The Republic of Letters [A Library]

[Oishi Shichimenchou]

Re: Society of Continental Mythopoeia

What is the Society of Continental Mythopoeia? A Memo.
- Ame Shichimenchou, 0 SE
{Copyleft}

Mythopoeia. Noun. Myth creation.

The Society of Continental Mythopoeia was founded several centuries ago in Twain's Port. Its intended purpose was the collection of the several myths, cults, religions, and folk stories that have arisen in the Continent and to weld them into a coherent storyline. It was first started by the Rain Daimyo who wished to create a simplistic mythology that could be easily digested by laypeople. The inaugural act of the society was the creation of the Evaline mythology for the then-new country of Rain. It has since then expanded its scope to the whole of the Continent.

Structurally the society is organized around lodges in major cities. Depending on the number of members in a given chapter a lodge may be a permanent building devoted to allowing members to discuss their current mythopoeic projects or a monthly gathering in some restaurant. The lodge in Twain's Port is by far the largest. For full disclosure I, Ame Shichimenchou, am the President of the Twain's Port chapter. The lodge in Raiden's Eye is quickly growing in size and may rival my own... in a century or four. It is run by the Countess Bakunin and devotes itself largely to the mythopoeia of the lightning god Raiden.

Through its existence the society has had its bulk of criticisms.

One common critic is that the society simplifies the old stories too much and as a result few people are capable of distinguishing what is the original story. The society retorts that although it is true that it simplifies the old stories, it is precisely because they have simplified them into a coherent and simple manner that the stories are remembered. They point out that interest in the mythology of the Continent was near non-existent before the society was founded. Furthermore it has always been the policy of the society to remind readers that they should visit the original source if they wish a clearer idea of what occurred.

Another popular critic is that the society has created new stories that were not part of the old canon. The stories of Evaline the Rain Goddess are frequently pointed out by the critics as a prime example of this problem. The Ameri people had a Rain Goddess whom they paid tribute to, but she had no great mythology surrounding her. It was the society that later explained why she aided the Ameri or her connection with the turkeys. The Mother Suna and her were not previously connected either; they were two unrelated deities in the old traditions.

The society has several times pointed out that this is not a problem at all.

It is true that the society has created new mythologies independent of the old traditions, but why is this wrong? The stories of Evaline are now several centuries old. Most people believe that Evaline was always the Rain Goddess worshiped by the Ameri - even the Ameri themselves believe this! The society has expanded the number of stories about the gods, but it has never been foolish to change the crucial essences of the gods themselves. Mother Suna is always a motherly figure. Evaline is always a rebellious adolescent goddess. The fire deity always destroys the hidden leaf village.

It is also true that the society has connected the various cults into a single mythology but, again, why is this wrong? The society's members have historically been men and women who have favored further integration between the lands of the Continent. It is only natural that they extend this to their work in the society by integrating the gods themselves. The society has never forced anyone to adopt their version of mythology and others are always free to form their own rival societies. That the Society of Continental Mythopoeia has no notable rivals is a clear sign that it provides a service unmatched by any other.

 

[Oishi Shichimenchou]

Morse Code

Oishi Cipher
- Countess Bakunin, 1 SE
[Copyright #2 - Oishi Only]

PREFACE

Dear family member,

Attached is the code to be used for family communications. The pass key should be obvious. In the rare case that you do not know here is a clue: It is the one place we hope to go to at least once in our lives.

 

[Oishi Shichimenchou]

Path of the Kingslayer: Enishi’s Journal, Entry 5
- Yukimura Enishi with Annotations by Takagi Masao, 1 SE
{Copyleft}


War! Alleluia Shinbatsu! At long last, we are at war again!

Today, My Lady made the public announcement to the village that we would be rendering direct combat support to the military of the Serene Kingdom of Bear, our neighbors to the south. For the last few years, they have been fighting a losing struggle against the People’s Republic of Marsh, but at the urging of our Sennin Akira Saito, we are now to repulse the invaders directly. I can sense the excitement in the air as I walk around the village square with Seryuu on my day off – you cannot engage in conversation with anyone without the topic of this “Joseon War” coming up.

And in truth, I cannot blame anyone for this. I must admit that although I have enjoyed the time spent partaking of the wisdom and visceral pleasure of My Lady’s library, I am also a man possessed of the need for violence. Conflict has always run hot in my veins. And if the writings of Jefferson and Madison have taught me but one thing, it is that bloodshed is a necessity for the advancement of human civilization and thought. And what is a village of shinobi, if not a collection of individuals trained in the art of bloodletting? Let no man think that I am a pacifist. In fact, I am quite the opposite.

Tomorrow, My Lady, along with Sennin Saito, five companies of the Main and three of the ANBU and Medical Corps travel to the Serene Kingdom. And of course, my group must be there to protect her. My heart overflows with gratitude to Shinbatsu for allowing me this opportunity, even if My Lady will likely never approach the front lines. Still, the PRMC did manage to assault and kill the Hoshikage of Bear, so there will be a chance for a fight. I await the journey with bated breath.

[Historian’s Addendum: Yukimura was, to put it charitably, unreliable about dating his entries and even more so about elucidating the time period encapsulated in his individual sections of journal. Likely it was because he assumed that no one besides him or Raikage Kagetsu would read his entries. Since most of these cobbled-together paragraphs deal with the time period during which the latter half of the Bear-Marsh Conflict occurred, I am consolidating them for the sake of organization. – Takagi Masao]

[Next Segment]

We have been in Bear now for some time, and the conflict has moved slowly but surely in our favor. Sennin Saito has been made the Field Marshal of our consolidated forces, which include our own shinobi, the surviving Bear army, and the surviving shinobi of Hoshigakure. It is now apparent after several clashes that the reason for the earlier success of the Marsh offensive was that they have been operating with the support of no less than seven rogue missing shinobi who have now shown their faces in response to our arrival. Currently, it is the winter, and no sane army dares to make a move for fear of frostbite and starvation, and so we will spend the next two months encamped near their capitol, Sagishi-Souru. Unfortunately, My Lady’s library is inaccessible to me, and she had forbidden me to take anything with me for fear of discovery by the others. Nevertheless, I admit that I kept a small book of poems by Yeats, which give me comfort during the inevitable times of boredom.

The most peculiar and striking thing about this land is the food. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced in Kumogakure. It is wild, impassioned food full of spice and force approaching vulgarity. This pickled cabbage of theirs which they call kim-chi, smells of rot, but once one starts to eat it, it becomes impossible to stop! I have already downed many jars of the stuff, and eat it with every meal. Rice has become terribly bland without the fiery, sour taste of the cabbage. Furthermore, the people of this land are pathologically enamored of garlic and alliums, which are rarely used in our food back home. Now I understand why we call them the “Garlic Eaters”. Some dishes are too strong for my taste, but others, especially the broiled ribs and the pickled form of garlic and other vegetables, which they call ban-chan, are delicious beyond measure. My Lady recently teased me for appearing fuller in the face than usual, so I know that I will have to moderate my intake of these things.

The native language is incomprehensible, and I do not trouble myself to learn it completely, although I have picked up a few phrases of general utility, such as hwa-jang-shil ou-di-eh-yo? which is the common parlance for asking where the restrooms are. I tend to be on edge when I hear the language spoken in close proximity to My Lady, however – I am at a disadvantage when I know not their plans. And the most surprising thing yet is that apparently the people of Bear share the same language as the people of Marsh, our enemies. Perhaps at one point they were unified, but I sense that they will never truly come together at this rate.

[Next Segment]

Tomorrow, we are to fight what Sennin Saito feels will be the pivotal battle of this war. Perhaps sensing the same, the Marsh army and its shinobi have split into two arms and move on our positions. The sixty-thousand man-strong Bear and Hoshigakure forces are to hold Hoengseong Hill against one of the arms, while our Sennin is to take our entire brigade and attempt to smash the other at Chipyong-Ni as they attempt a pincer maneuver skirting the borders of our countries. It will be our eight-hundred against ninety-thousand men. I tremble with excitement, however, because My Lady has also given me permission to accompany Sennin Saito to the battle! She and Seryuu, along with Captain Jeada, Kyouya, and Tamaki have already arrived back in Kumo under the cover of night, and await our return.

I was so excited that I kissed My Lady’s lips when she allowed me this chance. To my disappointment, she did not reciprocate, but merely told me to be careful. Still, I have my battle to look forward to, and Seryuu to take care of my base needs. She I hugged and bade farewell to later, to which she professed that she loved me. I could not lie to her and tell her I felt the same. I merely embraced her harder, a feeling of guilt and shame in my heart. Perhaps the violence of the following day will purge these feelings from my chest.

[Next Segment]

We have victory. We, who numbered eight-hundred shinobi at the dawn of the day, now number a mere half that number still walking. Three hundred shinobi and kunoichi suffer from their wounds, and a hundred names are to be written on the walls of the Torre Celeste as an eternal tribute to their sacrifice. The Bear and Hoshigakure force who held the trenches at Hoengsoeng, who started with sixty thousand souls, are a mere five thousand happy few. The seven rogue shinobi who led the Marsh forces are dead or driven away. As we sat, bloodied and wounded, on the muddy and crimson-drenched remains of the hill, I remarked to the Sennin:

“T’is wonderful,” I breathed, looking over the destruction wrought upon the land and the bodies of soldiers from both sides laying limply in the mud and barbed wire and broken spear shafts. Smashed war wagons burned hundreds of meters away, sending thick black plumes of smoke into the already gray and dreary sky. Saito himself seemed weary, almost smaller than usual, though he is otherwise a massively-built man. His gaze pierced through the grime of war plastered to his face as he addressed us with this orders.

“Come, go we in procession to the village. And be it death proclaimed through our host to boast of this or take praise from Shinbatsu which is His only.”

“Is it not lawful, and please your Senninship, to tell how many is killed?” asked one of us.

“Yes, Captain, but with this acknowledgement: That Shinbatsu fought for us,” said Saito, closing his eyes.

“Yes, my conscience, he did us great good,” I conceded.

“Do we all holy rites; Let there be sung ‘Non Nobis’ and ‘Te Deum’, the dead with charity enclosed in clay, and then to Port Cirrus and to Kumogakure then, where never from Bear Country arrived more happy men.”

Akira Saito rose to his feet, as did we all. On the ground nearby was the body of an ANBU trainee whose name had been Mishikku. Twelve years old, he had died late in the battle, taking a rogue shinobi’s knife to his back. Kneeling, the Sennin gently lifted the boy’s corpse and hefted it over his shoulder, marching through the thick, quarrel-strewn mud in the direction of the carts we were to use to transport the dead from the field. As we followed, a Hashigaki began to sing.

Non nobis, Shinbatsu, Domine
Non nobis, Domine
Sed Nomine, sed Nomine
Tuodam Gloria
Non nobis, Shinbatsu, Domine
Non nobis, Domine
Sed Nomine, sed Nomine
Tuodam Gloria ​

We sang and wept and marched, carrying our fallen to the burial grounds. As Saito gently placed Mishikku’s body into a cart, he kissed the boy’s blood-matted head before looking to the sky, grimacing in anguished triumph.

[Next Segment]

On our return to Kumo, we were feted as heroes. My Lady had also been busy, and by the time we made our march back, she had already signed the Treaty of Armistice that bore her name, ending our conflict with Marsh Country and their conflict with Bear. Everyone who had participated in that battle at Chipyong-Ni was given an award token by the Haninozuka King of Bear – a small, golden pin with the Bear and Cloud symbols on it – already rumors were starting to fly that if a shinobi went to the Kingdom and showed his pin, it would mean a free romp through any whorehouse he wished. Personally, I’ll wait until the place is actually recovered from the war.

The next few days were a swirl of constant activity – My Lady had won the International Noburu Peace Prize for her efforts and we spent a few days traveling to the Sasorilands for the ceremony. The followup missions of the war taxed a great deal of our resources, as we chased down leads on any surviving rogue shinobi sightings and helped to patch up the hidden village of Star. Marsh Country is now under new leadership which has taken a hard-line isolationist stance, and no one knows for sure what transpires within their borders.

On our return from the Peace Prize ceremony, however, Seryuu finally confronted me.

“Yukishi, I need to know something,” she said, gently pushing me away from a kiss as I undid her bodice.

“Yes?” I asked, sensing a different tone in her voice.

“In the years we’ve been lovers… You’ve never once told me ‘I love you.’”

“You know I find you beautiful and I enjoy your company,” I said, tentatively.

“But you’ve never told me you love me. I know you, Yukishi. You never say something that you don’t believe in. I thought for a long time maybe you’re just slow to come around, but I know now, you’ll never say those words. Am I not right?” she said, looking at me with watery eyes. I could not bring myself to lie to her. Not loyal Seryuu of all people. I cast my gaze downward.

“You’re…you’re right, Seryuu. I can’t tell you that. I can’t deceive you.”

“It’s Kagetsu-sama, isn’t it?” she asked, a tear falling to the floor.

“What?” I asked, a gnawing feeling in my chest.

“It’s Kagetsu-sama you love, right? I can tell. Everyone can tell. The way you look at her, the way she looks at you. My justice sensor is never wrong, damn you!” she started to shout, her voice cracking. Crap – she had me.

“I…yes. I love the Raikage. I desire her. And no, I’ve never slept with her. She remains inaccessible,” I said, softly and in defeat. “I am sorry, Seryuu, for everything. I will ask to be transferred to another squad that does nights so you do not have to see me again. I don’t know what else to do to apologize. I understand if you never want to speak to me again…” I said, buttoning up my shirt and turning to leave. My heart broke to hear her freshly weeping. Although I did not think I loved her at the time, perhaps my reaction then showed that I do in some way.

“Wait,” she croaked, grabbing my shirtsleeve before I took a stride. I turned, preparing myself for a well-deserved slap across the face. Or even a dagger to the chest. I would accept it, such was my guilt. “Don’t leave,” she said, unexpectedly.

“I…wha?” I stammered, caught off guard by the new expression shining through her puffy, reddened eyes.

“Don’t leave. I just wanted the truth. I deserve that much, don’t I?” she said, trying to smile. My eyes watered uncomfortably. “The truth is that I love you, Yukimura Enishi, and nothing will change that. I know I can’t compete with Kagetsu-sama, but at least I can have you in a way that she will not. As long as I can be with you, that’s good enough. I don’t care if you imagine I’m Kagetsu-sama when we make love. I’ll even pretend to be her or dress up like her if you want me to. At least I’m the one actually with you,” she said, drawing closer and hugging me with a ferocious tightness.

I came away that night with more questions than answers, and still riddled with guilt.

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