(D4 LE-Mountain Shrine) Last Call

[Soshi Naoko]

The festivities were winding down. And while Naoko suspected the mountain spirit was in no way bound by the shrine's spirit-home, it was still something they probably paid some attention to. And while they'd probably gotten their fill of offerings today, she'd brought one, and hoped to find some sense of communion within. Though it was entirely possible their attention was still focused outward after the long day of festivities.

She carried a bundle in her hands the smelled strongly of medicinal herbs, Hanakuso at her heels for a change, nearly doglike.

"They use different ceremonial ties than the monasteries in my territory, and the processional dance was very different. And the distance isn't that far. Makes me wonder how different the festivals farther away are, like Crab could be doing something completely different."

(Can offer skilled assistance, or make the check (will put notes in PF for ghosting that roll). Earth is not Naoko's strong suit, but she was planning on doing this regardless.)

[Kaito Maya]

"I was taught that Crab shrine customs have unique in their own ways: much more jade involved, very much more security at their processions." Maya shared, centering her mind for the act of communing with the spirit.

"We should be fine here, though, between what you and I and Hanakuso know. Let's get started."

----

https://sakkaku.org/rolls/6974

3 successes, 1 opp

[The sweeping monk]

A terrible sound can be heard as the earth opens before the two samurai. A rift opens before the shrine, a dark hole diving straight in the deep of the planet.

From it climbs up a tiny figure made of rocks, not even tall enough to reach their knees.



Art: https://oracleofthevoid.com/#game=l5r,# ... intingid=1

"Someone's calling for me?"

[Soshi Naoko]

The fluffy cat's ears flatten at the sound, but he crouches low and does not run. Even so, there's a small shiver of hindquarters as he restrains the urge to hunt the tiny figure, the stones that would surely roll enticingly.

Naoko wonders if the extra security of the Crab is needed when working with the earth, where the essence of jade resides..and then brings her thoughts back to the here and now and the deceptively small spirit. She bows deeply.

"We do, and apologize for the imposition, hoping the offerings are pleasing." She lays the medicine kit before the spirit, pulling the string tying it closed so it might unroll with all its tidy packets.

"It's just..there's so much going on here...wolves chasing bandits, fires put out before they can destroy much, faraway creatures here and awake out of season. We're leaving soon and, well, some things we can guess at, but the mysteries would bother us over the years. You won't entertain endless questions, so I guess the one that I'm not quite sure on is why the abbess draws creatures like snakes to the area. Why they feel warmed by her as by the sun?" She sits back on her heels, listening, sniffing the deep earthy smells through the crack that's opened in the ground.

[The sweeping monk]

Hanakuso has not such reserves, and starts roaming around the little rock humanoid, on the hunt.

Who's far more chatty and quick on the draw that what could have been expected of an earth spirit:

"Who? Ah, the human-in-chief?

A victim of karma. Her blood parents did pretty bad things with poison, and as a result their child has been cursed to attract to herself poisonous creatures.

It's an over thirty years old story, I kinda had completely forgotten about that. Pretty sure Hofukushu-kun has to. That's why I don't like long-lasting curses. You cast them one day when you're angry, you then go do something else, and when you finally think back about them, the length of several human lives have passed.

Plus, it's petty to curse the child to punish the parents. I would have gone back straight at the source had it been up to me."

[Soshi Naoko]

"Huh, I'd have thought that less curse and more easy access to components for poisoners." She fidgets with the sleeve of her black kimono, feeling the raised thread of the small, red scorpion embroidered inside the hem, wondering if they were Scorpion...but it probably wouldn't look good to ask that, right? They weren't supposed to basically admit out loud that they were poisoners and spies and everything else underhanded, even though they were.

"But yes the human-in- ...Hanakuso! Stop it!"

[Kaito Maya]

This was always a problem with cats during spiritual rituals of great import: no sense of propriety, no sense of the sacred, beyond themselves.

Maya crouched onto her haunches and dangled a feather as a distraction. It was one of those things a well-prepared shrine keeper had on them: one day it was useful as an offering for the spirits of the air, the next as a cat toy.

"Thirty years is as but a moment to a mountain, true. Is there anything that could be done to ease her karma? To make amends?"

[The sweeping monk]

The stone fellow remains chill as a rock in spite of Hanakuso's growing menace:



"I think the subtlety of the curse is that, while your human attracts venomous animals, they don't harm her and aren't particularly more aggressive toward other people... Unless they share the blood of the accursed. So a hindrance for the people here, but a mortal danger for potential siblings and co.

But you'll have to ask Hofukushu for the full story. Do you wish for me to call him? He's far more chill that people take him for.

If not... Dunno. Curses aren't really my specialty. When I have an issue with someone, I just avalanche their ass, or something in that style. Such roundabout ways are the stuff of humans and human-like spirits."

[Soshi Naoko]

Naoko pushes her mask to the top of her head. "Huh, that's pretty clever, really. I'm sure she'd be a very different person if her parents hadn't been made eager to get rid of her." There's a thoughtful look at the spirit's offer. Meanwhile, Hanakuso's attention shifts at the mention of angry avalanches. There's a tail that needs grooming, suddenly.

"I've been told to be wary of such spirits that powerful," Though here she is helping call up the attention of a mountain, so perhaps she's bad at heeding warnings. She considers the reasons anyone might have for considering her worthy of vengeance. The bow was won fair and square. And ok, fletching the arrows with crane feathers was maybe a little bit rude but not worth a curse, probably. She'd honored a request and brought no shame to her borrowed name, so...

Glancing to the Kaito first, she nods. "But how often does one have an offer like that to talk with such powers?" And who knew, maybe someday it would be useful to be acquainted with a clever fortune who seemed good at getting stuff done. "I'd be interested in the story, if he's willing to share it."

[Kaito Maya]

Continuing to dangle the feather absentmindedly, Maya did her part to keep the terror of Hanakuso at bay, lest the cat bring down spiritual misfortune upon all involved.

"If it would not be too much trouble for you to intervene on our behalf with Hofukushu-sama, it would be appreciated."

[The sweeping monk]

The ground next to the spirit turns into a perfect circle of sand, and the sand ripples to take the form of a skull. A sepulchral voice comes out of the ominous mandala:

"Who seeks the justice other gods and men have refused them?"

[Soshi Naoko]

Hanakuso's ears flatten as he crouches low, making himself as invisible as a cat caught in the open can.

Naoko's eyes go wide at the sand skull and her voice stammers out in a bit of a squeak to start, growing quieter and a bit sheepish by the end. "oh...um...more like information than justice Hofukushu-no-kami. What sins called you to curse the lady abbess here? Tokiko-sama?" She bows to the floor from where she kneels, adding, "if it's not much trouble. I'm not sure what offerings are sacred to you, t'be honest. Though I've some spiteful arrows, if they suit."

[Kaito Maya]

"Spiteful arrows?" Maya stage whispered to Naoko, not sure she'd heard the Scorpion shugenja clearly.

Best to let the curse-dealing earth skull answer one question before asking more and thus, perhaps literally, tempting fate.

[The sweeping monk]

Art: ???

"I am the last justice. I am incorruptible. The only offerings I take are the sincere pleas of those who have been wronged and forsaken.

For having killed with poison a whole family save for a single survivor, a whole family has been condemned to fear poison but for a single child.

The curse will remain until justice has run its course, one way or the other. I am the last resort. There is no going back, only forward, once I've been called."

[Soshi Naoko]

She murmurs back to Maya, not fooling herself that the conversation isn't heard, "Crane feathers fletch them. Won the bow from a Crane, so...it bothers them." A short version and true enough, even if it wasn't a member of the Crane clan she was speaking off.

"Ahhh," Naoko slumps a bit. "I have no such offerings." The Kitsuki's questions about Doji Riri's tale of a monk taking revenge for his friend pops into her head, sudden as a firecracker. "Though I suppose I maybe have an answer to how a blind monk kidnapped and slowly took apart a hale samurai over a very symbolic span of time. He would have had very sincere pleas, I think."

A deep breath, and then..."You're here, and my question's answered, and like you say, there's only going forward, so I guess I owe you." She looks very uncomfortable at the thought. "Suppose that's a favor that's only repaid if you need..well, hands like mine for your ends some other time someone begs you for help." Though it's hard to imagine a Fortune needing such assistance, it still seems that offering it is the correct thing. Dangerous, but correct.

[The sweeping monk]

A chuckle from beyond the veil between worlds:

"Oh, do not worry young one. When vengeance needs an instrument, vengeance does not ask. If one day your arrow strays away from its path and kill someone you didn't mean to send to Emma-Ō, you'll know it was no accident.

And I'm talking to the two of you there."

On these words, the skull melt away, only leaving behind a pool of smooth sand.

[Soshi Naoko]

Naoko, let's out a long, slow breath. "OK then." She tugs her mask down once more. "I guess if that happens, at least I'll know they probably deserved it?" She glances to the Kaito, wondering if she'd also be thinking of this every time she drew her bow for the foreseeable future.

A swish of the cat's tail, and sudden interest in grooming...as if unaffected by all the goings on...draws her attention back with a belated, "Thank you for all your attentions, mountain spirit..." She pauses, not quite certain if there's a proper closure to the ritual after the unorthodox additional summons.

[The sweeping monk]

"You're welcome. My days would be boring without the people living on me, less I can do is give them a hand when they ask nicely.

You can take back your herbs and gift them directly to either the monks or the villagers by the way. Nice attention and all, but they'll get more used of them than me. I'm healthy as a rock."

[Kaito Maya]

Maya had definitely gone quiet after the sandy skull's pronouncement, looking a little shaken for it as well. Fear was, of course, futile in matters like this: what will be, will be once spirits are invoked.

"Yes, thank you for your attention this day." Maya echoed Naoko, collecting up the offering bundle that it may be properly distributed as directed. Best not to renege on such things when the spirits are so clear in their intentions.

Once the spirits have quieted - it would be foolish to assume they've gone away especially when the pair of them were literally on the side of one - Maya turned to look at Naoko.

"Well, we got an answer. And something more besides, I think."

[Soshi Naoko]

Naoko nods "Not what I expected" She drops her voice to whisper, though volume was not the measure of how spirits hear. "I thought the mountain spirit would be bigger, but..I'm not complaining."

As things are gathered up, she adds, "thanks for sharing the task. Sorry to get you tangled in the Fortune's attentions though."