Session Report: 14 January 2022

The Grasping Flood

General Summary

In this session of Tsuwamono, the following events transpired:

Incident Report: OI8-1

412:01–412:12 LET

Caves of Life

Historical Entry: Incident Report: OI8-1

 

Incident Report: OI8-1

Earth Date: 16 November 1559   Start Time: 412:01 LET   End Time: 412:12 LET   Submitted by: Askaenos, Servant of Mēn   Filed by: Sūra Anāhīta, Aspect of Mēn   Event log as follows:   --------   (412:01): Hashinara Yoshiyuki retrieves robe, reverts from The Scavenger to original form   (412:01): OI6: Star Shambler focuses attention on User: Oyama Hikari   (412:01): Ryūzaki Sanosuke strikes OI6 with blunt force sufficient to kill it instantly. OI6 vanishes from view.   (412:03): Hashinara Yoshiyuki, Ryūzaki Sanosuke, Matsumoto Ooawagaeri, OI7: Zvonimira, and User: Oyama Hikari (henceforth: the Party) regroup and proceed to proposed location of OI8: Guardian.   (412:05): Party arrives at proposed location, confirms presence of OI8. User: Oyama Hikari asked to remain behind in more secure location. OI7 remarks that OI8 is not as expected. Posits that another creature has devoured the original Guardian and OI9: Cure with it. OI8 redesignated from "Guardian" to "Blooming Abomination."   (412:06): Party chooses to retreat and regroup. Hashinara Yoshiyuki channels magical energy from OI7 and proceeds to experiment with spellcasting. No magical transmutation observed. Yoshiyuki prepares several spells before regrouping with Party and returning to OI8's lair.   (412:07): Party takes up position out of OI8's sight. Ryūzaki Sanosuke observed—error: not observed—to benefit from a spell of concealment and vanish from sensors.   (412:08): Yoshiyuki presents self to OI8, drawing its attention. Releases a prepared spell. Bonds of manifest darkness attempt to ensnare creature, but fail. Second spell released is observed to transmute into a psychic matrix upon contact with OI8. No additional effects noted. Assessment: direct magical interference ineffective.   (412:08): Ryūzaki Sanosuke appears behind creature, punches through its back and out chest. Assessment: fatal blow. Error: OI8 does not die. Multiple limbs observed clawing through the created wound.   (412:08): Sanosuke follows with two more strikes. Assessment: ineffective except in the creation of more limbs. OI-8's skin is damaged enough to fall off, releasing—error: cannot identify quantity—limbs into chamber.   (412:08): Sanosuke reaches into pile of limbs. Hands grab on, pull him in, begin to—error: temporal anomaly detected—hands attempt to grab on but cannot match Sanosuke's speed. OI9: Cure identified in Sanosuke's hand. Assessment: objective completed.   (412:09): OI8 limbs observed to multiply at an unchecked rate. Chamber begins to fill. Sanosuke orders a retreat. Assessment: concur. Further assessment: Ryūzaki Sanosuke's physical condition is rapidly deteriorating: extreme fatigue, temporal rupture detected.   (412:09): Party evacuates the area. Collects User: Oyama Hikari and OI3: Void Mirror. Matsumoto Ooawagaeri enacts emergency containment with magically-manipulated wall of water. Party begins to move rapidly toward proposed extraction point.   (412:10): Cave walls begin to rumble. Sound of crashing water detected in OI8's containment chamber. Assessment: emergency containment has failed.   (412:11): Party arrives at proposed extraction point—error: cannot identify quantity—limbs begin spilling from nearby pipe. Party produces unknown items. Observed to be similar in shape to corvus skulls. Unknown spatial effect begins. Assessment: OI8 limbs too close, mission failure.   (412:12): Party arrives safely in unknown location. Analysis of underlying magical energy suggests somewhere in the Dreamlands. Other individuals are observed outside waiting. Assessment: allies. Threat level: low. Proposal: Register for future—   Error. Error. ERROR. ERROR.   L2 Entity detected. Threat level: Imperial. Emergency report submitted to Sūra Anāhīta per standing procedure. Awaiting further instructions.
The Mystery of Mount Myōjin: On Stage / Act 1

1559年11月16日 20:00 (Evening)

Utsunomiya

Historical Entry: The Mystery of Mount Myōjin: On Stage / Act 1

 

明方 新聞

Akegata Shinbun

The Mystery of Mount Myōjin: On Stage


Arts and Culture

Every good newspaper needs an Arts and Culture section. So, I've asked the playwrights in Wakigami to convert this story to fit the stage! It's not just any story, either. Every word of this is exactly as it happened to our good friend, Daimyō Aotsuki Tsukamoto. It's both culture, and news! Aren't I brilliant?   So sit back, enjoy, and maybe one day you'll even see this acted out by Okuni and her troupe.

The Mystery of Mount Myojin

A Terror in Three* Acts


Cast of Characters

  AOTSUKI TSUKAMOTO: 19 years old, a young Daimyō, Champion of Amaterasu   THE SHEELE: KAGAMI, TAMA, and TSURUGI, aspects of AOTSUKI's soul housed within the Three Sacred Treasures and granted sentience   THE SHIROKURODAN   TANNA: 201 years old, a crab-type Kappa, leader of the SHIROKURODAN   KAGGA: 323 years old, a snake-type Kappa, occult specialist in the SHIROKURODAN   SECOND MATE RYŪJI: 30 years old, an ex-pirate, muscle in the SHIROKURODAN   SUGIHARA HIDEMITSU: 19 years old, a devotee of Amaterasu, counselor in the SHIROKURODAN   THE VILLAGERS   ISHII FUSAHARU: 42 years old, a priest of Amaterasu serving Utsunomiya   JUN-JII: 79 years old, a prune-faced old man, well-respected in Utsunomiya   MOMOSE NAO: 16 years old, a boy traumatized by his sister's death, known for causing trouble in Utsunomiya   THE MONSTER   DODOMEKI: Unknown age, an accursed yōkai with a hundred eyes terrorizing Utsunomiya

Place

Utsunomiya, a village at the base of Mount Myōjin  

Time

Sunset, Late Fall

Musical Numbers

  THE GRAVEYARD BOY — Jun-jii & Ishii Fusaharu

ACT 1

SCENE 1

  Setting: Outskirts of Utsunomiya. The sun is setting, the ground is barren, the town is empty. Homes have their doors securely shut and barred. Mount Myōjin is silhouetted in the background.   At Rise: AOTSUKI, the SHEELE, and the SHIROKURODAN walk in from stage left and examine their surroundings warily.  
KAGGA (gesturing at the locked doors)
These people live in fear.  
AOTSUKI
You speak the truth, Kagga. Sparse are the threats that couldst make a village shutter itself under lock and key in such a way. But hark! A tea house. Let us see if they shall grant us shelter from this biting wind.   —(KAGAMI kicks the ground and tugs on AOTSUKI's hakama)  
KAGAMI
Aotsuki-sa-ma... The ground here is too dry. Shouldn't it be grassier?  
AOTSUKI (after taking a moment to ponder)
Perhaps, yet perhaps not. Should this be a road that many peasants travel, it may not be so unusual.
—(Looking into KAGAMI's mirror)
By the holy sun! The ground here is cursed! Behold, a pale miasma dost waft off the ground even where we stand.  
KAGGA
The land is cursed. Hm... That will not bode well for the villagers here.  
AOTSUKI
We shall call upon our allies at the temple to deal with this unholy miasma later. For now, we must away to the teahouse.   —(All proceed stage right. Aotsuki knocks on the door of the teahouse.)  
JUN-JII (muffled, behind the door)
Go away, fiend! Leave us be! Take someone else!  
AOTSUKI
Fiend I am not, dear sir, but a servant of Amaterasu here to lay your worries to rest. She hast heard thy prayers, and has sent me in answer. Should ye fear me, then let us speak through the portal. Directions are yet all I seek.  
JUN-JII
Prove who you are. The fiend can mimic human voices. After that, we can talk.  
AOTSUKI
How best to assure you of the truth? Shall I display the Three Sacred Treasures for thee to behold? Or dost this fiend possess the power to speak in two voices at once?   —(Muffled argument behind door. It opens slowly.)  
JUN-JII (peering out)
Then that means... Are you really Lord Aotsuki Tsukamoto?  
AOTSUKI
Indeed I am, and you have my deepest apologies that thy village hast been so long overlooked. We shall join you within, that you might secure the door 'gainst the night once more.  
FUSAHARU (opening the door fully)
Let them in. Can't you see that this is the help we've been praying for?   —(All exit stage right through door)  
CURTAIN

SCENE 2

  Setting: Int. Teahouse. Old but clean furniture set about. In back, a faded red curtain hides the rest of set.   At Rise: AOTSUKI, the SHEELE, the SHIROKURODAN, JUN-JII, and FUSAHARU stand cramped together in the small room.  
AOTSUKI
As the Lord Daimyō, I extend my greatest thanks in recognition of thy hospitality. We have been sent from above to help, and yet do not know wheremst to begin. Perchance a clue: our scouts learned that someone has been visiting the graveyard.  
JUN-JII
At the graveyard? That would be Nao. That boy, always sneaking around... Nao! Get out here, now!   —(Curtain in back twitches)  
AOTSUKI
Is all in order ere beyond?  
FUSAHARU
Nao is my apprentice at the shrine. He's not a bad child but...impulsive. Rebellious.  
JUN-JII
What is going on back there, Nao?!   —(Crashes and clatters from behind curtain)  
AOTSUKI
Mine eyes do not deceive me. 'Tis not Nao, but a fiend of the gravest caliber which does lurk behind this veil.
—(Striding to the curtain)
No secret may hide from the light of Amaterasu!   —(Curtain pulled to the side. Behind is messy kitchen. MONO-CHAN, a CAT, bolts out and exits stage right.)  
AOTSUKI
The mercy of light is with you this day, creature. Flee and be safe. Now, explain to me why this Nao, this boy, ist visiting the graveyard so late at night.  
FUSAHARU
His sister passed away last year. He's never gotten over it.   —(Song: "THE GRAVEYARD BOY")  
JUN-JII
So as you see, there's no mystery about where you'll find him. Just go to the graveyard. But I ain't coming with you, and neither is Ishii.  
FUSAHARU
I'm afraid Jun-jii is right.  
AOTSUKI
Then I thank you again for your hospitality. My comrades and I shalt seek out the Graveyard Boy on our own. Lock your doors and guard yourselves well ere my return.  
CURTAIN

SCENE 3

  Setting: A road surrounded by dead trees. An aged torii gate stands stage right. Stage left, a graveyard with Mount Myōjin visible in background.   At Rise: AOTSUKI, the SHEELE, and the SHIROKURODAN arrive stage right through the gate.  
AOTSUKI
There lies the graveyard we seek. Our journey nears its end. Or is it only beginning? For under the moonlight I see a figure too vast to be our young Nao. Hast some other come to pay their respects, or might this be the fiend we seek? Show thyself in the light of Amaterasu's mercy!   —(DODOMEKI enters stage left)  
CURTAIN
END OF ACT 1
Attn: Hell

1559年11月16日 20:00 (Evening)

Ago Manor

Historical Entry: Attn: Hell

 

Our Lady of Serpents, Mistress of Vengeance, the Adversary, Greetings,

  Your servant on Earth bid you well. For your consideration, I submit my regular report on Knight Commander Maxim and his progress in achieving your ends in Japan.   I should address, first, that my last report was delayed. I died, or nearly did so, at the hands of a creature the humans call a Kamui. The gods of the land here in Japan are substantially different from those which oppose you directly, but they are still powers to be reckoned with even for an Archdemon like myself.   Curiously, it was Maxim who saved me. I would have expected him to take the opportunity to cut his ties with me and throw off the yoke. He did not, and I recognize this as a sign of his devotion. To be forced to retrieve me from Gehenna once more would be a significant setback.   Lest you worry, I have not allowed myself to grow fond of this human, Maxim. My heart burns, but only with the desire to enact vengeance on all those who have wronged another. Our relationship is merely one of business. What good would I, the great White Lion, draw from friendship with a human, anyway? No, it's nothing you need concern yourself with. Most certainly nothing at all.   On to the events of the day. I busied myself with preparations and recouping my energy after the defeat. I do not know how Maxim spent his time, so confronted him after sunset to demand he report his actions. En route to his chambers, I spied a lurking creature with gray skin and four arms. A demon of Envy? Yet with four arms, rather than six. Curious. What's worse, Maxim was aware of the thing's presence. He willingly allowed it into his place of power.   At first I could not believe he could make such a blunder. Certainly, we both know that Maxim is not the greatest mind in the mortal world, but I had not taken him as stupid. It was then that his plan began to reveal itself to me. Yes, inviting in an Envy demon was a calculated step. No doubt she would steal something of great importance from The Wolfpack, this little organization Maxim believes he leads. Then, we would have ample reason and opportunity to deliver revenge most sweet. Simple entrapment, but more than I had expected from this human.   What's more, he continued to impress me. Though I had taken Maxim for idle, dabbling in meaningless affairs of the Hashinara Clan and traipsing around the ports, it seems he has been placing groundwork of his own. He assured me that all was in place to enact one of the most valuable vengeances written in his contract. We would embark to do so this very night. I will not write which target we seek, lest this missive somehow be intercepted. However, I have no doubt that you will be pleased with the result.   Unless, that is, Maxim gets himself killed for a second time. I wonder if he knows just what he is challenging. Not that I have even an ounce of concern for this lowly human. Should he die, the punishments you levy upon him will bring me as great a joy as seeing him succeed.   I will report again tomorrow with the results. Provided we are not delayed by this "ship from Albion" sighted in the harbor. I hope that Maxim continues to impress and is not drawn away, like a child, to the newest shiny thing.   Signed in blood and flame,
Duchess of Wrath Haures

Rewards Granted

Missions/Quests Completed

  • Omoikane Champion Call: The Caves of Life


Cover image: ホシガリ by matsutomogiga
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