(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