Session Report: 28 May 2021
Dawn is Near
General Summary
In this session of Tsuwamono, the following events transpired:
Endō's Moving Castle1559年11月16日 Introduction (Night)
Ago
Historical Entry: Endō's Moving Castle
Maxim nearly reached the front door of Ago Manor before the next disturbance happened. His gauntleted hand landed on the wood. Before he could pull it open, a resounding crash thundered through the air all around him. That sounded like it had come from somewhere in the woods beyond the manor. What's worse, he could hear someone shouting in the distance—screaming for help. With thoughts, perhaps, of a night which never seemed to end, Maxim stepped around the manor and bounded off into the trees. For a time, there was nothing but the stampeding sound coming from somewhere ahead. That is, until the black knight's shockingly sprightly step brought him soon out of the tree line and into a broad clearing on the other side. Under the setting moon, with dawn creeping golden tendrils across the grassy field, Maxim beheld a bizarre sight. An entire castle, foundation, walls, peaked roof and all, was being carried at speed through the space by a red, stony-skinned giant. The creature was pursued by a girl whose white hair seemed almost ghostly in the pale light. Although faster than her size might suggest, she was no match for the long strides of the spiny earthen giant. From the girl's repeated cries for help, only one conclusion could be drawn: Maxim had somehow walked in on a full-castle mugging. The Wolfpack may have its flaws, but a tendency to inaction was not one of them. As soon as Maxim had taken in the full situation, he was off, scooping the white-haired, and now he saw, beast-eared girl into his arms as he took up the chase. His new passenger didn't complain, instead accepting the sudden aid with only a yip. The giant was fast, long legs giving it a titanic stride that would be impossible for any human to match. Fortunately, Maxim had surpassed his own humanity some time ago. His legs pumped and shoulders pushed forward as he began to gain on his quarry. The approaching black-shelled thing hadn't escaped the castle-thief's attention, however. The oni—for it must have been an oni, if an extraordinary specimen—reached out with one stony arm and pulled a nearby tree down behind it. That same trunk crashed into the ground directly in Maxim's path. He'd lose too much time going around. It was not a short tree, after all, but also not particularly broad. Perhaps he could jump over it? As the obstacle rapidly approached, Maxim realized that there was no more time to deliberate. He ducked his shoulder, using his body to cover his passenger as he plowed through the wood without slowing down. A crack that must have woken all of Ago sounded as bark and branches parted before Maxim's mighty charge. Perhaps there was puzzlement or disbelief on the giant's face as it glanced back once again. It was hard to make out a real face within those craggy features. It was obvious now, at least, that a simple tree wasn't going to slow its pursuer down. Shifting the weight of the castle on its shoulders, the stony oni shook its barb-covered shoulders. A barrage of little boulder-like creatures, each as spiny as its father, poured down off the giant's back. They spun and tumbled through the air, many off-course, but enough heading straight at Maxim to be a problem. This, at least, was an easier challenge to deal with. Maxim had plenty of experience dealing with rains of arrows from the enemy. What made this any different? Shifting his passenger to one arm, Maxim drew forth his lion-crested shield. With the aegis held aloft in front of him, he weathered the storm of tiny, cursing pebbles. A few passed his guard, but pinged harmlessly off his armor to stick in the ground and be left behind. None touched the girl in his arms, and he had not slowed. Maxim pushed forward. His prey wasn't far now, just a few feet away. Like a driven hound, he was nipping at the heels of the giant. Even Maxim was not prepared, however, for the creature to turn around and throw the castle down at him. It's remarkably difficult to come up with a plan when a thousand tons of defensive fortification is falling down on your head. Maxim reacted on instinct instead. He dropped the girl to the ground, where she landed with a light bark, then reached his gauntlets up to catch the castle. He might as well have tried to lift Ōmukade. The structure crashed down, driving Maxim into a crater in the ground underneath it and filling the small area with a miasma of dust and dirt. He'd been almost strong enough, it seemed, but the ground had not. The girl was safe at least, and Maxim didn't seem to be injured. There might not be a lot of air in here, though, and the dust was choking and cloying. He had to get them out. Lifting the castle didn't seem like a good idea, so Maxim did something even less effective: he punched the side of the crater. Like a piston, the knight's gauntlet drove through the earth, but left only a fist-sized hole in the rock leading nowhere. As both he and his former passenger stared at the dirt-caked gauntlet for a moment, light suddenly streamed in from above. The giant had lifted up the castle by its side. Its craggy eyes peered about, trying to find what had happened to the two little creatures beneath. At this angle, it hadn't seemed to have noticed the crater yet. Maxim had an opportunity. He jumped out, girl in his arms once again, and dashed to the side of the castle. Remembering the technique his master had taught him, he harnessed his ki, took control of the very air around him, and drove a blade of cutting wind into the giant's exposed eyes. Those craggy features squinted, then blinked, but showed no sign of injury. It stood and dropped the castle to the ground once again. Neither Maxim nor the giant were prepared for what happened next. What had seemed from a distance to be shingles and stone opened wide, revealing rows of wickedly-sharp teeth. The castle itself roared and bit down on the great oni's flank. Matching the sound with a shout of pain and rage, the giant swung back, slamming a tree into the castle's side. Both titanic creatures seemed to be more or less made of stone, but it was obvious even to Maxim that the castle was winning. ...Somehow. For the first time, the girl Maxim thought he'd been saving spoke. She wanted her rescuer to stop the fight before "he" got hurt. Maxim squinted. She seemed to mean the castle. Even though it was winning. Even though it was a castle. With a roll of his shoulder, Maxim set the girl down and walked calmly into the fray. For a moment, the two giants stopped their brawl long enough to look down at the black-armored figure below them. Then, Maxim spoke. If the giant oni left now, he offered, it'd get to keep its life. They were simple words, but something about Maxim's tone, or the look in his eye, or perhaps the way he'd run faster than a horse and survived having a castle dropped on his head, convinced the giant. With one last look at the castle, it turned and sprinted away. Maxim didn't pursue, and neither did the castle-monster. Instead, they eyed each other with mutual distrust. Allies they were for the moment, but the tension in the air didn't quite subside. Their exchanged glare was broken as the girl ran forward, delighted in the rescue, with her arms open wide for a hug. Maxim wasn't sure how to react for a moment, but the issue resolved itself as she sprang right past him and hugged the foundation of the castle instead. If it was a castle. Maxim asked, and was assured that it was. Gujō Hachiman Castle, to be exact, and the girl introduced herself as Endō Shiromaro, its caretaker. They'd been traveling for a long time, ever since Gujō Hachiman had become a yōkai, looking for a place to settle down for a time. Man-eating castles were not welcome most places. That was not entirely a surprise. When Maxim revealed that he was the lord of this land, however, the rest seemed to fall into place. He needed a castle, after all. Maybe not this one, but it could stay anyway. As the lord of the province, he'd be the lord of Gujō Hachiman Castle as well. That opened up some possibilities. These two would be interesting to have around, perhaps even useful, and maybe not too dangerous. If he was being truthful with himself, Maxim also had a bit of a soft spot for misfits. He'd collected more than a few in his time in Japan, and this strange pair certainly seemed to fit the bill. He set about making the arrangements, getting Gujō Hachiman a plot of land to call its own—somewhere far from Ago and its people, of course.1559年11月16日 05:00 (Night)
Ōtsu Castle
Historical Entry: The Problem with Parallel Paths
Now that his newest guest had been settled in, Lord Aotsuki Tsukamoto opted to use what remained of the night to meet with his wife. Their shared chambers seemed slept in, but were empty when he arrived at them. Curious, Aotsuki followed a low sound and soft light down the halls to Ōtsu Castle's main meeting chamber. His wife was inside. Aotsuki could hear Tokku-hime's voice, but he wasn't able to place just who she was speaking to. He could have stood outside the door and eavesdropped, but what kind of husband and lord would do that in his own castle? Aotsuki slid the door and stepped inside. Of all the companions for his wife to be entertaining, Aotsuki hadn't expected to see Tokisaki Hikaru sitting within. The chipper priestess' identity was a bit of an open secret. Still, she had obviously snuck down here from Takamagahara against Izanagi-no-Mikoto's wishes, so Aotsuki took the prudent path and did not openly acknowledge the divinity in his midst. His Sheele were less subtle. Kagami, Tama, and Tsurugi all gathered happily around Hikaru. They were obviously comfortable and content, as though reuniting with a beloved old relative. That probably wasn't far from the truth of the matter, in fact. Aotsuki politely greeted his wife and unexpected visitor. He filled them in on his strange experience of the morning so far, and how he'd managed to catch a bit of sleep at least, if unintentionally. More importantly, he was curious about Hikaru's presence in his castle. She was welcome, of course. Absolutely. But the sun did not simply descend from the heavens for no reason. Indeed, Tokisaki Hikaru had word from Amaterasu, a task for her Champion. There was something happening at Mount Myōjin. Something bad. Aotsuki hadn't heard of the place, although Miwa-myōjin was a bit more known to him. To his surprise, Hikaru didn't recognize that in turn. Perhaps there was a reason that particular temple was hidden deep underground. Regardless, the town of Ustunomiya, in the shadow of Mount Myōjin, was in a crisis. Whatever was bothering them happened at night, away from the eye of the sun, so Amaterasu could not actually pinpoint the problem. It was dire enough that they were praying to the Sun Goddess daily, however. There was a temple there, in Utsunomiya, that would welcome Aotsuki. He agreed, of course, to travel there and look into the matter. It was his duty as Champion, not to mention that he would be driven to lend his aid regardless. Hikaru seemed plenty pleased with that response, then excused herself about as quickly as she'd come. It wouldn't do to remain on Earth, after all. Last time she had braved the Heavenly Bridge like this, the sun almost hadn't come up in the morning. Aotsuki fondly saw her off, then returned to his wife. Matters of the gods were not within her particular expertise, so Tokku-hime had been waiting patiently for Aotsuki to finish his meeting with Hikaru before she spoke again. Before she could, however, her husband surprised her by producing a carefully-wrapped parcel from behind his back. The gift was unexpected, but more concerning to Tokku was the gleaming golden arm that held it. Before pleasure, there was worry in her eyes. This was what Aotsuki had been dreading, at least a bit, but he pushed on bravely. First, he flexed the golden arm, wiggling his digits around to show that it functioned just as well as the real thing. Then, Aotsuki told the tale of how he had come across it. From their departure at Baharna to the battle and the black sun within the Sunken City, he laid it all bare. Tokku listened patiently, and was relieved at least that her husband was safe after such a dangerous experience. Doubts now assuaged, Tokku finally returned to the gift Aotsuki had brought her from the Dreamlands. The princess' eyes glowed as she lifted the glazed vase from the packaging and beheld the beautiful mosaic upon its face. Within his chest, Aotsuki's heart swelled. She obviously loved it. Indeed, Tokku was amazed at just how good of a gift it was. She hadn't known Aotsuki was even aware of her love of pottery. He could hardly have done better, it seemed. As she carefully set it aside, however, there was something ever-so-catching in Tokku's tone. A tinge of regret, or perhaps guilt, wound between her words of thanks. Aotsuki's wife was remorseful, it seemed, that she couldn't do much for him in return. Certainly, she had her work with the Suitengu Society, but that was bureaucracy. It never seemed too vital in the grander scheme of things. At first it seemed as though she was simply bored. Thinking quickly, Aotsuki offered to take her to Ryūgūjō, that castle she had once dreamt of beneath the sea. Tokku was open to the idea, but it wasn't quite what was bothering her. Now, Aotsuki caught what he wished he'd noticed before. His wife was struggling to find a way to really make a difference, to aid him; a true purpose that would bring her more in line with the change her husband was creating in the world. Like a key turning in a lock, Tokku seemed to realize at the same time just what she was pining for. The two were tuned to the same frequency now, and immediately set about figuring out just what Tokku could do to make a difference. Part of the issue, as Aotsuki determined it, was that things were still largely the same as they had been when she had joined him in marriage. Certainly, the Aotsuki Clan and Suitengu Society were bound together now, but both had more or less gone on without overly affecting the other. They were parallel, rather than integrated. He pitched his idea. Perhaps the Society and those in Ōtsu Castle could get used to working with each other more. If they brought some individuals from the Biwa Abyssal Fifteen up to the surface and sent some of their own generals to help out in the lake, it would help to start building a real bond between their two organizations. A bond forged in action, rather than on paper, would be all the stronger for it. Tokku took to the idea immediately. Hesitant though she might be at times, she had a true mind for organization. It wouldn't be entirely without difficulties. Some of the Abyssal Fifteen, like Yajji and Yamma, simply did not work well with others under the best of circumstances. The place to start, she proposed, would be to look at each general's capabilities and break them into groups where they could naturally complement each other. Aotsuki was delighted. He'd just been brainstorming, but to see his wife pick up the idea and run with it, he was sure that he'd hit on something. With an agreement that Aotsuki would be available for questions and edicts as needed, Tokku-hime got to work.1559年11月16日 05:00? (Night)
Queen's Landing
Historical Entry: A Summons to Dream
At the foothold Hashinara Yoshitakatomo had achieved in the Dreamlands, the Princess-Daimyō began to put her* plans into motion. First, she* called upon loyal adviser Tōdaisen Nobuhara and ordered him to send Ashiya Dōman across. The malefic onmyōji was prepared for such an order, and would join Queen's Landing through the portal at Ise Grand Shrine. Then, Yoshitakatomo's thoughts turned to the Black Galleon sitting listless in the waters off Oriab's shore. If that vessel was to be of any use, she* would require a crew. A quick message to Nobuhara had to be canceled, as Yoshitakatomo was reminded that the elders of Baharna had already offered them a crew. She would but need to travel to the port city and request the aid of Phiruna the Navigator. Soon thereafter, Ashiya Dōman stepped through the portal. He took in the sea air, black wraith bodies floating around him. This was far less like actually dreaming than he had expected, but the taste of magic in the air suggested a fertile place for his work. With only a short greeting to Yoshitakatomo, Dōman got to work.Rewards Granted
- +3 total Kuma Commendations
Character(s) interacted with
Created Content
Notes
- Kodama Sosen has joined the Silver Meteor Storm
- Minamoto no Yoshitaka has joined the Hashinara Clan
- New race: Kyūso
Report Date
28 May 2021
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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