LOG START
[17:07:02] Master of Games
All Creation, Beneath the Sword
Session 28
Calibration and the harvest festivals have come and gone. Winter is a time of consolidation and preparation, as the Sword Prince recovers from the bloody nose sustained at Nathir and sets his sights on the next target of conquest. His father, Heimonji, has implemented economic policies aimed at easing the impact of the late harvest. Public opinion seems to have developed broadly in the Sword’s favor—while there is dissatisfaction about Vanehan casualties and the harvest, Gensuji has managed to deflect this onto hypothetical traitors and witches.
Strange omens accompany the start of the year. As Calibration ends, a large crystal of the sacred metal normally dredged from Agate Lake as sand is found growing from the walls of Jibei’s enclosing aqueduct, the largest recorded. The Sword interprets this as a favorable omen for further militarization, a gift of swords from Ama-Ni-Traya, but the irregularity in the mountain’s essence this suggests quietly worries the court’s geomancers. An annual propitiation ritual for Dai-Kiga conducted on the isle at the lake’s center receives no answer, disconcerting the divers more than even an announcement of the old catfish’s displeasure would.
[17:07:04] Master of Games
Perhaps this isn’t the best time to turn your attentions from home—but then, is there ever a good time? At Clan Maon’s harvest festivities, the twin gods Kamo and Moka told you of their mother’s shrine, which you found near Nathir, and of their unrecorded father, a Solar hero of the mythical First Age called Cometborn Zhang. You have knowledge of the likely location of his tomb and a strong junch that you may be able to enter where no scavenger lord has so far: a potential trove of power and treasure, if you could brave the harshest parts of Dead Laris and take it.
And to the north, there are the Hundred Kingdoms. Vaneha has conquered parts of that region before, and Gensuji intends to rule all of it one day. The monarchs and warlords there are hardly ignorant of this; they’re sure to be responding in their own way. Whether you intend to support him, rein him in, or control him, it will behoove you to know what is going on.
The Chosen heroes of the Sun can move the world, but even they cannot be in two places at once. Wherever you concentrate your attentions, you’ll have to delegate elsewhere, perhaps much as the Sun has delegated his radiance to you. Where will you start, then, what will you entrust to others, and how will you go about either?
[17:16:36] Datei ma Kagemori
Before heading west for the potential tomb investigation, Kagemori issues a series of secret missives to cell leaders. Some reassign assets where possible, while others provide resources to allow to the recruitment of new assets. The eyes of the Datei information network turns northward, sneaking across the great river and finding new bolt holes among the many cities there. A hundred eyes for a hundred kingdoms. It is an unfortunate consequence that some areas must have a focus taken off of them to focus north, but there is one area where no change in focus occurs: the capital. The other borders of the empire may, temporarily, go out of focus, but everything that goes on in the capital must be recorded. He also publicly announces a project to fund “cultural activities,” to provide “virtuous fulfillment and entertainment,” mainly athletic competitions and showcases. To be managed by his sister while he is unavailable.
[17:35:48] Master of Games
Kuromi is grateful for the trust, and reciprocates by offering to send her personal aide along with the expedition. A native of Dead Laris, she is wise in the fauna of that place and may be useful as a liaison. Nazubi quietly offers his protege a little lacquered box, of the sort one might keep makeup or jewelry in, with instructions to open it to release a raincloud. Strong rain is beyond the Datei god’s influence, but you never know when you might need a little relief or cover.
[17:36:38] River Snake
For his departure preparations, Snake mostly leaves his business setup to his suboordinates in the company, his followers can do their thing after the initial introductions are made to the people of import. There are many gaps left in Nathir by the war, and this is another nearby city to route goods through. Any underhanded issues from the Guild, well, his company is well versed in being underhanded. His company will also of course be moving to profit all the athletic festivals Datei is arranging- after all someone has to sell merch and food. As for the other travel prep, Its been a while since he’s done a good old fashioned Ruins dive, and he makes sure he has appropriate equipment for everyone on the group, at least of what is available here. Some more specific things will probably need to be picked up closer to their destination.
[17:42:02] Raizo
Raizo is keen to put his own men to work in promoting the cultural enrichment as well, hoping to make it known that his merry band are here to help the needy and are always recruiting. To help them with their expedition, he also picks a banner of newer recruits to sally out with him. While he is loathe to leave his old companions for too long, the band has grown and old members have new responsibilities to match their new circumstances and swelling ranks. Favoring simply the old guard by now would both look bad to the newer recruits, and many of them are leaders themselves now and they have their own responsibilities. And so Raizo is borrowing the Red Tortoise Pennant from the cohort led by Big and Little Pikon, formerly a street gang that joined the Canopy en masse and weathered its grueling training together.
[17:51:05] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori accepts the box with gratitude, and acquires for himself a set of iron tiger claws. Not his usual style but it is important to account for the territory.
[18:10:10] Master of Games
For the first leg of your trip, a journey over mountains and rivers will take you to the Maruto River, well upstream of Nathir, to there cross over into Dead Laris as Clan Datei once did fleeing the superior forces of the Iachi. From there, your path will lead you along what might technically be called a trade route across the infamous Pox Plains to the rare permanent settlement simply called Well, where River Snake’s contact intends to meet you. On the way, the circle learns of some of the creatures hardy or ferocious enough to inhabit Laris from Kuromi’s assistant Hiruna (who bows a little deeper upon learning River Snake’s name, saying that snakes are an omen of wisdom and perseverance): of the fierce lion-dogs called simhata that roam the wastelands as apex predators; desert-birds that hide among the rocks, many running rather than flying; little ferret-foxes about as smart as a toddler and as ill-natured as an old gossip, of which she keeps one as a pet; rare gigantic beasts that terrorize stretches of land; and more kinds of scorpions, spiders, and snakes than one can list. She seems to be fond of them all. Camels, meanwhile, are the preferred mount and beast of burden compared to the yeddim favored in the River Province and the oxen of Vaneha. These stand about as tall as a man at the shoulder and are possessed of two humps on their back, a gentle disposition, and magnificent beards.
[18:12:21] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori takes notes of each of these creatures. Perhaps in the future some of the more fascinating specimens can be obtained and put to the empire’s use.
[18:21:59] Raizo
Raizo has never seen a camel before and so is somewhat agog at such a creature, but appreciates the softness of their coats.
[18:23:05] River Snake
Snake smiles at the camels, Its been a while since he’s seen one of the creatures, itd a kind of uh, familiar comfortable thing for him to be riding one again “I kinda missed these guys”
[18:24:32] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori approaches each of the camels, examining them the same as he would any other steed, to evaluate their capabilities.
[18:36:51] Master of Games
The camels you’ve acquired are solid quality; patient, hardy, and economical. They’re unlikely to outrun a swift horse, but they will certainly outlast it. Of what might await you in your destination—what was once Hundred Tongues Lake, center of the Laris federation, and is now Hundred Gasps Lake—Hiruna knows less. Creation is thin at the borders of the lake, and there are few good reasons to brave it. Where once was clear water, there is now sand, wind, and the Fair Folk. And the tomb of Cometborn Zhang.
River Snake’s contact likely knows more here. He’s to meet you in Well, the safest place at the lake’s shores, and an oasis that Kagemori may be familiar with as well. It consists of the ruins of a minor city from Laris’ golden age, then insignificant enough to have escaped the worst of that terrible war. It was merely mostly deserted, rather than wiped off the map, and contains a treasure worth more than gold in this place: a still-functioning device from the lost age that pumps water from the depths of the earth, water that the lake has long since lost. Well is an odd sight on the horizon: outcroppings of white rock rise over the cliff face that was once a shore, somewhat reminiscent of a cluster of chanterelle mushrooms—a remnant of Wyld energies or the ravages of long lost weaponry, perhaps. Newer adobe buildings in the same white make up most human dwellings, along with the occasional ancient building intact enough to have been repurposed. The town is ringed with wards on paper and iron.
[18:40:42] Master of Games
You’re not the only travelers coming and going; Well has a permanent population, but many nomadic groups stop by on their circuit to trade and rest. As for you, it is a chance to stretch after weeks on the road, much of it across rocky grassland where you had to camp in the open. Snake’s contact said he’d meet you near the local courthouse, on one of the higher outcroppings, or you could secure a place to stay first, unless you plan to strike out immediately.
[18:46:20] Datei ma Kagemori
”It is good to see civilization again. The contact is the highest priority, but it might be wise to see if we can learn any news from lakeward as well.”
[18:51:02] Raizo
”All things remaining equal, I’d like to shake the dust off somewhere. I’ve never seen so much sand in my life.”
[18:54:18] Master of Games
”You’re about to see much more, sir.” Hiruna bobs her head politely and points towards one of the higher plateaus. “I’ve only been here once myself, but there should be good vantage points for looking out at the lake on the way to the meeting spot.”
[18:55:15] River Snake
”You’re going to be well acquainted with dust.”
[18:55:41] Raizo
”Is this what they mean by calling the place dead? It’s just… sand out here?”
[18:56:24] River Snake
Somewhere along the trip, Snake has swapped out his usual wealthy merchant’s attire for something that looks far more like what the locals are wearing, clothing fit for traveling the sand and offering decent protection from sand to the face
[18:56:29] Master of Games
”Most of it is rock, actually, but here in particular…”
[18:57:35] Datei ma Kagemori
”Stories say the air is dangerous to breathe, but I think that is the dust rather than aftereffects of Ancient weaponry. But yes, it is the land that is dead rather than its people per se.”
[18:58:12] River Snake
”Breathing too much dust isnt healthy, that’s true”
[19:01:24] Raizo
”Remind me to look for a scarf for if the wind picks up.”
[19:03:11] Datei ma Kagemori
”We should check to see what supplies we can get in general. We came prepared, but this is a good time to evaluate and make up for anything we’re shorter on than expected. I imagine the rates here aren’t quite as generous though, due to demand.” Kagemori nods after a moment. “We probably want to stay a day at least. Ensure we can leave at the best time of day.”
[19:10:54] Master of Games
Hiruna was right about the vantage: on the way to secure lodging and find your contact, you get a good view across Hundred Gasps Lake.
Perhaps in twilight, it might have been mistaken for a lake filled with choppy water, albeit at an oddly low water level. In the afternoon sun, with nary a cloud in the sky, its color betrays it: bone-white sand as far as the eye can see, uncomfortably bright to look at for too long. The vast stretch of sand is interrupted by outcroppings that were once islands, gusts blowing up clouds of sand, and strange distortions that might just be mirages. It’s said that water entirely fled Hundred Tongues Lake after the cataclysm known as Hesiesh’s Breath, and even the few clouds that grace the Pox Plains avoid it like mice avoid a cat.
[19:20:31] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori appreciates the sights, before trying to find a place to stay, and then moving to the courthouse. “I wonder if all the movements you can sometime see are mirages, or if at least some are something more.”
[19:22:27] Master of Games
You secure a place to stay at least the night, and the locals are welcoming and glad for patronage in the colder season. Further up, you find the courthouse specified by Snake’s contact, which looks more like a space for deliberation and debate, and perhaps the occasional duel, than the magisterial offices of Vaneha.
Your contact and guide is Vend, a stout, bronze-skinned fellow from nowhere in particular, by their own account, who Snake has known to prowl these parts since before he took his second breath in the sun. Vend greets you all jovially, exchanges a quick gesture with Hiruna, and pulls Snake into a bear hug. “I hear you’ve finally lost your mind, friend!”
[19:24:15] River Snake
Snake returns the hug with a laugh. “Hopefully not completely”
[19:27:56] Master of Games
”Well, I don’t think you’d come to me saying you want to take a trip across the lake if you didn’t think it would be worth your time, so you have my interest too. Is it about the observatory I told you about once?”
[19:29:09] River Snake
”You guessed it in one. Me any my friends here have a lead, we might be able to get in.” He smiles “And how could I pass up a try?”
[19:33:38] Master of Games
”If you can do it, you’ll be legends. What’s your lead?”
[19:40:19] River Snake
”We learned some new history, about the ruin and the owner’s family. If we go back it might reveal a way in. - Its enough to take a shot.” He smiles again, “Don’t worry, you’ll get paid for your services either way.” He claps the man on his shoulder. “We’ve also picked up a few tricks that aren’t too easy to pass along, so I figure lets try for the biggest score of our lives”
[19:47:47] Datei ma Kagemori
”The place could easily contain a king’s ransom, even before accounting for untouched magic of another age. The fate of nations could be turned by this endeavor.”
[19:49:56] Raizo
Raizo has relatively little to add at this juncture and so opts to have his men scan a market for last minute odds and ends. Including cloths for the face in case the dust kicks up. “I’ll be sure we all come out alive with as much as we can carry, I can promise that.”
[19:57:38] Master of Games
”And I’ll get us there and back without getting lost or drowning in the sand. That sounds like a deal to me. How many are we? How much do you already know about the lake?”
[20:05:05] Master of Games
”The big challenges are navigation, water, the sun, the wind, the predators, the raiders. For navigation, you’ve got me. I’ve been to the place before, and I know the landmarks. We’ll need to carry water enough for the journey there and back; you can sometimes find springs in the lake, but you don’t want to count on it. Never heard of a permanent one. There’s almost never cloud cover, so the sun will fry your head if you don’t cover it, and it’ll be much colder by night than by day.”
[20:08:22] Raizo
”I have a dozen men-at-arms with me, and there’s my companions here, for the number. As for what we already know, well, I personally know very little, but knowing things isn’t my job, so at least I’m on task, right?”
[20:10:16] Datei ma Kagemori
”I have some familiarity with the area, though not much. Another companion is a local.”
[20:12:13] Master of Games
”That should be able to hold off a small force, but we’ll want to be careful anyway.” Of course, Vend has little concept of the true fighting force of Raizo’s people. “Strong winds are common. Strong winds mean sandstorms. You don’t know how bad a serious sandstorm is until you’ve been in one. The sand is one thing, but I’ve heard of people getting sick after breathing in dust, and worse, sometimes the winds carry dreams on them, too.”
[20:13:14] Datei ma Kagemori
”If we have to deal with the fair folk or strange spirits, you can leave that to me.”
[20:14:02] River Snake
”It wouldnt be the first time but I’d still rather not repeat the experience”
[20:14:59] Master of Games
Veld nods to Hiruna, who nods back. “I’ve never been on the sea, as it seemed foolish, but I know the animals of our land.” To this, your guide laughs. “True that. Some of the folk here pray to snakes, and you won’t find someone better to warn you off the little things that can kill you.”
[20:19:39] Master of Games
They look at Kagemori. “It’s good that you’ve come expecting those. The lake remembers being filled with water, dreams of it. Or so they say. Anyway, the fair folk have ships that can ply the sand like it’s water. Sometimes you see them having regattas out in the sun. You can sleep easy on those nights, because they don’t try to come ashore.”
[20:22:39] Datei ma Kagemori
”Maybe we should find a way to steal one of their ships one of these days. Maybe for next time, though.”
[20:23:52] River Snake
”I wonder if a sand ship also works on regular water”
[20:24:15] Datei ma Kagemori
”When it works by wyld magic? Perhaps.”
[20:24:17] Raizo
”Riding the sand like waves sounds fun. Dealing with shapeshifting hellions, maybe less so, but that’s what all the iron is for, eh?”
[20:27:52] Datei ma Kagemori
”Quite. If we can avoid crossing blades, all the better, but we need to be prepared for the possibility.”
[20:28:15] Datei ma Kagemori
”If we do end up dealing with them peaceably, don’t accept any gifts.”
[20:36:46] Master of Games
”Then there’s the molehounds. They’re not the most dangerous thing out there, but watch the camels.”
[20:40:53] Datei ma Kagemori
”Any recent news we should know about here? Don’t want any surprises on the way there, or on the way back.”
[20:44:55] Master of Games
”Good question. I hear there’s a delegation in town asking the leadership for some kind of aid. More relevant to us, I’ve heard talk of animals moving in large numbers, especially birds. Might be a new predator roaming.”
[20:46:49] Datei ma Kagemori
”Hmm. Good to know.”