Heavenfall

Her afternoon done, Umeno made her way into the town. It was quite busy, which was a shame, so she paid for a simple bento to take to the brewery she'd heard about.

Alcohol wasn't unheard of in the lands Bayushi claimed, but it certainly wasn't a specialty. Umeno found a seat and put down some coin, waiting for some booze to come in barely contained excitement.

The day drawing to a close and a long day's work behind her walking around and making preparations, Miyako made her way to the brewery that she had heard about earlier in the day, a merchant packing up his wares at a stall pointing her in the right direction. Slipping inside, she took a seat an an empty table and waited to be served. It looked like she wasn't the only one there as she glanced around the room, however: another woman present. She looked over and smiled as she struck up a conversation.

"Had chance to try the brew yet? Heard good things about it - really fresh water or something like that, but haven't had the chance yet myself."

Umeno looked up with a curious look, followed by a sigh, then a resigned shrug. "No, I have not yet. I just got here I'll have you know. Sounds like you haven't either."

The woman paused, then motioned to the spot across from her. "You can join me if you want. I already ordered some, probably easy just to get a second on the way."

The woman nodded her head, got up for her seat, and moved over and sat back down on the opposite side of the table. She too set a small coin down on the table top to pay for whatever drink was about to come her way.

"I am Miyako of the Chinsei. Are you among those that are in the city for this expedition that has been called together? Looked like a lot of people running around today making their final preparations: markets have been as busy as I've seen them in days and people and lots moving in and out of the city proper getting things together," she observed as she waited to be served.

Another woman enters the brewery, her hair long, white, and tightly braided. Numerous trinkets, charms, and wards hung from her patchwork dress, and her eyes were clouded over and as white as her hair. She lingers near the entrance, hand on the wall, staring straight ahead as she attempts to get a sense for the space and the building.

Jigutsuji turned to Nanzi and said, “Do you think it wise to imbibe so deeply, Nanzi-dono, remember the last time you overindulged in the lands of the Crab?”

Nanzi laughed and said, “That was Lord Bayushi’s fault… or was it Lord Hida? Either way, it was an adventure and we got back with plenty of time…”

“And the baby? Or the goats?” Jigutsuji asked as he held the door for Nanzi.

“Look the baby found her way home… and the goats well, again Nanzi blames Bayushi,” Nanzi replied.

“So I suppose it was Bayushi-Kami behind you nearly being a bride at an ogre wedding?” Jigutsuji replied with a knowing but respectful look.

“That… that didn’t count,” Nanzi admitted with an awkward laugh. Once inside the duo looked around and then he offered to the woman at the door, “Madam, this one is Nanzi of the Crane, and his erstwhile companion, Doji Jigutsuji, are you in need of assistance?”

An exasperated look appears on Haka's face. "Why is everyone so free with names?" she mumbles, shaking her head at the foolishness of it all. The whole castle was a buffet table, and the people within were prancing around shouting their names out for everyone to hear.

'This one would appreciate being shown to a table," she says, after listening in silence for a long moment. "Goat people should be more careful giving away their names. It is not good to attract such attention from the spirits."

“Nanzi’s name is mighty indeed, all should know it,” Nanzi replied with a smile. “We are not goat people, traveler, we are Crane, servants of my divine wife Lady Doji. Nanzi trusts you have a name we can know you by, honored traveler?”


Jigutsuji offered to guide her to a seat, “Allow me, madame.”

Haka accepts the arm and allows herself to be led to a seat. "This one has a name, but addressing her with it invites hungry ghosts to find her and devour her. That is why it is good to be be careful when speaking names, lest they attract attention."

She settles into place, frowning faintly. "There are some who are known as Shoji Haka. This one can be addressed as a shaman, if such is necessary for speaking."

"Crane, yes, the bird." Haka nods. "This one spoke with one of your tribe earlier, Doji Kaze. How is he related to your wife, to wear her name?"

Nanzi settled in and gestured for drinks and then said to the woman, “Shoji Haka, well met. Doji Kaze is not related to my wife by blood bout bound to her by oath, she allows him the right to carry her name to show her favor and trust in him. Same as Doji Jigutsuji, but they are Crane all the same.”


Jigutsuji replied warmly, “We are humble servants of Nanzi-dono and Lady Doji; it can be confusing it took me some time to piece together the intricate web that is woven by the servants of the Empire.”

“It Is enough to know that not all who share the name of our lords are related by blood, but we are all bound by oath. I am honored to speak to a shaman, the ways of the spirits are to be respected and this one takes her wisdom to heart and shall speak his name lightly.”

Haka winces as her name is spoken and makes a warding gesture. She reaches into her pouch and starts quickly setting up small straw dolls around her. "Speaking names in the presence of the named is inviting peril," she chides, with increasing exasperation. Jigutsuji earns a nod of approval. "Thank you. It is for your own safety."

With the straw dolls set up, Haka calms down somewhat, though she's still agitated. She turns toward Nanzi. "The husband does not wear his wife's name, though? Why not?"

Nanzi watched the woman do her warding and then said, “Apologies.”

He made a warding gesture and then added, “My divine wife has given me leave to start my own family within the Crane, as he is the first of my name all others will take that name as their own when they swear fealty or an oath to join.”

“This is not so with all spouses of the Kami, but it is so with Nanzi.”


Jigutsuji nodded and said, “Many of our tribe joined the Nanzi family, though some like myself chose to serve Doji.”

Haka didn't really seem to understand the core concepts at work.

"So, let this one attempt to understand this," she said, gesturing with her hands as she speaks. "There is a Lady Doji who founds a Crane tribe. Clan. Whatever." A pause. "She recruits people to serve her, who swear an oath of loyalty and take her name, forming a family of oath but not blood. But her husband does not take her name, and instead will start his own family, and those who follow him will take his name?" There was confusion in her voice.

"So there is a family of Lady and her husband, but they both have families of their own with their own names, made of people who are not bound by blood to either of them, and neither takes the name of the other?" In Haka's opinion, this was some next-level insanity going on here.

“Some will be bound by blood, we have two children an heir to the Doji family and an heir to the Nanzi,” he responded.

“Nanzi admits it seems overly complicated but in practice it is rather simple.”


Jigutsuji started pouring drinks and added, “This one finds it best not to think too hard on the matter.”

Haka shrugs and reaches toward her drink, getting it on the second try. "Sky lady can do what she wishes, this one supposes. It seems overly complicated in her estimation."

She sniffs the drink, then takes a tentative sip, her nose scrunching up a bit at the taste. "This doesn't quite taste like it smells, does it?" She sips at it again, then licks her lips. "What is this made from? It doesn't taste like fruit."

Shoji Haka wrote: ↑

Wed May 20, 2020 1:25 am

Haka shrugs and reaches toward her drink, getting it on the second try. "Sky lady can do what she wishes, this one supposes. It seems overly complicated in her estimation."

“As Nanzi-dono said, it is simple in execution but sounds far more complicated when explained. Maybe it would be easier if one sees Clans like groups of tribes each Tribe works together to make the whole stronger under their chosen god or leader,” he offered and then shrugged it off.

“Is this your first time coming into contact with the Clans of the Empire?”Jigutsuji asked.

Shoji Haka wrote: ↑

Wed May 20, 2020 1:25 am

She sniffs the drink, then takes a tentative sip, her nose scrunching up a bit at the taste. "This doesn't quite taste like it smells, does it?" She sips at it again, then licks her lips. "What is this made from? It doesn't taste like fruit."

Nanzi took a drink, “Nanzi is no brewer but the flavor is just as Nanzi remembers it. Lord Hida loves this place and there are good memories within these walls. He does not know what it is made from, grains he would guess.”

The door closed behind a hooded figure, her red eyes scanning the room for a moment from over a black veil of fabric as her nose wrinkled. There was a sharpness to the air here. It reminded her of the sharpness of Kumis. They'd drink it after the hunts sometimes to wile away the colder nights. fetid stuff, but it did the job. This, though, smelt not right...

Her eyes scanned for an empty table and she frowned. The people here turned their gaze away. "Tch." It was something she'd forgotten being used to. They didn't do that back home much anymore, but you got used to it after a while. Still, there looked to be a couple tables available, and she eyed them both openly, directly, seeing if either of them would make a motion that she could join.

"This one encountered other tribes while traveling - bear, beetle, bat - but she did not linger overly long. She was warned that too many tribes would see a blind woman traveling alone and capture her as a breeding slave."

She takes another sip of her drink. "Fortunately, this one was harassed only slightly, and her companion quickly dealt with them."

The mention of ingredients draws out her curiosity. "Grain? How does one ferment grain?"

Nanzi frowned and spoke sharply, “All the more reason these tribes be brought to heel if they resort to such barbarism. You need not fear such while you travel with the Clans, and if any do try to resort to making you a slave for any reason Nanzi will know the reason why before he ends them.”


Jigutsuji added looking around the room, “You have a traveling companion, madam? Are they with you now?”

At the question of fermenting grain Nanzi replied, “Nanzi does not know such things, perhaps another here does?”

"That is good to know," she says, nodding in approval but not quite getting as worked up about it."

At the topic of a companion, Haka scunches up her nose. "Ah... this one should have watched her words better." She makes a vague 'over there' gesture. "A hungry ghost which has been haunting this one due to her name being used too freely. A good reason to watch your own names, neh?"