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As they heroes approach the outskirts and Lord P flies off the scout, Johann gestures to the others that he will go ahead as well.
In a blink of an eye, Johann turns to a snake and attempts to slither from shadow to shadow.
Despite being such a loud man, and such a big snake, in this form Johann can move like a shadow himself. He darts about the flooded town, swimming deep in the water when necessary.
Throughout this reconnaissance mission, he keeps smelling the air, using his scent ability to detect a trace of the Fox.
Kyoto City is like a ghost town on this chill winter morning... Lord Perpireen and Johann, each scouting in different areas of town, manage to avoid encountering anything dangerous, so far...
As they heroes approach the outskirts and Lord P flies off the scout, Johann gestures to the others that he will go ahead as well.
In a blink of an eye, Johann turns to a snake and attempts to slither from shadow to shadow.
[dice=stealth]d20+23 Despite being such a loud man, and such a big snake, in this form Johann can move like a shadow himself. He darts about the flooded town, swimming deep in the water when necessary.
Throughout this reconnaissance mission, he keeps smelling the air, using his scent ability to detect a trace of the Fox.
[dice=survival]d20+15
[dice=perception]d20+16
Swimming around the flooded outskirts of the city, Cobra Johann catches no scent of the Fox... only the stench of the dead...
Slithering toward the grand oriental palace at the heart of the city, he finds what he seeks! Almost masked by the floral fragrance of an extensive flower garden surrounding this castle, he catches a whiff of the Fox! He believes it is coming from the Flower gardens... or perhaps the castle at the center of the fragrant gardens...
This seems strange for such loud fellow as I to say, but I believe I can ease our way
through my magics I can make most of us unseen
and also unheard so that we can slip through castle walls between.
The adventurers locate the Jade Dragon Inn, about three city blocks east of the Flower Palace, but on entering, they find no sign of the Rabbi... An ominous feeling settles upon all of the heroes when the Rabbi is not there to meet them as he promised... especially in light of the strange, time-warping encounter they had with the superpowerful bythos aeons... Had something happened to the Rabbi? Had the bythos aeons gotten to him as well? If so, where was the Black Pyramid?
The Jade Dragon Inn is open for business, despite some water damage the staff are busy trying to repair by replacing waterlogged ricepaper walls with dry ones...
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Johann follows the scent of his friends and heads to the Jade Dragon Inn, where he reports his findings.
"I FOUND THE..."
"Sorry. I found the scent of the Fox in a flower garden, which surrounds a foreign looking castle. Should we go now and simply bash this castle into pleasant little shreds of wood and paper?"
The inside of the common room of the inn still smells of seawater, but the staff have done their best to mop up the floodwaters...
As the heroes enter the inn to look in vain for the Rabbi, the innkeeper looks up from mopping a puddle behind the bamboo bar, and her dark eyes widen at the sight of "gaijin" in her beleaguered inn... But customers were money, which she desperately needed for repairs and to make up for a dire loss of business...
Dono yō ni watashi wa anata no hito o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu ka? Anata wa shukusha ga hitsuyōdesu ka? Inshoku?
"Wa i, o heya ga yokattadesu." Ihrin says in her guise as she looks at her companions One being a woman with skin as the dark as the nights' sky. She wasn't sure how the locals would take such a woman.
"Watashi wa anata no tabemono o ajiwatte, soshite osoraku ēru" Mwikali says Kiku hopping about eager for something to eat.
Toshio Okumura, who for a time was known as the Ogon Fox, languishes where the jorōgumo keeps him prisoner. He has been forced to spend some time in all three of his forms (kitsune, human, and fox) since the woman-spider took him captive, to suit her whims, but at the moment he is in his natural form, the kitsune.
How did this happen? Why does this cruel shōgun care about my father, or his grandfather's decree? And how long, now, till I die?
Toshio shudders as he envisions his own dead body filled with the eggs of the jorōgumo...
"Wa i, o heya ga yokattadesu." Ihrin says in her guise as she looks at her companions One being a woman with skin as the dark as the nights' sky. She wasn't sure how the locals would take such a woman.
** spoiler omitted **
Japanese, with a "We don't usually accommodate barbarians" look on her face: Fine... There's a room with a view of the palace gardens upstairs for five silver tael per night, with a king-sized bed and our best furnishings... or a more modest room downstairs by the kitchen with four cots and two footlockers and a chamber pot for only two tael nightly...
"Watashi wa anata no tabemono o ajiwatte, soshite osoraku ēru" Mwikali says Kiku hopping about eager for something to eat.
** spoiler omitted **
Japanese, softening when she hears the "gaijin" speak Japanese: Ah, you say our words well, my dusky darling! Let's see what's in the pot for you, my dear...
The innkeeper rushes off to The kitchen, where she scoops steamed noodles and aromatic chicken broth into a bowl with a pair of chopsticks, and delivers that, along with rice cakes and a cup of sake (rice wine) to Mwikali.
Toshio Okumura, who for a time was known as the Ogon Fox, languishes where the jorōgumo keeps him prisoner. He has been forced to spend some time in all three of his forms (kitsune, human, and fox) since the woman-spider took him captive, to suit her whims, but at the moment he is in his natural form, the kitsune.
How did this happen? Why does this cruel shōgun care about my father, or his grandfather's decree? And how long, now, till I die?
Toshio shudders as he envisions his own dead body filled with the eggs of the jorōgumo...
High up in his prison on the fifth floor of the Ghost Tower of Flower Palace, Ogon Fox languishes, despairing of rescue. All of his magical warlock tricks could not save him from this cruel fate... his secret identity as a vigilante did nothing to stop this unfair doom... He felt himself undergoing a profound metamorphosis as the jorogumo poisoned him with lascivious licks and kisses that left his body listless and helpless, but honed his mind and spirit in heretofore unknown ways...
The jorogumo has her wanton way with the Ogon Fox, insuring that he fertilizes her monstrous eggs by many cunning charms and enchantments and the art of geisha...
How my mother would weep to see me here...and will she even hear of my death? Or will she merely go on, always wondering? And what of the lovely Tringelda? Here a small smile reaches Toshio's face. I need not worry for Tringelda. She is strong; she will be fine. But my poor mother...
How my mother would weep to see me here...and will she even hear of my death? Or will she merely go on, always wondering? And what of the lovely Tringelda? Here a small smile reaches Toshio's face. I need not worry for Tringelda. She is strong; she will be fine. But my poor mother...
How my mother would weep to see me here...and will she even hear of my death? Or will she merely go on, always wondering? And what of the lovely Tringelda? Here a small smile reaches Toshio's face. I need not worry for Tringelda. She is strong; she will be fine. But my poor mother...
Feeling that he might be going mad in his imprisonment, Ogon Fox begins to hear a voice in his head... A voice with a Gaelic brogue...
Now, dinna ye be a-worrying about your dear old ma or bonny lass Tringelda, me boyo! Ye've bigger fish to fry, me Foxy-Boy! By me four-leafed-clover clasp, ye do! I'm awful sorry I pulled ye out o' the fryin' pan and flipped ye into the fire, lad! But that's what I do, ye know... I say me unsaid goodbyes and off I goes to the last spot in all o' green creation that ye'd want to be! HEEHEEHEEHEEE!!
In the street outside the Jade Dragon Inn, a man's voice begins to bark in stern tones in Japanese: By order of Ashikaga Yoshinori Shogun, all shapeshifters, spirit folk, hengeyokai, kitsune, korobukoru, bakemono, tengu, and other nonhuman sorts are to be rounded up and brought before Ashikaga Yoshinori Shogun! They are to be registered in the imperial record of suspicious malcontents and dissidents! Ashikaga Yoshinori Shogun blames these inhuman untouchables and western gaijin for the calamity that has befallen our Islands! The spirits are angry with mankind for trafficking with these degenerates and barbarians we have allowed to pollute our cities!
The innkeeper of the Jade Dragon Inn tries to pretend not to notice the stern, xenophobic rant of the sohei in the street outside, but the nervous stress is visible on her haggard face.
Japanese: So far, your bill is up to just 10 silver tael, or one golden tael, folks... That covers the African lady's food and wine, and the two rooms... I assume you'll be needing them both?
Meikali turns and gives the man outside a glare as she pulls out 10 gold and hands it to the woman.
" For your kindness and your wonderful service" She says in Japanese before turning to Johann.
"I have alot of weapons at my disposal but sneaking in has the best chance of success" she says begin ik ng to eat her food and feed someth ik ngs to Kiku.
Meikali turns and gives the man outside a glare as she pulls out 10 gold and hands it to the woman.
" For your kindness and your wonderful service" She says in Japanese before turning to Johann.
"I have alot of weapons at my disposal but sneaking in has the best chance of success" she says begin ik ng to eat her food and feed someth ik ngs to Kiku.
Kiku slurps noodles from Mwikali's chopsticks...
*sluuurrrrpp!!* *BURP!!* OH! Delicious! These noodles are like less chewy worms! So good...*sluuurrrpp!!*
Meikali turns and gives the man outside a glare as she pulls out 10 gold and hands it to the woman.
" For your kindness and your wonderful service" She says in Japanese before turning to Johann.
"I have alot of weapons at my disposal but sneaking in has the best chance of success" she says begin ik ng to eat her food and feed someth ik ngs to Kiku.
The innkeeper quickly takes Mwikali's gold, ten times what was asked for, with a greedy smile... a few seconds later, looking at the lovely African Witch, her greedy grin becomes a genuine smile of gratitude.
Japanese: I said ten silver tael. Or ONE gold tael... Did you mean to pay me ten times the price I asked, pretty lady? We can certainly use a nice gratuity right now. But I don't take advantage of gaijin in my inn.
Feeling that he might be going mad in his imprisonment, Ogon Fox begins to hear a voice in his head... A voice with a Gaelic brogue...
Now, dinna ye be a-worrying about your dear old ma or bonny lass Tringelda, me boyo! Ye've bigger fish to fry, me Foxy-Boy! By me four-leafed-clover clasp, ye do! I'm awful sorry I pulled ye out o' the fryin' pan and flipped ye into the fire, lad! But that's what I do, ye know... I say me unsaid goodbyes and off I goes to the last spot in all o' green creation that ye'd want to be! HEEHEEHEEHEEE!!
What madness creeps upon me now? Is it an effect of the venom from that terrible creature? Perhaps I will find some peace if I can just manage to fall asleep. Toshio attempts to clear his mind and welcome slumber...
" I know not how long we will be here madame. So please let that cover us until we see what plays out. Besides if you have say a house lady, I may partake later. Until now keep that to cover my expenses" she says in Japanese as she looks to Ihrin and then to the others.
" Johann you can use that string snake form to slither into this fortress correct. I know the rest of us have access to flight, so why not have you slither in and if it is clear change back into yourself to signal us and we can slide right in. Should they wish to fighter then so be it." She says drinking some of the ale, and smiling.
Ihrin looks up to the Innkeeper"Shiro ga shokuin o yatotte iru ka dō ka oshiete moraemasu ka? Watashinokazoku o koroshita nochi, korera no gajin ga watashi o ikutsu ka no akuma kara kyūshutsu s+%$a no o mite moraemasu ka, watashi wa kansha shimasuga shigoto ga hitsuyōdesu. Meido ya nanika o motto puraibētona mono ni tsukau koto ga dekiru ka dō ka kakunin suru?"
Ihrin looks up to the Innkeeper"Shiro ga shokuin o yatotte iru ka dō ka oshiete moraemasu ka? Watashinokazoku o koroshita nochi, korera no gajin ga watashi o ikutsu ka no akuma kara kyūshutsu s*~!a no o mite moraemasu ka, watashi wa kansha shimasuga shigoto ga hitsuyōdesu. Meido ya nanika o motto puraibētona mono ni tsukau koto ga dekiru ka dō ka kakunin suru?"
** spoiler omitted **
[dice=Bluff]1d20+11
Dārin, kyūden ni itte wa ikenai. Shōgun wa anata ni fuyukaina shigoto o ataerudeshou!
" I know not how long we will be here madame. So please let that cover us until we see what plays out. Besides if you have say a house lady, I may partake later. Until now keep that to cover my expenses" she says in Japanese as she looks to Ihrin and then to the others.
" Johann you can use that string snake form to slither into this fortress correct. I know the rest of us have access to flight, so why not have you slither in and if it is clear change back into yourself to signal us and we can slide right in. Should they wish to fighter then so be it." She says drinking some of the ale, and smiling.
Suddenly, the coil of magical rope at Mwikali's hip rears one end up like a snake and reminds her: Ich kann auch ins Schloss schlüpfen, Hexe Mwikali!
The rope then falls silent again...
"Johann what did Rapunzels' Weave just say? I don't know whatever language that is" She says with a brow raised.
Habiba is quiet most of the way, digesting the implications of their future-travel and the subsequent revelation of the widespread destruction of much of this country.
"This may be more complicated than we expected. The guards are likely to be on extra guard after such devastation."
Ihrin looks at the woman and shakes her head."Watashi wa tameshinakereba naranai. Watashinochichi wa shiro o yūjin ni motte itanode, dare ga watashi o yatoudarou to itta. Watashi wa watashi no karada o ataeru hitsuyō ga aru kamo shirenai koto o s+@#te iruga, watashi wa sore ga watashi no chichioya wa shōgun no tame ni hataraku koto o nozonde itanode, sono futan o futan shimasu. Tameshite wa naranai no wa jūdaina fumeiyona kotonanode, tasuketekudasai"
She looks down and up selling the story as best she can, her mind seeking to infiltrate and find the Fox then taking out men one by one. It was her skill set and she doubted these men were any smarter than the Arabs.
Ihrin looks at the woman and shakes her head."Watashi wa tameshinakereba naranai. Watashinochichi wa shiro o yūjin ni motte itanode, dare ga watashi o yatoudarou to itta. Watashi wa watashi no karada o ataeru hitsuyō ga aru kamo shirenai koto o s*@%te iruga, watashi wa sore ga watashi no chichioya wa shōgun no tame ni hataraku koto o nozonde itanode, sono futan o futan shimasu. Tameshite wa naranai no wa jūdaina fumeiyona kotonanode, tasuketekudasai"
** spoiler omitted **
[dice=Bluff]1d20+11
She looks down and up selling the story as best she can, her mind seeking to infiltrate and find the Fox then taking out men one by one. It was her skill set and she doubted these men were any smarter than the Arabs.
The innkeeper nods in understanding, and then replies: Anata no kazoku ni itte keii o arawashimasu. Watashi wa anata no yōna kawaī on'nanoko ga sugu ni shōgun no saibansho ni yūri ni naru to kakushin s$*&e imasu.
She shrugs and smiles at Ihrin in a sisterly way...
Suddenly, a familiar thrush flies into the Jade Dragon Inn through an open window, and squeaks at the top of his tiny lungs:
Oh praise Olympus! Praise the very bolts of Zeus the Thunderer! It's Mister Bear, and Mister Fox's other friends! Oh, thank goodness itself! You must rush to Ogon Fox's aid at once, if ye be companions worthy of him, for he languishes in yonder Ghost Tower, which men of Nippon name the Flower Palace!
Gasping for breath as if after great exertion, he points his beak toward Ashikaga Castle.
Suddenly, a familiar thrush flies into the Jade Dragon Inn through an open window, and squeaks at the top of his tiny lungs:
Oh praise Olympus! Praise the very bolts of Zeus the Thunderer! It's Mister Bear, and Mister Fox's other friends! Oh, thank goodness itself! You must rush to Ogon Fox's aid at once, if ye be companions worthy of him, for he languishes in yonder Ghost Tower, which men of Nippon name the Flower Palace!
Gasping for breath as if after great exertion, he points his beak toward Ashikaga Castle.
Saisho ni, watashi no men o aisuru hanashite iru tori, imaya jōdan o itte iru hanasu tori!
"Well looks like we know he is in there" She looks to the bird and smiles.
"Is he in the open and is the one who wants him dead easy to get too?" Mwikali asks still drinking and eating.
"Well looks like we know he is in there" She looks to the bird and smiles.
"Is he in the open and is the one who wants him dead easy to get too?" Mwikali asks still drinking and eating.
Catching his breath, the little thrush relates all that has transpired since Fox teleported into the Ashikaga Shogun's court.
He describes a five story castle of ricepaper and wood, in which a host of dangers stand at the ready to protect the Shogun, who may be a shapeshifter himself, for all his persecutions of others...
There is the underworld imperial dragon watchdog that guards the first level, the flying spirit oni of the hall of masks, ninja, samurai, spirit naga advisor... The Shogun himself is surely no mortal man, but an ogre mage oni in disguise, playing the part of imperial Shogun... Then up, up through the levels of the Game of Death, to the penthouse of the Ghost Tower, where our poor Ogon Fox is beset by the jorogumo--Woman-spider... That is thine quest, goodly heroes! The Fox be thy princess in the tower that needeth rescue!
Outside in the street, the sohei rants on...
Sore wa tengoku o okora seta korera no demihiman no yōna zōodesu! Hitobito wa watashitachi no shidō-sha ga tengoku no meirei o ushinatta to sakebu! Hitobito wa tadashīdesu!
A crowd is forming outside to hear the sohei's harangue against foreign outsiders, shapeshifters, dwarves, and country folk...
As the party is leaving the inn to head for the palace, the sohei that has been working up sentiment against nonconformity sees them and points them out, shouting:
Ima, ikutsu ka nozomashikunai mono ga arimasu! Sorera no henshu o mitekudasai!
The heroes cannot help but feel the man is shouting about them, and the crowd is growing somewhat unfriendly, judging by the dark scowl that seems to be the common expression...
Japanese: Ya gonna let these degenerates continue to draw the wrath of Heaven down on all of us!? Or are ya gonna DO SOMETHING!?
Lord P is moved when he finds a small girl, around 6 clinging to her dead parents. She looks up as he comes close and talks to him in Japanes.
he dose not understand what she is saying, so he reaches out his mind to read hers. Its simple but he can work out her words and meaning.
"Are you a wood spirit?"
He was surprised how close she was too real meaning. such is the way with the eyes of the young.
"I am alone now, muma and papa have gone away."
She wiped a tear from her eye. He could tell she had not eaten of drink for days. She did not have long, and in what was left of this place no one would be coming to help here.
In simple Japanese.
"I know someone who can help, he will be your friend and look after you. let me call him now."
a
he moved his hands and a tree door come to being, leading to the bright ways.
He calls out a name and out the door comes This being
He bows to it and says.
"I would like you to stay here and look after the children. Help this place grow and recover. Would you be kind and do that for me."
The being age a big grin to the fey lord, then walked over to the little girl. There it stopped and smiled down at her as she looked at it with wide eyes at it.
Lord P happy now moved on.
In Provence, France, the Red Magus has returned to face his accusers, the House du Berry, bereft of a son by a fencing match between Du Berry and Perdu that turned into a duel...
Contrite, indeed, literally haunted by his rival's ghost, Arc Perdu accepts their charge of murder, and the proposed sentence of death by beheading with a grim stoicism.
But Cardinal Lucius D'Borja, having been served by the Red Magi's guardianship in earlier ventures against the Cult of Lucifer, has mercy and pity on the poor sinner, and pleads eloquently on his behalf to the Holy Father for clemency provided the Red Magus would take the vows of the cloth and become a priest.
Arc agrees to this stipulation immediately, at once relieving himself of the guilt of sin, and laying to rest the demanding ghost of Monsieur Du Berry in one fell swoop.
Oui! Pour l'amour du Christ, je renonce au diable et à tous ses mensonges! Je proclamerai la Parole de Dieu en tant que prêtre du Tout-Puissant!
In Provence, France, the Red Magus has returned to face his accusers, the House du Berry, bereft of a son by a fencing match between Du Berry and Perdu that turned into a duel...
Contrite, indeed, literally haunted by his rival's ghost, Arc Perdu accepts their charge of murder, and the proposed sentence of death by beheading with a grim stoicism.
But Cardinal Lucius D'Borja, having been served by the Red Magi's guardianship in earlier ventures against the Cult of Lucifer, has mercy and pity on the poor sinner, and pleads eloquently on his behalf to the Holy Father for clemency provided the Red Magus would take the vows of the cloth and become a priest.
Arc agrees to this stipulation immediately, at once relieving himself of the guilt of sin, and laying to rest the demanding ghost of Monsieur Du Berry in one fell swoop.
Oui! Pour l'amour du Christ, je renonce au diable et à tous ses mensonges! Je proclamerai la Parole de Dieu en tant que prêtre du Tout-Puissant!
AAAAAHHH!! How good it feels to have a priest to bury your bones in consecrated soil... I know Arc will lay my bones to rest now in a proper place... Not just a mass grave along with victims of the Black Plague or the Hundred Years War...
In Japanese: Fair folk, do not let this cretin persuade you
We are no threat to the people
Only those unjustly holding innocent composers
Have to fear the wrath of us fey
For the spirits, are wroth only at the oppressors.
In Japanese: Fair folk, do not let this cretin persuade you
We are no threat to the people
Only those unjustly holding innocent composers
Have to fear the wrath of us fey
For the spirits, are wroth only at the oppressors.[dice=diplomacy]1d20+20
The crowd turns on the xenophobic sohei, for Algoral has glibly deflated his attempted angry mob.
Well... I guess I will just shut my rice-hole and wait til the next time I can tell you so...
Lord P goes about leaning from the minds around him the words of the local language.
As he dose he looks for the small spirt shrines that little the woods and streams, at each he bows and say's.
"フェイの主は、ここに道徳の助けに来るように頼みます。もう一度人生が陸の水に来るようにしましょう。新鮮な水で海塩を追い払いましょう。植物を目覚めさせ、 開花させる。あなたに与えられた奉仕品を返済する時間が来る。"
Asking the fey there to come awaken the land and clean the water.
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As the crowd turns their attention away from the heroes, Johann turns to his new friends. He talks in a quiet voice (for him)...
"We suspect the Fox is held in this castle surrounded by the garden. Let us go, now! We do not know if he is alive, or being threatened at this very moment! Let us march to the front gate and demand his release... Or... I can do so, if the rest of you would like to hide in the shadows and jump out at the opportune time!"
The grounds surrounding Flower Palace are fragrant gardens and cherry groves. In one of the cherry groves, a lot of spiderwebs indicate that the jorogumo frequents the garden, but there is no other sign of the woman-spider around...
A short flight of steps ascends to the entrance hall of the Ghost Tower...
A monstrous voice rumbles from within the entry gate:
Arashi ga genkan-saki de issō sa reta no o mitekudasai! Sunakku!
