Test Your Might

by **Narrator** » Mon May 19, 2014 3:52 pm

In the Ryohaku mountains lies one of Japan's three holiest mountains, Hakusan. The volcano, dormant for now, is covered in snow even in the summer, towering over the surrounding flat farmland.

It was here that the X-Teams found themselves, standing outside the gates to an ancient Shinto shrine.

by **John Hino** » Mon May 19, 2014 3:59 pm

John looked past the gate.

"It's hard to believe a country this beautiful could be home to such horrible creatures."

by **Byrna Cooper** » Mon May 19, 2014 6:47 pm

"Every place has it's unique qualities.. But this is a beautiful place." Bear replied, gazing about.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:38 pm

"Oh, don't worry. The horrible things are everywhere. They're just prettier in pretty places," Victoria mused, looking around for ambushes or traps.

by **Narrator** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:44 pm

It was...quiet. Serene, even. Peaceful.

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Mon May 19, 2014 10:12 pm

Rowena checked her gloves one last time before going insubstantial. "It is beautiful."

by **Melody Martens** » Mon May 19, 2014 10:29 pm

"Too quiet..." Melody cautioned, eyes darting about suspiciously.

by **Narrator** » Mon May 19, 2014 11:03 pm

And it remained too quiet!

by **John Hino** » Tue May 20, 2014 9:52 am

John felt paranoid too, but then the involvement of a death cult tend to have that effect.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'll feel safer once we're in the trap-filled temple."

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Tue May 20, 2014 9:56 am

"Then let's get to it."

by **Narrator** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:00 pm

"Right," Benji said, opening a small box as he entered the shrine proper.

He opened it, and a beam of moonlight came out, despite the bright sun. It hit the alter behind the shrine, and it vanished, leading to a staircase going down.

"Now, I have to stay here to keep this open so you can come out. If the demons come this way, I'm going to have to close this to prevent them from entering our realm.

Good luck."

by **Mizuki Hino** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:06 pm

"What do you mean you're going to lock us in there if you get scared?" Mizuki asks, sounding scared herself now.

by **John Hino** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:16 pm

"Hold on... you didn't say anything about demons inside the shrine."

by **Narrator** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:18 pm

"Guardians! Nothing more. You know, test of might, test of will, all that stuff. All kinds of crazy things down there, probably. Don't worry! If your hearts be true and all that, you should be just fine."

by **Byrna Cooper** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:11 pm

Bear looked a little skeptical. Warnings of being locked in would do that.

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:41 pm

"I can always try to phase out and let him know it's safe. No worries."

by **Narrator** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:42 pm

"Yeah, this'll be fine. Easy peasy.

Just follow the sign marked "Graveyard", and you're good to go."

by **John Hino** » Tue May 20, 2014 6:58 pm

"Graveyard... fantastic..." John commented dryly.

"I'll take point since I can read Japanese and see in the dark," he said, heading in, "And, you know, am really freaking durable."

by **Byrna Cooper** » Tue May 20, 2014 7:20 pm

Bear followed close, hand within her satchel.

by **Narrator** » Tue May 20, 2014 7:28 pm

The stairs wandered down, down, down, plunging the team into darkness.

And then, oddly, light started coming from down below.

The stairs emerged into...an area of open air? Probably some kind of mystic illusion, as the more magically inclined could tell.

The area was, as Benji had suggested, a cemetary. The tombstones had the names of people of John's bloodline on them, lastly with new looking tombstones marked JOHN and MIZUKI. So, you know. That's pleasant.

One of the unmarked stones has a freshly dug grave, while six rather unsavory people sit around it, dividing up pieces of gold and arguing.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Wed May 21, 2014 12:16 am

Victoria looked warily around. "Veil of shadows, eyes that pierce the cloak of time. Reaching to ancestors long forgotten, draw the spectral blade," Victoria murmured. Mist seemed to gather around her hand, coalescing into a ghostly sword as she continued taking up... well, not the rear, but not exactly forward of the middle.

...Seriously, that's the best you can do?
Shut up. I'm conserving my strength.
Pitiful.
Bitch.
That's me.

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:03 am

"Ignore them," Rowena suggested quietly. "We should probably keep moving."

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:34 am

"Keep moving which way?" John whispered as he looked for some indication of a proper course.

by **Mizuki Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 11:30 am

"How come there's people down here?" Mizuki asks, looking a bit spooked.

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 1:57 pm

John Hino wrote:"Keep moving which way?" John whispered as he looked for some indication of a proper course.

There didn't seem to be any readily available doors or passageways here. There were some open graves, a coffin, some crypts and the like, but nothing that looked like an exit, other than the way they came.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Wed May 21, 2014 1:58 pm

Victoria looked around, considering it. Then she pointed her sword at the open grave. "That way merits investigation."

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:08 pm

"So, no on ignoring the people who probably aren't people," John said, taking a step that direction.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:15 pm

"We're dealing with spiritual matters and magic. There'll be a lot of metaphor, and if something looks important, it probably is."

"But if you like... I can always do the looking," she said, moving forward.

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:25 pm

Three men and three women were bickering, with a pile of money in the center on top of the coffin. A seventh man turned to face to oncoming X-Team, nodding at them.

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:47 pm

"Maybe we're supposed to settle the argument?"

by **Mizuki Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:57 pm

"Hey, you guys, why are you arguing?" Mizuki shouts at them from a safe distance.

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 5:14 pm

"It's very simple," said the seventh man.

"A merchant in Edo has died. He's left 100,000 yen to his three daughters and their husbands. However, they can't seem to recall who is married to whom, which is troubling, as you might understand.

The three daughters, combined, have 39,600 yen left to them. Yuina has received 1000 more than Hina, and Aoi received 1000 more than Yuina.

Yuuma received twice as much as his wife. Ren received as much as his wife. Hiroto received one-and-a-half times as much as his wife.

Who is married to whom? Such a simple problem, I know..."

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:20 pm

John tapped his chin as he did the math in his head. No jokes about Japanese or dragon stereotypes please.

"100,000 minus... if Yuuma... and... add..."

He raised a clawed finger proudly. "Got it!"

"Yuuma with Aoi, Ren with Hina, and Hiroto with Yuina."

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:37 pm

A pleasant golden light filled the room, and then a symbol, in a vivid red, appeared on all four walls.

一

The seven figured vanished, leaving the X-Team alone in the graveyard.

Light began pouring from three locations: the coffin, on which the money was being sorted; the open grave next to it; and a crypt further along the way.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:48 pm

"Why am I reminded of those 'choose your own adventure' books I found in my sister's old stuff," Victoria muttered as she looked at their options.

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:02 pm

"A morbid one at that," he commented.

"That symbol means one, by the way. May or may not be important."

by **Byrna Cooper** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:41 pm

"This is totally out of my wheelhouse, but I'd say start with the coffin?"

by **John Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:08 pm

"Hrm... You said the grave before, right Victoria?" John asked as he took a closer look at the open grave.

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:17 pm

The light in the grave itself seemed to lead to...some sort of passageway?

Cursory examinations of the light emerging from the coffin and crypt also seemed to indicate that they served as some sort of doorway. Whether they reached the same place or different places was up for some debate.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:29 pm

"Take a look at all three first," Victoria said. "See if there's anything to give you a hint what they're supposed to represent."

Which, of course, she started to do, looking for names, symbols, things like that.

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