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[Rolzup]

Interlude: What the Mad-Man Found

After the "Rumble in the Dojo", NE7 runs into the back hallway and then upstairs, still filled with homeless rage. He returns --a few moments later- calmed and carrying a large wooden box, which he presents to Burne.

Burne sets the box down atop a hastily-abandoned game of Ajakhani chess on a table in the dojo's practice floor. Its 2.5 by 1.5 ft across, made of foreign-looking wood, with an obvious and well-made (to the eyes) metal lock. There are hinges along the upper back panel. Clearly, the top opens up. It’s also fairly light. Not a chest full of coin.

Burne and his odd mechanical cat examine the box, and then proceed to efficiently pick the lock.

As Burne flips the last tumbler of the clearly inferior foreign lock, a sepia-colored vapor issues out of the mechanism, coalescing into a vaguely snake-like shape. It then re-arranges itself, briefly forming an ideograph of the Ajakkhani's gruesomely inefficient written language. Only to become snake-like once more, and lunge at Burne with the speed of a viper shot from an arbalest.

In response, Burne nimbly steps aside. The snake-shape strikes the wall behind Burne and its weak foreign magic returns to the badly-conceived cosmology from whence it came.

"Typical Ajakhani magecrafting," Burne mutters, "All flash, no substance. Where are the flames, the explosions?"

Inside the box, Burne discovers a finely-made black cloak, of a material he can't immediately identify. It’s embroidered with a single symbol, similar to the one formed by the snake. The cloak wraps a sizable leather-bound book.

Burne peers through the sight of the massive, crossbow-esque contraption he refers to as "the Engine", first at the book, then at the cloak. The writing on the books cover is in Ajakhnai pictographs.

"I've no familiarity with this foreign jibber-jabber! What an inconsiderate thug this Yu was! I'm increasingly delighted to have burned the fellow to death."

"Samurai! Come here and take a look at these items, if you would."

The book is in the Imperial script appropriate for poets and executed historians posthumously absolved of wrongdoing.

It is entitled "Three Frightened Cherry Blossoms"

It is subtitled: "A humble dead man's account of the Yu-Sword, Yu-Bow, and Yu-Spear".

Dr. Wu begins and swiftly finishes his incantations, only to spend the next few minutes in silent contemplation.

"Ahhhhhh, Kenji-sama...it seems that Master Yu was not 's------g us', as King Daikon would say. The Yu-sign on the cloak is the True Yu of the Serpent, and the cloak itself has been bathed in the Black Blood of the Earth, found only at the base of the 100,000 Steps Stair below Mt. Yu...."

Wu slowly realizes not even Kenji is paying attention to him. "Snake-man magic. Yuan-Ti. Given to their servants. Not usually found outside the Empire. Very odd..."

Interlude the Second: Dramatis Personae

(As of the end of this session, more or less.)

The Tenor: A homeless, alcoholic Giant (former soldier) with a lovely singing voice.
Riktiktavi, aka "Little Buddy": The Tenor's Hannu monk companion. His name means "hostile to snakes".

Delphine Laxshmi St. Sous: Heiress to a large shipping fortune in Narayan and kidnap victim.
--Pavur-Pierre Arjuna S. Sous: Her father. A Magnate of Narayan, owner of Blue Star Lines.
--Joachim Driftwood: Delphine's fiance. An orphan priest of Kruetzel and chef at the Palm d'Whorl at the Narayan Arms Hotel.
--Eduard Revi: Captain of the naval patrol ship Windsprint, believed to be the current location of Joachim, after running afoul of a press-gang.

Mop Mop Bow: tea-shop owner and alchemist. Properietor of The Kingdom of Peacable Teas.
King Daikon: street shaman and greengrocer. Now unoffical protector of the Little Ajakhan neighborhood.

<Lt. Capt. Savur Philippe:> Deceased head of the Fort Ormond Assymetric Recruitment Squad (ie, a press-gang).
<Lt. Lucky:> Philippe's right hand man. Also deceased.

Sanjuro "Saville" Roeh: Amoral alchemist in Little Ajakhan. The Room Rouge Players were steady customers.
Watchful Ox: Saville's hulking Ruhk-Kaza bodyguard.

Han Oi Xian: A half-Imperial Priest of the Shu (Shujenka) and (former) part-time Yakuza boss. Strives to return his dead mothers soul to a living body.
--<Aribella Sans Merci:> Xian's mother. Mostly dead. Her soul resides in her favorite jade necklace.
Broken Chain: Slack-faced, idiot-savant spiked chain fighter. Xian's bodygaurd.
<Cloud Ghost:> Deceased hobgoblin monk with funny hat. Master of the Soft Thunder Strike.

Blub-blub: A sea-devil priest.
Blib-blub: His apprentice.

<Master Yu:> Now-deceased head of the Cobra-in-Repose Dojo.
--Wok-Top: former soldier and now resturant owner.

The Bridge Troll: A talkative little monster. Lives and works under a bridge near Little Ajakhan.

(The Room Rouge Players
<Jacque the Knive, Esq.:> deceased.
<Short Paul, Esq.:> deceased.
<Mark un Mark, Esq.:> deceased.
<Boneaparte, Esq.:> deceased.

(The Staff at Urbane Outfitters)
Margeaux Devareaux: A specialist in magical item sales/acquistions.
Sandrine: A shop girl.
Zeus: A weapons-master.

(Faculty at the University of Narayan)
Dr. Mephisophocles: professor of Ineffable Inquiry and Un-Nautral Philosophy. Has a familiar named Doubting Thomas.
Gaspard Obeserai Illigitimo: professor of archeology. Expert on the lost city of Ur-Imbra in the Lassantess Wastes.

(Various Mages)
--Riven Sugarglass: master alchemist in Eris. Said to have worked on the Philosopher's Algorithm, and to own a copy of the Calculatus Homonculatus.
--Shalazar: head of the so-called New School at the Acadeum Gaeta in Gallina. Pioneer of new uses for Gate Magic.
--Ramadeo Ben Donovan: a young student at the Acadeum Gaeta, rumored to have Shalazar's ear.
--Nadir Medhi: Shirac mind-witch trained at the Miir Valley School. Has witch-hawk familiar. Rumored to have drunk from the Goblet of Ire.

Sul Sark: a Ruhk-Kaza mercenary with magical powers. Often found at The Chapel (tavern) in Narayan.
Kadijah Thoris (Helios Flower Clan of the Great Ummab of the Shirac): A dealer in magics at the Grand Bizarre in Marimbra.

--Arabia Wainwright: A bestselling romance-novelist.