>>41199920

“When we moved her, the machines we thought were sustaining her functions were actually keeping her regeneration in check,” she sighs and turns to continue down the hallway, “I replicated those processes, but in the time it took most of her forearm and hand regrew,”

~Shouldn’t it have been burned off by the corruption of the bones?~

Recently, you’ve been embroiled in matters related to a new terror looming around the city of Tokyo. You’ve been able to discover that somehow, survivors of an ancient earth civilization have been trying to work toward restoring their kingdom. Their primary weapon in this endeavor is creating monsters from the negative emotions inside of normal humans, employing some kind of shadowy and infectious corrupting agent.

“Without the slowed process, well the hand actually looks quite a bit monstrous. I’ve no doubt that if I hadn’t been able to reactivate those processes then the fingertips would be some kind of horrible claws,”

~So her natural state is something, monstrous?~ you ask after her in a tight worry.

This is a complicated matter, because their original kingdom fell when it was taken over by a powerful sorceress possessed by an extraterrestrial entity that had been waiting hidden in the shadow of the Sun. Using that sorceress’s unrequited love and heartbreak over the kingdom’s prince, this entity then waged war on another civilization of magically advanced humans whose seat of power was on the moon.

“No,” she explains, “It's a mutation influenced by the corruption in the bones. I seems their intent was to make flesh that was otherwise incorruptible under the influence of that specific corruption. Given time, I’ve no doubt that the developed immunity will smooth out the mutations to the arm,”

>>41199943
The Prince of the Earthly Kingdom, Elysion, had fallen in love with the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium. Those literally star crossed lovers had died in each other’s arms as the ensorceled and controlled armies of Elysion stormed the moon backed by that monster from beyond the stars. The Queen of the Moon, in her dying moments, sealed that evil and wrought a spell to give all of those who died across the whole of the solar system a second chance; to be reincarnated in some future age.

~Okay, what about the bones?~

“They are touched by the pure power of Metallia,” she says seriously, “Left to ferment and crystalize over countless eons in the void of space. Proof that my cleansing of the system after the fall was incomplete,”

Your mother and father were, respectively, the reincarnations of that Prince and Princess. As Sailor Moon, your mother defeated the evil reborn and found again her love from another lifetime. Together with her courtly guardians, the Sailor Senshi, they’ve protected this world for years.

“More than that,” Tomoe-sensei turns to face you in a dramatic turn that is undercut by the casual nature of her spare clothing, “I can say with certainty that the corruptions of Metallia is at root the same of Pharaoh 90. Both of them are the larval state of the very thing that once turned the strongest Senshi in this galaxy into an unstoppable disaster across countless worlds,”

~You mean,~ you step back and bring a hand to your mouth as the fangs born of physical mutation of your own contact with this corruption make their presence felt to you, ~Chaos?~

>>41199959

“The very same,” she intones seriously, “I will be sharing these findings with the young Senshi, all of them, once I have dug a little deeper into the matter. I fear that these monsters they face, and now you, may be potential vessels for Chaos. And, as the bearer of this world’s Sailor Crystal, that you could be so affected and possibly influenced is of great concern,”

Your heart skips a beat. That...no. You’re the one in control of yourself. You aren’t a vessel of chaos, are you?

At least Tomoe-sensei is telling this to you. Of course she’s telling you, when she looks at you she see’s her face. It would probably safest to try and contain you, and purify you. No, your baby sister wasn’t able to cleanse this taint from you fully. Containment would be too risky, and with your mother off world…

The only safe option would be to…

Is this what would lay ahead of you? If you had kept draining these monsters of their infectious darkness with these fangs? Does draining the normal negative emotions from others feed into this? You have too many questions.

No, last week when you tapped into that wellspring of earth power on the ley lines through the city! It purged you of some of that darkness. The earth itself was trying to save you, it’s guardian born of the Moon and the Earth.

“I haven’t told the others yet,” she says, “Not even your father or your sister. I have been trying to think of how to tell you,”

>She’s telling you this because she is going to take action, you can’t trust her, RUN!
>Hug Tomoe-sensei, this is almost too much to bear. You need someone to tell you everything will be okay
>Shoulder this burden, you have too much to worry about right now to let this slow you down (Will reaction test)
>You aren’t a vessel of Chaos, YOU AREN’T! (react poorly)
>Write in

>>41199981
>>Shoulder this burden, you have too much to worry about right now to let this slow you down (Will reaction test)
Can't worry about what might be. Only what is.

>Hug Tomoe-sensei, this is almost too much to bear. You need someone to tell you everything will be okay

Lets leave this up a bit longer before tallying.

>>41199981
>Hug Tomoe-sensei, this is almost too much to bear. You need someone to tell you everything will be okay

Alright, writing

File: 68 (27).jpg (39 KB, 640x480)

39 KB JPG

This is, this is too much. What are you? What are you becoming? Before you fully know what you are doing, you surge forward toward Tomoe-sensei and wrap your arms around her as she regards you in surprise. Her arms lift up and responsively wrap around your shoulders as you cry out into her chest.

As your grip tightens around her, her hold relaxes into something gentle.

~I’m not a monster,~ you murmur into her, afraid, between sobs of fear and worry.

“No, you aren’t” she comforts you with the warmth she usually hid from you, “None of us were, we were swept up in something bigger than ourselves. Something that made us forget who we were,”

Tomoe-sensei pushes you back to arm’s length and leans down just a little to look you in the eye. It breaks your hold on her as your own puffy and tear filled eyes are met by her own, they are purple before you and swimming in regret.

“Never forget yourself,” she says with a certain finality, “Never forget yourself like Usa and I did. I know you’re strong enough, Mikage,”

~T-Tomoe-sensei?~ you chirp in surprise.

She pulls you back in for another hug, she isn’t as gentle as she had been with you before. Holding it for a few seconds, she relaxes and eases the two of you away from one another.

Quietly and without another word she turns and continues down the hallway. After taking a second to compose yourself, you follow along. She’s heading for the lounge where the others are waiting.

>Follow along, time to reconvene with the girls and sort out your goal for today
>No, you need to be alone for a minute
>Now is not a good time to be you, you need to be someone else. Who?
>You are strong enough,and that means there is something you need to do in the lab
>Write in

>>41201933
>>Now is not a good time to be you, you need to be someone else. Who?
Eclipse.

Duty is a great anchor.

>>41201933
>Follow along, time to reconvene with the girls and sort out your goal for today

>>41201933
>Follow along, time to reconvene with the girls and sort out your goal for today

Writing

You follow her through the underground hallways back to the lounge. Taking a moment to make sure you don’t look like you had just been crying, you enter and greet the girls and your father.

“So, how’s the crystal,” your father asks you after Tomoe-sensei excuses herself to check the progress on the spectrometer reading of the ectoplasm sample your group brought in.

~Its fine,~ you say, ~We have a few options for bringing it back together, I’m just not sure which one I want to follow into,~

He nods and lays a hand on your shoulder as his tuxedo phases back into his normal clothes.

“I need to get back to the metro building,” he places a hand on your shoulder, “I’ll see you, Usa, and Koyomi tonight for dinner. Don’t stay out too late on this ghost hunt. You go back to school tomorrow,”

“We may have caught him up on what we’ve been doing,” Kanari admits from her place laying across the lounge room couch.

A few minutes after you bid your father goodnight, Tomoe-sensei returns with a small faceted glass bead.

“Alright,” she says, “I think I have something to help you girls out. Aiha could I please see the Mercury Computer?”

>>41203563


“Ah, yes Tomoe-san,” the blue haired girl sets the towel aside and fishes into her jacket pocket for a long plastic compact.

Your teacher opens the device and then places the gem somewhere on the control console. A clear visor materializes across Aiha’s eyes, to which she yelps in surprise. Tomoe-sensei hands the computer back to the girl as the visor and computer start making beeping noises.

“This should allow you to track the source of the sample directly now,” she explains to your assembled group.

~Well, that’ll take the guess work out of this hunt,~ you sigh, ~This has actually been pretty fun,~

“We’d have either found her or hit a dead end eventually,” Rin observes.

“Is that your opinion or a vision,” Kanari jokes as she pops up from the couch, “So, lets go an get this ghost girl,”

>Yeah, lets bring this hunt to a close
>I need to make a phone call first, actually
>So, maybe now I should tell you WHY I think the ghost girl was asleep in Boris
>Actually, I’m pretty winded. I think we should revisit this tomorrow after school
>Write in

>>41203575
>>I need to make a phone call first, actually

>>41203575
Woo, the super computer!

>need to make a phone call first, actually
>So, maybe now I should tell you WHY I think the ghost girl was asleep in Boris

Writing

>>41203575
Well that's damn handy. Score one for science.

~I need to make a phone call first, actually,~ you say sheepishly and step away from the girls as they crowd around Aiha and her borrowed otherworldly supercomputer.

Well, it looks like what people thought a super computer should have looked like in the 90’s. Really it could have had the casing redesigned.

“Alright,” Rin calls out while looking over Aiha’s shoulder, “Huh, its kind of nearby,”

Stepping out into the hallway, you take out your cellphone and dial Sasha again. It rings a few times. You owe it to him to tell him something about all of this, even if you don’t know what any of this really is yet. At first you thought it was Sasha you saw inside the shadow bear your fought in the dream world, now you strongly suspect it was it was the sister he had said died in an accident when he was younger.

He knows and seems to accept that you were Sailor Moon, so maybe this won’t be quite so shocking? Why the hell does everything have to be so complicated?

“Hey,” he answers and asks in careful curiosity, “How goes everything with your searching for the weird?”

~Oh, actually it went pretty good thanks to that tip about Nakajima-san,~ you explain.

“Well, that’s good,” you imagine him shrugging on the other end of the line, “So, is this a thing like you and your sister back at the tower or something else?,”

~Kind of,~ you begin carefully, ~I mean I’m investigating this with some of my sister’s friends, but I don’t think it's going to be the kind of thing to require a costume change,~

“Is it something you can talk about?” he queries, “Or is it not safe for over the phone,”

>Tell him you’ve been hunting a ghost, and we may have a fix on it. Its going to be boring, just talking to her probably.
>Ask him about his dead sister, just a massive topic change and totally normal
>So, when I pulled those gems out of you and Boris I kinda woke up a ghost
>I shouldn’t try to explain this over the phone
>Write in

>>41206003
>I shouldn’t try to explain this over the phone

We should meet up with him, we can go over things then.

>>41206150
I’ll go with this.

>>41206003
>I shouldn’t try to explain this over the phone

>>41206150
>>41206368
>>41206574
>>41206003
I'll fourth the motion. As awkward as it might be, this is potentially too important.

Also, ask if he can bring Boris. Or meet at Boris.
Cause Boris is involved too.

Writing, sorry for the slow update speeds today guys. Currently dogsitting.

>>41206984
As long as they're not yappy dogs I'm golden.

>>41207064
>As long as they're not yappy dogs I'm golden.

They are Scottish Terriers who bark at shadows on the lawn.

~Listen, Sasha, I shouldn’t try to explain this over the phone,~ you say as the creeping idea of guilt enters into your mind.

“Oh, so it is something mixed up with that?” he reasons, “Secretive and clandestine,”

You pause and smile a bit at his earnest bravado for all of this. Its sad how this may wind up hurting him.

~No,~ you sigh, ~Because I owe it to you to talk to you about this in person. Can we meet up? If you’re still at the Vet with Boris, I’m actually at your school. We could meet somewhere in the middle?~

“You’re at Mugen Gakusei?” he queries in surprise, “What a coincidence, after Boris and I finished our routine I decided to bring my boxing gear back to my gym locker,”

~Oh, you’re already here?~

“Actually I just went into the athletics building,” he explains, “So if you want, meet me out front. We can talk about your search for the strange or anything else,”

~Yeah,~ you nod firmly, ~Sounds like a plan,~

The line goes silent, and you step back into the lounge where the girls all snap up to look at you in excitement.

“It’s here,” Aiha exclaims, “It's moving around somewhere nearby and above us!”

“This is going to be so cook,” Kanari shouts, “I’ll get to see a real ghost!”

“How is that anymore exciting than fighting monsters?” Rin asks out of confusion.

“Well, I can touch monsters,” Kanari reasons, “I can’t touch a ghost,”

“She’s right,” Aiha wonders, “Though really physical contact isn’t the end goal, at least as I understand it,”

~Right,~ you nod firmly, ~I just want to talk to her. And speaking of which, I need to talk to someone else on campus-~

>Leave it at that
>because they may know about our ghost
>because I need to set them straight about the tower
>because write in

~So,~

>The three of you track but do not engage,
>Rin or Kanari can come with me, the other can go with Aiha?
>We’ll meet my friend together and then finish our ghost hunt
>Write in

>>41207392
>because they may know about our ghost

>We’ll meet my friend together and then finish our ghost hunt

>>41207392
>because they may know about our ghost

>We’ll meet my friend together and then finish our ghost hunt

Also:

>“You’re at Mugen Gakusei?” he queries in surprise, “What a coincidence, after Boris and I finished our routine I decided to bring my boxing gear back to my gym locker,”

>~Oh, you’re already here?~

>“Actually I just went into the athletics building,” he explains, “So if you want, meet me out front. We can talk about your search for the strange or anything else,”

>“It’s here,” Aiha exclaims, “It's moving around somewhere nearby and above us!”

Following Sasha maybe?

>>41207392
>Leave it at that
>The three of you track but do not engage,

>>41207511
Seems likely. I wonder why Sasha hasn't noticed anything if that's what she's doing though. Wouldn't she be trying to get his attention?

>>41207511
Or Boris

>>41207656
Boris isnt on school grounds though. The Vet is off site.

>>41207681
now I'm just imagining Sasha driving onto campus with Boris in the side car.

Its not what happened, but the thought it adorable.

>>41207742
And Boris is wearing sunglasses.

With his arms crossed

Writing, momentarily

Further delay, gotta walk these yappy guys.

Alright, back and writing.

So much rain. If I wash away, carry on our quest of Justice, Love, and Batman without me.

>>41208698
Do it on your own time if you're gonna melt.

~because they may know about our ghost,~ you explain, ~So we’ll meet my friend together and then finish our ghost hunt,~

“So, which friend is it this time?” Kanari queries slyly.

She looks so damn smug with herself all of the sudden. As if she thinks she knows something.

~You’ll see in a minute,~ you explain and lead the girls out through the secret underground complex and toward the exit elevator.

“Well, in that case are you ever going to finish the whole bear fight explanation?” Rin asks in a casually curious tone.

‘Yeah,” Aiha agrees, “that was a rather abrupt series of topic changes. Though I imagine that means it’s a subject as a whole that you would rather avoid?”

You nod at that. Extended explanation about all of that are a touch outside your comfort zone. Actually, you realize that with the three of them nearby, you won’t be able to easily make your offer to Sasha about becoming one of your knights...if that is still even what you want to do. There is still the matter of whether or not his taking the Knighthood would preclude Koito from becoming one, as the younger boy’s affinity to your remaining Shintennou remains undiscovered.

Telepathy is out of the question, Aiha would notice the buzz of ambient communication the same way you do. Frustrating.

“And that makes it all the more interesting,” Kanari muses as the elevator doors close behind the four of you.

Its a quiet ride the rest of the way up. You feel the buzz of telepathy as Aiha talks to Kanari about something. The brown haired girl seems chastised and annoyed, so you leave it alone, even if she still seems smug about something.

>>41209627

Reaching the ground level and disembarking, the four of you head over toward the Athletic building. As the door comes into view, you see Sasha stepping out. He is in his dark work out clothes, the track suit with the white stripe down the sides. His blond hair is a bit sweat matted against his scalp, so you imagine he didn’t grab a shower, you feel bad for rushing him.

“Knew it,” you glance back to see Kanari gloat to herself about apparently being right before looking back over to you, “What?”

~Nothing,~ you click your tongue and sigh.

As you close the distance to him, Aiha keeps playing around on the compact computer, without the visor drawn. There is a mote of concern in your eyes as you get closer and she offers a quiet warning to the rest of you.

“It’s near,” she says with certainty.

“Hey,” Sasha calls out having closed the distance.

~Hey,~ you reply.

Huh, this is really your first time seeing him since the hospital in which you’ve been upright. Standing in front of him, you are more acutely aware of your gain in height.

“So, whats this all about?” he asks while running a hand through his slicked hair and moving some stray hairs out of his blonde bangs.

Rin tenses at something, and readies a prayer strip.

>be vague about it, reference earlier conversations and leave blatant hints because this is tough to talk about
>be direct with this circumstance and your suspicions
>ask how he’s doing since the tower, you heard he got a little messed up
>Cast a spell or use a power
>write in

>>41209648
>ask how he’s doing since the tower, you heard he got a little messed up
>be direct with this circumstance and your suspicions
Simple things first before getting to business.

>>41209648
>ask how he’s doing since the tower, you heard he got a little messed up

>>41209648
>>ask how he’s doing since the tower, you heard he got a little messed up
>>write in
And can we talk somewhere a bit private. Something else happened that day at the tower and I'm trying to deal with it now.. and you and Boris are involved.

>>41209804
>that day at the tower
*that same day as the tower thing

>>41209648
>ask how he’s doing since the tower, you heard he got a little messed up
>be direct with this circumstance and your suspicions

writing

~So,~ you begin hesitantly in the otherwise empty courtyard, ~How have you been since the tower? I heard you got a little messed up,~

“I’ve been good, actually,” he says with a bit of nonchalance, “That night has caused me to double down on my training. If Sailor Saturn hadn’t been there with her healing, I would probably have been permanently lame,”

~I,~ you hand your head a bit hearing his telling of the extent of his injuries that night, ~I’m sorry, Sasha, if I hadn’t brought you with me,~

Lame? That means he must have been on his last legs by the time help arrived. Fighting those things, those hollow and hungry things, all because you wanted to show off to him.

“What? You think I wouldn’t have been tempted to get in over my head?” he laughs briefly and then his gaze up to you straightens and his voice takes on a particular certainty, “I live for the fight, testing myself against an inhuman challenge was opportune. If it hadn’t been there, it would have been at some other monster attack that I forced my way into,”

~That’s a dangerous way to live,~ you observe tensely.

“Its the only way I know how to, honestly,” he lets your observation roll off of him like it didn’t even really matter, “Though I think I got lucky, after things exploded above, they drew back away from me...well, more like something forced them back. I’m guessing something one of your team did,”

That cockiness and pride, maybe it is something dangerous. Wait, was it his pride you were warned against this morning?

The girls behind you have been observing quietly, Aiha’s eyes glued to her compact. Kanari watches the two of you dispassionately and bored. Rin seems somehow inscrutable.

“By the way, girls,” he leans past you to address the three, “You were all quite spectacular out there. When you see her, let two scoops know I take back maybe half the things I’ve said about her,”

>>41211299
~That is my little sister you’re talking about,~ you grouse.

“Okay, less than half?” he grins and you can’t help but stifle a short laugh of surprise.

“Damnit Koyomi,” Kanari sighs, “I guess thanks for keeping this under wraps,”

“Of course,” he rolls his eyes, “I’m not that kind of ass. So, what was the other reason you wanted to meet up with me?”

~Well, here goes,~ you cross and uncross your arms and take a calming breath, ~On top of the tower, I was attacked by a ghost that wanted my locket. The locket I’ve been putting pieces of a very important stone, a piece of which had lodged itself inside both you and Boris,~

“So it wasn’t just a magic trick?” he questions and nods, “And ghosts?”

~A ghost. One who had apparently been sleeping inside of Boris until that fragment found its way inside of him. It thought without the stone it would fall back asleep, wanted it back,~ you explain, ~I promised we’d settle things after, that we’d talk, but since I woke up I haven’t been able to find her,~

“What are you saying, Red?” he asks with a certain edge to his voice.

~She looks a lot like you, same hair and complexion, so I’m making this assumption,~ your eyes plead with him, ~Right or wrong, considering how close this is to, I thought you should know,~

Aiha pans the compact to the side, glancing up and forward where is is looking frequently and tugging at Rin’s shoulder.

“You had better not be joking,” his voice takes a near threatening chill, “because if you are, then this is just cruel,”

>>41211329

~What was her name,~ you ask softly.

He is quiet for a moment, he takes the time to intently study your eyes. His tension starts to melt, and a sadness takes his features only for an instant before his usual hard demeanor takes over. Your blue haired compatriot stops panning the compact and stares straight ahead. Rin nods sharply. Kanari tenses up behind you.

“Oksana,” he finally says, “She was MY little sister and her name was Oksana,”

-Mikage,- Aiha whispers in your mind, -she’s here, about thirty feet behind Sasha and to the right, hiding in or behind that student posting board,-

>Call out to her, gently. You know her name now
>Try to see if you can spot her
>Demand she get her ass out into plain view
>Subtle Magic, Glitter Dust. Make hiding difficult for her
>Keep the conversation going as you walk over to the posting board
>Leave it be for now
>Write in

>>41211354
>Try to see if you can spot her
>Subtle Magic, Glitter Dust. Make hiding difficult for her

>>41211354
>Try to see if you can spot her
>Subtle Magic, Glitter Dust. Make hiding difficult for her

>>41211354
>Try to see if you can spot her
>Subtle Magic, Glitter Dust. Make hiding difficult for her

Rolled 13 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

Okay, I'm going to need perception vs DC 16 then it will be applied against a DC -24

best of 3, dice+1d20+5

Rolled 20 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>41211939

File: It must be bunnies.jpg (35 KB, 300x350)

35 KB JPG

>>41211951

Rolled 10 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>41211939
I'm here!

>>41209108
No melting, only being drenched.

Rolled 16 + 5 (1d25 + 5)

>>41211951

>>41212077
You'd melt if you were a witch.

How do we know if you are a witch or not.

>>41212123
I guess because no melting, not a witch?
Or does floating make you a witch?
The standard approaches seem to conflict.

>>41212177
Well, we will have to see if you weigh as much as a duck.

>>41212109
>>41211939
Gah, mislinked.

File: large-duck2.jpg (54 KB, 940x540)

54 KB JPG

>>41212212
Depends on the duck.

Your eyes quickly glance over to the octagonal structure meant to host flyers and student announcements at the academy. It evokes an aesthetic probably more at home on a college campus than on a high school, but Mugen Gakusei is an elite private school. Fostering a collegiate environment is probably the intention. As you scan the board, the faintest flutter of a flyer catches your eye. There is no wind, so something caused that movment.

And there she is, the specter you remember is poking her head out from under a poorly stapled paper flyer, the rest of her body is hiding within the posting kiosk. Well, enough of her excellent hiding skills. Her hiding is what made you waste most of today in the first place.

It's time she stepped into the light, and you know just the way to do it.

Evoking your power over subtle magics, you enrap the kiosk in suddenly golden pink sparkling light. Body, hands, eyes, and your own nominally visible actions toward the spell are entirely subdued and any proof that you were the source of this magical display are snuffed. You hear a girlish shriek from the place, the brilliance probably caught her unaware.

“What?” Sasha whips his head around toward the kiosk as the translucent figure in tatters stumbles her way out while wreathed in an outline of radiant pink light.

Aiha, Rin, and Kanari stare at the spectre in shock, having already been looking in the general direction. She floats out of the board, arms failing to cover her eyes and hide from the light. Perhaps a slight flaw with being near transparent and faded. She resumes a more solid looking appearance, but there is still a wraithlike and ethereal quality to her as she draws her arms away and forcibly blinks several times while cursing in Russian. It appears she succumbed to your spell’s blinding effect.

Luckily it is a very temporary thing.

>>41212375
EVIL INFLATABLE DUCK!AAHHHHHH!!!

>>41212468
~That is her, right?~ you ask Sasha softly.

“Oksana,” he breaths out quietly and shocked.

She falls to her knees on the ground, her contact there probably from habit more than anything else as she rubs her eyes until the world is again visible to her, and the golden and pink aura fades. Regarding the lot of you with shock, just as well.

You particularly hate being spied upon; no one who would rather being doing the spying hates being observed in secret more.

This Oksana drops out of her shock and seems more embarrassed and miffed at being found out. The girls look to you for guidance as Sasha continues to stare at the ghost girl. Perhaps he could have used a touch more warning and time to accept your assertions about his sister’s ghost before being faced with such a reality.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 92
End

Omake or delayed interlude on the morrow afternoon if we are still around for it.

>>41212476
full disclosure, I read that as dick

>>41212512
oh please, inflatable dicks are funny not scary.

does anyone else get the impression that this wasn't the smartest course of action.

>>41212547
Yes, but we are doing it anyway.

>>41212577
Do you think that, perhaps, we are still sore about her trying to yanks the locket off of us while we were suspended by magical darkness made solid several hundreds of feet above ground?

>>41212487
Fun times. Thanks for running!

File: knight blue energy.jpg (262 KB, 640x448)

262 KB JPG

Random thought tree:
The spirits of the Shitennou serve as the soul-stuff for our knights' incarnum-bending.
I wonder where things could lead here.