So, in our attempts to find out more about gem guy, we decided to hit the temple of Aya a ways outside the city to see if the acolytes there were more informed than the ones in the city. They weren't. But it wasn't a total waste of time, the clergy sure knew how to party. So, spent a couple of days “hanging out” with the nubile young priestesses. I think Cassie prayed to Aya to deliver us to Masayume, because one night we ended up waking up over there.
After I determined we were indeed in Masayume, Cassie used her powers to be able to communicate with the natives. We started out in a town known as Ume No Hana. After speaking with the village's elder about our dilemma, he told us our best bet would be to check with the main Crane compound (the same clan as [farne:actors:Koga Rei|Rei]]! I should tell her I met up with some of her clansmen next time I see her) in the city of [farne:locations:Mikake]]. So we ended up escorting a caravan heading there, and after an uneventful week we ended up in the city.
While there were a fair number of Masayuman cuties about, I cursed my luck at not knowing the language, as I knew I wouldn't be able to woo the girls out of their kimonos if they didn't know what I was saying. At least I don't think it would work. Anyways, we made our way to the Crane compound, and luckily their chamberlain, Torao, spoke our language.
After a bit of formality, we talked with a Lady Kato Miyuki and once again explained our situation. She acquiesced into letting us check out their libraries (or rather, accompanying the Chamberlain as he checked the libraries for the info) while she discussed things with the rest of the clan elders. Alas, there was nothing he could find in their own libraries, but they figured their might be relevant info in their archives.
The archives ended up being on the Isle of Shadows. Since it wasn't to wise to go there at night, we waited until morning before we took a gate over there with Torao. The search here proved more fruitful than our previous searches, as Torao believed he found the relevant info. Since it was getting late, we headed back with utmost haste, getting jumped by some weird six legged cat which I quickly dispatched and decapitated. I saw its skull just was the right size for a helmet, so I took it with me to hopefully get it skinned and treated and made into a helm.
While the Crane folks looked over the texts and decided what they would tell us, we headed over to this one bar where we noticed that same symbol we saw in Manderbel. Given what happened in that town, we were a little perturbed about seeing it here. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I finally bit the arrow and headed in, hoping if I did end up somewhere, I'd be able to gate my way back out. But, it was a normal bar.
Grey talked with the proprietor about it, and at first he claimed it was an advertisement. But after Grey did something with a bunch of sticks and string the guy gave him, the guy gave him an address for a location in Elendia. He said we would find answers about the symbol there.
Eventually, we were summoned back to the Crane compound, where Miyuki told us what's the what. She said gem-dude was thought to be a great warrior who did some bad things for the greater good, whereas others thought of him as a dishonorable monster. But, she figured the truth was somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
They asked us if we could retrieve his weapon and armor from him (by asking him nicely?!) if possible, and give them any new info we find out about him. But, it didn't seem like they wanted him freed or even want the gem at all- such matters were not their business.
Against the other elders advice, she decided to tell us the guy was named Kaz Fujikawa. With that tidbit of info finally known, we decided to head to the underground cavern we hid the gem in to let Kaz know he was. Once we did, he started to remember some things, but it was still a haze. He asked us about the world now, and we told him about Seldermoor, which sounded somewhat familiar to him. He told us we might want to check to see if anything similar happened in the past.
So, after all topics of conversation were exhausted, we headed back to Alestia City to do some more research. Tried looking up that event as Kaz said with Grey at the main library. After we were done for the night, as we headed home, a bunch of hooded guys jumped us, wielding poisoned daggers. It was a rough fight, and they almost got us, but we prevailed in the end. Apparently they thought Grey was the bigger threat, as they ganged up on him. (Or was it that he dove into the lot of them?) In any case, after dispatching the one on me, I jumped into the melee he was in, and we dispatched the assassins.
Were these the Keepers of Enma? After we killed them, a strange black liquid “bled” out of them. Were they innocents possessed by this black oil? The one living guy left that Grey had knocked out claimed to have no memories of what happened. Well, of attacking us. Apparently he was one of the missing villagers from Manderbel, as were the other assassins slain. So apparently these Keepers of Enma did something to the villagers to get them possessed by infernal creatures, who've been walking around in the villager meat-suits to attack us and assassinate several electors.
The next morning, headed over to Little Masayume to see Rei again. I told her about my trip to her homeland and how I met some of her clan elders. That seemed to pique her interest, so I asked her if she wanted to do lunch, and I could tell her all about it. Rei agreed, and I talked about Mikake and meeting with her clansmen and tried to impress her by mentioning the danger we saw going to the Isle of Shadows. She did seem more receptive and engaged this time around, and I offered to take her there one day if she wanted. My mastery of space had increased recently, so it would be no problem to gate back there anytime I wanted. I said I would definitely like to go back there, but since I don't speak the language, I could use someone like her. Rei told me she might just take me up on the offer. So once I have some free time without assassins and wot-not breathing down my neck, I'll take her there.