Scion – Petro Campaign – Session 73
This account was originally found on Livejournal, I am not the original author—I am just a fan of the journal and have found reading it on livejournal clunky to navigate and rife with errors/instability (such as having to refresh multiple times due to the page in questions becoming unavailable often requiring multiple refreshes. The original post can be found here, published by DJ-Yomi, and was published on Apr 2nd 2010
We’re still in Night Haven, and things have been pretty crazy here. Not like usual, with lots of bullets, blades and blood flying around. But we’ve had to do a lot of negotiating with our potential allies among the other vampires here…and even with a fallen scion of Susano-o. The good news is that so far things seem to be working out the way we planned.
First, leaving Charles to look after Suchette’s manor, we followed up on our plan to go visit the Daimyo and petition him to join our cause. We sent word with one of the black coachmen that we were coming and then made our way there through the secret tunnels below the city. The tunnels were only about 5 feet high, so it was a bit of an awkward journey for most of us, but I transformed into a chibi 10-year-old version of myself to make the journey easier. Elisa kept staring at me, and when I ask what was up, she just said, “You’re so darn cute!” ^_^ It was so out-of-character for her that I was a bit taken aback, but I did enjoy the comment. It’s nice to just be adorable instead of desirable for change. ^_^
Before we presented ourselves to the Daimyo, we decided to eliminate any unwelcome spies we could find, so T-Bone crept like a shadow into the estate with Pierre riding in his head via Cheval, and together they exorcised the shitidama that were lurking about. That done, we formally approached the house (exiting the tunnels through a neighboring manor) and were taken to meet the Daimyo in all of his courtly shogunate grace. Adam did have to act quickly to eliminate a shitidama watching the neighboring manor before it could escape to report our whereabouts, and he did so with all the understated style we’ve come to expect.
The Daimyo resembles a withered, rotting corpse clad in samurai finery. He was extremely courteous, and it was actually a pleasure talking with him. Suchette led our discussion, with T-Bone and I backing her up. I was soon able to determine that although the Daimyo wanted to remain independent of the titans and wanted to join our little confederation, he was honor-bound to refuse our petition because he served Ama-no-zaku, the fallen scion goddess who is now subject to Mikaboshi, and, as such, could not do what we were asking without her express permission.
This was going to be a challenge. >_< But it was also an opportunity. ^_^ Since I intend to work against Mikaboshi from within via Erebus, Ama-no-zaku could be another potential ally in that fight. After all, she was trapped in Suko-no-kumi against her will in an attempt to defeat Mikaboshi, and it’s not her fault she’s become the horrific, maddened goddess she is today.
The Daimyo left us some privacy to discuss our options. He had an altar through which we could summon Ama-no-zaku if we wished to speak to her in person, and I brought up the idea of speaking to her to sow seeds that might make her more willing to help us later in the fight against Mikaboshi. T-Bone felt that the two of us working together, he and I, stood a good chance of swaying Ama-no-zaku’s feelings on the matter, making her more sympathetic to our goals, both short- and long-term. Adam and Elisa had their reservations…but they ultimately decided to go along with it. After all, it was our best chance of gaining the Daimyo’s allegiance against the other vampires in Night Haven.
So we asked permission to summon and speak to Ama-no-zaku, and the Daimyo took us to his altar. While he sat in attendance, I summoned Ama-no-zaku. She was an impressive figure, intimidating despite her relatively small stature. She was dressed in samurai garb and bore a fearsome looking daisho (katana and wakizashi) on her hip. Her hair was pulled back in a severe pony-tail and her horribly scarred face was hidden by a black jade hannya mask riveted to her skull. She was not happy to find herself face-to-face with a room full of scions, and she glared accusingly at the Daimyo before turning her full attention to us, and her hand remained resting on the grip of her katana throughout the conversation. I was a bit flattered, though not really surprised, that she knew who I was, and I decided to use that to my advantage.
Together, T-Bone and I laid on the charm, using an approach we’d all agreed upon prior to summoning her. T-Bone led the discussion, his silvered tongue weaving complex and subtle manipulations while I softened Ama-no-zaku’s heart and mind with honeyed reminders of the noble and pure person she once was. We reminded her that she had fallen to Suko-n-Kumi in an attempt to defeat Mikaboshi. We reminded her of her great sacrifice to do so, and of the tortures she had to endure because of it. And then we asked if she really wanted her sacrifice to be in vain.
Her attitude softened at that point, and I could tell we were getting to her. It wasn’t easy, though. T-Bone and I had to put everything we had into the discussion just to get her to open her maddened mind to us. And then we drove in the final blow. I told her that there is still hope for her. She can be redeemed, and I promised that I would do whatever was within my power to make sure that happened, citing Miko as an example. She touched her mask, then, and I realized that it did not just hide her face…it imprisoned her. To redeem her, we’ll need to eventually remove her mask. >_<
In the end, Ama-no-zaku broke a little bit. Her fearsome demeanor crumbled and she became very sad and defeated. Turning her back to us and returning to the altar, she said, “Do as you will. I care not,” effectively giving the Daimyo permission to join us. It was heartbreaking seeing her depart as she did, but I am now convinced that she can be redeemed. And I will redeem her. I’m not sure how much the others are behind this. Adam in particular doesn’t seem eager to get involved in all of this Ama-no-zaku/Erebus business…but I’m sure he’ll come around. ^_^ And he’s bee supportive so far.
So, the Daimyo has joined our power block. We asked him to draft a letter of introduction to Fuguhime since we were going to see her next, and he did so quite willingly. We also approached him with the idea of combining households for mutual safety (since we’d all agreed that it was probably for the best), but since he finds Darga Arpad repulsively dishonorable (mostly because she killed her sire), he refused to spend any more time near her than necessary. So we suggested that if Fuguhime could be brought into the fold, he and she might combine forces while perhaps we get the Doge of Venice (if possible) to combine houses with Darga. We’ll have to split our forces to defend both groups, but that’s okay. And it’s possible that NOT putting all of our eggs in one basket is best anyway. Since Elisa can teleport through open flames, we also suggested that the Daimyo build and maintain a fire somewhere convenient for her to get to them.
And then we headed back across town via the secret tunnels to visit Fuguhime. We knew a bit about her going in. She’s a disgustingly obese vampire who resembles a bloated, waterlogged corpse and tends to expel noxious gases. She is very sensual, though, and desperately lonely. She abhors her unpleasant appearance and often hides it behind a much more pleasing illusion. She like to reveal her true appearance to those who flatter or claim to love her, and if they respond with horror, she kills them. Still, she enjoys art and music, so we were well-equipped with what we needed to get on her good side.
As in the Daimyo’s house, T-Bone and Pierre snuck in to exorcise the spying shitidama (I can only assume that they’ve been sent by the Blood and Flesh Ancestors of the Jiang Shi). Then we announced ourselves to Fuguhime’s household. We were greeted by a couple of beautiful geisha servants, who served us tea while we waited for Fuguhime. Adam warned us that they were relatively powerful, spiritually, which struck us as odd since most of Fuguhime’s girls were simple mortals. And when they asked us to enjoy the tea, there was something uncomfortably oppressive about the request, like we were being forced to drink it. Most of us did so, though I think Adam only pretended. After drinking, I could feel the drugs coursing through my body, but my grave-borne fortitude allowed me to shrug off the effects, and I could tell that Elisa and Adam were unaffected as well. T-Bone, on the other hand, became as pliable as a child. Which was bad.
Fuguhime then made an appearance, but Adam warned us that she was not as powerful as she should have been. In fact, she was roughly as powerful as the empowered geisha servants, which led us to believe that we were being played. The geisha were probably shapechangers of some sort, but did they serve Fuguhime, and was this her attempt to brush off or remain safe from unwanted visitors? Or were they up to something more nefarious?
Adam boldly announced that we were insulted that Fuguhime wouldn’t meet with us in person and told the shapechangers that we could see through their disguise and that we wanted to see the real Fuguhime. They tried to convince us otherwise, and, thanks to the fact that he’d been made so pliable by the drugs in the tea, T-Bone sided with them and used his incredible ability to manipulate the hell out of anyone to convince us that yes, this was the real Fuguhime. >_< Elisa and Suchette were convinced, but Adam and I still weren’t so sure…
So Adam again asked, more threateningly this time, for the shapechangers to fetch the real Fuguhime. By this point Adam had figured out that the shapechangers were ama-no-jaku, youkai loyal to Ama-no-zaku, and that Fuguhime probably didn’t know that her household had been compromised. In fact, given the sound of the Japanese music still pouring from upstairs, Fuguhime might not have even been aware that we were there.
I began to say something to convince the ama-no-jaku to give up the game, but, wary of my ability to bend others to my will, they somehow ordered me to stop speaking. The situation was growing desperate for them, and I could tell that T-Bone was about to make things a lot worse for US. >_< And Elisa, also apparently under the ama-no-jaku’s mind control, began to reach for her gun. O_O
So I turned and gave T-Bone, Suchette, and Elisa coy glances, just enough to enchant them with my beauty and keep them from doing anything else. The ama-no-jaku decided to flee at that point, but they made the mistake of glancing back at me and they too became enraptured by my beauty. Meanwhile, Adam pulled out his book…the one he claims is his book of fate, and told the ama-ho-jaku that he was going to write their names into it, and that meant something bad was going to happen to them. Something they probably wouldn’t survive. Adam’s done that before, like when we were fighting Daitokuji, and every time he’s done it, he’s been right. Hell, for all I know, it really IS his Book of Fate. And, havign written the ama-no-jaku into his book, Adam went upstairs and crashed Fuguhime’s party while I kept T-Bone, Suchette, Elisa, and the ama-no-jaku entranced.
She was quite surprised, and Adam made some rather short apologies for breaking in unannounced before explaining to her that some of her servants were really ama-no-jaku spies. The last of them was still in attendance at the party, and when Adam pointed her out, she attempted to flee. He commanded her to reveal her true form, which she did. And then Fuguhime did the rest, breaking the ama-no-jaku’s neck before thundering downstairs to kill the other two. Only then did she calmly turn to thank us for revealing the spies in her midst.
Confronted with irrefutable evidence of shapechanging spies in her court, Fuguhime was more than willing to forgive our intrusion. In fact, she was quite grateful, which made convincing her to join our cause much easier. She didn’t really take much convincing at all (the fact that none of us really reacted negatively when she revealed her true appearance probably helped as well). Mostly, she seemed to want our company and attention in exchange for her help. I began to feel rather sorry for her. despite her power, she seems a rather pathetic woman, trapped by her repulsive appearance and inescapably lonely. T_T Being a jikininki kinda sucks. >_<
As part of the agreement to join Suchette’s cause, she asked us, T-Bone and me specifically, to play for her. So we did, improvising beautiful music. I played the koto while T-Bone played a samisen. And when the time came for us to leave, Fuguhime seemed sad that we had to go. So sad, in fact, that she practically begged at least some of us to stay and keep her company awhile longer. In the interest of strengthening our alliance, T-Bone and Elisa agreed to remain with her while the rest of us went to recruit the Doge. I would have stayed myself and left the negotiations with the Doge to T-Bone, but I got the feeling that my beauty, in contrast with her ugliness, only deepened Fuguhime’s depression, so leaving was probably for the best. I’ll miss having T-Bone there to back me up in our negotiations, but at least we probably don’t need him to clean any shitidama out of the Doge’s estate; I’m sure the Doge, being a potent necromancer, is safe enough from shitidama spies. ^_^
And with that, we headed on to the Doge’s house after stopping off briefly to pick Charles up from Suchette’s manor.