The Celestial Bureaucracy

Wonderful update. Keep up the amazing work!

@Dawn, haven't read it yet but I'll when I have time

ramz711 said:

The following statements are true.

No, I'm one of the Kindred. A Malkavian, to be imprecise.

The preceding statements are false.

Click to expand...

so you are a Malkavian
or
you are of the Kindred but not a Malkavian
or
you are not of the Kindred but somehow you are a Malkavian
or
you are neither
or
Nothing you have said until this post was true
or
etc. etc. etc.

Great update.
By the way, does 'Elohim' have anything to do with FFH2?

strijder20 said:

Great update.
By the way, does 'Elohim' have anything to do with FFH2?

Click to expand...

er.
no, I don't think so, the Elohim of FFH2 are not vampires.

@Civ'ed: The majority of Chinese are either athiest or ascribe to Chinese folk religion which combines elements of the Confucian philosophy, Taoism, Buddhism & a few other things. The latter would believe in reincarnation although they don't put much emphasis on it. Most Chinese lead very secular lifestyles. The remainder practice Islam, Christianity, Judaism (Kaifeng Jews) or are part of a cult.

Now Malkavians on the other hand...

And yes, the name Elohim is not derived from FFH2.
A little search on Wikipedia for the Elohim should help you out.


Hyderabad, one of the overseas Vajra colonies is overrun by Imperial marines.

"In ages long past, the first of the fallen angels took it upon themselves to reside amongst the survivors of the Great Flood and forge mighty kingdoms for them in exchange for blood. Over time they receded more and more into the shadows as the nations of the world became more capable of providing for themselves. The first angels then became self-styled princes of the night and forgot their original purpose, opting to delight in macabre pleasure and war against one another in jest. We were everywhere. We controlled everything. Angels moved the armies of nations against one another as they pulled the strings that held rulers' tongues from behind the moonlight curtain. We were so engrossed in the playing of our games, that it blinded us to the impeding threat that threatened all of Heaven & Earth. Not a one lifted a finger when it became known that a sphere as the sun enveloped the Chinese Empire far to the east and rendered the lands within unapproachable. Not until the one day when all of Saxony burst into solid, white light, instantly vaporizing every angel that presided there. Not long after, the western part of the Arabian peninsula, the Kingdom of Mali & the lands of the Pashtuns were draped in the light of the serpent as well. Thousands of angels perished instantly within the sudden maelstroms of light that swallowed those nations. Zealots were deployed into the nations lost to the barriers but few made it back. Princes of the night, having grown fat and apathetic because of centuries of decadence, were shocked into a renewed sense of purpose. Our cold war had reignited into a hot one when the serpentspawn fired their first shots. Since that bygone era, the Nubians & the former Kampuchean lands have fallen in thrall to Lucifer's Solar Arcology as well,"

"So why do you think that happened in the all of those lands?"
Rabbi Singh asked as he gazed out to the far western horizon towards Pakixitan.
The medicine I retrieved for him restored him back to health and before long, I was resuming my lessons on Elohist lore again.
"Well, I don't know," I admitted. "It could have something to do with the vile worship of the Celestial Bureaucracy.
The serpentspawn themselves could be the ones powering the barrier with dark magicks.
All of the aforementioned lands are under Imperial control as well; geomancy could be at work here,"

"Perhaps. Those are all theories espoused by a number of different sects within the angelic community.
Ever since the Empire became a secular state though, the Celestial Bureaucracy theory has lost much ground.
Of course, we still can't rule it out,"

A man pushed away the long strings of beads that draped his body as he entered through the doorway and stepped into the study.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, Elder, but I have important news to pass on to you,"
The man eyed me carefully. "I'd like to disclose it behind closed doors if you'd please,"
"I'm afraid I have to cut this lesson short, Rajat. You may do whatever you wish in your free time," my mentor said to me.
"Very well," I said as I rolled up my parchment and put away the other materials that littered my table. I gave my regards and made my exit. As I walked along the side of the reflecting pool by the palace garden, I remembered the slip of paper that Sukrit Jindal had handed me several days before. Seeing how I had nothing better to do before the sun came up anyway, I decided to head for the penthouse.


In the Far West, the Andorran Alliance of Gaul & Iberia march on Varangia for reasons unknown to the Empire.

"Welcome, Rajat, to our humble abode," Sukrit grinned.
"Who's this?" he asked, looking Nagina up & down.
I had brought her along because ever since the attack on our convoy, I had become a little paranoid of serpentspawn attacks.
"She's my personal Zealot," I responded.
"Ah, welcome then! You're going to have to trust that I don't bite. Much," he cackled.
Nagina simply avoided his gaze and remained close to me as we entered.
Humble was not quite the correct word to describe the outlandishly rich penthouse I had just stepped foot in.
The tapestry was elaborate and detailed while the overall furnishings reeked of decadence.
It made my old home look like a hovel in comparison, despite being a rich banker's son.

As we walked across the indoor balcony, we stopped to look below where a fight was being staged.
A young girl wearing a single long braid was facing off against twelve Zealot servants, all armed to the teeth.
"That's Sarala Tatavarti. She was turned at a young age as you can see but she's actually the oldest out of all of us
in terms of her time spent as an angel so be sure to give her some respect.
She doesn't quite look like it either but she's the muscle of the outfit,"
Zealot archers fired arrows en masse towards the little girl as she dug in with her feet. The arrows all splintered against her skin upon contact. She nodded her head as she recovered and one Zealot heeded her call. He unsheathed his katars and ran straight towards his master, delivering a fatal punch to her gut. The young Elohist was suspended momentarily on his fist, dripping black blood from her belly for a second before she expelled the katar with sheer force and sent her servant flying into the wall. As she stood back up, seemingly unscathed, all traces of a wound being present had vanished save for the blood that glimmered on her bare belly. She looked up towards the walkway where Sukrit, Nagina and I stood and nodded in regard as she gave a silent order to her servants to fire more arrows.
That was quite a sight to behold. "Amazing, eh? Don't try and make much conversation with her though, she's a mute,"

Sukrit then led us to the indoor pool where a man was washing a mug behind a counter.
"This is Mandeep Koppala, he's a pimp and bartender by day and...well, a pimp & bartender by night too.
Whenever and wherever the common man speaks, he listens, or rather his whores & alcohol do,"
"Care for a lick? Fresh from the tap and on the house for our newest friend," the bartender asked.
Three nude young women were sprawled on top of the counter, ready to be fed upon.
"Don't worry, they're clean, although if you prefer men, I deal in them too," he added as he motioned towards the three nude men sprawled on the far end of the counter. "Got that one over there all the way from Turkestan for a mint,"
"I brought my own, thank you very much," I said as I pulled Nagina close and teased the nape of her neck with a brush of my fangs.
"I'll have a swig if you don't mind," Sukrit eagerly announced as he put his hands on one of the girls and readied himself to sink in.
He was stopped by Mandeep though, who swatted his hands aside.
"Hands off, Sukrit," he growled. "You've already fed tonight, I can smell it off you,"
A new woman walked into the room with an overwhelming air of dominance.
Her wavy hair was long and fell to one side, draping across the left side of her body.
Sukrit scowled at Mandeep for a bit before returning myself to his attention. "And that's our illustrious leader-"

"-Manju Kapoor," she interrupted him. "You're Rajat, I take it?" she asked as she walked on by.
"I am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kapoor," I replied.
"I don't like Farhad Tehrani either," she exclaimed suddenly. I could tell she was trying to get on my good side.
"He once drained one of my favorite boys dry you know. For no real reason other than he felt like it," she said wistfully.
"So I feel as if we already have a special connection through shared enmity,"
That blurb about Farhad struck a familiar chord. It sounded just like Bhagat Nadar.
I never got along with men like that all my life and it was the same in death as well.

"You could say that she's the brains of the group, although if you ask me, I think I deserve that spot,"
my alchemist friend sighed as he eyed the girls on the countertop again.
"So if you're not the brains, then what do you do?" I asked sardonically.
"What do I do? I help move the goods," Sukrit seemed quite proud of himself.
"Drug this senator here, poison that guy there, smuggle things, I think you get me,"
At this point and time, Sarala walked into the room having just finished with her little training session.
Blood was splattered all over her body but there was no evidence of any damage on her flawless skin.

"Before we proceed, I'd like to see the terms of the contract," I stated, moving the topic back on course.
Maybe I was little too smug but it got the point across.
"That's fine, Rajat. A contract should indeed be in place before pleasantries can continue, after all.
So what I was thinking was that, we could trade favors," Manju responded, fangs glinting.

"Sarala and yourself are the only two angels within this coterie who have Elders as sires, while the rest of us were sired from a younger generation of Elohim," Manju explained. "That means that we haven't been cleared to be in attendance when they bring in the mystery cargo to Pataliputra. You might not know this yet but you're guaranteed to be present at the ceremony thanks to your Sire being an Elder. Every other Elohist however, who is not present at the unveiling ceremony is subject to a guard duty of sorts around the city; something we've all had more than enough of our share of. That's where you come in. Sarala can't get us in because her Sire was recalled back to Judeo-Babylon so I imagine you'd be able to pull some strings for us through your connection to Rabbi Singh. After the fact, we'd still be happy to have a man of your talents as part of this coterie. I hear you were born into wealth in life and now burgeoning as a scholar in death...as well as a criminal arsonist. You can certainly fill a niche in this group that no one else can,"

I said nothing as I waited for her to realize she needed to tell me what I'd be getting out of the deal.
"In return, we'll continue to help shield you from Farhad's ire. Believe me, he and I have a long and storied history together but he can't touch me. Not outwardly anyway. So we can weather him together. The enemy of my enemy is my friend after all. You'll also gain privileged access to this little penthouse here along with all its amenities and gain all of us here as part of a support network of contacts and allies who will watch your back and scratch it. We will become party in all of your plots and you will become party to ours, if you are ready to accept this offer," I waited for a while before making my decision if only to gauge the expressions on their faces as I prolonged the silence. I decided in the end that it was better to have some semblance of a friend at my back so long as I made sure they did not have daggers poised when I wasn't looking.

"Let's bring out the blood contract then, shall we?" I smiled.
"Excellent, Rajat," Manju smiled in kind as she snapped her fingers.
The five of us gathered in a circle while a Zealot servant placed an empty jeweled bowl in the center and handed us each a dagger.
We all proceeded to slit our wrists, letting the blackened blood drip into the bowl and mix.
The servant then gave each of us a cup and filled each one with our conjoined blood.

And then we drank.

The feeling of an ecstatic rush overtook us as we fell and writhed on the floor in pleasure.
Colored lights and beautiful music flooded my senses and took away my grip on reality.
The sensation must have lasted for an hour as foam spilled out of my mouth from the lack of control.
But soon, it had come to pass and before long, we had fulfilled the blood contract and stood back on our feet.
"It never lasts as long as it's supposed to," Sukrit groaned as he held his forehead.

When it was over, Manju placed a key in my hand.
"Your key to this penthouse. From now on, our home is your home as well,"
The sun was starting to come up.
"Why don't you stay the night?"


Mixed bands of militia & settlers continue to push deep into Manchurian territory and found the outpost of Taiyuan amidst unceasing raids by hordes of Manchurian foot soldiers.

"What? He's dead? He had complete numerical superiority against the enemy commander! How could he lose?"
"Yes. Fortunately though, we were able to retrieve his corpse and squeeze out his last memories.
You're going to want to see them, Elder,"

, once again Dawn, you surpass expectations with your wonderful tale.

for update

All good things come in time. I'm rereading the entire thread to update what I know about this story.

I can't remember anything before the death of Vermillion really
Except if the Israel-Babylon fiasco was before

I've been having issues with my home internet for the past couple of days so I don't know when I can possibly squeeze in the next update.
Rest assured though, the last thing I did was to upload 50+ photos for the story on my photobucket.

Coming back from two weeks of no internet to two superb quality updates to TCB? Have I died and am I in heaven?

Well, it IS the Celestial Bureaucracy. The better question is: Since win did Bureaucracy been so efficient?

Great update

General Olaf said:

Coming back from two weeks of no internet to two superb quality updates to TCB? Have I died and am I in heaven?

Click to expand...

Then again, TD now has problems with his internet which is 20% worse (couldn't resist, being a semi-brony and all that)
Maybe you're still with us on Midgard.

I admire your writing, but I suggest more on focusing more on the game rather on the story cause sooooo many excellent and long haven't finished because of this (see 18 Civs: The Mongol Version).
Look how much information you gave at the beginning of for story and how little info (of the game) you give now per chapter

The technician is dropping by Wednesday afternoon but for now,
I'll be logged in via a remote location.
If anything else comes up, I'll keep you all posted.

EDIT:

@eduhum: The problem with talking about the game more is that while I have all the screenshots,
I started this game two years ago, so it's a little hard to remember what I thought at times except at very specific
critical junctures in the game. I'll try though; but the story takes precedence.

Writer's Aside: I no longer have internet problems.


"It's a disgrace if a man cuts his hair, you know. Your hair is something that your mother and father give you; and it's a gift that should never be parted with. You barbarian Manchus, in all your hatred for all customs civilized, are known to torture prisoners by shaving their heads and putting the rest of their hair into a queue. We cut things off from our prisoners too, Manchu. But you see, the sorts of things we're known to cut from our prisoners...don't tend to grow back. Private, please hold down our prisoner while I go fetch the carving blade,"

For a few weeks now, the delivery of the mystery cargo had been delayed, giving us time to prepare for its arrival. Whatever it was that we were bringing into Pataliputra, it had encountered large setbacks in its delivery thanks to a few serpentspawn attacks on the caravan. Had they not occurred, Sukrit's initial estimate of three to five days would have been on the dot. I no longer pursued my studies as frequently as Rabbi Singh was called to numerous Elder councils and I spent much of my time collaborating with my new coterie. It was all for the Elohim anyway. Mostly, I helped to make sure Mandeep's clientele wasn't being abusive towards his merchandise and often accompanied Sukrit's visits to various senator households which typically entailed blackmail, extortion or bribery. Sometimes a little murder.

It was on the fourth day of the last week of the month that the cargo was finally brought into the capital.
I saw it. It was brought into the city during the early evening; something very great, tall & ominous.
Whatever it was, it was completely obscured from view with all the draperies and linings that covered it.
The Vajra branch of the Elohim had pulled some strings from behind the scenes with the senators and it was announced in the morning that all civilians were subject to a curfew from the early hours of the afternoon to the early evening. Just enough time for the Zealot work teams to haul the giant thirty-meter tall cargo through the main street and into the citadel. The citizens of the capital assumed it was some secret military weapon that was meant to be used against the Chinese. But it was plain to see from the fearful gazes that peered behind the curtained windows of every main street apartment that the public suspected a little more than what was let on by the government. I was present when it was carted into the citadel, and even just standing across the hall from the veiled object, I started to hear singing. It didn't come from what was underneath the drapes per se, but inexplicably, I heard a woman's voice in my mind, singing sweet, unintelligible music. I didn't want it to stop-

"Lord Rajat?"
I was shaken from my stupor.
Nagina was waiting for me.
That's right.
There was an errand I was supposed to run by the archive.
I'd better go now...
I'll be able to listen to this later...

I could hear some music lingering within the recesses of my mind as I left the citadel.


A naval clash between the Tortoise Armada & the Vajra Navy ended in a spectacular defeat for the Republican seamen. In an unprecedented and daring move, Admiral Yuan maintained a controlled bonfire atop the deck of his flagship as to provide his marines with enough flame to deliver a continuous volley of fire arrows against the Vajra warships. While they were distracted with the inferno and the threat of the Imperial flagship, sappers, who had dove under the water and emerged by the hulls of the Vajra ships, sabotaged their structural integrity using ice picks that were brought all the way from the North. After this battle, the Tortoise Armada would never be challenged on open ocean by the Republicans again.

The job in particular was rather mundane.
Recently, a Chinese manuscript fell into our hands that was of particular interest to the Elders.
It was supposed to circulate among all the Elders as far as I inferred, but I really didn't know the truth.
That was just my best guess. Strange Tales...Strange...Tales...from... I couldn't read the cover; my grasp of Mandarin wasn't terribly strong. Either way, it was of no consequence and I handed it to the archive director. I did notice a split-second of an involuntary spasm on his face when he skimmed over the title of the book but I didn't think much of it. Nagina and I stayed in the archive for awhile to retrieve some study materials before setting back out.

We were walking back to the citadel when Farhad Tehrani emerged from the edge of the boulevard.
His eyes looked like they were out for blood.
I had been jumped; the cocky bastard thought he could take me on alone though.
In an instant, my hand reflexively caught a punch thrown my way, but didn't anticipate the tiger knee directed towards my gut. Farhad seized me by the throat and began to choke me.
Nagina tried to do something about it, but his superhuman hand shot out and smacked her aside.
"I shouldn't have underestimated him," I thought to myself as I grasped at my throat.
"We still have a score to settle for the slight you gave me that day, brother," he snarled.
"The servants of God should not bicker amongst each other," Nagina said.
"Keep out of this, Zealot, lest you wish to be drained dry," the Aryan threatened.
"Threatening humble little Zealots are we?" a familiar female voice called out.
It was Manju striding our way on her long legs, glowing with confidence.
"You'd best take your hands off of me," I said smugly to Farhad.
His piercing gaze studied my expression and promptly travelled over at Manju, then caught Sarala's silhouette from the corner of his eye, then darted back at me as he scowled and released me from his grip.
"You're lucky I'm alone today, whelp. You will not have the same luxury the next time we meet,"
He walked away in quiet defeat and left me in peace as Manju walked over.
"You have my gratitude," I thanked Manju as Sarala disappeared from view.
"One shouldn't be accosted on the street while pursuing his sacred duties, don't you think?
We received the invitations by the way; it's good to know that there are still angels with enough integrity to commit to their word. I trust we shall see you at the ceremony?" she put on a slight smile.
"Most definitely," I gave my courteous response.
We exchanged goodbyes and I headed back to the citadel with Nagina, unimpeded by the vengeful.


The first Commonwealth armies that arrived in Tartary were cut down like wheat before the scythe. A second invasion was launched and this time, the Tartars were caught unprepared at the persistence of their western foes. Passing through Imperial territory without permission, the Polish-Lithuanian soldiers stole crops and livestock from some of the outlying farms, triggering a minor border incident.

"Are you fine?" Nagina asked me as she investigated the red marks on my neck.
"Just a little hungry," I stated. "Then you'd best not feed in public, Rajat," she said as she made it known that she wished for me to follow her. I was led to the central park of Pataliputra and when we found a sufficiently secluded spot, Nagina made herself ready for me; taking off her scarf and leaning her back alongside the dirty wall. At night, the central park of Pataliputra was a popular place for young couples to escape to and hold bodily congress in. Prostitutes were also frequently asked to perform their services here for their johns given the close proximity to the red-light district and the low profile provided by the park after dark. The conservative sector of Pataliputra society had lobbied and petitioned numerous times for the demolishment of the districts for religious reasons but they were profitable for the city to maintain; every senator was in the pocket of not only the madames, but the Elohim as well. The Elders were not about to let such a valuable feeding ground go, religious rhetoric or no.
I could literally smell the heat of breeding-age women in the air but it only served to heighten my hunger.
I held Nagina against the vine-infested wall by the wrists and indulged my bestial thirst as my mouth clamped shut onto the soft side of her neck. She cried out a few times as I tightened my grip and let my avarice have its way with her bloodstream. The few couples that passed us by didn't assume anything wrong; to them, we were just another couple that frequented the gardens; a bit more raunchy and heated than most but just like them, all the same. The dark of course, helped to obscure the act of feeding.
"Nagina. Why did you become a Zealot?" I asked as I withdrew my fangs from Nagina; dark, red liquid still dripping from the tips.
I took more than I intended, leaving her a little weak. Her legs were wobbling so I carried her on my back as we left the garden. She seemed surprised. Zealots were supposed to care for their masters as they slept during the day and offer up their blood when they walked the night. There is no reciprocation in this relationship. So why...?

I think she was so surprised at this that she couldn't answer.

It was a little funny. With every passing day, I could feel a small shred of humanity leave me.
It was apparent then and there because I was very much inclined to let her shamble along behind me.
But I didn't. I wonder why. I think I used to know, but I'm not so sure anymore.

A part of me is trying to cling onto to the last vestiges of my humanity.
I don't know if I should listen to him or not.
Because it doesn't sound anything like God.


Many historians can trace the beginnings of the tourism industry to the settlement of the islands that dotted the atoll. Dairen, while settled by Han explorers, saw an unusual amount of Yamato settlers that had arrived to help populate the island villages. The port became widely known for it's clear blue skies and crisp, clear water.

Her slender form was covered in lamellar plate.
From out her helmet, flowed hair as black as hate.
A finger sits beside a trigger.
Behind her is a sight to behold.
The strength of a thousand men; one hundred fold.
A maiden readies for war.



She had read the secret report in Madras.
She remembered her despair when she read
that her husband had split his army and departed for Varanasi.
She knew things he didn't.
And that is why she set forth
to rescue her beloved prince.

And maybe.
Just maybe.
She could make it in time before his pride betrays him.


The Siege of Dhaka was inconclusive for both the Pashtun Kingdom's forces and for the Republican defenders. Pashtun forces soon abandoned the siege after incurring heavy casualties and began to withdraw to the safety of Vijayanagara. Dhaka's defenders were in no position to give chase, having been reduced to a mere garrison of nine thousand.

It was a little funny. With every passing day, I could feel a small shred of humanity leave me.
It was apparent then and there because I was very much inclined to let her shamble along behind me.
But I didn't. I wonder why. I think I used to know, but I'm not so sure anymore.

A part of me is trying to cling onto to the last vestiges of my humanity.
I don't know if I should listen to him or not.

Click to expand...

This bit in particular catches my attention. Conflict is always interesting in a character. I like.

so God isn't the God of the Elohim?

Once again, another update Dawn!

I can not wait to see what the next update is like.