<strong>Location:</strong>Upwards and Above, Anjushri Residence<br/><strong>Tags:</strong>All going skywards<br/><br/>The halls out of the ground-level begin winding upwards before very long, swirling in large circle and inclined noticeably upwards.  Ruby is obviously familiar with the way, not pausing to refer to the glyphs in the wall set near doorways and passportals (Old Realm characters, phrases like 'unending cessation beyond' and 'misfortune feeds at your feet' and 'towards certain death from above' that are either koans or directions, it's hard to say for sure).  While there still aren't any apparent sources of light as the path winds upwards, it's still easy enough to see the way...<br/><br/>Then there's a hint of natural daylight up ahead, and the peek of sky beyond.<br/><br/>The path finally leads to what appears to be a large platform, circular and about a hundred feet in diameter, open to the elements and sky, elevated above the amphitheatre.  The end of an archway is set into each of the four Directions, crossing at the top to form a higher platform yet.  A rope has been loosely draped along the edge of the platform, offering a token safety measure if someone was to wander further outwards.  Daring a glimpse over the edge suggests that you're now about two hundred feet above ground level.  Beyond the reach of the platform, the cyclone continues silently whirling about the temple-amphitheatre; there's enough dust, sand, and debris whirling in the storm that it's impossible to see more than a few hundred yards beyond the temple grounds.  Even the Daystar is more a suggestion of brightness in the distant Western horizon rather than a proper source of illumination.<br/><br/>A number of cushions have been almost haphazardly arranged in a circle in the center of this platform, surrounding a square pit of silver sands ten feet to a side.  Two figures are currently present.  One of them is another of Anjushri's servants, another blonde Northern girl whose robes are accented in deep blue, and who resembles Ruby Drift to the point where they're almost certainly sisters; unlike Ruby, this girl has not been seen in the temple before today.  She's currently sitting cross-legged at the edge of the pit and listlessly doodling something with a stick in the sand pit.<br/><br/>Watching over the girl in white-blue is your host.  Anjushri is immediately identifiable by virtue of being the first person in white robes who appears to be more than seventeen years old.  When the first person steps into view, happening to be Chorgath, Anjushri lingers over the child for a bit, bends down to pat her on the shoulder, murmurs something encouraging, and leaves to meet them.  "Welcome, my comrade!" she says, expression positively glowing with delight as performs the namaste gesture, bowing slightly from the waist.  "It's been so long since we've had cause to come across one another.  I hope I didn't pull you away from anything that needed tending?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">AESS-alikes would show...</div><div class="spoiler_body">Anjushri/Azurine is a GSP, Essence 6.  Her carried panoply is somewhat sparse: there is something set just above her breastbone, though concealed by resilient essence-spider (or anhule) silk robes.  Vitriol-reconsecrated starmetal bracers are visible at the edge of her sleeves, and sutras appear to be circling their length.  Intelligence+Occult (difficulty 2 for GSPs who would have been exposed to these Charms, 5 otherwise) shows that she currently has active Hellscry Chakra and Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavors, the latter of which is targeting herself.</div></div>