May you live interesting times- Rinzen's narrative.

[Rinzen]

-14 July 07 Saturday morning. - Sept of the Green.-

Ill Omens, inauspicious portents and good fortunes.


In the East several behaviours and events are considered to be inauspicious and thus to be avoided.
This general “force” or luck is most often referred as Joss. A person can either gain or lose Joss through daily events and/or his own actions. Therefore it’s not surprising that all kinds of divinations and luck charms are near ubiquitous and highly popular among both today’s modern bankers of East China as well as the poor peasants of South Vietnam.

The day began with bad Joss; an old wolf’s death resonated with bad Joss for us and was in turn balanced by Roach’s victorious challenge for the right to claim the title of fostern.

I had a meeting with Katalina bites-like-winter’s-wind and foresaw the faith of her cub. If I have correctly interpreted the prophesy, her cub will be instrumental in saving the Tribes after some future calamity. What kind of calamity I cannot say I only know that the cub must live to adulthood or all is lost.

Upon returning to my pack from my meeting with Katalina and her pack I suddenly recognized the scene of battle between Roach & fist-of-granite to be the same as the one in my visions. At that moment I decided to avert my ways to avoid the rest of the visions and opened my heart to Litta for I trust no other like I do in her. It was a wise decision to do so. A stone fell from my heart as I told her of my woes and troubled mind.

Tonight we will begin the hunt for the Pariah and despite all my skills with soothsaying I cannot give any sureties for which ones if indeed any or even all of us will live to see another sunrise.

I've decided to leave it all to Joss.

[Rinzen]

-15th July 07 Saturday noon. - Queens proper.-

Life, that strange little phenomenon which goes by on our travels from cradle to coffin.

We were ready for the hunt once we had settled our business for the day at the sept and spoken with Viktor-rhya and the Raven-totem of the now fallen Clouded moon pack. The totem was able to give us a lead for the last known location of the being only known as IT or Pariah; a flat in queens, though we later learned that IT once but long ago had a more noble name –Eugene Volk.

All seemed straightforward enough until the point where we had climbed out of the cab at Queens. We had barely even managed to locate the right building when all hell broke lose. First a SUV passing us by on the street became a target of drive-by which resulted as the death of the passenger. Before we could even react to this our “new” friend, Mr Roadrunner showed up on a roof top of an adjacent building and he panicked by throwing a live grenade at us on a busy street! This in turn resulted Carlin to lose his temper and going into frenzy… The blackest killing kind.

I am still amazed (and relieved) at how few bystanders actually died as a result of his rage. We quickly left the scene once Carlin had calmed down again to complete our search at the Pariah’s apartment. From his dilapidated apartment we found his notebook but little else and even the book was strangely conveniently placed for any casual visitor to find. Oh I’m sure it’s the real notebook of Eugene Volk but it’s just too neat and too much of a coincidence that we found it the way we did.

From his notes we learned about his last few weeks at NY, though last few days are suspiciously missing and unwritten from otherwise neat and consistent entries written across the breadth of the last 100 years.

The only witnesses to Carlin’s veil parting as far as I can tell are three persons, the Shen who threw the Grenade at us, A man who just seemed to vanish as if he had never even been there and the driver of the drive-by victim car and for a time he became our only clue, but I cannot be sure of him remembering Carlin's "shame".

With the man as our only clue we tracked him down to outside Queens Riviera hotel and confronted him. He gave us Greg Lawson as his name and I verified with my Gift that it’s his real name. He admitted that he had no knowledge of the identity of the “roadrunner” or the “vanishing man” and that he indeed worked for the government through his boss, a man called Ashton and that he was to meet someone with his partner now deceased Blackburn, at Queens by the orders from Mr Ashton but they were ambushed for reasons unknown. So we let the man go and went to near by Internet Café to find more about this Ashton fellow but all we found at the Net were entries and news concerning a pro-athlete gymnastic Leah Ashton and her rumoured boyfriend Steven Manning. A dead end again it seems.

It was finally decided that we would go see the last known whereabouts of the Pariah; a church where he had met the Clouded moon-pack with a tragic results.

If this fails as well we have no alternative but to go and meet Leah Ashton and hope that she is indeed a relative to Mr. Ashton. Worst part is that we have no way knowing if Ashton and Pariah are in fact any way linked to one another or to elusive duo “Roadrunner” & Vanishing man” but this is all just too much of a coincidence to be shrugged off as a mere chance encounters.

Perhaps after tonight we will be wiser.

[Rinzen]

Saturday July 15th 2006 –Staten Island Sept of Gaia.

Missing and found

Be careful what you wish for or you might get what you wanted.

We searched through several churches until we finally figured to visit at the Sept of Gaia incase the clouded moon-pack had been there recently and they had indeed, three days ago and not seen since. Crimson the Sept’s Lupus guardian directed us to the nearby church and ransacked community.

And there we found the lost ones… Torn and disfigured remains of the Clouded moon-pack. Soon it became apparent that the Pariah had involved with this but not in the way we had thought, another even more powerful wyrm ridden beast had defeated the pack and the Pariah had managed to keep two of the wounded alive for three nights. The shadow of kung-kung lies heavily on the grounds and it will require great efforts to cleanse.

We took the surviving members with us once I had fetched the Theurges form the sept to assist us. Upon interrogation the survivors told us that they had attacked the beast and its very touch had been enough to wither limbs and break spirits.

Many questions still require answers. Why did the Pack totem mislead us? How are we to defeat such a terrifying monster? And what are we to do with the Pariah and the Jackets?

Perhaps the totem himself had been misled or he may have believed that we would do “a better job” by being infuriated… Perhaps Viktor-rhya can assist with bringing this beast down considering his expertise with the subject... The Pariah, well that’s going to be a tricky one indeed.
And then there are the Jackets, I couldn’t give a damn about them but I suspect I’ll have to. Roach can keep his one-sided “Beat e’m ‘till they bleed”-attitude but it won’t be enough to end the threat to his Kin in the long run. Unfortunately I’ve no idea what to do with them either. It’s as good as any other way to vent your rage I suppose.

[Rinzen]

-Saturday July 15th-16th 2006 –Staten Island Sept of Gaia, Manhattan, Ellis island.
Visitations

Sometimes the little things are the ones that matter the most.

When I woke up at the sept that morning, I took it as my first priority to repay the given hospitality. I gave two Rabbits to Crimson who was quite pleased with them. I then lifted a ride from Brian lifebringer-Rhya to the Sept of the Green with the wounded. Brian initially agreed to help me in creating a few Talens but I doubt he does so now that my wyrm taint has been revealed by him.
I had little time to ponder this for my pack needed me soon. Angi’s presumably dead mate had turned up at Litta’s mansion, hurt scab and killed the puppy while we were chasing the Pariah at Queens and Staten Island. Roach had already gone after him by the time I arrived.
The disturbing part was the way the man had left Litta’s mansion he hadn’t walked out… he had walked in to Umbra… I followed Roach who had followed him all the way to Manhattan… I do not know what it was that wyrm-thing guarding the Hudson river-blight but by Gaia it was hideous and big, bigger than five full 18-wheel trucks and I’m sure it wasn’t a tainted weaver spirit despite looking like a one. Needless to say we left in a hurry.
As we were crossing the Gauntlet something strange happened and I lost almost two hours in according to Roach whom I meet when I finally got through but to me it had been but a moment… We figured it best to keep tracking the man despite his long head start. After a long chase we finally reached the Ellis Island ferry. At Ellis Island I lost him but found toxic waste instead. I’ve no idea why someone would dump toxic waste on national monument but there it was.
I also spent some time after we had returned to Litta’s mansion, by visiting the wolves of prospect park.

[Rinzen]

Descent to underworld
Saturday July 16th 2006 –Staten Island Sept of Gaia. -August 1st 2006-

The elder studied critically at the pack gathered before him. They had come before him with a request of being taught the rite to pass safely into deep umbra. Their plea had seemed sincere and reasons sound but the old wolf had his doubts…
-“You come to me with honorable intention but you’re inexperienced and may not know what may lie beyond…” The pack alpha shifted as if to protest but the elder’s stern look halted his actions.
-“…So listen and heed this story first.”

I wasn’t sure of what to expect when elder s sent me meet Eldest Teardrop who had required my presence that day. When I arrived at his tree house, I felt relieved that it wasn’t to have me punished but about finding a way to get rid of the bane and serve the nation as well. I naturally agreed to this. I spent the following day in meditation, preparing for my quest which would lead me deep into the Yin-realms.

I returned at the following night to the Elders dwelling and he led me into the Umbra, leading me into a glowing reflection of a church.
-"Back in my youth Churches and other places of great spiritual potential often glow in the darkness of Umbra. And sometimes they still do."

At the church the Elder told me that “You will be looking for a box. The box is made of steel with a hinged lid. There will be a seal on the front in the shape of a diamond. On the seal are two skeletal hands with an aura around them over the weave of a basket. It is important that you do not open this box, what's inside is not for your eyes, and may very well cause you harm. This box cannot be taken back through the umbral planes, but it can be moved. There is a resting place that you will be lead to by a spirit with great wings. There you will meet a man who will remove your bane in return for the box. You must bring this man no harm at any cost. If necessary you must aid in his protection. If you fail to do this a great war will start. I have seen a terrible battle that leaves our kind crippled for decades and more... "

He then bid me to assume my human form. I complied and reassured elder Teardrop that I would do as told and nothing but.

He took some of my hairs to bind with some fine copper wire and a lush vine of ivy. He braided the items together. After the braid was complete he reached into his pocket once again and gave me a potion to drink to aid with transition to the deep umbra. I was told to drink it, and then tie the braid around my wrist. He warned me not to let harm come to the band or I would be harmed should anything happen to it.

-“If it does come to harm; return here immediately or be lost forever. Put this into your minds young ones!”

Once the braid was secure, I was instructed to howl the three ancient and traditional words of power.
As the words rang through the church I felt myself begin to slide deeper into the umbra. Soon the church was gone and I was in a dilapidated shack; the elder was nowhere to be seen. The vibrant colors I knew so well had faded to a grayish shade of oblivion. Everything around me seemed wispy and withered. I was truly in the land of the dead. I however stood out. My black coat hid well in the shadows, but my heritage, that white collar you cubs see me wear so proudly shone like a beacon of light there. Outside the shack was a bare road. Every few hundred feet were what looked like a lamp post radiating some form of light. As I begun to move through the street I noticed quiet whispers. Where they came from is uncertain. It didn’t take long for me to start feeling followed. Feeling myself threatened, I turned around growling in War form. Behind me were three Kuei or ghosts, when it came apparent that they were merely curious we got along rather well.

-"It should be noted young ones that I was in luck to meet Kuei who were helpful, it is impossible to know by just looking if a Kuei is trustworthy or not. So be careful in your dealings."

They told me to turn back from the way I had taken lest it be my ending but they also told me the way to the city of the dead and Palace of Masquer Kaiden who held the box I was after.

-"Also remember this: As yang aligned beings we are particularly vulnerable in the realms of Yin and metal is perhaps the strongest of Yin elements. It’s not just the physical assaults that await you in the land of dead; death of the mind is also a very real possibility."

I scoffed at their warnings and kept my path until I reached the gates of Stygia- The realm of the dead.
At the gates a contingent of ancient warriors barred my way, I later discovered them to be a part of legendary lost Legion of Crassus. The immaculate leader riding on horseback told me with a voice as inevitable as death itself to either turn back or state my business. A strange madness gripped me and I grappled a spear from one of the warriors to stab myself with it into stomach…
As the Stygian iron pierced I could feel it ripping my guts as it were tipped in molten silver… And suddenly the soldier I had taken the spear transformed into hideous winged beast and soared laughing into the skies.

-"I was very strong back then and not even Yin-touched spear could drop me but it very near did."
The pain freed me from the madness of despair in which I had fallen and I realized that I could not achieve anything by fang and claw. I apologized to the Leader and sneaked away to change form into Homid, and slinked back in. even with the information given by the three Kuei It took a long time to find the palace of Kaiden.

Two guards had been posted on the front gate. I considered many options and discarded them all except one; Walk straight up to the gate and it worked. After a bit of talking the guards let me in to meet Kaiden.

It turned out that Kaiden was surprisingly sympathetic to my cause and agreed to aid me if I would slay conjurer woman by the name of Bethann Frest. According to Kaiden she was staying in an abandoned apartment building near the Court of Sept of the Green .She had companions that were equally dangerous, but she was their current leader. He also warned me that I had little time to stop them before her nefarious goals were complete. He poinetd out the clouded moon pack as an example and warned me that I would need powerful allies to aid in her downfall. People with special skills that Garou lacked. Kaiden then retrieved the box and I was free to go.

I didn’t get very far when the huge winged beast that Eldest teardrop had mentioned; appeared and took me to its wings. The wings of the humanoid beast spanned almost 12 feet, his height towering 2 feet over me. He stared me straight on but had no features to his face, not even the white glow of his eyes could be seen
"-It may sound wonderful to fly but it wasn’t. I nearly went mad during the flight younglings…"

The winged man-beast took me through the tempest and swirling fogs until we reached a small patch of land in the middle of the storm. Everything around me was eerily still. On the island was a man in a wheelchair accompanied by another spirit. The man in the chair reeked of wyrm taint even in this vile place. His features were sharp as his skin was stretched over bones. His eyes were white orbs with light grey pupils. The smell of freshly turned earth radiated from him. As I approached, there was a chill breeze that blew by as the hairs on the back of my neck rose. The spirit at his side was very muscular and didn’t appear to be in a good mood, but he stood quietly at his master's side. When the man in the chair spoke his thin raspy voice cut through me like jagged barbs. The sound of his trailing 's'es were akin to nails on a chalkboard.

-"I admit that this was first actual face to face meeting with the reviled Kin-jin vampires."
The man gave me no name and I asked none. He accepted the box and heard my plea. Once we had agreed, he opened the box and his spirit servants took out sets of armor that looked like medieval plate mails and put them on. I was surprised to see such a small box to hold something so large.

The man told me to relax as he began his excruciatingly painful task of sucking the bane out. He pushed me back without touching to keep me in place. Then the man took the hand he pushed with to his chest and pulled back on his shirt exposing a black hole of nothingness. As he said a few more passages in some ancient language, he pulled the Bane closer to him until he was able to wrap his arms around the Bane and pulled him into an Embrace. The Bane struggled in vain as he was sucked into the vortex in the man's chest.

Then bane was gone and I realized I was having an out of body experience.

I thanked the man and he told me to tell Elder Teardrop that the boon had been spent. The man returned me back into my body and the winged beast took me back to the shack at Stygia.

I invoked the power of the bracelet and journeyed back home and found out that almost two weeks had passed.

-"Now which one you young braves is the first to get the bracelet and potion?" The elder asked with a wry knowing smile…