Leading the way wasn't actually an odd thing for the dancer, so she walks, and then scrambles across the wet stone in search of a little shelter. Eventually finding a bit of an overhang with enough shrubbery at the base for some protection.

"True, true. Wouldn't want the tempted to make sure we had everything we needed or somesuch."

Folding gracefully into the mud at the edge of the outcrop, she crumbles the incense in her hand, then holds it out cupped to catch the water as her other hand pulls out and thumbs her tattered holoslate. After murmuring quietly for several long moments, she casts the handful of gritty dissolving incense to the rain.

"Spirits of rain and river's flow, what do you know of the ritual held here a few days back?"


Nodding, concentrating, she asks on more question. "Which realm is his? This king in yellow?"



She looks to her companions and repeats the rhymes. "It definitely sounds like a portal someplace, and despite the 'fiends' bit...it doesn't sound like the," she pauses, recalling the Spider's presence, "like Jigoku or Gaki-do."

"Serpentsturtlesclawsandwings . . . soundsanimalisticenoughtobeChikushudoormaybeSakkaku."

He leaned back against the rock.

Mumei nodded. "I kind of thought of the trickster and nature spirits when Shiba-sama was talking previously. They've got their own agendas, and don't always mean to be dangerous, but can be anyway."

"Grounds are clouds,' Could be Tengoku even...but not fiends." She shakes her head. "I've heard of things like Tanuki challenging mortals to drinking parties and leaving them all exhausted the next day. I mean, she didn't mention anything quite like that, but it makes more sense than being drained by watching a ritual."

Shigeru frowned at the information, and sighed.

"Sounds like Isawa arrogance alright, trying to force a portal between the realms for their own reasons." he said.

He shook his head.

"I'd have to research it to be sure, but my guess is that pre-pacification, this planet was aligned with Chikushudo. Spider come in, kill off the guardians and seal off the portals, then the Phoenix come in and build their world.

But were they to reopen a large enough portal, flooding the planet with energy from Chikushudo, or wherever, the local flora and fauna would go from 'Pretty, but sometimes dangerous' to 'Extremely Dangerous.' Probably enough for the colony to fail." he theorized.

She nods, extra glad she'd brought the Spider out. Their experience pacifying worlds was very different from anything she'd dealt with. "Have you seen pacified worlds do that, Kuchiki-sama? Revert? I guess?"

Tsugiharu shook his head.

"My clan tends to be very through when it comes to world pacification. You can't run a very safe colony if you have to worry about spirits suddenly popping out of file drawers. And the amount of magic you would need to revert a world would be fairly impressive. But I guess if there is one clan who has a deep enough bench of talent to do that, it'd be the Phoenix clan." he offered.

"This is not a particularly safe colony, I've noticed." Mumei says with a small grimace, tucking her holoslate into a pocket. "But, well, not everyone is as thorough, I imagine." Because most realms didn't require being shut away entirely while burning the earth behind them.

"Pulling power from worshippers somehow?" she wonders aloud.

While the other two discussed things, a rather thoughtful Kitsune instead chanted a few quiet words in the language of the kami (just as quickly as he did for humans) and . . .

"WhatarethePhoenixdoinghere?"



--

D5 EA Commune Earth 1 CR for clarity TN 15: 5d10o10k3 16

Tsugiharu glanced over at the praying Fox, then bac to the Osprey.

"Hm, Kitsune-sama might have a more detailed answer. I would merely note that favors from the spirits always have a cost. Small favors have small costs, bigger favors have bigger costs. To pierce the barriers between this world and a spirit realm permanently? I can't imagine that's small."

He glanced back at the temple, considering.

The Fox's eyes narrowed and he asked his second question quickly before the Earth spirit returned to its slumber.

"WhatdotheyfeedtheKing?"




He turned to the other two and relayed his information, turning into very Serious Fox.

"So what eats Void?"

Mumei would be so sad that she couldn't see the same little spirit if she had any idea it was so adorable.

"Eats Void?" Her eyes widen. I...don't know offhand, but that does not seem good at all." Considering the Spider's words, she continues. "Do you think that's a big enough cost to open a portal, Kitsune-san?"


_______
Will toss a question to roll on that in PF

"To open a portal big enough to return Asakaze to pre-colonisation state? That's going to have a massive price."

Vereh Serious Fox. Serious enough to speak slowly (well normal speed for everyone else, glacial to Izumi).

Mumei's been around the Fox enough to pick up on just how careful his words are. "OK...ok...this is big, and nobody is listening and they're maybe not going to listen any better to a couple of Minor Clanners and a Spider." She glances to Tsugihara, "No offense Kuchiki-sama, but the Phoenix have made their feelings about your clan pretty apparent. "Maybe I can get a message to the Osprey at the coast and see if they'll back us up?"

"They may not listen because they think something else is happening here."

He waved up at the Temple.

"All the non sensical kanji. The vague description of what they do. The isolation. This stinks of a Cult."

Tsugiharu waved the Osprey's concern about offense away.

"No offense taken, Nakauichi-san. If they're unwilling to listen to the warnings of the kami, in what possible universe would they listen to a low-ranked member of a clan they're at odds with? I don't have the backing of the emerald office, the jade office, or a little piece of Phoenix-colored paper that says, "No really, he's one of the good ones.'"

He pondered her course of action.

"Certainly couldn't hurt to contact your clan. Not a lot of resources I can offer, I'm afraid. Highest ranked Spider around can't do much without an army to lead, and our matchmakers only going to help if you can solve the problem by flirting with the spirit." he admitted.

"If I thought that would work, I'd absolutely try it." She lets out a breath. "Is there anything else we might want to know? Maybe how long this has been going on?" Looking at the weathered stone of the shrine she shakes her head, "Nevermind...a long while."

Tsugiharu nods.

"Which makes the problem more difficult. It's not a single act that one could prevent with some tactically directed violence. It's a process they've been fueling for awhile now. Trying to jam on the brakes without understanding what one is doing could have....rather disastrous effects I should think." he offers.

That is well out of Mumei's Theological ballpark, but sounds reasonable and unpleasant. "If we can shut them down to avoid adding fuel though...would it stall and fizzle, like a vehicle running out of gas?"

_______
More pragmatically, who do we want to talk to on D6? (not that I have many open slots left) Mumei will work on sending a message to other Osprey. Magistrate? Governor seems likely to be dismissed.)

"Most likely backfire on them when this King realises he isn't getting his full payment."

The Fox had knowledge of what happened when Sakkaku spirits didn't get their due, he expected much the same here.

Tsugiharu nodded.

"Like if someone was trying to lead a hungry bear somewhere with fish, and then stealing away the fish basket while the bear is in the park." he offered. "But again...this is all speculation without a through knowledge of the ritual, and I'm not ashamed to admit that this kind of ritual is well beyond my years."