Zhiyu-Ji Djinn, Campaign Notes
Episode 1
My Lord, the Unconquered Sun, God of Gods, rescued me from Oblivion that I should one day redeem myself in His service. Agelong I floated in the void, with nothing but my uniform and armour which I had long disgraced, a sword taken from a slain enemy, and floating beside me the golden sword with which I fought the Crimson Guard, the secret sword that I shall henceforth call “The Price of Freedom” after the first words spoken to my unworthy self by the Sun God.
And, of course, my conscience. Newfound after so long an absence, its presence was both a torment and a comfort to me.
I know not how much time passed, but after what seemed like an eternity I was no longer alone. The Sun explained to us how we five were to be His instruments in the world, and then returned us to it to fulfil our destinies. We were met by a Chosen of the Moon Goddess, Kalis, whose task it was to help us adjust to the many changes in the world since our time, which, he informed us, was 1230 years previously. We were in a near-abandoned city, home only to the unfortunate and the destitute, it seemed to me.
We had our first experience with machinacal transportation before long, when a “truck” stopped and the driver attempted to capture milord Kalis and add him to the slaves he was transporting. While the others prevented this, milord Kino freed the slaves from the truck and then set about immobilising the thing permanently that the driver could not flee in it. Had it not been for me, the freed slaves would all have been scattered and lost. I gave them some food and what little medical attention I could offer. At the suggestion of the others, these men and women then accompanied us as we attempted to follow milord Kalis’ suggestion of searching for a long-lost Solar Manse, a thing that perhaps only we might have the power to uncover. The others had also made captive the slaver, one Fivefold Anvil, a Chosen of the Dragons.
Travelling in a similar truck to the one so expertly and efficiently dispatched by milord Kino, we set out on a quest for the Manse. We found it very easily, as though called to it. I say “it”; really “it” was five Manses, one for each of us Chosen of the Sun God. Buried deep underground they were, along with a majestic city concealed from the world for who-knows how long? The city seemed to wake when we took possession of and attuned to the Manse. I know little of such deep things as the nature of Manses, but I felt very comfortable, “at home” in mine. It is an unnatural feeling I am sure, a feeling that comes from without, not unlike the one I felt towards my former Lady perhaps?
The others, particularly milord Theo, desired to thoroughly explore the full extent of the city. I accompanied him and milord Kino as they uncovered a hidden door. I remained behind as they explored beyond it. Milord Theo returned after about an hour, alone.
Episode 2
They had found an underground river. Milord Theo had travelled upstream, milord Kino had gone downstream. I rounded up the others and we followed milord Kino when he did not return as soon as milord Theo.
We caught up to him at an area blocked by an invisible barrier, apparently a function of the Manse, perhaps delineating its outer limits, probably a defence to prevent intrusion from without. Milord Kino reported he had seen “eyes”, on our side of the barrier, at first.
There was a similar barrier upriver. Requesting the barrier to open proved enough to open it. The riverside walkway continued until a rockface was reached – mined? The stream came from underground at this point.
The next day we travelled downriver beyond the barrier and saw the eyes. They studied us, and then fled – into the wall – which turned out to be a concealed passageway. This magically lit itself in our area, and led to an underground jungle containing giant, though edible, fruit. We deduced this was under the city. It allowed a return to the city from it.
The eyes belong to a spirit. Those with the Old Tongue communicated with it: Zhan, caretaker of the Manse. He told us of other underground caverns such as the jungle (or overgrown garden) which we checked out. There is also a library.
We explored downriver until we came to the inside of a waterfall. The river overlooks a sign to the great and fabled city of Nexus.
There was much work to do to make the city habitable for we Chosen and the people with us. Milord Carlos seems to spend much time talking of what needs to be done. If it were my place I would suggest to him that he would get more done if he spent more time doing the things he wishes done than talking of them.
Two months passed in this way. During this time milord Theo, revealed to be a mighty sorcerer, favoured me with the casting of a spell for my benefit, endowing the black armour of the Ji with the strength of the Earth to make it even more resilient. Fivefold Anvil, having renounced his former ways and sworn allegiance to our cause, we began to give some measure of trust to.
Then, by some sorcery milord Kalis was informed by his apprentice of a danger to his tribe. We offered to help. He mentioned a dæmon. We travelled to Nexus, the city of cities, whose awesome size as was told in the tales of old is as nothing as to its true, incomprehensible sprawling vastness. It was here where milord Kalis’ apprentice Sam explained that the “dæmon” was a Deathknight who wished to speak with us, the Solar Exalted, two days hence. We met this… man, who called himself Bittersweet Sound of the Neverending Destiny, and he took us to a café. We told him we didn’t want to speak to the monkey; we wanted to speak to the organ grinder, the Deathlord Mask of Winters. A meeting was scheduled for one month’s time, in an empty city to the north of Nexus.
The others travelled back to the Manse.
I stayed in Nexus and tried to make some connections, contacts among the local populace. This process is begun but by no means concluded.
The others returned, and we set out.