MargardKazuki/SessionTwelve

Resplendant Water

Mizugami visits his aunt's estate to see if there was anything that was supposed to be left for him in the event of her incapcitation or death. There was only something that was to be given to him if she died.

He sends an infallable message to Elena to try to find if there were any people that she had talked to who to warn them of his plans. Mnemon Lapel, prefect of Wallport, is willing to hand over control at the arrival of a Legion.

He also sends a message to Roseblack to arrange for a meeting. Two days later, he receives a response from General Tepet where he reveals his plan to bring the Vermillion Legions to the North. He is trying to ensure that she will not be coming as a conquering army, but as a way to defend Cherak. They make all their arrangements, and when Mizugami goes to speak with the Satrip, she seems to be amenable to the plan.

Jahanna speaks to Mizugami to help her talk to House Cathak since she has changed her mind about the family she wishes to join.

Judas has found out that the Dreameaten that he had Mizugami order using false fronts are being delivered soon. He also discovers that there are mercenaries being hired as guards for the shipment. A member of the Cherak Deliberative, Brilliant Tooth, is the one handling the requisition, but according to Mizugami, it seems that he's on the up-and-up as far as Cherak goes.

Judas enlists the help of the Purple Master of the First Pulse Style in exchange for a dojo in the city. He also talks to Yorake to arrange for a party for his friends so that they will be in place to break up the fight between the hired mercenaries and the students of the First Pulse Style. He declines the party invitation so that he can do his own thing.

The rest of the group goes to the party, Kazuki almost mistakenly breaks up the fight between two leviathans that are part of the party's entertainment. However, it isn't long before the real fight begins. In order to prevent a pre-round massacre, The Wind jumps in just as the mercenaries are prepping their bows. A few arrows land amidst the First Pulse gang and the fight is on.

The Wind drops a few smoke bombs before sneaking into the warehouse to look for the Dreameaten. Back at the party, the fight appears to have escalated to a reasonable level, Mizugami and Ranka proceed to break up the fight. Kira watches from a distance. Kazuki is on the dance floor, thinking that the smoke and First Pulse lights are a part of the entertainment too, at least until Jahanna tells him that it's time to go.

Inside the warehouse, The Wind discovers the slave pen, watched over by mercenaries, and three imposing figures who are obviously trained martial artists. They are wearing buff jackets and carry exotic weaponry -- a staff-wielder, a ringed broadsword user, and a chakram thrower.

The Wind attempts to panic the group by dropping a smoke bomb and yelling 'fire!' He manages to convince the mercenary guards to abandon their posts, but the martial artists stay put. Judas then attempts to intimidate them by appearing, opening the latches to the pen, and telling his enemies to leave.

Two of them are shaken by his announcement since he was more than they bargained for. The sword wielder attacks, but his weapon glances off Judas' armored skin.

Judas attempts to push the swordsman away, and stuns him with a punch. The fighters regroup and attempt to surround The Wind.

Outside, Mizugami and Reflections are using their anima to break up melees. Kira runs up the smoke columns to scan the field looking for fallen combatants. She manages to pull 5 out of the fight. Jahanna flares her anima and uses its searing flame to panic the combatants into running away. Kazuki wades into the fight, beating up anyone coming his way with his fists. Ranka fires a burst of flame above the crowd's head, while Soosilus tells the smoke to convince people to leave. Back at the party, Mahiro and Rokumasu tend to the wounded that Kira brings back.

The scrum doesn't last long, but it's long enough for The Wind to convince his opponents to give up. He frees the slaves and sets the warehouse on fire while the group outside preoccupies the mercenaries.

In the end, Kira, Mahiro, and Rokumasu save ten lives. Kazuki, not fully aware of the bold plan, rushes into the burning warehouse in an attempt to rescue those that were still trapped inside. He and the Mercenary captain are surprised to find the warehouse empty, and Kazuki -- in a moment of rare insight -- finds clues of a fight and has an idea of where the slaves have gone off to, but Mizugami steers him away. The Wind manages to lead 61 Dreameaten slaves to Ferem Havelock and he disappears to lay low for a while since the Guild is now certain of his existence and there is no doubt a price on his head now.

Back to Mizugami's plans, the Satrip and Roseblack come to an agreement and the next phase begins. Mizugami entreaties V'neef Tagraat to bring ships from the merchant fleet to watch over the coast while the Cherak navy goes to rescue the Legions. He tells Danic of the plans, and she offers to return to the Blessed Isle to address the Deliberative. Crow will be taking over as the class' rector. With that, all plans are set in motion.

Kira, while exploring a renewed interest in ghosts, is introduced to geomancers and thaumaturges that Saiki knows. She works with them to investigate apparent hauntings, though most of the incidents turn out to be angered elemental spirits who were disturbed by bad Feng Shui. However, one day, one of the Geomancers that Kira sent out to investigate an abandoned temple does not return. After two days, Kira calls the group together to see who would be interested in investigating.

In Kira's research, this is a known, haunted temple. The residents in the area have always avoided going in there. They see that the geomancer has gone it, but not gone out. Kira also finds the tracks of a bipedal creature with goat's hooves.

They question a couple of the locals, find out that the Geomancer had also asked around a bit before entering the temple. He investigated the grounds a little, then vanished from view and never returned.

The group enters the temple grounds and discover a gigantic starmetal chain link sticking out of the ground. They decide against messing with it and go to investigate the temple proper. Inside, the temperature suddenly becomes humid and warm. There is blood splattered all over the floor. At the center of the room is a stairwell leading to the lower levels.

Below, someone notices that the ground appears to be "breathing." The group decides to pull back and call in the experts.

Cynis Takgana is summoned -- he brings with him Kasif and several monks from the Immaculate Order. They've known about the temple -- the Immaculate Order had a spirit guarding the area, but it was now gone. He didn't know about the bound creature, but he believes it is a full-grown leviathan that is being bound to power some of the First Age technology in the city. The adults plan to investigate further and repair the damage done -- they call for Ferem Lasha to recreate the kekkai that had been destroyed. Takgana suggests that the group hunt down "Goatboy" before he returns to the Temple, to prevent the violence from causing any more problems in the area.

Kira tracks Goatboy to the Undercity. A few yards into the tunnel, Kira detects motion with malevolent intent, and utterly destroys an earthen tentacle that had just come out of the wall at her. She follows through by pushing Mizugami to the ground. Ranka follows through quickly and takes control of the Elemental, and tasks it to assist the group.

Ranka realizes that the summoner, who is confirmed to be Goatboy, would realize that his control of the Elemental would have been severed. The group hurries down the corridor to face their enemy.

As they arrive at the scene, the group sees Goatboy casting what appears to be a necromantic spell. Several lumbering zombies also lurch into action. Judas opens up with a strike against Goatboy, and those a significant chunk of necrotic flesh is knocked away, it seems unfazed. Mizugami follows through by vaulting over Judas and splits Goatboy's head in two, but it continues on. Jahanna follows through with her own attack, attempting to rip out its heart with an eagle claw fist, unfortunately, she does not find anything there.

Reflections and Moro go on zombie patrol. Reflections takes one out. Moro does not.

Goatboy manages to complete its spell, and a bubble of green flame erupts from him, spreading out and engulfing almost everything in the room. Kazuki manages to avoid it, and Judas seems unaffected, but some of the group are hurt or shaken.

Ranka commands her new elemental friend to attack Saddock, otherworldly Goat thing. An elemental tentacle pokes out of the ground and skewers Saddock, wounding him. Ranka turns to the zombies and sets it on fire, but it does not go down. Soosilus, however, nukes one and turns it to dust.

Kira and Kazuki finally get their chance, and reprising their team attack, Kira shoots Kazuki's Ether Slasher at Saddock, wounding him further, and Kazuki follows through, grabbing the Ether Slasher on his way past, bounces off the far wall, and spears Saddock from behind, utterly liquifying Saddock. Kazuki is covered in Goatboy goo and splats against Judas' armored body, sliding down and leaving behind a trail of slime. He is too grossed out to act any further, while the rest of the group wipes out the remainder of the zombies.

Kira finds a book amongst the charred ruins of the room. She is advised against reading the book while Mizugami destroys the last zombie. Judas is able to safely pick up the book of vile evil.

While the rest of the group takes the book to Virtuous Cloud, Mizugami goes to inform the Abbott about the fate of the zombie Goatman.

Virtuous Cloud tells the group that the book is from the Shadowland. She urges that Ranka never attempt to summon the spirit of the book. She will be keeping the book with her possessions, but she allows them to study from it. It was written by the dead to be used by thaumaturges who can use its knowledge to control the undead.

Finally, during the Deliberative Meeting of Ascending Wood, it is finally decided that the Colleges of the Fivefold Path will be going to Whitewall for its school trip. Judas reveals his reasons for wanting to visit the First Age library there, and tells the others about the sunken library under Cherak that he discovered while he was plugged into the artifact a few months ago.

Judas, Mizugami, and Ranka argue about the merits of leaving Haining out of the loop when it comes to the First Age Library in Whitewall. Judas goes to speak with Haining to learn more about what makes him tick.

Judas still doesn't quite see the reasons for leaving Haining behind, so Ranka takes him to talk to Virtuous Cloud. She reveals that she believes that he will inevitably be drawn to tomes that he will not be able to control, and he will become under its thrall and truly become a handpuppet of evil. She suggests that they talk to Mizugami and Kira to have Kira's family invite Haining to their family estate for the summer instead, to give him something more appealing than the school trip.

As Ascending Wood comes to a close, the Cherak Navy sails away, leaving the city with the bulk of its military protection gone.