Topic: Yuki's Gatestone Quest (Read 45862 times)

BerkaZerka · « **on:** October 18, 2013, 07:30:53 am »

Not really sure where one would go to find a Gatestone, it occurred to Yuki that she could always ask her mother where she had gotten her own Gatestone from.

With that in mind, Yuki took Miya, and the two of them went to speak with Yuki's mother - Headmistress Akiko Shirahata of Sendai’s Zen Archery School.

Arriving at the school, they walked around a bit, until finally finding Yuki's mother in a garden out back.

"Oh, Yuki darling," Yuki's mother said upon seeing them - "I am glad that no ill befell you on your long trip."

She then smiles at Miya too.

"What sort of adventures did the two of you have?"

killa_robot · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2013, 08:12:41 pm »

Yuki smiles.

"Hi Mom! Well, first we helped a spirit, then we took a bath, then had a party, then we arrived in Aomori. The people there didn't seem too happy to see us, and a bunch of ronin claimed that Ho Kasamatsu was their Daiymo and that ours held no rights over the town. So we defeated them and brought one of them back with us. We didn't find anything that would prove Ho Kasamatsu was posing as a Daiymo, though we did find papers claiming the ronin were his samurai....."

She then pauses briefly.

"We also had to bring six women back as punishment to the town, because the Daiymo requested it."

She then sighs, clearly not all too pleased at the last part.

"Anyway, that was it. We have other things to discuss though."

Yuki says.

"I think I should get my own gatestone, so that I can continue down my path of Discord. So, I was wondering, if you knew where I could get one...."

She asks her mother in an unsure tone.

Fireplay · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2013, 11:03:21 pm »

Miya seems amused at Yuki's shortened version of the trip.

"As your daughter has said, we were able to complete our mission for the Daiymo and now seek a gate-stone that will help her progress her power. I have agreed to accompany her in this regard if you will allow it."
Miya says with only a hint of distaste on the word Daiymo.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2013, 10:07:20 am »

"Oh, you need a Gatestone already?" Yuki's Mother asks with a proud smile - "I always knew that you had an exceptional talent!"

"Well, I have your father Kado's Gatestone and was going to pass it down to you one day, but to be honest, I'm not quite done using it myself yet."

"But your father told me where he found this Gatestone when he was a young man; and believe it or not, this Gatestone has a twin."

Here, Yuki's mother pauses, looking Yuki and Miya up and down, as if evaluating their competence or something.

Satisfied with what she sees apparently, she then continues - "Along the rocky cliffs of the East Ocean, north of Sendai, is a large sea cave. Inside that cave is a shrine to the Ocean God."

"Your father told me that he was once shipwrecked off that coast, and washed up into the sea cave, where he discovered the shrine. Unfortunately, a great centipede demon - 'Oni-Makude' feeds off the spirit energy that spills from the shrine."

"Your father said that it attacked him, as he prayed at the shrine to offer thanks to the Ocean for sparing him from the shipwreck. In the ensuing fight, your father knocked out one of the demon's eyes and escaped with it. The eye of the demon is his Gatestone."

"So..." Yuki's mother finishes, "If you need your own Gatestone, I suppose you could always go find that shrine and take the demon's other eye. Though it would probably just be best to kill the demon outright this time I suppose..."

killa_robot · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2013, 10:29:37 am »

"Hehe, that seems like a pretty interesting way to get a gatestone!"

Yuki replies happily.

"Let's do it! Ah, how far away is it? Since it's an oni do we need anything special to fight it?"

Yuki asks.

"Ooh this is so exciting!"

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2013, 10:43:38 am »

The sea cave is a day or so north of Sendai along the coast," Yuki's mother answers - "and you might want to take along some silver-tipped arrows and weapons, just in case..."

killa_robot · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2013, 10:46:27 am »

"Hmm, do we have any silver-tipped arrows or weapons here?"

Yuki asks.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2013, 11:09:52 am »

"You're kidding, right?" Yuki's mother jokes - "Of course, help yourself!"

killa_robot · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2013, 11:27:44 am »

"Hehe, thanks mom!"

Yuki replies happily. She then gives a quick bow, and leads Miya to the location where the silver weapons are kept, since she obviously knew they had them all along. Once there she gets as many silver-tipped arrows as she can, and picks up a silver lined sword for good measure, handing one to Miya as well should she want one.

The two of them then head towards the cavern her mother spoke of.

(OOC: Not sure if this is "controlling" Miya too much, but I figured I'd say what I plan to do even if Fireplay needs to confirm it.)

Fireplay · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2013, 02:05:52 pm »

(OOC: Tis all good, lol I doubt it would have been different in any big way.)

On the way to the cavern Miya seems a bit concerned about something. Her hand constantly goes to finger her sword's hilt.

"Yuki, do you really think we will be able to fight this creature in a cave? We are archers, not swordsmen or anything of the like, we will be at a disadvantage if we are forced to engage in close combat."

killa_robot · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2013, 02:27:56 pm »

"Hm? Well we'll probably be fine...."

Yuki replies with a slight head tilt, showing that she's not entirely sure. She then pulls out the Kabuki mask.

"The cave will probably be dark, right?"

She says, putting on the mask.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

Yuki asks from beneath the mask.

Fireplay · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2013, 07:52:53 pm »

"Not really, I'm just saying we should try drawing it outside where we can attack it from a distance."

Miya glances at the mask as Yuki pulls it out.

"I don't think the darkness will matter for me. It's never really been a problem in my life."

killa_robot · « **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2013, 08:12:15 pm »

"Hmmm....I don't think it'd be too quick to leave it's home....got a plan?"

Yuki asks, then upon hearing Miya's ending statement comments on it.

"Ah yeah. You always have had good vision, like a cat! Meow!"

She says happily, attempting to mimic a cat meowing with her hands pawing the air.

Fireplay · « **Reply #13 on:** October 19, 2013, 09:28:49 pm »

"Hmm... Not really, we could try the old food-trap trick."

Miya seems uncertain about her plan now that she has mentioned it out loud.

"You think that would work?"

killa_robot · « **Reply #14 on:** October 19, 2013, 09:29:54 pm »

"Oni eat people though, don't they..."

Yuki says, sharing Miya's uncertainty.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2013, 04:50:35 pm »

After traveling north of Sendai along the coast for the better part of the day, Yuki and Miya come to a rugged area where one hundred foot-tall cliffs span the coastline for miles and miles in either direction.

Moving to the edge of an overhang and looking up the cliff-line, the two samurai-ko spot a large sea-cave about three or four miles further up.

The dark mouth of the cave is probably twenty or thirty feet wide and rises almost fifty feet out of the water - the ocean waves crashing right in through the opening with great surges of swirling water.

Looking west, toward the mountains, Yuki and Miya see that they only have about two hours of daylight left...

killa_robot · « **Reply #16 on:** October 20, 2013, 04:58:14 pm »

Yuki turns to Miya, adjusting her mask so Miya can see her face.

"Hmm, want to make camp here and continue tomorrow in the morning?"

She asks, glancing at the cave then to Miya.

"Hey Miya, are oni nocturnal?"

She asks.

Fireplay · « **Reply #17 on:** October 20, 2013, 06:43:44 pm »

"Depends on how tired we are. The darkness won't affect me and the mask will help you see in the night so I have no preference."

Miya looks at the cave entrance as if expecting something to come out.

"I don't think it would matter if this one is or not, it's lived in that cave for a long time right? It likely knows it's way around the cave."

killa_robot · « **Reply #18 on:** October 20, 2013, 07:03:06 pm »

"If it's nocturnal then it'd be asleep during the day, meaning we can sneak up on it."

Yuki replies.

"Or at least avoiding falling into a trap....probably."

Yuki then yawns and begins making preparations for camp, deciding that it would be best if the two of them waited until the morning.

Fireplay · « **Reply #19 on:** October 20, 2013, 07:18:38 pm »

Miya helps set up the campsite while keeping a close eye on the cave entrance.

"I think it's best if we avoid a fire tonight. If the Oni is nocturne it will notice the fire and expect us in the morning."

After the camp is up Miya watches the ocean from their campsite. She seems to be deep in thought about something.

killa_robot · « **Reply #20 on:** October 20, 2013, 07:20:17 pm »

"Sure!"

Yuki says happily, agreeing with Miya's idea. She then finishes making camp and goes to sleep.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #21 on:** October 21, 2013, 12:33:41 pm »

The night passes uneventfully and the morning sunrise over the East Ocean is breathtaking.

After eating a breakfast and gathering up their gear - the two samurai-ko were ready to take on the sea cave. But how to approach it?

Fireplay · « **Reply #22 on:** October 21, 2013, 06:58:41 pm »

Miya seems even more uncertain about actually attacking the demon inside the cave.

"Yuki, no matter how we attack this creature we are going to be at a disadvantage. Do you think we could sneak inside and surprise it then sneak away?"

killa_robot · « **Reply #23 on:** October 21, 2013, 10:04:26 pm »

Yuki stands beside Miya and stares at the entrance, pondering. Finally she seems to come to a conclusion.

"Hmmm, yep, back to Sendai!"

She says triumphantly.

"We're gonna need a boat to get in there. I don't think either of us are good enough swimmers to fight that current. So, let's go Miya!"

She announces as she heads back towards Sendai.

Fireplay · « **Reply #24 on:** October 21, 2013, 11:02:53 pm »

Miya seems relieved to leave the cave for another day. She is however concerned about Yuki since they did not get the gate-stone like she wanted.

"Hey Yuki, are we planning to come back later or are you going to wait until we are more experienced before returning?"

killa_robot · « **Reply #25 on:** October 21, 2013, 11:17:57 pm »

Yuki turns to Miya.

"Hm? We're just going back to get a boat. Of course we're going to come back right away, hehe."

She replies.

Fireplay · « **Reply #26 on:** October 22, 2013, 12:51:32 am »

Miya stops and looks at Yuki as she continues to walk.

*Sigh*

Then Miya quickly catches up to Yuki and walks alongside her strange friend as they continue their journey.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #27 on:** October 22, 2013, 12:45:35 pm »

Miya and Yuki only get about a mile, before they run into a young girl standing on the edge of the cliff. The girl looks like a twelve year old commoner, but her clothes are tattered and torn and she appears to have seaweed in her hair.

"Hello travelers!" the girl shouts and waves for them to come over - as she does, Yuki and Miya realize that the girl is slightly translucent and wispy around the edges... and that her feet do not quite touch the ground...

"Are you looking for a boat?"

killa_robot · « **Reply #28 on:** October 22, 2013, 01:07:05 pm »

Yuki stares at the girl silently for a minute before noding.

"Yep! Know where we can find one?"

She asks the girl.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #29 on:** October 22, 2013, 01:23:19 pm »

"Oh sure!" the girl replies cheerfully and points down over the cliff - "there's one right down here."

"Come, I can show you a hidden path down to the rocks below..."

killa_robot · « **Reply #30 on:** October 22, 2013, 03:20:57 pm »

"Sure, let's go Miya!"

Yuki says happily, following the girl to this hidden path.

"So, what are you doing out here?"

She asks the girl.

Fireplay · « **Reply #31 on:** October 22, 2013, 06:27:46 pm »

Miya follows Yuki but seems skeptical of the child.

Must be a spirit or something. I don't think a child could survive out here by this cave all alone.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #32 on:** October 22, 2013, 09:04:04 pm »

"This way, this way!" the girl calls, moving down a barely perceptible path that crisscrosses down the face of the cliff to some sharp jagged rocks at the bottom one hundred feet below - where the merciless waves of the ocean break themselves in thunderous sprays of salty water.

Yuki and Miya have to take extra care on the narrow and eroding pathway not to slip off or get too close to its crumbling edges. And after a nervewracking descent, they finally make it to the bottom and stand upon the massive stones jutting out of the sea.

"It's over there," the girl says, pointing to a high watermark along the boulders along the cliff-face. Looking, Yuki and Miya can see a wash of splintered timbers and the ribs of a number of old fishing boats smashed along the rocks. It seems that this particular stretch of coastline sees an unusually high number of shipwrecks.

Then, atop a slightly higher formation of stone, Yuki and Miya see an overturned rowboat that looks like it could still be intact. Perhaps it was carried as a lifeboat on a large vessel or something.

"There are oars over there," the girl points out helpfully, showing where some mismatched (yet functional) oars have also washed up.

"I come down here often to look for survivors," the girl says; "as long as they haven't washed into the cave, they sometimes make it out of the ocean."

killa_robot · « **Reply #33 on:** October 22, 2013, 09:17:44 pm »

Remembering that her mother said her father was ship-wrecked here before, Yuki decides to ask the ghost about him.

"Hey, have you ever rescued a man called Kado Shirahata from here?"

She asks, unable to give more than his name.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #34 on:** October 22, 2013, 09:31:16 pm »

"No," the girl replies, "he must not have washed into the cave then, if he was shipwrecked here and then rescued. Those who wash into the cave never return."

Fireplay · « **Reply #35 on:** October 22, 2013, 10:11:54 pm »

Miya leans over to whisper into Yuki's ear.

"I don't trust her and I still think it's a bad idea to enter that cave without assistance."

killa_robot · « **Reply #36 on:** October 22, 2013, 11:29:32 pm »

Yuki turns to Miya and smiles.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine.....probably."

She whispers back. Then she turns to the ghost girl.

"Ah, that's right, that's where the oni is!"

She says in response to the girl's cave comment.

"It's fine, my father fought the oni and got away before, and we're going to go finish him off now, hehe."

She explains. Yuki then finally turns to where the boat is rested.

"Now how will we get up there...."

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #37 on:** October 23, 2013, 02:02:03 pm »

"Yes... the ...Oni..." The girl mumbles and looks confused, as if trying to remember something far off.

Then abruptly, she cries out and looks terrified - her hair and clothing thrashing about suddenly, as if in an unseen tempest!

"NO! IT'S NOT FAIR!" she wails angrily - "I WAS SAVED BY MISTRESS OCEAN! IT HAD NO RIGHT!"

"IT TOOK ME WHILE I WAS PRAYING - GIVING THANKS! IT HAD NO RIGHT!..."

Here, the girl breaks down in tears, weeping – then she quickly fades into the spray of the crashing waves.

The last thing Yuki and Miya hear from her is a hollow plea in their minds – 'Avenge me!'

killa_robot · « **Reply #38 on:** October 23, 2013, 03:48:39 pm »

"Don't worry, we will."

Yuki says smiling to the now gone spirit. She then turns to Miya.

"See, she helped us after all, hehe."

Yuki then turns back to the boat again, and provided it's easy to get down, works with Miya to retrieve it.

"Let's go!"

She says happily.

(OOC: I was unsure based on the description if it'd be hard to get the boat or not)

Fireplay · « **Reply #39 on:** October 23, 2013, 05:42:40 pm »

heh, curse her optimism...

Miya helps the boat get set and ready. She makes sure to check all of her arrows and her bow while waiting for something to happen.

killa_robot · « **Reply #40 on:** October 23, 2013, 06:51:55 pm »

Assuming the two can get the boat and oars without issue (and it's still morning), they will enter the boat and row towards the cave, taking care to not crash into a rock pillar.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #41 on:** October 24, 2013, 02:16:02 pm »

Yuki and Miya are able to clamber up a slight incline in the rock to the rowboat and flip it back over. Indeed, it looks pretty well intact.

Gathering the two oars and sliding the boar down the rocks, they time the crashing waves perfectly; and jump in, as a surge of water lifts the boat and pulls it out into the ocean.

Now all they got to do is get the boat out past the breakers, so they can row it a mile north to the cave, without getting smashed back onto the rocky coastline...

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #42 on:** October 24, 2013, 02:24:04 pm »

Rowing as hard as they can, Yuki and Miya point the bow of the boat into the crashing waves - trying their best to get out past them to where the water rolled, rather than waved.

Amazingly, on the last huge wave, the front of the boat shot almost straight up as it hit - sending Miya catapulting out of her seat. Spending a Luck Point however, Yuki managed to grab hold of Miya's leg before she went flying into the sea and literally pulls her back down into her spot - as the boat comes down with a splash on the back side of the breaker.

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #43 on:** October 24, 2013, 02:27:28 pm »

After catching their breath following their hard rowing, Yuki and Miya are able to row a little more leisurely to the north.

After about twenty minutes, they are directly off the huge sea-cave.

All they got to do now is row back into the breakers and let the waves surf them right on into the cave itself...

Fireplay · « **Reply #44 on:** October 24, 2013, 08:37:11 pm »

"Whew, that was close. Thanks Yuki." Miya says to her friend with a smile.

"We're almost at the cave, did you sense anything dangerous yet?"
Miya tries to spot anything in the cave as they move towards it.

(Spot and Listen checks please. ^.^)

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #45 on:** October 24, 2013, 11:00:35 pm »

Pointing the boat at the cave and rowing back into the breakers, sends the rowboat surfing across the water in front of each passing wave and literally washes Yuki and Miya right into the mouth of the large sea cave.

Immediately, they feel a sense of unease, as they view the interior of the cave for the first time. With plenty of light shining in through the mouth of the cave, they can see it in its entirety.

The cave is about forty feet wide inside the entrance, and fifty feet high, and goes back at least a hundred and twenty feet. The water washes in about ninety feet and crashes up against some low rocks at the back of the cave, where a dry section rises up beyond - gradually attaining a height at least twenty feet above the waterline.

On that high flat shelf is an elaborate shrine dedicated to the Sea goddess - and behind which, Yuki and Miya can see some sort of archway and a flight of stone steps leading up.

Unfortunately, Yuki and Miya also see a wash of flotsam and jetsam mixing across the lower rocks with each wave coming in. that would be all that's left of any boats or wreckage that has ever washed in here and Yuki and Miya were seconds from joining it - as their rowboat now hurtled toward the rocks on the face of an exceptionally high wave...

killa_robot · « **Reply #46 on:** October 24, 2013, 11:18:38 pm »

Yuki quickly turns to Miya.

"Miya, let's jump off at the last minute!"

She yells, planning to do just that, jump off of the boat as it's about to hit the rocks, and tumble safely onto the shore.

Fireplay · « **Reply #47 on:** October 25, 2013, 12:39:48 am »

Miya prepares to jump towards the land area past where the boat will crash.

"Be careful Yuki!"

BerkaZerka · « **Reply #48 on:** October 25, 2013, 11:14:03 am »

Timing it perfectly (crit), Yuki waits until the rowboat is just about to crash on the rocks, before leaping up and tumbling expertly with the impact right over the rocks and onto higher ground.

Unfortunately for Miya (botch), she stumbles just before jumping and ends up nearly being crushed under the boat as it slams into the rock, rolls over, and splits in two. A luck point prevents a devastating injury, but Miya is mercilessly ground across the rocks by the wave surge and takes 10SL Damage.

Grabbing hold, so as not to be washed back into the water, Miya waits for everything to settle, and then gets up and scrambles to higher ground with Yuki.

killa_robot · « **Reply #49 on:** October 25, 2013, 01:48:39 pm »

Yuki spins in the air, lands harmlessly onto the rocks, and strikes a heroic pose as she lands. She then sighs and walks over to help Miya up.

"Sheesh, and you told me to be careful, Miya."

She remarks as she helps Miya up. Yuki then spends a luck point to activate danger sense, and turns to the shrine before them.

"Well, let's not keep the oni waiting, hehe."

Yuki says with a hint of nervousness, getting out her bow and beginning to carefully walk up to the shrine.

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Author Topic: Yuki's Gatestone Quest (Read 45862 times)