Broken-Winged Crane: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:38, 29 April 2006

The Player's Guide, pg 87, claims "this unholy manuscript serves as a guide to damnation and damnable power (see BoTC, p.22). Every copy of the book is different, all imperfect reflections of the original tome that has not yet been penned. But all winding and crooked paths lead to Malfeas, and every copy leads its reader toward resplendent slavery or utter madness. A copy of The Broken-Winged Crane is an Artifact •••••, possession of which means certain death in the Realm and much of the Threshold. Mere rumor of the book's existence can doom a sorcerer to death or inescapable disgrace."

Possessing the Broken-Winged Crane

Stag possessed a copy of this book and discovered the following about it:

This book is one of a race of first circle demon known as geranosi. All individuals are different, but all appear as books and have a similar purpose, though slightly different contents. This particular book sought a reader worthy of understanding its knowledge without going mad, who would then be introduced to the books creator, whom it loved as much as any demon can love. Such an offering would make the book complete.

All geranosi are created by an undulating storm of jet-black ink and feathers, a second circle demon named Gruidtsuru, the Aviary of Ink Wings. Stag briefly became lost in with fascination in the writing patterns of Gruidtsuru contained in the book's memory. Clearly this creator demon knows something, maybe everything.

Gruidtsuru is the wisdom soul of of a third circle demon who appears as woman with jet-black skin, wearing robes of pale silver, whose eyes glimmer like the moon. Strands of her ebon hair glow white and a rat�s tail trails from the back of her robes. Thunder cracks when she enters the mortal world and torches and other lights instantly go out in her presence. This is Erembour, That Which Calls to the Shadows. She carries a long silver horn curved like a ram�s and when she sounds a long slow song, it fills the hearts of those who hear it with a melancholy attraction to the darkness and calls the people of Malfeas out to make blind revel and follow in the path of her master.

Erembour both serves and comprises one of the souls of a Yozi who is the shadow of everything that has ever lived. While Malfeas has no night, this Yozi, the Ebon Dragon, occasionally blots out the sun and the streets of the Demon City clear, save for those who hear the call of Erembour's horn.

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-== Quick Primer on Demons ==
+The ''Player's Guide'', pg 87, claims "this unholy manuscript serves as a guide to damnation and damnable power (see BoTC, p.22). Every copy of the book is different, all imperfect reflections of the original tome that has not yet been penned. But all winding and crooked paths lead to Malfeas, and every copy leads its reader toward resplendent slavery or utter madness. A copy of ''The Broken-Winged Crane'' is an Artifact &bull;&bull;&bull;&bull;&bull;, possession of which means certain death in the Realm and much of the Threshold. Mere rumor of the book's existence can doom a sorcerer to death or inescapable disgrace."
-The makers of Creation and the gods are called '''Primordials'''. The gods rebelled against the Primordials, with the help of the exalted. Some of the Primordials died, their bodies defining the Underworld. These Primordials are called '''The Neverborn'''. Other Primordials surrendered. These were forced to swear oaths imprisoning themselves within the body of one of their own (Malfeas) and are called '''Yozis'''.
+== Possessing the Broken-Winged Crane ==
-A Primordial is best thought of as more of a region than a creature. The bodies of the Yozis, for example, take the form of hellish landscapes. Surviving records speak of at least 23 known Yozis, including:
+[[Stag]] possessed a copy of this book and discovered the following about it:
-* Malfeas, the Demon City
+This book is one of a race of first circle demon known as ''geranosi''. All individuals are different, but all appear as books and have a similar purpose, though slightly different contents. This particular book sought a reader worthy of understanding its knowledge without going mad, who would then be introduced to the books creator, whom it loved as much as any demon can love. Such an offering would make the book complete.
-* Cecelyne, the Endless Desert
-* She Who Lives in Her Name
-* Adorjan, the Silent Wind
-* The Ebon Dragon
-* Kimbery, the Sea That Marched Against the Flame
-* Isidoros, the Black Boar That Twists the Skies
-* Oramus, the Dragon Beyond the World
-* Cytherea, the Mother of Creation
-Each Primodial is comprised of a variable number of "souls". These souls embody one aspect of the Primordial's personality, and usually manifest as creatures of immense power. To kill a Primordial, all of its souls must be destroyed. As part of their surrender, the Yozis were forced to agree to serve their conquerers. Very powerful magic (solar circle sorcery) can summon a soul of a Yozi and bind it to service. These souls are called '''third circle demons''' and are ''extremely'' powerful. These creatures are dependent upon their lords, but are not puppets. One of these souls is more important than the others, defining the heart of the Yozi's being. This soul is called the Yozi's '''fetich'''.
+All ''geranosi'' are created by an undulating storm of jet-black ink and feathers, a second circle demon named [[Gruidtsuru, the Aviary of Ink Wings]]. Stag briefly became lost in with fascination in the writing patterns of Gruidtsuru contained in the book's memory. Clearly this creator demon ''knows'' something, maybe everything.
-Like their superiors, third circle demons also have multiple souls. Usually, they have seven, defining their ability to protect, gratify, define, communicate, express, reflect and understand her own essential nature. Each one of these souls also manifests as a separate entity, referred to as '''second circle demons'''. Such creatures can be summoned and bound by celestial circle sorcery.
+Gruidtsuru is the wisdom soul of of a third circle demon who appears as woman with jet-black skin, wearing robes of pale silver, whose eyes glimmer like the moon. Strands of her ebon hair glow white and a rat�s tail trails from the back of her robes. Thunder cracks when she enters the mortal world and torches and other lights instantly go out in her presence. This is [[Erembour, That Which Calls to the Shadows]]. She carries a long silver horn curved like a ram�s and when she sounds a long slow song, it fills the hearts of those who hear it with a melancholy attraction to the darkness and calls the people of Malfeas out to make blind revel and follow in the path of her master.
-Second circle demons can, and usually do, spawn whole races of even lesser demons. This is done through gestation, laying eggs, budding, even carving from stone, wood or severed organs. It is a mechanical/biological process, however, not spiritual. These lesser minions are known as '''first circle demons''' and can be summoned and bound by terrestrial circle sorcery.
+Erembour both serves and comprises one of the souls of a Yozi who is the shadow of everything that has ever lived. While Malfeas has no night, this Yozi, the [[Ebon Dragon]], occasionally blots out the sun and the streets of the Demon City clear, save for those who hear the call of Erembour's horn.
-As an example, the 18th soul of the Yozi Adorjan is the third circle demon Jacint, the Prince Upon the Tower. The wisdom soul of this demon is the second circle demon Gumela, the Jeweled Auditor (he's the one you fought on the bridge). Gumela has spawned at least two species of first circle demon: Amphelisia (lizard-like creatures that can summon poisonous vermin) and Hopping Puppeteers (weird collections of legs).
-== Learning from the Broken-Winged Crane ==
-So, given all of the above, and the rumor that the ''Broken-Winged Crane'' is actually the a demon in the shape of a book, it may be possible to figure out who this demon's higher souls are, and ultimately the Yozi that spawned it. If this is the same book that corrupted the Empress, this could be a big clue as to where she might be now. It's also possible the book might have some kind of connection back to its creator.
-How you would actually find this out, however, is a bit obscure. Stag knows he has at least the following options:
-* There is a very slight chance that Efficient Secretary Technique might be able to find out.
-* The charm Embracing Life Method (see "The Way of Knowing" on that improvement sheet I gave you) could probably answer answer this (and maybe a bunch of other questions). The training time is substantial, however.
-* It may be that more information could be found in the location where the book was found by the mortal archeologist.
-* You know that the Dragon-blooded you fought were after the book for some reason. Chances are they might know more than you.
-* You could take the book into heaven and request help from other sidereals. The drawback is that you'd most likely face severe sanctions for your activities as Flowing Pen and subsequent disappearance. It's also hard to know if you'd be believed. Lastly, you know that at least one sidereal (your old sifu) seemed to be involved with the Empress' corruption.
-* You could try possessing the book. It is difficult to know what this might do to you.
-* You could read the book. This would almost certainly subject you to the same fate as the Empress, but at least you'd know what happened to her.
-* You could simply try holding onto the book for later study. To do this, you'd need to convince the group not to give the book to Grandmother Bright, or convince her to give you back the book once she has it.
 [[Category:Forgotten Suns]]
+[[Category:Magic Item]]
+[[Category:Demon]]