Rokugan In the Shadows - Islands of the Mantis

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

The servant failing to follow orders but is too public to excute him for his incompetence, leaves Kyorlin having to pick up the bag in the corner carrying it to the bath and never letting it leave his sight. When has some privacy in the bath he pours 2 perfumes into the sack.

Alright are we going to my new quarters now or the security risk tour i ordered before my bath?

[Tjallen]

The seeds of fate tended to, Erus spends the time until darkness falls mingling with the other patrons and chatting with the servers. Trying to figure out anything about his new allies: Magistrate Kyorlin, Rear-Admiral Grolier, and the magistrate-in-training under Kyorlin.

Spoiler: Rolls?

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Gather information: (1d20+11)[28]
Diplomacy to get on the good side of patrons (1d20+21)[30]
Diplomacy to get on the good side of the serving staff (1d20+21)[35]

[Anachronity]

Donovan gives the creature a glare at the abrupt change in subject. He does not much care to play a guessing game, but undeath had at least left him with patience.

"Any bodies which are left in my care, I would prefer to see delivered to the ocean.
... I've seen... what? The creatures which assailed us at sea?"

'Us' was a bit of a stretch; Donovan had in truth seen only a few glimpses of the shadow monsters and a looming darkness upon the horizon. At the time he'd greatly begrudged lighting the ship aflame while it bore so many fallen soldiers, and he'd given the strange murky foe itself little thought. Yet Jade had spoken of them as a foe of the voice, and they had certainly seemed ink-like.

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary Quarters
The servant bows, chided enough. "We are ready." The servant does his best to point out and provide practical assessment of the building in all of its flaws.
"First, of primary importance, the Dignitary quarters' only point of access by the common folk is through the gate that's also a part of the dojo just south of the Quarter's building; this gate is built into the city-wide dividing wall, and is made of vertical, solid steel bars set 4 fingers apart from one another. It would be impossible to cut the bars without alerting any within the dojo to the activity.
The building, like many in Rokugan, has a walkway on its outside edge that will become a single-person hallway when the storm doors are erected to prevent a storm. Its walls are little more than fine-crafted bamboo-and-wax paper, due to the nature of the land as a semitropical climate. Although this offers little physical protection against an attacker, the paper and bamboo are impossible to cut quietly; thus, although the walls are entirely possible to cut open, such an action would alert not only the retainers on the first floor but also would give time for anyone on the floors above time to arm and prepare themselves.

"Each of the building's corners are strong, straight spruce; this is replicated in the internal, central quarter of the building, where four more spruce pillars add support. The central entrance and the side walls each have two thick, multi-layered beams. Each of these supports are large enough to be climbed, but all have been heat-treated and lacquered to be glass-smooth and water-resistant, thus making for impractical climbing surfaces without magical aid."

Spoiler: Picture for aid

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"The top-left room is meant for retainers; this is where Kyorlin and others had been placed.
The Middle-right room is for the servants to sleep, and exits down to the kitchen-area.
The small middle-left section is a storage room for the storm walls, and its height actually spans onto the second floor; the side panels to this room are, indeed, rather high; south of this area are a temporary-storage room and the area of the general-access staircase.

"The second floor has the same simple walls of the first floor. It's a simpler layout, with a large central room to the top; below it and central is a general ceremonial space; it has a shrine here to various deities and places for incense and even mats for meditation. To either side of this central room, there's room for small but cozy sleeping quarters for dignitaries with stair access to the third floor's two suites.
Finally, This second floor is built alongside and is reachable from the 25-foot-tall city-wide dividing wall; this building's only true flaw is conceivably from someone climbing the wall and then jumping into the building. Across the wall from the Quarters is the southernmost of 3 store-fronts; thus, a potential entrance would be for a person to scale the space in between the two stores closest the Quarters and then vault the remaining 15 feet or so onto the wall; from there, it would be a simple task to enter the building.

"The third floor simply has the two suites. It's over 40 feet above the wall; its access is practically impossible without significant magical power or supernatural jumping ability. Neither of these are common powers, however, and with such ability and experience, practical security-assessment of any building would be only a study of magical warding."

The servant, withering under the hyperfocused intent of Kyorlin, continues his assessment of the building. "Although this concludes the structural assessment of the building, any dignitary stationed here may hire the services of a Mantis-clan Shugenja; they live in Tenshukaku and in private rooms at the Bank, where they're afforded both physical security and great vantage-points of assessing threats to the city from great range."

There are certainly questions Kyorlin might ask, and so the servant remains open to them.

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Very impressed with the amount of architectural and security knowledge of a servant, but disappointed that its nothing he can use. Unfortunately our most dangerous and active enemies are supernatural so while that was very informative I need to know about chutes used for laundry, garbage, and any sort of plumbing like where will my bath water goes now, if this building doesn't have any secret emergency exits.

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - somewhere near the bay.
Orusc scowls in unconcealed contempt of Donovan's projected emotions. "I do not avoid topics out of mortal incompetence, drowned one. There are beings beyond the power of the Voice; These beings, given access to a mortal world, can shatter a mortal's mind or force others into Geas that restrict words and actions against them. I would give a seminar if I could." He pauses to let that sink in before he continues.

"...You speak of the voice as if you seek to contact it? That's simple; leave this city and contact with the Voice is possible. But as to your recent ocean encounter...

I recently talked with Jade, who shared her experience. The creatures at sea were not many creatures, but one entity. The Sea of Shadows bears a powerful corruption of the Ocean where it touches the Shadowlands. Any creatures brought there, any ships--which are given spiritual significance by the Rokugani--or even items brought to this corrupt ground can be manifest by the Sea of Shadows if it extends its influence across the water. These powers are unusually strong recently, though, and it extends far beyond its usual threat of just the area around the Shadowlands. Whatever deeper meaning it bears, it's not good for Rokugan.


The undead nods slowly in understanding. He had little knowledge of the greater working of magic, but to control the actions of others against their will in this way, on so grand a scale, spoke much of its power. Similarly, the thought that the great darkness upon the horizon was a singular being put things into perspective on why this 'voice' believed the Rokugani would need to unite against it to prevail.

He pays no mind to the creature's dire mood, and responds flatly "How far from the city; and how might I contact it once I have left?"

Orusc thinks about this question for a little bit; his face shows his contemplation. Perhaps several hours by a decent clipper or a swift horse.

"And I simply call its name?", Donovan asks, still seeking the answer to the latter query.

Orusc widens his eyes and raises that scars that would be eyebrows. "Why, the same way you called to me but...instead open yourself to that feeling, that entity beyond the boundaries of mortality, the essence of our Patron."

"And your... flesh-crafting; do you have any particular beasts or mortals in mind for such a thing?"

"The stories and achievements of men are worn as mantles not only in their minds, but as a part of their fleshidentity, especially in this land. The best and most compelling flesh is that of one with great title, responsibility or the weight of myth and story about them. An admiral is much better than the Ensign, and so forth. The hide of a local terrifying beast holds more value than a common Wolf"

"If this item is needed by others, how might I acquire something similar?"
Donovan holds the necklace aloft demonstratively.

Orusc chooses his question deliberately, as if he'd rather not reveal more than he must. "What is the function you seek?"

"To contact the voice, or yourself if I should come into possession of something meaningful to your specialty, but not able to... understand." Donovan does not bother to clarify what might be misunderstood.

"I can help you with an item to summon myself...find a person of consequence or responsibility and kill them, then summon me as you did this time. For the Voice...perhaps the rules of exchange are different for mortals. I've always suspected, but...make yourself open to contact with the Voice, and will contact you if desired. It projects us into another realm of being; unless Donovan possesses great cosmological power, he cannot force contact with this being. "


Kyuden Gotei SW - Maiden's Tickle
Erus has little trouble using his incredible grace with the serving staff. He understands that these ladies have made their identities as women of service and takes their desires to be mysterious; he posits himself as mysterious, too. Their exchanges become a social dance that tells much but leaves out just enough to be compelling and interesting. In the many hours that he waits there, he's able to coax out laughter, attraction, and help them, in turn, ply their intelligence and wit in ways that are more compelling to their patrons. Perhaps it's simply his desire to be liked by the staff, there, but they seem especially cheery that his artful coaxing leads to greater enjoyment by all of the patrons. One he's secured the boozy trust of those around the inn, he begins to ply the tavernfolk for stories about themselves, all of which they're happy to tell; from there Erus is able to coax out the information he wants.

Spoiler: (extra) Story time

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Worthy
The wind swept up the last tortured breath of the fallen man, adding his voice to its own. If he uttered any last words, they were forever lost, devoured by the howl of the wind. One figure stood triumphant at the center of the clearing. Beyond, the spinning wall of wind stripped the gray branches of their brittle leaves. She left the dead man’s blood on Mukizo’s steel tongue, allowing it to savor this moment of victory, if only because she could not. She didn’t feel anything anymore.

Except for hatred. That still remained, even long after she’d willingly abstained from the use of the taint, lest gaijin forces consume her completely. It remained even after the ascension of her dark lord; on that day, she’d tried to use her dark blessings, but none were forthcoming. Perhaps they’d grown weak from disuse, like the withered arm of crippled man. Or perhaps her lord, from his new throne in Jigoku, had decided that she was unworthy.

But Mukizo was still strong. The taint within that blade had guided her through the wilderness all these long years, its voice growing stronger with each passing day. It led her to this small forested island, where it blackened the grass, stripped the trees, and shackled the wind to her will. Her power had waned, perhaps, but the sword’s power was still strong. The bodies strewn throughout the island, some skeletal with time, were a testament to that.

She would prove that she was still worthy. She still had her title, and there were many that coveted it. They would come to her, one by one, seeking that in her death, and she would meet them without hesitation. Only the tainted could hear the sword’s call as it spread through the lands. They were drawn like moths to flame, and like moths to flame they were each immolated, consumed both by Mukizo’s strength and her anger. One day, a warrior would finally come that could slay her, and on that day she would stand by her dark lord’s side once again. But that day had not come yet. Still, Hotako was ready.

Enemy dispatched, victory achieved, she fell back into her dark kata. Mukizo, still dripping with blood, swung and cut the air hungrily. Her kama spun in her opposing hand. Together, they stirred the air, spun the wind like spider’s thread. She moved with the dark grace of dancing shadow. Her steps lifted the curled husks of fallen leaves as the wind rumbled at her wordless command. Her kata renewed the whirlwind’s spin and invoked the sound of the wind. It spread, cold and loud, from the clearing and through the empty trees, between the stalks of dead grass and to the water’s edge. There were voices in that wind. The scattered leaves were their tongues, the brittle clatter of the branches were its song, the wind its very breath.

“I am Mukizo,” it said, “the sword that drank an Emperor’s blood.”

The voices were in the crash of the waves that brought the words to the shore beyond the island. They were in the wind that spread the words throughout night-cloaked lands. They seeped into the dreams of those tainted warriors that slept in secret amongst the populace. They were echoed in the whispers of the hidden remnants of the Lost, spoken in tea houses, dojos, courts great and minor, all shadowed places both obscure and in plain sight. Dark samurai repeated them, felt the kata-borne breeze, tasted its temptations, and looked to the south.

“I am the sword of the Obsidian Champion,” it said. “Heirloom of the Chuda, breaker of steel, a blade of traitors. I rest in the hand of my mistress. If you are worthy, seek me. Defeat my mistress and claim me. Grasp true power and become one with Obsidian, a Sentinel of Chuda. If you are worthy.”

The clearing thundered with the deafening wind, the crack of splitting wood, and the crash of the shore. Daigotsu Hotako dragged her twisted kama-blade against Mukizo’s steel. The voices howled, here and hundreds of miles away. “Come!” they challenged. “Come and get me!”

* * * * *

Traditionally, achieving the station of Ruby Champion would mark of the end of a Magistrate’s career. The Ruby Champion was the sensei for Emerald Magistrates, after all, bestowing personal techniques and molding the minds and methods of an entire generation of Magistrates. In many subtle ways, the Ruby Champion decided the policy of future magistrates, occasionally acting as the liaison between the Emerald and Jade branches. It was the second-most coveted position in the entire Empire amongst those who enforced order. However, once achieved, there was nowhere else to go. The Ruby Champion traditionally remained within the dojo; gone were the days of tracking criminals, of accumulating testimony, and the rare thrill of the chase. Outstanding cases would be passed on to promising minds, and the Ruby Champion would retire from the field, oftentimes young, and content himself with instruction and self-contemplation.

This never sat well with Tsuruchi Nobukatsu. The role of the sensei was an honored one. It was all-important, a duty that could never be set aside. Still, what good were time-honed tracking skills that were never tested, keen eyes that never laid sight upon a crime scene, experience never wielded for the honor of the Empress? Surely the Ruby Champion could be a sensei and an active magistrate in his own right?

When he’d uttered these things, his friends had humored him. “Perhaps when you are Ruby Champion one day,” they’d joked, “you can implement such bold changes!”

Nobukatsu smiled as he exhaled the sweet kizami smoke from his kiseru. When Yasuki Miliko bestowed the Ruby Championship on him, over all of his peers, he did exactly as they had predicted. After all, wasn’t Yasuki Miliko active in the Destroyer War during her time as Ruby Champion? Perhaps he should honor her example.

Besides, he reasoned, frowning at the map before him, there were things that could not be adequately taught in the dojo. For instance, his famed techniques for hunting men, the very reason he was chosen and the thing he was expected to impart upon the new generations of magistrates. Words and gestures could never be enough. There was too much nuance to his work, too subtle and mutable to be demonstrated in controlled settings. Men were unpredictable prey, but there were patterns one could watch for, things that could not be reproduced in a dojo. His students had to learn “in the field,” to see the techniques demonstrated firsthand and hone their skills against live targets.

And of course, if this meant he had to spend much of his time in the field of duty instead of the dojo, well… then that could not be helped. After all, these students were unworked bars of iron waiting to be forged into blades, and one did not work wrought iron over cold coals. One sought fire.

And one had found fire. A rumor, really, but one grave enough to investigate. A magistrate had captured a tainted Spider warrior who had remained behind, thinking it fit to disobey the command of Heaven. The magistrate had shown him the error in his thinking, and during the following interrogation, something interesting had slipped out. This claim was then investigated on its own merit, rippling through the shadowed network of contacts the Emerald Magistrates had maintained over the course of centuries. Saibankan’s Net had pulled something more concrete from these shadowy waters: a challenge from the south, and a name. It was the last case on the former Ruby Champion’s desk before she severed her topknot and retired to the monasteries of her family’s ancestors. Her last unfinished case became his first, and he intended to finish it.

The Emerald Magistrates could not follow their leads. The trail was cold, and there was no way for them to find the source of the challenge. They believed that they had little choice but to wait for something else to surface, something they could follow. They could hardly be blamed; they didn’t have Nobukatsu’s methods, nor the training of a Tsuruchi bounty hunter amongst their leadership. Once that changed, the trail became quite clear. Nobukatsu followed it south, bringing his students with him. It was the perfect chance to demonstrate the techniques by which the obscure could be seen and the hidden could be found.

Those were not the only reasons he had for his personal involvement in the matter, however. The name in the possession of the Magistrates was Daigotsu Hotako, a woman their contacts called the “Obsidian Champion.” In addition to existing crimes, she was a tainted warrior living in the Empire, which could not be tolerated. Even though he didn’t know what her title meant, Nobukatsu knew her by another name, as did all Mantis. He knew her as Yoritomo Hotako, former crew of the Spoils of War and dark stain upon the honor of the clan. This he kept to himself; it was a matter of honor and of no concern to others. It was a rare thing when one’s duties to two masters overlapped into the same goal, and he wasn’t about to ruin that by talking about it.

A frustrated slam on the table stole him from his introspection. Nobukatsu lazily looked up from the map at his students. They were still arguing. He sighed again and no one noticed his displeasure. It seemed the argument was over how to approach the island on the map, where they’d finally tracked the tainted woman. Originally, the concern was that she would flee, but since they’d arrived and remained hidden within the quiet fishing community, the magistrates had witnessed a steady stream of ronin challengers passing through the village, taking small sampans to the island, and not returning. One after the next these challengers went to their doom. It was like something was calling to them.

His students were convinced that they could wait no longer. She had to be brought to justice. Some even feared that she was gathering an army, but others dismissed this as preposterous. Nobukatsu suspected their urgency was as much cabin fever from their self-imposed reclusion within the teahouse walls as it was a desire to see an end to this threat to the Empire. A part of Nobukatsu agreed with haste, the part that could not permit a stain upon the Mantis to survive, nor a criminal free reign to do as she pleased. But he also knew that she wasn’t going anywhere, and thus they had time to wait for the right moment to strike. That moment had not come for the last two weeks, two weeks of waiting, plotting, and watching tainted ronin march to their deaths. At least, in that time, she was doing much to purge the Empire of its tainted denizens, in her own way.

“Any way we approach the island, she will see us coming!” his youngest student announced. He was already well into adulthood, an accomplished magistrate before his promotion into his current position. “We should attack under cover of darkness.”

“Daylight is our one advantage,” a woman countered. “You would sacrifice that for nothing?”

He sneered. “You have not offered one suggestion yet! At least I am trying!”

And the argument continued. Nobukatsu tapped his cheek. Maybe he should say something…

But in truth, he was finding it hard to pay attention to his arguing students. There was a man sitting on the far end of the otherwise unoccupied room, his tea untouched on the table before him. A wide-brimmed straw hat covered his features, but Nobukatsu knew the man was watching them. He was probably listening as well. The Ruby Champion mirrored the actions of this man, threading his fingers together and appearing to be weighing the words of his students. He watched carefully with the periphery of his vision until the man finally stood from his table, unnoticed by the students, and walked out.

Nobukatsu nodded to himself. The man was listening to them after all. He’d heard whatever he needed to hear and was now making for the island. Nobukatsu stood, silencing the students abruptly.

“Heed your surroundings,” he said, donning his own straw hat, “and solutions to your problems will present themselves.”

He left them in stunned silence. Passing through the door into the cold night, Nobukatsu quickly spotted the man as he approached the shoreline, making for one of the many sampans on the beach. The island, tiny in the distance, was nonetheless visible on the horizon beyond, thanks to the stare of the moon above.

“Hold on,” Nobukatsu called out. The man halted, keeping his back to the Ruby Champion. The mon of the Ikoma stared at him from the man’s back.

“Identify yourself,” said Nobukatsu. He didn’t adopt a demanding tone; he left his voice calm and nonchalant. The light from the teahouse behind him threw his shadow over the man like a vast net. The man turned and looked at him.

The reply came with equal calm. “I am Ikoma Ayumu,” he said. Donned in sandy browns and oranges, the man wore incomplete scraps of armor over his kimono, his daisho firmly tucked into his obi. The gaze of the Ruby Champion narrowed upon him.

After several long moments of silence, Nobukatsu spoke again. “I know what you’re intending to do,” he said, in the tone of one offering friendly advice. “You’re not the first. I’ve seen countless men pass through this village to that island. That’s where you are headed, right?”

Ayumu did not reply. He stared, face serious.

“I should arrest you,” Nobukatsu continued, “but I recognize that mon on your shoulder. You served in the Destroyer War.”

The Ikoma nodded. “Hai.”

“So did my brother,” Nobukatsu smiled. “It is out of respect for this that I offer you some advice. Go home. This is a matter for the Emerald Magistrates alone.”

After several long moments, Ayumu turned in Nobukatsu’s shadow to fully face the Ruby Champion. “With all due respect,” he replied, “this is a matter of honor.”

Nobukatsu’s gaze turned to Ayumu’s left sleeve. It was cut long, but after a moment he realized it was empty. He saw that the Lion’s left sode was damaged on the shoulder, that he was slightly curled to his left, as if compensating for a grievous loss. The loss of his arm.

A matter of honor, the Lion had said. Nobukatsu nodded with understanding. It occurred to him, in that moment, that only the tainted could hear the call of this “Obsidian Champion” on that island, and that would be reason enough to subdue the man. Perhaps the prudent thing would have been to do this, to question him and gain more insight on his enemy. But the Ruby Champion’s one vice was that he was a gambler, and the fact that this always paid off only encouraged this behavior. His practiced mind measured the odds and came up with a plan.

He reached into his sleeve and drew out a drawstring bag, unwinding it and fishing out a pinch of tangled kizami for his pipe. “I would never stand in the way of honor,” he said, packing it into the mouth of the kiseru. “Of course, you cannot possibly win. A man in your condition would be dispatched rather easily.”

His words did not seem to affect Ayumu. The magistrate lit his pipe with a flint and steel device he produced from his sleeve, tucking it back again as he drew deeply on the kiseru. “The style that woman adopts is one I am familiar with,” he continued. “She fights with two weapons, becoming a storm of death. She will strike twice, first to disable, then to kill. Aiming for an arm, the neck, or perhaps an organ… she robs her opponent of the chance to fight back. If she perceives weakness, that is where she strikes. And the second one ends it.” Nobukatsu shrugged. “Even a complete man has no defense. There is no stopping the attack, and it cannot be deflected, nor dodged. It can only be absorbed, which naturally means certain death.”

“Of course,” he held out a hand, “I know that I cannot dissuade you. You have until the morning. If fortune favors you somehow, and you are able to defeat her…” He paused, lifting the pipe from his lips and meeting the man in the eyes, “if you were to recover her blades and bring them to me, I would be forever grateful.”

The Lion nodded, then bowed deeply. “Arigato,” he said. Then, he turned and continued his walk, making his way to the beach and the small boats that rocked there.

Nobukatsu watched him for some time. Until morning, he’d said. That was how long he gave the man to redeem himself. It was a lie, of course. He’d give this Ayumu a head start, then he would order his students to arm themselves and they’d follow him to the island. He would serve as an adequate distraction while the magistrates did their work.

The Ruby Champion smiled. He’d lied to the Lion, perhaps. But Nobukatsu did not concern himself keeping promises for dead men.

* * * * *

Ikoma Ayumu planted his foot on the dead island. Even in the light of the moon, the sand was black, like soot. The forest beyond was skeletal and tangled. Clouds churned in the sky. In the distance, Ayumu heard the howl of battering wind. So this was where the dark breeze had led him.

A dead man greeted him on the beach. No more than a lifeless skeleton, still gripping the handle of a weather-worn katana. It wore splintered armor bearing the mon of the Spider. Ayumu took note of the location of the strikes and then moved on.

The next body he encountered lay just within the border of the stripped forest. This one’s back was broken. It was cleaved in the same place as the first, but was also missing its jaw. Ayumu took note and then passed through the brush. There, the wind grew louder.

As he drew closer to the center, he could feel the wind’s strength increasing. The battered limbs of the trees towered over him, swaying with the force of the breeze, clattering and splintering violently. He soon saw that the forest was growing thinner; the wind had uprooted the weakest trees and flung them aside, obscuring the path beneath piles of broken limbs and twisted trunks. There were bodies as well, all bone-dead, all bearing the same fatal injuries. With only one arm, Ayumu had to carefully maneuver around them. There were far less barriers to stop the wind here, and it constantly buffeted him. Swaying thorn-covered branches clawed at his face and grabbed his kimono, like lifeless minions commanded to stop him. Halfway to the center, he drew his wakizashi, using it as a parangu to clear the attacking foliage.

The wind’s howl was deafening. The closer he came to the center, the stronger it grew. It tore the hat from his head and clattered his armor. It threw sticks, leaves, and small branches in his way. Now and again, it threw the bone of a defeated enemy. It pulled on his empty sleeve and tossed it into vile prickers. And worse of all, it whispered, layered voices hissing in his hear, like a thousand snakes.

“Worthy?” they asked. “Are you worthy?”

Ayumu persevered, pushing forward through the thick wind, gritting his teeth against the bone-chill and the ice-flecked tempest. His eyes pressed shut as the voices whispered. They urged him, challenged him, all the while mocking him in rasp hisses. He could hear nothing else. He opened his eyes and saw a clearing just beyond the torrent, distorted by the ripple of the air and suspended debris. Beyond it, he saw a shadowed form, flickering like some dark flame, a dancer obscured by tempest wind. It spun. It laughed.

Wakizashi in hand, Ayumu dove into the clearing through the barrier of wind.

There was no one there. The clearing was empty. Even the grass stood still.

Ayumu stood at the center of the clearing. His eyes scanned for any movement. His foe was here, he knew. She was watching, waiting. There were others, he felt, that watched as well. The night sky above him was dominated by the body of the Obsidian Moon. Staring. Judging.

The whirlwind assailed his ears. He realized that he would not be able to hear his opponent’s approach. Cold numbed his fingers, lessening his already diminished control over his sword. The spinning distortion of the wind was almost hypnotic, requiring great discipline to look away. She’d drawn him, as she’d drawn countless others, into a battle that robbed him of his senses. He realized that he could not depend upon them.

The words of the man from the teahouse came to him in that moment. She will strike twice, he’d said, first to disable, then to kill. If she perceives weakness, that is where she strikes.

He lowered his guard and closed his eyes.

When they opened again, she was upon him. It was too late to avoid the strike, but then, he could never deflect her blow anyway. She’d fallen from a high vantage, and her sword, an are of glassy light at this speed, had already fallen into its target. The first strike was to disable. The kama in her other hand was readied for the second, to kill.

And it would have worked, as it had worked on countless others, were it not for one thing. Her first strike, as it was for every corpse he had studied on his path to the clearing, was aimed at his left shoulder.

His left shoulder, where there was no arm.

He watched the severed sleeve of his kimono flutter away, sucked into the vortex of wind surrounding him. His wakizashi struck behind him, sinking up to its tsuba in her unarmored belly. He felt her surprised gasp on his ear, felt her weight against his back, and the warmth of her blood. The kama fell from her limp fingers, followed by her katana. He waited.

She whispered in his ear. “How did you know? How did you hear me approach?”

He replied, “I didn’t.”

He twisted the blade and effortlessly pulled it from her side. She fell like a punctured water-bag, trailing a lazy arc of red and black. Her landing was violent. Life seeped into the grass as death entered her body. He watched her wordlessly as she twitched, tilting her head up, staring at him with wide eyes. They were glassy orbs of polished obsidian, reflecting the moon.

“You would have won,” he said, “if you wore proper armor.” Ayumu tilted his head and met her gaze. The wind was slowing, as if it ebbed with her life. “You don’t remember me,” he finally said. She didn’t reply. Blood bubbled on her lips.

He nodded. “We fought together,” he told her, “in the Destroyer War. Only I didn’t know who you were, back then.”

He knelt by her side, still beyond her reach. Even so, she hadn’t the strength to attack him if she wanted. She was like a slain beast, laboring in her death, the violent struggling from before giving way to a patient calm. He continued, “My men engaged one of the ironclad units. Yours attacked its flank. I didn’t recognize your heraldry, so I didn’t know who you were. Not until your lieutenants raised the bodies of my fallen comrades, robbing them of their rest.” His eyes burned with the memory. “When the Destroyers were beaten, you turned on us.”

“And I took your arm,” she whispered, a smile coming to her moonlit face. “And tainted you.”

He nodded. Her body shook; if she had the strength, it would have been a chuckle. She drew a painful breath. “Now I know why I failed. I should have killed you.”

Ayumu shrugged as he sheathed his blade. “You wanted me to suffer.”

Her smile grew wider. Impossibly, she raised her head, looking deep into his eyes. “Did you suffer?” she asked, flecks of red spattering her teeth. “Did you, fallen man?”

He said nothing. She broke her gaze and lowered her head to the soft grass. It seemed to him that she sank there, that something vital had escaped her body with that final effort.

“You… don’t even… know,” she whispered, skin growing pale, “…what… suffering… … …is…”

The wind swept up her last tortured breath, adding her voice to its own.

Ayumu expected the tempest to fade in those moments. But they did not. The wind continued its tormenting spin, the leaves rustling, the limbs of the trees clattering together. The voices in the wind continued their hum. He was still being watched; the blades of grass held still, as if waiting to see what he would do next.

Ayumu reached for her sword. The voices grew louder, their whispers surrounding him. “Worthy,” they said, “Worthy…”

His hand grasped the handle of the blade. It was surprisingly light. Manta-skin enwrapped the black stone of the handle. The tsuba displayed a grimacing face. The handle was like black stone, the visage of a snake carved into the hilt. The blade was flawless and mirrored. It seemed to speak to him, in the rustle of the leaves, in the gust of the wind, even in the rasp of his own breath.

“I am Mukizo,” it said, “A sword of the Chuda. My power is yours, Obsidian Champion.”

Ayumu leveled the blade with the saya from the dead woman’s side, propping it so that he could sheath it properly with his only arm. The sword tilted in his hand, and in the mirrored blade, he saw his reflection. He saw himself whole again, a left arm of chitinous black plates, crackling with power. He saw himself leading armies again, countless forms obeying his unspoken commands. He saw purpose to his life once more, service to a lord that would embrace him, despite his condition, his self-loathing. He saw lithe and limber women hanging from his shoulders, strong warriors bowing before him, a vast castle filled with servants, and more land then he could cross in a day. He saw a future in that blade, promises, and the power to regain everything he had lost. Everything and more.

“No,” he said. “Never. I will never serve you.”

He sheathed the blade, and the wind died. The woods crashed with the sound of falling branches. Silently, he lifted the sheathed sword from the body of Daigotsu Hotako, the last Champion of Obsidian. By defeating her, by recovering her blades, he’d proven himself worthy of the title of Obsidian Champion. By rejecting it, he’d proven himself worthy to be a Lion.

Sword in hand, Ayumu turned towards the woods. The Mantis from the teahouse, smiling, pipe in hand, and flanked by many magistrates, looked back at him.



* * * * *



Ayumu sipped his Jade Petal Tea. Its warmth sustained him, like the serenity of the surrounding temple. Nobukatsu smiled from his seat on the other side of the table. “How is the tea?” he asked.

“Bitter,” Ayumu replied, setting the cup down. “But adequate.” He met the man’s eyes. “Arigato. For all that you have done for me.”

The Ruby Champion nodded, packing his pipe. “The law is unyielding,” he said, “but for those who serve the Empress, certain concessions can be made. Do you understand?”

“Hai,” Ayumu said. “I do.”

Nobukatsu put away his sack of kizami, then drew a small scroll, placing it on the table. “This deed places this temple in the hands of your family,” he said. “This place is yours now, as is its purpose.” He glanced a little beyond where Ayumu sat. Beneath the shrine to the Jade Sun, Hotako’s twisted kama lay, and Mukizo sat in its sheath upon a daisho stand of carved jade. His gaze returned to Ayumu.

“I have spoken with the Jade Magistrates,” Nobukatsu said, “They assure me that the trappings of the Obsidian Champion, including her sword, could perhaps serve the Empire once again. Until that day comes, guard them with your life.”

Ayumu’s eyes were serious. “I will.”

The Ruby Champion stood, bowing in parting. Ayumu replied in kind. Nobukatsu turned to leave, but paused for a moment, glancing back to the one-armed man seated before the shrine. “Arrangements such as this are uncommon in this day and age,” he remarked, “even as secrets are not. Make sure that you are thankful for this.”

Without further word, the Ruby Champion left. Ayumu watched him go, passing the guards that stood by the door of the temple. His temple, he reminded himself, and his duty.

The wind blew in through light-filtered windows. The candles flickered; Ayumu turned to face the shrine of the Jade Sun and the blade that sat beneath it. The carved snake-face of the sword’s hilt stared at him. The breeze swam around his ears, whispering with a faded voice.

“I am Mukizo,” it seemed to say, “the blade that drank an Emperor’s blood.”

The whispers were in the creak of the wooden floor, the quiet shuffle of his robes, the exhale of his own breath. “I cannot be purged, cannot be redeemed. I am but a vessel… The Chuda speak through me. They are coming… WE are coming. It is only a matter of time. We will find you where you hide. You will die alone, our darkness will spread once more, and all of your actions will have been pointless. These blades are the Chuda’s, even now. There is nothing you can do.”

If they had been watching, the guards may have thought that Ayumu was bowing, tilting his head towards the blade as he leaned in. Or perhaps that he was tempted by the weapons on the stand, and was reaching once more for his Jade Petal Tea.

But neither of these things were true. He was leaning in, bringing his lips close to the sword’s carved handle. The face of the snake grimaced. Whoever had watched him from the clearing was watching him now. He knew they were listening, knew they would hear his words, here and a thousand miles away. His lips parted. He replied with a whisper.

“Then come and get them.”

General opinion of Rear-Admiral Grolier seems to be very high for a "Gaijin." He was a young man when he'd arrived in Rokugan, seeking asylum from his homeland. He was offered a simple job, but he turned it down for service in the navy. He served well despite others' disdain of his foreign status, and over the last fifty years of his service he's made it clear that he's little love of his home country, Thrane, and has proven great help to the Lord Yoritomo and his family on numerous occasions with foreign diplomacy. The stories Erus coaxes from others speak of the rear-Admiral with pride that he's become a trusted advisor to the country, and regret at his foreign status, for despite his incredible cunning, instinct, and ability, he's still prone to the suspicion that he could still be a spy or an agent, waiting to be awakened when the time is right. Even so, Grolier has taken very well to the position of Rear-Admiral and has been a crucial asset in many battles and his instinct with ships has never failed him. One story in particular, however, strikes him as particularly useful as information and as a segue.

With the recent battle against the Sea of Shadows, Rear-Admiral Grolier managed to prevent the total loss of his fleet. The "official" report, that the rear-fleet had been entirely destroyed, was a rare tactic used by the Mantis to trick the Shadow; they could use this pretend loss to have the remaining ships operate as merchant vessels or even pirates and visit other areas of Rokugan and the world, and in this way operate as if that military fleet really was lost; the ships would then return to other Mantis harbors bearing goods and traded items, and thus help the clan recoup their losses. Most of the men that had served on Grolier's own ship were evacuated safely, and with a skeleton crew of only a few men to sail the three-mast clipper, he set his ship ablaze with its course to the seeking tendrils of the Shadow Sea; that he'd coated himself in tar and threw himself aboard before his ship exploded, and was carried with the Sea of Shadows for several weeks before landing on the ships of the other Fleet. His help, it had seemed, was instrumental in the rescue of an Emerald Magistrate and his companions, who had been escorted by the Second fleet until the Shadow Sea's devastating attacks.

The recent visitor to the city of Kyuden Gotei--Magistrate Kyorlin--is very large, although others assert that his size is consistent with more powerfully-built men of the Crab. Regardless, his presence has given credibility to a mystery of the Crab where they'd believed the ancient tribe of the Mountain Spirit Folk were lost to a terrible, self-imposed curse to wander underneath the mountains of the world until the curse had been lifted. While he has neither publicly discussed nor denied the existence of this a curse, he maintains an air of aloofness about his past. As far as agents of the Empire go, however, he seems to take his duties well.

Erus noticed the patrons at the back of the Maiden's Tickle were not the standard fare of Mantis, but instead had recently encountered him in a trial; although they, too, were charmed by Erus's words, they seemed reluctant to discuss their connections with him too openly. Instead, the group offered their origins as people of varied location who'd made their way to this city as if fate Herself had brought them here. One of the five people, a man in his late twenties, offers insight into the Emerald Magistrates and their roles, and several people from nearby sailors offer their own stories about the city's recent events. Historically, the Emerald Magistrates had been formed in the early years of the Empire by Doji Hatsuo, the fifth Emerald Champion, and Soshi Saibankan, who became the minor Fortune of Magistrates and Judges upon his death. The structure has remained unchanged for over a thousand years. The Emerald Magistrates do not simply act as jurors. Although they do, indeed, enforce the Emperor's laws, and answer only to the Emperor and the Emerald Champion, their legal power extends only in cases applicable to Imperial, not local law.

Kyorlin has been seen in the city meting out justice to a local lord who'd gotten too much of himself and was abusing his power. The Magistrate recruited the citizens of the Outer city to help him, and it seems the lord has disappeared, although his retainers and other servants were unaware of his absence due to Kyorlin's own deception. The Magistrate was in the docks earlier today it seems, holding a trial of people accused of treason and had been slated to be killed later that night. In this, again, the Magistrate acted well within his rights to both to recruit assistance, hold trial and mete out punishment, although it seemed that he'd let several of the people go, which is uncommon. If the young man's words were to be believed, this case of people would likely be up for review by the Emperor despite its swift resolution.

Usually, Emerald Magistrates settle cases where many clans are involved, where legal matters arise and cannot be easily handled by a single clan's jurisdictions, or in the case of the Emperor's Law being broken; a charge of Treason usually warrants scrutiny by such a Magistrate, but must usually be presided with evidence. Furthermore, Kyorlin was operating on the mantle and aspect of an appointment made two hundred years ago, and although it's known that Spirit Folk live very long, it's unclear that Kyorlin is this exact person, even if he bears (what one sailor claims) is a striking resemblance. All Emerald Magistrates are appointed by the Emperor, and although the Emerald Champion can recommend posts, the recommendations still needed approval from the Emperor. Second, it's rare for a Ronin to find such appointments--and the Mountain Spirit Folk are indeed not official parts of the Crab Clan--unless they're exceptionally meritorious or as a note of displeasure to a clan. The history of this appointment is unclear (at least to the present group in the tavern), but generally, the Emerald Magistrates serve as tools to both keep the peace of the land and to keep the clans of Rokugan in their place. Certainly in these recent and unpredictable times, Kyorlin has acted within his boundaries of a rapidly changing Rokugan.

Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary Quarters
The servant looks exceptionally uncomfortable. He bites his lips, fidgets and wrings his hands. "This building has no....laundry chute...and as you've been able to see, our bathing rooms also have flowing water for plumbing, which washes into the ocean. In the event of an emergency...ah...each of the rooms on third floor has a hairpin that, should they jump with it, would bring them to a glide. It's an ingenious creation but please, Magistrate, we urge you to leave those items unless absolutely necessary. They're not simple to reproduce.

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin
Trying to not show his frustration and relief at a light to then end of this tunnel of a conversion.
I will do my best to not use these hairpins to guide. The path the bath water takes to the ocean, how is it maintained? Service tunnels or is it large enough to walk in? Where ever a shapeshifter can sneak in must be investigated.

[Tjallen]

Amused at the fact that two of the highest ranking people in the city working with or straight up being traitors, Erus briefly entertains the notion of warning the Guard-Captain. In the end he decides against it and instead spends the night indulging in the company of the mortals.
As night starts to turn into day, Erus retires for a few hours of sleep, eating a quick breakfast before heading out to meet the others.

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary Quarters
"Ah, maintenance of the tunnels...." the man pauses as his mind works. "The access spaces were filled in when these building were built centuries ago. Instead we have Spirit Shamans involved in its workings; The spaces have a flow from the ocean, whose tides wash away the wastes from many of our buildings, and the Shamans maintain a relationship with the Kodama that maintain the flow of water here and there underneath where we humans can reach. Should I arrange a meeting with the Shamans? I know one is at Tenshukaku, but the other is out for another inspection..."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Ah yes Tenshukaku. Set up meeting as soon as possible my good sir, don't mind traveling to them if that is more convenient but I must retire to my room to rest. in his room he puts his bag down in the corner. Preparing for his reverie and his soulmeld for tomorrow. Remembering his ring he tries something new upon it, using his magic sense he will try to deduce what else it can do.

[Anachronity]

Having noted the creature held some degree of pride, Donovan offers a slight bow in thanks.

"Such an item would be appreciated. I will contact you further as circumstances warrant."

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary Quarters, 3rd floor
Kyorlin prepares for the evening rest. He focuses on the ring, prepared to contemplate its mysteries and see what it has to offer, when answers come to him in the hour he'd allotted.

This signet ring features a mountain, and on its right face is the shape of a pointed ear instead of the usual shade. Encircling the mountain are the petal-ends of a jade-colored flower.

Spoiler: Emerald Magistrate's Ring

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This signet is an old-style symbol, and is no longer made. It was presented to Dhunnyl Tazennyn in year 542 upon his recognition of exceptional service to the Crab. His tribe of Mountain-Spiritfolk were honored as Crab-clan members, and were tasked with watching over the mountain-caverns, to stay ever-vigilant against the Shadow, and were promised aid when they called. 18 years later, the Mountain-Spiritfolk vanished, and the Crab that were sent to investigate reported that the caverns had, to the best of their knowledge, collapsed. No word was given to the Crab upon their disappearance, leaving an unsolved mystery.

Stories said, however, that the Spirit-folk Tazennyn has uncovered an ancient curse that forced his people to wander underneath the mountains until they broke the curse.

This ring has recently gained in power and it also functions like a Ring of Sizing.

3/day, you may command this item to increase your size by 1 stage, like the spell Enlarge Person. Alternatively, you may shrink in size, like Reduce Person, except you may shrink up to 2 size categories.
These alterations last up to 10 minutes, and may be ended early upon command; a reduction in size from Large to Medium lasts up to 24 hours instead of 10 minutes.

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Wishing he had figured the ring's power earliar so as to appeared normal sized for his cover shakes his head with a chuckle. While not ideal his size hasn't presented any real problems. Has he lets his mind wander he gathers materials to upgrade his crossbows but stops, these are far too small to bother with.

[~Corvus~]

The stirrings of sunlight play at the edge of the sky beyond Kyuden Gotei. Heaven's Bank is dark. So, too, is the great sloping mount in which the Bank rests. The city is quiet outside. Inside the servants' kitchens, Breakfast begins. Eggs, sausages and yams sizzle as those cooking eat gruel from the day before. The privileged rest. Most of them, anyways.

Kyuden Gotei SW - Maiden's Tickle
Erus has had a few hours of good rest in the quietest hours of the city. He's already up and well-dressed when he returns to the common room, where one of Kyorlin's retinue rouse those he left where they fell asleep on the bar's simple benches. The previous night was a loud and active one for them and many others, powered greatly by Erus' charm and otherworldly energy of motivation to talk and share. Kyorlin's retinue is due to meet him and get his orders, then go about their tasks. As they leave, a group of seventeen sailors enter the bar; they follow the old man, who leads them back. The lady carries the same white lily from the night before and the Compass. They order some ale, and they place an order for order several caskets; eight of the sailors carry out the first four to their ship.

The man strides up to Erus and jerks his finger at the eight sailors. "Those young men have agreed. Their first children will have their names belong to you. "
The lady speaks up now, cutting across the large sailor who had been about to continue. "I talked with a friend last night. She says you are a spirit from the Realm of Animals, and your choice to give us aid should be honored. I am not willing to give you my firstborn, but I'm willing to make another deal with you."
The older man continues, "I feel it's wrong to not be honorable with you. My firstborn died years ago in battle--although my other two children are fine and married--but my wife has been forlorn and sad for so long, it's as if she has already dead and is a ghost. Perhaps you can bring peace to her, traveler Erus. I offer her name to you in my firstborn's stead. Bring peace to her, please." The man looks down. His face twists. He forces a smile and gestures to the other sailors behind them.

"I told these brave men of this journey, but I believe they should hear the deal from you. They want to serve the country but they are still young... Indeed, the other 9 sailors here do look young--not one is above twenty--and they look eager. The lady shows them the compass and explains to them what it can do, and they pass it around, all excited. For one man, however, the compass points a different way. He looks to Erus.

"What does the compass mean, that it points elsewhere, to the mainland," he asks. "Why does it point there instead of to this object?"


Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary Quarters
Kyorlin finds himself roused from slumber. It's barely light out, just before dawn. Two of the Huguma brothers greet him. Santon, the one that's a beginning priest, and Ichin, the "ringleader" and one he'd talked with extensively the day previous, are here. Ichin speaks up, "Lord Magistrate, you asked to be woken up when the meeting could be arranged. Santon, my younger brother, has a training with a Shaman today. Perhaps you'd like to speak with him then?"
Santon nods.

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - somewhere near the docks

Orusc has long since left Donovan, and the Drowned has spent much of the night here among the waves and the tide. Water is life to him. Three men in a fishing trawler drift close to Donovan.

"OY! You there! These are the rocks to Lord Yoritomo. Swim to us, and we'll bring you into the city!"

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

I do not recall to be awoken, just for a meeting to be arranged.

If you will do so speak so i may get on with my preparations.

[Anachronity]

The offer snaps Donovan out of his ponderings. He moves towards them a bit haltingly at first before remembering to try to approximate the motion of a living thing. He reaches the small vessel more slowly than he could have, and breathes a relieved sigh from his stale lungs as he drags himself aboard.

"Much obliged... I was brought here by a water spirit. I think it wished to show me something, though I am unsure what."

Spoiler: Bluff

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(1d20+4)[7]

[Tjallen]

Smiling as he recognize the man, Erus inclines his head at the men as he accepts the price.

As the woman compares him to a mere animal, Erus freezes as his smile turns into a frown. He delicately sets down the apple he was halfway through and as it meets the table it makes a slight clinking sound, having been crystallized. He ignores the apple, now more art and ice than fruit as he addresses the lady, a short second from binding her life to the well-being of the lily, but instead shakes his head and smiles:
"Your friend is a blithering fool, but even fools can recognize their betters."
Pausing for a second he does a short wave with his hand as if telling the world to get on with it before continuing:
"Very well, I will accept something of equal or greater value. Do think carefully, but quickly of what you will offer me."

Turning back to the captain with a much less predatory smile gracing his features, Erus listens intently and thinks carefully before answering delicately:
"You are a man of honor, you have dealt truthfully with me, keeping to the spirit of my word instead of the letter. Your honor does you well and I would not stain it with such a base act as taking more from you and your wife. While peace is not what I deal in, my sister Poppy does. She will pass through Dansai soon enough, Otsune can expect a visit before the moon wanes once again." He bows his head in respect to the old man, a serious and solemn expression in place before he too smiles again, in no way forced.

Addressing the young men, Erus explains warmly:
"The compass is a delicate thing, it is fueled by purity of purpose and nature, hence the flower. It points towards the ship, Amagimaru, to lead is it's purpose and it's destiny. That it points elsewhere simply means that the ship is not what you truly seek. It does not mean it is not the right way, for fate is a twisted path at best. As for the price, I simply require the name of your firstborn child. If you never have children, I require nothing."

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - somewhere near the docks
The sailors mutter about strange times as they bring Donovan in. "So, what else can we do for you, good man? We're headed to port to offload some fish we caught this morning, and sell to the soldiers' supplies. Lots of shrimp, see?"

They show Donovan what must be seventy pounds of (fresh) shrimp, and a slight magical aura around them; Necromancy that seems to help them remain fresh.


Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary quarters.
"Without a time, magistrate such an appointment would be pointless...how about this afternoon, after lunch?


Kyuden Gotei SW - Maiden's Tickle
The woman nods and pulls out a ledger, with a list of over 150 names. "This list of 167 people has the name of every woman in the city forced into sexual slavery. Their lives are miserable, and beyond hope for change in this kingdom's system. Their names are all yours; you may have your...agents collect them, as they will be glad for a change of living situation. I hope this will suffice?"

The man nods in understanding. "[COLOR="#A52A2A"]The nine other young men here I've told may make their decision once they hear the price of your exchange.[/COLOR.]" When Erus explains his proposal and the price, eight of the other young men agree--they will give the name of their firstborns, when they have them, to Erus--and add their own names to a ledger produced by the old man. One young man shakes his head. "My firstborn is a lowly boy, fit only to be a spearman. I will give the name of my secondborn: She is an honorable girl, intelligent, but faint of heart. A change of location would suit her well. I hope this will satisfy."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Clearly not a morning person-Fine, where will the meeting take place? having second thoughts about this meeting but not wanting to draw attention to himself goes along with the original plan.

[Tjallen]

"The name and body of a dozen dozens women enslaved? In exchange for the name of the unborn, this will do." The fey nods as he accepts the book, a small, unseen, spark jumps from the book and to the woman's hand.

Accepting the word of the eight, Erus looks at the ninth and nods: "This is acceptable, great things await."

Happy with the fact that he was offered a small army and the right to shadow the girl away, even if unintentional, he decides to widen the opening for his story:
"Should you ever find yourself desiring a meeting, a flower pristine or preserved by the pure will beckon with your intent."

As he finishes with the offer, carried almost unheard to every reaches of the inn, causing a shiver as the words digs into the cold reaches of memory, Erus walks off to meet with the magistrate.

[~Corvus~]

Santon and Ichin share a look; clearly mornings were not for Kyorlin. "We will set the meeting for after lunchtime at Tenshukaku, in the gardens...We could also do dusk, if that fits better for your needs."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

A genuine look of relief crosses his face, Thank you, dusk would be great. Can you have them bring me my morning meal soon? he bids them farewell and closes the door.

Beginning to contemplate his soulmelds, binds, and maneuvers for the day.

[Anachronity]

"To the port will do." He responds simply.

It would be easy to drown them on the open water... But with no certainty that such an endeavor would be more successful than those prior, Donovan merely ponders the sea's placid surface. If he focused he could try to speak like the living, move like the living. But...

After seconds more of silence and pondering, Donovan abruptly asks: "When you look into the water... into the ocean's expanse. What do you see?"

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - to the docks
Donovan opens up pleasant conversation about the depths of the ocean. One man smiles. "Ah, my sister is a pearl-diver in southern Gotei. She and I grew up exploring its depths and its dangers. We saw many wonders in the ocean, but the beauty of diving is that every time is both a wonder and a danger, and different. As I look into the ocean I think of my younger life, and our reciprocal connection to the merchants that brought my home town the means to peaceful solitude and a healthy life. The ocean's wisdom and its slow, deliberate ways have given many generations a quiet and peaceful means."

The other sailor nods. "Certainly! I have been a fisherman all my life, and taught Kohei here everything I know. The ocean has both life and wisdom for us all. Its creatures give great sustenance because they must struggle to survive. When I look into the ocean's expanse, I see the greatness of my life and all my ancestors. We're all great because of the life-giving and challenge of the ocean."

It takes about ten minutes for the men to make their way to port. Still, they seem al the better for their ponderings, and they both thank Donovan for his prompt and appeal to introspection. As they begin to make deals with those trading the shrimps, the older man gives Donovan a decent-sized cup of shrimp, with a little ice. "Take this and enjoy while they're fresh!"


Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary quarters
Erus makes his way to the Dignitary quarters, where he's given tea while he waits for Kyorlin to prepare for the day. His tea pot has Lavendar and honey-myrtle mixed with white tea, and he's given two bowls to accompany his drink, one with white rice, and another with fermented beans and seared salmon. Together, the three combine to form a surprisingly better breakfast blend than the flavors might be separately.

Kyuden Gotei SW - Tenshukaku gardens
Huguma Santon, third of the Huguma brothers, flinches in his trance. That's it, Huguma, his teacher says in a soothing voice. What do you feel?
"I--I feel something greater, like a memory, a HUGE memory and I can't--"
Open yourself to it. Don't contain it. Experience it fully, so the spirit will be soothed.

[Auranghzeb]

Gensui found herself disoriented. Most of her possessions had vanished. She still felt the exhilarating sensation of near death. The demon's anger at her request had been a sight of beauty.

Gensui chuckled. She lived. And more importantly, she had been re-born. Somehow she felt more connected to her real nature.

She collected the few objects the demon's anger had spared. And that mysterious rod it had left. She would have time to identify it later.

Aimlessly, she walked through the narrow streets. Giggling and savoring her new existence. She liked everything, except for the claws.

Oh! But she could hide them away with a mere thought.

The streets were empty, no living being around.

A thought crossed her mind: she was no longer living.

Something pulled her to the Tenshukaku gardens, an impulse, a calling.


As she approached the Tenshukaku gardens, she saw two men.

I'm hungry. This hunger would not stop.

She took out the small sake container and walked inside the gardens humming a song.

[~Corvus~]

The rod is still hot, and it sears the Incarnate's hands as she grips it. She's awake and alive. What appears to be a long street is really a rail-less bridge (over water, of course) to this city's Tenshukaku, its capitol building. The early-morning sunlight glimmers on the water. She stops to examine her state, teases her hair and feels her form. She shifts unwanted claws into elegant nails that speak of elevation and status. Though disguised, they'd be no less deadly.

The sunrise gives a literal dawn to her arrival. As she drinks the small amount of saké left at a small cairn at the end of the bridge, Koyo finds herself looking at a middle-aged woman speaking to a young man.

Kyuden Gotei SW - Tenshukaku gardens
The young man's eyes are closed. Suddenly Koyo's mind floods, too, with the full memory of the ritual she'd both planned, enacted, and escaped the conclusion of.

[Anachronity]

As a simple benefactor, then, not unlike the forest and its game or the dirt from which crops grow.
Donovan found himself trying to emulate that mindset. He knew long ago, when he had been averse to honest work, he'd held a similar viewpoint: he'd noticed only its still beauty on calm nights at sea. It was hard to recall those thoughts, since he'd been so lost he had honestly not thought much on it at all.

But how, from such a viewpoint, could one hope to discover the serenity, its gentle and all-encompassing significance, without having personally seen it, felt it? How, with the deafening distractions of a beating heart and billowing lungs? For even the most forlorn and sea-longing sort he had found had ultimately not wished to sacrifice his life for a promise. He'd chosen to fight rather than to hear.

He regards the cup, then after a thoughtful pause offers a reply.
"It's strange... how closely one may see something and yet never consider it..."

"When next you should find yourself beneath the water...
Delay your lungs' needs. Where distance fades to blue murk, look past that veil. See beyond...
And try to listen,
and to feel beyond that veil.
And learn what it hides."

The abnormally loquacious undead falls silent, then offers a bow to the elder of the two.
"Your generosity is appreciated."

He turns to depart, hoping to return the amulet to Kyorlin before any of the misfortunes which the unsettling being had described could visit him.

[Auranghzeb]

Koyo's memories of the night before invaded her.



This was the first time for her. She usually lured men and had them kill each other for fun. She had killed a few herself. Well, more than a few. There was that wako pirate's crew in that floating brothel in the southern sea. All thirty-six of them died with a smile. Oh, she had had a feast on their essentia. Even kept the first officer as a zombie for a while.
There was that time she found those gaijin priests lost amidst the mountain valleys.

But she had never taken the lives of children.

They had something about them that prevented her from damaging them.

Koyo drank more than usual and had them drink quite a bit.

This was necessary.

She lined the still-warm bodies against the damp wall of the cave as she chanted the incantation from the scroll.

The essentia flowed towards the necrocarnum charged dagger in her hand. She stabbed herself several times.

The seven children opened their empty eyes and stared at her.

Koyo was scared, terrified to the bones as she slowly bled into unconsciousness. Since she wasn't a full-blooded succubus, the risk of failure was high.

In the darkness of near-death, the entity manifested, first as a cloud of red anger, then as a fully formed Balor. The creature inspected the room. Koyo, still Koyo, felt the fetid breath of the creature in her face.
The voice came from inside her skull.
"Why do you bother me, Sen'yo? It is not typical of your kind to do this offering. Don't you have any petty peasants to drown? Tell me"

Koyo answered with a gasp, "I am one of your line, father, I called you to claim what is mine."

The Balor eyes narrowed and his sight pierced Koyo's memory like a sunbeam lits a clear pond, he saw a nymph, centuries ago, and himself.

"Ah! So they let you live?"

Koyo answered.

"Yes, father. And now I want to be whole. The life of the Sen'yo. The Nymphs is not for me. I pulsate with something else."

The Balor inspected the open-eyed bodies.

"Your offering pleases me. What is it that you want"

"To be a mock to the goddess and to all my lesser half is. To roam this land and inflict pain, to trick souls and grow in power. I want you to make me a Lilitu"

The Balor laughter boomed through the cave. A burst of laughter filled with anger. Koyo felt her near-death body shook with something similar to arousal.

"The weakling halfbreed wants to be a Lilitu"

The Balor raged.

"Hell forsaken fairies. You don't even grasp how stupid your request is. But I find it amusing. ****, Go on. Walk this path if you have the guts. I'll have your soul one way or another.
However, it shall cost you even more. You shall change your name and grow in decay and lust for death until there's no doubt you are ready. You'll have 300 moons to grow as a real Demon.

"When those moons have passed, You'll perform the same offering you did today, whether you are ready or not. If you are, I shall make you a Lilitu and call you daughter. If you are not ready, I'll keep your soul in eternal slavery. "

He approached Koyo's dying face.

"And you'll regret this day."

_____

Koyo's senses came back to the woman and the young man in the garden.
She addressed them:

"How can you see that?"

[~Corvus~]

Kyuden Gotei SW - Dignitary quarters
As Erus receives food and tea downstairs, so, too, does Kyorlin, but the only notice he's given of its arrival are the scents that eventually waft into his room. The servants have left him a platter of delicaciesto enjoy: dried plums and brined cucumbers; a fine cut of salmon, still cool; warm miso with seaweed on the side; fluffy rice with black sesame seeds. His tea is a blend of fine peppermint and matcha, mixed and made into a perfectly balanced pot. The platter has been there for a little while, but in his preparations he'd somehow missed the sounds of the servant leaving them to him.

Donovan reaches the quarters to see Erus there; the servants, unsurprised to see him and his scent of the ocean--despite his dryness--instead offer him a change of blue robes with many white-crested waves on them.

Kyuden Gotei SW - Tenshukaku Gardens
Koyo stares at a youth with sweat dripping from his brow. His instructor, and elderly lady with a stoop in her back as great as her age, appraises the young man and chides him, "There are many spirits that have felt pain, or feel it, and you must allow them to tell you of the past and not be moved by it. This is the path to your growth, Huguma.

"How can you see that?"

The lady looks to see the creature in front of her and she steps back a foot from shock. She puts a hand to her chest, and says, "Goodness! This...is a lesson for this priest, here. You are in our sacred space, here... she points to the garden, and even at a thin space of the walkway, where there's a faint and strangely-arrayed symbol structure traced with sand. She continues, "This is meant to catch the spirits and their memories. That memory is far away, far from here, from another time. Sometimes, those sensitive to memories get placed in them, too. We see ourselves in them, and it is the job of a shaman or a priest to separate those memories. Although you... the old woman pauses to consider what she could say before continuing, "You must be here for another purpose. I suppose if you mean us no harm, I won't tell... she gives Koyo a wink.