LOG START
All Creation, Beneath The Sword
Session 1
A sword demands to cut.
Only the gods of Vaneha remember a time when it was not ruled by the Sword, and it was they who brought it under the Sword. The Sword has always sought to cut, until all Creation is united beneath the Sword. Sometimes it cuts the outsider; sometimes it cuts its own. Thus it has always been, say the priests and nobles. Perhaps it shall always be so.
A sword demands to cut, but “who?” is a question it leaves to others. Answers to this question sit in impatient siege outside Nathir, play games with lives over food and wine in the halls of the capital, or stalk through the hallways outside on conspirator’s footsteps.
Three shining answers, in particular, are about to meet on a river barge.
One is known as a rake and a scavenger, but one of honor, with the Sun hidden on his brow. His name is Shadow Edge, or the River Snake. The second met him in Dead Laris, that shadow of a province which was once the thriving domain of Clan Datei. Long the overlooked son, Kagemori now has the expectations of his clan and of the Crowned Sun on his shoulders.
Though the Datei don’t look kindly on plunderers of their homeland’s corpse, they know a valuable ally when they see one, even if only by chance encounter. Thus it is that two chosen of the sun have traveled all the way upriver, around the sacred mountain, and upriver again to discuss the state of matters in the capital and form an alliance.
What of the third? The third lies in wait ashore, the dawn at his back, just before the river turns east into marshland and then the great Agate Lake beneath the capital. He is Raizo the Urchin Prince, bandit and liberator, and he knows that a deadly enemy of his revolution will arrive clandestinely—a direct lieutenant of the spy queen Datei ma Kuromi, assuredly. Kagemori’s return to the capital is earlier than planned and not widely circulated. Besides the ship’s crew, only one retainer is present to attend on the clan head and his guest. Nosy Fao is a short-statured, inquisitive fellow, but actually so nicknamed for an accident in his youth. He returns inside the cabin from changing the vessel’s banners and bows to the two. “Lord, Sir, we’re on the last stretch of river now. After this bend we’ll see the great mountain and enter Agate Lake in the time it takes to finish a cup of wine. We’ll have to sail slowly across the lake, out of respect, but we’ll anchor in Jibei before noon, I reckon.” He rolls up the banner that let bandits of the lower plains know this barge had already paid them off.
On shore, Raizo’s lookout informs him that the vessel in question is approaching and has just exchanged one banner for another one sporting some beast’s footprint in blue. Not that either is meant to deter him.
[18:02:07] Datei ma Kagemori: “An excellent time to get a refill, then.” The lord of the Datei is a surprisingly young man and thin of stature. An eyepatch covers his left eye and he lifts his cup to toast the water. “May our endeavors be fruitful and ever concealed.”
[18:09:14] River Snake: “I’ll drink to that” Snake raises his glass alongside Datei’s with a laugh and a smile. He’s tall and thin, with his hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing clothes that match those of any traveling merchant you’ve ever seen.
[18:14:33] Master of Games: “Hear, hear!” Fao refills both their cups. “I forget, have you ever been to Jibei? It’ll take your breath.”
[18:17:33] Raizo: Raizo smirks more to himself and his good fortune than to the lookout and gestures to the dozen braves beside him in the brush. The gestures are orders; now that they have the scent, they must strike at the most opportune moment. Hurry to the bend and ready your bows and sabers, they will board the barge as it takes the turn and cannot avoid them.
[18:18:41] River Snake: “I don’t think I have. I spent a lot of time when I was young wandering with my parents without a clear idea of where I was, but none of this area seems familiar”
[18:29:53] Master of Games: Raizo’s followers move with a seasoned confidence that belies the scant weeks or months they have fought together. They find their spots at the bend quietly, with conviction and anticipation, but no shouts of bravado. Soon.
…
The barge starts to shift, and Fao looks up. “Almost to the lake now! We should see the mountain any moment now.” He peeks out onto deck, trades a few words with the deckhands, and gestures. “There! The center of the world!”
[18:32:50] Master of Games: Indeed, if one joins Fao at the door, one would see a massive volcano coming into view as the barge turns down the last bend of river. Its aura is almost palpable even from here, but perhaps that’s just because Fao is talking it up for the guest of honor. “I’ve heard some Immaculates say their mountain’s the center of the world, but they would say that, wouldn’t they?”
Something, though, feels… off to River Snake.
[18:35:54] River Snake: Snake takes in the volcano, visibly quite impressed because it is indeed a massive volcano. “It is qute the impressive—“He stops mid sentence as his stance shifts and he looks around “I suddenly have a bad feeling about this”
[18:36:30] Datei ma Kagemori: “Is there something I should know?” He looks out at the volcano, lost in thought.
[18:37:30] Master of Games: “Not to worry,” Nosy Fao laughs. “If you’ve heard about bandits straying closer to the capital, it’s true, but we’ve paid them off, and our deckhands can hold their own in a pinch.”
[18:38:35] River Snake: “Its just a bad feeling in my gut, and its usually right”
[18:42:23] Raizo: As the barge nears the perfect spot, Raizo gives his men the final run down: arrows for suppression, then look for opportune targets. Sabers rush the guards and take control of the tiller. Follow Raizo’s charge.
[18:48:08] Master of Games: They’re not that well hidden—they rely on the fact that the turning barge in the middle of the turn is a sitting duck, and by the time they’re spotted it hardly matters. But River Snake does spot them just a little earlier than they’d anticipated, perhaps a dozen brigands lying in wait, half with bow and arrow ready to force the deckhands to seek cover, half with sabers drawn.
[18:48:50] River Snake: “And there it is, Yeah, bandits, and noy anyone I know from the looks of it, at the bend”
[18:51:30] Master of Games: “Truly? Where?” Fao curses. “Swampsucking riffraff, I swear on my blade I paid them off!”
[18:52:10] Datei ma Kagemori: Kagemori nods, a determined look in the eye. “Not the welcoming sort one presumes. I do not think we can avoid them. Fao, have the deckhands grab their weapons.” Kagemori does not move to get any weapon himself. As he gets to his feet, his unassuming, even somewhat vulnerable form reveals itself to move with a hidden, deadly grace.
[18:53:01] Master of Games: Raizo notes a slight unrest going through his raiders. Are the people on the boat acting oddly?
[18:56:03] Raizo: Raizo makes the order to attack by drawing his swords and charging into the surf. As his sandaled feet touch the water, he leaps and lands in a graceful crouch on the deck - a man with a wild mane of hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, a war mask of a snarling demon covering the bottom half of his face; his armor, well, it’s seen better days. “That one should be in such luxury while people starve under their oppressor’s boot; sickening!” Raizo barks as his men move to execute his plan, feathering the deck near him, warding off any who approach. “Toss those swords overboard and hand over the valuables. This is a hold-up.”
[19:01:02] River Snake: River snake shrugs and gulps down the remainder of his wine before throwing the ostentatious jeweled cup at Raizo’s feet. “That cup is worth enough to buy a house in the countryside somewhere, at least that’s what its previous owner bragged. Better in your hands than his”
[19:01:37] Master of Games: “Sir! There must be a mistake!” The shortest of the men on board addresses Raizo and gesticulates at the blue banner. “We have an agreement—our family’s seen better days, and we already gave you a donation! I talked to your lieutenant myself, the woman in a crocodile hide jacket. She said her name was Wily Preta?” None of the bandits are wearing crocodile hide, and Fao also realizes this now.
Raizo does not know any Wily Preta.
[19:03:38] Raizo: “Never heard of her.”
[19:05:48] Master of Games: “Well, shit.”
[19:06:15] Datei ma Kagemori: “Do you know whose boat you have stumbled upon, bandit? If you knew, you’d be offering to give us directions, not holding us up. House Datei rules the shadows throughout this land.” The mon of house Datei stands prominently upon the breast of Kagemori’s kimono. “Many have tried to usurp us, and they have ended up groveling at our feet or literring our graveyards. Which would you prefer?” He addresses the entire bandit party with a wave of his hand.
[19:26:52] Master of Games: Raizo knows his raiders are loyal and brave. He can tell the deckhands could put up a fight, but they’re outnumbered, and the passengers are a noble, a merchant, and a retainer. They should clearly have the advantage. Yet the mon of Datei and the young lord’s aura of danger sends a flinch through them, and they hesitate perhaps for the first time.
[19:35:55] Raizo: “The… Datei?” Raizo says, trying to hastily mask his surprise that his men might falter with some empty words. “Huh. You truly aren’t worth robbing.” Raizo’s stance drops and he sheathes his small sword, bouncing the other on his shoulder in thought. “Well, I was going to rob you and kill you, but… hm.”
[19:38:45] River Snake: “You’ll understand if we put up a fight if you plan on killing us”
[19:38:48] Datei ma Kagemori: “What!? I’ll have you know the Datei are powerful beyond measure!”
[19:48:15] Raizo: “They usually do put up a fight, but I haven’t met a barge I couldn’t take on my own yet.” Raizo levels his sword at Snake and then Kagemori. With a breath he wills a mote of Essence to his brow, bringing forth wisps of gold that solidify into a hollow sunburst of the purest gold. “For none can withstand the Unconquered Sun. His justice shines down on all under Heaven.”
[19:51:46] River Snake: Snake cant help but start laughing a bit as he looks over at Daitei. “Man, fate really has been a funny thing lately”
[19:53:33] Raizo: “Not usually the reaction that gets, I admit.”
[19:54:29] Datei ma Kagemori: Kagemori smirks at Snake’s laugh, and nods with a tilt of the head. “You’ve made this interesting, bandit. A nice trick you have.” A circle of gold, ringed in gold appears upon his brow. “Its one I’ve learned too, though. You stand before Datei ma Kagemori, lord of the Datei and crowned sun.”
[19:55:48] River Snake: “You see, I’m laughing because you’re the second one that stands in the sun I’ve met this month, and I stand in the sun’s shadow” He smile as the mark of Night appears on his forehead as well. “See, fate, funny”
[19:59:45] Raizo: The resolve that hardened behind Raizo’s eyes dissolves into a raised eyebrow. His sword dips in uncertainty. “Yeah, I can see why you’d say that now.”
[20:02:12] Raizo: With a heavy sigh, Raizo gives a wave ordering his men to standby for further orders and pulls his mask down. “Raizo and the Band of the Canopy, all present. Some call me the Urchin Prince. Not a title I came up with, but I like it.”
[20:05:16] Datei ma Kagemori: “A pleasure to meet you, Raizo. I admit I did not expect to find a Chosen on my way back home, let alone among bandits accosting me. Where shall we go from here? The gods have put us together for their own reasons one can surmise.”
[20:07:00] River Snake: Snake grins and holds out a hand “My name is Shadow’s Edge, though you may have heard of the River Snake, who is also me. The gods have been having fun with us all recently, havent they?”
[20:11:31] Raizo: “Well, I was already heading to Jibei, and it looks like your boat’s going that way. Mind if I ride along? Maybe we can smooth things over.”
[20:14:49] Datei ma Kagemori: “Not a request I hear often. So be it. Welcome aboard, Band of the Canopy. There should be more wine and tea if its desired. I’d advise against getting too drunk or rowdy though, we’ll be in port within a few hours.”
[20:15:51] Datei ma Kagemori: “Let us make peace, for are we not brothers under heaven?”
[20:16:46] Raizo: Raizo dips down to pick up the wine cup and moves to hand it back to River Snake. “Oh, and uh, you can have this one back.”
[20:17:30] River Snake: Snake retrives the cup and goes to refill it “Thanks, I stole it anyways so I wasnt very attached, but I could go for another drink”
[20:19:17] Master of Games: “You heard our lord!” Fao claps his hands and sets the deckhands into motion, and soon the barge is moving again as you talk. It’s a little cramped compared to before, but the boat was less laden that it was meant to look like in the first place.
The western stretch of Agate Lake fades into flat marshland, turning to river almost gradually. The barge must slow down here, both because it is entering sacred waters and to navigate the sedges. Here is said to be the abode of Dai-Kiga, who even the gods must respect by keeping above the water’s surface. The ship’s crew collectively say a prayer asking the great fish’s indulgence, a superstition which is officially discouraged but almost universally observed. Ama-ni-Traya looms to the south, ever giving its essence to the gods of this land and life to its people.
[20:23:04] Master of Games: Nosy Fao and some workers open more tea and wine for the unexpected guests and an impromptu welcoming party. In the doing, he apologizes profusely to Kagemori for his failure in planning the logistics of potential bandit attacks and asks Raizo, “Do you often raid these waters? We know of one band that’s started plying these marches just this summer, and people have been talking of the Urchin Prince, but our informants must’ve assumed you’re one and the same.”
[20:31:05] Datei ma Kagemori: Kagemori joins in with the collective prayer, and waves off Fao’s apology. “This meeting was fate’s design. There is only so much one can do in the face of heaven’s will.”
[20:33:33] Raizo: After his own prayer to both the fish and to Ama-ni-Traya, Raizo replies, “Not my usual territory, no. We’re from the leeward side of the mountain on Great Bough Hill. But we were on the way to Jibei, so I thought I might fatten our pockets a bit on the way.”
[20:38:13] Master of Games: Fao nods thoughtfully. “Feels like everyone but the Sword Prince is moving toward the capital these days. Something’s in the air.”
[20:40:14] Datei ma Kagemori: “What’s your business in Jibei?”
[20:41:33] Raizo: “A tumor grows on the heart of our great nation, and I would take its measure. That, and fortunes are drying up around my usual haunt, so I thought I might expand operations a bit. Keep our foes guessing.”
[20:46:58] Datei ma Kagemori: “Well, I hope that tumor isn’t my businesses or those that pay us for protection.”
[20:47:20] Master of Games: As you speak, travel proceeds apace on the waters. In time the barge is out of the wetlands and on clear water. Agate Lake proper is still and deep. At the great fish’s sufferance, diver-dredgers haul shimmering sand by the basketful from the lake’s bed to shore, then sift it for the sacred metal that is made into the most famous of Vanehan swords. Close to shore, one can see the play of light through the lake’s waters, drawing faint patterns in the shallow water as if one were sailing inside a pearl oyster. You can see the dredgers’ camps on the northern shore as you sail past the small islet near the lake’s center, avoiding a patch of unusually late morning fog. Today, though, they seem less active than Kagemori would expect them to be this time of year, spotting only a handful of people loitering on the shore. Perhaps this, too, is an omen of the troubled times ahead.
Jibei can be seen on the far shore by now. Nestled against the eastern shore, it winds up the mountainside to the dragon-backed manse from which all of Vaneha is ruled. Even at this distance it makes itself known, as if to punctuate Raizo’s words.
[20:48:05] Datei ma Kagemori: “Not many people on the water today…”
[20:48:40] River Snake: “Any guesses as to the cause?”
[20:51:49] Datei ma Kagemori: “Unclear. Perhaps Dai-Kiga has finally decided to devour them.”
[20:52:32] River Snake: “Hopefully not, I’d rather not deal with a hungry Dai-Kiga”
[20:55:16] Master of Games: “Well, if it’s devoured them, it might be full for a while,” Fao offers. “But it’s just superstition, if you ask me. Would the gods keep something they hadn’t tamed so close?”
[20:56:09] Datei ma Kagemori: “Either they have been driven off, or summoned to some other purpose.”
[20:58:03] Raizo: “Maybe they finally ran out of prisoners to send to the wall so they’re rounding up more commoners.” Raizo half-shrugs. “Might be worth checking out in town.”
[20:59:07] Master of Games: The sun climbs and the barge makes its way across the lake, and Jibei grows on the eastern shore. The hold-up at the river bend not withstanding, you’re set to land there around noon, like Fao predicted.
[21:03:02] Raizo: “As for whether I’m after your businesses or people, Datei, well, probably not. My prey is whoever would bleed our people dry. Wherever someone fights for a place to stand or struggles to be free, that’s where I’ll be. For harmony to grow in the land, we need to all see we are siblings and treat ourselves as such.”
[21:05:12] River Snake: “Fitting, my favorite marks are those who have gotten fat on taking what they don’t need from those with less than them. Though funny to hear from someone who earlier wanted to kill and rob us”
[21:06:41] Datei ma Kagemori: “We have arrived, gentlemen. I have some appointments to keep, though I am in no rush.”
[21:08:01] Raizo: “Well, I wasn’t born a bandit. I used to be the law of my own town once and I used to be that boot on people’s necks. But we can always learn and be better, eh?”
[21:09:57] Master of Games: Jibei is a beautiful city. It spirals gently down the cliff of Agate Lake’s eastern end, surrounded by sacred waters. Lavish estates are laid out on terraces divided by avenues like the cells and veins on a leaf. The streets are clean and even the humblest houses built with aesthetic simplicity in mind. Its layout is carefully planned to show those looking down from above only splendor and industry. But the architects’ foresight did not go only one way. Landing in the harbor, one sees docks and rowhouses at water’s edge, then small homes, then large ones, then mansions, and up to the dragon-backed manse, the ladder of existence laid out on terraces. One glance and you know where you belong. A Dynast would be pleased, religious differences not withstanding.
”A fine point there, Lord. Where to once we anchor? The estate?”
[21:15:54] Datei ma Kagemori: “The estate first, I think.”
[21:22:06] Master of Games: “The estate it is!” While the boat is still being moored, Nosy Fao hops off and arranges for two runners; to send word of Kagemori’s arrival with two guests to the Datei compound, and to find accommodations for the Band of the Canopy.
[21:24:18] Raizo: “Oh, you don’t have to give me room. I sleep under the same roof as my brothers, always. Besides, we need to talk strategy. But I’ll make it easy for you to find me.”