterasu is being seen as might as she truly is and cannot help but sympathize with the Hikaru due to our people's similar situations.
Speaking of human's twisted expressions of art, I was almost barred entry to the kitchen of the Inn we were staying at. How rude!
 
Oh there was also a wonderful storyteller in the market today. I don't quite recall the details of their tale, but the mastery of words, performance and Helix to put on a show as simply delightful. They made themselves scarce 'fore the local brutes that act as a police force arrived.
 
I attempted to acquire some fine silks to clothe my allies properly, but alas my mind has slipped the notion of coin once again. Zara managed to strike a deal with the Madame running the establishment. I balk at the notion of myself acting as a mere leg-breaker or thug for some human craftswoman, but her work is quite fine. I suppose my pride requires swallowing once again. Still, it is good to be in a proper city and not gallivanting through the wilderness. After that disaster of a deal we left to go meet our sponsor again. No doubt he has some twisted rules to inflict on us...