You know if you are supposed to be here.

With the last rays of twilight visible beyond the Skyreach mountains, dozens of lanterns bathed the shrine to the Gilded King of the woods in warm yellows, the vibrant colors making the compound look almost too real against the creeping darkness that covered the woods.

Two acolytes wearing white and red robes would welcome all the visitors, guiding them to the stone basin so that they could ritually purify themselves. The acolytes would be rather particular about making everyone drink a little, insisting that the visitors should cleanse themselves spiritually to make sure that they would cause no offense.

After the arrivals have purified themselves a small group of monks would lead them to the changing rooms, beckoning them to leave their weapons behind, insisting that no harm would fall upon them. The regular visitors would have no qualms about this, neatly placing their blades on a rack before undressing and donning a robe, many of which hung from the walls. The robes were soft and warm, woven from cotton and decorated with esoteric red sigils resembling the kanji for 'path', 'gate' and 'lantern'. Those ready would be corralled into the shrine proper, the air heavy with incense, a young man sitting beneath the four armed statue and muttering a mantra with Rokugani so old that most samurai would have hard time understanding him.

Ten had been most unhappy about being left behind, and Moriko felt his absence like an ache, but it was better to leave him behind on familiar ground, than to tie him up here with Hana while she was busy. Still, it pulled at her, and she felt a deep loneliness to rival the one that had plagued her when Hoshiko had moved to the city.

She followed all the instructions to the letter, purifying herself and changing into the provided robe. Her hair had been braided, but strands were falling from it all about the place, and she tugged at the robe which didn't seem to want to sit evenly on her shoulders, making her feel slightly lopsided.

Whine Saneyuki would keep chanting, he'd nod at Moriko as she entered, his voice filling the small hall. The day had been warm and much of the heat still lingering in the air, the stone warm under Moriko's feet. The chanting continued for a while, some of the lay followers joining Saneyuki in his sermon, the faithful droning the ancient words together. Heavy scent of incense clung to the robes, the worn cloth likely having seen years if not decade of use.

Inside of the temple was well lit, dozens of small lanterns providing light for the faithful, the golden statues glimmering in the light. Moriko might recognize few faces - a local news reader, a veterinarian though most people would be strangers to her. Even still, they all seemed to know that she was new, offering her shy smiles as if to welcome her to the community.

After a while the chanting ended, Saneyuki standing up. Two older men walked into the room, one of them carrying a large lantern dangling from a gilded stave, another carrying an incense censer, swaying it slowly - causing pinkish-green sweet-scented smoke to fill the temple.

"Arise, arise." Saneyuki called now with modern words. "Come, and follow me. Tonight we shall pay tribute to the Gilded King." He walked slowly towards the door, the two older men following him. A shy shrine maiden shot a longing glance at the priest, dropping her gaze when he passed. "Come and follow, let us give Him what he is due so he well bless and deliver us." Saneyuki led the procession, the lantern and the censer following him, the faithful forming a long queue as the procession headed into the woods.


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OOC: Please roll Raw Stamina against TN: 20 as before to avoid the effects of the Water of Life. (-1 Willpower for the duration of the thread)

The incense was heady, filling her brain as she breathed deeply. If there was any question that she intended to go with the flow of the night's proceedings, it was soon wiped away as she surrendered her will to the handsome priest and the strange dreamlike state that the temple seemed to induce in her.


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[D3 LE] Drink Deep (Raw Stamina 2, TN20): 2d10o10k2 13
Failure, -1 Willpower.

Eventually the congregation would reach a small clearing, many of the devout nodding to Moriko as they walked alongside her, welcoming her to their group with smile on their lips. Everyone was quiet though as if the occasion was somehow sacred for mere words. She could see small groups clinging together, small figures - presumably children - clinging to their parents robes. Two elderly members of the sect followed the group, carrying long rods with them, large globular lanterns dangling from the six foot poles. The fungal forest was dark around them and the night was alive with sounds, chittering and buzzing insects, cries of large lizards. Rustling of the stalks as the winds rustled their gills.

With everyone gathered, Saneyuki the two older men following Saneyuki would usher him on a large moss covered stone, the young priest reaching for an old tattered scroll. At first, the young man stumbled, one of his 'assistants' prodding him with a stick as his voice cracked. Focusing again, Saneyuki managed to recite the prayer, bathing himself in soft yellow light as the kami of fire rushed envelop his body. From the young priest, the yellow lights flowed into the two elderly priests, shrouding them in a mantle of magical light. With the ritual completed, the elderly Phoenix priest carrying the incense began to recite something, the esoteric and gibberish words filling the small clearing. Soon Saneyuki and the other senior sect members joined the chat.

It did not take long before unnatural coldness swept over the congregation, a 20 foot tall portal darker than midnight appearing behind Saneyuki, the shimmering darkness surrounded by impossibly bright halo. "Kneel!" Saneyuki commanded, his voice echoing with barely contained power. "He comes!" The portal rippled and something or someone stepped through, eyeing the gathered samurai and monks with a primordial hunger gleaming in its eyes.



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Devour Essence: Characters present must roll contested Willpower against Contested Willpower: 4d10o10 25 or lose all of their Void points they might have at the moment and cannot recover them the next time they sleep as they are enthralled by vivid, pleasant dreams. In addition, they become amnesiac, not quite remembering what they have witnessed, spending the rest of the day in a pleasant, fugue like state.

A disconnected panic began to rise in Moriko's chest as the black portal opened, yawning and darker than the depths of one's pupil in a mirror. Her mind reached out, grasping for something to hold onto, but she felt herself slipping away. She wouldn't remember the feeling tomorrow, everything beyond that portal opening seemingly blotted from her memory in the same way that the transition from wakefulness to sleep cannot be recalled the following day.


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[D3 LE] oh NO (Raw Willpower/Water of Life 1, Void/Shiba Tech +2k2, Contested): 3d10o10 24

Eventually, then the Gilded King had drink his fill, he would fall back into the portal, slowly sinking into the shimmering blackness as if nothing had happened. While everyone seemed tired around Moriko, they were also smiling, a quiet chatter filling the once so quiet clearing. As soon as the spirit disappeared, the heat rushed back in, the warm robes sticking to the skin. The priests, their bodies no longer glowing moved to lead the procession back to the temple, the devout chattering the way back - and even if the night was just as dark as it had been, somehow everyone felt more happy and relaxed, many of the devout yawning as they walked. No-one spoke a word of what had happened, though many expressed their gratitude, telling others how much better they now felt, even if they were dead tired. Some faithful recited simple mantras in hopes of having the Gilded King hear their thanks.

Once the procession reached the shrine, Saneyuki walked to Moriko, tapping her shoulder and beckoning her to follow. She would be led through corridors dug into the black basalt, the stone cool beneath her. The air outside had been clammy and hot, but here within the inner compound, the air was almost chilly. "Thank you for coming." Saneyuki told her, his voice warm and inviting. "I was hoping I would see you again. I felt that there was something special about you." He turned, offering her a kind smile. "Come, I wish to discuss with you. I hope you enjoyed the evening? You maybe understand why people would make the journey here?" As they chattered, they would reach a simple room, the young priest pushing the worn plastic door open.

His rooms had two beds, a small desk with a densai on it. It was a rather humble abode for someone of his status. Two scrolls hung from the stone walls, the kanji too small to read unless one leaned close. "Lights." Saneyuki commanded and a small lamp on the ceiling thrummed into life, pale white lite illuminating the room. "Please sit down." he indicated at the only chair in the room. "Someone will bring us tea soon."

Moriko felt hazy and somewhat weary, but not unpleasantly so, concluding the morning's exertions had drained her more than she realised. "Tea would be lovely," the girl gathered the simple robe about her as she sat, grateful for the warmth of it against the chill of the stone, some instinctive part of her realising why such heavy robes would be preferred despite the sticky heat outside.

A faint blush touched her cheeks, he had called her special, but he surely only meant that she had felt the pull of the Gilded King, and had been willing to join the ritual. Sniffing, she fussed at the robe. Now that she was sitting, it had decided to pull to the right. She was mostly accustomed to this, but being alone with Saneyuki made her a touch self conscious, not wanting to give off any sense of impropriety.

"It can be intensive for the first time." Saneyuki explained, smiling softly. "The Fortune's touch is often too much for the mortal mind to grasp. But you don't feel bad, do you?" he asked, leaning a little bit closer while keeping a polite distance. Still, the sweet scent of incense reached her, the young man reaching to tuck a stray curl behind his ear. He wore no hair band and having spent a while outside, his hair was somewhat of a mess.

Sometime later a shy shrine maiden entered the room, carrying a plain tray in her hands. She glanced at Saneyuki before laying the tray on the table, bobbed a bow at the two samurai and scurried away, her cheeks slightly red. With the girl gone, the priest reached for the pot, pouring two cups full, the scent of roasted barley filling the room. Such a tea was favored late at night as it contained no caffeine to speak off. "Here." Saneyuki handed Moriko one of the cups, their fingers brushing for a moment. "Please."

A tingle shivered through her fingers when they touched Saneyuki's, and she smiled shyly. Taking a sip, she peeked at the handsome priest over the rim of the cup, her own hair was a mess as well, but that was just par for the course for the slightly dishevelled young samurai. "I feel quite well, thank you, Asako-sama," and that was true. Apart from the weariness, she felt an overall sense of contentment, much like the completion of a hard day's work.

"Good, good." He looked at her, his grey eyes seeking out hers. "The Gilded King is of this land - and this land is of him. As thrives, so do these lands. Have you ever wondered how the fungal thickets are so full of life? That is all him - and all us." Saneyuki explained. "We worship him and he delivers us." he moved as if to brush as stray hair from Moriko's face but kept his hand to himself, instead taking a sip from his cup. "Are you fine staying here, like we discussed?" he asked her. "We offer a pretty good breakfast for everyone as a token of gratitude."

When he refrained from touching her, though he was right not to, Moriko felt a pang of disappointment. Growing up with a twin had been an unusual experience, the girls had gotten away with things no self-respecting samurai should, sleeping in the same bed until they were twelve, and finally old enough to start seeking their own personalities. She missed the closeness, and the near touch reminded her of that loneliness.

“Indeed, it’s quite fine,” Moriko answered, “I’ve been rendered to my own care for the duration of the miai, no one shall be missing me until tomorrow afternoon.” She’d told her sister where she was going to be, but that had been merely conversational.

"That is good." Saneyuki nodded, smiling. A short silence followed, sound of something - perhaps engines - thrumming in the background well adubile. "Is Shiba-san perhaps lonely, or feeling lost?" He asked her, holding his cup between his hands. "We have quite a few people like that coming here. People who feel they are missing something. As often happens when you lose a sense of yourself."

"What you think of the miai, Shiba-san? Being asked to take part?" The priest chuckled. "We are in a same boat with that."

Moriko shook her head, she didn’t feel particularly lonely or lost, but those feelings were lurking not too far away, waiting to pounce. “I’m a little... confused,” she admitted. “I understand why I’m taking part, I’m that age now, and established enough, it’s time. It’s the waiting,” she tried to explain, “not knowing what’s going to happen in the next two weeks, not knowing how it will make me feel. It’s like I’m all twisted up inside, a coiled spring under tension.”

"Mhmh. We are all called to serve." Saneyuki murmured. "Not only in our duties to our lords, but also our linage, whether we wanted or not. My two sisters are already married." He told Moriko, glancing at one of the scrolls. "It has been two years since Ayano got married and moved to the city. She's serving at the Fukurokujin's now. It's been a while since I've seen her. Her children keep her busy, I've been told." Despite smiling, the man's tone was unmistakably wistful.

"Hum. I see." Saneyuki tilted his head to the side when she admitted being tense. "Have you tried meditating on the matter? Somewhere quiet?" he asked, a slight frown marring his otherwise near flawless features.

"My sister moved away from the ranch more recently than that, it was something of a," Moriko paused, uncertain of the right word, "it took some getting used to. It's still lonely sometimes, and now that she, or I, or we both will be leaving," the young woman let the rest of the sentence evaporate with a sigh. "I meditate," Moriko took a sip of tea, "but I hadn't thought to do so on the matter."

"Well." Sanyuki looked down into his cup. "I would hate to move away myself. But, one cannot fight the destiny without doing harm to the greater weave of fate." Looking up again, he smirked. "I find the idea of leaving everything I know rather terrifying. My elders told me that it would be good for me. I am not entirely sure what they mean by that." he admitted, biting his lip before shrugging. "I wonder if they would rather see me leave? I do not know."

"Still, I try to remain hopeful. Maybe, maybe there is something for me beyond the stars." A soft sigh escaped his lips. "Sometimes we must face what we fear to find peace. It's not easy, but that is why it's important to do so. This might be why you still feel twisted up." Saneyuki offered, tilting his head to the side.

"I just hate waiting," Moriko burst out. Her eyes widened and she hid her face behind her cup, taking a very long sip until she'd regained her composure. "I wish I knew what comes next," she explained more calmly, "so I could face it head-on. How can I know what I need to do, if I don't know what's about to happen?"

"That might apply to every samurai, ever." the young man mused, pushing his tongue out a little. "Few of us can ever live with any kind of certainty. The bushi the least." he bobbed his head at her. "On a remote world like this it's different, but beyond events far greater than a single mind can grasp lead to deaths of thousands. And yet, those people somehow manage to march to the unknown."

"It might be that Shiba-san is asking the wrong question. It is not so much what should we do know, but how we should be in face of the uncertaintly. I think that Shiba-san will know what to do, when it happens." Saneyuki replied, sounding rather confident. "When the future is uncertain, there little but to wait and see. The world is like plum blossoms scattered into the winds." He quoted tao, though put the old adage into his own words. "Not something that is easily grasped."

She harrumphed softly, but if the whole point was to let it go, then there was no time like the present. The thoughts floated away from her like lazy butterflies, and she let them go. "If you leave, Asako-sama, how will that affect your connection with the Gilded King?"