(Kinotu) What a Heavenly Message

The following is an ongoing side-plot for Usagi Kinotu. Kill Crazy Rampage.

"Twist the knife, just so, under the ribs. The pain will drive a shock into the brain and she will utter words she had not meant to say."

Kinotu considered for a long moment, then drove the ritual blade home. The young girl, a servant of a Matsu samurai from the Murabai district, let cry an ear-piercing screech of agony.

"Ask her now. She cannot think."

Kinotu leaned close and, in a calm voice, "Who is the leader of the New Heavenly Message? Where do you meet? Where can I find more of you?"

"OH PLEASE STOP, FORTUNES!"

"Do it again. The other side. She is resisting."

Kinotu nodded and withdrew the knife. He waited a few long, tense seconds as the girl's breathing calmed, and then drove the knife in deep.

"NO PLEASE PLEASE O JIGOKU STOP!"

"Twist. She is near to breaking. Be careful not to stab her heart."

Kinotu twisted and the girl passed out from the overwhelming pain.

The Hare sighed. The girl had done this twice already and he knew that she would not last much longer. He cleaned the knife with her kimono, careful not to get any of her blood on him. He looked back over his shoulder to his erstwhile mentor.

The bound Jama Suru was locked against the ritual stone with heavy iron manacles that would open to no mundane means. Kinotu had added the extra precaution of tying him down with rope so that his head could only turn one way. Right now, the fallen General of Iuchiban stared with blank eyes at the girl.

"She will wake. Ask her immediately before she can remember who you are. It is my experience that if you hold the blade before her and stand behind she will only remember the pain. She will speak."

Kinotu frowned and looked back to the girl. Unconcious, he almost felt pity for her. She was pretty enough, in a plain sort of way, and young. But she was a bloodspeaker. A member of the New Heavenly Message. Kinotu had caught her when information from his underworld sources led him to her home. He had found vials of stolen blood and an old man tied up below her home in a sercret compartment.

No scrolls. No artifacts. No other sign of cultists.

This was getting him nowhere.

"She is waking."


Jama Suru

As she wakes, Kinotu stands behind her and holds the dagger in front of her with the point pressing against her throat. He leans in close and asks firmly," Who is the leader of the New Heavenly Message? Where do you meet? Where can I find more of you?" He switches to the other side and alters his voice to a more pleasant and comforting tone," If you tell him what he wants, I will make him stop. Why protect those who would allow you to suffer such pain?" Kinotu switches back to the other side with the initial firm tone," I hope she doesn't. I am simply having too much fun." His statement is accompanied by sliding the dagger to infront of her right eye.

Kinotu grabs a bowl and places it under her neck before slittling her throat. The blood oozed out and began to fill the bowl. He shook his head at just how easily he performed such blasphemous tasks. After a couple of minutes pass, the bowl was full of the warm blood. He brings the bowl to a spot on the floor infront of the alter,

Kinotu picks up one of the ritual daggers,"I can't say that there has ever been a time when I listened to you and things turned out good. In fact, the one time I denied you saved my life and brought us to where we are now. Why don't you tell me how you are going to find out more information before I give you this blood. You can understand my suspicions about your motives. You should speak quickly. The blood is getting cold..."

Kinotu takes one of the daggers and made a small cut on one of the old bloodspeaker's legs. He watched for any reactions or damage to himself. "I've begun to wonder what your mortality is in your current state. I imagine that you still can't die but you are in the body of the monk and exist through him. Thoughts?"

Kinotu knew he couldn't trust the old Bloodspeaker. He also knew that he needed answers. The blood was of some value for sure based on Jama Suru's want to drink it. The act will surely result in more corruption but there is the potential for information and power. The blood is getting cold...

"Well I can't chance you getting more powerful, and I can't waste this opportunity. I know I will be even more corrupted, but there's no better option."

Kinotu tips the bowl to his lips and drinks the warm blood of the dead woman. The blood coursed down his throat. He could feel the taint within the blood joining his own.

Blood poured from the bowl and down Kinotu's throat. He felt it stream in thick rivulets along his cheeks and soil his clothes. He could smell the rich copper of it all and it made him heady and more than a little sick.

Merely drinking the blood should do nothing. He had enacted no ritual. He had summoned no kansen. In fact, Kinotu wasn't entirely sure why he was doing this. He reached out to set down the bowl and felt the world shift.

He blinked once, slowly. His body reeled. The room, the dark ritual chambers of the General of Iuchiban shifted and tilted on its axis. No, not the room. Him. He felt like he was falling sideways and reached out to steady himself.

His vision filled with blood. His body ran cold. Icy. Frozen. He could hear the sluggish moments between his heartbeats. He was inside his own blood, howling through his veins like a dark wind.

There was a flash of insight between each beat:

A man of immense power cast a shadow over an entire city. His voice called out in some unintelligible dream language giving orders and all listened. His voice raked hot coals across Kinotu's flesh and he knew it called out from some distant realm.

Another beat of his heart. Another vision:

A woman wrapped in white, hair of midnight silk, bound in silver chains below the earth. Black stains, wet and cracked as if recently frozen, stained the ground around her. Nearby an army of the mindless filled up tiny clay pots with the ichor.

Another beat. A final vision:

A howling chasm filled with the voices of the damned. The voices transformed into a physical sound and reached out for Kinotu to drag him down. Down. Down...

"...down into the earth. Reach down, come down, look down into the earth. Down into the earth." Kinotu's dropped the bowl and realized he was kneeling on the ground. The voice had drawn him back. A voice, reaching out, chanting a mantra as if speaking to teh stones. Using the stones to reach out to...

Kinotu looked up and saw Jama Suru's eyes closed in intense concentration. He chanted his mantra again and again. Kinotu wasn't sure how, but the General was calling to someone. Trying to reveal his location. How long had the visions lasted? Three heartbeats? An hour? A day? The General kept on whispering.

The Hare's eyes opened wide in shocking realization of what the ancient Bloodspeaker was doing. Stumbling, he grabbed one of the ritual daggers and proceeded to slice through the tendons in Jama Suru's jaw to stop him from chanting anymore. He knew that the cunning man would heal soon, so Kinotu pulled some needle and thread out of his medicine kit and stitched the man's lips together tight.

Kinotu dropped to his knees when he was done and stared a deep hatred into the bound man's eyes,"Damn you vile snake! I would ask you who you were trying to summon but I can't allow you to speak nor do I think you would tell me the truth anyway. Apparently I have more to learn about precautions with you."

The Hare stood up and grabbed the other dagger. He cut a long gash up the man's leg and then wiped the blood off the daggers. He then quickly called upon the dark kansen while cutting his own hands to make the wound constantly bleed out indefinitely. He can heal his wounds but hopefully the kansen will keep this wound from healing up thus keeping him weaker. It was worth a shot at least.

He stood back to see if his plan would work or not while wiping the blood off the daggers and stitching up his hands.

How long was he out for? How long had he been chanting? Who was he trying to call out to? Who was that woman? Who was that man from another realm? Where was the woman being held? So many questions ran through his mind as he glared at the old general...

In a flurry of frustration and panic, the Hare ripped his blood stained kimono off and quickly piled it in front of and on the thin stream of blood before it could get to the hole in the floor. He then sprang to the alter with needle and thread from his medicine kit and stitched up the wound he had inflicted in the man's leg. Once he was done, the blood stopped flowing and the kansen were mad that he had deprived them of the blood.

Kinotu went back towards the puddle and work from the edges inward soaking up as much of the blood as he could with his kimono. As he cleaned up some of the mess,"No I did not think you would die just maybe stay in a weakened state. No I wouldn't even think of drinking any if your blood for I rid my body of you once and I do not wish to let you back in. I have learned that I need to be more careful not to let my guard down. I would like to know who you called out to but I don't think you will tell me and even if you did I would be hesitant to believe you."

The young Usagi straightened up with a very sure and confident look on his face. "I know what I must do if I am to survive." He goes to the shelf where the Master's Porcelain Mask is and dons it as well as picks one of the other masks off another shelf. Kinotu walks over to the body of the dead woman and places the mask on her. As the body twitches and the dead eyes pop open, he commands it,"Rise. Then you shall stand still and willingly accept my offering to you." The creature slowly rises and lifts it's head. The gaping wound from her throat being slit opens as well almost like a second mouth. It waits for it's master's gift. Kinotu takes both daggers and proceeds to cut his hands, wrists, and forearms while calling upon the dark kansen in the room. He called upon them to take a portion of his taint and bestow it upon the masked servant. The first time, he felt the evil of the taint leaving him but also the dark blessing of Jigoku that was bestowed upon him when his corruption had gained the attention of the dark realm. Part of him missed that power, but there was no turning back now. Three more times he called upon this dark prayer until the corruption of the taint was almost gone. He would never be able to completely get rid of the seed of darkness that festered within him but now he could hide it better.

After he was done, his arms looked like they had been put through a meat grinder but it was worth it. He placed one of the daggers in the servant's hand and walked over to the alter. "I have learned a lot from you and this city in the past six months. I have learned that this 'New Heavenly Message' is a nuisance that isn't very organized or subtle. Their efforts have caused events that make even the common peasant realize that something is amiss. Their works have caused the eye of the Asako Inquisitors to fall upon this city. This new development will undoubtedly cause me more trouble and possibly get me killed. They need to be destroyed or subjugated before they can aroused anymore suspicion. I realize that it is to the point that I can no longer handle the situation on my own. I have allies but none that are 'experienced' in this kind of nature. I can't walk that fine line anymore. The way I see it I have three choices: take on the Inquisitor and the Cult which will have me wind up publicly shamed and dead, turn myself in and get executed, or release you and pledge my loyalty to you and hope that you don't kill me when I do. As you know very well, I am a survivor so only the last option is suitable for me. Which then leads to you having two options: ally with me and become my master to help me achieve my goals which will alow you and your master Iuchiban to have a power base in Otisan Uchi or simply kill me and go about your day. While killing me would be simpler, but to put it into your own words 'Wouldn't that be such a waste?'"

The Hare reached for his mask and as he pulled it off he cut the rope restraints that were contorting the man's head to one side,"You there are masters and there are servants. I am not experienced enough to be a master so I will be your student if you would have me," he placed the mask of control onto the old general's face. The Usagi then got on his hands and knees and bowed to the man on the alter awaiting to have him either accept his offer or him command the undead servant to kill him. He would know soon enough.

As the mask settled onto the old General's face, the Hare felt a pressure build in the Hidden Chamber. With his palms and face to the floor he could feel a deep bass rhythm THUM! THUM! THUM! rumble from somewhere far below. Kinotu dared a glance to the side and saw dozens of the zombie masks glowing with a sickening white energy.

"What an imminently foolish thing to do." Jama Suru's voice echoed off the walls, cast out from fifty different sources, speaking from each and every mask and from none at all. "Yet, wise in its own way. You know not how to destroy me. To offer me your service is in itself a form of taking control."

Kinotu felt the body lurch behind him. It fell hard to the floor as the General tried clumsily to take control.  "Ah...a bit rusty." The whisper grated like sand across an open wound. Kinotu felt it slither down his spine. Then, the General whispered a word of command and the porcelain mask seized the dead body with great vigor.

Far below the earth that THUM! THUM! THUM! echoed up again and Kinotu was not entirely certain it was coming from Jama Suru.

A scraping sound drew him alert, but he knew it would be stupid to run at this point. A soft scrape of a sandal on the bare earth. A second and a third and then a still-warm hand lay gently atop Usagi Kinotu's head.

"That your loyalty stems entirely from self-preservation is noble," the fifty voices said as one creating a feedback that was hard to follow. It hurt Kinotu's ears to listen. "Let us see if you can prove your worth."

Kinotu felt the hand petting his hair like a dog.

"I anticipate that the woman I reached out to will take mere months to find this place. I have no desire to wait that long and I feel that it will be far easier to acquire a new body than to break free these chains." As the petting continued, Kinotu felt the tortured woman's blood sliding down his face.

"You will be my eyes and ears, Kinotu. You will be my Hound disguised as a Hare, predator masquerading as prey. I need to be free. I need that woman to come to me. I need a strong body with a vast will. And you need to prove that you can be not only loyal, but effective."

Kintou felt a shiver down his spine at the thought. He knew which woman Jama Suru spoke of and the thought of going after her, trapping her, attacking her, brought both fear and glee to mind.

"You will set a trap for the Inquisitor. You will bring me bodies and through this meager form I will raise the dead. I can use my own blood to implore the most meager of blood magic and my knowledge to teach you what else I need you to know. Together, we will ensure that if you can bring her here, she will not leave." The petting stopped. Suddenly, the gentle hand gripped a fistful of hair and jerked the young Hare's head up to look at the Bound Jama Suru in iron chains.

Bright red blood filled those eyes.

"Once you get her here, we will break her spirit, break her body, and break her will. She will serve, then, as a way to my freedom. Perhaps I can even use her to help you in your quest to uncover the leader of this New Heavenly Message, though," a deep sigh from fifty masks made a sound like the intake of breath before a hurricane blows, "though I think I will leave them mostly up to you.  They are far wiser, far subtler, than I think you realize. Only their lowest are getting caught. And did you stop to think that this Asako Fumiko, this "Tetsubo," knew there whereabouts with strange precision? It's almost as if someone high up on the inside is through with the chaff and is cutting it away."

Kinotu felt the tight grip release. The gentle petting resumed. "Someone with a keen mind controls them, my dog. Discover that person and they may be of use. Prove yourself to me, serve me, and I will teach you the secrets of this place. Giving you power can only increase my own. Ah," a pause, as if the General just remembered something vital.

"There is one source you might go to for secrets. He is quite dangerous, but I imagine you to be used to dealing with danger at this point. He resides in your Ekohikei, in fact. Far atop a hill, sitting alone, hiding in plain sight. He is not what he appears to be." Jama Suru chuckled out of the fifty masks together and the sound turned the room into a farcical mockery of an audience responding to a comedy.

"You should remember that his assistance comes at a heavy price."

That constant THUM! THUM! THUM! echoed one last time, as if the earth itself was angry. Usagi Kinotu rose to do his master's bidding.



OOC Recap:
Jama Suru wants the following
- Kinotu to serve as his eyes and ears.
- Kinotu to bring him dead bodies so he can make more zombies
- Kinotu to lead Asako Fumiko to the Hidden Chamber and ambush her, proving his ability
- Kinotu to break the Inquisitor's Will so Jama Suru can take over her body
-

Kinotu bowed to his master. "I will prove my worth to you. By failing or abstaining, I will die and you know I will not allow that. Being your eyes and ears will be simple enough as will bringing you..." he looks around the room," fourty-nine more 'servants' to do your bidding. It should be easy enough to be your dog in hare's skin. I have several years of experience from you inhabiting my body. Breaking the woman's will shouldn't be too hard once she is captured. With you guiding my blade and the special poison I have created, she will be all too happy to make the pain stop. Leading her into an ambush shouldn't be too hard. The hard part will be getting her to come alone. Through your teaching of maho, I have some ideas on how we can trap her here but I do not have the knowledge of the necessary spells, but I am sure that you do."

The Usagi scratched his chin in contemplation," This man on the hill that you speak of, I have heard of him. He is a Togashi that regularly meditates there. He is also a friend of the Wasp Clan ambassador. You say that he is not what he appears to be. May I ask what exactly he is so I can better prepare for if I talk to him? The only questions I can really think of right now is if he will tell me who the leader of the New Heavenly Message is, the Prophet. I can't even be sure if he will answer my question of tell me the truth. Master, do you know what heavy price he may ask of me? I simply don't want to lock myself into an agreement that would go against you or your wishes."

Kinotu looked up at the zombie when he remembered something," I should tell you what I saw when I drank the woman's blood. I imagine that you will know the significance of it. A man of immense power cast a shadow over an entire city. His voice called out in some unintelligible dream language giving orders and all listened. His voice sounded as if from some distant realm and felt like hot coals. Then, a woman wrapped in white, hair of midnight silk, bound in silver chains below the earth. Black stains, wet and cracked as if recently frozen, stained the ground around her. Nearby an army of the mindless filled up tiny clay pots with the ichor. A howling chasm filled with the voices of the damned. The voices transformed into a physical sound that tried to drag me down. What do you make of it my master? You also know everything that I know as far as the inital ritual they performed goes. What creature or entitiy are they trying to control?" The Hare bowed to the bound man and awaited his response.

Bound by iron chains upon the altar, Jama Suru listened to his lieutenant's exposition and bared his teeth in the mockery of a smile.

"Eager. Iuchiban would say that an eager servant is one that plans to betray you," the smiled faded into a blank stare. "But given my current situation, if you plan to betray me there is little I can do. Let us see..."

The General closed his eyes as if in deep contemplation. As he spoke, the fifty masks echoed out once more in unison.

"I can attempt to teach you the spells you require from my position, but the price will be hefty. I must pass the knowledge direct into your mind. Each time you will gain the corrupting influence of the Realm of Evil. More importantly, there is a chance of breaking the mind."

"The woman is arrogant. Use that to your advantage."

The echoing voices trailed off with a rasping breath, as if fifty faces were inhaling before they spoke.

"I am not quite certain about the Togashi. I know he is inhuman, or possesses some inhuman quality. I have not been able to reach out to him to discover. I feel that he may not be of our Empire. Tread carefully."

"As for your visions and the woman, I think you have the answers you require already. Certainly it gains me nothing by simply giving you the answers. However," the voices whispered in sibilant synchronicity, "you have interacted with a group who knows the truth. The man is a metaphor. I do not know who he could be, but visions can clarify in many different ways. This man might hide in the shadows, or the shadow of power. The realm of hot coals is likely Toshigoku, the Realm of Slaughter. Few others give off such radiated heat. As for the chasm and the woman's blood, I think you of all people, a mapmaker and cartographer of the Imperial City, can find a chasm. You could always drink the blood..."





OOC:
- If there is a specific spell you want Jama Suru to teach you we can make proper rolls. It will take roughly 1 week per Mastery Level in time to learn. You will make a Lore: Maho/Intelligence roll at TN 25+5 per Mastery Level to learn through direction connection to Jama Suru. You can make Raises to lower the time to learn by 1 day per raise. Finally, touching the General's mind directly comes at a great risk. You will make a Willpower Roll at TN 30. Failure may lead to severely detrimental effects.