Baltukhasar - If The Count Of Arlu Believed

If the Count of Arlu believed an archaeological mystery lay somewhere beneath Jian Peak Abbey, there were plenty of places to start looking. Baltukhasar walked around the perimeter of the abbey's main complex. The site experienced numerous periods of renovation and extension throughout recent centuries. Most buildings in the complex dated to the middle Lechun Dynasty. Ritual structures tended to be a few centuries older. The residential structures tended to be more recent.

In some places, renovations exposed prior construction. In other places, whatever was present had been destroyed. There were several secret passageways. Most were known to the abbey's occupants. Baltukhasar's senses picked up a few cases of mushrooms growing behind walls, the sound of wind moving through curious spaces, and masonry slightly out of alignment. In each of those cases, what he revealed proved to be only more of what was already known.

The oldest complete structure atop the spire was a small shrine from the middle Qianqiu Dynasty. A previously unknown crypt beneath it provided some excitement. A book of thin copper plates had been interred inside an altar. Prayers recorded on the plates invoked a number of celestial powers in unorthodox ways.

"The mysteries recorded here are inscrutable," said the Incense Master. "The Abbot would have secluded himself for months to study them. Unraveling their significance will be a challenge for anyone left alive. Though priceless, I doubt this book is what the Count of Arlu was looking for."

"When was the last time you went down the stairs?" asked Baltukhasar.

"I cannot remember going down," said the Incense Master. "I may have climbed up once."

The monuments further down the abbey's volcanic spire were not prioritized for renovation by those living at the top. As a result, those near the bottom were much older – and in much worse shape. Romantic ruins created an appealing aesthetic, but it was difficult for even Baltukhasar to sniff out clues. Everything looked, smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt uniformly old.

Baltukhasar retreated back up to the abbey proper. Finding in one trip what the Count of Arlu wanted to bring in a team of archaeologists to search for had been a bold proposition. He asked the Incense Master about ancient archives. The Incense Master chuckled. Of course the abbey had ancient archives. In the present age, its monks pursued more fashionably pleasurable arts than reading old books – but the books had not been destroyed. The Incense Master led Baltukhasar to them.

"There are an awful lot of old books," observed Baltukhasar.

"The abbey is awfully old," replied the Incense Master. "What are we looking for?"

"I doubt the Count wants anything obviously belonging to the abbey," said Baltukhasar. "Even with the former Abbot dead, a rich but minor nobleman does not have the resources to risk conflict with Jian Peak. While the Abbot was alive, such a conflict would have been suicidal."

"I hadn't paid this matter much attention," said the Incense Master, "because I knew the Abbot would never agree to the Count's request. But what you say makes sense. You're suggesting that what we are looking for predates the abbey's existence."

"Yes," said Baltukhasar.

"Some of Sacred Mountain Conclave's abbeys do have materials from earlier times," said the Incense Master. "Qiang Peak has numerous hobgoblin texts. But we do not. So far as we know, there was nothing here before the abbey. As we saw on our excursion up and down too many steps, the first structures were built during the later part of the early Qianqiu Dynasty."

"It can't be true," said Baltukhasar.

"Why not?"

"This valley is considered one of if not the most beautiful sites in the world," said Baltukhasar. "It could not have gone completely ignored by both the Arkhanate and the human cultures of the Northwest Territory for twenty thousand years."

"Perhaps they revered it so much they refused to disfigure its beauty," said the Incense Master.

"A fair point," Baltukhasar chuckled. "But… no. Wait. I think you're right!"

"I like being right," said the Incense Master. 

"What we're looking for is inside the spire," said Baltukhasar. "Giants could pass through rock, and had no need for doors. The valley and spire are so dramatic, intermediate cultures would have assumed the giants were responsible for all of it and worshiped from afar. The first structures would indeed have been erected by the Qianqiu Dynasty."

"We can pull out the oldest manuscripts," said the Incense Master. "We do have preservative abjurations in place, but still – anything from that far back won't be in good shape."

"Not the first," said Baltukhasar. "The first people here just saw a volcanic spire in a horseshoe canyon. But sometime after that, they would have developed their own mystical superstitions about the valley."

"Define 'sometime after,'" said the Incense Master.

"A thousand years."

The Incense Master guided Baltukhasar to volumes from the chosen time period – and provided a pair of handsome young men who could read them. It was slow going. Baltukhasar and his helpers had little progress to report over wine and seared cubes of steak. Then another young man appeared. He was uncommonly pretty. It was Pin Fun.

The sword he carried made Baltukhasar's supernatural sixth sense cringe. It was meant for the Abbot. With the Abbot dead, Pin Fun lamented that he had abandoned the others in Tianming Town for nothing. The Incense Master lamented that with Mu Lang abducted, Jian Peak was without a clear successor.

"This raises at least two questions," said Baltukhasar. "What is the relationship, if any, between these abductions and the plot to kill the Abbot; and, what is the relationship, if any, between the abductions and the Count of Arlu's desire to search for archaeological artifacts under the abbey?"

"Regarding the former," said the Incense Master, "we've taken two hits back-to-back. That puts us in a weak position. Regarding the latter… the Count may have concluded that gold would not get him what he wanted, but holding our future leader would."

"How widely known was Mu Lang's status as most likely successor?" asked Baltukhasar.

"The position was not formal," said the Incense Master. "Mu Lang's techniques were too fussy for real fights. Nobody could have 'abducted' our deceased Abbot even if he was asleep. Our Abbot recognized Mu Lang's potential, however, and he was never frivolous about skill. Furthermore, in spite of his exotic tastes, the Abbot was plainspoken and forthright about his opinions."

"Within the Sacred Mountain Conclave," said Pin Fun, "Mu Lang was the obvious successor."

"And the Count of Arlu is a patron of several abbeys," said the Incense Master.

"The Count is a ruthless businessman," said Baltukhasar. "But it's too easy to fabricate a conspiracy by cherry picking isolated events. A plan to kill the Abbot and abduct his successor would give the person executing that plan enormous leverage. The fact that it appeared to work makes it too easy to overlook the risks. Killing Jian Peak Abbot was no sure thing, and failing to kill him invited almost certain death. You say that Mu Lang's combat techniques are fussy."

"His forms are peerless," said the Incense Master. "But he is reluctant to hurt people."

"Still," said Baltukhasar. "Four Jian Peak disciples should be able to handle an awful lot."

"Drugs," said Pin Fun. "Good ones."

"You escaped," observed Baltukhasar.

The Incense Master chuckled.

"Pin Fun is our top Flower Night," he said. "He frequently gets drugged. His ability to run away is also legendary. Although we do practice lethal sword techniques, running away is our preferred strategy. Fights are so ugly."

The gigolo monks agreed. 

"This is a nasty sword," said Baltukhasar. "What's the story?"

Pin Fun related the story.

"You almost made it," said Baltukhasar. "If the Abbot had gotten ahold of a sword like that, he would have touched the sky for sure. Maybe the golden child of golden children could handle it in a few years. As for anyone here right now, it's that sword which will end up handling them. You were right when you said 'no' to Iba Algi the first time. What do you plan to do with that sword now?"

"We've lost our Abbot," said Pin Fun. "We could use a legendary sword."

"And a legendary sword could use you," said Baltukhasar.

"Our agenda aligns with the sword's interests," said Pin Fun. "This is a flashy weapon. It won't be satisfied for long being carried around by one of us. Jin Peak Abbot was its best match, and Mu Lang is his best successor."

Baltukhasar laughed.

"You're good at wiggling," he said. "I'm not familiar with Lady Wu. But I am familiar with the Crown Princess. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with her for more than a few rounds is serious business – and you went toe-to-toe with that person. You've earned the right to carry that sword around. But vampires are calculating creatures, so I imagine this blade is too. The proposition that it's better off if you can get it to Mu Lang is good. But someone as pretty as you is going to get transformed into a vampire along the way."

"There have been a few vampires in our history," said the Incense Master. "We fit the vibe."

"Where are they now?" asked Baltukhasar.

"I'm not sure," replied the Incense Master. "One disappeared into the Western Collapse. One went south to wander the Thousand Priestly Kingdoms of Samarasikri and Maharagolkun. Another got captured by assassins and used as a research project."

"Before running off to find your golden child," said Baltukhasr, "stick around and help us find what the Count of Arlu wanted. Whenever you're too far behind your enemy, the best course of action is to turn over the board."