A question to Shang Li....

Bearshaman · Post by **Bearshaman** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:22 pm

Shang, do you know of any priests or people from your temple or from our other friend that are in the Reno area? The reason I am asking is earlier today a gentleman of oriental descent, wearing green robes came to my home. He handed me a wooden box, very ornately carved. When I asked him about it, he simply looked at me and said that it was to be protected. So I was looking at the box, when I looked up he was gone, vanished...not invisible, no scent, no trace of anything. The box looks like its made of cherry wood, has a dragon carved on the top, encircling a interesting symbol. Its a cirlce with a yin/yang symbol in it, made of what looks to be ivory and ebony. Very beautiful. On the front panel is a sitting fox, the tail is made of what appears to be a single large ruby, On the left side is a leaping tiger, made of amber and obsidian. On the right side is a peach tree, made of emerald and pearl. The back has a horse with mountains in the background. The horse is made of garnet. The bottom is plain. There seems to be some kind of catch, so can't open the box, yet. Any idea what it is? The box seems to be heavy, so assume something is inside.
Any ideas...Anyone?

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:29 pm

Uhhh, my advice: Keep it safe and don't open it.

Sorry, obvious but I thought it bore repeating.

Bearshaman · Post by **Bearshaman** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:31 pm

No, very understandable. You would almost think I am a werecat than wolf. Curiosity is eating me up. Want to open it. Other strange thing, would swear the dragon moved and repositioned around the symbol. :?:

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:38 pm

Try surrounding it with a circle of salt for the time being. Silver and Iron too if you can swing it.

AdamaGeist · Post by **AdamaGeist** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:48 pm

Now, what was the tale about a visitor to the Dragon Palace? Went into it for a few decades, with the years he spent there stored in a chest he was told never to open. When he did open it, all his lost years came back onto him.

KonThaak · Post by **KonThaak** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:51 pm

Wee bit of overkill, I do think. Set it down in an enclosed room, and take a good number of steps back. Keep your eyes on it at all times... Use your keen senses to detect scents coming from it, and watch for further movement, both of the characters on the box, and of the box itself.

I agree not to open it, and definitely keep it protected. It doesn't sound like a Pandora's Box, but you never know...

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:53 pm

KT, I'm more worried about stuff getting to It rather than It getting out haha.

KonThaak · Post by **KonThaak** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:58 pm

Hence why an enclosed room. I'm also a wee bit concerned with the intense curiosity bit. Magical items have been known to induce an intense curiosity on those holding the items, particularly if they're associated with the fae of any kind.

And I would imagine there are Asian versions of fae.

But at any rate, if you give such items a little bit of space, the feeling of curiosity lessens, and you can get a bit more of an open-minded opinion about what the box is really about.

The movement Bear perceived could have just been an illusion to make him even more curious. Put some space between you and it, and that should go away, too, if that's the case.

If that is the case, it's probably a relatively harmless prank, but I still wouldn't open it.

Bearshaman · Post by **Bearshaman** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:06 pm

Thanks, taking all the advice, put it in back of storage closet. Nice cirle of salt. Have a friend works in a jewelry shop, so got a thin circle of silver around it as well. Umm, not to sound to jumpy, but would swear can smell peaches when I accidently rubbed againt the tree, AND the yin/yang definetly turned a slight bit the white going townard the bottom, the black moving toward the top by about 1/10 of the circumference.

Hear someone outside. Doesn't sound like any of the neighbors. Womans voice, not near the house, remember, have heightened hearing in hybrid form, would put her about 200 feet or so from the house. Almost like a weeping sound. Looked out, didn't see anyone...and I can see a little into the infrared so the darkness isn't a problem.

KonThaak · Post by **KonThaak** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:33 pm

Weeping...? I know it's cold out this time of year, but...can you open your window? Maybe just a crack?

Shang Li · Post by **Shang Li** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:12 am

Be extremely cautious. Either that is the most elaborate sword case i have heard of (unlikely), or it is a Taoist spirit knot. If you are willing, I would gladly trade you anything I can for it. (such things are a concern to me, and I might be going to Tibet again soon anyway)

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:06 am

A Taoist spirit knot? What's that?

Shang Li · Post by **Shang Li** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:21 am

When you know how, you can alter the flow of Chi in an area. This makes the local energies flow along a different path - shaped as you desire.

A spirit knot is when a very highly skilled feng shui takes the lines that Chi flows upon and twists them together into a knot, making a twisted, circular path. Any entity that posseses chi, but no body, upon contact must ither become physical, or become trapped untill the natural flow of chi re-asserts itself.

(if the knot is placed in a container, that starts happening when the container is opened, If placed in a living being it happens when the being dies, if placed in a complete solid, release is achieved by the item's destruction, if not enclosed at all the strength of the local flow determines how long till the being is released.)

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:25 am

Very interesting. So, you theorize that something is trapped in that box.

KonThaak · Post by **KonThaak** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:37 am

That could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing. Either way, leave whatever's in there, in there.

If it's a good thing, then the entity "trapped" in the box may need to be in there, like the theory of using cryogenic stasis to freeze a person, leaving them barely alive until such a time when their ailments can be cured...in which case, someone's counting on you to protect them until such a time when they can be helped.

If it's a bad thing, then it needs to stay in there.

That's provided Li-sensei is right... The sound of weeping is rather confusing, though.

Shang Li · Post by **Shang Li** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:54 am

I know far too much about those kinds of chains, even if I cant create them myself anymore.......

The symbols on the box, have very powerfull associations.

The fox is the messenger of Inari, elder kami of fertility and rice.

The Yin/Yang has 2 meanings, I hope the crafter was not a full master, but meant it to show balance.

The Tiger is the embodiment of Yin, a being of pure negative chi that, unlike most is not evil but the balance for the dragon.

The dragon is a living embodiment of positive Chi (at least back home - one of the reasons I would love to discuss dragons with you Mr. KonThaak)

The peach has for a long time been used for a symbol for the Tao itsself (the symbol for each is pronounced "dhao"), and the peach tree is often used to represent the path to enlightened immortality - a fact that makes it antithetical to most evil things.

The black horse and mountains I am not sure of. If it was the black horse of Mt. Fujiyama i would know but it sounds like it comes from china - maybe the northern area of china.

The fact that it is made from cherry wood shows that it was made as an object of great worth (even without the other adornments). The cherry tree provides beuty and serenity in spring, food in summer, and hope in the winter. Thus very little is actualy made from cherry wood back home. (It may look like almost everything the tourist sees is made of cherry wood - but if you look closely all those items have something in common - they are or were very important)

My reccomendation for the circle is a little more in tune with the spirits most likely to be assosciated with the box, a circle of peaches, or a circle of peach pits. (the damned hunger for a piece of the dhao but cannot bite it, they spend their active time trying to eat, or they sit and wait in hope for the pits to grow to a tree so that they can try to eat the dhao then - and yes I used the phonetic spelling on purpose, in this case the peach can be said to represent "the way" as both are tao

Razor · Post by **Razor** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:12 pm

how very interesting! A lot of that symbology I already understood, but this just piques my curiousity.

AdamaGeist · Post by **AdamaGeist** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:29 pm

The woman's weaping doesn't sound all that unusual taken in the context of eastern myths. Myself, I'm thinking over quite a few of them, running from the celestial Maiden's robe to the hidden truth of Yuki-onna's true nature...

Ashikaga Hideoshi · Post by **Ashikaga Hideoshi** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:01 am

An alternative view for you.

The box described also sounds like the type of puzzlebox used to enclose items of great value. (the odd thing is that the box sounds like it is chinese in make)

Bearshaman · Post by **Bearshaman** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:01 pm

Sorry haven't posted for a while, been recovering from injuries. Plus not at home right now, down in Louisana, friendly neighborhood hougan has been applying some healing poltices to help with the wounds. As for what happened. Well, here is the gist of it. First, the weeping, found out, a woman materialized outside, or at least thought it was a woman. Stupidly went outside to see if she need assistance. After she broke my arm when I reached out to see if she was ok, she slashed my chest with claws, grew what looked like a fox tail and kicked me through the front door of my house. Ended up with 6 broken ribs and a punctured lung for my troubles. Thought things couldn't get worse, when up pops a large man, with a tiger head, he blasted the woman with a fire ball on the front porch, and then demanded the box. I knew about then that I was outnumbered and outclassed, fortunately I have a freind who owes me a favor, nice little Spriggan, screamed his name, grabed the box with my good arm, and he transported me through the earth to a place that he felt would be safe, at least for now. Houma, La. Apparently, Donal, the spriggan, knew a hougan there, he has been assisting me with healing, freaking unbelivable, I am NOT REGENERATING. The wounds are taking forever to heal, and that was with a bit of magical help as well. He consulted the Loa, they advised him that I need to get the box to a temple in China. There the monks can gaurd the contents, seems that the box cannot be taken by force but must be given. Thats all the info that we could get. Now with Ben missing, and KT going nuts, things seem to be going crazy all over.

Ashikaga Hideoshi · Post by **Ashikaga Hideoshi** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 3:19 am

I can get you as far as Japan, if you do not know the location of the temple, perhaps one of Kyoto's many buddhist temples may be able to help (some of the older monks remember things long forgotten by the rest of us)

Bearshaman · Post by **Bearshaman** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:03 pm

Ashikaga Hideoshi wrote:I can get you as far as Japan, if you do not know the location of the temple, perhaps one of Kyoto's many buddhist temples may be able to help (some of the older monks remember things long forgotten by the rest of us)

Sounds great to me, as right now, I am very limited on mobility. Why has no one ever told me that a broken arm takes so long to heal and that casts itch so much? :roll:

Where would be a good place to catch transportation to Japan, and from there to a temple, hopefully they will know how to handle keeping this things safe.

Oh crap, the swamp just went quiet...I MEAN DEAD SILENT. I can't shift with my arm broken and am out of favors amonst the magical critter community. Don't want to involve the hougan, he is a good healer, normally, but even his spells wouldn't accelerate the healing process for some reason, not much of a combat mage though. Anyone got some friends that can teleport me or themselves down for a little assistance?

Shadowstalker · Post by **Shadowstalker** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:00 am

I may be able to help I'll PM the details.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:09 am

Ok, Bear, when this is all over you come see me at my special retreat out in Nevada and I'll give you some lessons in more modern weapons and fighting techniques just for this sort of circumstance.

If I knew where you were exactly I might be able to call in some favors.

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:10 am

Why can't the folks around here get it through their heads that werebeasts and vampires and such shouldn't be taught how to be deadlier?

With what likely happened to Father Arden and his group I thought that lesson would be abundantly clear.

Michael T · Post by **Michael T** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:35 am

Ron is correct in the vast majority of cases a vampire is no longer the person that was infected. That soul is torn from the body and gone, where is a entirely different debate I do not wish to open here. The essence that creates vampires is now in control of the body and has some knowledge of the memories of the victim. The creature is truely a monster bent on destroying or enslaving humans for food.

In a few very rare cases the victim won the battle for thier body and it was the essence cast out. This leaves the victim with the traits of the enity and it's hunger as thier body has now undergone a drastic physical change. The person can fight the nature that was impressed over thier own personality, it is very hard at first and most do fail from time to time to prevent the evil taint from ruling them. The ones who have gone this route without attempting to control it are no different than the vampiric enity that created them. The ones who can maintain thier humanity are usually thier own worst critics on thier morals. Celeste seems to be one of the rare cases of the human retaining thier body, is she still a danger and a threat? Very much if she does nothing to prevent herself from falling into that behavior, she has shown herself to be in control. And has one of the best judges of charecter already vouch for her, this still does not mean she should not be watched. As she has said many times she knows what she can do if she loses control.

Ron has shown outstanding control in not going after her as soon as he found out about her. I know this is because a lot of people he respects have vouched for her. Ron is right though on there may come aday when she does become a menace to be hunted. Then again there may coem a day when a mage can find a way to help eliminate all traces of the evil, and maybe leave the benificel traits there.

Enough rambleing I need sleep, I'll post some of the meeting we had tommorrow sometime.

Michael T

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:07 pm

That's one thing I don't get. Even Celeste admits her urges and hte danger she represenets, but I am the one that gets the heat for saying she's a potential threat.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:10 pm

You rarely stop at "saying she's a potential threat."

Its usually included in a fairly long rant of some kind about monsters and how we're all crazy for associating with them.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:22 pm

Ron - long rants? A line or two at most, I think..

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:41 pm

Well, he can be pretty long winded on the subject.