“The Sleeping Emperor”

“The Sleeping Emperor”
A tale of #SundayAMSwords

Opening eidolon: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113990765511580864989/posts/SMmYndXkdkL

A bustling city, before the dawn. A massive central circle, sacred and deserted. Three rogues: Gammon the Star-Wanderer, Crosby Halvard the Searcher, Tapper the Trader.

The emperor in slumber eternal. Crystal orbs, candles, mystic ceremonies. A flickering of lights illuminating a secret map upon the dead emperor’s chest. Carefully unwrapping the Emperor. The phosphorescent dust forming an shade more than man, image more than shade. Painful slow motion reaches for its fallen, stolen crown. A burst of flame arcing toward the gamboling tormentor. Crosby recapturing magic within a crystal sphere. Tapper’s daughter, Little Yil, slipping through steel bars into the under chambers. Surrounded by the Emperor’s Caretakers. Crown on burning orb. The melting crown and pried gem.
The peony fields under their glowing blue-green wards. Gammon and Little Yil, comparing brands from evil cults.
Smuggled past the golden bird guardians. The caravan led by Yemina, the others packed like common cargo. Gammon, the Moon-man, can’t hold his liquor. Moon-man merriment leads to messy mishaps. The trickery spotted! Tapper’s offers of fine wares to the great Kingfisher. Where did Little Yil get off to at the Kingfisher’s Tower?
Captured! Held by the terrible and lovely music of the golden birds. A prison with silken bars of every pleasure and indulgence. The emperor’s craftsman creating golden birds powered by human souls. 
Crosby at the door, seeing into the raging furnace and forging of golden birds. The golden, metal storks wrapping him in womb-like embrace. Little Yil climbing down with priceless gem and scrimshawed crown. The clicking of the gem into the crown, echoing like a gong. Golden birds still as statues. The gong-wracked seas turned torment for the scheming wizard-whales.

Rob Deobald  played Crosby. Aaron Feild  played Tapper and his daughters. I played Gammon. Keith Stetson was our Overplayer (with a little help from William Butler Yeats).