This is a listing of the current Mysteries developing during the campaign. It has been prepared as a resource for players and readers to access. It will also be a living document and will change as the players learn more about the mysteries. New segments will be highlighted in red.
The Shinwa Taizen
This is the main Mystery in the Ryujin Chronicles. What is the Shinwa Taizen? Where does it come from and what knowledge can it impart to its owner? And most importantly, who wants it and why?
Known Timeline:
These are events/history that the Cabal currently has knowledge about.
794 AD: Heienkyo is formed as the Imperial City of Japan and the seat of the Imperial Court. It will later be re-named Kyoto.
800 AD – Japan’s Empress Pimiko, a Master Mage herself, commissions the creation of three documents: the Kojiki (The Myth), the Nihon Shoki (The History of Japan) and the Shinwa Taizen (The Truth). The documents were originally intended to be made available to all, including Sleepers. The Shinwa Taizen is written in Muvian (a hybrid Japanese language) and a Codex is created to help translate it. Before any of the documents can be made available, Pimiko is convinced to keep the Shinwa Taizen hidden from view of Sleepers.
800 AD – Empress Pimiko takes things one step further. She demands that the Shinwa Taizen be hidden from view from all – including mages. She forms the Hagekure Kyodai to lead the new brotherhood that will be responsible for guarding the Shinwa Taizen – the Samurai. The Kodoshigisha are formed as the religious brotherhood that would assist in the guarding of the Shinwa Taizen. The Shinwa Taizen is never revealed to anyone for the next thousand years. Details of its contents and powers fade into antiquity. Its true existence even becomes myth.
1000AD – Chinese Emperor dies becoming a Wrath Spirit that is captured by a Mage in a Buddha Bowl.
1853 AD – Commodore Perry blockades Edo Bay forcing Japan to end 200 years of isolation and open its borders to foreign trade.
1873 AD – Meiji era begins. Emperor Meiji vows to modernize Japan. Japanese Nationalism on upswing.
1937 AD – The Rape of Nanking, China. Unit 731 is just one of the secret medical units involved in this incident. Codex of the Shinwa Taizen published by Wang-Jiang in China.
1939 – 45: World War II. During the War, the Shinwa Taizen remained in its traditional hiding spot in Kyoto, Japan. For whatever reason, the Allies never bomb Kyoto. The traditional reason given for this is that the Allies did not want to destroy the cultural treasures in Kyoto. Mages have different theories.
1940’s – Unit 731 store the Buddha Bowl in Kyoto where it stays hidden for the next 60 years.
1945: The Shinwa Taizen, which has been guarded by the Hagekure Kyodai and Kodoshigisha for the past millennium, is suddenly moved south. The destination of the Shinwa Taizen is unknown. Several days after leaving its hiding spot in Kyoto, it is destroyed when an atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. The leaders of the Kodoshigisha commit seppuku. Several members of the Kodoshigisha form their own cabal, the Kakumeiso. With the Kodoshigisha now disgraced, the Gyochisa take over as the leading cabal in the Kansai Consilium.
1995: The Great Kansai Earthquake (known in the West as the Kobe Earthquake). The earthquake apparently uncovered a cache of scrolls in a cave (the cave is considered the epicentre of the quake). The Yamaguchi-gumi recovered some of those scrolls before being killed by a horrible beast apparently guarding those scrolls. The Yamaguchi-gumi did not know they were fragments of the Shinwa Taisen and subsequently sold the scrolls to buyers in Hong Kong and Kyoto. Some of the fragments eventually made their way into the hands of the Tong of the Sixth Dragon, a Mysterium Cabal that hid them in their Athenium located under Hong Kong Harbour. Others are rumoured to have been sold to a cabal who eventually turned to Infernalism and cannibalism and were eventually destroyed by the Tai Pan of Hong Kong.
1995: Several mages in Kyoto begin the task of examining the scrolls and believe that it is the Shinwa Taizen. Several mages of various cabals dispute that claim. The Shogun (then only the head of the Hagakure Kyodai), is the most prominent member of the Consilium to dispute the existence of the Shinwa Taizen. He wants them fragments collected and destroyed and no more mention of the Shinwa Taizen shall be made in the Kansai Consilium.
1996: After months of bickering, a Shadow War between mages breaks out. One faction wants to have the Consilium find the pieces to the Shinwa Taizen believing that the fragments will empower anyone using it. The other does not believe that the Shinwa Taizen exists and for whatever reason, wants all research into it to stop. The Shogun one day leaves his Sanctum and when he returns, tells the remaining members of the Consilium that the problem has been dealt with. No one ever sees the other members of the Cabal ever again.
1995/96?: A group of mages create a sanctum in a cave below the ruins of an old castle just outside of Kyoto. The only entrance available is through Twilight. The mages who occupied the sanctum have since disappeared.
2000: The Shogun of the Hagekure Kyodai and Ane-san of the Kokyryu-kai, take over the Kansai Consilium from Gyochisa, through a bloodless coup. The members of Gyochisa are very upset about being taken over.
2004: Akio Ogawa is approached by an unknown benefactor to form a cabal of mages to be “Paranormal Investigators.” She gathers them from various cabals in Tokyo.
2005: Early in 2005, Ogawa’s Investigators completely disappear after entering a cave off the coast of Kobe. One of them (Koya) shows up months later in Kyoto and get taken to a mental institute at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine as a Yamada Taro (John Doe). Several members of the Kempai Tai (Guardians of the Veil) visit Koya and rape his mind.
2005: The Tong of the Sixth Dragon in Hong Kong is destroyed by the Tai Huan Chai - a group rumoured to be controlled by the Seers of the Throne ("Metal Dragons").
Aug 2005: After several months, Akio Ogawa is once again convinced to form another Cabal. This time, she is instructed to form it using mages from outside Japan.
Sept 2005: The new Cabal comes to Kyoto and as their first investigation, they investigate the murder of an unknown man with tattoos scrawled all over his body. The tattoos are Atlantean runes that act as Bans.
Sept 2005: Remnants of an Infernalist Cannibal cult in Hong Kong flay two humans alive and use their skins as parchment to write two new fragments of the Shinwa Taizen.
Other Info:
After scrutinizing the piece, the Cabal finds it has no Resonance.
The Shinwa Taizen scroll cannot be copied by mechanical or other means. Any copies show up as distorted.
It is now known that there are literally hundreds of scrolls or scroll fragments waiting to be found. So far, the Cabal has one fragment.
The scroll is divided into two parts. The first part details a diary from someone living in the 450th year of the Reign of Izunami no Kami, Queen of the Hells. The second part is part of a grimoire – part of a spell from the Time Arcana.
The Codex of the Shinwa Taizen that has been obtained by the Cabal was written by Wang Ji-ang in China circa 1937. The Codex acts as a Rosetta Stone to translate the Muvian language that the Shinwa Taizen is written in. The other languages in the Codex include Japanese, Mandarin and German. Copies of the Codex can be copied.
The Cabal now has in its possession 1 Scroll from Japan, 4 Scrolls taken from the Hong Kong Athenium and 2 "scrolls" made from the flayed skin of two bodies.
Mori Memento
Mori Memento currently has two souls. The second soul was grafted to him by an unknown person (perhaps an Archmage) when he was trapped in a small room of undetermined location. His resonance has been irrevocably altered. As far as he can tell, this second soul belonged to a long dead samurai. Current effects of having this second soul: it allows Mori to understand and speak the Japanese language and to understand the nuances of the culture.
Tamano no Mae
Working on it
Kyoto’s Shadow
Working on it
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Giant Update
Hi all. It has been a very busy time since the New Year, so although I have continued to run my campaign once a week, the updates have been slow to get posted.
Well, I have now posted two entire Chapters (4 weeks of play) in one fell swoop. Chapter 8 - Tamano and Chapter 9 - Yamada Taro have now been posted.
Also, for your reference, I have also updated some of the Resource pages - including Consilium listings and Major Characters.
Enjoy
Well, I have now posted two entire Chapters (4 weeks of play) in one fell swoop. Chapter 8 - Tamano and Chapter 9 - Yamada Taro have now been posted.
Also, for your reference, I have also updated some of the Resource pages - including Consilium listings and Major Characters.
Enjoy
(RC) Yamada Taro – Ch. 9, part 2
Summary: The Cabal visits the Free Council group in Osaka, re-visits Koya in the Mental Institute and begins to seek out more fragments of the Shinwa Taizen.
Recap: The next day, the Cabal take Dancer to the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. They go to BW’s Copy Shop – a dingy copy shop with 4 copy machines in various states of repair. Behind the counter are six networked computers with a few players at them playing various network games.
When the Cabal tries to get someone’s attention, a midget pops up from behind one of the computers and introduces himself as Shugo. When Mori tries to scrutinize him, Shugo recognizes that the group are Mages and quickly introduces himself as a member of the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. He brings out Inu Yasha, a young former sumo wrestler who was ejected from his Nihon Sumo Kyokai stable for “inappropriate behavior” (he always farted during matches). Larva, the last member of the Free Council cabal, is a lanky man with long hair. He is the cabal’s Mastigos Mage and would train Dancer. Dancer seems reticent about staying with this Cabal, but agrees to stay for a month learning what she can.
The rest of the Cabal return to Kyoto and re-visit the Yamada Taro at the Asylum. With Kontonshin’s Mind Magic assisting them, they find out that the old cabal attended a Geology professor’s lecture and found a cave near Kobe considered the epicentre of the 1995 Kansai Earthquake. Koya mentioned that there was a creature in the cave that took out their cabal. Koya could not speak of the rest. The ghost also returns and tells Kemosiri that the Asylum was once a base for a Unit of the Kempai Tai (the Japanese government, not the Mage Cabal) that experimented on humans in China and Japan. The Unit at the Asylum was Unit 12.
The Cabal decides to pay Professor Nanakushi a visit. Professor Nanakushi shows them where to find the cave and also shows them photos of the cave. In the cave are Jomon age pottery as well as a World War II era jeep that does not look like it has aged through time. Finally, Professor Nanakushi says that after he was taken to the site to explore it, he was shuttled out and him and the rest of his team were not allowed back at the site. Since then, he has tried to get back but has not been allowed. He has reliable information that there are alien artefacts hidden in the cave and the government has been covering it up. He would like the Cabal’s help, but the Cabal does not promise him anything.
The Cabal learn that scrolls from the cave were taken by the Yamaguchi Gumi and they sold them for cash. The Yamaguchi Gumi are a minor Mage Cabal but a major Yakuza group. They are much more interested in Temporal Power and not Supernal Power and they use their Supernal Power to gain whatever Temporal Power they can.
After finding a contact with the Yamaguchi Gumi from the Kokuryu-kai, they visit Taro, the leader of a Bosozuka gang (Motorcycle gang). He tells them they sold a number of scrolls to Mages in Hong Kong.
Now, the Cabal has a choice: go to the cave in Kobe and find out what killed the former Cabal (as well as find more scrolls) or go to Hong Kong and find scrolls.
The Cabal chooses to first go to Hong Kong.
Next: Hell’s Kitchen
Recap: The next day, the Cabal take Dancer to the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. They go to BW’s Copy Shop – a dingy copy shop with 4 copy machines in various states of repair. Behind the counter are six networked computers with a few players at them playing various network games.
When the Cabal tries to get someone’s attention, a midget pops up from behind one of the computers and introduces himself as Shugo. When Mori tries to scrutinize him, Shugo recognizes that the group are Mages and quickly introduces himself as a member of the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. He brings out Inu Yasha, a young former sumo wrestler who was ejected from his Nihon Sumo Kyokai stable for “inappropriate behavior” (he always farted during matches). Larva, the last member of the Free Council cabal, is a lanky man with long hair. He is the cabal’s Mastigos Mage and would train Dancer. Dancer seems reticent about staying with this Cabal, but agrees to stay for a month learning what she can.
The rest of the Cabal return to Kyoto and re-visit the Yamada Taro at the Asylum. With Kontonshin’s Mind Magic assisting them, they find out that the old cabal attended a Geology professor’s lecture and found a cave near Kobe considered the epicentre of the 1995 Kansai Earthquake. Koya mentioned that there was a creature in the cave that took out their cabal. Koya could not speak of the rest. The ghost also returns and tells Kemosiri that the Asylum was once a base for a Unit of the Kempai Tai (the Japanese government, not the Mage Cabal) that experimented on humans in China and Japan. The Unit at the Asylum was Unit 12.
The Cabal decides to pay Professor Nanakushi a visit. Professor Nanakushi shows them where to find the cave and also shows them photos of the cave. In the cave are Jomon age pottery as well as a World War II era jeep that does not look like it has aged through time. Finally, Professor Nanakushi says that after he was taken to the site to explore it, he was shuttled out and him and the rest of his team were not allowed back at the site. Since then, he has tried to get back but has not been allowed. He has reliable information that there are alien artefacts hidden in the cave and the government has been covering it up. He would like the Cabal’s help, but the Cabal does not promise him anything.
The Cabal learn that scrolls from the cave were taken by the Yamaguchi Gumi and they sold them for cash. The Yamaguchi Gumi are a minor Mage Cabal but a major Yakuza group. They are much more interested in Temporal Power and not Supernal Power and they use their Supernal Power to gain whatever Temporal Power they can.
After finding a contact with the Yamaguchi Gumi from the Kokuryu-kai, they visit Taro, the leader of a Bosozuka gang (Motorcycle gang). He tells them they sold a number of scrolls to Mages in Hong Kong.
Now, the Cabal has a choice: go to the cave in Kobe and find out what killed the former Cabal (as well as find more scrolls) or go to Hong Kong and find scrolls.
The Cabal chooses to first go to Hong Kong.
Next: Hell’s Kitchen
(RC) Yamada Taro – Ch. 9, part 1
Summary: The Cabal goes to speak with the unknown Mage at the mental institute. Meanwhile, a young girl awakens.
Recap: Although the news of one of the Mages from their Cabal is still alive is of pressing importance, the Cabal decides to take it easy and let Kemosiri and others heal up.
A month passes. Kemosiri has been finding out who the souls of those in the soul jars were and returning them to their proper place. The last one belonged to someone who has died. He takes the soul to a cemetery and releases it into Twilight by smashing it onto the ground.
Kemosiri keeps the remaining 4 dolls to use to track down the remainder of the Uchida family. He suspects the Kempai Tai of protecting them and dearly wants to embarrass Tatsu, the leader of the Kempai Tai.
The insane asylum that Ayame mentioned is located at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine. The Cabal journeys there. They have trouble finding it, so they stop a young girl with pink highlights in her hair and listening to an I-Pod. Her name is Hanako Suzuki. She tells them where it is. As Kemosiri hands her his card, he gets a feeling of magic. He quickly scrutinizes her and finds a latent Magic ability. After she leaves, Kemosiri lets the others know of his feelings. Mori and Kontonshin decide to follow her.
At the Asylum, they are greeted by a reticent nurse who is reluctant to let them in to see the Yamada Taro (“John Doe”). Through a bit of magic, they manage to convince her to let them in. A Dr. Kumamoto takes them to an observation room where they can observe the Yamada Taro safely. As they walk the lonely hallways, Kemosiri looks into Twilight and sees a very bleak and dark place. The paintings on the wall are period pieces of Japanese art, but seem to have shadows and sinister figures on them that move.
Kumamoto takes them to the observation room and tells them they have a half an hour. The Yamada Taro is brought in. He is in a straight jacket. The room he is in is a padded cell. They begin asking questions, starting with reading a list of the people who were in the Cabal before. When they say “Koya”, the patient screams and smashes his head against the wall over and over again. His cries eventually turn into whimpers as he continues to bang his head against the wall.
A ghost appears. He is again dressed as a soldier from World War II. He says he is the only ghost in the hospital. He protects those who cannot protect themselves. Kemosiri talks with him and finds out that Koya has been “interviewed” several times by men in masks. Always at night.
Tenzin interviews Koya and asks about his experiences. But, he gets more agitated and repeats the word “Jomon” over and over. They need Kontonshin and her ability to work with minds to get more information. As Koya becomes more agitated, Dr. Kumamoto comes in and ends the interview.
Kontonshin and Mori follow Hanako. She goes to north Kyoto where she lives. As she is approaching her home up the hill, she is confronted and attached by a dog spirit. Mori and Kontonshin intervene, but not before Hanako is knocked unconscious. Mori dispatches the spirit by draining its essence, and Kontonshin kills it. Hanako wakes up and says she had just visited an Iron Tower.
Mori and Kontonshin scrutinize her and realize that Hanako had awakened as a Mastigos Mage.
Then, Tatsu appears and demands the Cabal hand Hanako over. Mori and Kontonshin refuse. Tatsu leaves, but not before reminding them that Hanako has to be introduced to the Shogun.
After arriving back at the Sanctum, each of them talk about the nights events and introduce Hanako to their ranks. Then, they get read to attend the Consilium meeting.
The Consilium meetings are all held at Kiyomizu-dera. After mingling around and speaking with other friendlier members of the Consilium, the meeting itself takes place. After the formal part of the meeting, the Shogun asks if there are any new members, and the Cabal brings Hanako forward. She had not yet fashioned a Shadow Name so she agrees to “Dancer” for now. The Shogun asks who would like to sponsor her. Since she is a Mastigos Mage, a mastigos is asked to sponsor her. Only Tatsu steps forward. She says she does not want to go with him. The only other Mastigos who are available are a few Free Council mages in Osaka – the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. It is agreed that she will have a month to decide her Shadow Name, her Cabal and her Order.
Then, Kemosiri puts forward more Consilium business. He puts the soul jar dolls he found with the Uchida family in front of the Shogun and demands action. The Shogun gives the responsibility to Tatsu to investigate. The Cabal wants to have a say in what is going on, so the Shogun allows them to assist when Tatsu needs their help.
Third, they ask that the cave location which was once a Sanctum is to now be under their protection. The Consilium agrees. Also, Koya is now ordered to be under their protection as well.
Next: Yamada Taro part 2
Recap: Although the news of one of the Mages from their Cabal is still alive is of pressing importance, the Cabal decides to take it easy and let Kemosiri and others heal up.
A month passes. Kemosiri has been finding out who the souls of those in the soul jars were and returning them to their proper place. The last one belonged to someone who has died. He takes the soul to a cemetery and releases it into Twilight by smashing it onto the ground.
Kemosiri keeps the remaining 4 dolls to use to track down the remainder of the Uchida family. He suspects the Kempai Tai of protecting them and dearly wants to embarrass Tatsu, the leader of the Kempai Tai.
The insane asylum that Ayame mentioned is located at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine. The Cabal journeys there. They have trouble finding it, so they stop a young girl with pink highlights in her hair and listening to an I-Pod. Her name is Hanako Suzuki. She tells them where it is. As Kemosiri hands her his card, he gets a feeling of magic. He quickly scrutinizes her and finds a latent Magic ability. After she leaves, Kemosiri lets the others know of his feelings. Mori and Kontonshin decide to follow her.
At the Asylum, they are greeted by a reticent nurse who is reluctant to let them in to see the Yamada Taro (“John Doe”). Through a bit of magic, they manage to convince her to let them in. A Dr. Kumamoto takes them to an observation room where they can observe the Yamada Taro safely. As they walk the lonely hallways, Kemosiri looks into Twilight and sees a very bleak and dark place. The paintings on the wall are period pieces of Japanese art, but seem to have shadows and sinister figures on them that move.
Kumamoto takes them to the observation room and tells them they have a half an hour. The Yamada Taro is brought in. He is in a straight jacket. The room he is in is a padded cell. They begin asking questions, starting with reading a list of the people who were in the Cabal before. When they say “Koya”, the patient screams and smashes his head against the wall over and over again. His cries eventually turn into whimpers as he continues to bang his head against the wall.
A ghost appears. He is again dressed as a soldier from World War II. He says he is the only ghost in the hospital. He protects those who cannot protect themselves. Kemosiri talks with him and finds out that Koya has been “interviewed” several times by men in masks. Always at night.
Tenzin interviews Koya and asks about his experiences. But, he gets more agitated and repeats the word “Jomon” over and over. They need Kontonshin and her ability to work with minds to get more information. As Koya becomes more agitated, Dr. Kumamoto comes in and ends the interview.
Kontonshin and Mori follow Hanako. She goes to north Kyoto where she lives. As she is approaching her home up the hill, she is confronted and attached by a dog spirit. Mori and Kontonshin intervene, but not before Hanako is knocked unconscious. Mori dispatches the spirit by draining its essence, and Kontonshin kills it. Hanako wakes up and says she had just visited an Iron Tower.
Mori and Kontonshin scrutinize her and realize that Hanako had awakened as a Mastigos Mage.
Then, Tatsu appears and demands the Cabal hand Hanako over. Mori and Kontonshin refuse. Tatsu leaves, but not before reminding them that Hanako has to be introduced to the Shogun.
After arriving back at the Sanctum, each of them talk about the nights events and introduce Hanako to their ranks. Then, they get read to attend the Consilium meeting.
The Consilium meetings are all held at Kiyomizu-dera. After mingling around and speaking with other friendlier members of the Consilium, the meeting itself takes place. After the formal part of the meeting, the Shogun asks if there are any new members, and the Cabal brings Hanako forward. She had not yet fashioned a Shadow Name so she agrees to “Dancer” for now. The Shogun asks who would like to sponsor her. Since she is a Mastigos Mage, a mastigos is asked to sponsor her. Only Tatsu steps forward. She says she does not want to go with him. The only other Mastigos who are available are a few Free Council mages in Osaka – the Bunny Warner Appreciation Society. It is agreed that she will have a month to decide her Shadow Name, her Cabal and her Order.
Then, Kemosiri puts forward more Consilium business. He puts the soul jar dolls he found with the Uchida family in front of the Shogun and demands action. The Shogun gives the responsibility to Tatsu to investigate. The Cabal wants to have a say in what is going on, so the Shogun allows them to assist when Tatsu needs their help.
Third, they ask that the cave location which was once a Sanctum is to now be under their protection. The Consilium agrees. Also, Koya is now ordered to be under their protection as well.
Next: Yamada Taro part 2
(RC) Tamano – Ch. 8, part 2
Synopsis: The Cabal invade the Uchida sanctum to free the souls trapped in their twisted Ningyo. They also track down Tamano and discover she has taken the body of a familiar acquaintance.
Recap: The Cabal make plans to take out the Uchida store and free the souls trapped in the Soul Jars. Kemosiri is especially mad about the Uchidas.
As a first step, they go to meet the Consilium and find out some information regarding the Uchida family. The Shogun is not able to meet with them. Instead, Ankokuji, Deacon of the Hagekure Kyodai meets with them and tells them that he will do what he can to warn the Consilium about these soul stealers. The Cabal leave Kiyomizu-dera thinking that Ankokuji will do nothing about the Uchidas.
The Cabal discusses possibilities – Mori wants to break in to the Uchida’s, but Tenzin does not want anything to do with criminal activity. He wants the Consilium permission. He is opposed by Mori and Kemosiri who wants to barrel ahead.
Kemosiri and Mori go to explore the Uchida shop. They go at dusk and as Kemosiri approaches their shop, he looks into Twilight and sees the ghost of a young Japanese woman in a Kimono and carrying a small cloth-covered package. She implores Kemosiri to help her, but Kemosiri is at a loss for words. She then goes to Mori who cannot see her. Kemosiri gives Mori the ability to see into Twilight and Mori then sees the young woman holding a small package. The woman puts the package on the street in front of Mori. A pool of red begins to form under it and spread out from all sides. The woman implores to Mori that he is a Samurai and only he can help her. Mori prepares a spell and drains her of essence, destroying her.
Kemosiri and Mori enter the store. They see no one at first. Still looking in Twilight, they both see a ghostly Japanese man dressed in the uniform of a Japanese WWII soldier. He is guarding the entrance to the back of the shop. They wait for Uchida to come out and he tries to sell them a doll and show them a soul jar from the back of the store.
As they leave, the see a young Japanese woman in a business suit examining the ground where the ghostly woman had placed her package. It becomes apparent that she is using Mage Sight to scrutinize the area. She identifies herself as Kurotsuki of the Kempai Tai. She has two bodyguards with her. With veiled threats, she warns them not to touch the Uchida family.
After arriving back at their Sanctum, Kemosiri discusses matters with the rest of the Cabal. He still wants to attack the Uchida family irregardless of consequences. They are soul stealers and should be punished. He thinks the Consilium is corrupt for allowing the Uchida family to even exist within their borders.
Meanwhile, Tenzin and Kontonshin track Lady Kagawa through Kyoto and find her at Alcatraz II, an eclectic bar. Kontonshin uses her powers of persuasion to get them in the bar in front of the line. When they get in, they see the cramped hallways of Alcatraz – with tables in rooms that look like cells – complete with cell doors. Servers are dressed in very skimpy costumes. They get into the main chamber and see a punk rock band on stage. They see Lady Kagawa carrying a long knife which appears to be dripping with blood. Her eyes look blank and she appears to be approaching someone. They look over and see their boss, Akio Ogawa. As they approach her, she appears to have blue eyes.
Kagawa turns to see Kontonshin. Kagawa lifts her knife and at Akio’s command, begins attacking Kontonshin. Aghast, Kontonshin protects herself with magic. Then, Akio Ogawa reveals herself to actually be possessed by Tamano no Mae. She tells Tenzin “thank you for freeing me from my prison.” Kontonshin uses her martial arts to neutralize Kagawa while Tenzin uses Spirit spells to damage Tamano’s pattern. Tamano uses her Numina to create chaos in the bar. The lights flicker and explode. Fires start and the customers begin to stampede for the doors causing more mayhem and chaos. Tenzin eventually manages to destroy Tamano’s pattern, but as he does so, Tamano smiles and then her spirit disappears – apparently destroyed.
Kontonshin carries out Lady Kagawa and gets rid of the knife. Tenzin gets Akio Ogawa out as well. They take both of them home. Akio Ogawa still has blue eyes. It is eventually discovered that she has always had blue eyes, and the rest of the time she has worn brown contact lenses. Ayame is there and thanks the Cabal for their service.
But, their night is not over yet. In the middle of the night, Mori, Kemosiri and Kontonshin raid the Uchida stores in an effort to free the Souls of those trapped in their Soul Jars – including the soul of Lady Kagawa.
They break in to the shop and examine the Ningyo. All the dolls are still there, including the soul jars. Kemosiri commands the ghost soldier to move and takes control of it. It now stands with them. They go into the back room and Mori goes down the hall where Kontonshin tells him to go to retrieve Lady Kagawa’s soul. He finds a large iron door in the way and begins using Magic to lower the doors durability.
Meanwhile, the others begin going toward the door leading to the basement. They pass through a workshop and see two shadows coming up the stairs. Two zombies come up and begin attacking the Cabal. The group dispatch them handily. When they begin going down, the ghost soldier departs saying he is no longer held there. Mori joins them after getting the soul jar containing Lady Kagawa.
They go into the basement – the basement is soft ground. There is only a bit of light and they see an alter with Uchida behind it. Fresh graves litter the ground. They begin approaching, so Uchida begins casting a spell. Mori casts a counterspell, but it is disrupted by another counterspell Uchida had set up to activate. Uchida’s damage spell goes through hitting Kemosiri and knocking him unconscious (he still had a large amount of Aggrevated damage). Kontonshin leaps ahead and begins to wail on Uchida using her martial arts, but then Uchida disappears into Twilight. The others cannot touch him without Kemosiri and so they get out carrying Kemosiri. They burn down the Uchida shop in the process.
When the characters arrive back at Lady Kagawa’s sanctum, Ayame thanks them for their service and lets the Cabal know – that one of the original cabal members is still alive. Ayame had seen him wandering the streets of Tokyo, but he was taken away before she could do anything. He was taken to a local insane asylum located at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Next: Yamada Taro
Recap: The Cabal make plans to take out the Uchida store and free the souls trapped in the Soul Jars. Kemosiri is especially mad about the Uchidas.
As a first step, they go to meet the Consilium and find out some information regarding the Uchida family. The Shogun is not able to meet with them. Instead, Ankokuji, Deacon of the Hagekure Kyodai meets with them and tells them that he will do what he can to warn the Consilium about these soul stealers. The Cabal leave Kiyomizu-dera thinking that Ankokuji will do nothing about the Uchidas.
The Cabal discusses possibilities – Mori wants to break in to the Uchida’s, but Tenzin does not want anything to do with criminal activity. He wants the Consilium permission. He is opposed by Mori and Kemosiri who wants to barrel ahead.
Kemosiri and Mori go to explore the Uchida shop. They go at dusk and as Kemosiri approaches their shop, he looks into Twilight and sees the ghost of a young Japanese woman in a Kimono and carrying a small cloth-covered package. She implores Kemosiri to help her, but Kemosiri is at a loss for words. She then goes to Mori who cannot see her. Kemosiri gives Mori the ability to see into Twilight and Mori then sees the young woman holding a small package. The woman puts the package on the street in front of Mori. A pool of red begins to form under it and spread out from all sides. The woman implores to Mori that he is a Samurai and only he can help her. Mori prepares a spell and drains her of essence, destroying her.
Kemosiri and Mori enter the store. They see no one at first. Still looking in Twilight, they both see a ghostly Japanese man dressed in the uniform of a Japanese WWII soldier. He is guarding the entrance to the back of the shop. They wait for Uchida to come out and he tries to sell them a doll and show them a soul jar from the back of the store.
As they leave, the see a young Japanese woman in a business suit examining the ground where the ghostly woman had placed her package. It becomes apparent that she is using Mage Sight to scrutinize the area. She identifies herself as Kurotsuki of the Kempai Tai. She has two bodyguards with her. With veiled threats, she warns them not to touch the Uchida family.
After arriving back at their Sanctum, Kemosiri discusses matters with the rest of the Cabal. He still wants to attack the Uchida family irregardless of consequences. They are soul stealers and should be punished. He thinks the Consilium is corrupt for allowing the Uchida family to even exist within their borders.
Meanwhile, Tenzin and Kontonshin track Lady Kagawa through Kyoto and find her at Alcatraz II, an eclectic bar. Kontonshin uses her powers of persuasion to get them in the bar in front of the line. When they get in, they see the cramped hallways of Alcatraz – with tables in rooms that look like cells – complete with cell doors. Servers are dressed in very skimpy costumes. They get into the main chamber and see a punk rock band on stage. They see Lady Kagawa carrying a long knife which appears to be dripping with blood. Her eyes look blank and she appears to be approaching someone. They look over and see their boss, Akio Ogawa. As they approach her, she appears to have blue eyes.
Kagawa turns to see Kontonshin. Kagawa lifts her knife and at Akio’s command, begins attacking Kontonshin. Aghast, Kontonshin protects herself with magic. Then, Akio Ogawa reveals herself to actually be possessed by Tamano no Mae. She tells Tenzin “thank you for freeing me from my prison.” Kontonshin uses her martial arts to neutralize Kagawa while Tenzin uses Spirit spells to damage Tamano’s pattern. Tamano uses her Numina to create chaos in the bar. The lights flicker and explode. Fires start and the customers begin to stampede for the doors causing more mayhem and chaos. Tenzin eventually manages to destroy Tamano’s pattern, but as he does so, Tamano smiles and then her spirit disappears – apparently destroyed.
Kontonshin carries out Lady Kagawa and gets rid of the knife. Tenzin gets Akio Ogawa out as well. They take both of them home. Akio Ogawa still has blue eyes. It is eventually discovered that she has always had blue eyes, and the rest of the time she has worn brown contact lenses. Ayame is there and thanks the Cabal for their service.
But, their night is not over yet. In the middle of the night, Mori, Kemosiri and Kontonshin raid the Uchida stores in an effort to free the Souls of those trapped in their Soul Jars – including the soul of Lady Kagawa.
They break in to the shop and examine the Ningyo. All the dolls are still there, including the soul jars. Kemosiri commands the ghost soldier to move and takes control of it. It now stands with them. They go into the back room and Mori goes down the hall where Kontonshin tells him to go to retrieve Lady Kagawa’s soul. He finds a large iron door in the way and begins using Magic to lower the doors durability.
Meanwhile, the others begin going toward the door leading to the basement. They pass through a workshop and see two shadows coming up the stairs. Two zombies come up and begin attacking the Cabal. The group dispatch them handily. When they begin going down, the ghost soldier departs saying he is no longer held there. Mori joins them after getting the soul jar containing Lady Kagawa.
They go into the basement – the basement is soft ground. There is only a bit of light and they see an alter with Uchida behind it. Fresh graves litter the ground. They begin approaching, so Uchida begins casting a spell. Mori casts a counterspell, but it is disrupted by another counterspell Uchida had set up to activate. Uchida’s damage spell goes through hitting Kemosiri and knocking him unconscious (he still had a large amount of Aggrevated damage). Kontonshin leaps ahead and begins to wail on Uchida using her martial arts, but then Uchida disappears into Twilight. The others cannot touch him without Kemosiri and so they get out carrying Kemosiri. They burn down the Uchida shop in the process.
When the characters arrive back at Lady Kagawa’s sanctum, Ayame thanks them for their service and lets the Cabal know – that one of the original cabal members is still alive. Ayame had seen him wandering the streets of Tokyo, but he was taken away before she could do anything. He was taken to a local insane asylum located at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Next: Yamada Taro
(RC) Tamano – Ch. 8, part 1
Synopsis: Tenzin discovers that the white fox spirit he had released in the Shadow, was none other than the infamous Tamano no Mae - a malevolent spirit of incredible power. Meanwhile, Kemosiri begins interpreting the Shinwa Taizen.
Recap: Kontonshin, Mori and Tenzin return to their sanctum in Kyoto. Tenzin tends to Duncan’s wounds while Mori dumps Kara’s burnt body onto Ogawa’s desk. Duncan only remembers being hit by Kara with an impromptu flame thrower and ambushed by thugs. After consuming some of Tenzin’s “special tea”, Duncan feels better and tells the Cabal he will “take care of things for them.” He leaves with Toshi’s body and Yumiko. He returns to report that everything was taken care of. A subsequent news report showed Yumiko being examined by doctors and the deaths being blamed on Yakuza.
Meanwhile, Kemosiri is being questioned by Tatsu. Tatsu’s face is hidden behind a hideous oni mask and Tatsu’s voice changes from male to female. Tatsu asks Kemosiri what it was they were searching for and why he was in a forbidden area of the Aetheneum. Kemosiri refuses to answer any questions. Kemosiri thinks Tatsu already knows the answer to those questions anyway and begins referring to the Shinwa Taizen as the worst kept secret in Kyoto.
Kontonshin, Mori and Tenzin visit the Aethenium to get Kemosiri. They find him still alive, but very hurt. Tatsu demands to know what it is they were searching for and provide no answers. Reluctantly, they let Kemosiri go – without his notes.
Kemosiri does not feel that he will be able to get the notes back. So, he decides to steal Professor Wu’s copy of the Codex. Mori helps. They steal it late at night using Magic. It is relatively unprotected (Kemosiri makes a Morality roll and loses 1 Morality point).
When they return to their sanctum, they receive a phone call from Ayame (Sa-an’s geisha girlfriend). Ayame’s master, the Lady Kagawa, is very ill.
They go and visit and find Lady Kagawa in bed. Her soul has been removed. Ayame explains that Kagawa had entered the Shadow through a special portal that they use. They are the Myobu – a Legacy who are all descendents of half-Kitsune spirits and defenders of Japan against ancient malevolent spirits – especially Nogitsune, malevolent Kitsune. The most dangerous Nogitsune is Tamano no Mae. Lady Kagawa and the other Myobu protected Kyoto against Tamano and when Kagawa came back, she said Tamano was gone. Now, Kagawa’s soul is gone and Ayame feels that Tamano is responsible. She asks them if they knew of anything that happened in the Shadow. No one answers – especially Tenzin, the one who freed Tamano. He later confesses to the group that he had freed her and that she had helped him cross Kyoto and found Sa-an.
Kontonshin and Kemosiri derive a plan to track down Tamano. They use Kagawa’s body to find out where her soul is located – it seems to be stored in a storehouse on a shelf with Ningyo – Japanese dolls. They try tracking down Tamano herself. Tenzin tries locating her since he is a bit familiar with her and gets an image of a woman in a business suit.
Kontonshin uses Fate magic to help track down the Ningyo shop containing the soul. Tenzin and Kontonshin track down the shop in a small shop in northern Kyoto. The sign above the door is an old wooden sign and the snow in Kyoto has not been cleared from the doorsteps as the others had.
In the morning, Kemosiri calls Professor Wu. He asks Prof. Wu that he would like to meet and see the Codex. He tries to feign having the Codex. The Professor agrees to see him in the afternoon.
In the morning Kontonshin and Mori attend the shop. Snow has still not been cleared. They knock on the door and are met by a short balding Japanese man with coke bottle glasses and a deathly pallor. Mori tries to use Mage Sight and finds him to be a Mage. They enter the shop and see twisted Ningyo – none of the dolls are traditional dolls. They are twisted visages of children that Uchida claims come to him in dreams. Mori tries to find out if any of the Ningyo are magic and detect a whole bunch of them. They surmise that they are Soul Jars – but none of them contain souls. With a bit of Fate Magic, she convinces Uchida to show her the back room. He does and they find a Ningyo with a soul they believe to be Lady Kagawa’s. Before they leave, Kontonshin gives Uchida her calling card and says to Uchida to “give her regards to Tamano.” Uchida turns even whiter.
Kemosiri meets with Professor Wu. He expected Prof. Wu to simply phone him and tell him the book was missing. He did confess that it had been stolen, but after he had discovered it missing, he was called by University Security and shown a videotape showing two Japanese men breaking in to his office and stealing the Codex. He shows Kemosiri the photos and he sits there stunned wondering who could have done this. Professor Wu really wants to look at the scroll. He is becoming VERY interested in the scroll and wants to study it himself. In fact, he had spent several hours poring over the Codex – even without something to look at. Professor Wu leaves – very excited about learning more about the scroll.
Kemosiri looks at the scroll and discovers it is one of many scrolls. The Codex – written in 1937 by a Wang Ji-ang, is a “Rosetta Stone” – containing 4 different columns and 4 different languages – Ancient Japanese, Chinese, German and the language being translated from the scroll (an unknown language now being referred to as Muvian). This one contains part of a diary about someone living in the 450th year of the reign of Izunami-no-Kami, Queen of the Hells. A second part of the scroll seems to be a grimoire – a spell summoning something – what cannot be determined without other pieces of the scroll.
Detective Imada shows up and asks for help (related to Fox). There is someone out there murdering geisha’s and their guests. The Cabal ventures over to the murder site and discover that Tamano was behind the murders.
Kontonshin gets a call from Ayame asking for assistance after Lady Kagawa gets up and leaves her home with a long blade.
Next: Tamano - part 2
Recap: Kontonshin, Mori and Tenzin return to their sanctum in Kyoto. Tenzin tends to Duncan’s wounds while Mori dumps Kara’s burnt body onto Ogawa’s desk. Duncan only remembers being hit by Kara with an impromptu flame thrower and ambushed by thugs. After consuming some of Tenzin’s “special tea”, Duncan feels better and tells the Cabal he will “take care of things for them.” He leaves with Toshi’s body and Yumiko. He returns to report that everything was taken care of. A subsequent news report showed Yumiko being examined by doctors and the deaths being blamed on Yakuza.
Meanwhile, Kemosiri is being questioned by Tatsu. Tatsu’s face is hidden behind a hideous oni mask and Tatsu’s voice changes from male to female. Tatsu asks Kemosiri what it was they were searching for and why he was in a forbidden area of the Aetheneum. Kemosiri refuses to answer any questions. Kemosiri thinks Tatsu already knows the answer to those questions anyway and begins referring to the Shinwa Taizen as the worst kept secret in Kyoto.
Kontonshin, Mori and Tenzin visit the Aethenium to get Kemosiri. They find him still alive, but very hurt. Tatsu demands to know what it is they were searching for and provide no answers. Reluctantly, they let Kemosiri go – without his notes.
Kemosiri does not feel that he will be able to get the notes back. So, he decides to steal Professor Wu’s copy of the Codex. Mori helps. They steal it late at night using Magic. It is relatively unprotected (Kemosiri makes a Morality roll and loses 1 Morality point).
When they return to their sanctum, they receive a phone call from Ayame (Sa-an’s geisha girlfriend). Ayame’s master, the Lady Kagawa, is very ill.
They go and visit and find Lady Kagawa in bed. Her soul has been removed. Ayame explains that Kagawa had entered the Shadow through a special portal that they use. They are the Myobu – a Legacy who are all descendents of half-Kitsune spirits and defenders of Japan against ancient malevolent spirits – especially Nogitsune, malevolent Kitsune. The most dangerous Nogitsune is Tamano no Mae. Lady Kagawa and the other Myobu protected Kyoto against Tamano and when Kagawa came back, she said Tamano was gone. Now, Kagawa’s soul is gone and Ayame feels that Tamano is responsible. She asks them if they knew of anything that happened in the Shadow. No one answers – especially Tenzin, the one who freed Tamano. He later confesses to the group that he had freed her and that she had helped him cross Kyoto and found Sa-an.
Kontonshin and Kemosiri derive a plan to track down Tamano. They use Kagawa’s body to find out where her soul is located – it seems to be stored in a storehouse on a shelf with Ningyo – Japanese dolls. They try tracking down Tamano herself. Tenzin tries locating her since he is a bit familiar with her and gets an image of a woman in a business suit.
Kontonshin uses Fate magic to help track down the Ningyo shop containing the soul. Tenzin and Kontonshin track down the shop in a small shop in northern Kyoto. The sign above the door is an old wooden sign and the snow in Kyoto has not been cleared from the doorsteps as the others had.
In the morning, Kemosiri calls Professor Wu. He asks Prof. Wu that he would like to meet and see the Codex. He tries to feign having the Codex. The Professor agrees to see him in the afternoon.
In the morning Kontonshin and Mori attend the shop. Snow has still not been cleared. They knock on the door and are met by a short balding Japanese man with coke bottle glasses and a deathly pallor. Mori tries to use Mage Sight and finds him to be a Mage. They enter the shop and see twisted Ningyo – none of the dolls are traditional dolls. They are twisted visages of children that Uchida claims come to him in dreams. Mori tries to find out if any of the Ningyo are magic and detect a whole bunch of them. They surmise that they are Soul Jars – but none of them contain souls. With a bit of Fate Magic, she convinces Uchida to show her the back room. He does and they find a Ningyo with a soul they believe to be Lady Kagawa’s. Before they leave, Kontonshin gives Uchida her calling card and says to Uchida to “give her regards to Tamano.” Uchida turns even whiter.
Kemosiri meets with Professor Wu. He expected Prof. Wu to simply phone him and tell him the book was missing. He did confess that it had been stolen, but after he had discovered it missing, he was called by University Security and shown a videotape showing two Japanese men breaking in to his office and stealing the Codex. He shows Kemosiri the photos and he sits there stunned wondering who could have done this. Professor Wu really wants to look at the scroll. He is becoming VERY interested in the scroll and wants to study it himself. In fact, he had spent several hours poring over the Codex – even without something to look at. Professor Wu leaves – very excited about learning more about the scroll.
Kemosiri looks at the scroll and discovers it is one of many scrolls. The Codex – written in 1937 by a Wang Ji-ang, is a “Rosetta Stone” – containing 4 different columns and 4 different languages – Ancient Japanese, Chinese, German and the language being translated from the scroll (an unknown language now being referred to as Muvian). This one contains part of a diary about someone living in the 450th year of the reign of Izunami-no-Kami, Queen of the Hells. A second part of the scroll seems to be a grimoire – a spell summoning something – what cannot be determined without other pieces of the scroll.
Detective Imada shows up and asks for help (related to Fox). There is someone out there murdering geisha’s and their guests. The Cabal ventures over to the murder site and discover that Tamano was behind the murders.
Kontonshin gets a call from Ayame asking for assistance after Lady Kagawa gets up and leaves her home with a long blade.
Next: Tamano - part 2
Sunday, March 05, 2006
(RC) The Shih - Ch. 7
Hi all. Sorry for the late updates, but it has been a very busy time. I am just catching up on things, and the next Chapter will be online very soon now.
Summary: While on vacation at Akio Ogawa’s mountain cabin, the Cabal are ambushed by mages intent on killing them. Meanwhile, Kemosiri gains access to the Mysterium Aethenium in Kyoto.
Recap: Kyoto, and in fact all of Japan is experiencing the heaviest snowfall in years.
Amidst the record snowfall, Mori, Kontonshin and Tenzin along with Gei Ho and Duncan take some time off to try and recover from the events in the Shadow. They go to a cabin located near a small ski hill an hour north of Kyoto and owned by Akio Ogawa. They enjoy two weeks of rest and relaxation. Kemosiri remains in Kyoto searching for a Codex for the Shinwa Taizen – a document which can help him translate the Shinwa Taizen.
Dr. Wu calls Kemosiri and says he ordered a very old dictionary that might help. Kemosiri, wary of getting a sleeper involved in his project, decides not to see him at this time.
At the cabin, Duncan is busy cooking Kobe Beef (a delicacy) on the barbeque. It is dark and it has been snowing heavily for the past week and a half. Gei Ho sees something near a small shed outside the cabin. Kontonshin and Duncan look outside, but see nothing. They believe that Gei Ho is merely seeing things.
Kemosiri tried for two weeks to gain entry into the Mysterium Aethenium. He finally gets an appointment with Daishi, the head Curator. He meets Daishi at his sanctum located below the Minami-za Theatre. There is a Kaomise Kabuki going on when he arrives. After exchanging pleasantries, Kemosiri tells Daishi he is doing some research on some very old scrolls and would like access to the Aethenium. Since Kemosiri is a member of the Mysterium, Daishi allows this. He instructs Aragashi, his young apprentice, to take Kemosiri down to the Aethenium as a courtesy.
Later in the evening, the Cabal hears a vehicle spinning its wheels outside their Cabin. Kontonshin and Tenzin go out to investigate. They find a jeep spinning its wheels in the snow covered road outside. There are two sets of skiis on the roof. Inside, three youths, Toshi Yumiko and Kara (two girls and one boy) are huddled trying to keep warm while extricating their vehicle. Kontonshin and Tenzin invite them in.
Once inside, Kara begins playing with her laptop computer and the other two snuggle up together seemingly to ignore Kara. Tenzin makes a pass at Kara - she is young and very pretty. She quietly ignores Tenzin’s bungled advances and closes the laptop whenever he gets close. Toshi tries to phone home using his cel phone but cannot get a signal. Mori suggests trying upstairs and the young couple hurriedly retreat to an upstairs bedroom and leave Kara to stare at her laptop.
Kemosiri and Aragashi continue to scour over old scrolls, but fail to find anything useful. Kemosiri asks Aragashi if there was more. Aragashi smiles and tells Kemosiri that there is a hidden cache of material hidden under the National Museum of Art and can be accessed through a secret entrance at the end of a stone hallway. Aragashi says he has been using that secret cache for months doing his own research. He opens up the entryway for Kemosiri and they venture into it.
At the cabin, the power goes out. Kontonshin finds candles while Kara continues to work on her computer. Gei Ho thinks he sees something by the shed. He is adament that something is out there. Kontonshin and Tenzin go out to investigate and find tracks in the snow leading around the shed. They circle the shed and realize that the tracks are leading back to their cabin. They race for the cabin.
Kemosiri and the Apprentice get to a warehouse under the National Museum of Art. The warehouse is choked with ancient relics and artifacts - many of them have nothing to do with magic, but provide valuable insight into the history of Kyoto and Japan. Kemosiri quickly finds ancient scrolls piled in the back of the warehouse. He finds one scroll – a Codex useful for interpreting the Shinwa Taizen. A very happy Kemosiri begins to write down what is there.
Kemosiri is so engrossed in copying the Codex, he fails to notice a spell being cast. The spell melts the Apprentice's pattern away, killing him. A Mage dressed in black leather and carrying a cane appears at the end of one row of metal shelves. He identifies himself as one of the Shih, a group of Witch Hunters (Banishers). He lets Kemosiri know that he and his group are taking care of their entire Cabal. The Shih begins casting a spell. Kemosiri throws his scroll and the Codex back on the shelf just as he is hit with a painful Mind spell.
At the cabin, Kontonshin and Tenzin rush inside and warn Duncan about a possible intruder. A sudden noise upstairs alerts them. Before they can go up, Duncan reveals a handgun and gives another one to Mori. Then, him and Kontonshin rush upstairs. Tenzin stays downstairs.
Mori and Kontonshin hear screaming behind a door. They break it down to find a hysterical and naked Yumiko standing on the futon covered in blood from Toshi's decapitated neck still gushing arterial spray.
Mori cautiously enters the room. He tells Yumiko to go downstairs. She grabs a clean sheet and rushes past Mori and Kontonshin. As Mori notices a figure emerge from the bedroom shadows holding a katana, he hears a shot from downstairs. Mori tries shooting the figure, but the Shih casts a spell destroying the floor beneath Mori and sending him down into the kitchen.
At the Aethenium, Kemosiri summons ghosts. He has been making friends with ghosts in Kyoto and many of them come to his aid. Some begin creating havoc - knocking down shelves and throwing the artefacts around. Amidst the maelstrom, the Shih throws spells at Kemosiri damaging his pattern with lethal force. Before he goes unconscious, Kemosiri notices the ghosts surrounding the Shih and injuring their victim.
The Shih faces off with Kontonshin. Kontonshin uses her Fate Arcana to erect Mage Armor. The Shih attacks, but does not damage Kontonshin. Kontonshin is furious. She uses her Martial Arts to pin the Shih to the wall and pummels him. Injured, the Shih fades into the shadows and disappears.
Meanwhile, Mori creeps from the Kitchen to the Great Room and sees Duncan on the floor being taken care of by Tenzin. Kara is throwing Forces Arcana spells at Tenzin and Yumiko remains huddled under her blanket screaming. Mori dispells one of Kara’s spells while Gei Ho picks up Duncan's gun and starts shooting at Kara. Mori throws vulgar Prime spells at Kara injuring her. Paradox occurs creating a vortex that smashes all the windows in the cabin. Mori sees Kara flee onto the cabins deck and then casts a ball of flame at her as she dives into the snow. She dies in a flaming heap. (Mori makes a Morality check and loses one Morality).
The Cabal does not feel it is safe to stay. They get into their SUV with an injured Duncan and the bodies ofToshi and Kara in the back. Kontonshin suggests torching the cabin to eradicate evidence (She loses 1 Morality even with bonuses to her dice pool) and Mori sets fire to it. Meanwhile, Gei Ho, having gotten a taste of what it is like to use a gun, begs to start learning how to shoot. They leave hurriedly.
Next: Tamano - Ch. 8
Summary: While on vacation at Akio Ogawa’s mountain cabin, the Cabal are ambushed by mages intent on killing them. Meanwhile, Kemosiri gains access to the Mysterium Aethenium in Kyoto.
Recap: Kyoto, and in fact all of Japan is experiencing the heaviest snowfall in years.
Amidst the record snowfall, Mori, Kontonshin and Tenzin along with Gei Ho and Duncan take some time off to try and recover from the events in the Shadow. They go to a cabin located near a small ski hill an hour north of Kyoto and owned by Akio Ogawa. They enjoy two weeks of rest and relaxation. Kemosiri remains in Kyoto searching for a Codex for the Shinwa Taizen – a document which can help him translate the Shinwa Taizen.
Dr. Wu calls Kemosiri and says he ordered a very old dictionary that might help. Kemosiri, wary of getting a sleeper involved in his project, decides not to see him at this time.
At the cabin, Duncan is busy cooking Kobe Beef (a delicacy) on the barbeque. It is dark and it has been snowing heavily for the past week and a half. Gei Ho sees something near a small shed outside the cabin. Kontonshin and Duncan look outside, but see nothing. They believe that Gei Ho is merely seeing things.
Kemosiri tried for two weeks to gain entry into the Mysterium Aethenium. He finally gets an appointment with Daishi, the head Curator. He meets Daishi at his sanctum located below the Minami-za Theatre. There is a Kaomise Kabuki going on when he arrives. After exchanging pleasantries, Kemosiri tells Daishi he is doing some research on some very old scrolls and would like access to the Aethenium. Since Kemosiri is a member of the Mysterium, Daishi allows this. He instructs Aragashi, his young apprentice, to take Kemosiri down to the Aethenium as a courtesy.
Later in the evening, the Cabal hears a vehicle spinning its wheels outside their Cabin. Kontonshin and Tenzin go out to investigate. They find a jeep spinning its wheels in the snow covered road outside. There are two sets of skiis on the roof. Inside, three youths, Toshi Yumiko and Kara (two girls and one boy) are huddled trying to keep warm while extricating their vehicle. Kontonshin and Tenzin invite them in.
Once inside, Kara begins playing with her laptop computer and the other two snuggle up together seemingly to ignore Kara. Tenzin makes a pass at Kara - she is young and very pretty. She quietly ignores Tenzin’s bungled advances and closes the laptop whenever he gets close. Toshi tries to phone home using his cel phone but cannot get a signal. Mori suggests trying upstairs and the young couple hurriedly retreat to an upstairs bedroom and leave Kara to stare at her laptop.
Kemosiri and Aragashi continue to scour over old scrolls, but fail to find anything useful. Kemosiri asks Aragashi if there was more. Aragashi smiles and tells Kemosiri that there is a hidden cache of material hidden under the National Museum of Art and can be accessed through a secret entrance at the end of a stone hallway. Aragashi says he has been using that secret cache for months doing his own research. He opens up the entryway for Kemosiri and they venture into it.
At the cabin, the power goes out. Kontonshin finds candles while Kara continues to work on her computer. Gei Ho thinks he sees something by the shed. He is adament that something is out there. Kontonshin and Tenzin go out to investigate and find tracks in the snow leading around the shed. They circle the shed and realize that the tracks are leading back to their cabin. They race for the cabin.
Kemosiri and the Apprentice get to a warehouse under the National Museum of Art. The warehouse is choked with ancient relics and artifacts - many of them have nothing to do with magic, but provide valuable insight into the history of Kyoto and Japan. Kemosiri quickly finds ancient scrolls piled in the back of the warehouse. He finds one scroll – a Codex useful for interpreting the Shinwa Taizen. A very happy Kemosiri begins to write down what is there.
Kemosiri is so engrossed in copying the Codex, he fails to notice a spell being cast. The spell melts the Apprentice's pattern away, killing him. A Mage dressed in black leather and carrying a cane appears at the end of one row of metal shelves. He identifies himself as one of the Shih, a group of Witch Hunters (Banishers). He lets Kemosiri know that he and his group are taking care of their entire Cabal. The Shih begins casting a spell. Kemosiri throws his scroll and the Codex back on the shelf just as he is hit with a painful Mind spell.
At the cabin, Kontonshin and Tenzin rush inside and warn Duncan about a possible intruder. A sudden noise upstairs alerts them. Before they can go up, Duncan reveals a handgun and gives another one to Mori. Then, him and Kontonshin rush upstairs. Tenzin stays downstairs.
Mori and Kontonshin hear screaming behind a door. They break it down to find a hysterical and naked Yumiko standing on the futon covered in blood from Toshi's decapitated neck still gushing arterial spray.
Mori cautiously enters the room. He tells Yumiko to go downstairs. She grabs a clean sheet and rushes past Mori and Kontonshin. As Mori notices a figure emerge from the bedroom shadows holding a katana, he hears a shot from downstairs. Mori tries shooting the figure, but the Shih casts a spell destroying the floor beneath Mori and sending him down into the kitchen.
At the Aethenium, Kemosiri summons ghosts. He has been making friends with ghosts in Kyoto and many of them come to his aid. Some begin creating havoc - knocking down shelves and throwing the artefacts around. Amidst the maelstrom, the Shih throws spells at Kemosiri damaging his pattern with lethal force. Before he goes unconscious, Kemosiri notices the ghosts surrounding the Shih and injuring their victim.
The Shih faces off with Kontonshin. Kontonshin uses her Fate Arcana to erect Mage Armor. The Shih attacks, but does not damage Kontonshin. Kontonshin is furious. She uses her Martial Arts to pin the Shih to the wall and pummels him. Injured, the Shih fades into the shadows and disappears.
Meanwhile, Mori creeps from the Kitchen to the Great Room and sees Duncan on the floor being taken care of by Tenzin. Kara is throwing Forces Arcana spells at Tenzin and Yumiko remains huddled under her blanket screaming. Mori dispells one of Kara’s spells while Gei Ho picks up Duncan's gun and starts shooting at Kara. Mori throws vulgar Prime spells at Kara injuring her. Paradox occurs creating a vortex that smashes all the windows in the cabin. Mori sees Kara flee onto the cabins deck and then casts a ball of flame at her as she dives into the snow. She dies in a flaming heap. (Mori makes a Morality check and loses one Morality).
The Cabal does not feel it is safe to stay. They get into their SUV with an injured Duncan and the bodies ofToshi and Kara in the back. Kontonshin suggests torching the cabin to eradicate evidence (She loses 1 Morality even with bonuses to her dice pool) and Mori sets fire to it. Meanwhile, Gei Ho, having gotten a taste of what it is like to use a gun, begs to start learning how to shoot. They leave hurriedly.
Next: Tamano - Ch. 8
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