Chapter 2: Concerning Families and Figs
On the 17th of the 3rd moon, Viz Leany made port at Xien La, the City of Mists. Dasha set out in search of business opportunities, while Akash and Kasumi went to meet with some contacts in town, and the remainder of the crew either went hunting for the latest scuttlebutt, or attended to their own affairs.
Akash was excited to finally be in Xien La and connecting with the Brotherhood here in earnest. He and Kasumi met with the Kawaguchi family where Akash learned a horrible truth. He knew the Brotherhood had become more fragmented after the Dark, but the degree of separation found here irritated Akash to no end.
For Akash, the Brotherhood, his Brotherhood at least, was his real family and last names meant very little. Here in Xien La, factions of the Brotherhood seemed stronger and more tightly knit than in Rhakosis because they organized themselves around the major families within the Brotherhood. However, their loyalties ultimately lay in the family, rather than the Brotherhood itself. Akash strongly felt the need to correct this reversal.
Akash, Kasumi, and their contact Ken’ichi discussed the groundwork of a plan to bring the families back under the umbrella of the Brotherhood. After their discussion Ken’ichi suggested that Akash go out and learn more about the state of the Brotherhood himself by visiting a few locations.
Upon their return, Akash learned that Dasha had located and secured a deal with a jeweler named Akiyama Haruka to be the exclusive partner for Akash’s gem trade in Xien La. Not knowing which families this businessperson might be connected with, he was initially cross about her decision, although he admitted Dasha had no way of knowing of the complicated political issues plaguing the city.
...*...
The next day, the crew took lunch at the Coiling Koi Inn and debated possible buyers for their fig cargo. Sitara and the crew had uncovered gossip concerning the Rokurou Winery, and discovered that, despite its popularity, being the winner of the recent Cherry Blossom Festival, it had inexplicably ceased production. In the absence of the top prize wine, the second place wine produced by the Nakashima Winery was faring quite well.
For the herbal fig concoction Dasha had brewed over the course of their voyage, Kasumi recommended the Pink Pagoda’s owner as a potential buyer. While some considered the Pink Pagoda a snobbish pleasure palace or a cheap dive with delusions of grandeur, those familiar with it spoke of it as a quality establishment in which to relax. After some debate, the crew decided to try the Rokurou Winery first.
Upon the crew’s arrival at the Rokurou Winery, they noted evidence of recent vandalism. The owner, Rokurou Maki, informed them that shortly after his success at the festival, rumors and threats began to swirl about the winery, which then escalated to sabotage and violence.
Barely a week ago, several of his workers were attacked at a nearby tea house, leaving some badly injured and unable to work, and others too afraid to return. Additionally, while the city guard had been alerted to the crimes, they had not been able to locate the perpetrators. This had brought production to a near standstill and put Rokurou in an understandably difficult position to conduct further business.
Suddenly Akash, much to everyone’s surprise and his accountant’s well-concealed ire, broke out in fluent Minzokan, proclaiming something to the vintner. Uncertain of what Akash had said and Rokurou‘s reaction, Sitara assured him they would be glad to see what they could do to set things aright. He agreed to purchase their cargo if the crew could put an end to the violence and get his men back to work. With that, Sitara and the crew headed to the Silent Thunder tea house to begin their investigation.
A man at the tea house who had witnessed the altercation informed them it began after some strange men began slinging insults about the vintner and his workers stepped up to defend his honor. He recalled one assailant in particular, a violent man with a partially shaven head and several scars. The man had beaten one of the workers nearly to death before his comrades pulled him out of the tea house to avoid capture by the city guards.
Next the crew visited the home of the critically injured worker, Yamasuki Kouki, nicknamed Kiki. The stalwart but bedridden young man told them what little he knew. Disconcerted by the extent of his injuries, Sitara sent Mesi to fetch Diallo. She also learned from his younger sister Sayuri that a menacing man with snake tattoos had come by and advised her that they should not leave the house. It became apparent that both siblings were wearing a brave facade for the sake of the other in the face of this dire situation. In the end, Kouki agreed to write to the other workers urging them to return, while Sitara showed Sayuri some methods for defending her home should the threatening men come to call again.
Meanwhile, Akash sent a message to his contacts in hopes of gaining some helpful information. Once Mesi returned, the crew left to meet with Diallo at the vintner’s to update him and decide their next move. After leaving the winery, Mesi noticed two overly interested men watching them. The crew took a meandering route back to the Yamasuki home, and as Diallo was inside introducing himself to the siblings, Mesi signaled to Akash that she had spotted their tail.
Akash slowly crept out from behind the house until he saw the men. When their eyes met, he conjured the wind, billowing forth in an intimidating display, and the men bolted. Akash gave chase and had nearly caught up to one when he was struck from behind by a metal dart.
Catching up, the crew discovered Akash lying in the street. Realizing the dart might have contained a paralytic poison, they took the sour Akash back to Kouki’s for treatment. After debating the possible origins of the dart, the crew returned to the ship to rest, leaving Diallo to watch over Kouki and Sayuri.
...*...
The next morning, a message arrived for Akash. Having recovered quickly from the poison, he set out promptly as he had business to attend to. The rest of the party went to visit other workers from the Rokurou winery. While some were unwilling to take the risk, others were more sympathetic to Kouki’s message, and agreed to return to work.
Akash first visited Ken’nichi, who did indeed recognize the men responsible for harassing Rokurou’s workers. The thugs were often hired muscle for their Brotherhood rivals, the Yamuchi, who, as it so happened, were also patrons of the Nakashima winery.
When Akash showed him the dart and recounted the attack from the previous afternoon, a dark expression passed over his face. Ken’nichi remarked that it was very possible Akash and his crew’s activities had caught the attention of the Ryuu, a mysterious clan who were also known associates of the Yamuchi. Akash thanked Ken’nichi, who returned with a warning to tread lightly.
Next, Akash went to meet his new business partner. Upon entering the modest establishment, a young woman came out to greet him. Dressed in dark, somber colors, she introduced herself as Akiyama Haruka. Showing him around the shop, she told him how she had recently inherited the business after the passing of its previous owner. The Yamuchi family had taken to looking after the shop ever since, for which she was grateful. Akash offered her a deal on his pieces with a very generous commission, which she accepted, though she seemed rather overwhelmed by his kindness.
After taking his leave, Akash went to meet the rest of the party for lunch.
...*...
Akash shared with them what he had learned from his sources. The men who were behind the vandalism of the Rokurou Winery and harassing his workers, were led by a thug named Tsukuda Nobu. He had also been informed that Nobu enjoyed betting in cock fighting rings around Xien La, and the crew concocted a plan to meet him.
Dressing Kasumi as a wealthy businessman and Sitara and Mesi as escorts, the three went out to locate Nobu. The group met a man named Kenji who claimed to know Nobu and would be more than happy to introduce them. Under the guise of looking for a distributor for their fig-based aphrodisiac, Kasumi offered a sample to Kenji as well as a night with Mesi to test its potency, which was enough for Kenji to lead the three to an arena that Nobu frequented. While there, the group bumped into Nobu, no thanks to Kenji.
Kasumi struck up a deal with Nobu that in exchange for a hefty sum of gems and a night with Mesi, Nobu and his men would assault Viz Leany. Later that night Mesi found herself waiting alone in an inn so she can fulfil the promises made by Kasumi to Kenji and Nobu. Of course, Kasumi didn't mention to either man that they would be meeting with Mesi the same night.
...*...
Mesi paced impatiently in her hostel room, while Sitara and Kasumi waited in the next room. Kenji arrived for their rendezvous first, cleaned up, and bearing a bottle of wine. After getting excited and removing his shirt, Mesi motioned for him to pour them a drink in an attempt to buy time. However, Nobu arrived just as drinks were being poured.
The belligerent Nobu dragged Kenji out of the room and into the hallway. After both men insisted that the other leave, Nobu punctuated his intent with several blows, and Kenji responded by drawing a small knife, slicing Nobu.
Mesi, playing the helpless damsel, opened the door and let out an uncharacteristically dramatic scream, distracting Nobu and allowing Kenji to stab him again. Mesi slammed the door and made for the window as the scuffle continued in the hallway. Mesi, Sitara, and Kasumi managed to climb out of the windows and made it to the alley below before heading rapidly back to the ship.
Once safely back onboard ship, the crew began to plan for Nobu’s scheduled attack the following night before retiring.
...*...
As the crew settled in for the night, Sitara, feeling a great pang of guilt at the probable state they had left Kenji in, roused Dasha and returned to the inn. After some searching, they found the young man buried under some crates in a nearby alley, unconscious and badly beaten.
They carefully set him in a handcart and wheeled him back to Viz Leany for further medical attention. Upon their arrival, however, Sitara found two of her crewmen on deck with their throats slit. She had just managed to ring the alarm bell before they found themselves under attack from two shadowy figures shrouded entirely in black except for a small slit through which peered a pair of hollow eyes, black as pitch.
As the crew rushed to the deck, another leapt out at Akash from the darkness. Kannuki swung wildly at Sitara’s assailant, but it proved too elusive for his tetsubo to find purchase. In his frustration, he grabbed the figure in a crushing bear hug, only to be violently pincushioned by its knives with inhuman relentlessness. Harrowed and furious, Sitara lassoed the enemy with one of the ships’ ropes and slid off the deck and strung the figure up, before Kannuki, blood-drenched and enraged, swiftly finished it off.
Meanwhile, Akash discovered a new, unconventional use of his talents in stealing the breath from a fourth attacker. Uttering incessant prayers of warding and banishment against their demonic enemies, Dasha finally drove the choked figure off the bow of the ship with her sword. Collecting themselves after the melee, the crew realized that the other assailants had disappeared into the gloom without a trace.
Responding to the alarm and ruckus, members of a neighboring ship came by to investigate, then rushed off to retrieve the dock guards and their ship’s surgeon. Omdahl Victorsson Adrianus de Skadade aided the wounded on deck and Dasha took Kenji below to begin treating his injuries. Sitara was relieved that she had not lost any crew; even Adam and Wasi, whose throats were slit, would recover. With that in mind, she and the others turned their attention to the lifeless body on deck.
As inhuman as their attackers had appeared, all they found under the mask was a rather nondescript Minzokan man. He had been carrying a few darts which Akash relieved from the corpse before a pair of guards arrived. Neither of them recognized anything about the man, but they took the crew’s statements and offered to post a guard on the ship, provided the disconcerting Kannuki remain below decks.
After the guards left, Akash and Kasumi revealed to Sitara, Mesi, and Dasha that they believed their shadowy attackers were from the Ryuu clan, associates of the Yamuchi whom they also suspected had darted Akash. They surmised the attack was a message from the Yamuchi to cease their meddling. While the crew acknowledged the gravity of the situation, in the end, the attack cemented their resolve not to allow the powerful to tyrannize the weaker.
Finally, the crew returned to their cabins to get what rest they could. Kasumi, for one, was confounded and slightly nettled to discover Dasha tending the bloodied Kenji on his bed. Sitara pointed out that ultimately *they* were the cause of his current state, which, no matter his unsavory connections, he himself had done nothing to deserve. Left unspoken was the haunting thought of what might have happened had she not decided to retrieve Kenji that night.
...*...
Akash and Dasha set off the next morning and called all of the crew back to the ship. They also brought Kouki, so Diallo could continue treating him and keep the two of them safe during this endeavor.
Gathering the crew, the captain explained that the ship had come under attack from assassins trying to intimidate them out of aiding Rokurou, and that they were to expect another assault that night. After rallying the crew to prepare to defend themselves and protect their charges, the cook Bassim gave a speech stating that the crew would stand with the captain and protect the ship and those that sailed aboard her.
That night, cloaked figures snuck onto the boat towards the crew pretending to sleep. Mesi and Kasumi fired the opening salvo of arrows as the whole ship sprung into action. The attackers were quickly overwhelmed and Kasumi called for them to stand down... However, Kasumi botched the translation saying, 'Stand down and we'll kill you!" prompting the attackers to fight in full.
Kasumi bolted for the men still on the dock, two of whom had caught arrows to the chest. Kasumi found Nobu being restrained by Jian and Emyrs and attempted to subdue him. After a bit of struggling, Kasumi took the paralysis dart that had struck Akash days ago and stabbed Nobu with it, immobilizing him. The fighting died down as guards arrived on the scene and Nobu's men were arrested. Unfortunately, the dart that pierced Nobu had been fatal, leaving the party without anyone to interrogate.
...*...
Offering to let the injured parties stay on the ship for the night, the crew settled in for some well deserved rest. Some remained awake to keep the shaken Bassim company, as their cook had never before taken a life, even in defense. The party, along with Diallo, stayed up long into the night, exchanging stories and drink. While there were some exaggerated origin stories being told, the discussion turned serious when people began asking each other about their lives prior to joining the crew.
Kasumi revealed that while his father had been a politician, and his mother, a member of the Imperial Guard, he had chosen the more mundane profession of accounting. Dasha seemed uncomfortable with the questions, but eventually revealed that she had been engaged, and had lost a young son before making the decision to leave her people and wander the forest.
Sitara explained that she had grown up amongst her mother’s clan, the Krejci, in the Oamre Forest, until she was old enough to apprentice under her father as a sailor. When questioned further, she revealed that, during the Long Dark, her father had set out on a voyage from which he did not return. She had spent the past few years freelancing and keeping an ear out for any news of what might have become of him.
Mesi hinted at her military service before being confronted by Diallo about her activities as a city guard of the Unconquered City. With tension rising, Mesi explained that when she was ordered to arrest a man and his family for rabble rousing, she had instead warned him of the arrest order and helped him escape the guards before fleeing the city herself.
Feeling reassured that Mesi was not an agent of the dictatorship, Diallo revealed that he had been a member of one of the military units that was loyal to the former ruling council, and that his unit had been recalled to the city before being set upon in the early days of the military coup.
Diallo was the only member of his unit who managed to escape the city. Having lost his compatriots, he made his way to Rhakosis. When he patched up a few of Master Alim’s workers after a tavern brawl, the shipwright offered him a job, and Diallo had been in his employ ever since.
...*...
The next morning, Sitara found Kenji sitting at the bow, staring despondently off towards the bay. She made a modest attempt at conversation in simple Minzokan until Akash joined, deciding to act as a translator. While Kenji was both grateful for the medical attention and rather puzzled by the recent events, something deeper seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.
Akash, very liberal in his role as interpreter, largely attributed the young man’s melancholy to his unrequited feelings for Mesi. Sitara reassured him that he could stay as long as he needed to recover and left him to his thoughts.
After breakfast, Rokurou Maki arrived and asked what the crew would be willing to do to address the Nakashima and Yamuchi families’ interferences. He offered a good price for the shipment of figs and to make fig wine for the upcoming Fire Festival, though they all agreed he should keep his production discreet.
Sitara sent Jyotish to finalize a deal with Maki for exclusive foreign distribution after dealing with the Nakashima and Yamuchi, in addition to making purchases “for the ship” to subtly transfer the supplies to the winery.
Hoping to uncover anything useful to aid in their plans, Kasumi, Mesi, and Sitara spoke with Kenji again. He informed them the Yamuchi were very involved in illegal dockside gambling, and revealed the true reason for his brooding manner as he expressed his regrets for having planned to swindle them the night they met.
...*...
Akash and Kasumi met with their brotherhood contact to further discuss plots against the Yamuchi family. Since Akash and Kasumi’s party seemed to be effectively applying pressure on the Yamuchi and Nakashima, the Kawaguchi had decided to capitalize on the opportunity this distraction afforded, and place their own agents within the Yamuchi house to see what information and advantages could be gained.
They also learned the truth of Haruka’s unfortunate circumstances. The Kawaguchi informed them that Yamuchi had attempted to move in on her husband Tsubasa’s business. When he refused to budge, they had him killed, before offering their assistance to Haruka in her time of bereavement and need.
After tapping his source, Akash returned to the party with a plan to distract the Yamuchi guards during the Fire Festival so that his mysterious contacts could infiltrate their estate to retrieve evidence of their crimes to take to the city guard.
...*...
Ready to make business overtures to the Pink Pagoda, Sitara sent a message a few hours in advance to the proprietor, a man who Kasumi seemed to know a great deal about, much to her curiosity. In the meantime, Dasha and Akash spent some time at a nearby bathhouse, and Vendela assisted Mesi in dressing up for their meeting, of which Diallo heartily approved.
That afternoon, the crew arrived at the Pink Pagoda, and introduced themselves to the Matron at the door. They caught the end of a very formal dance in the Pagoda’s theater before meeting with the owner of the establishment, Matsumoto Yuuki. He accepted the samples of Dasha’s herbal fig concoction and agreed to try them out that evening and get back to them the following day if he was interested in purchasing a supply. In exchange, he offered the crew a private audience of each of their choosing.
While Kasumi declined the offer, the others were taken to their private entertainments. Mesi received a very relaxing massage. Dasha viewed a rather odd acrobatic contortionist performance. Akash enjoyed pleasant conversation with Rhee Aiko, a woman educated in the local wineries.
Sitara was graced with a very technical and rhythmic dance with two short sticks by Yamashita Sakura, Matsumoto’s star dancer and the young woman they had seen on stage when they arrived. Impressed by her fluidity and precision, Sitara did her best to express her admiration and compare their styles of movement with her limited Minzokan. Eventually abandoning verbal discourse, they took up the batons and improvised a playful duet.
After their private entertainments ended, the group returned to the main hall and ran into their pilot Kamal, who had made the trip to enjoy some performances himself. They also made the acquaintance of Helene, a Dascean woman whose table was covered in plates of what appeared to be samples of the entire menu. Predicting that a Second Dark would one day arrive, Helene had become a merchant of survival goods, primarily foodstuffs.
Intrigued by the eccentric woman, Sitara invited her to share their booth in exchange for Helene sharing her feast. Helene graciously accepted, and they enjoyed the fine food, discussing business and swapping tales until the lights dimmed and a pair of Minzokan twins appeared upon the stage. As the twins danced, they were followed about the stage by a dark-robed figure singing about their connections.
Following the opening act, the crew suddenly understood why Kamal had come, as his best friend, their very own Emrys, appeared in his full scarf-dancing glory, swinging from silken ropes hanging from the ceiling. While Sitara and Dasha were particularly delighted by his performance, they all reveled in his finale, leaping to their feet to catch one of the many scarves raining down over the audience.
The next day, the crew, accompanied by their new friend Helene, spent some time shopping as preparations were being made about town for the Fire Festival. They made another trip to the Pink Pagoda, and enjoyed performances by a man singing Minzokan poetry as well as an involved dance of black-clad figures with staves.
After receiving a recommendation, the crew later visited the shop of Mizushima Shiori to commission outfits for the festival: a falcon for Dasha, a fu lion for Mesi, a phoenix for Akash, and a three-tailed fox for Sitara. Kasumi refrained, intending to don a snake outfit he had worn from previous festivals. Mizushima informed them their festival garb would be ready in less than a week, just in time for the festival.
...*...
On the morning before the day of the Fire Festival, the city was awake early and bustling with last-minute preparations. Receiving an urgent message, Akash and Kasumi left early to meet with Ken’ichi.
Their contact informed them that the Kawaguchi agents put in place to sabotage the Yamuchi compound had been discovered and killed, or driven off. Kasumi and Akash volunteered to infiltrate the compound and place the fire charges with the rest of their crew acting as a distraction.
After returning, they imparted to the crew the sudden change in circumstances and devised a two-pronged plan to help Kasumi and Akash slip into the Yamuchi estate to locate the evidence needed to “take to the authorities.” While their plot would be both risky and elaborate, fortunately, Emrys was somehow able to procure local costumes and props to aid in the mystical element of their rather theatrical scheme.
Awakening early the next day, the crew donned their respective outfits and headed to town to enjoy the festival. Milling in the throngs of revelers, they soon found themselves swept up in the day’s entertainments.
Not long after a leash of many-tailed foxes passed by, one straggler popped up nearby with a yip. Sitara, fully immersed in the spirit of festival, gave chase, yipping after her fellow fox, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Mesi stumbled upon a large group of festival goers, also dressed as Fu Lions, performing some sort of synchronized dance. She was intrigued but also a bit hesitant to join them. After a brief, non-verbal exchange with one of the Fu Lions, Mesi was invited to join in on the dance.
Akash spent the afternoon with his new business partner Haruka. He spent much of his time enjoying the vendors and the games, handing money to children they passed so that they could enjoy it as well. As they wandered from stall to stall, Akash searched for ways to cheer her up, as the death of her beloved still hung over her like a shadow. Spotting a simple yet nicely crafted flower trinket that he knew would fit Haruka’s style, Akash offered it to her in hopes of lifting her spirits.
Akash was not sure what response he was expecting, but it was not the one he received: Haruka’s eyes welled up with tears at the gift before she ran away into the crowd, sobbing.
While Akash felt he had slowly begun to open his heart up again, perhaps due to the crew’s influence, he supposed he still had a long way to go. He considered going after Haruka, but with tonight’s main event now close at hand, he decided to leave her be.
...*...
With everyone in position, the festivities began. Dasha, hair full of ash and in the guise of a mourning spirit, climbed to the roof of the Nakashima winery and began shouting and speaking in tongues. Mesi, wearing a red horned mask resembling a demon spirit, burst through the back door of the warehouse. Using Vendela’s axe, Mesi began destroying wine barrels throughout the production facility. Though three guards tried to stop her, Mesi easily overpowered them and continued to wreak havoc.
As the Nakashima Winery was experiencing some technical difficulties, Sitara and Kannuki, in their spirit and oni guises, softly approached the Yamuchi compound. Though she was certain their plan would be effective, she had been loathe to ask him to don the persona of the ogre his own people believed him to be, the reason for his exile, even if it were for a righteous purpose.
Kannuki, who had watched after Kouki and Sayuri when they were brought aboard Viz Leany prior to Nobu’s attack, had agreed nonetheless. Sitara resolved to not allow his sacrifice to be in vain and focused on the matter at hand.
She darted past the front gate, catching the attention of the sentries just before Kannuki went barreling through it—and them. As the ensuing brawl drew more security, she drew her blades, covering for Kannuki and keeping the guards busy.
Once things started to look dicey, she made an opening for their escape. They swiftly crossed to the back end of the estate, and she prayed they had given the others enough time.
...*...
Kasumi still had his doubts as to how well this very theatrical distraction would work, but saving them wasn't part of his mission so he put it to the back of his mind. As soon as Kannuki smashed through the front gates, Kasumi bolted over the wall and made his way into the estate.
He was creeping silently across the grounds, watching for guards, when the most unlikely thing occurred... He stepped on a mouse! He hadn’t even seen the little rodent in his path, and now it was anything but quiet. Two guards at the rear of the estate took notice and made their way over to investigate. He swiftly slunk away towards the house.
He snuck into the house without further incident and much to his delight, it seemed empty. As Akash was busy searching and setting up flame charges, Kasumi’s own search on the bottom floor turned up nothing until he came upon what appeared to be a study or meeting room. All the walls were solid wood except for the panel doors that led into the manor’s central courtyard. He scoured the room until at the base of the back wall he found a floor panel concealing a lockbox. "How cliche," he chuckled to himself.
As Kasumi reached for his prize, a chill crept over his body and out of the darkness he heard a man’s voice, "That does not belong to you." Kasumi bolted upright and turned to find a figure dressed in black robes standing at the doorway, wielding a naginata. His face was completely masked except for a small slit across the eyes. Kasumi knew he had to act fast, as smoke from the flames upstairs began to fill the room. In an act of desperation, he tried to wrestle the spear out of the dark figure's grasp but to no avail.
With time rapidly running out, Kasumi threw down his smoke bombs and dropped to grab the lockbox. He felt the blade slash through the air above him, but had no time to worry about that. Sprinting towards the outer door he felt two more narrow misses behind him before crashing through the panels into the garden.
Akash dropped to the center of the garden to check on Kasumi but before he could voice his concern, Kasumi had already sprinted past him towards the exit shouting, "Run!" Through the flames and smoke, Kasumi finally made it outside, prize in hand. He looked to see where Akash was headed so he could rendezvous with his employer... but Akash never flew out. Suddenly a burst of wind erupted from the burning manor. "You dumb bastard" Kasumi whispered at Akash... and to himself as he tossed the lockbox into the yard and ran back into the burning building to save his friend.
...*...
Only a fool would leave now. The house blazed around Akash as he stood in the courtyard, the heat beating oppressively upon his body. The only thing in the world that mattered in this moment was the object before him. On the chest of the dark figure was a palm-sized disk of petrified wood, inlaid with dark lines forming a mon: what appeared to be either a spiral or a series of concentric circles bisected by the image of a simple spear. Akash felt himself drawn to it, almost as though hypnotized.
Akash embarked upon this journey to find the truths of this world--not hearsay, sailor talk, or rumors, but the true will of the Jinn. Now here before his very eyes was just that. As Akash walked towards the ninja, he called upon the strength of the wind to aid him.
Staring unflinchingly at this display of power, the mysterious figure finally spoke. He extended an offer for Akash to join them, to follow the path and embrace the truth of their Kami. After wondering briefly what he was referring to, Akash declined.
He dashed in to try to grab ahold of the mon, but his opponent easily rebuffed him with his naginata, piercing and slashing his flesh. Determined to take the item, Akash did not heed his wounds, nor did he notice they were no longer alone until Kasumi suddenly struck the dark figure from behind. With Kasumi’s help, Akash finally laid a hand on the mon, and exerted his will to call upon the wind to lift them up.
An eruption of flame shot out of the burning manor as Akash sent the three of them much higher than he had intended, high enough to see the entire city. In the struggle as they soared up and up, Akash managed to wrest the mon away from their foe, who upon closer inspection appeared very much like the terrifying, demonic figures who had ambushed the crew in the night.
As their ascent slowed, the dark figure began to claw his way up Akash’s body, trying to grasp the mon, with Kasumi desperately clinging to his leg. Finally, Akash was able to draw a dagger and deal a mortal blow to their foe. His pitch black eyes closed as he grew limp and began to fall, with Kasumi still attached.
Kasumi kicked the body down, attempting to launch himself upwards, reaching out to grab Akash’s outstretched hand and demanding that his employer not drop him. However, Akash knew he had exhausted himself, and did not possess the strength to call the wind to slow their fall. Grasping one another's hand, the pair plummeted out of the sky.
They were met not with the ground, but with water, as they fell into the Jirogawa, the main river running through Xien La. After making it to shore and taking a few moments to make sure they were, in fact, alive, the pair looked down at the strange artifact they had obtained. Discussing what had just transpired, they both agreed that the man they had fought seemed to be one of the Ryuu. Suddenly recalling what they had gone to all this trouble for, they leapt up and limped their way back the smouldering manor. Once Kasumi had recovered the chest, the two returned to the river, following it back into the city proper.
Returning to the Kawaguchi establishment, they delivered the chest to Ken’ichi. Inside, they found a talent of jade, several pieces of jewelry, and quite a lot of incriminating evidence, including letters concerning the vandalism of the Rokurou winery, communications from Nobu about the attacks on Maki’s men, and a contract for a hit on Akiyama Tsubasa. They also discovered a letter from Akiyama Haruka graciously thanking the Yamuchi for their support after her husband’s death and very politely turning down their offer of marrying into their family. Entrusting the documents to Ken’ichi, the pair left with half of the talent of jade as a reward for their assistance in taking down the house of Yamuchi.
...*...
The rest of the crew rendezvoused back at the main event to try to enjoy the rest of the festivities, even as they overheard murmurs of vexed spirits about and the bizarre phenomena at the Yamuchi estate.
Sitara, along with the rest of the city, saw the pillar of fire extending between the Yamuchi estate and the heavens, though witnesses said the buildings caught fire before that. While her mind was put mostly at ease once the crew confirmed they had seen Akash and Kasumi since then, she wondered at how their infiltration had resulted in the entire estate catching fire.
She was distracted from her thoughts as they stopped by Rokurou’s to sample his newest wine, and Sitara saw amongst his customers a familiar face, her dancing partner from the Pink Pagoda. After buying Sakura a drink, they spent some time sharing stories and getting better acquainted.
...*...
The next morning, Akash presented the group with the mon taken from the Ryuu agent who was killed at the Yamuchi compound. As Dasha touched the mon she was struck by a feeling of dread. Taking the mon, Dasha flung it into the waves.
Reacting without thinking, Akash attempted to blow Dasha overboard as he and Kasumi dove over the rails to recover the mon. As the crew pulled Dasha to safety, Akash rose from the water surrounded by a corona of darkness, with black lines running down his arms.
Once everyone was back on deck, the Captain attempted to defuse the situation, as Dasha threatened to leave the ship as long as the artifact was to remain on board. Sitara convinced her that such an object of power, especially a dark one, would be much safer under their careful watch than lost in the world for anyone to find, and abuse.
Eager to discover how such an artifact could be abused, Kasumi suggested that they test the Mon. The party traveled to a small isolated bamboo grove outside the city.
Somewhat surprisingly, Dasha took initiative in testing the Mon, going into a meditative state and activating it. Dark lines shot up her veins as she compelled small animals to come to her. Dasha pushed herself, calling again and again, until her face became ashen and she fell unconscious. After Mesi revived Dasha, she described having seen a darkly cloaked figure reaching out to her.
Kasumi attempted to use the Mon to hypnotize Mesi, but couldn't seem to activate it. Taking the Mon, Mesi tried using it while sticking her spear into the ground, but nothing in particular seemed different. After another failed attempt, dark lines ran across her muscles as she drove her spear deep into the earth.
A few days later, the party took the Mon to the beach. This time Sitara took it out into the shallows where she performed a sword dance that seemed to cause the water to hold it's shape for a split second longer than one would expect.
She looked a little shaken and slightly puzzled as she returned to the group, and asked them if they saw anything. When they only relayed the strange effect on the water, she said at the end of her dance she had found herself face-to-face with a woman with sea-foam skin and long stringy hair like kelp. Her face was set with large dark eyes, her ears spiny and webbed, and her mouth lined with sharp teeth. While Sitara said little more, her crew could see plainly how it had unsettled her.
Kasumi tried once more and was able to use the Mon this time. He seemed to vanish from the party’s sight, except for Akash whose keen senses caught sight of him. However, upon a second attempt, no one was able to spot Kasumi. Sitara then suggested that Kasumi try to heal the fatigue that Dasha had sustained, and reluctantly Kasumi agreed. rather than healing Dasha the attempt caused Kasumi's old wounds to reopen. After this test, Kasumi made certain to extensively document everything he'd learned about the Mon.
...*...
Despite the outcome of their last encounter, Akash decided to try calling upon his business partner. He found Haruka in calmer spirits and apologetic for leaving in such a manner. Her beloved Tsubasa, she explained, used to gift her with the same flower trinkets as what Akash had bought for her, and she had been overcome with memories and grief, though she thanked him for the gesture.
A few days later, the Captain went to check in on Kenji, intending to offer him a place on the ship if he wanted. She discovered that Kenji, who was on the mend, had quietly left Viz Leany. Mesi agreed to go look for him and deliver the Captain’s message, dragging Kasumi along with her. Meanwhile, Sitara met with their new Dascean acquaintance from the Pink Pagoda, and negotiated a collection of grains for trade from Helene.
After asking around, Kasumi and Mesi discovered Kenji lived in a run-down building near the docks. Finding his room, they knocked, but quickly realized he wasn’t home. Kasumi proceeded to help himself to the possessions of the other occupants. Amongst Kenji’s belongings was a small painting of what appeared to be a young Kenji, an even younger girl, and a couple who they assumed to be his parents.
Once Kenji returned, Mesi extended the invitation to join the crew, but he respectfully declined. He indicated that he had decided to turn over a new leaf after his experiences with them, but still had business in the city. Accepting his decision, Kasumi and Mesi left Kenji in peace.
...*...
Deciding they wanted to know more about the Master of Arms, Akash and Kasumi met her early one morning as she was leaving the ship. When Jian informed the pair that her business was her own, Akash decided to tail her and Kasumi went along to keep Akash from getting murdered. Jian, catching Akash, informed him that she was training and that he was not allowed to join her.
After being rebuffed at the gate to the Shrine of the Twisted Maple, Akash and Kasumi ascended to a nearby rooftop, spying a training yard within the shrine. The pair were spotted by some archers, who proceeded to launch a barrage of arrows. Akash, deflecting the first volley, was barely able to deflect the second. Kasumi decided it was time to go, and the two beat a retreat back to the ship.
...*...
Several days had passed since their misadventure at the shrine. Having finally concluded their business in Xien La, Viz Leany set sail early on the morning of the 15th of the 4th moon. Now on the ship, with little space and few distractions, Akash and Kasumi could not escape the Master of Arms’ silent but venomous looks. Between Jian’s seething and Kasumi’s discomfort, it became impossible for the rest of the crew, much less the Captain, to ignore.
At dinner that evening, the Captain called out the tension that had been simmering onboard ship since before the crew set sail from Xien La. Upon discovering that Akash and Kasumi had spied on Jian, the two were roundly chastised. Kasumi, understanding they had offended Jian deeply, humbled himself before her and offered himself as a student. Akash, though he did not seem to entirely understand his fault in the matter, expressed his regret that Jian had been hurt by his actions.
Jian stonily accepted their apologies, and went belowdecks. Afterwards, Sitara spoke with Jian in her quarters, explaining that while it did not excuse his actions, she believed Akash truly had not meant to insult her, and had not anticipated how his behavior would affect those around him, perhaps because he was Jinn-blooded. Jian acknowledged it was likely so; after all, she said, the Spirit-folk are always a little odd.
...*...
On the 19th of the 4th moon, Viz Leany stopped at Kuga, one of the last Minzokan villages along the coast between Xien La and the Northlands. Their arrival prompted something of a market day in the village, complete with singing, dancing , and storytelling. Emrys and Mesi performed a duet which culminated in an apparently luscious kiss for Mesi—unbeknownst to their audience, the passionate liplocking was entirely stage-professional.
The next morning, as the crew loaded the goods they had just traded for, they nearly made off with extra cargo—a very small child named Cho Yi who wanted very, very badly to join them on their adventures. Sitara assured Cho Yi she could certainly become a sailor when she were older, and returned the protesting child to its parents, who gifted her a small carved fishing charm.
Sitara recalled her childhood, when every time her father would have to leave she would beg and plead to go with him. The tears had only worsened when Stig left to sail with him, while her parents forced her to wait until she was older, though she later came to understand their reasons for it. As she watched Kuga disappear around the bend, she hoped Cho Yi would forbear, but cling to that passion, as she had. She smiled as she turned her gaze towards the mysterious and ruggedly beautiful lands of the North.
Akash was excited to finally be in Xien La and connecting with the Brotherhood here in earnest. He and Kasumi met with the Kawaguchi family where Akash learned a horrible truth. He knew the Brotherhood had become more fragmented after the Dark, but the degree of separation found here irritated Akash to no end.
For Akash, the Brotherhood, his Brotherhood at least, was his real family and last names meant very little. Here in Xien La, factions of the Brotherhood seemed stronger and more tightly knit than in Rhakosis because they organized themselves around the major families within the Brotherhood. However, their loyalties ultimately lay in the family, rather than the Brotherhood itself. Akash strongly felt the need to correct this reversal.
Akash, Kasumi, and their contact Ken’ichi discussed the groundwork of a plan to bring the families back under the umbrella of the Brotherhood. After their discussion Ken’ichi suggested that Akash go out and learn more about the state of the Brotherhood himself by visiting a few locations.
Upon their return, Akash learned that Dasha had located and secured a deal with a jeweler named Akiyama Haruka to be the exclusive partner for Akash’s gem trade in Xien La. Not knowing which families this businessperson might be connected with, he was initially cross about her decision, although he admitted Dasha had no way of knowing of the complicated political issues plaguing the city.
...*...
The next day, the crew took lunch at the Coiling Koi Inn and debated possible buyers for their fig cargo. Sitara and the crew had uncovered gossip concerning the Rokurou Winery, and discovered that, despite its popularity, being the winner of the recent Cherry Blossom Festival, it had inexplicably ceased production. In the absence of the top prize wine, the second place wine produced by the Nakashima Winery was faring quite well.
For the herbal fig concoction Dasha had brewed over the course of their voyage, Kasumi recommended the Pink Pagoda’s owner as a potential buyer. While some considered the Pink Pagoda a snobbish pleasure palace or a cheap dive with delusions of grandeur, those familiar with it spoke of it as a quality establishment in which to relax. After some debate, the crew decided to try the Rokurou Winery first.
Upon the crew’s arrival at the Rokurou Winery, they noted evidence of recent vandalism. The owner, Rokurou Maki, informed them that shortly after his success at the festival, rumors and threats began to swirl about the winery, which then escalated to sabotage and violence.
Barely a week ago, several of his workers were attacked at a nearby tea house, leaving some badly injured and unable to work, and others too afraid to return. Additionally, while the city guard had been alerted to the crimes, they had not been able to locate the perpetrators. This had brought production to a near standstill and put Rokurou in an understandably difficult position to conduct further business.
Suddenly Akash, much to everyone’s surprise and his accountant’s well-concealed ire, broke out in fluent Minzokan, proclaiming something to the vintner. Uncertain of what Akash had said and Rokurou‘s reaction, Sitara assured him they would be glad to see what they could do to set things aright. He agreed to purchase their cargo if the crew could put an end to the violence and get his men back to work. With that, Sitara and the crew headed to the Silent Thunder tea house to begin their investigation.
A man at the tea house who had witnessed the altercation informed them it began after some strange men began slinging insults about the vintner and his workers stepped up to defend his honor. He recalled one assailant in particular, a violent man with a partially shaven head and several scars. The man had beaten one of the workers nearly to death before his comrades pulled him out of the tea house to avoid capture by the city guards.
Next the crew visited the home of the critically injured worker, Yamasuki Kouki, nicknamed Kiki. The stalwart but bedridden young man told them what little he knew. Disconcerted by the extent of his injuries, Sitara sent Mesi to fetch Diallo. She also learned from his younger sister Sayuri that a menacing man with snake tattoos had come by and advised her that they should not leave the house. It became apparent that both siblings were wearing a brave facade for the sake of the other in the face of this dire situation. In the end, Kouki agreed to write to the other workers urging them to return, while Sitara showed Sayuri some methods for defending her home should the threatening men come to call again.
Meanwhile, Akash sent a message to his contacts in hopes of gaining some helpful information. Once Mesi returned, the crew left to meet with Diallo at the vintner’s to update him and decide their next move. After leaving the winery, Mesi noticed two overly interested men watching them. The crew took a meandering route back to the Yamasuki home, and as Diallo was inside introducing himself to the siblings, Mesi signaled to Akash that she had spotted their tail.
Akash slowly crept out from behind the house until he saw the men. When their eyes met, he conjured the wind, billowing forth in an intimidating display, and the men bolted. Akash gave chase and had nearly caught up to one when he was struck from behind by a metal dart.
Catching up, the crew discovered Akash lying in the street. Realizing the dart might have contained a paralytic poison, they took the sour Akash back to Kouki’s for treatment. After debating the possible origins of the dart, the crew returned to the ship to rest, leaving Diallo to watch over Kouki and Sayuri.
...*...
The next morning, a message arrived for Akash. Having recovered quickly from the poison, he set out promptly as he had business to attend to. The rest of the party went to visit other workers from the Rokurou winery. While some were unwilling to take the risk, others were more sympathetic to Kouki’s message, and agreed to return to work.
Akash first visited Ken’nichi, who did indeed recognize the men responsible for harassing Rokurou’s workers. The thugs were often hired muscle for their Brotherhood rivals, the Yamuchi, who, as it so happened, were also patrons of the Nakashima winery.
When Akash showed him the dart and recounted the attack from the previous afternoon, a dark expression passed over his face. Ken’nichi remarked that it was very possible Akash and his crew’s activities had caught the attention of the Ryuu, a mysterious clan who were also known associates of the Yamuchi. Akash thanked Ken’nichi, who returned with a warning to tread lightly.
Next, Akash went to meet his new business partner. Upon entering the modest establishment, a young woman came out to greet him. Dressed in dark, somber colors, she introduced herself as Akiyama Haruka. Showing him around the shop, she told him how she had recently inherited the business after the passing of its previous owner. The Yamuchi family had taken to looking after the shop ever since, for which she was grateful. Akash offered her a deal on his pieces with a very generous commission, which she accepted, though she seemed rather overwhelmed by his kindness.
After taking his leave, Akash went to meet the rest of the party for lunch.
...*...
Akash shared with them what he had learned from his sources. The men who were behind the vandalism of the Rokurou Winery and harassing his workers, were led by a thug named Tsukuda Nobu. He had also been informed that Nobu enjoyed betting in cock fighting rings around Xien La, and the crew concocted a plan to meet him.
Dressing Kasumi as a wealthy businessman and Sitara and Mesi as escorts, the three went out to locate Nobu. The group met a man named Kenji who claimed to know Nobu and would be more than happy to introduce them. Under the guise of looking for a distributor for their fig-based aphrodisiac, Kasumi offered a sample to Kenji as well as a night with Mesi to test its potency, which was enough for Kenji to lead the three to an arena that Nobu frequented. While there, the group bumped into Nobu, no thanks to Kenji.
Kasumi struck up a deal with Nobu that in exchange for a hefty sum of gems and a night with Mesi, Nobu and his men would assault Viz Leany. Later that night Mesi found herself waiting alone in an inn so she can fulfil the promises made by Kasumi to Kenji and Nobu. Of course, Kasumi didn't mention to either man that they would be meeting with Mesi the same night.
...*...
Mesi paced impatiently in her hostel room, while Sitara and Kasumi waited in the next room. Kenji arrived for their rendezvous first, cleaned up, and bearing a bottle of wine. After getting excited and removing his shirt, Mesi motioned for him to pour them a drink in an attempt to buy time. However, Nobu arrived just as drinks were being poured.
The belligerent Nobu dragged Kenji out of the room and into the hallway. After both men insisted that the other leave, Nobu punctuated his intent with several blows, and Kenji responded by drawing a small knife, slicing Nobu.
Mesi, playing the helpless damsel, opened the door and let out an uncharacteristically dramatic scream, distracting Nobu and allowing Kenji to stab him again. Mesi slammed the door and made for the window as the scuffle continued in the hallway. Mesi, Sitara, and Kasumi managed to climb out of the windows and made it to the alley below before heading rapidly back to the ship.
Once safely back onboard ship, the crew began to plan for Nobu’s scheduled attack the following night before retiring.
...*...
As the crew settled in for the night, Sitara, feeling a great pang of guilt at the probable state they had left Kenji in, roused Dasha and returned to the inn. After some searching, they found the young man buried under some crates in a nearby alley, unconscious and badly beaten.
They carefully set him in a handcart and wheeled him back to Viz Leany for further medical attention. Upon their arrival, however, Sitara found two of her crewmen on deck with their throats slit. She had just managed to ring the alarm bell before they found themselves under attack from two shadowy figures shrouded entirely in black except for a small slit through which peered a pair of hollow eyes, black as pitch.
As the crew rushed to the deck, another leapt out at Akash from the darkness. Kannuki swung wildly at Sitara’s assailant, but it proved too elusive for his tetsubo to find purchase. In his frustration, he grabbed the figure in a crushing bear hug, only to be violently pincushioned by its knives with inhuman relentlessness. Harrowed and furious, Sitara lassoed the enemy with one of the ships’ ropes and slid off the deck and strung the figure up, before Kannuki, blood-drenched and enraged, swiftly finished it off.
Meanwhile, Akash discovered a new, unconventional use of his talents in stealing the breath from a fourth attacker. Uttering incessant prayers of warding and banishment against their demonic enemies, Dasha finally drove the choked figure off the bow of the ship with her sword. Collecting themselves after the melee, the crew realized that the other assailants had disappeared into the gloom without a trace.
Responding to the alarm and ruckus, members of a neighboring ship came by to investigate, then rushed off to retrieve the dock guards and their ship’s surgeon. Omdahl Victorsson Adrianus de Skadade aided the wounded on deck and Dasha took Kenji below to begin treating his injuries. Sitara was relieved that she had not lost any crew; even Adam and Wasi, whose throats were slit, would recover. With that in mind, she and the others turned their attention to the lifeless body on deck.
As inhuman as their attackers had appeared, all they found under the mask was a rather nondescript Minzokan man. He had been carrying a few darts which Akash relieved from the corpse before a pair of guards arrived. Neither of them recognized anything about the man, but they took the crew’s statements and offered to post a guard on the ship, provided the disconcerting Kannuki remain below decks.
After the guards left, Akash and Kasumi revealed to Sitara, Mesi, and Dasha that they believed their shadowy attackers were from the Ryuu clan, associates of the Yamuchi whom they also suspected had darted Akash. They surmised the attack was a message from the Yamuchi to cease their meddling. While the crew acknowledged the gravity of the situation, in the end, the attack cemented their resolve not to allow the powerful to tyrannize the weaker.
Finally, the crew returned to their cabins to get what rest they could. Kasumi, for one, was confounded and slightly nettled to discover Dasha tending the bloodied Kenji on his bed. Sitara pointed out that ultimately *they* were the cause of his current state, which, no matter his unsavory connections, he himself had done nothing to deserve. Left unspoken was the haunting thought of what might have happened had she not decided to retrieve Kenji that night.
...*...
Akash and Dasha set off the next morning and called all of the crew back to the ship. They also brought Kouki, so Diallo could continue treating him and keep the two of them safe during this endeavor.
Gathering the crew, the captain explained that the ship had come under attack from assassins trying to intimidate them out of aiding Rokurou, and that they were to expect another assault that night. After rallying the crew to prepare to defend themselves and protect their charges, the cook Bassim gave a speech stating that the crew would stand with the captain and protect the ship and those that sailed aboard her.
That night, cloaked figures snuck onto the boat towards the crew pretending to sleep. Mesi and Kasumi fired the opening salvo of arrows as the whole ship sprung into action. The attackers were quickly overwhelmed and Kasumi called for them to stand down... However, Kasumi botched the translation saying, 'Stand down and we'll kill you!" prompting the attackers to fight in full.
Kasumi bolted for the men still on the dock, two of whom had caught arrows to the chest. Kasumi found Nobu being restrained by Jian and Emyrs and attempted to subdue him. After a bit of struggling, Kasumi took the paralysis dart that had struck Akash days ago and stabbed Nobu with it, immobilizing him. The fighting died down as guards arrived on the scene and Nobu's men were arrested. Unfortunately, the dart that pierced Nobu had been fatal, leaving the party without anyone to interrogate.
...*...
Offering to let the injured parties stay on the ship for the night, the crew settled in for some well deserved rest. Some remained awake to keep the shaken Bassim company, as their cook had never before taken a life, even in defense. The party, along with Diallo, stayed up long into the night, exchanging stories and drink. While there were some exaggerated origin stories being told, the discussion turned serious when people began asking each other about their lives prior to joining the crew.
Kasumi revealed that while his father had been a politician, and his mother, a member of the Imperial Guard, he had chosen the more mundane profession of accounting. Dasha seemed uncomfortable with the questions, but eventually revealed that she had been engaged, and had lost a young son before making the decision to leave her people and wander the forest.
Sitara explained that she had grown up amongst her mother’s clan, the Krejci, in the Oamre Forest, until she was old enough to apprentice under her father as a sailor. When questioned further, she revealed that, during the Long Dark, her father had set out on a voyage from which he did not return. She had spent the past few years freelancing and keeping an ear out for any news of what might have become of him.
Mesi hinted at her military service before being confronted by Diallo about her activities as a city guard of the Unconquered City. With tension rising, Mesi explained that when she was ordered to arrest a man and his family for rabble rousing, she had instead warned him of the arrest order and helped him escape the guards before fleeing the city herself.
Feeling reassured that Mesi was not an agent of the dictatorship, Diallo revealed that he had been a member of one of the military units that was loyal to the former ruling council, and that his unit had been recalled to the city before being set upon in the early days of the military coup.
Diallo was the only member of his unit who managed to escape the city. Having lost his compatriots, he made his way to Rhakosis. When he patched up a few of Master Alim’s workers after a tavern brawl, the shipwright offered him a job, and Diallo had been in his employ ever since.
...*...
The next morning, Sitara found Kenji sitting at the bow, staring despondently off towards the bay. She made a modest attempt at conversation in simple Minzokan until Akash joined, deciding to act as a translator. While Kenji was both grateful for the medical attention and rather puzzled by the recent events, something deeper seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.
Akash, very liberal in his role as interpreter, largely attributed the young man’s melancholy to his unrequited feelings for Mesi. Sitara reassured him that he could stay as long as he needed to recover and left him to his thoughts.
After breakfast, Rokurou Maki arrived and asked what the crew would be willing to do to address the Nakashima and Yamuchi families’ interferences. He offered a good price for the shipment of figs and to make fig wine for the upcoming Fire Festival, though they all agreed he should keep his production discreet.
Sitara sent Jyotish to finalize a deal with Maki for exclusive foreign distribution after dealing with the Nakashima and Yamuchi, in addition to making purchases “for the ship” to subtly transfer the supplies to the winery.
Hoping to uncover anything useful to aid in their plans, Kasumi, Mesi, and Sitara spoke with Kenji again. He informed them the Yamuchi were very involved in illegal dockside gambling, and revealed the true reason for his brooding manner as he expressed his regrets for having planned to swindle them the night they met.
...*...
Akash and Kasumi met with their brotherhood contact to further discuss plots against the Yamuchi family. Since Akash and Kasumi’s party seemed to be effectively applying pressure on the Yamuchi and Nakashima, the Kawaguchi had decided to capitalize on the opportunity this distraction afforded, and place their own agents within the Yamuchi house to see what information and advantages could be gained.
They also learned the truth of Haruka’s unfortunate circumstances. The Kawaguchi informed them that Yamuchi had attempted to move in on her husband Tsubasa’s business. When he refused to budge, they had him killed, before offering their assistance to Haruka in her time of bereavement and need.
After tapping his source, Akash returned to the party with a plan to distract the Yamuchi guards during the Fire Festival so that his mysterious contacts could infiltrate their estate to retrieve evidence of their crimes to take to the city guard.
...*...
Ready to make business overtures to the Pink Pagoda, Sitara sent a message a few hours in advance to the proprietor, a man who Kasumi seemed to know a great deal about, much to her curiosity. In the meantime, Dasha and Akash spent some time at a nearby bathhouse, and Vendela assisted Mesi in dressing up for their meeting, of which Diallo heartily approved.
That afternoon, the crew arrived at the Pink Pagoda, and introduced themselves to the Matron at the door. They caught the end of a very formal dance in the Pagoda’s theater before meeting with the owner of the establishment, Matsumoto Yuuki. He accepted the samples of Dasha’s herbal fig concoction and agreed to try them out that evening and get back to them the following day if he was interested in purchasing a supply. In exchange, he offered the crew a private audience of each of their choosing.
While Kasumi declined the offer, the others were taken to their private entertainments. Mesi received a very relaxing massage. Dasha viewed a rather odd acrobatic contortionist performance. Akash enjoyed pleasant conversation with Rhee Aiko, a woman educated in the local wineries.
Sitara was graced with a very technical and rhythmic dance with two short sticks by Yamashita Sakura, Matsumoto’s star dancer and the young woman they had seen on stage when they arrived. Impressed by her fluidity and precision, Sitara did her best to express her admiration and compare their styles of movement with her limited Minzokan. Eventually abandoning verbal discourse, they took up the batons and improvised a playful duet.
After their private entertainments ended, the group returned to the main hall and ran into their pilot Kamal, who had made the trip to enjoy some performances himself. They also made the acquaintance of Helene, a Dascean woman whose table was covered in plates of what appeared to be samples of the entire menu. Predicting that a Second Dark would one day arrive, Helene had become a merchant of survival goods, primarily foodstuffs.
Intrigued by the eccentric woman, Sitara invited her to share their booth in exchange for Helene sharing her feast. Helene graciously accepted, and they enjoyed the fine food, discussing business and swapping tales until the lights dimmed and a pair of Minzokan twins appeared upon the stage. As the twins danced, they were followed about the stage by a dark-robed figure singing about their connections.
Following the opening act, the crew suddenly understood why Kamal had come, as his best friend, their very own Emrys, appeared in his full scarf-dancing glory, swinging from silken ropes hanging from the ceiling. While Sitara and Dasha were particularly delighted by his performance, they all reveled in his finale, leaping to their feet to catch one of the many scarves raining down over the audience.
The next day, the crew, accompanied by their new friend Helene, spent some time shopping as preparations were being made about town for the Fire Festival. They made another trip to the Pink Pagoda, and enjoyed performances by a man singing Minzokan poetry as well as an involved dance of black-clad figures with staves.
After receiving a recommendation, the crew later visited the shop of Mizushima Shiori to commission outfits for the festival: a falcon for Dasha, a fu lion for Mesi, a phoenix for Akash, and a three-tailed fox for Sitara. Kasumi refrained, intending to don a snake outfit he had worn from previous festivals. Mizushima informed them their festival garb would be ready in less than a week, just in time for the festival.
...*...
On the morning before the day of the Fire Festival, the city was awake early and bustling with last-minute preparations. Receiving an urgent message, Akash and Kasumi left early to meet with Ken’ichi.
Their contact informed them that the Kawaguchi agents put in place to sabotage the Yamuchi compound had been discovered and killed, or driven off. Kasumi and Akash volunteered to infiltrate the compound and place the fire charges with the rest of their crew acting as a distraction.
After returning, they imparted to the crew the sudden change in circumstances and devised a two-pronged plan to help Kasumi and Akash slip into the Yamuchi estate to locate the evidence needed to “take to the authorities.” While their plot would be both risky and elaborate, fortunately, Emrys was somehow able to procure local costumes and props to aid in the mystical element of their rather theatrical scheme.
Awakening early the next day, the crew donned their respective outfits and headed to town to enjoy the festival. Milling in the throngs of revelers, they soon found themselves swept up in the day’s entertainments.
Not long after a leash of many-tailed foxes passed by, one straggler popped up nearby with a yip. Sitara, fully immersed in the spirit of festival, gave chase, yipping after her fellow fox, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Mesi stumbled upon a large group of festival goers, also dressed as Fu Lions, performing some sort of synchronized dance. She was intrigued but also a bit hesitant to join them. After a brief, non-verbal exchange with one of the Fu Lions, Mesi was invited to join in on the dance.
Akash spent the afternoon with his new business partner Haruka. He spent much of his time enjoying the vendors and the games, handing money to children they passed so that they could enjoy it as well. As they wandered from stall to stall, Akash searched for ways to cheer her up, as the death of her beloved still hung over her like a shadow. Spotting a simple yet nicely crafted flower trinket that he knew would fit Haruka’s style, Akash offered it to her in hopes of lifting her spirits.
Akash was not sure what response he was expecting, but it was not the one he received: Haruka’s eyes welled up with tears at the gift before she ran away into the crowd, sobbing.
While Akash felt he had slowly begun to open his heart up again, perhaps due to the crew’s influence, he supposed he still had a long way to go. He considered going after Haruka, but with tonight’s main event now close at hand, he decided to leave her be.
...*...
With everyone in position, the festivities began. Dasha, hair full of ash and in the guise of a mourning spirit, climbed to the roof of the Nakashima winery and began shouting and speaking in tongues. Mesi, wearing a red horned mask resembling a demon spirit, burst through the back door of the warehouse. Using Vendela’s axe, Mesi began destroying wine barrels throughout the production facility. Though three guards tried to stop her, Mesi easily overpowered them and continued to wreak havoc.
As the Nakashima Winery was experiencing some technical difficulties, Sitara and Kannuki, in their spirit and oni guises, softly approached the Yamuchi compound. Though she was certain their plan would be effective, she had been loathe to ask him to don the persona of the ogre his own people believed him to be, the reason for his exile, even if it were for a righteous purpose.
Kannuki, who had watched after Kouki and Sayuri when they were brought aboard Viz Leany prior to Nobu’s attack, had agreed nonetheless. Sitara resolved to not allow his sacrifice to be in vain and focused on the matter at hand.
She darted past the front gate, catching the attention of the sentries just before Kannuki went barreling through it—and them. As the ensuing brawl drew more security, she drew her blades, covering for Kannuki and keeping the guards busy.
Once things started to look dicey, she made an opening for their escape. They swiftly crossed to the back end of the estate, and she prayed they had given the others enough time.
...*...
Kasumi still had his doubts as to how well this very theatrical distraction would work, but saving them wasn't part of his mission so he put it to the back of his mind. As soon as Kannuki smashed through the front gates, Kasumi bolted over the wall and made his way into the estate.
He was creeping silently across the grounds, watching for guards, when the most unlikely thing occurred... He stepped on a mouse! He hadn’t even seen the little rodent in his path, and now it was anything but quiet. Two guards at the rear of the estate took notice and made their way over to investigate. He swiftly slunk away towards the house.
He snuck into the house without further incident and much to his delight, it seemed empty. As Akash was busy searching and setting up flame charges, Kasumi’s own search on the bottom floor turned up nothing until he came upon what appeared to be a study or meeting room. All the walls were solid wood except for the panel doors that led into the manor’s central courtyard. He scoured the room until at the base of the back wall he found a floor panel concealing a lockbox. "How cliche," he chuckled to himself.
As Kasumi reached for his prize, a chill crept over his body and out of the darkness he heard a man’s voice, "That does not belong to you." Kasumi bolted upright and turned to find a figure dressed in black robes standing at the doorway, wielding a naginata. His face was completely masked except for a small slit across the eyes. Kasumi knew he had to act fast, as smoke from the flames upstairs began to fill the room. In an act of desperation, he tried to wrestle the spear out of the dark figure's grasp but to no avail.
With time rapidly running out, Kasumi threw down his smoke bombs and dropped to grab the lockbox. He felt the blade slash through the air above him, but had no time to worry about that. Sprinting towards the outer door he felt two more narrow misses behind him before crashing through the panels into the garden.
Akash dropped to the center of the garden to check on Kasumi but before he could voice his concern, Kasumi had already sprinted past him towards the exit shouting, "Run!" Through the flames and smoke, Kasumi finally made it outside, prize in hand. He looked to see where Akash was headed so he could rendezvous with his employer... but Akash never flew out. Suddenly a burst of wind erupted from the burning manor. "You dumb bastard" Kasumi whispered at Akash... and to himself as he tossed the lockbox into the yard and ran back into the burning building to save his friend.
...*...
Only a fool would leave now. The house blazed around Akash as he stood in the courtyard, the heat beating oppressively upon his body. The only thing in the world that mattered in this moment was the object before him. On the chest of the dark figure was a palm-sized disk of petrified wood, inlaid with dark lines forming a mon: what appeared to be either a spiral or a series of concentric circles bisected by the image of a simple spear. Akash felt himself drawn to it, almost as though hypnotized.
Akash embarked upon this journey to find the truths of this world--not hearsay, sailor talk, or rumors, but the true will of the Jinn. Now here before his very eyes was just that. As Akash walked towards the ninja, he called upon the strength of the wind to aid him.
Staring unflinchingly at this display of power, the mysterious figure finally spoke. He extended an offer for Akash to join them, to follow the path and embrace the truth of their Kami. After wondering briefly what he was referring to, Akash declined.
He dashed in to try to grab ahold of the mon, but his opponent easily rebuffed him with his naginata, piercing and slashing his flesh. Determined to take the item, Akash did not heed his wounds, nor did he notice they were no longer alone until Kasumi suddenly struck the dark figure from behind. With Kasumi’s help, Akash finally laid a hand on the mon, and exerted his will to call upon the wind to lift them up.
An eruption of flame shot out of the burning manor as Akash sent the three of them much higher than he had intended, high enough to see the entire city. In the struggle as they soared up and up, Akash managed to wrest the mon away from their foe, who upon closer inspection appeared very much like the terrifying, demonic figures who had ambushed the crew in the night.
As their ascent slowed, the dark figure began to claw his way up Akash’s body, trying to grasp the mon, with Kasumi desperately clinging to his leg. Finally, Akash was able to draw a dagger and deal a mortal blow to their foe. His pitch black eyes closed as he grew limp and began to fall, with Kasumi still attached.
Kasumi kicked the body down, attempting to launch himself upwards, reaching out to grab Akash’s outstretched hand and demanding that his employer not drop him. However, Akash knew he had exhausted himself, and did not possess the strength to call the wind to slow their fall. Grasping one another's hand, the pair plummeted out of the sky.
They were met not with the ground, but with water, as they fell into the Jirogawa, the main river running through Xien La. After making it to shore and taking a few moments to make sure they were, in fact, alive, the pair looked down at the strange artifact they had obtained. Discussing what had just transpired, they both agreed that the man they had fought seemed to be one of the Ryuu. Suddenly recalling what they had gone to all this trouble for, they leapt up and limped their way back the smouldering manor. Once Kasumi had recovered the chest, the two returned to the river, following it back into the city proper.
Returning to the Kawaguchi establishment, they delivered the chest to Ken’ichi. Inside, they found a talent of jade, several pieces of jewelry, and quite a lot of incriminating evidence, including letters concerning the vandalism of the Rokurou winery, communications from Nobu about the attacks on Maki’s men, and a contract for a hit on Akiyama Tsubasa. They also discovered a letter from Akiyama Haruka graciously thanking the Yamuchi for their support after her husband’s death and very politely turning down their offer of marrying into their family. Entrusting the documents to Ken’ichi, the pair left with half of the talent of jade as a reward for their assistance in taking down the house of Yamuchi.
...*...
The rest of the crew rendezvoused back at the main event to try to enjoy the rest of the festivities, even as they overheard murmurs of vexed spirits about and the bizarre phenomena at the Yamuchi estate.
Sitara, along with the rest of the city, saw the pillar of fire extending between the Yamuchi estate and the heavens, though witnesses said the buildings caught fire before that. While her mind was put mostly at ease once the crew confirmed they had seen Akash and Kasumi since then, she wondered at how their infiltration had resulted in the entire estate catching fire.
She was distracted from her thoughts as they stopped by Rokurou’s to sample his newest wine, and Sitara saw amongst his customers a familiar face, her dancing partner from the Pink Pagoda. After buying Sakura a drink, they spent some time sharing stories and getting better acquainted.
...*...
The next morning, Akash presented the group with the mon taken from the Ryuu agent who was killed at the Yamuchi compound. As Dasha touched the mon she was struck by a feeling of dread. Taking the mon, Dasha flung it into the waves.
Reacting without thinking, Akash attempted to blow Dasha overboard as he and Kasumi dove over the rails to recover the mon. As the crew pulled Dasha to safety, Akash rose from the water surrounded by a corona of darkness, with black lines running down his arms.
Once everyone was back on deck, the Captain attempted to defuse the situation, as Dasha threatened to leave the ship as long as the artifact was to remain on board. Sitara convinced her that such an object of power, especially a dark one, would be much safer under their careful watch than lost in the world for anyone to find, and abuse.
Eager to discover how such an artifact could be abused, Kasumi suggested that they test the Mon. The party traveled to a small isolated bamboo grove outside the city.
Somewhat surprisingly, Dasha took initiative in testing the Mon, going into a meditative state and activating it. Dark lines shot up her veins as she compelled small animals to come to her. Dasha pushed herself, calling again and again, until her face became ashen and she fell unconscious. After Mesi revived Dasha, she described having seen a darkly cloaked figure reaching out to her.
Kasumi attempted to use the Mon to hypnotize Mesi, but couldn't seem to activate it. Taking the Mon, Mesi tried using it while sticking her spear into the ground, but nothing in particular seemed different. After another failed attempt, dark lines ran across her muscles as she drove her spear deep into the earth.
A few days later, the party took the Mon to the beach. This time Sitara took it out into the shallows where she performed a sword dance that seemed to cause the water to hold it's shape for a split second longer than one would expect.
She looked a little shaken and slightly puzzled as she returned to the group, and asked them if they saw anything. When they only relayed the strange effect on the water, she said at the end of her dance she had found herself face-to-face with a woman with sea-foam skin and long stringy hair like kelp. Her face was set with large dark eyes, her ears spiny and webbed, and her mouth lined with sharp teeth. While Sitara said little more, her crew could see plainly how it had unsettled her.
Kasumi tried once more and was able to use the Mon this time. He seemed to vanish from the party’s sight, except for Akash whose keen senses caught sight of him. However, upon a second attempt, no one was able to spot Kasumi. Sitara then suggested that Kasumi try to heal the fatigue that Dasha had sustained, and reluctantly Kasumi agreed. rather than healing Dasha the attempt caused Kasumi's old wounds to reopen. After this test, Kasumi made certain to extensively document everything he'd learned about the Mon.
...*...
Despite the outcome of their last encounter, Akash decided to try calling upon his business partner. He found Haruka in calmer spirits and apologetic for leaving in such a manner. Her beloved Tsubasa, she explained, used to gift her with the same flower trinkets as what Akash had bought for her, and she had been overcome with memories and grief, though she thanked him for the gesture.
A few days later, the Captain went to check in on Kenji, intending to offer him a place on the ship if he wanted. She discovered that Kenji, who was on the mend, had quietly left Viz Leany. Mesi agreed to go look for him and deliver the Captain’s message, dragging Kasumi along with her. Meanwhile, Sitara met with their new Dascean acquaintance from the Pink Pagoda, and negotiated a collection of grains for trade from Helene.
After asking around, Kasumi and Mesi discovered Kenji lived in a run-down building near the docks. Finding his room, they knocked, but quickly realized he wasn’t home. Kasumi proceeded to help himself to the possessions of the other occupants. Amongst Kenji’s belongings was a small painting of what appeared to be a young Kenji, an even younger girl, and a couple who they assumed to be his parents.
Once Kenji returned, Mesi extended the invitation to join the crew, but he respectfully declined. He indicated that he had decided to turn over a new leaf after his experiences with them, but still had business in the city. Accepting his decision, Kasumi and Mesi left Kenji in peace.
...*...
Deciding they wanted to know more about the Master of Arms, Akash and Kasumi met her early one morning as she was leaving the ship. When Jian informed the pair that her business was her own, Akash decided to tail her and Kasumi went along to keep Akash from getting murdered. Jian, catching Akash, informed him that she was training and that he was not allowed to join her.
After being rebuffed at the gate to the Shrine of the Twisted Maple, Akash and Kasumi ascended to a nearby rooftop, spying a training yard within the shrine. The pair were spotted by some archers, who proceeded to launch a barrage of arrows. Akash, deflecting the first volley, was barely able to deflect the second. Kasumi decided it was time to go, and the two beat a retreat back to the ship.
...*...
Several days had passed since their misadventure at the shrine. Having finally concluded their business in Xien La, Viz Leany set sail early on the morning of the 15th of the 4th moon. Now on the ship, with little space and few distractions, Akash and Kasumi could not escape the Master of Arms’ silent but venomous looks. Between Jian’s seething and Kasumi’s discomfort, it became impossible for the rest of the crew, much less the Captain, to ignore.
At dinner that evening, the Captain called out the tension that had been simmering onboard ship since before the crew set sail from Xien La. Upon discovering that Akash and Kasumi had spied on Jian, the two were roundly chastised. Kasumi, understanding they had offended Jian deeply, humbled himself before her and offered himself as a student. Akash, though he did not seem to entirely understand his fault in the matter, expressed his regret that Jian had been hurt by his actions.
Jian stonily accepted their apologies, and went belowdecks. Afterwards, Sitara spoke with Jian in her quarters, explaining that while it did not excuse his actions, she believed Akash truly had not meant to insult her, and had not anticipated how his behavior would affect those around him, perhaps because he was Jinn-blooded. Jian acknowledged it was likely so; after all, she said, the Spirit-folk are always a little odd.
...*...
On the 19th of the 4th moon, Viz Leany stopped at Kuga, one of the last Minzokan villages along the coast between Xien La and the Northlands. Their arrival prompted something of a market day in the village, complete with singing, dancing , and storytelling. Emrys and Mesi performed a duet which culminated in an apparently luscious kiss for Mesi—unbeknownst to their audience, the passionate liplocking was entirely stage-professional.
The next morning, as the crew loaded the goods they had just traded for, they nearly made off with extra cargo—a very small child named Cho Yi who wanted very, very badly to join them on their adventures. Sitara assured Cho Yi she could certainly become a sailor when she were older, and returned the protesting child to its parents, who gifted her a small carved fishing charm.
Sitara recalled her childhood, when every time her father would have to leave she would beg and plead to go with him. The tears had only worsened when Stig left to sail with him, while her parents forced her to wait until she was older, though she later came to understand their reasons for it. As she watched Kuga disappear around the bend, she hoped Cho Yi would forbear, but cling to that passion, as she had. She smiled as she turned her gaze towards the mysterious and ruggedly beautiful lands of the North.