Taking Refuge (D13, LA, Open)

[Jin]

He had been meditating nearby when the burning rain started to fall. While he would normally have no desire to disturb the dead of an ally he also had no desire to melt into a puddle if the rain continued long into the day.

As such Jin squeezes down through the opening and takes cover from the rain.

[Ko]

A hissed intake of breath and a string of semi-incomprehensible dialect words that were probably curses heralded the scramble of another person into the underground chamber.

"....ow, ow, hssst..." Ko rolled to her feet, pulling up a corner of her shirt to scrub the itching, burning rainwater from her face and hair. "I hate this place." She'd evidently been further from cover than Jin, based on her degree of saturation.

[Jin]

Jin touches his jade in greeting, "Hate has rarely been a word in my vocabulary but, yes, I believe it is beginning to apply. Water has always been my ally it feel wrong to have it as an enemy but this place twists everything it seems. I do not think we've met formally. I am the one they call Jin, of the Ki-Rin."

[Canary]

A hissed intake of breath and a string of semi-incomprehensible dialect words that were probably curses heralded the scramble of another person into the underground chamber.

"....ow, ow, hssst..." Ko rolled to her feet, pulling up a corner of her shirt to scrub the itching, burning rainwater from her face and hair. "I hate this place." She'd evidently been further from cover than Jin, based on her degree of saturation.

As if the rainwater itself weren't enough, the initial deluge was making her body attempt to start the process of forming gills on her neck, the skin splitting painfully.

[Nanzi]

Nanzi was deeper inside having known about the storm due to his spiritual connection. He heard the others speaking but felt they would find him soon enough as he focused his thoughts inward. He asked Nanashi, Tell me of these wars, these cycles. Nanzi wants to know as much as you can tell him. Nanzi will not be ignorant of these vital facts.

Jongwun remained behind but Jigutsuji had wanted to see the tomb and the man inspected the ruins while Nanzi sat and thought, a habit he had been doing more and more lately.

[Jin]

Despite the darkness Jin's good eye was unusually perceptive.

He began to move closer to Ko, "Your neck, it's wounded. We should get that cleaned up - you definitely don't want this rain festering in it."

[Canary]

Nanzi was deeper inside having known about the storm due to his spiritual connection. He heard the others speaking but felt they would find him soon enough as he focused his thoughts inward. He asked Nanashi, Tell me of these wars, these cycles. Nanzi wants to know as much as you can tell him. Nanzi will not be ignorant of these vital facts.

Jongwun remained behind but Jigutsuji had wanted to see the tomb and the man inspected the ruins while Nanzi sat and thought, a habit he had been doing more and more lately.

For as long as the realms have existed, I think, Jigoku and the mortal world have opposed one another. Every one thousand years, they clash against one another, each choosing champions. Jigoku favors beings of inherent power, like gods, jinn, or rakshasa. The mortal realm favors... well, mortals. Mundane people born of itself. The forces of Ningen-do have succeeded recently, but it was always a close thing, and the open portal certainly gives Jigoku an edge, since its influence affects this place.

[Nanzi]

For as long as the realms have existed, I think, Jigoku and the mortal world have opposed one another. Every one thousand years, they clash against one another, each choosing champions. Jigoku favors beings of inherent power, like gods, jinn, or rakshasa. The mortal realm favors... well, mortals. Mundane people born of itself. The forces of Ningen-do have succeeded recently, but it was always a close thing, and the open portal certainly gives Jigoku an edge, since its influence affects this place.

Mood Music

The Crane daimyo considered this and figured this must be the knowledge that Shinsei drew upon to consider that mortals had their own spark. A clever charlatan, if a useful one, but also dangerous. He sighed heavily and responded, Recently must be relative if this occurs every thousand years was man even involved in the last battle? Perhaps we were? Or maybe it was something else. Is this cycle never ending? Shinsei’s Hubris seemed to want to break the cycle which seems like the best plan if such a thing were possible.

Nanzi thought he had heard it all when he met the Kami, but it seems the mysteries of the world run even deeper.

[Canary]

Mood Music

The Crane daimyo considered this and figured this must be the knowledge that Shinsei drew upon to consider that mortals had their own spark. A clever charlatan, if a useful one, but also dangerous. He sighed heavily and responded, Recently must be relative if this occurs every thousand years was man even involved in the last battle? Perhaps we were? Or maybe it was something else. Is this cycle never ending? Shinsei’s Hubris seemed to want to break the cycle which seems like the best plan if such a thing were possible.

Nanzi thought he had heard it all when he met the Kami, but it seems the mysteries of the world run even deeper.

Humans were not involved in the last battle... There were the Five Races, those tied to each element, and there were the Ogres before them. All mortals. Calling this place Ningen-do is a misnomer, really. It would be more accurate to call it Hitsumetsu-do, the land of mortality. This is the world where all things die.

I sometimes wonder if this battle occurs because Jigoku fears death.

[Nanzi]

Humans were not involved in the last battle... There were the Five Races, those tied to each element, and there were the Ogres before them. All mortals. Calling this place Ningen-do is a misnomer, really. It would be more accurate to call it Hitsumetsu-do, the land of mortality. This is the world where all things die.

I sometimes wonder if this battle occurs because Jigoku fears death.

Hitsumetsu-do, the land where things die. Nanzi had heard the ogres were immortal, not hat he would know such things as he is no sage. Jigoku is afraid of something if it is trying so hard to deny us what we seek. What were these five races, he considered mentally as he
considered this new knowledge.

[Canary]

Hitsumetsu-do, the land where things die. Nanzi had heard the ogres were immortal, not hat he would know such things as he is no sage. Jigoku is afraid of something if it is trying so hard to deny us what we seek. What were these five races, he considered mentally as he
considered this new knowledge.

It is possible they did not age, but all things die here. They were the Kenku, the Zokujin, the Ningyo, the Trolls, and the Kitsu.

[Nanzi]

It is possible they did not age, but all things die here. They were the Kenku, the Zokujin, the Ningyo, the Trolls, and the Kitsu.

The dark skinned samurai frowned not knowing any of these species but the kenku by reputation, and even then he figured they were more spirits from another realm. It was hard for him to think of trolls as intelligent creatures from the stories he heard… same with the ogres.

His mind had so many questions as he replied, So the Five Races had their own champions, these Thunders? It seems implied there are multiple, is this always the case for the mortal races? It seems obvious that Jigoku wants Fu Leng as it’s champion… perhaps it always planned for this once the fall began? Thank you for sharing this with me, still Nanzi is bewildered at how mortals defeat the forces of Hell?

[Ko]

Jin touches his jade in greeting, "Hate has rarely been a word in my vocabulary but, yes, I believe it is beginning to apply. Water has always been my ally it feel wrong to have it as an enemy but this place twists everything it seems. I do not think we've met formally. I am the one they call Jin, of the Ki-Rin."

Oh, Jin-of-the-Ki-rin, you have no idea how much I agree... Ko shook her head like a wet pup, then reached up to shove her hair clear of her face before any more stinging drops could find her eyes. "Ko. I name myself Ko." She pressed her other hand to her heart, fingers spread, then remembered the jade thing and fumbled to extract her own jade pendant from inside her shirt, displaying it in turn.

... and then winced again as the water dripping down her throat woke a fresh sting. "Kss-- Ah, I mean... it will be fine, Jin of the Ki-rin. It always hurts a little, but it'll go away once this cursed rain dries." She waved a hand reassuring-ish-ly.

The wounds appeared to be thin, delicate, perfectly symmetrical score marks right below the hinges of her jaw, on both sides of her neck. There was no more blood than one might expect from a shallow cat scratch, but on close observation, the way the skin shifted a little when she turned her head or spoke suggested the 'cuts' must be must be surprisingly deep.

[Jin]

Jin's brow furrows, despite the fact that she was touching jade, as he sees the 'wounds' more clearly.

"Those are no cuts... when did those form?"

The touch of this land twists flesh... but her jade does not burn her.

[Ko]

"It's just... it's a thing that..." Ko shrugged and tried not to shrink away from the scrutiny. She had nothing to be embarrassed by, darn it! This particular problem had simply never occurred to her when she set out on this adventure. What if we travel into a land that poisons people and causes weird bodily transformations, and then someone mistakenly thinks my perfectly normal weird transformation is the bad kind? Yeah, that never entered into her planning. In hindsight, perhaps it ought to have.

She rubbed her fingertips gently along one of the slice marks. "That's just how I breathe in water. Sometimes they come in when I don't really need them," she explained, as matter-of-factly as she could manage.

[Jin]

Jins furrow grows deeper though more of curiosity than deepening concern, "So you have... always... had these? Since birth? Or is it some spirit-touch that came later in life?" First the bat-boy, then the ogress, and now this. It seems the touch of other races in our realm has been long and deep indeed.

[Canary]

So the Five Races had their own champions, these Thunders? It seems implied there are multiple, is this always the case for the mortal races? It seems obvious that Jigoku wants Fu Leng as it’s champion… perhaps it always planned for this once the fall began? Thank you for sharing this with me, still Nanzi is bewildered at how mortals defeat the forces of Hell?

Not exactly. The Five defeated Jigoku through wise planning. It had corrupted a powerful one of their own, but they built defenses into their city that retaliated. The ogre's story is more... mythic, as you noted them claiming immortality. It rings... exaggerated to me. Supposedly they stood strong against Jigoku's armies after the Five Races fell to them and then challenged their leader. Sounds to me more like they used the others as meat shields. Either way, the approach seems to vary. I don't really know the workings of destiny... just a little bit of what has happened before.

[Nanzi]

Not exactly. The Five defeated Jigoku through wise planning. It had corrupted a powerful one of their own, but they built defenses into their city that retaliated. The ogre's story is more... mythic, as you noted them claiming immortality. It rings... exaggerated to me. Supposedly they stood strong against Jigoku's armies after the Five Races fell to them and then challenged their leader. Sounds to me more like they used the others as meat shields. Either way, the approach seems to vary. I don't really know the workings of destiny... just a little bit of what has happened before.

Nanzi could hear the others speaking at the entrance not the exact details but he could recognize that someone had been hurt or there was some minor distress. He gave Jigutsuji a gesture to go and check on things while he remained with his thoughts. He responded, The ogres had a good idea at least, one we can emulate to an extent with the Nezumi. Not directly but if they survive this mess with the remnants of their civilization intact then they may be the first line, assuming the powers of Jigoku always come from the same place.

It is Nanzi’s understanding that Jigoku is another realm that can bleed into the mortal realm of dying, or in this case just use a portal. Could then such invasions or great battles happen anywhere in creation? Creation extends far beyond the Protected Lands, or have these battles always taken place here?


Meanwhile Jigutsuji approached those at the entrance and said, “Greetings Jin-ue and tribesmen, is there anything amiss? My lord, Nanzi-sama is deeper within as we came for refuge and to study this place but he was concerned there was someone injured?”

[Canary]

Nanzi could hear the others speaking at the entrance not the exact details but he could recognize that someone had been hurt or there was some minor distress. He gave Jigutsuji a gesture to go and check on things while he remained with his thoughts. He responded, The ogres had a good idea at least, one we can emulate to an extent with the Nezumi. Not directly but if they survive this mess with the remnants of their civilization intact then they may be the first line, assuming the powers of Jigoku always come from the same place.

It is Nanzi’s understanding that Jigoku is another realm that can bleed into the mortal realm of dying, or in this case just use a portal. Could then such invasions or great battles happen anywhere in creation? Creation extends far beyond the Protected Lands, or have these battles always taken place here?

Yes, I think that is a wise plan. They can't be tainted, which makes them an even better bulwark than the Five between yourselves and the corruption. Nanashi agreed. Hmm... I haven't roamed outside this region, but the world is a large place. They could presumably happen elsewhere.

[Nanzi]

Yes, I think that is a wise plan. They can't be tainted, which makes them an even better bulwark than the Five between yourselves and the corruption. Nanashi agreed. Hmm... I haven't roamed outside this region, but the world is a large place. They could presumably happen elsewhere.

Nanzi questioned, What are your earliest memories? Do you know how you came to be like this? a Nameless spirit?