Dark_RP

Aki was interrupted from sitting in the van by a triad guy named Fen Jin who annoyed him for a while talking about some guy called Gan Shuo who wanted to take the instrument out of their custody. The plotline basically petered out and is mentioned only for completeness.

This space left intentionally blank.

Huan Hai returned with the boy's mother, who had been thrown into the path of an oncoming train to buy the kidnappers time to make good their escape...with the son. They were Qian Shi's men, claimed Huan Hai - referring to a character out of local folklore who steals naughty children away.

Still distraught, and seeing help was at hand the Old Man helped the Wu with their queries. He told them of Master Li, a genius instrument maker in the Second Age, who was commissioned by powerful shen to create the finest instruments he could possibly make...and then burn them, until naught was left but ashes and slag. Master Li saw the money offered and could hardly refuse. For 5 years he tolled, but as he worked he grew proud of his creations. When the time came to destroy them, thinking nobody could possibly know differently he kept one behind, destroying a hastily made duplicate in its stead.

The Shen where angry and cursed Master Li. Every instrument he created thereafter would bear a curse. And he despaired. But he learned to use the curse...sending cursed gifts to enemies and people in certain positions, Master Li was able to manipulate things to his liking. Once again, the Shen were angered. Together they mustered a force to end Master Li's impudence.

Master Li survived the first skirmish and quickly realized he was going to suffer greatly. So he crafted one final instrumented and invested his Po into it. The Shen destroyed Master Li's body, but they missed part of his soul. What followed was unclear but Master Li is said to have waged a counterstrike against the Shen, and escalation upon escalation occurred until with a sudden abruptness the fight ended.

The Old Man, who revealed his status as Dong Tao, the Zhong Lung (and mentioned his son was also Zhong Lung), referred them to a specialist in undoing powerful artifacts. Simply referred to as 'The Boddhisatva' the enlightened Devil Tiger unlived on Lantau Island.

On their way, they spoke to Anguo Chun about the situation who seemed to approve.

They commissioned a vessel from the only captain mad enough to sail in Typhoon weather conditions and just about made it, shadowed by a old ghostly ship on the horizon...

The Boddhisatva's cave lay hidden close behind



After an initially nervous approach past the 'Danger do not enter' tape, down the pitch black 'stair case', pausing momentarily at the stalagmite impaled toddler/baby in a large cavernous erm...cave.

The Boddhisatva came to them shortly thereafter and heard there tale and agreed to help. He took the item and asked for some time to study it. During which time, they could get someone from Hong Kong for him...a pharmacist called Michelle Nett whose brews would be most useful in the process. In return, he would be willing to introduce her to someone she has been keen to meet.

Ms Nett, was more than a pharmacist of course, she is also a member of the Shemsu-Heru. A reborn and ancient spirit, fighting for justice and balance. Xian massively tolerated this. Ms Nett was in Hong Kong searching for her Eastern Counterpart, reborn through different means, Ms Nett clearly had many questions.

The Boddhisatva had divined at least part of the True Name of the instrument upon there return, but was disturbed that he got the distinct sensation that the Wu were the True Owners of the instrument - but could not discern what that meant other than its fate was ultimately in their hands. He also revealed that Master Li was a sworn enemy of the Jade Emperor.

And so the alchemical brewing began as unguents and potions were concocted that would be sufficient to unhook the instrument from the Great Wheel.

But things would not proceed smoothly. Somehow a person claiming to be the aforementioned Qian Shi called Xian and gave his ransom demands for the Zhong Lung child: The erhu.

Xian and Yoshino took a Jade boat along the dragon's tongue to meet with Dong Tao but found the Yang World's perilous; the final time they followed the crab's footsteps was dangerously painful. Dong Tao wanted the child back, prepared it seemed to allow the cursed erhu into the hands of the kind of person that kidnaps young children.

They decided to mount a daring betrayal at the exchange, and with the assistance of Shui Fang - a Zhong Lung ally of Dong Tao's, they headed back through the Yang World's on the back of a gigantic spiritual crocodile who seemed most congenial.

They collected the wu and headed to Victoria Peak where the villain was to do the exchange. But alas, an invisible reccy carried out by Yoshino uncovered but a lackey. The exchange arranged, and once completed the lackey - previously encountered in a bird shop in Kowloon/Mongkok, was blitzed and the child hurried away by Yoshino. To devastating effect. It's difficult to know what finished him off - but he had a friend who took a killer shot at Wu Ling and everything went dark.

Wu Ling awoke on the back of a magic talking crocodile on the way to the island of the Boddhisatva to stand in the circle of death and cross into the realms of Yin themselves as decided by a true randomocratic decision.

The field of the ritual seemed to be a stone circle with a granite, or similar, floor to it. Passing through turned out to be very easy and they found themselves in a dark realm, illuminated by red ellipses in the sky. Soon it began to rain flame covered maggots and Yoshino began the annointment ritual as the others stood guard.

They came from the sky, hundreds of monstrous scavenger creatures circling around the storm wall the Boddhisatva and the Reborn were holding in place for them. Some would come through, to be swatted aside by the demon form Xian, the extreme martial arts of Wu Ling and the glowing pointy stick wielded by Aki.

All the while Yoshino conversed with a voice, a voice that revealed itself to be Master Li. A voice that pleaded not to be destroyed, that their destiny was to be rulers during the sixth age rather than slaves, that together they could overcome any obstacle they faced - that he was responsible for their growth in power. Yoshino refused to be seduced.

But outside an army approached, legions of the dead massed. A swirling chaotic swarm approached from the opposite direction, and there seemed no end of flapping monsters to dispatch.

In a lull, Master Li manifested in front of them, to appeal to the group. Since he presented no obvious threat, being an elderly bespeccled gentleman - they listened to his plea.

He revealed he hid himself from the likes of the Jade Emperor who once more attempts to hunt him down by attaching his Po to the erhu. He claimed he regretted the actions his untamed Po caused. His Hun was scattered but not destroyed - and once the wu, each imbued with part of that Hun - the soul was more or less completed. He had helped them out with their enlightenment and offered to do so once more in an attempt to prove his claims.

As they looked upon the kindly old man they each felt something, fleeting perhaps but in others a deep understanding grew in them. They would never forget the screaming pits of the Yomi world that threatened to reclaim their souls, and Master Li could be the key to doing so. Except Wu Ling who would not tolerate that at all.

And so followed an obligatory inter-wu combat scene, which was resolved only when Wu Ling and Xian were dead-locked in a martial arts versus demonic strength standoff and they both cooled off. They decided to consult the elders leaving Yoshino(?) behind with Master Li who faded and seemed to lose awareness of his surroundings.

And so the scene fades...

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No on food - I've kept you posted.