Game 4 - Yggdrasil, the Spirit Tree

Game 4 begins right when Nil Jenko, accompanied by a troup of armed men, arrives at Boruso'Ku, moments after the public seppuku of the Black Boars.

Scene One - Words of Wisdom
Nil Jenko is accompanied by Simian Ertoh, his right hand, and 50 armed men. They eat with them and have a chance to exchange information. The new Prefect hands the everyone but Bearer of Loyalty a scroll containing orders from the Daimyo, Lady Wisdom.

Orders are given for the PCs to go meet her. They are to meet with Mantle of Whispers, and are expected to be at Nime-Yu, the Heights of Wisdom, by the first day of Monkey Ascending.

Before deciding to leave, the group runs after Testost, who left to follow the tracks left by the Stormwind Rider spell the surviving Black Boar used to escape. The meet him in a clearing, where Päf determines that, having used other sorcery, it would highly improbable for the escapees to be found again.

Scene Two - Back to the Beginings
Mantle of Whispers is already at the palace, waiting for the group with news of the capital, Unagi. A Tournament for the position of Hand of the Kami will be held on the 15th day of Resplendent Monkey, and already the Ember Wolf has announced Bayushi Karnak as their champion. Rumors swirl that this time, the Guild of Guilds might seek the position with Rao Ma as its champion.

It is decided that the group should take the time to go to Forbidden Yggdrasil and annoint Kid Kong as its Guardian before moving on to Nime-Yu.

On their way to Lady Wisdom, the should meet with Nil Jenke-Osu and her men. They are accompanied by Rengoku Exorcists and they carry the Heart of Slaughter to Nime-Yu, the Heights of Wisdom, for safekeeping.

Scene Three - The Spirit Tree
Arriving at Forbidden Yggdrasil, the group is welcomed warmly. Kid Kong seems eager and anxious for the group to perform the ritual, which is quickly started. In exchange for the Eclipse's aid, Teen Kong swaers to teach him the charms and talents he might be able to learn (which, for the moment, are none). As Master Kitsune adresses the Heavens and names the elemental Guardian of Yggdrasil and its servants, Mantle of Whispers makes Kid Kong swear oaths of fealty: to serve and protect Yggdrasil and its servants before one's own interests or the interests of its Lords.

Kid Kong emerges form the ritual as Teen Kong, a slightly larger, more potent, version of his previous self. He imediately asks the groups to solemnly swear to keeps the secrets and interests of Yggdrasil safe, and if they do, he'll show them Forbidden Yggdrasil's true face. As the Solars are loath to swear a divinely enforced oath without fully knowing what these interests and secrets were, Teen Kong decides to reveal the truth anyway, committing himself fully to trusting the young Exalted.

Hidden among the highest branches of the sacred tree is a Door, a portal to a communal realm Outside of Creation, a divine reality where gods, elementals and spirits of all kinds come together to work and cooperate in harmony, the true nature of Yggdrasil, the Spirit Tree. There, the group meets Bear of Loyalty, Warden of the North, Regal Solicitude, a three-headed sphinx who seems in charge of the place and Balzeridon, a man apparently linked to Yggdrasil's Seat of Heavens and to an undisclosed, Creation-spanning organisation. Master Kitsune is offered the Seat of Heavens, as representative of Yu-Shan's will and authority. He is also handed the Key of Nodoor in order to freely travel between Creation and sanctums and asked to seek and invite promising benevolent nature spirits into Yggdrasil's far-reaching community.

Scene Four - the Heart of Slaughter
After a harrowing journey of almost three weeks, the group arrives at Solace, where they are to meet with Nil Jenke-Osu and the Heart of Slaughter. Solace is bare of travellers at the time and Testost tries to woo the tenant, Simian Tika.

Two days pass before a trio of travellers come to the inn. They introduce themselves as siblings: Simian Reisu and his sister Simian Osaro. They are accompanied by their servant, the Humble Kozo. They are travelling to the Void Monkey Dojo, where they hope Osaro will be admitted as a student of the Nightingale style. They stay for two days du to the storms before going on their way.

Two days later, four cloaked figures and an armored men make their way to Solace, two of the cloaked men wearing the colors of the Ember Wolf and everyone else those of the Void Monkey. With Testost and Master Kitsune intoducing themselves to the cloaked figures and both Päf and Runn going out the room through the back, the armored men leaves, trying to slip out.

Quickly, the cloaked figure are revealed to be animated corpses. Päf and Runn make their way back in, Testost Back into the bar to protect Tika and Kitsune runs out on the heels of the armored man.

As the battle erupts inside, the armored man, Zül revealed, draws forth the Mists of Eventide and summons supernatural darkness, filled with clawing spectral hands. Päf manages to burn through the darkness, gaining advantage and disspating it, but Zül unleashes his madness onto the world.

The battle has only begun.