Hunters of Meng Xiang - "Treading Where Gods Hide" (IC) [Fate/Tianxia]

[Laughing_Dragon]

This is what he'd come all this way for, this information, it was everything he had thought he wanted and more, but in the end he realized something important: He wanted none of it. Taking possession of a portion of Yama? No that was above his ability to secure, particularly if it was above the Empire's ability to secure, it was too important, too sacred, too... Terrifying. He found his thoughts slipping away from finding this thief to congratulate him and perhaps learn from them or take them into the fold of his little fiefdom. Now his thoughts moved on from that to wanting to strangle the man, the damned Right Eye of Hell King Yama? There were lines, mostly a result of sanity and scale that no thief should cross, that was one of the few. This he was sure of after hearing the possible consequences of their reuniting.

He turned his head away, "Well it's not like I have a choice, but if I did, I would [/i]still[/i] be all in. What fool pilfers the Right Eye of that creature? I've heard the stories about the times before he was deposed, who would want a return to that madness!" He crossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh, "So then the plan I assume it to pretend to auction the three of us," he gestured toward himself and the two Lions who were not the Demon of Spears, "off then when we get in to find the Eye and steal it back?" He uncrossed his arms and looked away, if he had a pay grade, this entire operation would be well above it, the damned Right Fang of the bat clan and the Demon of Spears? He wasn't just in deep, he was a few fathoms under the surface and sinking fast.

[NyuBomber]

"Well, I suppose if it will put your mind at ease--"

"The Midnight Auction is located within the spirits' realm. No more games, dear."

"Fine! Here are all the pieces on the table: I will smuggle you in as inventory, inside crates, under a paralytic concoction that will subside much sooner than I promise the inventory-handlers. Once inside wherever they store you -- and I'll be frank, I'm not sure where that will be, as you'll be the first-of-a-kind to my knowledge -- you should have free reign to emerge from your boxes and rummage about until the showcase portion of the evening, where you'll be put on display for customers to assess before the bidding session. Careful though, the walls have eyes.

"Once satisfied with our findings, I will pretty much burn through all of my remaining significant connections to win you back, safe and sound.

"Yes, it's behind the Black Veil. No, I will not share how to get in, dear aunt, it is too valuable. Yes, it is of utmost importance that I do this alone. If my connection senses other players in the vicinity, the bridge will be burned permanently and we'll lose our lead.

"Yes, it's run by a spirit. Yes, there will be spirit customers. And other humans. Yes, they're pretty much all vile...outside of me, naturally.

"No, there will not be conflict -- bad for business. The Auction Master has customers wear cloaks and masks that completely hide our identities, no matter size or shape. I'll be the one in the red bat mask, my usual attire. I'll connect with you again in the showcase. In case things go North, I have an escape plan, but I'd rather not enact it or tell you what it is. That is very important. Hopefully I can pull it off before the Auction Master intervenes.

"'Where will you get three man-sized crates at this time of night?,' you're thinking. Don't worry about it.

"Oh, and another thing: If you find one...or both pieces of Yama, it is of utmost importance that you do not try to utilize them. It will lead to fast corruption and dissolve our cover in the ensuing rush.

"Our little adventure begins in three hours. You will meet me at the entrance to the Docks.

"Any other questions?" Yu Nao crosses her arms and huffs a petulant huff.

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng stood silent as the plan's entirety was laid out before him, he kept his jaw shut even as he wanted as a matter of course to let it fall agape. The plan was frankly ludicrous. There were so many points of failure to account for. As he looked up from the ground where he'd begun staring he let out a little chuckle, "Well... Uhh that, yeah that's a... hell of a backup plan." He wiped a hand down his face and sighed out loud, "Well, crap, if this goes badly I'm blaming you old man." He stared right at Li Feng as he spoke before letting out another sigh. This was what he'd come here for, right? Or not. The whole matter was so complicated now, far more than the bandit had thought it would be. The scope of the world was coming into sharper relief for him and as it did he was quickly becoming aware that having defeated his 'master' was not that great an accomplishment.

[silphael]

Three hours? That will give us enough time to recover from that shengmen surprise...

Looking for a quiet place to meditate and recover from his condition, Mi-Yuan takes note of the rendez-vous.

[Actana]

Li Feng listens passively to the plan, weighing the options - which, at the moment, weren't all that many. Without the Bat they had no chance of getting anywhere close to the objective without weeks, or even months, of preparation, and that was not time anyone had.

"I can only take the blame for myself, and you know this." Li Feng looks at Cheng, sporting a small grin on his face. "Yet if it makes you feel more secure, I will gladly take your supposed blame, for as long as our lives allow it."

"The docks, then." he nods at Yu Nao.

[NyuBomber]

Shengmen, the Holy Gate - Docks - Summer - ~9:00 PM

The summer humidity did not let up, despite the rising of the moon.

Activity was winding down, people filing out after a hard day's work, whispers and murmurs on their lips about the troubles elsewhere in the city...rumors of a grand theft, speculation about the nature of the spirit incursion, complaints about the heat. What everyone needed was a good night's rest, as insecure as it might feel.

But not so for three particular shen lieren. They went against the flow, approached the unofficial "entrance" to the area, an ancient stone arc with shells and scratches embedded within, covered in various flyers of want: workers, employment, disciples, love...

Standing under the arc was Lady Yu Nao, now draped in a midnight black robe with intricate purple stitching and gold lace, an ornate hairpiece holding her hair in in a bun, the lantern light seeming to make her form shimmer.

She beckons. Through winding alleys you follow her, until the only light is the moon's reflection on her accessories. You come to a run-down square. In the center, in the dust and dirt, sit your three carriers.

Coffins. Wooden, bare, waiting with their respective lids besides.

She presents three brass needles, dripping in a clear, viscous liquid. You stand within your "crates," at the foot. She pricks each of your index fingers. The effect is instantaneous: you lose motor control, and though breathing is easy enough, your muscles lock, and you're on your back, stiff as a corpse, only able to unblinkingly watch as Yu Nao hurries to close each.

Silence and darkness. You can hear Yu Nao's feet pacing back and forth...five, ten, 20, you lose track of time passing. Suddenly, she stops. There's a sudden pop...a cork leaving a bottle. The sound of swigging, heavy coughing, a groan.

Another set of footsteps. Heavy, patient, stalking. Hollow rattling and flapping cloth approaches, pasts over each of your coffins. It stops. An echoing shake.

"Yes..." Yu Nao sounds weakened.

A melodic chime.

"G...go ahead." Fear.

Your coffin top slides open, just a touch, enough to see that the normal earthly night sky was now a watery crimson spiral, flowing ever upward and away into a dark abyss. A bone white visage, teeth like daggers and eyes of fire, flashes by before the coffin lid closes.

Rattling overtakes the sound of Yu Nao breathing a quieted sigh of relief. You feel the coffin lift, as if two pairs of hands had each taken up carrying either end. Your coffin feels first as if it's going up, quite quickly. A sudden stop. Left. Right. Down, down, down with such force that you lift off the bottom and your face presses into the inside of the lid.

Sudden stop. You bounce, but you stop. Light stepping surrounds you, skittering. A noted lack of the previous strength as your coffin is clumsily, jerkingly dragged across a floor for minutes.

Suddenly, a smooth lift vertically, then across a floor. A slight lift. Finally...a stop.

The skittering fades away. True to the Bat's word, you can feel the paralysis begin to fade after another minute. As feeling returns, you can hear the sounds of muffled talking far far below.

The coffin lids remove easily enough, though your are cautious, remembering Yu Nao's warning about being watched. The coast seems clear.

What lies before you is...a web, hanging in an infinite dim grey light. A massive network of spiders' webbing has lifted you...and item upon item...above a marble platform far below, identical figures cloaked in shadow shuffling about, like gnats. It is impossible to make out any features here, not the least which through the damp fog that drips moisture off the zig-zagging strands.

Footing proves firm and sticky as you find appropriate places to step. Treasures lie before you, entangled as your coffins. Weaponry, containers, jewelry, left, right, above, and below. How much time until you would have to retreat back into your own containers? Where to start?

[Actana]

"Is everyone alright?" Li Feng's first concerns are with the rest of this impromptu infiltration squad. Keeping his voice down and his actions calm and focused, he looks towards his companions. The treasure around was distracting, and he hoped that it would not present a temptation. Even without being a scholar, he knew enough children's tales to be cautious of the shining gifts of the Veil.

"We need to be careful. Be aware of your surroundings, keep track of every anomaly on whatever sense. There is little we can reliably expect here", he said, cautioning the others. "But there are certain things we should take precautions for..." Li Feng muses, drawing out what he had learned about the Veil that could be any use.

Spoiler

Show

Li Feng draws on his vast knowledge to learn something about the immediate area.
Lore - (4d3-4)[5] to create an advantage to discover and gain invocations on any existing scene aspects relating to the Black Veil. Any invocations gained can be used by any of the PCs.

[silphael]

Webs and silence... perfect place to keep some treasures, as those they were looking for.

"If we are in the Black Veil, doesn't it mean spirits we'll meet will be tangible?"

[Laughing_Dragon]

The entire plan was insane. Go in, unarmed, drugged and act as bait. Just... Insane. Cheng knew he was only doing it because the Right Fang of the Bat Clan knew about him, she could blab, or worse. He tightened the belt around his waist and let out the breath he had been holding, "I knew this might happen." Looking at himself in a dented circle of polished steel, his face distorted and alien, as it always seemed to be. Some said he looked like his father when he was young, but what did that mean really? What did he look like then? He reached up and rubbed his chin, no hint of his father's wisp of a beard.

He took a moment to glance at the tonfas he wouldn't be able to bring with him, "I shouldn't do this. Gonna get dead playing like a child." He looked back at his reflection and frowned, his mind turning back to the moment where The Demon's voice made him come to attention. It mixed with the feelings he had toward his old Master, the one he had defeated. He wanted to beat the woman's brains out of her skull, but that would never work. Leader of the Lion Clan? She'd have him skewered before he could ball a fist. "I am a child compared to her, a child playing with toys."

Turning about he stuffed his weapons back into his satchel with his good 'commoner' clothes and traveling food. He'd 'lose' the bag somewhere between here and the meeting place, a spot he'd found that looked poorly traveled, at worst someone would get lucky, find the clothes and have something nice to wear for a while, nothing valuable lost. He again turned back to the polished steel and stared for a moment before slapping his face with both hands and taking on a grim visage, "They don't need Cheng the child now, they need Cheng The Warlord." With that said, quietly and to himself he pivoted, picked up the bag, blew out the candle next to the mirror and walked out of the room he had hoped earlier to get more than a nap within.

Emerging from within his own coffin like container he spoke up, "That will make killing them far easier, something to punch, something to gouge the eyes out of, no?" Cheng the Gregarious was gone now, left in a sack somewhere in the great city of Shengmen, here stood Cheng the Overly Serious, Cheng the Scared Out of His Mind, Cheng the Trapped. He looked around, "We're not looking for something massive, we're looking for a body part, spread out and check boxes large enough to contain something like that, start with easy to open ones, keep it clean, once you've cleared a box leave it open, but put everything back." He started nearby himself, wasting no more time as his sandals clung to the floor with every step. They had to work fast, time was against them.

[NyuBomber]

Spoiler

Show

Li Feng Lore roll to Create and Advantage: [5]
Passive Opposition: The Realm of the Black Veil is a chaotic maelstrom where generalities seldom apply...except when they do. = +4

Result: Success! Li Feng creates situation aspect Remember: They Must Follow the Rules

Li Feng knew that without intricate and prolonged study, discerning the particulars of the Midnight Auction, as this corner of the Realm of the Black Veil was apparently known, would be impossible. However, there was one thing he could count on: there would be rules.

He could tell from the stability of everything that a powerful spirit must have shaped this zone as it saw fit. There would be an order to things, an order that its owner and their subservient entities would have to abide by on instinct. No, more than instinct...like how humans needed to breath, a spirit manifest was beholden to its line of thinking and way of doing things. Once found out, it would be imperative to exploit any advantage.

The hanging items come into focus: an array of jars filled with viscous goo, amulets, a weapon rack, a crystalline statue, a three-man-tall and seemingly empty cage -- there were dozens of treasures here. Nothing stood out as potentially containing a limb of the Hell King.

[Actana]

"Hmm, as I suspected." Li Feng had confirmed his suspicions about the place. "You are right, Mi-yuan, spirits are far more real in this realm than in ours. What more, this whole area is hosted by a single powerful spirit, whose will decides the rules. And those rules are absolute. To survive is to figure out these rules. Take nothing for granted."

He looks at Cheng rummaging through the room. "I would advise against that, young one." he says, with a hint of concern. "Those items do not belong to us, and the spirit may not take kindly to thieves. The walls have eyes in this place. Beyond that", he lowers his voice, perhaps in the fear of being overheard, "What we are looking for would not be in such an insecure place. And it might not even look like what we assume it to. But one thing is for certain: it will radiate an extraordinary amount of chi. We may be able to track it through that."

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng put the lid of the box he was working through down, just as well this like many others he could see right away were just too big to only contain the limb. He let out an annoyed sigh, "Old man you do realize we're currently inside a realm which only specified people even know of and even fewer have access to, this warehouse is probably the most secure vault of goods in the Empire. At least as good as the vault barely breached by whoever it was that stole what we're looking for. Besides," He reached in and pulled out a fistful of straw, "we're here to steal, best get used to that idea, because the spirit that made this place will not be any happier about it if I were to nick something from this box than you 'recapturing' the empire's stolen artifact."

He drops the straw back into its container and brushes his hand off on his tunic, "Now I don't know anything about Chi, at least not enough to comment on the idea, so I'll leave that to you." He walks around the side of the boxes and closes with the others, "If you're sure it's not in this exceptionally secure vault, where they put us three of the greatest prizes a spirit auction might manage to acquire, then where precisely where would they put it?" He widens his arms out, "Because I can't see there being a better place than this." Of course his lack of specific knowledge of auctions was limiting his imagination, but how would he know that... He wouldn't, that's how.

[silphael]

Cheng was right, following the rules of this realm could be troublesome, yet...

"We have to follow the rules, yes, but that isn't impending us to go around those... we can't steal something, but what about buying the items we are looking for... by making those go at a far lower price, like putting those in another box? That may have been thought about, but it's not the case of everything here probably..."

[NyuBomber]

"That's a good idea, you're so smart."

The chirpy voice came from a small crystalline songbird, rotund in overall shape but nearly weightless on Cheng's left shoulder. An observant eye would notice that there was a conspicuous empty space under the straw Cheng had picked-up.

The bird looked to-and-fro as birds do, examining its surroundings and showing no inclination to move from its perch.

[Actana]

What a delightful surprise, Li Feng thought. Yet also dangerous. There was no knowing what this bird, if it even was that to begin with, was going to do next.

"Well hello there, little songbird." Li Feng curiously approaches Cheng's shoulder a pleasant smile on his face, the kind that a scholar had when discovering something new. "And who might you be and what are you doing here?" he asked, hoping to glean some information from the thing before it was too late.

[silphael]

"Indeed. May we know who, or what, you are?"

Mi-Yuan seems quite amused, despite being partially freaked by the sudden apparition...

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng flinched and turned his head to look at the thing that was now on his shoulder. He frowned at the weird automaton, "No it's not. It's a terrible idea, they'll notice long before it makes it to the auction.... place." He kept his voice somewhat low as he turned his head back to the others, "It was in the box, quick little thing. Grab it so we can put it back." No sudden movements, the thing could fly off and with every step needing to be careful, slow and deliberate, there would be no way to catch it if it got away.

[NyuBomber]

"Oh no, that's a bad idea." The bird makes no effort to dodge Cheng's grasp, but he immediately feels the fragility of the small creature between his fingers. "I can help you find things. Find your way. Find your love. That's a good idea. A Finder, that's what I am."

[Actana]

"A Finder?" Li Feng's smile beams of curiosity. "Now this is interesting. Keep steady, Cheng, this little being might be of use after all."

"Say, Finder", Li Feng crouches to level himself with the bird. "What were you doing here? Were you to be sold like the rest of this inventory? How do you feel like putting your talents to good use?"

[NyuBomber]

"Selling me would be a good idea. I am very valuable, my maker made me so after many tries. There are others like me, but I am the best. I was in my maker's home, and then I went to sleep, and I woke up in the box."

The Finder lets out a chirp. "That would be a good idea to use me, yes! You ask me questions about what you are looking for, and I will do my best to find it."

[Actana]

Li Feng smiles. The bird's enthusiasm and nature was contagious, and he could not help but feel invigorated as a result. "Very well then. But first, you are a Finder, but do you have a name of your own we should call you? Or is Finder sufficient?" he asks.

After getting a response Li Feng stands up straight, looking around the area. "So we need to ask you questions about what we are searching for. Very well then. Your ways are curious, but we shall oblige." he looks to Mi-yuan and Cheng. "Any suggestions?" he asks with a mischievous smile.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Let me know if I should roll something here.

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng held onto the bird like object not yet putting in back, he even loosened his grip until the bird was only in place by standing of its own volition on his hand, "Fascinating..." He listened as one would to such a thing. Finally he looked up at Li Feng, "DO you think it's spirit powered... nevermind I have a good idea for a question." He looked down at it, "We seek a limb, taken from a friend. We believe it is preserved somehow and if we could return it to our friend he could put it back on. Your help would be much appreciated Finder." Lies and beautiful ones.

[NyuBomber]

"Finder is my name. There are many like me, but I am the best."

The bird tilts its head to look at Cheng. "Those were not questions."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Your choices for the rolls are Investigate or Lore, as you feel appropriate/strongest in. Also, as we see, wording is important~

[Actana]

Li Feng lets out a hearty laugh at the Finder. "Indeed, indeed. You are a very particular thing, are you not? Very well", he rubs his chin a bit before continuing. "I suppose I should try too", he ponders for a moment. "Will you, my dear Finder, help us in locating that which we seek, an artifact of great chi energy which lies somewhere secure in the realm?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Using Lore to Create an Advantage of Encouraging Words onto Mi-yuan's attempt of either Lore or Investigate.
Lore - (4d3-4)[2]

In addition, if Li Feng's Teach by Example stunt would work here for Mi-yuan's attempt, that'd be grand. The wording is a bit off, but the intention of the stunt is on point. Though given the wording, it's reasonable to disallow.

Since there's no Mi-yuan left to give the boost to, you can either consider this a Lore roll for my own attempt, or just disregard the thing entirely and ask for a new roll. Your call.

[NyuBomber]

Spoiler: Li Feng Lore Roll Result

Show

Li Feng Roll = [2]
Passive Opposition: +3

Result: Failure!

The Finder tilts its head and its eyes begin to blink from crystal-clear to a bright yellow flash of light. After a few moments of this, it's eyes return to normal, and it looks to Li Feng.

"The most secure item in the realm, of great chi...is not here. It is personally held on the Auctioneer. That is a good idea to protect something, to separate it. It is also a good idea to send guards to the holdings to see who let me out.

Hiding would be a good idea, too."

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng was frustrated by Finder's response, he'd thought he had made a question or at least something that a normal person would understand as one. He was about to respond when Finder gave them both a rather unpleasant revelation. "Damnit. I didn't think we'd have to go back in the coffins so soon! On the upside I think we know where our target is. Finder you're great." He patted the device on its head. His first instinct was to keep Finder with him, it would be an invaluable tool to find contraband or just anything he wanted on the carts that passed through his territory. It also would be useful in general, such that now that he held it he didn't want to give it up even if he didn't have plans for it. He made his way back to his coffin, not a long journey but it remained marginally perilous with the altitude and the strange sticky webbing he had to traverse.

[Actana]

"So it would seem." Li Feng muses at the Finder. Truth be told, he had expected something like this to happen. One does not keep a well stocked treasure without some safety measures to make sure everything remains where it should be. For now, it would be best to keep a low profile. Before heading off back into the coffin he emerged from, Li Feng turns to face Finder. "One last question, my diminutive friend. If someone asks, am I correct in assuming that we never came out of these coffins?" he smiles mischievously.

[NyuBomber]

The Finder tilts its head once more, and its eyes flash yellow, but at a much slower pace.

It remains in this position, even as the various strands of webbing began to vibrate violently, from all directions. Loose metal bits and pieces in the items clink around, growing louder as time passes.

There's no way to see what was coming through the haze, but it has the holdings surrounded.

[Actana]

Most definitely time to lay low, Li Feng reflects the situation. It would not be wise to linger, and as such he makes his way, as fast and silently as possible back to the coffin he came from. There wasn't enough time to rearrange the area to eliminate their tampering, but for now hiding would have to do.

Trusting in his martial arts if he was to be discovered, Li Feng retreats into the coffin and awaits the next move.

[Laughing_Dragon]

Cheng needed to get lost and fast, he grabbed Finder gently and placed him on the nearest non-coffin box. He considered for a moment giving an order or asking a 'question' of his own, but if Finder's appearance said anything it said that Li Feng had gotten in the best possible question. Free of the machine called Finder he made his way back to his coffin, climbed in and tried to still himself incase someone or something looked in on him.