The Yokai Realm - Act 1: Moki Fucking Dies
Opening
The session opens in the evening at the Toys 'R' Us and everyone is winding down. Moki takes the opportunity to chat with Katrina over what happened in her investigation into the gym and what the leonin had told her about Katrina. Moki inquires about Katrina's past. She's unable to give a reason for her actions. Moki also mentions that she'd like to see Diesel again. Katrina mentions she'll call him.
The Next Day:
The group goes to bed for the night, and the group is startled awake by the sound of a horn and of marching from the parking lot. Peeking out the window, the group spies a small army of Little Caesar's Legionnaires in formation approaching the Toys 'R' Us. They stop and demand to "parley".
The group steps out to discuss. They demand that the group vacates the space and surrenders. Otherwise, they will take the Toys 'R' Us by force. Kate manages to deceive them, mentioning Katrina's ownership of the space and that this is now a company building -- which happened to be a luckily timed excuse as Katrina had just prepared that today. Katrina walks to the end of the lot and reveals a sign saying "CalicoWorks" and the legionnaires leave as the group now has a company on paper, and must be drawn out differently. Saying they will be back.
As they leave, Moki takes the opportunity to mend all the worn down shopping carts in the lot and organize them as per her original plan to animate them and use them to run over opponents in the lot. She's thanked by the old owner -- the ghostly gnome.
The group hears the sound of an 18-wheeler rolling in. Remembering the delivery, Moki hands the guitar case to Katrina who accepts it. As Moki steps onto the truck, she hands him the item Bami gave her.
He tells Kate and Moki that this means he gets to go home, and that if someone gave this to them, that they were expected. With farewells in order, Skab and Katrina plan to hold down the fort, Kate and Moki will head out with Diesel. Katrina says she thinks it'll be good for Moki.
Diesel's Home:
After a while of driving, the scenery seems to shift to the Japanese countryside. Eventually Kate and Moki come up to what is like an old-style Japanese mansion. Diesel tells Sebazios that it's best if he stays back with him while Kate and Moki head to the mansion.
As the pair make their way to the door, they spot a small shrine that looks like a miniature mansion that's extremely well-kept. They continue on and just as they're about to call out, Diesel honks the horn of his truck
Kate and Moki make their way in and find nobody inside. They take a moment to change their shoes into indoor slippers and continue into the mansion. The interior is like a traditional Japanese mansion, it is huge and has modern amenities.
As the two continue searching for anyone, they can hear the sounds of a conversation between a man and a woman but are unable to hear what words are said. They try to get closer to the sound, passing doors upon doors, all open revealing other rooms in the mansion. They begin to feel an overwhelming presence as they move deeper into the mansion and in another moment, it's gone, as is the sound of conversation.
A black suit of samurai armour opens the door. Moki feels a familiarity in the armour to her other self. The armour introduces himself as Gosaku, and tells the pair that they're expected. He guides them through the mansion, and informs them that this is the house of the Saiga clan. He leads them to what seems like a Dojo and tells them that the mistress of the house is beyond the doors ahead of them.
The Mistress of the House:
Moki opens the door and an overwhelming presence rushes out. It feels like the pair is in the middle of a heavy storm. Inside, they see a woman with a white Kimono with pink cherry blossoms she sits at the end of a table. Tea is prepared, and she beckons Kate and Moki to join. They do, and she pours them tea.
She introduces herself as Azami and mentions that Kate and Moki must have a reason they're here. And that Bami has already briefed her on the two of them.
Azami glares at Moki, and she feels the presence once more. In response, her other self reveals herself in Moki's eyes, briefly shifting to a cat-like stare. Azami is glad, and says she's glad she's not wasting her time.
Azami then tells Moki to trust her for a moment. She does. Azami places a hand on her shoulder, and in the next second, Moki feels a sharp pain in her gut and something warm and wet on her hands. Looking down she discovers a katana through her. Azami's grip tightens, holding her and Moki drops to the ground, dead. Azami places a white lotus on her, and puts her under gentle repose and Moki's other self is split from her, being banished from the mansion, flying past all the doors -- now closed, until she's outside in the courtyard which is now night.
Azami then turns to Kate, who has drawn her sword. Azami makes it clear she's aware what the weapon is, and who it used to belong to, asking about her father. Kate goes into a frenzy and tries to attack Azami over and over, who effortlessly deflects and blocks Kate's attacks, seemingly insulted she'd even use that weapon against her. Azami seems to relish in Kate's panic and confusion over the situation. After a while of trying, Kate eventually passes out from exhaustion.
The Yokai Realm
She wakes up later, it's night inside the mansion. She's in the same room but there is a lot more ceramic. The ceramics begin to shatter into shards that conglomerate from around the mansion.
Kate sees a man in samurai armour made of broken pottery who picks her up and carries her through the mansion. She looks around, unsure what to make of this.
They come across a vase that begins to shake. Sebasios pops out from the vase, and it attaches to the samurai's back As they catch up, Kate tells him that Moki has been killed.
Kate looks at her hands. She's got an eerie glow to her. Something about this feels familiar to her and helps her calm down. Kate feels like she failed since Moki has died. Sebasios feels that they're between the material plane and spirit plane
As they make their way out of the mansion, they see the glowing shrine, the samurai gestures to it and drops the pot Sebasios is in. The samurai holds his hand out to the shrine and gets pulled in. Kate and Sebasios do the same and get pulled into the same cityscape as Demon Moki.
They bump into the same Oni that Demon Moki did. He threatens to eat Kate. The pottery soldier forms a ceramic sword at his neck. The oni keeps moving on.
After that, the pottery soldier leads them to the castle. As they walk, smaller yokai children keep trying to play with Sebasios
Hitomi shows up behind them in a black and red kimono adorned with spider lilies. She informs Kate of her relation with Bami. She also tells Kate about the sword Moki was killed with. Which forces division. They weren't sure if Demon Moki Could live without Moki, so they had taken precautions in case.
Azami tells Moki to trust her. She stabs Moki with her katana and kills her. Placing a white lotus to keep her from fully dying Demon Moki feels that her oath has not broken.
Demon Moki is ejected from Moki's body and is cast outside the mansion. It is night outside, and she sees the armour for what it is, another Yokai.
She is guided to the shrine to visit Bami. She touches the shrine and is pulled into a bustling city-like space filled with creatures of all kinds Bami is coiled around a skyscraper, above which is a star-studded night sky. She has no memory of this place, however its atmosphere feels familiar (similar to state fair)
Moki feels Skab's axe on her back. She sees a flashback of Moki being stabbed. Demon Moki saw a golden sword with several branching points. She is not aware of the differing viewpoints between Moki's perception of her stabbing and the view she just saw.
Gosaku continues guiding demon Moki to the castle. She bumps into another Oni and she sees similar horns to her own.
We eventually make it to the gates of the castle. The guards retract their weapons as they see Gosaku approach the gate As the gates open, he walks demon Moki through. The entrance is a serene garden. To the left, a small grove, to the right, a garden. A man with 3 heads and 6 arms works on bushes. A woman with a face-mask tends to the flowers, watering them. She approaches us. She looks Moki in the eyes and asks if she's pretty. Moki says yes, Gosaku says she's average.
Demon Moki contemplates her oath as she still feels it, but also feels it malleable Demon Moki notices Gosaku is emitting a radiance from him. She asks about this and learns that he is pledged to Bami. His oath is unknown to her though. She asks about his oath and learns their goals are kinda aligned. She thinks on his oath and finds it might be off to apply to herself Gosaku pats her on the back, and she feels her back more physical here, but she also feels her other self. Things feel a lot more intertwined. She sees different permutations of the combined features of the two mixing at once.
As this happens she feels her oath shift. Being both valid and invalid at the same time. Though the picture isn't clear yet.
Back at the palace, there's a lot of staff working to make sure the place is prepared. She's told to head upstairs, so she can be seated properly Upstairs is a massive buffet table that stretches on for a while. Many different yokai work to set up the table She's seated by a woman in a bamboo hat and a white kimono. They talk but don't communicate much.
After they break conversation, Azami also shows up, finding the prior conversation too cryptic. She hands Moki a hand mirror. In it, she can see both sides of herself at once and is told these are both her.
Azami is also aware Moki has cursed before, and that's what caused them to split. She tells Moki that her type specifically, is a shiftling. One of the first types to roam the Earth. She also gives Moki a wooden dagger that has its own divine power in it. By channeling divinity into it, it transforms into a similar blade that killed her.