I'm sorry, our Shishio is in another castle

[Sierra]

<Erin> Erin soon toddles off towards the front of the train and sets it rolling once again, squinting out into the darkness to see what comes.
<El-Cideon> More stalagmites pass by outside in eery silence. After several minutes, you can see the cavern walls and ceiling again. They come together in what looks like an artificial wall in front of you--or what's left of one. You can tell a carved stone barrier once prevented or restricted further access down this new tunnel, but (more)
<El-Cideon> it has long since been devastated by some unknown force. Large chunks of stone lie on the far side of the wall's remaining standing portions, as if blasted or blown there. There are fragments of writing on some, the same script as in the ruined city.
* Erin peers at the script, intent on deciphering it into something intelligible!
* Nadia_Chekova continues sitting at the back of the train, nervously eyeing their newest passenger more than focusing on their surroundings.
<El-Cideon> Your mysterious passenger is still largely motionless--he can move his eyes, and they too flit sporadically from one of you to another, but anything more seems presently beyond him.
<Erin> "It appears this was some kind of- well, I'd call it a power plant, judging by the writing," states Erin, peering to see if she can get the train to enter the area. "I assume it's what's powering this very train."
<El-Cideon> The tracks are sufficiently clear of rubble for the train to pass. It looks like someone cleared a path through it some time in the past.
<Erin> Erin pushes on the panel again, sending the vehicle trundling forward.
<El-Cideon> A short tunnel, containing a long, low building like the one at which you found the car. There is another car here as well, toppled onto its side. There is a stray roundabout of track that could let yours turn around and reverse directions if so desired, and the track you are on continues into another cavern. (more)
<El-Cideon> This one looks familiar. In the center of the chamber is a stone cylinder like the one you found at the site in Petra. Scattered around the chamber are various twisted pieces of metal and stone, looking like some piece of machinery blasted into scrap. The tracks stop alongside the cylinder.
<Erin> The train likewise halts, and Erin frowns. "This must be it, don't you think?" she remarks, peering through the window to see if the cylinder is covered with writing- and to see if it's intact.
<Yomi> "Let's hope this seal is intact," Yomi agrees.
<El-Cideon> It's covered in writing, just as the last one was. Erin can tell it's the same preamble, but the names are different this time. The cylinder is not intact--unlike the hairline crack that bisected the one in Petra, this cylinder has been savagely slashed and rent. Chunks of the blue stone lie on the cave floor around it.
<El-Cideon> The language on the cylinder is also demonstrably not the same as you've seen elsewhere in this area--it's the same scrawling script you found in Petra, but notably different from the blocky glyphs in the city and on the wall outside.
<Erin> "This one likely wasn't destroyed by the Nazis," notes Erin, disembarking the train to secure a piece of the blue rock. "But whatever other force laid waste to this place..."
* Nadia_Chekova looks up and out. "It doesn't look damaged in the same way," she observes, but sadly isn't qualified to comment in more detail on the magical ramifications.
<El-Cideon> "What is this object?" Rena asks, looking out from a window.
<Yomi> "There was a reason Elgin did not stop here despite being in the area, so that would be as good as any," Yomi mutters. As Rena speaks, she says, "A seal of some sort, part of a series throughout the world, as far as we can tell."
<Erin> "It is also a memorial," adds Erin. "The writing is a series of names, honoring the fallen."
<El-Cideon> "Oh. That sort of thing has always seemed strange to me. Does it matter to the dead if anyoe remembers them?"
<Yomi> "I couldn't say. But it certainly matters to the living to believe their lives have meaning, and they would be remembered afterwards."
<El-Cideon> Rena just shrugs.
<Nadia_Chekova> "I think it does," Nadia says quietly, but doesn't elaborate.
<Erin> "Perhaps one reason we remember others is because we learned from them, as we hope others learn from us," suggests Erin, returning to the car. "Shall we inspect that building? I hope to find more documents- if I can get a grasp on the language..."
<Yomi> "And what about him?" Yomi asks, indicating the paralyzed demon.
<Erin> "Perhaps Rena could watch him?" Erin peers around, trying to see if any more of those... creatures... are in evidence around here.
<El-Cideon> "I cam capable of doing this," Rena affirms.
<El-Cideon> *I am
<El-Cideon> Erin doesn't see anything obviously lurking in wait. At least, such is not obvious from the outside of the building.
<Yomi> "Shout if there's anything," Yomi says, deciding to go and explore the building in question.
<Erin> Naturally, Erin follows suit.
<El-Cideon> The condition of the building is much like the one you found before--a fine layer of dust coats everything, and larger piles suggest the furnishings have long since gone to rot. Nothing assaults you this time and a brief glance around suggests nothing living waits here. (more)
<El-Cideon> There are still some intact examples of writing, though: along one wall is a slate board with sliding panels bearing what Erin thinks are names, in numbered columns. It looks like a work rota of some sort. There are also various placards on the walls which Erin can tell outline safety guidelines. All of this is in the city's script.
* Nadia_Chekova follows halfway between the building and the train, shining her torch all around and alternating between through the door and over the train so that both Erin and Rena can benefit from its light.
* Erin activates her magical senses and peers around- although it doesn't seem like there's much to find.
<Erin> "There's nothing here, aside from... neolithic timetables, I suppose," remarks Erin, heading back to the car.
<Yomi> Likewise returning, Yomi stares at the demon, before pointing to herself. "Yomi," she says clearly, observing his reaction, if any.
<El-Cideon> He blinks. Seems like all he can do at present.
<Yomi> "If you understand me, blink twice?" Yomi tries.
<El-Cideon> No response.
<Erin> "I'm going to try and feed him another potion," states Erin, rummaging around in her bag. "It might cure this... paralysis. If he can at least speak to us..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Do you think he speaks Japanese?" Nadia asks uncertainly, keeping well back from the scary monster.
<El-Cideon> "Are we still in Japan?" Rena says, glancing at the cavern outside with some apparent skepticism.
<Yomi> "I hoped he could understand our languages, but it wouldn't hurt to try all options," Yomi muses, repeating her question in every language she knows and pausing for a possible reaction each time.
<El-Cideon> He doesn't respond in any obvious fashion, to any of the languages Yomi tries.
<Erin> "Certainly not," replies Erin, uncorking an aqua vial and kneeling next to the creature. "I'm going to feed this to you now," she adds, miming a drinking motion.
<El-Cideon> A blink. It could mean anything, of course.
<Erin> If only her magic extended to facial tics! Erin sets about forcing the liquid down the creature's throat, in the hope that he will then speak in a more accessible fashion.
<El-Cideon> Mobility gradually returns to him--fingers twitch, he shakes his head a little, then all at once everything comes back. He sits up, sharply, and winces--it's hard to recognize familiar expressions on a jutting, fanged muzzle like that, but he's obviously just noticing some nasty injuries. He's able to talk, though--of course, only Erin can understand him:
<El-Cideon> "What are you?" is his first query, as he glances cautiously from one of you to another. The language is a strange combination of whistles, grunts, and reedy warbling. A human could *probably* reproduce them with some effort. Though that require becoming familiar with the language itself first.
<Erin> It's difficult to take copious notes on a kind of speech you don't have many letters for. "Humans," replies Erin, spreading her arms to indicate the group. "Erin," she adds, pointing to herself. "Yomi, Nadia, Rena," she adds, indicating each woman in turn.
<El-Cideon> Another searching glance at each of you as Erin points out names. "I don't know of such creatures. I have never seen them before. Where am I? Where is my spear?"
<Erin> Erin gestures towards the weapon, lying sideways on one of the train chairs. As for the first question, she gestures to the window with a shrug.
<Yomi> "He understands us, Erin?" Yomi asks at the apparent dialogue.
<Nadia_Chekova> It seems Erin understands him well enough, Nadia gathers from context, so she's content to keep well back and let her work her magic.
<Erin> "I understand him. The reverse does not seem true," replies Erin, eyeing the man speculatively. "Erin," she says again, gesturing to herself. "You?" she asks, pointing at the man.
<El-Cideon> He's quick to take the spear, and uses it to prop himself up. Erin's gesture seems to be understood. "Grashk," he says, looking outside. "I don't know this place..." he starts, taking in the full three-sixty of his surroundings. He suddenly becomes extremely agitated once he looks out the back of the car and spots the wreckage of the front wall.
<El-Cideon> "The wall of death! I can't stay here!"
<Erin> "Wall of death?... We crossed over it, nobody died," replies Erin, fidgeting. "Nadia, can you try drawing a map of where we've been so far?" she asks, heading to the control panel and moving the train away from the wall.
<Nadia_Chekova> Nadia briefly adopts a deer in headlights expression at Erin's request. Is there anything to draw on? Is the ground sufficiently dusty that she might be able to improvise with that?
<El-Cideon> He watches the retreating wall with suspicion but grows distinctly calmer once you're away from it.
<El-Cideon> Nadia could probably draw in the dust if she wanted to.
* Nadia_Chekova kneels down over a patch of undisturbed dust and shines her torch on it, drawing something that looks a bit like the Euro currency symbol to display the paths they've seen thus far, and then drawing a big circle on the leftside branch of the impromptu map to represent the apparent town from earlier. "Like this?" she looks hopefully at the monster in case he understands.
<Erin> "Graskh. We humans took this path," she states, nodding at Nadia and gesturing at the map. "We're here now," she adds, pointing at the location that corresponds to them.
<Nadia_Chekova> That's the branch opposite the one with the circle on the end of it!
<El-Cideon> He looks at the map for a moment, then kneels down next to Nadia. there's a rather pungent, bitter smell around him, you think from the black stuff around his wounds. After a moment, he adds a path perpendicular to the rail line and adds a dot at each end. "Lake," he says to one. "Home," to the other.
* Nadia_Chekova resists the urge to scoot away. He seems friendly enough...
<Erin> "He's saying his home is around here," adds Erin, for the benefit of the others.
<Yomi> "Let's pay it a visit, then?"
<Erin> "Going home?" she adds, indicating a path from their current location to his abode.
<Nadia_Chekova> "They won't eat us, right?" Nadia asks squeamishly.
<Yomi> "I'm sure it will be fine."
<Erin> "No more than we would them, I should hope..."
<El-Cideon> He seems to get the point. "I...am not well. Did not find what I wanted, but I should go back." He stands up and walks to the door of the car, looking with some curiosity around the vehicle as he does so. "Dangerous outside. Erin, coming?"
<Erin> "Yes, let's go," replies Erin, with a nod.
<El-Cideon> He steps out onto the cave floor, giving the exterior of the car another curious look, before starting off into the darkness.
<Erin> She blinks. "Oh, he asked if we wanted to come," she adds, lamely stepping outside. "Perhaps someone there knows magic enough to talk back to me! Well, I can hope..."
<Yomi> "Or we'll find those references you wanted!"
* Nadia_Chekova follows out with her trusty torch, hoping 1930s battery technology will hold out for the trip!
<El-Cideon> Rena steps off the car along with the rest of moving out into the black gulf.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
* Serith bats the dice around for El-Cideon --> [ 1d100=96 ]{96}
<El-Cideon> You walk for ten, maybe twenty minutes. Your surroundings are fairly indistinguishable--more stalagmites, more lichen carpet beneath you--but Grashk seems to know where he's going. Although he's obviously on guard the entire way, you don't encounter anything strange out in the darkness. (more)
<El-Cideon> Finally you hit the far wall of the great cavern, where there is a settlement of sorts. Much of it seems to be burrowed into the wall itself, holes permeating the wall with bone ladders leading up to them. There are a scattering of skin huts on the ground before it, and a small pen that holds a gaggle of squat, horned quadrapeds.
<Erin> "It looks like he's not alone," notes Erin, wandering over to the pen and peering at the strange little creatures.
<El-Cideon> They snort at you in challenge! They're the size of a housecat, though, so it's not very threatening.
* Nadia_Chekova stays close to Yomi, careful to avoid shining her torch directly at any monsters in case that provokes them.
* Yomi gives the demon cats a cursory glance, but mostly keeps her focus on Grashk.
<Erin> "Grashk, what are they?" asks Erin, bounding back towards the man and pointing at the creatures.
<El-Cideon> A couple other creatures like Grashk are on guard around the corral, with chitin spears like his. They start in surprise--one retreats to one of the huts, the other approaches him and speaks. "Idiot! How are you not dead?" Erin hears.
<El-Cideon> "Food," Grashk mutters in response to Erin's pointing finger.
<El-Cideon> "I had help," Grashk grumbles to the guard. He gestures to the four of you. "This one says they are 'humans.' I do not know this word. This one--" he points to Erin, "--understands me, but they cannot speak words I know."
<Erin> "That's right!" replies Erin, nodding repeatedly. "He's getting reprimanded," she adds, turning her head. "They're just like us, really. Timetables, getting chewed out, prone to do foolhardy things with a risk of death..."
* Yomi is rather skeptic at that.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Reprimanded for bring us here?" Nadia asks, edging ever closer to Yomi.
<Nadia_Chekova> *bringing
<Erin> "I don't think it's that one," replies Erin, frowning.
<El-Cideon> The guard eyes Erin, obviously not comprehending her words. "Maybe the elder will know," he grunts. "But you!" He thumps Grashk on the shoulder. "You should know better than to go out alone. Look at those stings. How are you still walking? Get inside, get yourself clean." (more)
<Erin> "They're incredulous that he survived."
<Yomi> "They've lost the knowledge of magic, you think?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "He was being eaten when we found him..." Nadia admits, nodding to herself.
<Erin> "I can't really say. Socities like this one are often superstitious..."
<El-Cideon> Their expressions are difficult to read, but an obviously chagrined Grashk drags his feet to one of the tents. Shortly thereafter, the second guard emerges from another one, trailing behind a figure that looks quite a bit older than the others. He's dressed the same, but scarred all over, slightly hunched, and his horns are carved with loops and whorls. He walks right up to you.
<Yomi> "Here's hoping we'll finally be understood?" Yomi voices at the elder's approach.
<Erin> "Hello?..." says Erin, quailing faintly at this impressive sight.
<El-Cideon> There's no obvious indication that he understands. He does speak, however. "I must assume you are responsible for saving Grashk from his foolishness. Yet I do not know who or what to thank. Where do you come from?"
<Erin> "Earth," replies Erin. "Another dimension... we teleported with this," she adds, brandishing the bracelet responsible.
<El-Cideon> He doesn't seem to recognize it specifically. "A nice color, but I do not understand what it has to do with anything. I cannot understand you. Do you understand me? Nod your head if so."
<Erin> Erin nods her head.
<El-Cideon> "Hrm. This makes things difficult. Come, we will sit and see what can be done to reach understanding. If you have been outside, you are surely tired." He walks back to the tent he came from, gesturing for you to follow him.
<Erin> "Someone's caught onto this," notes Erin, walking into the tent.
* Yomi heads inside after Erin, keeping Nadia close to her.
* Nadia_Chekova is grateful for Yomi's consideration, although she is reassured by how peacefully things are going.
<El-Cideon> The tent is just spacious enough to seat all of you. The ground is covered with leathery hides--not as comfortable as any blanket or cushion you might be used to, but better than bare stone. There is no light source inside, but there aren't any out in the settlement either. The creatures apparently have no difficulty seeing in darkness. (more)
* Nadia_Chekova maintains the use of her torch to correct this oversight!
<El-Cideon> There is another of the creatures here as well, sitting and cutting up some unidentifiable meat into strips. The elder sits. "I should thank you formally. I am elder Whisp. This is my mate, Rasha." He gestures to the other creature. There is no obvious way to determine gender from first glance. "I hope you can tell me your names, at least?" he continues.
<Erin> "He's Whisp, and that's Rasha," states Erin, before repeating her earlier well-tested greeting methodology.
* Nadia_Chekova nods when she's pointed at by Erin, offering a smile.
<El-Cideon> "You should know this is the first time we have met other beings that can communicate with us--or at least, the first time we have met something in these caverns that did not hunger for our flesh. Only the--" he says a strange word, which Erin's magical translation communicates as Corrupted Souls, "--attempt to speak to us, and only to take us off our guard. Your greeting may have been a violent one had you not come with one we thought lost."
<El-Cideon> had you not come with one we thought lost."
<Erin> Erin is only too willing to translate the sentiment, wincing at the terminology. "We'll be good," she adds, quickly.
* Yomi laughs in amusement at Erin's reassurences.
<El-Cideon> "You have been so far. I am not worried. Were you among the corrupted souls, you would have attacked already. They do not travel in numbers, and they mimic our faces, which you do not. You could not possibly be confused for any other beasts of the great cavern, so I must wonder how you came to be here. From beyond the wall of death--" he points towards the east, "--or the haunted city?" and to the west.
<Erin> Erin blinks. "Can you understand me?" she asks, curiously.
<Erin> Erin pauses, and pulls some paper from her bag. "Well, we came from around here," she states, re-sketching Nadia's diagram and circling the place they teleported into in the first place. "But we're not- argh, how can I describe it... oh, I know!" (More)
<El-Cideon> OOC: ex Erin's first line for log purposes, assume Whisp could tell her intent from body language.
<Erin> She circles the entire improptu map, and then draws another globe on the opposite page, linking the two with a line. "We used this," she adds, pointing at the bracelet, "To move from here, to here."
<El-Cideon> "From beyond the haunted city," he muses. "We do not go there anymore, and never went past it. When there were more of us, we would travel in parties to find the strong weapons, but no longer. Too great a risk. The corrupted began to notice us and walked the streets in greater numbers." He takes Erin's pencil and sketches in something of his own. (more)
<El-Cideon> "We..." he starts to draw another circle, somewhere down the cavern wall from this settlement, "...came from the lower caverns several generations ago. I am just old enough to remember. Food became scarce in the old caverns, fighting increased. Whorl took some of us and came here, collapsed the tunnel behind him. There is no fighting here, but it is not much better."
<Erin> "Whorl?" asks Erin, after relaying these particulars.
<El-Cideon> "He was one of our leaders. An explorer, found his way to empty caves we could live. Some of us followed him. We are Whorl's people now."
<Nadia_Chekova> As Erin translates the bit about searching for weapons, and as it's somewhat useless to her, Nadia decides to do them a favour and offers out the spear in a very nonthreatening manner towards Whisp. "Gift," she says very slowly in English since that's what Erin's been using.
<Erin> Erin places the shocking gauntlet alongside the spear. "From the city," she notes, pointing at it.
<El-Cideon> He eyes the weapon for a moment, then takes it and examines it critically. "This...is one of the strong weapons, from the city, isn't it? You may nod if so. We always have need of such; there is little else to make weapons from in the cavern, save the bones of howlers and carapace of the crawlers. Some were lost recently by the lake; what Grashk set out on his own to bring back. You offer these?"
<Erin> "Yes, that's right," replies Erin, with a nod. "It's magical." She'd been about to ask what he was doing; finding out is quite helpful.
<El-Cideon> Erin's nod gets through to him, at least. "You do much for us without asking anything in return. We...are grateful. There is little to offer here but sustenance, but you may have what you need. There are empty warrens in the wall above if you need to rest."
<Erin> "I want to ask," adds Erin, pointing towards the location where the tombstone-cylinder is. "Do you know what this is?" she asks, pausing for a moment and drawing a quick sketch of the object.
<El-Cideon> He eyes the drawing. "We do not know what is past the wall of death. When we approach it, we bleed inside until we turn back or fall dead. Once, the young would approach as far as they could as a show of bravery." He snorts in an obvious show of disdain that even someone who can't understand his words should see. "Foolishness. I put a stop to it."
<Erin> "We must leave now," states Erin, standing up gesturing outside. "But we will come back soon," she adds. "I don't like seeing people forced to live in such a desolate state."
* Nadia_Chekova stands up as Erin does. "Time to go?"
<El-Cideon> Again, the gesture seems obvious enough to elder Whisp. "Very well. If you are ever here again and need food or water, you need only ask."
<Erin> "I think we've learned as much as we can for the time being," replies Erin, frowning.
<Yomi> "We just need some better way of talking to them, I suppose?" Yomi muses. "What about this lake they mentioned? He said that they lost some of their weapons there, didn't he?"
<Nadia_Chekova> Nodding to Erin, Nadia leads the way back out with her shiny torch. "So we take the train back to the entrance and return to Fuji?"
<Erin> "Myriam can likely help us with that, just... mail is so slow..." mutters Erin, sighing. "Yes, that's what I thought. But this is quite a find. I'll have to talk to Wakahisa-san about this. These people can hardly live here indefinately," she notes.
<Yomi> "If you're thinking of getting them out the way we came in, do reconsider," Yomi cautions her.
<Erin> "Under the cover of darkness, with vehicles within easy reach, I believe it would be possible to take at least a few out at a time," responds Erin. "I doubt there's any other way."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Take them where?" Nadia asks.
<Yomi> "And where are they to go?" Yomi asks simultaneously. "Do you think they'll evade the government's diviners and demon hunters?"
<Erin> "As well as any of the creatures under Wakahisa's purview."
<El-Cideon> "They look very strange. I don't know if most people would like living with them. It's been my experience that many people do not like other people that are not like them. Many people disliked me when I was home."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Wouldn't they be in danger from the giant snakes and poison clouds, though?" Nadia asks. "It's dangerous here, but they seem used to it. They'd be more vulnerable out in the real world."
<Erin> "This world seems as real as our own, to put it that way," notes Erin, putting a hand against some rock. "Nobody should have to live under threat of constant assault, let alone by anything as ominous as ghosts or 'corrupted souls'..."
<El-Cideon> It's not too difficult to find your way back to the car, thankfully. The five of you left footprints in the undergrowth that can be followed with the aid of a flashlight and Erin's enhanced vision. Soon enough you're back in the car and ready to return to the entrance.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
* Serith bats the dice around for El-Cideon --> [ 1d100=82 ]{82}
<El-Cideon> You float through the great cavern in silence, nothing stranger than usual attracting your attention or impeding your progress. The car slows to a halt at the intersection from which you entered the area. You can leave the cavern any time you want now.
<El-Cideon> The sunlight assaults your eyes like a physical force once you're back--such was the overwhelming darkness of the caves that you're not used to the day now. The spring warmth is also a drastic change. Rena in particular seems grateful for this, hugging herself and looking to the sun with her eyes closed.
* Nadia_Chekova squints and shades her eyes as she adjust, nonetheless relieved for the greater warmth. "Remind me to get new batteries for my torch when we're in a city again," she says as it's turned off and put in her handbag.
<Erin> "We should really bring more than one," posits Erin, squinting at the ground.
<Nadia_Chekova> "A spare would be useful. If I'd dropped it we'd be out of luck," Nadia agrees, stretching. "Anyway, lets go get something to eat and then we can head to Tokyo?"
<El-Cideon> You haven't been gone that long--perhaps an hour, maybe a bit more. It's only a train ride to Tokyo from here, and you arrive around noon. It's a sprawl of a city, myriad small villages consumed into one huge conglomeration of humanity. The buildings are a mix of traditional Japanese housing and modern structures. (more)
<El-Cideon> There's a train line for public transportation, so finding your way to your target isn't difficult, especially given the renown of its owner. Fukui's house is a modern, two-story mansion behind high stone walls. Two guards loiter out front, looking professionally unfriendly.
<Yomi> "So how should we do this?" Yomi asks, keeping well out of sight of the guards. "We can try and see what he has hidden. I can also check with people I know in Tokyo to find out more about him. I suppose we can also try to approach him openly, but if he purchased my obviously stolen sword he's hardly about to admit it and give it back."
* Serith (~iron_drag@77.246.71.104) Quit (Ping timeout)
* Serith (~iron_drag@77.246.71.104) has joined #HometownHeroes
<Nadia_Chekova> "Lets try to find out more about him before we make contact?" Nadia suggests. "Once we find a place to stay i could disguise myself like I did when we first arrived to more easily ask around without attracting attention."
<Erin> "If he has it, do you think he keeps it on the premises?" wonders Erin, peering at the mansion. "I probably can't pinpoint it like I could with other items, seeing as he collects many weapons..."
<El-Cideon> "Shouldn't Yomi know what it looks like?" Rena wonders. "She just needs to look around the house for it, doesn't she?"
<Yomi> "If he has it, I have good reason to believe it would be in a hall adjacent to his office, somewhere on the second floor," Yomi responds to Erin. "And I can't exactly sense my sword, Rena, so if it's hidden I could pass right next to it. He would hardly let me search his house."
<El-Cideon> "Well, he probably couldn't stop you if you really wanted to look around. No one else has been able to so far."
* Nadia_Chekova snickers at Rena's perceptive comment.
<Yomi> "He might stop me from leaving Japan, however, and I don't fancy swimming back."
<El-Cideon> "It would be inconvenient," Rena admits. "It's pretty here, but there are many other places I haven't seen yet, and I would not like to swim to them all."
<Erin> "It would be impossible. Yomi herself doesn't need to enter, though," notes Erin. "If we use the communication orbs, then perhaps Nadia could sneak in whilst allowing Yomi to view the swords remotely. That way, if it's there..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "I could certainly try that," Nadia nods agreeably.
<El-Cideon> "Nadia is good at sneaking," Rena agrees. "She stole me. I am sure she can find a sword as well."
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+17 disguise as Natsu
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=17 ]{34}
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+15 gather info on Fukui
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=4 ]{19}
<Nadia_Chekova> Over dinner at their hotel, Nadia shares some choice information with her comrades before the robbery. "From what I've heard, Mr Fukui is away from Tokyo on some sort of business venture at the moment."
<Erin> "That might place him in Manchuria?" wonders Erin, glancing at Yomi. "Or another city in Japan, of course.."
* Yomi shrugs. "All I know it's the perfect time to look within."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Couldn't find out where," Nadia admits with a shrug. "Also his wife apparently died last year, if anyone cares."
<El-Cideon> "I don't," Rena says with a shrug.
<Erin> Erin winces.
<El-Cideon> Night falls. Tokyo's streets are well-lit in Fukui's affluent neighborhood, filled with business, government and military leaders as it is, but they're also empty streets this late. Midnight's not the time respectable Japanese citizens go out for a stroll, after all. (more)
<El-Cideon> The gates to Fukui's estate are closed. The walls are about ten feet high. Made of stone, but not so perfect as to be totally free of handholds and footholds.
* Nadia_Chekova is very sneaky and avoids the street lights as she outninjas any actual ninjas who happen to be in Tokyo right now. Surely they're jealous of her skills! Anyway, she finds a nicely unlit section of wall by the side away from the main street and climbs up to peek over it!
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: take 10 for 23 on climb
<El-Cideon> Up and over with ease, Nadia finds herself in a carefully-maintained garden. Vines climbs tresses, flowers are in profusion, there are wrought iron benches and a zen rock garden in one corner as well. It is darker on this side of the wall, the yard surrounding the house not having any lights of its own. You don't see anything on inside the house, either, though there are a couple windows. (more)
<El-Cideon> You're looking at the narrow side of the house. No doors are immediately obvious, but you can partly see some kind of second-floor terrace at the back of the house.
<Nadia_Chekova> Creeping around to the back, Nadia climbs up to the terrace. Yomi did say that the sword is probably on the second floor, and entrances above the ground tend to be easier to break in her notable experience as a famous cat burglar.
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: still taking 10 for 23 on climb
<El-Cideon> the house itself is made of brick, at least on this side--it's easy to climb up alongside the terrace and then drop down onto it. It's about twenty feet wide and provides a nice view of the surrounding yard. There is only one door leading inside: a set wood and glass double doors, through which you can see something like a lounge. A profusion of weapons decorates the walls inside, you can see thanks to your enhanced sight. (more)
<El-Cideon>  you can see thanks to your enhanced sight. (more)
<El-Cideon> There is also another room within view through it, an open door leading to a room with a desk and a wall of books behind it.
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll spot
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20 haha
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=10 ]{10}
<El-Cideon> OOC: carry on.
<Nadia_Chekova> Are there any lights on?
<El-Cideon> There are no lights on in this particular room. You don't see them on anywhere around you. You can only pick out any details inside thanks to your magical sight.
* Nadia_Chekova creeps up to the door and checks if it's locked.
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: assume I'm taking 10 for 27 on hide/move silently
<El-Cideon> The door is indeed securely locked.
<Nadia_Chekova> Out come Nadia's lockpicks to remedy this sad situation!
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+23 dd
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=10 ]{33}
<Nadia_Chekova> OOC: +13 sorry, so 23
<El-Cideon> Nadia's good at this, but Fukui apparently invested some money in making sure that the merely good would be deterred from breaking and entering his home. You think you almost have it, but a minor slip and your lockpick slips out at the last second.
* Nadia_Chekova is patient and can take as long as needed to get the job done!
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+13 dd
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=17 ]{30}
<El-Cideon> Persistence is rewarded! A tiny *click* and the door swings open inside. You can enter the house now.
* Nadia_Chekova pulls the door almost but not quite closed behind her, and first approaches the weapons displayed on the wall, holding out the telepathy orb so Yomi can get a look at them and confirm if her sword is present.
* Yomi eagerly observes the array of weapons!
<El-Cideon> There are *quite* a lot of them. Although Nadia probably doesn't have an eye for traditional Japanese implements of war, Yomi surely does and can recognize most: knives, katana, naginata, nucnhaku, and more. Yomi's trained eye can tell all of them are of superior craftsmanship, at least. (more)
<El-Cideon> Two weapons in particular are displayed on stands on either side of the cushioned chairs in the center of the room. One of them is a spear, seemingly quite plain but very, very sharp from the look of it, and the other is a naginata crusted with jewels but bearing an obviously functional blade as well.
* Nadia_Chekova is not here for polearms, sadly.
<Yomi> "Two of the weapons are of superior craftsmanship, if not outright magical," Yomi whispers, "but the Shishio is not there. You are next to his office, right? Can you check his correspondence?"
<Nadia_Chekova> Nodding silently, Nadia pockets the orb once more and creeps through into the room with the desk and wall of books!
<El-Cideon> There is a closed door here, to your right. There is some decoration here as well, a glaring samurai mask in one corner and a gleaming metal fan in another. Behind the desk is a very comfortable looking swivel chair and a great many books. Nothing is sitting out on the desk, but if there's any correspondence in the room, that's the obvious container.
* Nadia_Chekova scoots around behind the desk and rifles through its drawers!
<El-Cideon> It's locked, however!
<Nadia_Chekova> What sort of paranoid maniac locks a desk?! Nadia will have to show him the folly of his ways by unlocking it.
<Nadia_Chekova> roll 1d20+13
* Serith bats the dice around for Nadia_Chekova --> [ 1d20=18 ]{31}
<El-Cideon> Fukui's folly is indeed amply demonstrated, and the contents of the desk are Nadia's to peruse. There is an abundance of letters in the drawers. Not much more than that, but they are carefully sorted by subject and sender. Although Nadia's Japanese may not be well-practiced, a few things stand out to her here:
<El-Cideon> The name of Isayama is one of the first things to catch her attention. It's not Yomi the letters are from, however. It's someone else...Mei? Nadia thinks so, at least. Other things of note include a folder simply labeled Tsukino and letters from a Dr. Morimoto concerning some proposed project of Fukui Armaments.
* Nadia_Chekova wishes she had one of those neat spy cameras, but she settles for grabbing the letters and tucking them down her shirt so Erin and Yomi can have a look when she gets back. Rena too, if she cares. That done, she carefully slides the drawer closed and then goes to open the other door. Hopefully it'll lead to the hallway Yomi thinks her sword is being stored in.
<El-Cideon> This door leads to a hallway. There are no lights on here, but you can see three doors on your right and two on your left. At the end of a hallway is a descending staircase.
* Nadia_Chekova clutches the orb and telepathically contacts Yomi. 'There's three doors here on the hall from his office. Which one do you think the sword is in?' she asks, holding it up so Yomi can see her surroundings.
<Yomi> "Wasn't that the previous hallway?" Yomi responds in confusion. "If you think you found something, want to return for now?"
<Nadia_Chekova> 'What? What previous hallway?' Yomi now confuses Nadia. 'I haven't found anything, I'm still looking for your sword! Nevermind, I'll just try them all.' Pocketing the orb once more, she goes to take the first door on the right and carefully open it with a minimum of noise.
<El-Cideon> This is actually just another door into the armory hall/lounge adjacent to the office, as it turns out, the former being a longer room than the latter.
<Nadia_Chekova> Okay, now for the first door on the left! After closing this door, of course.
<El-Cideon> There is a glass ceiling in this room, and it's slightly humid inside. There's a central table holding various floral arrangements, as well as a rack with pruning tools. It looks like some Japanese woman's hobby is carried out here.
<Nadia_Chekova> Close the door, go and open the middle door on the right.
<El-Cideon> This one is a bedroom. Modern, with a sizable--and empty--bed in the middle of it. There is a closed with a sliding door and a wardrobe. The furniture is all fine, polished wood, looking very expensive.
<El-Cideon> *closet, not closed
<Nadia_Chekova> Just on the off chance, Nadia goes to check inside the closet and wardrobe for any swords.
<El-Cideon> None in evidence. There is a variety of kimonos and modern business suits, all of it neat and pressed. Rows of shoes line the floor in careful formation.
<Nadia_Chekova> Covering her tracks by closing everything up, Nadia now goes to open the second door on the left side of the hallway.
<El-Cideon> Another bedroom--this one occupied. You can hear gentle breathing from the bed in the middle of the room and just made out a sleeping form beneath the sheets, but not see any details from the door. There's a dressing screen in one corner, and various dressers. All the decorations here are very floral in design.
* Nadia_Chekova very carefully and quietly closes the door, not wanting to chance interrupting the person's sleep and doubting the sword is there anyway. That just leaves the last door on the right to hold Yomi's precious...
<El-Cideon> It's, well, another bedroom. It's neat and tidy like everything else in the house, but seems devoid of habitation. A wardrobe door here even hangs open, as though it were recently emptied. What furnishings remain have, again, a distinct floral design, but it really doesn't look like anyone lives in this one anymore.
<Nadia_Chekova> Well, there goes Yomi's theory of it being in a room off the hallway to the office on the second floor. Now it's time for Nadia to broaden her horizons and creep downstairs to have a look that way.
<El-Cideon> The stairs take you down to what seems to be the front entrance with paintings and wall hangings, ancient and modern. There is an obvious dining room across from you. Opposite the front door, a hallway proceeds out of sight.
* Nadia_Chekova ignores the dining room and sneaks along the hallway.
<El-Cideon> More doors, lining what must be the back of the house. Four of them. The second has a light showing beneath the door, albeit dimly.
<Nadia_Chekova> This is worrisome. Nadia goes to the fourth door first, not wanting to chance the door that light shines from underneath.
<El-Cideon> This is obviously where the servants go to work, when there are any present. Surely a man like Fukui doesn't do his own housework! There's a stove, cooking implements, a basin for doing laundry.
* Nadia_Chekova closes the door, thinking it very unlikely he would display a prized weapon anywhere in what seems to be the servant's wing. Clutching the orb, she contacts Yomi. 'I'm sorry Yomi, I don't think your sword is here. I'm leaving now,' she announces, before creeping back out the way she came.
<El-Cideon> Nadia is able to make her way out without any trouble--whoever's got a light on in that second room doesn't notice her sneaking by, and no one else is apparently about the house at this hour. Climbing the walls was easy enough the first time and she has no trouble doing so again.
<Nadia_Chekova> That all done it's easy enough to sneak back to the guesthouse she and her friends are staying at and go join them inside before showing off the letters she found.
<El-Cideon> ~