Act 1: Curtain Call
Leaf Shakes the Wind stands in a circle of torchlight; beyond the glare of the flames, there is nothing. Clearly, this is a dream, and yet it is not a familiar one. Leaf's brothers are all beings of great passion, and the Unity of Dreams is normally home to galloping warhorses, elaborate inventions, dear friends, mortal enemies, and other visions of wonder. Tonight, the Unity of Dreams brings only emptiness.
A moment passes, and a tall figure emerges from the darkness and steps into the flickering light. "How fares our brother?" asks Storm of Amber.
"He sleeps; the drug should last another four hours. I intend to sleep but three, and then I shall administer another dose." Leaf looks around the circle of light. "Is this your dream?"
"Not mine, brother Leaf. It is so dark and secretive here, I assumed it was yours."
"Since I love you dearly, I will find it in my heart to overlook that remark."
A third figure entered the torchlight; Sapphire River at Midnight makes her entrance. "Well, it's not my dream," she says. "My dreams are much more entertaining; this one is so empty. I can only guess it must be Nameless Ravine's dream; you did use enough of that powder to knock out a second-circle demon." Leaf and Storm both frown. "Not that I have first-hand experience with how much Cat's-Toungue Powder it takes to knock out a second-circle demon, I hasten to add. But if it's not me, and it's not either of you, it must be Ravine. After all, it couldn't be Rivers Between Us..."
As if on cue, Rivers enters the circle. "And why not?"
Leaf grins and picks up where Sapphire left off: "Because the only time you ever sleep is when I drug you, and Ravine has kept me otherwise occupied."
Rivers mutters something about may they all suffer terrible nightmares; they ignore him. Their attention turns to the robed figure, the fifth to enter the circle. "Nameless Ravine," they say. "Are you all right?" But the robed figure's gait is wrong, as is his height. In an instant, the four have drawn weapons made of dreamstuff, and donned armor made of ether and void.
The figure throws back his hood; if the man beneath the hood is Nameless Ravine, then their brother has aged thirty years in a day.
"Put away your weapons, son's-brothers, son's-sister. I have as much a right - nay, more of a right to be here as you do."
Storm of Amber scowls. "We are the lawgivers, and we will judge such rights."
Rivers Between Us steps in front of his Zenith brother. "Nevermind that, I want to know how you breached the Unity of Dreams. I've never heard of such a thing! Are you a dream spirit? Are you some horrible Abyssal nightmare-thingy?" Rivers' eyes widened as a third possibility crossed his mind: "Are you a Sidereal?"
The robed man laughs, his laugh echoing in the dark space as if in a deep canyon. "I am none of those things, young Copper Spider. Nay, I am a humble Deity, a mere endowed saint. I am Chokhan Fifteenth Son Shatters the River, and the Nameless Ravine is my son."
Sapphire narrows her eyes. "Then is this your dream, or Ravine's?"
"Neither, Crown'ed Sun. This nightmare - and I shall be honest, this will not be a pleasant dream - belongs to one long-dead, an Exalt I know only by his sobriquette, 'Torrent of Woe'. Your brother wanders in this dead Solar's dream. I am here strictly to observe. You are here because sorcery binds you here, but I will not allow you to interfere."
It was Leaf Shakes the Wind's turn to scowl. "You expect me to stand idly while Nameless Ravine is trapped in a nightmare?"
"I do so expect, Iron Wolf."
"And if I choose to intervene, how do you propose to stop me?"
Chokhan looks Leaf in the eye. "I know the Kharmic Inversion Riposte. If necessary, I will not hesitate to use it; nor will I hesitate to use the Dharmic Catastrophe Counter if you continue to object." Chokhan sees Leaf hesitate. "My son has not yet learned the second stance. Trust me when I say that it is much more painful than its predecessor." Chokhan sighs. "Besides, my son brought this upon himself when he challenged the Abbot of Varsi. This is his to endure."
Rivers is bored with all this talk of karma. There's nothing in this dream; no wondrous factories, no grand plans, no pretty undead girls. There's not even a place to sit. Except - there, there is a cushion to sit on. There are cusions enough for all of them. And what is this? There is wooden stage, just beyond the edge of the torchlight - a torchlight that is expanding rapidly to encompass what appears to be a playhouse, built in the realm style. The stalls are empty, as is the stage. The torch is now a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The four Exalts and the God sat in a private box just to the right of the stage. Rivers gasps; "What is this place?"
Sapphire interjects. "I know this place - it's the big theater just outside the Temple District of the Imperial City!"
"Indeed it is. My son was raised in the Immaculate style; his mind seeks to bring harmony and order to an unordered universe. In his youth, we often visited the Blessed Isle, and once each year I took him to the Theatrium, to see the great Histories and Tragedies performed. His mind has chosen to perceives the nightmare through this metaphor. Now be still, children of the Sun, and watch."
The chandelier dims, the stage is lit up with an unearthly glow, and the First Age engulfs them in all its splendor and all its glory.
