Journal of Miyara Kyosuke (52)

    We have invited disaster.  We cannot now meet Og while he lived and turn him to the path of good, nor can I teach him clown fighting.  And what of Og's cloth with Shishei Godanji's symbol?  Have we destroyed the master of Clown Fighting?  No good can come of this unless I can convince the others to go back and fix what we have left unfixed.
    In addition, we have left the dwarves to fight the ogres, when we should have helped.

    We are the cause of Karak Ostahar losing its way.

    My suggestion of convincing Og to lead the orcs against the ogres was rejected out of hand, as were many other sensible suggestions.
    We do not have the dragon statue, but we know where it is.  It is inside one of the buildings in Karak Ostahar, but somewhere between the time we are and the time we came from.  Of course, having upset the path of destiny it might not even end up there.

    We are in the mountains, the same set that KO is in.  We do not see KO itself.  We recognize no specific landmarks.  We know north and south, up and down, and that it is mid-fall, and late afternoon.  I did not recognize where KO would be, although I knew we in the appropriate region.
    We should still be 22 years ago.  KO was long built and being emptied out at this time by the Chin that had been there.
    Goru suggested that Hosei fly up and look around.  He did so, and after a while came down and directed us north.

    After about an hour of walking, we come upon KO from uphill and the side.  It looks much the same as we see it 22 years from now.  Miyara decides we are to descend and find the statue that should be here.
    The gates are open.  The place has the same look of having not been occupied in a long time as last time we are here.  At this time, the Chin should occupy the outdoor section, while orcs of Nurgle should occupy the lower levels underground.
    We head straight to the guild where the statue should be located.  We were being open but cautious.
    When we arrive at the door, Pireseri looks inside in his special way.  We are expecting the Chin to be mainly upstairs.  Pireseri can't see the whole room, or far enough to the alcove, but the parts he can see are empty.
    We open the door.  It opens easily, revealing a mostly empty room.  In the alcove is a small silvery statue of a dragon.  Off at one end of the room, practicing some sort of martial art forms, is a young orc.  If he were human, he would be about nine years old.  He is mostly naked.  We only have a moment before he realizes we are there.
    He charges us.
    I step in and kneel in respect to him.
    Just as he reached us, he tripped and fell into Goru, knocking him over.
    I went into full Clown Fighting moves, and began sparring with the young master.  He dodged my maneuver, putting himself back into the room and standing in a defensive posture.  His intent is clearly not to spar, but defend the room against us.
    I go into full clown fighting mode, attempting to make my party collapse in laughter.  Goru smiles indulgently, while Ashu collapses in raucous laughter.

Og at -4
Ashu at -13, dropping his weapons and crouched, tears in his eyes.
Goru at -1
Miyara at -5, smiling with appreciation and satisfaction
Rabena at -3
Og at -14

I place myself to give him easy shots, that he will miss.  This goes on for a long time, until the orc gets a little tired.  He gets less angry and starts watching, recognizing some moves, and slowly he regains his composure and starts sparring rather than wild attacking.  He begins to mimic some of the moves I have, and it is clear I am better, although he is really talented for his apparent age.  I break down a move he clearly does not have, and show him through the sparring session.  For five minutes we continue.
    He signals a halt and I respond as if it is -- and it is -- a genuine training session.  I say "It is an honor to spar with the young master Og."
    He responds appropriately, and speaks in Chin.  Hosei does his thing, and translates for us.
    Hosei says to Og, "I can now understand your words, can you repeat them?"
    Og looks confused, but then speaks.  H says he says, "Who are you and why are you here?"
    "I have been seeking you for a long time.  For a long time to come."
    Og goes from confused to very confused.  Roughly "What?"
    "In my time, you are a great master of Clown Fighting.  You fight for good against the forces of Chaos, and you are to become a King."
    He laughs.  What are the forces of Chaos?
    I glance to Miyara.  "This is our moment.  Destiny changes here."
    M: "Death and destruction."
    O: Oh.  Who are you and why are you here?
    "I am Miyara Kyosuke.  I have come from Nippon to seek the master Og."
    O: There is no master Og.  There is only I.
    "I seek what is to come in the time it is to come."
    M: "You will be Master Og."
    O: Then why are you here now?
    M: Because you are here now.
    "In my time, Chaos is strong.  We go fighting chaos, many causes, we fight for peace, for happiness, for civlisation.  We fight for those who cannot defend themselves, or for those who do not know to defend themselves."
    O: Wait here.  I will inform my master that you are here.
    I bow, he does in return, and heads off into the building.
    It is clear that some of the barbarians would like to grab the statue and run.  I make it clear that I would now defend it with my life.

(It is true.  Og has led Miyara to the statue.)

    Og does eventually return, carrying a very frail ancient wizened Chin.
    I kneel respectfully.
    Og begins to carry him towards the others, but the Chin indicates in the direction of the statue.  Og places him seated in front of the statue and indicates we should come forward.  I come forward and kneel again, as the others come forward.
    It is clear he is not only old but very sick.  He is dying of his old age.  (Rabena says it is a mircale he is alive at well over 100).  The man says in very good common, "Welcome to <chin name for a monastery>"  He apologizes for not being able to welcome us more hospitably.  He looks at Miyara expectantly.

(Godanji left Nippon to go on his journey about 30 years ago, and returned 25 years ago.  M knew there was more of a reason to fetching it.  We know now it was so that the dwarves could not worship it in chaos.  He probably had some other purpose that he voiced to himself at the time.)

M: I am sorry Shishei Godanji could not come here himself.  He has died.
-He will be missed.
M: Yes, he will be.  He sent me here to retrieve the statue for him, and to bring it back.
-I know.
M: What must I do, master, to earn the statue?
-I am the last of <monaster>.  We are no longer able to care for Og.  I have found employment for him in Atterdorf and a merchant who will pick him up on the road <one we've never heard of> not too far from here.  Your task is to deliver him to the merchant.  For which I will give you the statue.
M: We will do so.
(Og appeared to understand common.)
M: WHen is he expected?
-Soon.  You must leave before sunset.
-(He explains that the Chin orginaly arrived here about 80 years ago (100 from ours).  When the got here, there was a small tribe of orcs living in the lower levels of this place.  They were worshippers of Nurgle.  Instead of wiping out the orcs, the CHin decided to enlighten them.  They did not put up with interference, but did not interfere themselves.  Over the couirse of many years and a couple of orchis generations, the orcs turned awar from Nurgle and mended their ways and began to follow the Tao.  They shut dow nthe tempole and closed it off, and turned away from chaos.  Then about 5 years ago Godanji came seeking some of the skills they had here, and was intrigued by the orcs, and began to visit them and make friends.  He explored the lower levels and dicosverd te temple, broke in, and was faschinated byu it.  Unfortunately the orcs were rather disgusted by its exiustence and implications, and tore it to pieves.  Nurgle was pissed off, and visited KO and the few orcs that survived died soon after N left.  The Chin monks that survived began aging extremely rapidly, and I am the last.  All except Og.  Og was born during Nurgle's attack.  Og has none of Nurgle's disease.  Godanji left soon after opening the temple, and before N's attack.  He left in grief and guilt.  The statue was his payment for the skills we taught him."
Goru: and what of you?
-I have plans.  He speaks to Og in Chin, and Og picks him up and carries him out.

    I follow.  Hosei quietly translates what he said as, "Take me there now."  Miyara takes the statue and follows.

    Og carries him to the cemetary, to the open grave -- the one we used.  Og lays him down next to the grave.  He struggles to sit up in a meditative pose, and sits there, and sits there, and about five minutes goes by with no-one saying or doing anything.  Og then puts his hand on his shoulder and lays him down, lays him in the grave, and begins to cover him with dirt.  I look to Og to see if it would be proper to help, but he does not return my glance and I let him finish his task.
    Miyara says the appropriate things over the burial.
    When Og finishes, he looks stricken and looks to Miyara.

    Rabena has been checking her map to see if she can find this road.  It is on her map, or rather she knows where it would be.  It is a reasonably well known road to cartographers.  The journey is mere hours.

    M asks if he is ready.  Og says he is ready, and we go.  Miyara wraps it in Shishei Godanji's emblem cloth, as it is heavy and delicate.
    On the way, I impart what wisdom I need to transfer to him.  He has a destiny to become a master of clown fighting.  He is to be an ambassador among among the non-beast people, to show that orcs can be civilised, and noble, and fight for ftohers to bring peace and tranquility to the land.  Before we part, we will give him a cloth to be made into a vest, to remind him of those teachers to whom he owes his purpose.  I tell him he'll fight many opponents, including his own kind, but always to side with what he will know to be right and noble.  No matter how he's treated by those around him, he's to remember that he is, or is to be, a master of the art of Clown Fighting, and to behave accordingly.  He in the future meet some of us before we travelled here in this time, and when he meets us, he is to act as if it's the first time and as if he had not met us now."
    Had we not come, he would be alone with the statue.  No-one else here, but the statue, and the temple of Nurgle downstairs, under whose banner he would march.
    I will finish my speech to Og by kneeling in respect, that "I do so to the master he will become, for the deeds he will do, and to the orc boy who will fulfill his destiny."

    We arrive at the road.  There is a small merchant's caravan here.  For such a small caravan, it is well guarded and they are on high alert.  He is expecting somebody to deliver an orc.  I will kneel in respect to Og in the sight of this merchant.  The merchant pulls out his chains and irons.  I step between and tell him that this is no common beastman, this is an orc who is to take his place as a free person.  He can entertain you on your journey, and is much more valuable (to the world) left free than bound.  He can help you defend your caravan in ways you cannot imagine.
    He says the only way he can do that is in chains, to deliver who can care for him in Altdorf.
    I will ask Og if that is ok, as a student to a master, using the correct formalities, if that is ok.  Hosei understands Nipponese and can translate approximately.  I add to Og that his destiny is to be free, but that destiny may come slowly and will require the patience of a master.
    In common, Og says, "Is that what my master wanted me to do?"  "I believe your destiny will come.  Your master wanted you safely delivered to Atterdorf.  If you are delivered in chains it will not affect your destiny."
    O" Then I will do it.
    I address the merchant.  If you mistreat this person, I will hunt you down a quarter century from now.
    merch: If he follows directions, I have no need to mistreat him.
    Gory threatens too.
    mer: can I take him now?
    I kneel before Og one last time, and say in common, "The master Og."  And then I step aside.  I walk away, not looking back, while I hear the merchant chain him and lead him to a wagon.  I hear the door shut and a bar lowered.  The others say something to the merchant, who moves on as quickly as he can.

    My destiny here is done.  The statue is found and my debt to Miyara paid.  I have found Og.  The master has become the student.  The student has become the master.  I am a teacher of masters.  I have regained my honor.  I am done.

    The stone of stones must still be returned, but that will happen.  That is not part of my duty.  Goru carries the stone of stones, Ashu has fire, and Rabena has air.

    We return to the monastery in the dark.  We discuss what we are to do, and how to deal with the stones.  The main discussion revolves around the need to put the stone of stones back, and to perhaps destroy or at least seal away the others.  We can put the stone of stones back right before we go back.  We must also leave the mud and tentacles there.  I point out that we know where Og is buried, and can use him as an anchor for the box to take us to before we discover the stone of stones for the first time.  We could also use Miyara's origami pieces, which Ashu picked up while following Miyara back before we found the stone.  Goru says we need to do something the instant we get there to freeze the tentacles and mud quickly enough to put the stone back.  I point out we need to help KO find it's way.  Everyone else says the dwarves will not leave if they win against the ogres.  We cannot convince them to do so.  It is a holy place that they will not abandon.  Goru says we cannot interact with the dwarves, because they will find out about the stones.  We talk more outlandish ideas into the night.

(Tzeentch laughed after all the visions, including the nice one)

So we teleported into the inner temple, the pillar room, full of mud as it was before.  There were way more tentacles.  Goru said the right words, and the stone came out.  Shon warped us out of there to avoid being killed by angry tentacles.