LOG START
[17:11:27] Master of Games
All Creation, Beneath the Sword
Session 7
The great creature shifts, dropping part of the… tarps? blankets? laid over it. It seems most like a centipede, but it’s large enough to coil itself around the blooming obelisk at the island’s center and sports what look like nothing quite so much as antlers.
Whatever it may be, it came here together with the witch that the dredger-priestess San has described to you, and it lounges between you and getting to the bottom of whatever’s going on here. By sword, word, or trickery, you’ll have to get past it.
[17:21:06] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori stares at the beast’s antlers. Nothing like that on the centipedes he’s more familiar with. He wracks his brain with trying to recall if he’s read about great antlered bugs among the courts of the elementals of the earth. Is this being unique, or one of a known, if perhaps magical, race?
[17:21:35] River Snake
Snake contines to study the weird centipde demon. Trying to think if he’s heard of anything else like it. Plenty of ruins have had texts and murals of strange monsters in them…some even occasionally had the strange monsters. Maybe something he’s seen or read will have a trick to it, or at least something close to it. He scratches his chin as he tries to remember all the faded wall art he’s seen on his treasure hunts
[17:23:57] Raizo
”How do we even get its attention to attempt to parley? I could try shooting at it, but that isn’t a very diplomatic greeting.”
[17:26:22] Datei ma Kagemori
”I was expecting to yell at it. Even beasts usually react to that.”
[17:44:49] Master of Games
There’s nothing quite like this that Kagemori knows of among the incarnate spirits of earth. For that matter, he finds himself unsure what court this creature should belong to—earth, or perhaps wood? While the centipede is common iconography in Vaneha’s military, as on the tiger-and-centipede banner, he doesn’t know of any of the Ninety-Nine Stars taking a centipede’s form. The antlers seem to belong to another creature entirely. At least, though it’s hard to be certain without longer-term observation, he would expect it to rest invisible and intangible were it kin to gods or demons. That makes it a bit of a gamble whether the creature can, in fact, be reasoned with, but he leans towards yes: after all, it seems to be following orders to guard the central complex.
River Snake is certain, at least, that he hasn’t seen this exact creature recorded anywhere. The best he has in his memory is iconography similar to portions of what they’ve seen so far: a centipede large enough to coil around a mountain and devour dragons, a deer-god of some sort, eightfold pseudo-ramparts of clouds and mist… He’s not seen enough of them to piece together a coherent narrative, but he’s seen such things out of Vaneha, and then on very old remains. Perhaps this thing is related to whatever predated the reign of the Stars?
[17:48:58] Datei ma Kagemori
”Hmm. This was supposedly summoned by the witch, but it is not an elemental I know of. Perhaps the witch has some more personal bargain with the being than the spiritual bondage a sorcerer can compel. If I was hoping to get a gauge on her power from discerning how she called this being, I am at a loss. Or from where she derives her abilities, for that matter.”
[17:49:42] River Snake
”The best I can come up with for that thing Is I get the feeling its old. Everything I’ve seen like it has been in the oldest places. Before the Stars”
[17:50:11] River Snake
”I’m just going off old paintings in ruins and the like though” He shrugs
[17:51:38] Datei ma Kagemori
”Hmm. From a previous dynasty of gods is intriguing, but in that case it is using a great deal of power to stay in corporeal form. Or my knowledge in the courts of the elementals is simply lacking, perhaps. Perhaps it is not that the witch has personal ties to it, but that it is somehow tied to this place then?”
[17:52:22] River Snake
”It looks like a few different things I’ve seen mashed together. So maybe its a beast of the summoner’s imagination. I’m not sure how that kind of magic works”
[17:53:15] River Snake
”It could also be tied to the land, like you said. If its a local creature of course it wouldnt be in old murals somewhere else”:
[17:53:15] Datei ma Kagemori
”That could line up with the fog we went through earlier. We never saw, if I recall, the antlers and the centipede together until now.”
[17:55:31] Datei ma Kagemori
”In any case, it seems we think it is a being of spiritual import, not merely a grand beast. Which means it likely can be reasoned with.”
[17:56:13] Raizo
”Good. Then how will we approach?”
[18:00:00] River Snake
”I guess we go say hello? And be ready to run or fight as needed.”
[18:02:24] Datei ma Kagemori
”We can try to avoid its notice until it is closer, but only to an extent. I think we should try to get the Band of the Canopy into position in case this does end up a fight before speaking to it, if able.”
[18:08:05] River Snake
”I can try to sneak past it, but I’m not sure how much good that will do. I can hold my own, but I’m no swordmaster”
[18:09:24] Raizo
”Good thing I am.”
[18:09:31] Datei ma Kagemori
”Sneaking past to it to get to the witch is an option, but you would be on your own.”
[18:18:41] Raizo
”Look there,” he gestures with a jutted chin to a spot where one of the fallen tarps has fallen onto some of the scattered pillars, making an awning that gives enough shelter to move to an outward-facing gallery on one of the structures, that happens to be pretty close to the centipede without offering direct line of sight in. “Blind spot. I’ll hustle there with men. You can try talking, and if things don’t go well, we’ll spring out.”
[18:23:31] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori nods, and waits for them to move. Once the Band is in position, Kagemori walks forward in the middle of the road with pride and confidence. Once the centipede again moves such that its head is straight ahead, he raises his voice. “Intruder, I am Kagemori, lord of all clan Datei! Under the blessings of the Heavens I am a ruler of these lands!” Kagemori knows how to wield his voice to command respect. He points at the centipede accusatorily. “You are disrupting the rituals and traditions of the priesthood here and I will not allow this. Leave, or allow me entrance to the inner shrine. Obey, or you won’t be given two options next time.” He is not used to negotiating with yells, but his confidence does not shake, staring down the creature with a gaze that would make a tiger look away in shameful defeat.
[18:32:33] Master of Games
The centipede-thing moves in response, its feelers swaying in what might be brief puzzlement before it makes out the source of the voice. Kagemori’s suspicion of the creature’s intelligence is vindicated as it obviously turns its full unfriendly attention towards him, considering.
[18:54:08] Master of Games
It does not retreat, or bow its head, or any of the other things Kagemori might expect from a suitably cowed human, but it does not attack either. Given it’s large enough to simply devour him whole, that alone, and the movements of its feelers, prove that he’s made an impression. The antler-centipede’s legs and mandibles rub together to produce a loud, high-pitched sound, only so much chirping to Kagemori’s ears. But River Snake recognizes words in it, heavily accented and unpractices, but nonetheless the language of spirits and ancient secrets. It’s asking what Kagemori wants, not in the friendliest way, but in a tone that indicates it would rather not anger him.
[18:59:30] River Snake
Snake cautiously steps out from his hiding place to stand near Kagemoiri “Its asking what you want. Somewhat unhappily. At least I think.”
[19:02:58] Datei ma Kagemori
”…Ah. I suppose I should have tried more than one tongue. Perhaps Riverspeak also would have had the same issue. Tell it we want to be let inside the shrine.”
[19:06:07] Master of Games
The creature responds with something that roughly translates to, “Mother does not want to be disturbed.”
[19:07:20] River Snake
”Its calling her mother, saying she doesnt want to be disturbed”
[19:08:15] Datei ma Kagemori
”Mother? Huh.” Kagemori takes another step forward. “Is she alone in the shrine? We’re looking for the people from the beach.”
[19:10:51] River Snake
Snake relays the message, doing his best to do so in a way that will make the monster respond favorably.
[19:13:10] Master of Games
The centipede moves its head backwards a little bit and rubs its feelers as if considering. Perhaps it needs to think about who you mean. Then, it says, <Architects are helping Mother. Wanted to talk to them.>
[19:15:01] Datei ma Kagemori
”Tell it we’re the bosses of the architects. We can help even more.”
[19:16:22] River Snake
Snake smiles and relays the message, its more or less the same as he would have said. Now that we’re here they can help better.
[19:25:00] Datei ma Kagemori
”If its relationship - as it sees it - is familial rather than contractual, rely on that. A good son helps however he can, does he not, and surely mother would want the help of even more architects?” Kagemori, still staring at the centipede, gestures vigorously towards his own mon. He doubts the centipede can recognize the meaning of it, so he hopes the centipede will only notice that it is of a similar style (though depicting a different animal) as the one worn by the Anori.
[19:27:09] River Snake
SNake goes on with it, playing up the great importance they will have to the architect’s work, and how happy its mother would be to have even more skilled assistants for her business”
[19:28:40] Raizo
Raizo, meanwhile, watches this all unfold understanding, well, only the parts in Forest-tongue with his men, hand on the hilt on his sword. It sounds like it isn’t about to go pear-shaped, but he is, after all, the contingency.
[19:41:41] Master of Games
The centipede visibly vacillates. Were it human, perhaps it would be looking back and forth, but instead its feelers and mandibles go into a thoughtful flurry of activity. Then, it moves, putting Raizo’s men on alert, but it is actually lifting its body to open a path toward the interior complex, and moving its head near that opening to chirp something to those inside.
[19:43:13] Master of Games
From what River Snake understands, it has agreed to let them through.
[19:46:59] River Snake
”Well, it seems to have agreed to let us in. Hopefully it doesnt change its mind.” Snake switches back to old realm and thanks it for its cooperation, adding that he’ll tell its mom how good of a job its doing.
[19:47:54] Datei ma Kagemori
”Let us move before it reconsiders.”
[19:49:23] Master of Games
Closer, you can hear an irritable voice in reply to the centipede’s vocalizations: “What in a raccoon-dog’s ballsack do you mean, more architects?”
[19:51:39] Raizo
Raizo motions for the Band to rise and follow and then hustles to Snake and Kagemori before slowing his pace and strolling more casually inside.
[19:52:47] Datei ma Kagemori
Kagemori declines to speak up until he thinks the centipede cannot easily get at him anymore.
[20:08:43] Master of Games
The antler-centipede gives the Band of the Canopy what passes for the side-eye with its anatomy, though it doesn’t outright challenge them. Inside, shaded by a roof and a giant centipede, you find a ritual hall constructed around rocky growths from the ground, carvings in the wood complementing the mineral patterns. It’s open in the back, allowing access to the blooming obelisk, which you see from here is surrounded with ropes and paper streamers.
More importantly, there are three persons in here. Two of them, a reptilian beastfolk and a heavyset, androgynous human, are quickly recognizable from their clothing as the missing Anori geomancers.
The third is a short woman, covered in tattoos and ritual scars and clothed in garb that might put Raizo in mind of what some of the peoples of the Scantling Territories beyond the Great Palisade wear. Her nails are grown long, and you see when she opens her mouth to speak that her front teeth are sharp. “Who are you supposed to be?” Even without judging a book by its cover, it’s easy to guess by simple elimination that the woman glaring at the newcomers is the witch you’ve heard of, or the centipede’s Mother.
[20:12:33] Datei ma Kagemori
”Datei ma Kagemori. I am investigating the disappearance of the Anori delegation.” He looks at the two geomancers. “Are you her hostages?”
[20:23:54] Master of Games
The presumptive hostages nod, but the witch cuts them off. “I’m not looking for a ransom. What do you want?”
[20:24:30] Raizo
”Answers first, then we’ll decide what happens after that.”
[20:29:06] Datei ma Kagemori
”The Anori to return safely and the priests to be able to return to their lives. We also know what the Anori were going to investigate. What do you intend to do? I don’t see the need to do it this way if you’re aiming to accomplish the thing as the geomancers.”
[20:39:04] Master of Games
The woman grimaces, then barks a laugh. “Great question! I’ve got a lot on my plate, clansman. Nothing’s quite working right. I was just starting to think maybe I should eat the big god-fish.”