Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6824330" data-attributes="member: 9546">The Well of Demons18 Desnus, 4716 - The Well of DemonsLucian finally managed to get Boris back on his feet, and then turned his attention to Miyaro. She was not seriously wounded, but after he'd tended to her wounds she was still somewhat addled and dazed once she'd regained consciousness."Sorry about that," the oracle explained. "Turns out Kiyomi was some sort of monstrous servant of the oni. She cast a confusion charm on you. I had to make sure you didn't hurt anyone.""I...thank you," the kitsune said sheepishly as he helped her to her feet."No need," Lucian smiled. "Good thing you're not so great a shot."Miyaro looked momentarily affronted, but when she saw the grin on the oracle's face, she returned it."When we are done here," she said slyly, "we'll shall have a true bowman's contest.""Challenge accepted," Lucian laughed, clapping her on the shoulder.On the far side of the light bridge was a tombstone-shaped islet, the Shrine of Heavenly Sovereigns. It was much more expansive than the narrow confines of the neighboring Mikado Cemetery, dotted by quiet groves and peaceful gardens, as well as a small pond surrounded by several shrines and tombs. Directly in front of the scions was a covered stage, raised a few feet off the ground, its roof held up by four cedar columns. Low-lying hedges and flowering shrubs decorated its base with several trails connecting it to the structures and gardens on either side. Past that was the koi pond, a small footpath following a zigzag pattern along wooden planks to a small gazebo on the far side. As the companions passed over it, they noticed dozens of orange and gold fish floating lifeless on the surface, some half-covered by lily pads, water grass and cattails. "This does not bode well," Ameiko remarked. "This whole place lies uneasy. There is...wrongness to it."Beyond the pond was a sandy garden, two cherry trees and the life-sized jade likeness of a grieving maiden occupying its center. Alternating rocks of pink and white granite marked its boundaries, where a smooth path circled to a stone structure flanked by twin golden statues of kirin...the Imperial Mausoleum.Behind the immense double doors of the mausoleum lay five chambers, four at each point of the compass and one smaller square chamber joining them. Each chamber held a small shrine decorated with Minkai heraldry, bowls of incense, and dried flowers, and contained carefully stacked urns of gold, silver and bronze. No sooner had the companions entered the central chamber than Ameiko felt a presence."Someone...or something...watches us," she warned.Just as the words left her lips a figure materialized, floating in the air above them. It was dressed in royal robes, which fluttered around it even though there was no breeze. Its form was transparent and ethereal, and its head floated slightly above the stump of its neck. "You stand before Emperor Higashiyama Shigure!" the ghost bellowed. "I am the rightful emperor of Minkai! Who are you? Why do you have an Imperial Seal in your possession? What are you doing here!?"He spoke in Tian, and it was Ameiko who answered him in kind, bowing low before him."Your Majesty," she said, keeping her eyes averted. "I am Ameiko, last scion of House Amatatsu. My companions and I have come here to seek the blessings of the emperors who have gone before so that I might reclaim the Jade Throne from the usurper who calls himself the Jade Regent.""Hah!" Shigure laughed. "Is that what the traitorous murderer is calling himself now?""You knew him?" Ameiko asked, confusion on her face."He was once like a brother to me," the ghost said forlornly. "My childhood friend and bodyguard, Soto Takahiro. He, along with my closest advisor, Renshii Meida, told me that I would be safe if I came here, away from the assassins who killed so many of my family. But they lied! The only threat to my life came from their honeyed words!""Then will you give me your blessing so that I might avenge your death?" Ameiko asked."I will give my blessing to no one while my body lies disgraced and dishonored!" Shigure screamed. "I have only curses now for those who survive me! I cannot rest! I cannot find peace! And I will not give peace to anyone else while I am denied it!""Where can we find your body?" Ameiko asked placatingly. "Tell us so that we may honor you.""The traitors cast it into the Well of Demons," Shigure wailed, "a great chasm in the hills of this island! The holy waters of Shizuru pour down into the well to drown the sins of my wicked predecessors. But after the treachery and dishonor enacted here upon a living emperor of Minkai, not even the Empress of Heaven can contain their evil, which extends farther beyond the well with each passing day. Soon the spirits of the evil emperors will broaden their reach into Kasai and beyond, into my stolen empire. And I may as well join them if it means I can face my murderer again. But I fear that outcome, for I know I'll lose myself to it, becoming as much a monster as the ones who took my life.""That will not happen," Ameiko vowed. "If we retrieve your remains, will you give us your blessing?""Yes," Shigure sighed. "If you recover my remains from the Well of Demons and properly inter them by cremating them and placing the ashes in one of the urns here, I will grant you the blessing of the Higashiyama family. But my blessing alone will not be enough. You must obtain blessings from the ancestors of all five of the imperial families.""How can we receive those?" Ameiko asked."In normal times, you could commune with the spirits here, in the Imperial Mausoleum," Shigure explained, "but Takahiro's crime has severed the connection and driven most of the goodly spirits away. You will have the Higashiyama blessing if you recover my murdered remains. It's been a long time since an Amatatsu held the throne, but the tomb of Empress Amatatsu Onoko lies just west of here in one of the standing tombs...perhaps you can commune with her or one of your other ancestors there to request their assent. But you must still gain the blessings of the Shojinawa, Sugimatu and Teikoku families, and I fear your only choice is to seek them inside the Well of Demons. Those within represent the most evil and depraved of Minkai's emperors, but the Jade Throne will still honor their blessings, provided you can bargain for them. Otherwise, you must set things right by recovering my body and destroying those inside the Well. Once the sanctity of the Imperial Shrine is restored, you can properly commune with the ancestors to receive their blessings."Ameiko nodded her understanding. "One final question, your Highness," she asked. "How did the Jade Regent ascend to the Jade Throne?"Shigure's eyes flashed with rage, and the urns upon the stone shelves began to tremble. "ENOUGH!!" he howled, malevolence flowing off of him in waves.Boris's face blanched and he turned and fled as fast as his small legs could carry him out of the mausoleum. "Well that sure went south quickly!" Sandru shouted as he leaped towards the rampaging ghost.He spun and slashed in rapid succession, and though he felt no resistance as his sword passed through the spirit's incorporeal form, he could see on Shigure's face that he felt pain. "Stand clear!" Akiro shouted.Sandru quickly leaped aside, and the wizard unleashed a barrage of force missiles that thundered when they struck the shade. Shigure reeled from the impact, then stretched his mouth wide and voiced an inhuman, bone-chilling moan. This time it was Lucian whose nerve faltered. The oracle dropped his bow and ran screaming in panic from the building. Miyaro hissed in anger and frustration as her fingers danced across her bowstring, firing arrow after arrow. Sandru darted back in and continued his assault, distracting Shigure. Finally, with another salvo from Akiro, the ghost wailed one last time and vanished."What are we going to do now?" Ameiko snapped in frustration. "How are we going to get his blessing?""Do not worry, my Empress," Akiro reassured her. "Spirits such as the Emperor's are tied to a location until certain conditions are met. In this case, I suspect it is the recovery and interment of his body. Until then, he will manifest again in a day's time. Perhaps by then he will be more reasonable."___________________________________________________They found Boris and Lucian standing shame-faced among the tombs on the far side of the koi pond. Miyaro handed Lucian his dropped bow, which he accepted with downcast eyes. Sandru likewise returned Boris's wakizashis. "Boris thank you," the goblin muttered. "Look there," Ameiko broke the tension, pointing towards one of the standing tombs. "Was that like that before when we passed through here?"The others followed her gaze to a low mausoleum nearby. It's door stood open."No," Sandru said tensely. "It wasn't. We'd best be on our guard."Cautiously, the scions approached the tomb. Inside, the ceiling only reached eight feet high. Its anteroom was dry and dusty, while an ornate bronze door on far side also stood open, revealing an adjoining sepulcher. Standing in that door was a marble-skinned Tian-Min woman with white feathered wings, wearing a beautiful cloth-of-gold kimono and carrying a traditional Minkai conch shell horn."I see you met Emperor Shigure," she said, smiling. "Who are you?" Ameiko demanded.An array of swords, bows and casting hands came up in threatening gestures, all aimed at the newcomer."I am Empress Amatatsu Onoko," the woman said regally, "your ancestor."Ameiko's eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped."Yes," Onoko nodded. "My ashes lay within this tomb, but I have transcended and now I serve Shizuru as one of Her archons."Akiro gasped and immediately prostrated himself before her. "Rise," she said smiling. "We are all here for the same purpose...to see the Jade Throne returned to a rightful scion."As Akiro climbed to his feet, Ameiko approached her ancestor."Please, can you help us?" she asked."Unfortunately I cannot intervene directly," Onoko sighed. "I can assist you most by providing you with information. You have spoken with Shigure, so you know about his betrayal by his bodyguard and advisor. Unfortunately, he who would become the Jade Regent convinced Shigure to invest him with the regency before slaying his lord. When Shizuru first created the Imperial Seals, she also created a conduit to the Great Beyond, allowing those in possession of a Seal to make contact with the ancestral spirits of those laid to rest on this island who were once ordained by the seals as well. This allowed Minkai's former emperors to guide their ancestors with lifetimes of knowledge and wisdom, even beyond death. With Shigure's death, and the treachery of the Jade Regent, the island has been left in disarray. Many of its guardians have activated and the wards that once protected the shrine against the influence of Minkai's evil emperors have failed. These malevolent spirits now hunger to extend their reach beyond the island's shores.""Are these the spirits trapped within the Well of Demons?" Ameiko asked. Onoko nodded. "When Shizuru opened the conduit, she could not limit the access to just the celestial realms. Instead, anyone interred in the Imperial Shrine would have the means to connect with the island, including those who had passed on to Abaddon, the Abyss, Hell or beyond. To minimize the influence these creatures might exert over sitting emperors, she created a massive chasm that opened into natural caverns beneath the island's northern reaches, which soon became known as the Well of Demons, and she used the sacred waters of the Eternal Spring to contain the spirits of those evil emperors and cleanse their sins from the island. It was into that maelstrom of iniquity that the Jade Regent and Renshii Meida cast Shigure's body. It is there that you must journey to begin to set things right.""We understand," Ameiko bowed, "and we thank you. If I may ask, may we receive the blessing of House Amatatsu from you?"Onoko smiled. "It would be my honor, but I am forbidden from doing so until the empress Amatatsu Maemi is defeated. You will find her in the Well. I shall remain here and await you're return. I will offer you what assistance I may."_____________________________________________________________ The Scions left the islet of the Shrine of Heavenly Sovereigns, crossing the light bridge back to the Imperial Shrine. They followed a path around a small body of water that Akiro identified as the Lake of Tears. Beyond that, a stream from the lake passed through high hills that stood above a gaping chasm in the ground. A narrow muddy path descended into the abyss, winding in a spiral as it passed multiple times under a cascading waterfall formed by the stream rushing down the cliffs. "The Well of Demons, I presume," Sandru said sourly as they stood peering over the edge. "Boris not feel so good," the little goblin muttered as he leaned dangerously out over the ravine.""Boris, be careful!" Ameiko shouted as she reached for him.As she turned, however, she saw Haroldo swaying and tottering as well."What's happening?" Sandru shouted. "On my word," Akiro snapped, "everybody jump!"Haroldo and Boris did not wait for his word. They simply kept leaning forward until they toppled over the edge. Sandru cursed and leaped after them, quickly followed by Ameiko, Lucian and Miiyaro. Akiro came last, but as he jumped, he spoke the words to a spell, and in an instant all of the companions ceased their lethal plummet and began to drift like feathers down and down into the darkness.Eventually, after more than a hundred feet, the roaring waterfall emptied into a massive cavern, echoing off the stone walls. The water flooded the cave before falling into a second chasm on the far side of the chamber. Several passageways exited the cavern, leading to higher ground. As the scions drifted towards the pool, Boris pointed a finger below them."Something moving in water!" he criedNo sooner had he spoken than the air in the cavern became filled with noxious green and yellow clouds of vapor that simultaneously burned the skin of the scions trapped within them and made their stomachs heave and convulse violently. Boris immediately gripped the coin around his neck and willed himself out of the trap. A moment later he was standing on a sandy beach inside one of the side passages looking out over the water-filled cave. When Miyaro struck the water, she inhaled a great gasp of the nauseating gas and immediately began flailing in panic. Her head ducked under water, and she swallowed a large mouthful before she'd had a chance to draw another breath. As she thrashed and kicked beneath the surface, she saw that she was not alone in the pool. Something that resembled a mound of animate ooze that had about its shifting countenance the hideous shape of a half-melted man, swam quickly towards her. Before she could react, it slammed two club-like arms into her, and then grabbed her in crushing bear-hug. She felt what little air she had left being squeezed from her lungs. Just as her vision started going dark and she felt consciousness leaving her, she found herself standing on solid ground. Better yet, she could breathe again! She opened her eyes and saw that she was surrounded by her companions, all save Boris. They were gathered just inside a large tunnel that opened onto the main cavern."You looked like you were in trouble," Akiro said, smiling tightly. "And I was getting sick of breathing rotten eggs, so I took the liberty of whisking us all to safety.""I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sandru said.More stinking, acidic clouds abruptly appeared around the scions, just as the creature that had attacked Miyaro, or else one just like it, materialized in the tunnel behind them. Sandru and Haroldo turned and rushed the thing, while Lucian tried to maneuver past it. It slammed the oracle broadside with one arm before the caravan master and the blood-rager managed to drive it away with a flurry of slashes from their blades. "Look out!" Lucian shouted. A second creature had appeared out of the mist and was charging at Haroldo's back. The oracle managed to put an arrow into it as it came, but it didn't slow the thing in the slightest. It bowled into the blood-rager, forcing him away from Sandru and its companion. Miyaro, seeing that Sandru was on his own against one of the fiends, turned her bow on the monster. It shrieked in rage and pain and ran towards her. She brought her bow up in a vain attempt to ward it off, but its mistake was in turning its back on the caravan master. Sandru leaped after it, hewing at it relentlessly while Miyaro backed away to a safe distance and continued to pepper it with arrows. Finally, the beast swayed and fell, collapsing into a rancid pile of goo. _______________________________________________________On the far side of the cavern, Boris could hear the sounds of battle, but he could not see his friends due to the roiling clouds of fog that filled the air on that side. Truthfully, he wouldn't have cared much even if he could have seen them. They were capable of defending themselves. No, Boris had something else on his mind. He looked up, craning his head back to see the top of the high wall that rose behind him. There was a ledge and an opening there, and something...something seemed to call to him from there...___________________________________________________________A third fiend erupted from the water just as Sandru, having rejoined Haroldo against the second creature, had managed to end its miserable life. The latest arrival thus had the unfortunate luck to be surrounded by the six scions, and its last remaining moments in the world were brief, violent and pain-filled. As it fell, and Akiro cleared away the cloying mists with a simple gust of wind spell, Ameiko looked around, taking stock."Where's Boris?" she asked._____________________________________________________________Boris reached the top of the high cliff wall, scaling it like a spider thanks to the ninja coin that hung from a thong around his neck. Directly before him was a large opening. He stepped through and found himself in an opulent throne room paved with golden tiles joined together by fist-sized rubies. A magnificent bower of silk cushions sat atop a dais at the far end. The goblin just stood there, blinking in amazement and disbelief. It took him several long moments before he realized he was not alone in the room. Seated upon the bower was an imposing Tian-Min man, his hair worn in the traditional samurai style. "Welcome my little friend," he said in flawless Common. "It seems that you and your allies ran afoul of my jailors.""You no look like prisnoner," Boris said, narrowing his eyes. "Appearances can be deceiving," the man replied. "For instance, to look at you, one would not suspect you to be the clever individual that I sense you to be."Boris shrugged and nodded."That true," he agreed. "Me Boris. Who you?""I am Shogun Teikoku Sokai," the man replied, rising to his feet. "Once, long ago, it was I who forged Minkai from a collection of petty, warring settlements into what would become a mighty shogunate, paving the way for the nation that you see today. And yet, here I languish.""Why you here?" Boris asked."The whim of the fates," the shogun waved his hands. "Some thought my methods...extreme, yet who is to judge such things? If the outcome serves the greater good, should that not be the main consideration?"Boris shrugged again, noncommittal. "Still, as I said before, you seem like a clever fellow. Perhaps I could persuade you to do me a simple favor."Boris's eyes narrowed again. "Boris know there always a catch.""Not so hasty," Sokai said. "Listen to my offer, and if you don't care for it, well then, you are free to go about your business.""Boris listening," the goblin said, flicking one of his large ears."There is a torii gate north of the Lake of Tears," Sokai explained. "It's magic is what holds me and my servants captive in this place. If it were destroyed, we could leave the Well and go to the lake above, but no further. We would still not be able to leave the island, but we would be free of the endless conflict down here in these crowded conditions. If you did this for me, not only would I give your new empress the blessing of my house, which I know she seeks, but I would also be willing to give you vital information about my rivals, which you could use to defeat them, or strike a bargain. What say you?""Boris say fine," the goblin nodded, "but Boris friends not. Boris know this. They no like evil peoples. They no bargain. Besides, Boris not care about information or blessings. Boris want something that help Boris.""Very well," Sokai grinned malevolently. "I see that I read you correctly. Know this then: if the torii gate is destroyed, then I will be able to redirect the waters of the Eternal Spring to spill into the bay of Kasai. This would expand my influence enough to create a direct portal to Golarion from my home in the Abyss, thus paving the way for the rise of my new shogunate! The so-called Jade Regent would be as nothing before my armies! And you, my little friend, would hold a place of honor and prestige in my court. All that you wish would be yours for the taking. Now, we just have to convince your friends...,"_____________________________________________________________Ameiko's question was answered a moment later when they heard Boris's voice shouting to them from somewhere above. Looking up, they spotted the goblin perched on a ledge some seventy feet above the water, waving and gesturing for them to come to him. A short time later, they joined him."Boris glad to see friends safe," he smiled. "Boris meet new friend. Come, you meet him too!"He led the way back to the throne room where Teikoku Sokai waited."This friend," Boris introduced the others. "He old emperor, trapped here by bad oni. He say he mighty general. Help lead Ameiko's army if we help him free.""What is your name?" Akiro asked, suspicion in his voice."Teikoku Sokai," the shogun bowed."I thought so," Akiro snapped. "I recognize you from paintings." He turned to Ameiko. "This one is not to be trusted, my Lady. During his reign, he ushered in an age of unparalleled eugenics in Minkai, attempting to elevate certain bloodlines above all others, especially his own. He subjugated lesser noble lines by seizing their property and enslaving their scions to enrich themselves and his cronies. He lost his life in a violent uprising against his decadent rule.""I see," Ameiko nodded. "Boris. Step aside."</blockquote>

Verification