By Jeff Williamson
Umiushi Springs, a Crab territory in the Colonies
“Your letter said you’d figured out how to make it move properly,” Yasuki Shairei said impatiently as the Kaiu led her through the guard checkpoints and past redundant layers of reinforced stone walls between which grew tall jungle trees. Despite wearing a more practical outfit for the climate, perspiration still ran down her neck and calves, leaving her feeling less warm, but still sticky and uncomfortable. Nakagawa seemed unaffected by the heat, even wearing heavy armor. The man was at least half a decade her senior, yet carried himself with purpose and precision.
“Not me, exactly,” Nakagawa offered over his shoulder as he passed by vigilant bushi standing at attention. “I’ve been here since before the war, but the most my crew managed was to clean the thing up and clear the area for these fortifications. Lord Renyu lost interest in it when we were unable to accomplish anything of note, so we turned to using the abundant fresh water here for irrigation. The shugenja who joined the project after the Exodus, Kuni Chutsu, made the discovery.” The pair entered through a stone gate into an enormous jungle clearing as he continued. “After Hida Daizu discovered this place, the colossus was mobile for a brief time, probably activated by the presence of humans here again.”
The courtier stopped short as she beheld the enormity of the stone statue which was the focus of her inspection. It resembled the carved temple guardians of the former Ivory Kingdoms, but on a scale Shairei could scarcely have imagined. Laborers busied themselves around the site, moving lumber and stone or working on the scaffolding rigged around the colossus. It sat upright at the center of the clearing, with its legs crossed, as if in meditation. Near its feet was an open-air tent with some activity, positioned next to a large boulder formation.
Nakagawa turned and smirked at the shocked expression on Shairei’s face. “Words don’t really convey the impact of seeing it in person, do they?” She closed her open mouth and straightened, regain her composure. “They do not,” she affirmed as they continued walking towards the camp. “The reports stated that Daizu’s team was able to direct it to combat hostile wildlife in the area, but that it stopped moving after a matter of weeks. Have you determined why?” Nakagawa raised a hand in greeting to the priest stepping out from the tent as they approached. “This young man can explain it more accurately than I can. Lady Shairei, this is Kuni Chutsu, our head researcher. Chutsu-kun, I present Yasuki Shairei, leader of our clan’s Colonial delegation.”
Chutsu bowed low in respect, then straightened. He did not wear the traditional face paint favored by others of his family, and his earnest demeanor felt energizing. “My superiors considered my affinity with the earth spirits an asset,” he began, “and when Lord Nakagawa asked for the aid of a Kuni, I was the one put forward. This entire endeavor has proved fascinating.” He gestured toward the tent and led them to a table filled with scrolls containing odd inscriptions, diagrams, and other notations. “It took the Kaiu several months to excavate the buried temple in the area, and then more time yet for my scholars to study and translate the writings inscribed on the ruined walls with the help of a few hired native speakers. I had to implore the local spirits to help restore what was possible of these, or we may never have found the ritual at all.”
Here, Chutsu paused before selecting a scroll dense with detailed writing. “The colossus’ motivating power is vital force – the energy of living beings. The crews near the ancient Fudoist temple also within our territories brought us writings which corroborated this; the followers of that sect apparently employed a similar ritual to empower guardian statues of a more modest size. Their priests would perform rites to imbue these guardians with the vital force of adherents.”
Shairei’s face darkened. “Blood sacrifice? Lord Toranosuke would have your head for–” “Not at all, my Lady!” Chutsu raised his hands in supplication, rushing to forestall her reprimand, as Nakagawa laid a gentle hand on her arm. “It is a transference of energy directly into the vessel. Apparently, the primitive versions of the ritual had used sacrifice, but their own scholars found the results both distasteful and unpredictable. We performed some tests, of course, using livestock and local wildlife, and were able to make it move briefly. The most promising breakthrough was accidental, unfortunately; an assistant of mine had wandered directly through the ritual area during a test while bringing me materials. That was how we discovered the catalyst.”
He plucked a slender shard of crystal from underneath a scroll. “The material he carried that day was part of our site’s security measures, but based on its reaction to the magics and the phenomenon we observed, it amplified the effect of the absorption. Human vitality provides more motivating force, and the crystal magnifies that. It moved under its own power for over two hours that day, and still responded to commands.”
Shairei’s hostility had cooled, to be replaced with skepticism. “A couple of hours is nothing,” she scoffed. “You would need a much larger supply of sac— ritual participants to get any use from it, much less allow it to travel to the Wall!” Chutsu nodded. “We performed additional tests, of course, using a pair of prisoners condemned to death. This is how we confirmed the crystal’s effects on the ritual, using one as a control. The next discovery would come when we had a volunteer.” She startled at that. “Someone willingly let themselves be absorbed into that thing?”
The Kuni unrolled another scroll on the table, this one with a transcription of strange writings alongside what appeared to be a translation of the same. “One of our scholars found the reason the statue still had some power when Hida Daizu-sama originally discovered it. The rites to transfer vital force increase in strength not only from the use of the crystal, but the willingness and willpower of its participants. To give their colossus strength, an entire congregation of believers voluntarily gave themselves over to their priest. Whatever they needed to fight or defend against still left it with some ability to move, even after centuries half-buried here in the jungle.” He rolled the scroll back up, then walked out of the tent toward the boulder formation outside as Nakagawa and Shairei followed.
“Gakusha, my scholar, wished to demonstrate his sincerity and his faith in both the project and his translation of the writings, and asked to be a part of the next test.” Shairei listened intently, still mesmerized by the oddities Chutsu described, but something about the boulder bothered her. “When we performed the next ritual, Gakusha allowed himself to be absorbed into the colossus, and powered it not only for more than a day, but with a semi-independent will.” Was it… moving?
“I realize that even a day of purposeful movement would not address our clan’s needs, my lady. We would be hard-pressed to find even a dozen Crab who would willingly give themselves over to this effort, though I am sure some would be happy to have found a renewed purpose. Which brings me to our current volunteer.” The Kuni stood alongside the boulder, which was now beginning to unfold. Shairei fell backward in the dirt, craning her neck to gaze ever further upward as the titanic form stood upright. Its body was monstrous, a mix of dark blue armor and craggy, almost scaly stone, out of all proportion with anything sane. Nonetheless, its bearded face was still identifiably human, and filled with a profound sorrow. Chutsu offered a hand to lift her back to her feet.
“Lady Shairei, have you read in any of your reports the tale of Hida Kaiji?”
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