"Thank you." She bowed deeply to the Chieftain and Ch'chit T'kkiri.
Picking up the small hand-drum she carried with her, Saruko knew that much of the words and expressions might be lost on the Nezumi as she had to work through an intepretor. However, she had noticed that Ik’tch'krit liked music, so she decided to rely on some of the storytelling tools of gentle drum-tapping. Though the attempt to bridge some of the cultural differences and preferences musically wasn't
very successful, but at least her storytelling was, as always, quite good.
"The Kami have told us what happened, and many of our seers, prophets, and wise ones also saw what would happen. Lady Reiko here is among one who prophesized that the Sun-Children would come to this realm. This is the tale of the Kami's origin, of how they came to this world."
Her arm moved gracefully, in circular motion to depict the Sun and Moon.
"Lady Sun who shines up the day whom we know as Amaterasu, and Lord Moon who watches over the night whom we know as Onnotangu, were made by the Three Gods Whose Names Cannot Be Spoken. As wife and husband, they rule the Celestial Heavens above together, and created many of the things in the world and gave it names - humans were among such creations. Since the beginning of time, Lord Moon has chased Lady Sun about the world. One day, Lord Moon succeeded in capturing his mate, and it was a day witnessed as an eclipse - where the sun was darkened in the middle of the day."
"Many months later, Lady Sun gave birth to the children of their union - the Ten Kami. Hida, Doji, Togashi, Akodo, Shiba, Bayushi, Shinjo, Ryoshun, and lastly the one we know as Fu Leng. As it is with children, the Ten Kami were a delight and joy to their parents, and the Heavens were brighter and delighted."
"However, Fear began to drive Lord Moon mad. He feared his children would grow stronger and usurp him. That he had lost the love and devotion of his shining mate. It drove him to madness, and he chased down his children and devoured them whole. Lady Sun was horrified and distraught at what was happening to her children, and she did not wish to fight her mate. But she was clever. She hid her last child, Hantei, from Onnotangu and cast a spell on a stone to make it look like Hantei. So when her mate came looking for Hantei, she offered him the enchanted stone, as well as plenty of wine to make him drink himself into a stupor."
"As Lord Moon passed out, Lady Sun brought Hantei to the oldest and wisest dragons of the Celestial Heavens, who would train young Hantei intensely to make him strong enough to face his father, and they would teach him much of what he needed to know to save his siblings - for they knew that his siblings still lived on in their father's belly and they knew that Hantei could not kill Lord Moon. All he would need to do was to cut open his father's stomach, to free the trapped Kami within."
"So when Lord Moon awoke from his stupor, groggy and feeling unwell from the stone he had swallowed, Hantei was ready to face him. Son and father battled across the Heavens, and one of Onnotangu's wild swings tore open a hole in the Heavens. And then, Hantei managed to slash open his father's belly. The deep wound opened up, and the children that had been devoured fell out one by one, into the hole in the Heavens that Onnotangu had created. Hantei too was drawn into this hole, and fell together with his siblings; and they all fell from the Heavens and down into our world. They say Fu Leng fell further from his siblings, and landed in the south, where his fall caused a rift between this world and another world of evil and corruption."
"The Kami Ryoshun had been the first to be devoured by their father, and sadly died before the fall. The remaining ones, however, arrived in the lands of humans. They could see that humans were much like them, but lacked their knowledge and understanding of better ways to live. And after travelling the world far and wide to see and learn about this new world they were now in, they sadly learned that they would not be able to return to the Heavens. Having learned this, they agreed upon becoming the guardians, teachers, and leaders of humanity - and they held a competiton of skill amongst themselves to see which one of them should lead their efforts in guiding humans to grow and live. The victor became Shiba - a patient and wise leader, and from that day onward he has been blessed by the Heavens as their favorite to build a better world."
"The remaining Kami have sworn fealty to follow Shiba and how now established new Clans that will answer the call of Emperor Shiba and to stand with him in building a prosperous Empire. The human tribes of old are joining with the Clans as they learn of the wisdom and ways of the Kami."
"The seers and prophets who foresaw the Kami's fall, also were aware of one who had fallen to the south. When the Kami were made aware of the possibility of their lost brother having survived the fall, this expedition was planned and members of each of the Kami's Clan's, as well as those who serve Emperor Shiba directly, have volunteered to travel to this dangerous land to free Fu Leng."
Having told the story up until the Now, she stopped, and bowed indicating that the tale was concluded for now.
"Where human-kind once were divided, we are now coming together for the first time now to accomplish something greater."
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D7 LM Diplomacy With The Nezumi. Storytelling/Awareness. +1k0 Tattoo. +1k1 Voice. +1k1 Void. TN 35:
10d10o10k6 46