Imperial Hall, Clan Seraph Headquarters

[Sephiroth]

Located in the heart of bustling Graszton, the Imperial Hall is the imposing headquarters of the Seraph Clan. The main building is a two-storeyed structure of white marble, featuring elaborate scrollwork and sculptures of angels, dragons, unicorns and other imposing figures set in the stone. A tower rises from the centre, inside of which is a silver bell which is rung in order to summon members to the hall (as there is usually somebody about, the bell is rarely rung). The door is flanked by a pair of banners depicting the Clan's emblem -- a long sword in black framed by folded gold-and-crimson wings on a white field.

Inside, half of the first floor is taken up with a lounge for the clan members to meet, talk, and relax. It is brightly illuminated by tall, wide windows during the day and by two chandeliers and the fireplace at night. Tables and chair are scattered about, there are thick rugs on the floor for those who cannot sit comfortably in a chair, as well as padded benches lining the walls. There is also a bar serving food and drink, although the Clan Leader frowns on gluttony and drunkenness so the members are careful to over-indulge.

The other rooms on the first floor are a war room, where the clan plans its missions, a kitchen, and a trophy room where its victories and honoured membets are commemorated. Base of the tower features a stairwell that leads up to the second floor and down into the cellar, where weapons and food are stored.

The second story is taken up mainly by the library. Its collection holds a great deal of information, but especially about the monsters of Ivalice. A special section is reserved for record-keeping, both for the Clan's internal affairs and to collect information on Ivalice. The other room of note on this floor is the Clan Leader's office, the door of which is marked by a pair of scales to denote his status as Judgemaster. Rooms for members with nowhere else to go are also included ont his floor, but they are very spartan. (The Clan will, however, help its members purchase lodging elsewhere.)

The main building is surrounded by a high stone wall in the shape of a rectangle, for it extends to enclose the courtyard in front of the hall. Four turrets guard the corners of the wall, and two hnour guards stand outside the gate. Except for the path leading from the gate to the door of the hall, the courtyard is covered in smooth, light buff-coloured sand, as it is used for sparring.

[Auron]

That smell of pure oldness forcebly penetrated the man's nostrils, mixed together with the plastic-like smell of melted wax. The smell of ancient books and scriptures and texts slowly, intoxicatingly went inside his head, reaching the depths of his mind. That smell was capable of evoking mixed feelings. It made that man remember a different time, a different place. It made him think of his past and of his present. It made him wonder. But –

"Curse this smell!" Kefka Palazzo said aloud, perhaps louder than he ought have in a library, slamming a nearby window open. That smell of aged papyrus was annoying! Irritating! Unbearable! Kill them!

He slammed the table he was sitting by, perhaps more forcefully than he ought have in a library. The impact made all the objects, including a lit candle, dangerously rock on the table, threatening to fall and ruin Kefka's work. Luckly enough, there was no one else in the room to observe his misdeeds, something that happened quite often.

That was the only real advantage to the job of Head Librarian. You were alone most of the time, but people always came to you when they needed help with their things. Everything else definitely was terrible. While you did have the time to think and to search for what you needed, it was a tedious and monotonous work. Even the payment – "Curse that cheapstake of a Clan Master," Kefka thought – was not good enough for Kefka's standard.

And yet he endured it. He had to. It was the perfect position for him to set his plans – whatever they were – into motion. As Head Librarian, he did not attract undesired attention towards himself but at the same time the clan members relied on him for their intelligence. It was the perfect position to lie in the shadows until the time was right.

"Booooring!" Kefka exclaimed, his voice climbing a few octaves, as he closed the book he was reading and threw it aside, perhaps a little more carelessly than he ought to in a library. It was already night time, and the clown – for Kefka indeed dressed like a clown, with make up and colorful garnments – could hear a strange noise comming from his own belly. He had skipped lunch that day. What else could he do? He had to search through the lore of that strange place for... something. Anything that could come in handy for his plans.

"Well, it's time to eeat!" he said to himself, his voice still strangely high pitched. He got up, closed the library up and headed to the clan bar to have dinner. Cooking? Nobody in their right mind would even consider the idea of Kefka Palazzo cooking his dinner: it was far too dangerous.

[Zell]

Outside the Imperial hall the sound of something rubbing against metal could be heard, atop one of the dragon statues Boltden sat sharpening his spear with a whetstone. I can't seem to put any of this in order. First Sephiroth and Zack were reported KIA but now here he is just as alive as I am. Then the Shinra building is blown up by that weapon thing. Whats been going on? Boltden lifted his spear up to the moonlight and blew the metal dust off the blade and then began sharpening the other side.

Now I'm in some whole other world where Shinra never existed and the name SOLDIER means nothing. Whatever, I'm not going to get anywhere asking why all the time maybe someone in this world knows something about those AVALANCHE members that dropped the plate. As many of us that dropped here some would have to know something. Being lost in thought Boltden loosened his grip on the whetstone and ended up flinging it off the top of the statue where it hit the ground below and shattered.

Boltden blew the dust from the blade and jumped from the statue top landing hard on the ground, he then released his spear that disappeared in a light back into the materia on his bangle. "A drink should help me gather my thoughts, anymore and my head might explode." Boltden made his way inside the building to get a drink.

[Porom]

Sitting cross-legged in the sand outside in the courtyard, Rikku cupped her chin with both hands as she watched the moogles work. They were cute little things, smaller even than a hypello, though they were quite industrious when you put a tool in their hands. Even now, with the sun long since set, they hummed with energy for their craft. She liked it out here, spending time with them, because it reminded her of the atmosphere at Home. The sand at your feet, activity all around you, the clank of machina in the air. There was only one thing that bothered her about such a peaceful memory.

"Drec cdehgc! E fyhd du tu cusa drehk ymnayto!" * she exclaimed suddenly in her native tongue of Al Bhed, to the surprise of some moogle nearby as they dropped their wrenches on delicate devices. Unaware of her accidental disruption, the young blonde girl threw herself back to look up at the sky, stretching out her arms. The stars were as countless as those of Spira, like an ocean without end, a whole world ripe for the exploration. There was a whole world out there. "I don't like sitting still like this! I don't know how Yunie can be so patient. We're not going to find any thing out unless we keep super busy!"

* This stinks! I want to do some thing already!

[Yuna]

"Wouldn't you be a bit... worried?" Yuna said to no one in particular, for she was certainly the only one in the room. She and Rikku shared a room since their initiation into Clan Seraph, and since Rikku was busy working, Yuna was left to her own devices - or rather, her own device, a recording sphere - one that was still in her hand when she was whisked away to this strange new place.

"We're doing fine." She said cheerfully, kicking her feet up behind her as she lay on her stomach, speaking into the sphere. "Rikku got a bit worried when we first made it to this strange place... oh, what was the word she used?" She tilted her head to one side curiously as she tried to recall.

"Oh right, disasteriffic."

---

"This is disasteriffic!" the Al-bhed had moaned as the two girls looked around, seeing absolutely nothing but desert, desert, and more...

"Desert." Yuna wilted. She had never taken a particular liking to deserts. It was one thing to be on a beach in Besaid, with beautiful waves and ocean breezes. A dry harsh desert was never anything fun, particularly when reminded of the desert Home stood on back in Spira.

"Don't worry Yunie! We'll find a way out of here... somehow..." she put her hand to her lips worriedly, shattering any confidence the words would have given Yuna. The two had just been boarding an Airship from Besaid island, getting ready to take to the air when suddenly...

"Does it get any worse?" Yuna questioned to no one out loud. Normally against complaints, she couldn't help but wonder who wouldn't complain in their situation. At that exact moment a large Tyrannosaurus Rex-like creature approached the girls from behind, licking its lips and letting out a mighty roar. Yuna and Rikku promptly ran, and kept running until they found Rabanastre, nearly collapsing inside the gate from all of the running.

Not all of the running was from fear, though. When one finds themselves in such strange circumstances, sometimes all you can do is... run it off.

---

"And that's how we got here... I think." The former High Summoner still didn't know what to make of Ivalice. It was new, and adventurous, and all of the things she had been told the life of a Sphere Hunter would be. She never thought, however, that the fun and adventure would take place somewhere other than Spira. "But I'm not worried..." she said with determination, in contrast to her opening question. "Even with all of these... weird things happening, I haven't given up hope." Her voice was soothing and resolved. "I'm still looking for you."

[Sephiroth]

It had been a strange month. Four weeks ago, he had gone to sleep in Nibelheim. He had awakened in the middle of a forest, one which he came to know as the Salikawood. A few days later, he had been "captured" and brought to the palace, and once there, to Queen Brahne herself. He ha dnot been impressed by her, but he had kept his thoguhts to himself.

Somewhat to his surprise, he had been given the position of Judgemaster. As such, he was in charge of what amounted to this world's version of SOLDIER -- an elite group tasked with enforcing the ruler's will. Because of this, he wondered whether Brahne might not know more about why he was here, and how he came to be her, than she let on. However, there was hardly any doubt that he was qualified.

For himself, serving Brahne had (hitherto, anyway) been better than serving Shinra. Ivalice was primitive compared to the Planet, but it also lacked the level of sophisticated corruption that had rotted out the Company. He should have been content.

Yet he was not. For one thing, he had to know how he came here. Nobody could simply move him from world to world as they pleased. Just as importantly, though, his mandate as Judgemaster left a lot of areas uncovered. Ivalice was plagued by all manner of evil, and he felt called to protect it.

He had established Clan Seraph to achieve both these ends. In the weeks following, he had collected not a few followers, among them a number of Newfolk like himself. People who sought answers. And, by the Lifestream, he would find them.

At the moment, he was just finishing up the day's work. Since setting up the Imperial Hall, he had done most of his government work here, as well as his clan-related business. It kept him quite busy, but not so much that he could not leave every now and then on a hunt. As he intended to do tomorrow.

He stood up, holding a neat sheaf of papers in his hand. These he depostied on one of the htree shelves in his office. It was sparsely furnished, compared to the magnificence outside. Just a desk, his chairs, three more identical chairs for guests, and the bookcases, all simple and sturdy. The only decoration were the two banners that flanked his desk: one with the clan's crest, the other the standard of Her Majesty's government.

He blew out the paired tapers that stood at other end of this desk, and picked up the lamp that provided the remaining source of light. He also picked up a report that summarised the outcome of a recent hunt. Then he left the room, heading for the library.

The library, however, was dark. Sephiroth walked over to the Head Librarian's desk, frowning when he saw the disorder there. Maybe I should have given the man a less ... scholarly job. Frankly, Sephiroth had doubts about whether he should have taken Kefka in at all. To describe him as "eccentric" would be kind. But the man was a stranger to this world just as he was, and Sephiroth could not refuse him. At any rate. He deposited the report on a clear spot on the desk and left the library.

Next stop, the lounge. Heading down the stairs, he was soon in the room, which was fairly crowded, mostly with Newfolk. He soon spotted his wayward Librarian -- the man was hard to miss in those garish clothes and make-up. Sephiroth regarded him for a minute, then decided to put off the fairly unimportant business of the report and get some fresh air first. He made his way through the lounge, exchanging a few words with the members and depositing the lamp on the table. Then he was outside, on the steps.

Closing the door behind him, he stood on the top step for a minute, absorbing the cool night air. Then he walked down onto the path. His eyes were on the Moogles, who had been contracted to work on several projects for the Clan. He could not tell which particular one this was.

He had also noticed the girl who was watching them, and her expression.

"Is something worng?" he asked kindly as he walked up to her. Rikku. That's her name. The moonlight shimmered in his grey hair, but his bangs put his fac ein shadow as he looked down at her.

[Zell]

Boltden entered the lounge and made a straight shot for the counter where drinks were. At least liquor is still the same in this world. Boltden drank some and turned back to face the crowd of so-called 'comrades' as he looked around everyone seemed to blend in except for a man in a rather loud outfit. Lets see I believe he is the librarian? He may know something of them, highly unlikely but the chance exist, he is surrounded by information constantly.

Boltden sat his drink on one of the tables he walked passed and approached Kefka. "Your the libraian, right? I need to know if you know of a group called AVALANCHE." Boltden stood staring at Kefka until his question was answered.

[Auron]

"Ahh! Finally!" Kefka said reproachingly at the person who brought him the meatballs he had ordered for dinner, even though it had barely been five minutes. "Hell, service here is teeerrible!" he continued as the poor guy went back behind the counter, making sure he was loud enough to be heard.

"Not to mention everything they have are meatballs, the cheapstakes!" he added under his breath, looking at the meatballs with both irritation and interest for a while. Meatballs, are intriguing things, you see.

But Kefka never got very deep into that digression about the existence and utilities of meatballs. Before he was able to, he was interrupted – and the world owes the young man thanks for interrupting – by a shady silver haired man asking something about some Avalanche or something like that. "Reeeeeal shady, that trench coat. But I guess I am not in a position to say anything, am I? Ha! Ha! Ha!" Kefka thought as he took a look at the man. He had seem in the building before. A shady newfolk that joined the shady clan. Shady!

With some nimble movements most people would not expect of him, Kefka picked a meatball from his plate – Oh, my gloves... whatever. – and threw at the man, aiming for the forehead. "Two or three more of those, and it will be an avalanche!" he said loudly, his voice climbing an octave suddenly in the middle of the sentence.

Of course, Kefka never really did any of that, throwing meatballs at a potential tool – that was just his imagination running wild for a second. He was a clown, but he wasn't insane! Well, he was insane, but that is beyond the point. It was for situations like these that he took the position of Head Librarian after all! Resisting the urge to throw meatballs, Kefka pointed to the chair in front of him, inviting the man to sit down.

"I miiight know something," he said high-pitchedly. "Sit down, my boy, and tell me a little more about what you're looking for.

[Porom]

"Waaaaah!"

As she stared up at the stars, Rikku didn't expect them to be staring back at her. Or to ask her a question. Her strange green eyes, with a spiral pattern uncommon to Ivalicians and Newfolk alike, widened and she flailed her arms for purchase on the sand, springing to her feet with a cry before realizing she was being addressed by another person. Moreover, by the leader of the clan who'd taken her and Yuna in to begin with.

"Ah! Um! I mean, hello Mister Judgemaster - um, your judgeness - sir?" she greeted him with a chain of forced attempts at mimicking serious discipline, none of which came even close, despite her obvious effort. Her shoulders slumped and she laughed weakly in embarrassment. But she recovered quickly and didn't seem particularly self-conscious. "I'd better try that again. Good evening?"

[Zell]

Boltden wasn't really fazed by the insane ramblings of this clown, Professor Hojo was much weirder. Once Kefka motioned for him to sit across from him Boltden stepped around the table and plopped in the seat. "I'm looking for a group called AVALANCHE they're a terrorist group from my home Midgar."

Boltden waved to one of the waiters walking around for a drink, a few minutes later the man brought a drink over to their table and sat one in front of Boltden and one in front of Kefka. "Like I said this group caused one of the city plates to fall and crushed the slum sector below and my mother along with it."

Boltden took another sip of his drink as the memories of that horrible day flooded back into his head. "You know that library better than anyone else, I believe you could have come across something from Midgar after all Sephiroth is from there."

Boltden sipped the drink again and tried to decide whether this clown was going to tell him something useful or jerk him around. But with everything going on any lead was better than none.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth smiled, suppressing a laugh at the young blond's reaction. It reminded him of Zack; although she looked nothing like the brash young SOLDIER, they both had a streak of hyperactivity. Though, unlike Zack who was good at fighting and not much else, this girl with the strange eyes -- he could just make out the spirals in the darkness -- had talent in many areas. Or, so she claimed. He folded his arms, though still smiled.

"Good evening," he affirmed. "Miss Rikku, isn't it?"

For the moment, his question could wait. But he did wonder what was wrong. Or was anything wrong? Maybe she just liked to look at the stars -- something he had also done on occassion, though the constellations here were so strange that it made him feel uncomfortable. Still, he could have sworn that she seemed bored.

"What are you doing out so late? Helping the craftsmoogles?" His deep voice remained even, with only the slightest trace of humour. Not so long ago, even that trace would not have been there and it would be hard to tell he was joking. But, freedom from the tangled evil of Shinra had begun changing him.

[Auron]

"Oh, so.. you're from... the same place as.. our honorable – he mentally laughed at this point – Judgemaster?" Kefka asked, as he ate a meatball, making it a not-so-pleasant scene to the few around him. He swallowed the chewed meat before he continued, talking more to himself than to Boltden. "That is very very very interesting!"

Avalanche... Kefka laughed aloud about the joke he had just thought of before giving it some serious thought. Avalanche plus terrorism equals... Nah, it didn't ring any bells. The clown had time to check most of the books in that library already, but most of them were releated in one way or another. Even the rumors – and Kefka did pay close attention to all of them – didn't say anything about any of that.

"Look, my boy," he said as seriously as a clown can get. "If the Clan Master did bring something about your, er, thing with him, he's keeping it to himself." Kefka stopped talking for a while and threw another meatball in his mouth, chomping it down as fast as he could and as sloppily as it gets. Another gross moment most people would wish not to witness.

"You could always confront him," he said after freak show moment was over. "You know, push him against a wall and ask. Hell, I'd even cheer for you – Go, Lightniden, go! Er, Thunden? Whatever – but I do not think it is adiviseable, no."

His voice got more and more deep and grave and serious – What? You thought mentally unstable people couldn't control themselves? Prejudiced! – as he went on. "No, we don't know for sure if he knows anything, and he is a... powerful man. You don't want to get on his bad side by asking unnecessary questions about his past, no."

Kefka could picture in his mind a rather disappointed look at trench coat man at this point of the conversation, but ta da! Turn of events!

"But you know what," he said finally to man after making a pause merely for added dramatic effect. "I hear a lot of rumors in this city, though you may not believe me, which I do forgive you for, son. Anyway, I overheard a guy in the pub talking about us Newfolk the other night. Hell, I hate that name. Don't you? Newfolk, newfolk! Makes us look like freaks, doesn't it? Well, as I was saying I overheard this guys saying that all kinds of people got flushed down here, good and bad people."

Needless to mention, Kefka was making most of that up as he went – so far only the pub had been true – but he did a good job making it sound serious. "It is very plausible to consider one of these terrorists of yours could have been ping ponged down here, just like you have." The Head Librarian made a pause, lowered his head and place his hand on his chin, pretending to be thinking about something, as if an idea had just struck him down. "You know, most newfolks apparently joined clans..."

[Porom]

"Huh? Oh, it's Rikku!" she protested, spreading out her hands and waving her arms in denial. Being called that just felt too weird for comfort. "Just Rikku. That's it. We didn't really do formal names back where I'm from. Life was too... busy for long names like that."

She blinked at Sephiroth's question though, peering back over her shoulder. Is that what it looked like? She wasn't really helping them. She wasn't doing any thing. That was the whole problem.

"Um, well... It's just that since Yunie - um, that's Yuna, sorry, and I settled in here, we haven't really had much we've been able to do yet. The accomodations are nice and all, but we really want to do what we can to get back home sooner. I guess I'm just feeling alittle antsy," she confessed, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked back with a sheepish smile. "I've just been hanging out here because it reminds me of Home. Building things like these moogle guys do is just some thing my people always had a knack for."

Except me, she added, but not out loud. No reason to poke at that particular cactuar's nest if she didn't have to.

[Sephiroth]

Well, that answered his question. She was bored. A feeling he understood perfectly. What else was there to do in a strange world, besides fight and look for answers?

"Just Rikku, then," he replied with mock gravity. He looked over at the Moogles, his voice becoming more serious. "You must miss your 'Home'." He had not missed the emphasis she placed on the word. "I wouldn't know that feeling; I never had any place I could truly call home. But," he looked back at her, "I can give you something to do. Tomorrow, I am leading a hunt against a dangerous mark, and you and Yuna would be welcomed. Also, if your people have a 'knack' for mechanics as you say, I could place you in charge of Seraph's machinery. Nothing eases the heart like work."

He said the last a little wistfully. He certainly knew that from experience.

[Zell]

Boltden sipped his drink as the clown disgusted everyone with his 'eating' habits, he then sat the drink on the table and sighed Shake down Sephiroth? Heh, I'm not that stupid. He then stood from the table and dropped some gil on the table for the waiter delivering drinks.

"I appreciate the information, I guess I'll continue my search at the pub in the city." Boltden stepped back around the table and stopped next to Kefka. "By the way, my name is Boltden, not Thunden." Boltden then continued towards the door out of the lounge.

Once he was away from that huge crowd of people Boltden wiped the sweat from his brow. Phew, thats way too much body heat. The Pub, hmm. he then headed towards his room to grab another whetstone.