IsleOfJade/SessionTwenty

A Crisis of Friendship

((You are in the lower tomb of the Sun Tyrant. It’s about 30 minutes since you fought the statues. You've been talking about some of the things that happened and Kaimi got very sick...but she seems ok now.))

(1) Yeled: Mou-Shendu and Kaimi emerge from the stair that leads to the upper tomb.

Sook will be following kaimi and mou, silently...he isn’t quite sure of his role now, and is kind of waiting for something to happen that might tell him what to do with his life

Mou-Shendu enters the large room and stands in silence for a moment, looking. After a brief pause, he makes his way back up onto the Barque, and goes about the business of returning the body of Jia Bouyu to a comfortable position within his sarcophagus.

Kaimi follows Mou onto the barque. When she sees Jia Bouyu her whole face tightens up.

Mou-Shendu: "This, we presume, is Jia Bouyu."

Kaimi: "Who did this?" Kaimi 's voice is cold and her displeasure is almost tangible.

Mou-Shendu: If Sook followed him into the cabin, Mou will give him the chance to answer Kaimi first.

Sook followed, but said nothing. "it is a corpse, no more, no less"

Mou-Shendu: "When he didn't know what happened to you, Sook became very upset," Mou answers at last.

Kaimi turns peircing stare at Sook.

Sook: "alas, he did not tell me what he did with you....so he stopped being of any used to me"

Kaimi: "I thought you said he was no more than a corpse. How then did you suppose he would tell you anything?"

Sook: "your logic is infallible…and what does it matter....to you?"

Mou-Shendu stops what he's doing and turns to look at the faces of Sook and Kaimi, studying them.

Kaimi: "How ‘bout that the sarcophagus was supposed to have been cursed? I don't suppose you bothered to find a way around that did you?"

Sook: "a curse means little to me.....in the face of losing my purpose in life." Sook stares into her eyes with his two, uneven ones, steel, stone and wood in his gaze.

Kaimi: "What is a purpose without a life to fulfill it?" Kaimi meets his gaze staring him down fiercely.

Sook: "it appears it has been fulfilled....so what matter is it now?"

Kaimi: "What are you talking about?!"

Sook: "you have obviously....done what was intended....i have done what i had to do make it so....you, apparently, no longer have need of me....."

Kaimi walks up and smacks him.

Sook glances at mou, then one more hard look into her eyes....he then turns and strides to the door, and, without turning, "now, i will go and assist those who still have need of me"....he then walks out

Mou-Shendu watches him go, frowning slightly.

Kaimi: "What does that mean Sook? What did you see in me? Just a purpose? A mission?" Kaimi yells after him. "Is that why you followed me around all these years? To complete a task?"

(1) Yeled: Ayame sees Sook storm out of the cabin on the barque.

Ayame is leaning by the doorway as Sook walks out "Tough crowd."

Sook grunts at ayame and heads toward the stairs.

Kaimi storms after him throwing her hands up in the air

Mou-Shendu: "Kaimi." Mou says, softly, but firmly.

Kaimi ignores Mou and continues to berate Sook. "So now what? Now that’s it? You're done?"

Sook simply strides up the stairs and out of sight.

Kaimi: "Sook! I thought we were friends!"

(1) Yeled: Mou is left looking at Ayame as the others have their spat.

Mou-Shendu sighs. He returns to the task of straightening Jia Bouyu, and replaces the lid on his coffin. When Mou is finished, he exits the cabin and approaches Ayame.

Kaimi turns around and walks straight up to Mou and looks at him directly in the face.

Mou-Shendu turns to Kaimi, surprised.

Kaimi: "Did you put him back?" Kaimi’s voice is aggressive and angry.

Mou-Shendu: "I did. But I cannot lift the heavy sarcophagus slabs alone." Mou-Shendu 's voice is calm and patient.

Kaimi: "Fine. I'll help you. Lets go."

Mou-Shendu: "Even with the three of us, it will not be easy."

Kaimi stands back and considers for a moment. "How likely will it be that Sook will be cursed from this?"

Mou-Shendu: "I do not know. The curse may just be a bluff, to frighten would-be grave robbers. But if it is real, I do not know how it works. It may have affected Sook. It may have affected us all. I can really only guess."

Kaimi: "Any chance that if we get the slabs back on it will go away?"

Mou-Shendu: "There is a chance that may be so. I do not know."

Ayame: "Well let's just hurry up and do something. I think we've been in this place long enough."

Kaimi: "Then lets do this. At the very least we can do right by Jia Bouyu."

Kaimi gives a watery smile. "After all we wouldn't want him bothering Echo. I doubt she would appreciate that."

Mou-Shendu nods. "Thank you, Kaimi. Ayame, will you help us?"

Ayame saunters over.

Mou-Shendu returns to the cabin to help the others replace the coffin's lid.

Kaimi heads in after one angry glance over her shoulder toward the tombs entrance.

(1) Yeled: The three of you struggle with all your might to lift the smallest, inner coffin lid back into place. The massive, solid metal lid is incredibly heavy and you are forced to lift it over and over, shifting it only a few inches each time before your strength gives out and you have to take a break. Eventually, however, you are able to place it atop the coffin.

Kaimi 's teeth are gritted and she shakes her head back and forth tightly every so often

Ayame: "Sheesh, I wonder who put this thing on there in the first place"

Kaimi: "Probably those that put him here. The jerks."

Mou-Shendu turns to Ayame again, to ask her what he had intended to earlier.

Mou-Shendu: "Ayame. This pearl... where did you say you got it?"

Ayame: "I told you it was from a horny nymph." Ayame rolls her eyes

Kaimi: "I would ask you to elaborate but it just doesn't seem safe."

Mou-Shendu: "In these waters here?" he asks, gesturing outside the cabin.

Ayame: "Uh-huh"

Kaimi: "Where is she now?"

Ayame: "Gone"

Kaimi: "Gone where?" Kaimi looks distracted like she is only half talking about the nymph.

Mou-Shendu: "Did she tell you about it, or say why she gave it to you?"

Ayame: "Nooo..."

Mou-Shendu: "May I take a look at it?"

Ayame: "Fine I guess." Ayame digs around in her robe and pulls out the large pearl

(1) Yeled: The pearl is the size of a large marble and appears perfect in every way. The golden light of the room illuminates the white pearl and it shimmers with blues, purples, and greens deep within its surface.

Mou-Shendu reaches out to take the pearl from Ayame.

Ayame closes her hand and pulls back "You said look!"

Mou-Shendu withdraws his hand slightly. "My apologies. May I hold it for a short while, Ayame?"

Ayame: "What's in it for me?"

Mou-Shendu: "I was hoping to be able to tell you more about it. And to see if it may be linked to Kaimi, and our purpose here. I don't want to rule anything out"

Kaimi: "linked to me? how? Why should it be linked to me? Maybe it is linked to Ayame. It was given to Her!"

Ayame: "Yeah!"

Mou-Shendu: "You are both probably right. But as I said, I don't want to rule anything out."

Kaimi glares at Mou

Ayame looks down at her hand and the pearl "Hmph, fine, you can hold it for a few seconds". With that she hands it over.

Mou-Shendu takes the pearl from Ayame. "This will take five or six minutes," he says. "And I will give it right back. You have my word."

Ayame: "IF you lose it I'll make you into a pearl. I have that power you know!"

Mou-Shendu holds the pearl up in front of his face. He closes his eyes and mutters some sort of chant under his breath. After a few minutes, his eyes snap open and he stares at the pearl, eyes almost too wide.

Mou-Shendu: [7d10.vs(7)] => [2,4,3,1,9,4,2] = (1)

Mou-Shendu: After a minute or so, Mou blinks his eyes repeatedly as if they have been strained as he lowers to pearl and hands it back to Ayame.

Ayame takes it.

Mou-Shendu frowns. "I was hoping to learn more about its nature. I can tell you it is enchanted. Perhaps you will let me study it further some time."

Ayame: "Yeah maybe."

Ayame stuffs it back down her robe

Mou-Shendu steps out onto the deck of the Barque and looks up the stairs after Sook.

*****

(1) Yeled: After twenty five minutes navigating through the tomb, Sook reaches the entrance. Its dark as pitch except for the small light from his paper lantern (which amazingly survived the fight with the statues), which is reflected off the beautiful, multicolored murals that line the tomb walls. The solid orichalcum door which glowed so brightly when Kaimi had opened it is shut and dark, again save for the light from Sook's lantern...which seems to produce a golden warmth far greater than it should have done reflecting against a normal metal material.

Sook: "wonderful"

Sook tentatively touches the door

(1) Yeled: The door is warm to the touch...but it has always been warm to the touch for as long as Sook can remember.

Sook pushes against it, to see if it might, by some miracle, open

(1) Yeled: The door does not budge.

Sook grunts...he didn’t expect any better.....he leans against the wall, the slides into a comfortable crouch, wedged against the wall....he douses the lantern, and, with a sigh, commits himself to the wait

*****

(1) Yeled: The stairs are quiet. There is no sign of Sook.

Kaimi walks up behind Mou and sighs."We should go get him. To make sure he's alright."

Mou-Shendu: "Yeah, we'd better go find Sook..."

Ayame: "If it means getting out of here, sure."

Mou-Shendu nods.

Kaimi: "Yah. Let’s." Kaimi moves to disembark the Barque.

(1) Yeled: there is a partial pier, the end of it broke

Ayame runs and tries to jump the gab between the barque and the intact pier

Kaimi also jumps the gap

(1) Yeled: The two girls land easily and gracefully on the pier.

Ayame: "Well come on." Ayame heads up the stairs.

Mou-Shendu glances at the hearthstone in the pool of liquid light for a long moment.

Kaimi walks forward along the pier as soon as she lands. The transition is so fluid, she might never have jumped at all

Mou-Shendu sighs. He makes a running jump from the Barque onto the broken pier below.

(1) Yeled: …and lands easily.

Mou-Shendu nods to Kaimi as he approaches her, and makes his way after Ayame toward the exit.

(1) Yeled: The light from the lower room illuminates the stairs for a while, but eventually it becomes very dark and hard for Ayame to see. She will have to wait for Mou and his lantern if she wants to see anything. And he isn't moving quickly.

Ayame: "Hey, come on!"

(1) Yeled: Eventually Mou and Kaimi catch up and the three of them make their way up to the upper tomb. They come into the chariot room with its colorful murals and magnificent war machine, but see no sign of Sook nor of Fu.

Kaimi: "Fu may be mad at us. The way we tore up this place."

Mou-Shendu (and I assume the others) continue toward the exit.

(1) Yeled: You are forced to navigate your way across the invisible bridge but eventually make it to the entrance, where you see Sook crouched with his back against the sealed orichalcum door.

Sook stands, turning to the group, standing imposingly over them at the top of the stairs

Mou-Shendu approaches. "I assume you tried to open the door?"

Sook nods,"wont budge"

Mou-Shendu: "Did you knock?"

Sook: "no"

Kaimi: "Knock?"

(1) Yeled: Sook and Mou's anima banners have become noticeably calmer, although bright swirling essence of wood and water flow about them, respectively.

Mou-Shendu walks up to the door and knocks firmly and rapidly.

Sook steps out of his way at the last moment, allowing him to see that the door is immobile

(1) Yeled: The sound of the knock doesn't carry well through the solid, heavy metal. But there is some small sound produced. However, after several moments nothing happens.

Kaimi: "Ah... nothing’s happening?"

Mou-Shendu frowns. "Hmmm. I assumed Master Li would have planned an exit strategy."

Ayame: "You can open it Kaimi!"

Mou-Shendu stands aside to let her try.

Kaimi shrugs. "Might as well. Course there's no sunlight here this time."

Mou-Shendu: "And no key".

Kaimi puts both hands on the door and pushes.

(1) Yeled: The inside of the door is a solid orichalcum surface with no discernable features beyond big and flat. Despite Kaimi’s best efforts the door remains firmly in place.

Kaimi steps back and shrugs

Mou-Shendu draws his sai. "Let's give Master Li one more shot." He flips the sai around, blunt side out, and strikes the door three times.

(1) Yeled: It bangs much more loudly than Mou's fist. Everyone waits. After several minutes there is still no response.

Sook: "yeah.....none of that works"

Ayame: "We're all going to die down here!"

Sook: "maybe mou can open the roof and we can climb out"

Ayame: "Well maybe you are... uh... I'm going to get out of here" Ayame concentrates for a moment.

Mou-Shendu: "Ayame, wait"

Kaimi: "What did you say before Mou? To make the bridge room get in place?"

Mou-Shendu: "I gave praise to 'the Sun Tyrant', whose brilliance conquers the darkness. But I doubt that will help us here. But there may be another way."

Kaimi: "Oh?"

Ayame waits for a moment. "What? Why should I wait?"

Kaimi: "Yah we love you too Ayame."

Mou-Shendu: "Well, the water in the lower tomb chamber is going somewhere. Ayame, you may be the best suited to discovering if it’s a viable exit."

Ayame: "I don't want to have to walk all the way back down there!"

Mou-Shendu: "You could try slipping through and fetching the Master, I suppose. But if the magical seals that kept us out work to keep you in, you might want to be very careful."'

Ayame: "Pff, yeah yeah, careful." Ayame goes back to concentrating and her form begins to ripple slightly.

Kaimi: "Wait! What if you can't get back in either. Or will Master Li really be able to open the door? What if it was me?"

Mou-Shendu nods very subtly his agreement with Kaimi, more to himself than to the others.

Sook: "then mou can open the cieling"

(1) Yeled: Ayame's form begins to dematerialize and there is a splash of water on the ground as Ayame disappears.

Kaimi: "Mou you think this Sun thing is with me now? Maybe it can get us out. How do I make it work?" Kaimi puts her hands back on the door and tries to will it open. "C'mon work. Open!"

Mou-Shendu: "I wish I had the answers to your questions, Kaimi. You see, Sook," Mou begins, out of the blue "I don't think that was Kaimi alone helping us back there. If she can do again what she did before, she certainly doesn't have control over it. She cannot will it to happen. She will still be needing your protection."

Sook: "dawn star needs my attention more at this point…or did you forget she is wounded?" Sook glances at kaimi when he says this

Mou-Shendu: "I did not forget, but she is in the very capable hands of your teacher. But I do not think your role here is yet complete."

Sook frowns, "nevertheless, i have a bad feeling"

Kaimi: "Ha. Forget about someone who really is my friend? Not a chance!" Kaimi crosses her arms and glares at Sook

Sook: "maybe you can shoot sun rays at the door and blow it off the hinges"

Kaimi: "You would like that wouldn't you?"

Mou-Shendu frowns. He was afraid this would resume the bickering, but had been hoping it wouldn't.

Sook: "im sure we would all like that....it would get us out of here.

Kaimi: "It doesn't matter anyway. I already tried. Or did you think I was faking. The power is gone Sook."

Sook: "you tried without purpose....now you have a reason for it to work. Maybe you simply aren’t trying hard enough.”

Kaimi: " No! It’s just me! Like always. If that’s not good enough for you too bad!"

Sook: "or maybe you should finally take the masters advice, and stop trying, and start doing"

Kaimi jaw drops open in outrage

Mou-Shendu sits down against the door. He closes his eyes and rests one ear on the metal door. He begins to meditate, but does not block out the argument completely.

Kaimi: "I do do!” yells Kaimi, and adding extra emphasis to the second ‘do.’ “All the time! But I'm not exalted. How can I do something I can't do? Why don't you do something oh exalted one?"

Sook: "you are something....what,i cannot begin to say....but mortals do not flip through the air flinging sun bolts that make living statues explode. nor do blooded, from what I’ve seen"

Mou-Shendu: Without stirring, Mou offers calmly, "perhaps you should both remember the Master's teachings on self-control."

Kaimi: "Did you ever stop to think that that might have been a one time thing? What?!"

Sook: "no, i never did, and i still will not. have you stopped to try to figure out where this anger is coming from?"

Kaimi: "ARG! Fine!!!" Kaimi whips out her swords and points them at the door throwing all her fury into the effort.

(1) Yeled: No bolts of sun energy shoot forth, but one of the swords does fly from her grip and it hurls end over end toward the door, smashing into it with a tremendous "CLANG!"

Sook: "see what i mean?"

Mou-Shendu jumps as the sword clangs above his head. He is now standing.

Kaimi takes a deep breath and sheathed her sword.

Mou-Shendu takes a breadth. "I am just observing... lifelong friends and well trained martial artists, screaming at each other over something that neither of them really understand."

Mou-Shendu: "I suspect that you both really need each other right now. When you have each come to realize it, do let one another know."

Ayame suddenly appears from a dense fog, the sword having passed through the place where she is now standing. "Hey, watch it!"

Mou-Shendu turns to Ayame. "What did you learn?"

Sook looks at mou, “kaimi simply refuses to see the true power she wields...the power she used to create me, and dawn star......to this day, even when that power begins to manifest itself more tangibly.....still, she refuses to see it...." Sook leans against the wall and slips into a crouch, again.

Kaimi stares at Sook incredulously. "Don't pull Echo into this. She's not even here to put in her say."

Mou-Shendu nods to Sook. "She has a power, and has had tremendous influence over you and Dawn Star. Only time will tell if the power we all saw down there is actually hers."

Kaimi: "And I never did anything to 'create' you. You did that yourself."

Ayame snags one of the lanterns "I'll be back". She then descends back down into the tomb.

Sook: "and with that, you make my point....kaimi refuses to see the truth of what she really is...the truth of her real power.....the irony of it all"

Kaimi: "Wait. You didn't get through?"

Mou-Shendu: "Ayame. Where are you going? Could you get through? Are you going to investigate the water's exit?"

Ayame: "Noooooo... I didn't get through"

Kaimi: "Wait then. I'm coming with you." Kaimi throws an angry, hurt look Sook's way and then goes to retrieve her fallen sword.

Mou-Shendu nods. "I think we should all go. Why make you come all the way back up here if we could all simply go out that way?"

Mou-Shendu picks up his lantern and follows after Ayame and kaimi. "Coming Sook?"

Sook: "ill catch up"

Mou-Shendu sighs. "Here," he says, handing his lantern to Sook. He then hurries to catch up with Ayame’s light.

Kaimi picks up her sword and her eyes widen. For some reason she does not resheath it but also does not hold it as if she means to use it. Instead she hides it from Sook’s view as she turns and hurries after the others

Glorious Guardian Haiku Recital

(1) Yeled: The powerful jade lion dog, Fu, sits majestically in absolute stillness against the doorway to the treasure chamber. If Sook didn't know he was a living god, Sook would swear he was simply a large and immaculately crafted jade statue.

Sook: ((he is outside the chamber in front of the door you mean?)) Sook: ((instead of on his pedestal?)) (1) Yeled: ((he is just inside, against the wall, not on his pedestal...which isn't a pedestal at all, actually))

Sook walks in and turns to face the majestic being, then sits down, cross legged, at his feet

Fu the Lion Dog does not move or acknowledge Sook's presence in any way.

Sook: "you know what happened"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "What is it you mean; Did something happen to you?; I do not know it."

Sook looks up at the things face

Fu the Lion Dog 's voice is deep but pure in tone, and seems to come from far within him rather than from his mouth. Fu the Lion Dog has still not moved.

Sook: "im not really sure, but it appears something did, and i lost my use"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "What use did you lose? You called yourself guardian. You remain like me."

Sook: "you and i, we are.....more alike than before this....we now guard nothing"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "I guard more than that. I guard the tomb of my lord. In this is honor."

Sook: "you guard a dead man....i was kaimi’s guardian....she needs no one now"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "His memorial; that is the thing that I guard; I will do so still. You guard the young girl; you are solid and mighty; she will need you still."

Sook: "we have a problem....we cannot open the door...can you help us, fu?"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "The door will open, without use of the sun's key, for the manse master."

Sook: "how would one become, the exalted master of, this impressive manse?"

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: "The same as others; to its flow of essence one, must become attuned."

Sook nods and thinks for a few moments in silence....fu, i am sure, does not mind. Sook rises after a while and bows to the being

(1) Fu the Lion Dog: Sook did not see Fu move, but it seems that his head is lowered and his eyes cast downward, as if the statue was bowing in return.

Sook: "i give my thanks, fu....you do your job well, good fu...your words i will heed" Sook leaves without further adieu, and heads for the main room

The Sun’s Tomb Manse

Ayame heads back down to the deepest part of the tomb. She does as Mou suggested and will investigate the source of the water flow

(1) Yeled: The water drains at the far right of the room. There are a series of grates in the floor and foot and of the wall. They are made of heavy iron and between their size (weight) and the strong current moving them will be difficult if not impossible.

Ayame: "Looks like it drains out over here. I'm not sure how we're going to get past them though..." Ayame will give it a try and pull hard on the grate.

(1) Yeled: Ayame can't even make them budge.

Ayame puts her shield over the grate, trying to make the water pressure build up

(1) Yeled: The grates are not small enough for that to work, really. They go about five feet up the wall and run its length. And identical grates on the floor mirror those on the wall.

Kaimi: ((if Mou is paying attention he will notice that Kaimi has not sheathed her sword but instead is holding it close to her side, mostly out of view.))

Mou-Shendu: ((Let's roll)) Mou-Shendu: [7d10.vs(7)] => [2,2,7,7,6,6,9] = (3)

Mou-Shendu: "Is something wrong with your sword, Kaimi?"

Kaimi freezes for a moment at Mou's question. Then she puts one hand on the back of her head, leans back and laughs awkwardly.

Mou-Shendu strides around her to see what she is hiding.

Kaimi: "Heh heh. Ah yah. Bent it a bit. Threw it a bit hard I guess. Hard door and all." Kaimi holds the sword out. It is bent enough so that it will no longer fit in her sheath.

Ayame: "You know I don't think this is going to work, these grates are a real pain!"

Kaimi: "Um... here let me help." Kaimi hurries over and tugs at the grate along with Ayame

Ayame pulls again as well.

(1) Yeled: Kaimi will have to be careful if she doesn't want to get sucked down against the grate itself. Ayame doesn't have anything to fear, but Kaimi is another matter.

Ayame growls and pulls at the grate "Stupid... thing... open!"

(1) Yeled: The grate still won't budge.

Mou-Shendu: "Kaimi, I need you to trust me. I came with you so that I could help you understand the magic you might encounter in here. Please..."

Kaimi turns to face him. "What?" She asks harshly

Mou-Shendu replies in a soft, calm voice. "What are you hiding? Please tell me. I have your interest at heart."

Ayame: "We can deal with that later Mou, I think it would be best if we just get out of here and let everyone cool off!"

Kaimi: "I'm not hiding anything! Look I showed you. The sword. It got bent. That is all!"

Mou-Shendu looks at the sword. He studies it a moment, and then glances at the Barque. He points at it, "There are two more quite like it, over there".

Kaimi: "What? So?"

Mou-Shendu: "I wonder what ancient magic those swords hold. I wonder if they could cut through these grates."

Kaimi: "Sure, maybe... but we'll have to leave them here. We promised, remember?" Kaimi seems calmer now that the conversation has shifted.

Mou-Shendu nods.

Ayame: "Blaaaarg" She allows herself to sink into the water, her groan being cut off by the water and turning to just bubbles as she gets pulled down against the grate

Kaimi turns toward her. "Is she ok?"

Mou-Shendu: "I think she'd like to go home now."

Kaimi: "Me too. I would like to see how Echo is doing. Let’s go get the swords."

Mou-Shendu nods. "Go ahead."

Kaimi heads toward the barque, dropping her ruined sword to the ground as she goes.

Mou-Shendu drops down into the water and asks Ayame "Can't you pass through the gate?".

Ayame shakes her head, her eyes closed

Mou-Shendu: "Are you too drained?"

Ayame: "If I couldn't get out the first time, it won't work this way either."

Kaimi wades through the water to the barque and climbs its side (assuming that this is still possible)

Kaimi walks into the room of the sarcophagus.

Mou-Shendu nods. "We'll find a way out soon, I'm sure."

(1) Yeled: Kaimi sees the artifacts--the falcon bracers, the scroll case, the armor and skin, the crown, and the twin swords--waiting in the room as they left them.

Mou-Shendu hops up onto the water's surface and makes his way over to the barque. He begins to scale its side.

Kaimi walks over to the sarcophagus, kneels, and rests her forehead on its cool surface

Mou-Shendu climbs onto the deck of the boat, and makes his way toward the cabin.

Kaimi: "I'm sorry all that happened to you Jia bouyu. I'm sorry you were betrayed by your friends. That you had that heavy burden of power to bear for so long. Now it seems some of your troubles may be my own."

Mou-Shendu hears Kaimi from outside, and stops. He waits outside, not wanting to intrude on her now.

Kaimi: "I am sorry that you were not buried with her. You should have been. I am sorry that we have destroyed her tomb and maybe disturbed your rest. And I am sorry that I am about to borrow your swords. I will bring them back. I promise. Please forgive us, rest well.... and if Sook is cursed... please try to help him." Kaimi stands and sighs.

Mou-Shendu waits a few seconds before entering the cabin.

Kaimi regards the sarcophagus for a moment, then she turns and retrieves the two beautiful swords from their resting place at their masters side.

(1) Yeled: The swords are beautifully crafted--one with a hilt bearing a leopard's snarling head and its twin bearing a falcon locked in an open beaked screech--and shine with the light of the sun...and they are both unbelievably heavy. Kaimi can barely lift them, let alone hope to wield them. Even holding one two handed she couldn't possibly think about using them in a fight. Even Sook would be burdened by the cumbersome weapons.

Mou-Shendu looks at swords as kaimi draws them up. He then looks at the other items to see what else could help them escape this place.

Kaimi sees Mou coming in as she turns to leave and her somber face relaxes. She smiles and says, "Mou? What are you doing here? Didn't trust me to get these by myself?"

Mou-Shendu returns a quick smile to kaimi. "I thought I'd look for other ideas... those look very heavy," he adds.

Kaimi: "Actually, I don't know about these swords. They are pretty heavy."

Kaimi: "Yah definitely.” Kaimi laughs when they speak at once.

Mou-Shendu scans the room again. He approaches the scroll case, picks it up, and opens it.

(1) Yeled: Inside is a very ancient but perfectly preserved scroll.

Mou-Shendu carefully unrolls it, moving it to the doorway to get more light.

Kaimi frowns slightly as he does this.

(1) Yeled: ((roll Int + the lower of occult or martial arts)) Mou-Shendu: [7d10.vs(7)] => [9,5,8,2,2,6,4] = (2)

Kaimi: "What is it?

Mou-Shendu studies the scroll's contents.

(1) Yeled: The scroll is written in Old Realm and depicts a series of beautiful images and script. The images are all of a perfectly drawn figure in various fighting poses, and you can see colored lines flowing through him in different ways depending on how he positions himself. There are also images of large cats and birds of prey superimposed over the man, and the essence flows through them in exactly the same way. Across the top are written the words "The way of the leopard and the falcon."

Mou-Shendu: "Incredible, Mou gasps. "It's a celestial Martial Arts Form. 'The Way of the Leopard and the Falcon'. It' document's Jia Bouyu's style!"

Kaimi: "Really"? Mou-Shendu: "It is. If I had to guess, I would say that Jia developed this style himself. This was written on these scrolls as the form was developed."

Kaimi, some of her natural curiosity returning, steps forward with interest to peer over Mou's shoulder

Mou-Shendu moves it over so that Kaimi may see as well.

(1) Yeled: Kaimi recognizes the basics of any martial art are present, but doesn't understand the lines and the animals so much.

Kaimi: "Wow. Master Li should come back here to see this! But I don't understand it. Do you? I bet he would love it, even if he could not understand it."

Mou-Shendu: "Yes. I have promised to take nothing, but I would very like to come back here often and study much that is down here."

Kaimi: "Me too. I would like to do some more exploring, really. Though we kinda destroyed the place. My fault I guess."

Mou-Shendu: "I do. What you do not understand on here, it is about controlling the flow of essence."

Kaimi: "Ah. That would explain it. Yep." Kaimi pulls back, apparently losing interest.

Mou-Shendu: "Kaimi," Mou begins, as if about to change the subject. "The swords... You cannot lift them, but Jia could. As could anyone who attunes their essence to match that of the weapon."

Mou-Shendu replaces the scroll into the case. "Perhaps you'd like to try."

Sook steps in, as the two are talking, as usual making no noise whatsoever, so they are probably startled when he says, "you have to attune yourself to the manse."

Mou-Shendu turns, startled. "What?"

Kaimi also starts, and then glowers at Sook.

Sook: "the door will open, without use of the suns key, for the manse master."

Mou-Shendu pauses briefly. "Where did you learn this?"

Sook: "fu told me" ( Mou-Shendu smiles, and laughs. "Good work."

Mou-Shendu: "I planned to come back here and attempt just that, but I didn't want to make the rest of you wait for me. It looks like that may be unavoidable. Would you like to attempt it as well, Sook?"

Kaimi just stares at them silently

Sook is staring at kaimi

Sook: "i dont think you or i can do it, mou"

Mou-Shendu: "Did Fu tell you that?"

Sook looks at mou,"no"

Kaimi stares right back at Sook, right into his eyes. Her gaze is intense and accusing, and she refuses to back down.

Mou-Shendu: "Then we'd best not jump to conclusions. It remains to be seen whether Kaimi can wield essence. I was just suggesting she try to attune to Jia Bouyu's swords."

Sook: "she needs to attune to the manse"

Sook holds her stare, neither his real eye nor his jade eye flinching.

Mou-Shendu: "Very well," Mou sighs. ""Kaimi, would you like to attempt to control the flows of essence?" Mou-Shendu replaces the scroll case.

Kaimi: "I would not."

Sook: "what you would like matters not anymore....if you want to ever see the light of day again, you will have to attune yourself to this manse. at that point, what you take from here or leave matters not, no matter the agreement"

Mou-Shendu: "I will try it. Sook, I suggest you join me. Either way, we may be here a while."

Kaimi: "Why are you even here Sook? I thought you didn't want to help me anymore"

Sook: "i never said that. i merely said you didnt need my help"

Kaimi: "Thats bullshit!" Kaimi almost punches the wall but stops when she looks at the sarcophagus again.

Sook turns and walks out, whether he is followed or not

Kaimi: "Alright. I'm going. Maybe I'll even try this stupid thing." She whispers at it fiercely. Kaimi stalks out after them dragging the swords with her.

Mou-Shendu leaves the cabin, and walks over to the pillar where the liquid light pools. He plunges his hand into the light to pull out the object within.

(1) Yeled: [2d10.vs(7)] -> [8,10] = (2)

(1) Yeled: The solar liquid burns incredibly hot. Mou draws his hand out twice as quickly as he put it in, and it’s covered in the intense burning liquid. His skin reacts as if he just stuck his hand into a fire to grab a burning ember. (2 lethal damage)

Mou-Shendu: "Aaahhh! Damn it!"

Kaimi drops the swords and rushes over. "Mou! Sook!"

Sook rushes to his aid. "i told you,it has to be her!"

Ayame pulls herself away from the grate and out of the water to see what's going on

Sook forces mou to sit

Mou-Shendu shakes his hand, in pain.

Sook: "ayame,drench it"

Mou-Shendu does not resist Sook's help.

Kaimi: "You can heal him right?"

Sook: "of course"

Mou-Shendu: "Ah, that was stupid!"

Sook: "if he isn’t dead he wont die. but i may be able to lessen the pain a bit. ayame! kaimi, we need water, find something and fill it and bring it here"

Mou-Shendu: "I can just dunk it myself, Sook," he says, more calmly now, but still with irritation and pain in his voice.

Sook: "true enough...stay still"

Ayame: "Huh?" Ayame perks up as someone calls her name

Sook: "we need water"

Kaimi: "What happened? Why did it burn you?" Kaimi is kneeling near Mou with her hands on her thighs

Sook pulls a pouch off his belt, dumps the contents out, and takes a couple of small, dry, fuzzy leaves from the pile, and roughly crushes them into the pouch

Mou-Shendu: "I put my hand in it. It's liquid sun essence!"

Sook holds the pouch out to ayame, “need this full of water”

Ayame: "Psssh..." She takes the pouch and goes to fill it up

Kaimi: "Ouch! But how can the sun be liquid and made to stay that way? That’s amazing!"

Sook: ((im making a local anesthetic,int+meds or crafts?)) Sook: [7d10] => [5,7,4,1,7,3,2] = (29)

Kaimi: "What if we splash that stuff on the door? Maybe that will open it. I mean we needed sunlight right? Well there it is!"

Sook eventually retrieves the pouch from ayame, and shakes it vigorously, then dribbles it up and down mous forearm.

(1) Yeled: ((mou has now taken 3 lethal damage...that will take a while to heal...however, we'll say the anesthetic reduces the wound penalty by 1 for the scene))

Mou-Shendu: "Thank you, Sook," Mou says gratefully, opening and closing his hand. "That feels much, much better."

Sook nods, "try not to overuse it...it is still hurt, it jes feels better"

Mou-Shendu nods.

Sook sits back when he is finished, and gathers up his herbs into his other pouches "kaimi...you are going to have to attune to the manse"

Kaimi sucks in air and lets it out through pursed lips

Mou-Shendu: "Clever, Kaimi, but we'd have to find a way to carry it. I suggest we follow Fu's suggestion first. That one may also get us back in here if we ever needed to come in again."

Sook: "i dont know how, but we are going to have to figure that out”

Kaimi: "Neither do I."

Mou-Shendu: "Alright. Kaimi, do you want to try to attune to the Manse with me?"

Kaimi glares across at Sook than abruptly stands and moves over to the liquid pool and lifts her hand, balled into a fist so that it is level with her head. She is poised to plunge it straight down into the liquid as Mou did.

Mou-Shendu: "Stop!"

Ayame dives at Kaimi to stop her

Sook simply watches....he has faith that she will be unharmed

Kaimi: "What?" Kaimi says sounding very, very irritated.

Ayame: "That might not be a good idea"

Sook stands. He simply nods to kaimi if she looks to him

Mou-Shendu: "That's not how one attunes. I was trying to pull out the hearthstone, which will be useful after we attune, or if we are unable."

Kaimi seems to note that Sook did not object when the others did, and she looks away from him angrily.

Ayame plops down cross-legged "We need to meditate"

Mou-Shendu: "Come and sit with us. Sook, you may want to join us."

Kaimi: "Maybe I should just get this!" Kaimi snarles " I think Sook wants me too."

Sook sits with them. "i do not know what it takes to attune to a manse...however, i get the feeling it would not hurt you, nonetheless"

Mou-Shendu sits down beside Ayame, cross-legged. He holds up his hand to Kaimi. "Don't try it."

Kaimi: For a moment Kaimi's face looks as if she might plunge her fist in anyway but she does not. "Yeah, well maybe you should consider what you really know rather than what you think before you ask me to do these things!"

Kaimi, breathing deeply, though certainly not out of any desire to meditate join the circle, seats herself next to Mou.

Mou-Shendu closes his eyes and begins to meditate. He speaks softly to Kaimi as he does. "To attune to a manse, or anything, one must relax and meditate, and try to feel the flows of essence. Reach out with your being and become one with the manse. Your essence... your being, and the manse's, are one. Feel the solar energy flow around you, through you... you are the solar essence. The manse's essence is your essence. The manse's flows are your flows. The boundary between you and your surroundings are no more. The manse is you. You are the manse. There is just the one."

Ayame makes faces at Mou as he speaks with closed eyes

Kaimi: At the mention of relaxing, Kaimi shoots Mou a somewhat Sardonic look, but nonetheless attempts to copy his actions

Mou-Shendu falls silent. (1) Yeled: ((ok. so this is going to be a three hour ritual. during that time you will each receive 24 essence)) (1) Yeled: (now, everyone attempting to attune to the manse roll Int + Lore) Mou-Shendu: [7d10.vs(7)] => [8,7,9,4,10,10,5] = (5) Ayame: [4d10] => [10,4,5,5] = (24) Sook: [5d10] => [8,7,9,5,4] = (33) Kaimi: [3d10.vs(7)] => [4,2,8] = (1)

(1) Yeled: The light from the sun flows through your bodies. It feels much like the sun is shining down on you, but instead of being limited to just your skin it is everywhere, inside and out, warming every inch of your persons. Beyond the warmth and light that you feel, to a certain extent your consciousness feels extended, as if a part of you were dwelling in the manse itself. You fill the room and the chambers above with your being. You can feel the essence shine through the manse like a heartbeat. The manse seems alive, and you are part of that organism. It is part of you as well.

(1) Yeled: If your essence was water there is now a warmth to it, like a tropical sea. The wood energy feels invigorated by this touch of sunlight, and it seems to grow stronger. Finally, to Kaimi, something about the energy of this place seems as natural to her as breathing. You open your eyes and come out of the meditation.

Mou-Shendu looks around. He looks to Kaimi.

Kaimi 's face is set. Her expression is unreadable.

Sook lingers a few moments more with his eyes closed, then simply opens them and looks at nothing in particular

Mou-Shendu stands. He walks back over to the liquid light, and places his hand over the glowing substance, feeling for intense heat.

(1) Yeled: It still feels hot.

Sook stands and walks over to mou. He shakes his head and looks to kaimi.

Kaimi stands, using her legs to push her straight up out of her cross-legged position

Sook nods to her

Mou-Shendu: "How do you feel, Kaimi?"

Kaimi ignores his question. "What do you want me to do? Get the hearthstone?”

Sook nods to kaimi, again

Kaimi ignores Sook and waits for Mou's answer.

Mou-Shendu: "Let's not do what I did. Place your hand over the light. If it feels too hot, we'll get tool to fish it out. If it feels cool enough, test it with the tip of a finger."

Kaimi walks over and places her hand over the sunlight as instructed.

(1) Yeled: It feels pretty hot.

Kaimi 's face relaxes a bit and the hint of a triumphant, but mostly relieved smile plays across her lips.

Kaimi: "It's hot."

Mou-Shendu: "Okay. I'll be right back." Mou-Shendu drops off the boat and onto the water's surface. He makes his way over to the broken statues to find an appropriate piece of stone for fishing out the hearthstone.

Kaimi frowns a bit as Mou leaves.

Sook walks up to kaimi

Sook: "do you believe me when i say that, if it does hurt you, i will heal you?"

Kaimi looks at Sook searchingly "You always have before."

Sook: "you feel i have failed you as a friend......in truth, my faith in you has simply never faltered"

Kaimi lets out a breath "Is it faith in me or in my so called destiny?" Kaimi asks quietly

Sook: "is there a difference between a person and their destiny?"

Kaimi: "Yes! I am the person. The destiny is just something I'm supposed to do. Of course there is a difference."

Sook: "no...no....that is not how it is...." Sook looks away a second, then back at her, "there is only a difference when that person denies her destiny…at which point she loses half of herself"

Mou-Shendu discovers the perfect stone fragment, and triumphantly stuffs it into his belt. He makes his way back toward the barque.

Kaimi: "And what if it’s a bad destiny? Maybe she should lose that half."

Sook: "i dont feel yours is a bad destiny....but i also feel that it is your destiny to reach in there and grab that stone, pain or harm notwithstanding. and it is my destiny to care for you, whether it wounds you, or not”

Kaimi: "I don't know if mine is or not Sook but I am the person that is here before you now. I am not your friend because my destiny told me to be. I am your friend because I wanted to be and because I care about you."

Sook: "does not destiny determine that which we want and love?"

Kaimi: "Would you still be my friend if your destiny pulled you in another direction then?

Sook: "i would remain your friend....even if destiny required i take your life...or you mine”

Kaimi: "That is unsettling, but it still proves my point. You make the choice to be my friend, not destiny." Kaimi smiles at him.

Mou-Shendu studies the barque, looking for a place to climb it with minimal strain on his hurt hand.

Kaimi: "So…" Kaimi continues in a much more cheerful, though a bit apprehensive, tone. "Are you sure we need this thing?"

Sook nods. "and remember, grab it and bring it out, no matter what happens....and remember...i will be here when you are done, be you gravely injured, or the most powerful being in creation"

Kaimi bites her lower lip "Ok."

Mou-Shendu: After a short while, he finds a suitable place and makes his way up the side of the boat.

Kaimi shoves her hand into the liquid, closing her fingers around the hearthstone and yanking it out in one quick motion.

(1) Yeled: ((roll conviction or spend a WP. the WP guarantees you can do it))

Mou-Shendu 's eyes go wide as he scales the side of the boat, only to see kaimi plunge her hand into the pool of light.

(1) Yeled: [2d10.vs(7)] -> [10,9] = (2) (1) Yeled: ((2 lethal damage, kaimi))

(1) Yeled: The heat is as intense as Kaimi thinks it will be. Probably more so. It burns her hand like the white hot center of a fire. Her skin and flesh are burned away from her hand. Yet somehow she manages to wrap her fingers around the stone at the bottom of the pool. When she pulls her hand out again, bringing some of the burning hot liquid with it, she is holding the tear-drop shaped object triumphantly in her fist. She opens her fingers and sees the strange stone; something like amber, but the color of the lightest honey and glowing with its own inner luminosity. It is somehow sunlight in solid form, and it’s incredible. What Kaimi can't see, but the others can, is that on her forehead a glowing sunburst has appeared, and it echoes the glow of the sun above and the light of the stone.

Sook: "oh,kaimi...."

(1) Yeled: Kaimi stands for a moment before the pain overwhelms her and her knees give out.

Mou-Shendu climbs onto the deck and freezes when he sees the sunburst. Mou-Shendu pulls the stone fragment from his belt and lets it drop to the deck. He walks over to Sook and Kaimi, eyes wide.

Sook leads her to a sitting position, and immediately lays his hands on her arm and closes his eyes, and you smell a strong, maple/oaky scent. ((ill use wound closing touch to convert those to bashing))