Session Report: 6 September 2020
Another Crow Croaks
General Summary
In this session of Tsuwamono, the following events transpired:
Politics on Pentagrams (Part 2)11/14/1559: 23:00 (Evening)
Historical Entry: Politics on Pentagrams (Part 2)
Lord Maxim's initial refusal to go to war on the side of the Takeda surprised Takenaka Hanbei. She voiced as much, suggesting that it was strange he would not want to wage battle against a god, particularly one he had as much to begrudge as Bishamonten. Maxim soon clarified that he would be willing to lend his aid in the coming battle, but it was a risk almost on par with what he had encountered in the Palace of the Firebird. As such, he needed more payment than just honor and good service to make it worth risking his men. In exchange for a large number of souls, quality notwithstanding, he would agree fight both the Uesugi and Izanami. That was a bizarre request, and one which sent ripples throughout the assembled generals. Hashinara Yoshitakatomo pondered for only a moment before suggesting that Maxim could gather all the souls he wished in Yomi. That was a vague promise, but it seemed enough for the Knight Commander, who agreed. Sensing the concern in Yoshitakatomo's words, Maxim offered to share his tale and why he needed the souls, but only in private. The Hashinara Daimyō merely waved the suggestion away, however, uninterested in matters of Gehenna for now. Shigeaki Fujino offered to hear them in her* place, but was rebuffed in turn. From there, the discussion moved on to a strange, lead bottle on Ryūzaki Sanosuke's person. It bore the symbol of a Demon they now knew to be Shax, based on Yoshitakatomo's Gehennan reference sheet. Sanosuke explained that he had obtained it from a scoundrel called "Crow," who had in turn most likely gotten it from a trade with Studiose. Indeed, in Kagami's mirror, the bottle did take on the aspect of a crow. Bedraggled and thin, it glared through the reflection with evil, beady eyes. Both that imagery and Sanosuke's description reminded Aotsuki Tsukamoto of a certain "Karasu" who was still on the run after cheating on some gambling debts in his domain of Inabayama. Telepathically, Saitō Dōsan and Fujino were able to confirm his description, as well as that he had said he'd be on his way to Osaka next. If Aotsuki wanted a chance of catching him in Wakigami, it would likely have to be tonight. They determined to investigate that lead bottle further, but first the Princess-Daimyō wished to raise her* concerns about the Hōjō Clan. They were known to be involved in trafficking Absodium, a metal forged from an alloy of Human souls, inimical to life upon contact. In short, a very dangerous and morally bankrupt metal. Yoshitakatomo had only recently tasked Shibai with investigating their supply lines of the stuff, but, judging by Shigeaki Fujino's immediate and obvious guilty reaction, it seemed another avenue of investigation was open. A few of the generals probed her with questions, but Fujino would only let on that it was a secret. Under her duties as Hashinara Master of Communications, she couldn't just go around telling those. Eventually it was Ryūzaki Sanosuke who offered an explanation, as it was his secret that she had been guarding. Sanosuke had, for some time, been in occasional Fujino-assisted contact with an architect in the Hōjō Clan. One Nanakuma. Judging by the name, she was one of Hōjō Ujiyasu's biological daughters, and so would not yet be as trusted as his adopted children, who all bore the clan name. This meant she might not be as valuable a source of information, but also that it would be less risky to contact her. Sanosuke promised to do just that and see what he could find out about the Absodium business. Indeed, Takenaka Hanbei suggested that Ujiyasu's sheer volume of daughters might be a benefit to the Hashinara. They'd had some success dealing with the girls before, most notably in the capture of the Black Galleon from the Dreamlands off Japan's coast. If they could gather allies on that side, it would make gathering information, or even an eventual confrontation, much easier. Midnight loomed now, but before retiring completely, Sanosuke suggested that they open the Demonseal Bottle. This place wouldn't do, obviously, but Fujino put forth Abe no Seimei's sanctum in the basement of Ōtsu Castle and took them there without delay. The sanctum was empty, but tidy and already well-prepared for summoning, as expected of a professional like Seimei. Aotsuki telepathically explained the situation, and the onmyōji herself arrived not long later. She was a bit frazzled from the unexpected visit to the very heart of her power, but still poised and very interested in what might be held within that bottle. Seimei bid Fujino to put it in the center of the summoning circle and then retreat. After being briefed on the demon's True Name and sigil, she began to chant. With her own great skill, the demon's sigil, and Kagami's binding mirror, Seimei completed the ritual beyond any doubt of success, binding Shax to the circle. When the acrid, salty smoke within that barrier finally coalesced, it was not quite what anyone had been expecting. Shax bore the grey skin and white hair of an Envy demon, but in contrast to Raym's six arms, she only had four. A huge pair of ornamental horns on her headdress provided a roosting place for a flock of ratty crows, each of which was as skinny and sickly-looking as Shax herself. The archdemoness at first laughed in glee at finally being free, only to have her mood nosedive when she realized that she had only moved to a slightly larger prison. Shax, it turned out, possessed a flippant, rude manner and no love for others of her kind. She explained that she was only summoned when the invoker wanted to steal something from an enemy, and give the target a real bad day while they're at it. Reasoning that the reason for her current appearance on Earth must be the same, she offered to steal anything for the mismatched group of generals who had summoned her. Anything to get out of this circle, stretch a bit, and have a bath. The summoners, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo in particular, had no such designs. Shax's offer was tempting, but they needed to learn more about her first. Slumping down to sit on the floor, the demoness proved quite willing to answer their questions, so long as she could pepper insults and complaints within the responses. She had been tasked by someone to steal Solomon's legendary ring, she explained, but had not succeeded. The "King of Demons," whom Shax had a few choice names for, had sealed her up in a bottle and dropped her to the bottom of the ocean. How her prison had gone from there into the possession of Studiose was a complete mystery at the moment. Intrigued by her tale, Yoshitakatomo went on to ask what other kinds of things Shax had managed to steal throughout her career. Particularly, she* was interested in supernatural thefts. The other pondered for a moment, then explained that she'd once stolen a child's laughter. To Yoshitakatomo, this meant torture, but Shax explained that she'd literally taken the child's voice for her master to listen to whenever they wished, leaving the victim mute for the rest of their days. When that didn't seem to impress, Shax went on to reminisce about when she had sneaked into Heaven to steal a seed from the holy garden, burning down much of it in the process. The client for that order, apparently another demon, wasn't nearly grateful enough for Shax's liking. When it became obvious that her summoners didn't know who she was, why they'd summoned her, and barely even knew where they were, Shax suggested that they just let her go. She wouldn't steal anything from them. She promised. Unfortunately for Shax, that didn't seem to fly. Meanwhile, Maxim was growing increasingly bored with the proceedings. Nobody seemed to know what to do with the demon, and he had no interest in furthering his relations with that type. So, he sat upon a reading desk and hailed Abe no Seimei in telepathic communication. The onmyōji had previously suggested that he could have a Sheele of his own, similar to Kagami and Tama who accompanied Aotsuki. He was cautiously interested, and began working out the details of how he'd provide the magical energy. With that in hand, Seimei would charge nothing more for the summoning service. The two already had some deals in place, and Maxim saw this as payment for another service, but Seimei suggested that it would place him in her debt instead. Those details could be worked out later, however. For now, Maxim took twenty-one sheets of mystically treated parchment and promised to fill them with magic for the ritual. Back at the circle, Yoshitakatomo had determined how to move forward. She* declared that Shax would be bound to her* command, and then would be released from the circle. She could operate in the human realm, within Yoshitakatomo's limits, and maybe even get back at Solomon. Otherwise, Shax would have to wait another thousand years for a chance to escape. The demon took only a short time to consider this before agreeing. Yoshitakatomo was no summoner, but she* still possessed ways of placing other creatures under her* control. Mustering a great amount of magic, she* cast Dominate Life on Shax, bending necromantic energy to enslave the demon. Being a demon, an archdemon at that, Shax shrugged the spell off as easily as water passing over a duck's back. She snickered, and asked Yoshitakatomo to try again, which the Princess-Daimyō did. Again, Shax resisted, claiming that her "soul had slipped" with a sneer. Offering that perhaps the third time would work out, she sat back and waited. This caused Yoshitakatomo to hesitate, but eventually she* did muster energy for a third attempt. This time, for reasons unknown, Shax didn't resist at all. The spell shackled her successfully to Yoshitakatomo's control, and was bound in place by Abe no Seimei. The demon's new container would be the furious mask upon Yoshitakatomo's abdomen, the link between the two keeping Shax's soul frozen just as it was: under the Daimyō's control. Understandably sensing a trap, Yoshitakatomo invited Shax out of the circle, but made sure to test her newfound control. First verbally, then silently, she had the demon go through a variety of foolish motions, such as putting her arms in the air and jumping around like a Kyonshi. Shax, being pretty far from healthy and fit, crashed to the ground at the latter, expressing her acid annoyance at the humiliating display. Yoshitakatomo was still wary for not knowing why Shax had chosen to allow the spell, but this seemed to confirm that the demon was fully under her control. The matter of the Demonseal Bottle had thence been handled. While Sanosuke, the original holder of the bottle, took an almost entirely passive role in events, Yoshitakatomo gained a powerful new ally(?) and perhaps a weapon against the likes of Bishamonten and Solomon.11/14/1559: 23:00 (Evening)
Historical Entry: Alice, Dodo, and Outer God
It was just after their meeting with the exalted Cats of Ulthar, and Alice of Diamonds scooped up Matsumoto Ooawagaeri and set off to return to The Enchanted Wood. Ooawagaeri, who now bore a valued Letter of Reconyandation, was still in the form of a cat. He managed to keep up with the taller Alice by expedient motion of his four little legs. His companion, however, seemed a little miffed that her sword had decided not to remain a sword. Likely she did not feel entirely comfortable without her trusted weapon. The odd, grinning man who had welcomed them to Ulthar was no longer at the bridge leading out of town. Other than that, their return trip was uneventful. Their plan henceforth was simple: somehow find the Cheshire Cat and convince it to lead the two deeper into the Enchanted Wood to where they might find and meet with The Dodo. When they arrived at the forest's edge, Alice wasn't sure how to proceed. Ooawagaeri, perhaps using some feline sixth sense, simply bade her to wait. It was possible that the Forbidden Feline would find them rather than the other way around. Indeed, his prediction proved to be correct. It was not long before a jagged smile distinguished itself from the rest of the forest around it. Following soon after was the cat itself, and Cheshire floated down to the ground, its white fur and black ribbon bouncing jollily as it did so. Alice attempted to speak with the beast, but once again she was rudely shut down as a "Mere Figment." This caused a huff, but she made no complaint when Ooawagaeri led the discussion instead. They made their destination clear. Both Alice and Ooawagaeri had been tasked by the Queen of Diamonds to find the lost King of Hearts, who was purported to be in the company of The Dodo somewhere in the wood. The Cheshire Cat knew the bird in question. Indeed, it referred to the Dodo as "my father" on more than one occasion. As the cat was more bored than a walrus in a hedge maze, it agreed to lead them to "The Lord of the Wood." Following the trouncing cat's tail through the thick wood turned out to be a fairly easy thing. The trees and monumental flowers all bowed and shied from the Cheshire Cat, only moving back to their original positions once it and its guests had fully passed. Rather than keeping to the twisting roads and paths, Alice and Ooawagaeri were able to cut directly toward their destination, courtesy of their guide. Once again, Alice made a passive-aggressive remark about not having a sword, and so Ooawagaeri finally transformed him back into what passed for his original form here in the Dreamlands. Secure on Alice's back, and with his companion now moving more confidently, they continued through the brush. It was not long, hardly twenty minutes, before the Cheshire Cat assured them that they were drawing near to their destination. It asked if they had brought an offering. A virgin, perhaps? That seemed like an odd question, but Ooawagaeri had nothing of the sort and Alice refused to comment. The Cat's jagged grin grew wider as they suddenly left the cloistered wood and entered into a wide, open clearing dotted with charred husks and patches of hard dirt. A cloying mist clung to everything in sight, limiting their view considerably. And, while they were both certain it had been Dream Daytime when they entered the wood, the sky was now pitch black. A gravid red moon hung in the sky overhead, far larger than it should have been, exerting its subtle pressure upon everything in sight. With a cryptic comment about something being "hungry," the Cheshire Cat floated away on the mists, leaving its smile for only a moment before that too was gone. Alice and her sword were left with only the sound of rapidly approaching hooves in the fog to keep them company. With a bit of encouragement from his partner, Ooawagaeri managed to salvage the situation by casting Fly on Alice, along with a gust of wind to launch her into the air. This was fortuitous, as a nightmarish creature with hooves and tentacles surrounding a cluster of gnashing mouths, barreled violently through the place they had just been. Getting the hang of flying, Alice flitted up higher to be out of reach and view of the clustering creatures on the ground. The Cheshire Cat returned then, expressing its surprise that they had managed to survive. Appropriately chastened about its previous actions, it promised that it would now lead them to the Lord of the Wood. That, apparently, involved heading toward a mighty tree they could just see, towering over the rest of the canopy with a labyrinth of questing branches. Understandably wary, but not having many other leads, Alice and Ooawagaeri began the short flight toward that landmark. On the way, Ooawagaeri mentioned how taken he was with the red moon. The Cat chastened him, claiming that it was no moon hanging in the sky above this place. Get too close, it said, and you might reach out and touch it. Or the other way around. With a wistful thought about handsome Jericho Petalwing, Oowagaeri sat back while Alice flew them closer to their destination. Whereas it had been one or two pairs of hoofbeats before, now it seemed as though an entire herd of the stygian creatures were now thundering along beneath them, keeping pace with the flying trio. The Cat appeared unconcerned, however, lounging on a thick piece of fog like a pillow. This situation called to mind another that Ooawagaeri had been in not long ago. Drawing the image of The Jabberwock to mind, he mimicked its cry as best he could. A monstrous, draconic roar echoed out across the blasted wasteland, but to apparently little effect. The creatures below them didn't seem to notice at all. Did they even have ears? Meanwhile, the tree ahead had turned toward them and was now approaching at speed, branches whipping around like tendrils in the mist. That wasn't good. Alice wheeled and flew backward as she realized the monstrosity bearing down on them was no tree. Meanwhile, Ooawagaeri mused about ways to replenish his magic within the Dreamlands. Mushrooms, Alice explained. The forest mushrooms held magic in them. This exchange was cut short as a hideous, slimy tentacle slithered from the fog and just barely missed the twirling pair. With another burst of wind, Ooawagaeri managed to put some more distance between them and their cyclopean pursuer. It kept coming, but not at the same speed. Meanwhile, the Lesser Young on the ground had gathered around them in a creepy, circular formation; as though waiting for something. Alice managed to get her bearings as another figure, this one lithe and human in form, flew up from the ground. She was clad in black, with a pair of wicked horns jutting from her head and a gnarled staff of the same wood that dotted the rest of the heath. A glaring yellow eye sat in the knot of the staff's head, but other than those curiosities, this newcomer appeared for all the world to be a human girl. She introduced herself as Yeb of the Whispering Mists and promptly apologized for her siblings' behavior. They were very hungry, she explained, and not quite so intelligent as her. Alice asked about the Lord of the Wood, but Yeb claimed that was her mother, gesturing at that heavy red moon. So, it became clear; the Cheshire Cat had been leading them on a wild chase this entire time. It had most likely taken them to the most dangerous place in the Enchanted Wood just for its amusement, taking advantage of the fact that its guests would not know that the Dodo and the Lord of the Wood weren't the same entity. Fortunately, Yeb was accommodating. Alice had no substance (dismissed again) and Ooawagaeri was far too hard and sharp to be a healthy meal. So, they were free to leave. With sudden presence of mind, Ooawagaeri finally showed the Letter of Reconyandation to the Cheshire Cat, who had rejoined them in the interim. With a marvel at the pawprint of the Cats of Ulthar, Cheshire agreed that this superseded his loyalty to his father. He would take them to the Dodo then, with no more tricks. Alice still seemed doubtful, but, once again, the Forbidden Feline was the only real lead they had. It didn't take long then to leave the mists of the Blasted Heath and get back into the relatively welcoming brush of the Enchanted Wood proper. Ooawagaeri called a short stop and Alice descended obligingly. By the time she had stabbed his bladed form into four glowing mushrooms, taking care to avoid the ones with little doors and windows, his magical reserves were completely replenished. This would be quite a wonder on Earth, so Ooawagaeri took the time to examine the inside of each fungi he was thrust into. Though he managed to memorize their structure to a reasonable degree, he could not pinpoint what quality allowed them to contain such a large amount of prana. With that done, they were free to continue their journey. It was, as the Cheshire Cat had promised, not long at all. After swinging around a large tree and into a wide clearing, they spotted it. A clear stream ran through this place. Over the stream, a bridge extended toward a quaint cobblestone road. Following that led their eyes to a small, rustic-looking cottage with a waterwheel attached slapdash to its side. There was nobody about outside, but a single light burned in one of the building's windows. This, then, must be where the Dodo made his residence. Its job done, the Cheshire Cat excused itself while Ooawagaeri used a bit of magic to take on his old human form. Together with Alice, they approached the door of the cottage and knocked. A sound like a burst of feathers and something expensive shattering came from just inside. Then the door opened, and the Dodo was there, standing in all his underwhelming glory. He laughed a strange, halting laugh, then bade them come inside. Alice was, once again, ignored in favor of a Dreamer. Being a Figment with no "substance" was obviously starting to get to her, and she leaned against the cottage wall with an annoyed expression while Ooawagaeri explained the reason for their visit. Ooawagaeri (or Waggy Gary, as the bird called him) had come to the right place. With a sound like plucking feathers, the Dodo reached with his beak into the space beneath one wing and produced the King of Hearts, hale and healthy except for a dead expression about the eyes. He seemed delighted about this, and showed off the catatonic king, even going so far as to poke him in the belly to elicit a hearty laugh. This was not quite what Ooawagaeri had expected, and he guessed correctly that it was not the same King they had met in the White Rabbit Bowl. That had also been a Figment, albeit a Figment with a bit more memory and personality than this one. So, the Dodo reasoned, what was the difference? Ooawagaeri seemed to accept this. He had only been tasked by the Queen of Diamonds to bring back the King of Hearts. Like the Dodo said, what did it matter if this was a different one? Their discussion went from there to touch on the Rabbit Bowl itself, and Ooawagaeri happened to mention his encounter with Kuranes, that King of Dreamers who had brought him across the veil of sleep. The mention of this name, however, quite agitated the Dodo. He seemed to resent Kuranes strongly, although he would not say why, and repeated many times that the "King of Dreamers" was no king of his. They made ready to leave then, but before Alice could even get out of the door, the Dodo assaulted them once again with a demand for tea. The Cheshire Cat had mentioned something about this, giving Ooawagaeri time to plan his response. Remembering the best tea he'd ever tasted, he conjured up a platter with fine earthenware and a heady brew within the pitcher. The Dodo sniffed appreciatively, then buried his beak violently into the nearest cup, cracking it and sending tea flying everywhere as he drank his fill. That, it seemed, was sufficient. Ooawagaeri noted Alice's annoyance and they agreed to speak about it later, then they were off. They had survived an encounter with the Dodo, although it was hard to see why he was considered so dangerous, and were free to return to the Queen of Diamonds with a catatonic King of Hearts in hand.Rewards Granted
- Various Elan bonuses and penalties
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