When Its Time To Party We Will Party Hard

[Daji]

Prologue

Perhaps it was merely great and dispassionate misfortune that was visited upon T'ien Ch'i, perhaps it was the depravity of the court which incurred the wrath of the gods, or perhaps it was simply the karmic result of some crime the Emperor committed eighty reincarnations back, it did not matter. Even the divine might and power of Jade Throne’s rightful master could not save T’ien Ch’i from the failed harvests, the endless flooding, the ravenous plagues, and the greed of men. Long have the ancient masters spoken of the impermanence of all things, even the favor of the Heavens, and now did the impermanence of even the foundations of the world made clear. The hidden knives in the night and the clashing arms in the day destroyed much and built little. The great Imperial Alchemy Institute burned to the ground and its wisdom scattered, the Geomancer’s Guild dissolved, even the Bureaucracy, the pillar central to the empire, fell apart and turned their fangs on each other. With the blood of the self-slain Emperor did time wash away the better days of old, revealing instead the coming darkness.

And yet the darkness was cut through by a blade of light like a fang, silver and radiant. The blade took the form of a wolf, and came from the great plains, where those who were once barbarians came and claimed what the supposed gentlemen and generals of T’ien Ch’i were too weak and petty to take for themselves. Under the leadership of the Grey Wolf Temujin, Great Khan of the Plains and Emperor of the Lang Dynasty, did noyons and cavalry replace the bureaucrats and footmen of old. Though the Jade Throne was secure under the new Emperor, the realm and the world was not, and many of the old provinces of T’ien Ch’i did not accept his new rulership, with those still chafing under the rule of those whom they saw as base barbarians spreading turmoil and instability under the guise of liberation. Thus did the Khan prepare for the long and laborious task of winning the peace after winning the war…

Then the shamans of the court all keeled over one morning, fell to their knees, and screamed into the sky, for the Pantokrator was no more.

[Daji]

"Mother is still delirious?"

Chagatai nodded silently at this. "She's having another spell, and we're not allowed in," Tolui continued in Chagatai's place, "the physicians say that she'll get better in a week, though" Despite this, the worry was still clear on his face.

Ogedei groaned as he set down his coat and sat down. He and his hunting entourage had made a beeline for the capital for three days upon receiving word that his mother was ill, so he supposed he could wait a while longer before seeing her. Still did not change his frustration, though.

The brothers, the young sons and heirs to the Great Khan Temujin and Emperor Tong-Guang, were silent about the table, their pot of tea and servants ignored, and remained that way until the sudden sound of their mother screaming lifted their heads up again.

"THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKIES!"

Chagatai remained silent, and Tolui arose hesitantly ready to entire his mother's chambers, and yet he was beaten to the punch by Ogedei, who bolted up and barged through the door, ignoring the protests of his father's servants and his mother's physicians.

"Mother!"

And there he saw her, pale in bed and covered in sweat. Though she did not shiver, her laboured breathes and rolling head betrayed the terrors that plagued her rest. The fact that she was screaming about the sky falling had only made things worse.

She was a shaman, certainly, as well as Empress and Khatun, and receiving visions from the heavens was her duty, no matter how terrifying they may have been at times. He has frequent memories of mother undergoing particularly intense messages before.

Yet nothing compared to this, and Ogedei found another fear gnawing away at him - no longer was he simply concerned for his mother's health, but for the world as well, for whatever could cause something like this...

Turning a little pale himself, he knelt beside his mother and silently clutched her hand, hoping that the presence of her son could reach out and comfort his mother as much as he could as she stood before the Heavens themselves.

"Mother, is she...?"

"She's fine," Ogedei said, alerted to the sound of Tolui's voice.

"Tell me, have any other shaman fallen prey to these visions as well?"

"We don't know," Chagatai replied before Tolui, "that's what father is investigating."

"I see, I was just about to ask where father was..."

"I'm here."

The trio, turned about, a little shocked at the almost poetic timing of the arrival of their father, and bowed their head almost instinctively when greeting him. Indeed, when Temujin, Great Khan of the Plains and Emperor of T'ien Ch'i, six chi tall and clad in full armor, stands before you, anyone would.

He took Ogedei's place and gave his wife a small kiss on the hand before turning to his sons again. "Leave her be. She'll be fine, and you should let the physicians to their jobs. Besides, we're needed at court."

"Father," Ogedei started, "are-"

"And if you're wondering, yes..."

"Every shaman that we know of is undergoing the same illness as your mother is."

For the first time since the day their father decided march against the Bureaucracy, Temujin's sons saw something behind his steely gaze.

Fear.

[Daji]

One by one, the various noyons and their spouses entered the Imperial Banquet Hall for the General Assembly and paid their respects before taking their seats. The simple fact that the First Great Khan of the Plains has only called for such an assembly, which all the various lords of the Plains were obliged to arrive, twice in his life - once for the his election and confirmation of right to rule, and once more to deliberate the invasion and conquest of T'ien Ch'i, already implied the gravity of the situation.

Temujin only barely noticed each noyon's greetings as they entered, and left most of the niceties to his sons. He himself was too busy contemplating what all of this means. Subtly, he rubbed a small arrow-head amulet, a personal good luck superstition, as he did so. Hopefully none of them needed too much of an explanation, because he had been receiving message after message from them about the phenomenon.

It was only when all the noyons were seated that the Great Khan finally began to speak.

"Lords and ladies of the Plains, I am honoured that you all have come," he stated in his deep, reassuring voice as he rose, "as I am sure you are all aware by now, a crisis is sweeping our land. Who here has not yet seen the fits that are plague our shaman?"

Only one hand was raised. The rest merely nodded their heads.

"Yesugen, did you at least know of what was occuring?"

Yesugen nodded. "I had heard that there were shaman collapsing and falling into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares. I had not seen one personally, but I was aware of how... widespread this problem was," she explained.

Temujin nodded. "Indeed. One shaman falling into such a trance might be a fluke. Two, co-incidence. Three, four, every one?"

The Great Khan leaned in. "It is clear that something is occuring, and something of great importance. But it is just our luck that everyone that could interpret this for us is barely conscious. Does anyone here know of what could something like this to happen?"

A noyon, Ulusamai, raised his hand, and was given permission to speak.

"Great Khan, I am not well-versed in divination, but I remember my grandmother having told me that the only message that could bring a shaman to outright collapse is a message directly from either the Sky Father or Earth Mother directly, and not some lesser diety. Perhaps something is happening with them?"

"... I'd say that was impossible, but considering the situation, I'm willing to believe anything. Have there been any other occurrences as well? Floods? Fires? Anything?"

All the noyons shook their heads.

Temujin swore to himself in his head. He swore to himself more when an extended, awkward silence fell over the assembled lords.

Eventually, Temujin threw up him arms in frustration. "Well does anyone here have any idea what's going on?"

"I do!"

In the doorway stood a woman in white robes, her face fatigued, yet determined to continue.

"Borte?!"

[Daji]

Borte, Empress of T'ien Ch'i, Great Khatun of the Plains, and a shaman respected all around, entered the hall, tired, yet awake. Her sons immediately rose to help her, but with a simple wave of her hand, she refused them and continued.

"I have received a grim message to relay."

Now everyone in the court was frozen in attention on Borte.

"The Sky Father and the Earth Mother are no longer with this world."

Silence.

"... what?"

"I do not make jokes about something of this magnitude. The Sky Father and Earth Mother - the All-Rulers - are no more."

"And furthermore, this is has implications beyond the obvious. With the All-Rulers gone, there will be a battle... for succession."

The people assembled in the hall would have gasped had they not already become frozen.

"For as amongst men there is a battle for succession when there is no clear heir, so too will there be a battle for succession amongst the gods when there is no clear heir. I have seen it. Even as we speak, these... Pretenders have awakened to this fact, and have begun preparations. The nations of men shall become their pawns, and step with them to either glory... or ruin."

Borte paused to breath. "If we are not chosen by a Pretender as well, we will be crushed, there is no question."

[Daji]

Immediately, the noyon Dundush rose up. "Impossible! How can we be crushed?! Our cavalry have defeated every foe we have met!"

"This is different!" Borte instantly shot back, "you have no idea what these Pretenders are capable of! So far, we have only faced armies led by men, but these are gods we are talking about!"

"We'll kill them like the rest! The old Emperor claimed godhood as well, and now he's dead and buried!"

"SILENCE!"

The bellow of the Great Khan silenced all in the room as they turned to look at him.

"... Borte, are you sure about this?"

Borte nodded. "Like I said, I do not make jokes about something like this. I am certain that my fellow diviners will agree with my assessment when they are once more lucid."

"... then this is no time to be divided by petty squabbles."

Temujin, Conqueror of the Plains, the Mountains, the Desert, and the Rivers, stood tall. "Send word to every scholar and person of learning in the Empire, let them know of this crisis and immediately begin a search for a Pretender. If one will not come to us, we will go to them."

Yesugen rose up in protest. "Great Khan, I would strongly advise against such an action. We have no idea what a Pretender is capable of, and furthermore no guarantee that they will have any interest in co-operating-"

"I'd prefer to take my chances over certain annihiliation."

"I... yes, Great Khan."

"Excellent, now get a messenger and a scribe to me-"

Suddenly, a light-armored messenger rushed into the hall and immediately lowered into a kneel, slightly panicked.

"... excellent timing. What is it?"

"Great Khan! We have received word of multiple rebellions throughout our provinces!"

"... WHAT?!"