Legend of the Seven Fortresses

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

[Tashime had spent the entirety of the morning within his headspace, owing not to a desire to be left alone, but to the sheer immensity of the realm. The entrance to his room leads to one of seven identical fortresses arranged symmetrically around the base of a mighty peak. The fortress a given enters into is the same each time, though different people will appear in different fortresses. If there is a correlation between the people who arrive in the same fortress, it is not immediately apparent.

These seven, which appear as Asian castles except much larger, each easily a mile in height, are all similar in design. Upon the mountain-facing wall of each is etched a different kanji. Due to the universality of language in Paradisa, everyone - even those unfamiliar with Japanese writing - will recognize these symbols to be completely meaningless, as though carved by people who were familiar with what kanji are supposed to look like, but without any specific symbol in mind. Each of the seven fortresses contains an extensive library of carefully-kept scrolls, attended to by temple monks, though similar to the markings that appear on the wall of each fortress, none of the scrolls' writing makes any sense. The monks are no help, answering any question posed them in riddles that seemingly have no answer.

The space between the seven fortresses and the mountain is considerably less enigmatic, and also incredibly beautiful to those with a taste for nature. The trees are overgrown and challenge the feet of fortress and mountain alike, while great streams of the purest water snake through the area, lain with sturdy wooden bridges. There is no apparent wildlife here though, and all is quiet save for the rolling sound of water.

Frustrated by his inability to glean any meaning from within the fortresses, the samurai has spent the better part of the day searching for a way to climb the central mountain, but though the rocky slope appears perfectly climbable, with ample handholds and footholds, Tashime is unable to advance himself more than ten feet above the surface. Anyone else with climbing experience can climb this mountain with relative ease. Carrying Tashime while doing so, however, is going to be a bit harder, especially for smaller folk.]

Such a strange place. Familiar, yet foreign. And I do not understand the texts in the libraries. Is this truly what dwells within my head?

[ooc: Open to anyone. Tashime is a bit lonely here, and unsure of what to do.]

Comments

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[have a teenager curiously peeking in. Man, you look like you walked out of a history book. Either that or you're some kinda Japanese ren faire person.]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

[A short time passes before Tashime emerges from one of the halls of the fortress. He bows courteously before the teenager.]

Good afternoon to you! I don't believe we have met before. I am Seppun Tashime.

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she blinks, and then belatedly gives him an informal bow. Etiquette is usually the last thing on her mind.]

Kuga Natsuki.

[headtilt] Does your house actually look like this?

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head.] No, not that I recall. My estate looks nothing like this.

[After considering what he had learned prior to first returning to his room, he adds,] It sounds as though everyone's room has transformed into an expression of its occupant's mind, and so I see the same has happened here. These castles, and the mountain: they have some significance to me, though I confess I do not yet know what that may be exactly. I feel that, if only I could read what is written in this library, and the kanji on the outer wall, I could glean some understanding of what my headspace is trying to tell me.

As for the wood below, there are many growths of verdant forest where I come from, and I think of them often. There really is nothing to match their splendor to be found here in Paradisa.

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

Is it just you who can't read it?

[even though the language thing is supposedly over]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

That is a good question. I am not sure. So far, no one else has visited here, that I am aware of, anyway.

[The writing is complete gibberish that only seems to imitate legitimate kanji. It is as though there is a barrier keeping these words from being understood.]

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she takes a cautious step into the room. She values her own privacy enough to do the same to others, but he seems pretty chill.

Shrug.]

I can try if you want.

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

That would be most kind of you. I've looked at several of the scrolls here, and at one of the other fortresses, but it seems to make no difference. I am unable to understand what they say.

[He pulls a large scroll off the nearest shelf and carries it over, handing it to Natsuki gingerly, mindful of its clearly vast age.]

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she takes it carefully and proceeds to frown at it]

This looks kinda familiar. [reading on until something useful like 'samurai' or 'honor code' jumps out at her] Oh! It's bushido.

[she shrugs and hands it back over to him]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

Bushido...of course! The code of the samurai. Truly, if bushido held not a prominent place in my headspace, it would be a mystery. Then, these fortresses must represent the teachings of bushido.

[His look of triumph gradually fades into a frown, then a scowl.]

I...am unable to call to mind any of these teachings. It is strange. What else does the scroll say?

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[man, you're kind of a crappy samurai. She opens the scroll again, picks a random spot, and begins reading out loud.]

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[have a teenager curiously peeking in. Man, you look like you walked out of a history book. Either that or you're some kinda Japanese ren faire person.]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

[A short time passes before Tashime emerges from one of the halls of the fortress. He bows courteously before the teenager.]

Good afternoon to you! I don't believe we have met before. I am Seppun Tashime.

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she blinks, and then belatedly gives him an informal bow. Etiquette is usually the last thing on her mind.]

Kuga Natsuki.

[headtilt] Does your house actually look like this?

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head.] No, not that I recall. My estate looks nothing like this.

[After considering what he had learned prior to first returning to his room, he adds,] It sounds as though everyone's room has transformed into an expression of its occupant's mind, and so I see the same has happened here. These castles, and the mountain: they have some significance to me, though I confess I do not yet know what that may be exactly. I feel that, if only I could read what is written in this library, and the kanji on the outer wall, I could glean some understanding of what my headspace is trying to tell me.

As for the wood below, there are many growths of verdant forest where I come from, and I think of them often. There really is nothing to match their splendor to be found here in Paradisa.

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

Is it just you who can't read it?

[even though the language thing is supposedly over]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

That is a good question. I am not sure. So far, no one else has visited here, that I am aware of, anyway.

[The writing is complete gibberish that only seems to imitate legitimate kanji. It is as though there is a barrier keeping these words from being understood.]

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she takes a cautious step into the room. She values her own privacy enough to do the same to others, but he seems pretty chill.

Shrug.]

I can try if you want.

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

That would be most kind of you. I've looked at several of the scrolls here, and at one of the other fortresses, but it seems to make no difference. I am unable to understand what they say.

[He pulls a large scroll off the nearest shelf and carries it over, handing it to Natsuki gingerly, mindful of its clearly vast age.]

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[she takes it carefully and proceeds to frown at it]

This looks kinda familiar. [reading on until something useful like 'samurai' or 'honor code' jumps out at her] Oh! It's bushido.

[she shrugs and hands it back over to him]

[seppun-tashime.livejournal.com]

Bushido...of course! The code of the samurai. Truly, if bushido held not a prominent place in my headspace, it would be a mystery. Then, these fortresses must represent the teachings of bushido.

[His look of triumph gradually fades into a frown, then a scowl.]

I...am unable to call to mind any of these teachings. It is strange. What else does the scroll say?

[sexyhitchhiker.livejournal.com]

[man, you're kind of a crappy samurai. She opens the scroll again, picks a random spot, and begins reading out loud.]