Roleplay > Vignettes

The City of the Dead

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Daitō:
Preparations03 February, 2023
07:33 AM
7.5km south of Mount Haku
Day One

   A thin haze clung to the plains which surrounded the Mutsu Inland Sea, not far from the mighty Mount Haku, her snow-crested peak visible, on occasion, as far away as Tenkyō. It was a lovely sight, the sun rising out over the water, but for Dr. Fumihiko Wakamisugi and his team, this wasn't a leisure trip. Fumihiko, or "Fumi" as his friends called him, had spent the early days of his career as an archaeologist in the area, playing a small but nonetheless important role in excavating the "Great Haniwa Army", as well as a number of residences and tombs in the vicinity of the grand Mausoleum of Emperor Tengyō, but now, rather than scratching the surface, he could finally do what many of his peers, not only in Daitō, but the world over, had only ever dreamed of. He was here to finally enter the tomb itself. Well, in a bit over a month or so, anyways. After all, due to the particular challenges that the site provided, be it the sheer scale, the need to properly preserve the artifacts inside, the potential for still-functional traps, or the high concentrations of Mercury inside, specialized equipment was necessary, and it couldn't be said this was an ordinary excavation.

   No, this wasn't going to be ordinary at all. A mix of geophysical methods, such as Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electromagnetic induction (EI), and Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) had given a fairly good idea of the layout of the tomb, which was remarkably well-preserved to the point it was possible, though not certain, that upon entry, much of the tomb could be accessed. For now, though, Fumihiko's team would be surveying the site, making the last preparations for the "excavation" in March. In the mean-time, this was a good moment for his students, who made up a part of the team working on the dig.
   "Now, who here can tell me why, other than it being the alleged final resting place of Emperor Tengyō, the Kamiishizumisanzai Tomb is so important?" Fumihiko asked the group as they walked, the sunlight breaking through the trees which surrounded the site.
   "Beyond the veritable treasure-trove of relics, Professor?" One of the students, taller than most in the group, spoke up. "Well, I would personally say the potential for historical texts predating the establishment of the Empire are quite valuable, but so is, despite the hazard it poses to any excavation, the large quantities of mercury, especially if it flows as the legends say."
   "There's a nugget of truth in that, Fumio, but I suspect you are leaning into personal preference there. Anyone else?"
   "While I concur with Takahashi-san, at least in part, I would argue that the site in its entirety is important. After all, no single section, no artifact exists in a vacuum. If it did, well, then what hope would we have of piecing together the history behind it?" Another student answered.
   "...Very good, Sanada-san." Fumi replied with a clap as they reached the top of the mound. "We are here to piece together a part of the rich tapestry of history, and just a richly-colored thread, each artifact, on its own, is but one small part of a greater image. It's our job, as historians and archaeologists to find those threads and put them together." He said, looking out over the landscape. "Imagine, if you will, you were standing here while the tomb was being built. Off in the distance, you can hear laborers, their songs helping them keep pace. On the horizon, the inland sea, and dotted between here and there, villages and farms belonging to our ancestors. What we are going to do here, my friends, is make that mental image ever-so-slightly more tangible. Now then, let's get to work, shall we?"

Daitō:
Making an Entrance21 March, 2023
09:16 AM
Just outside the Kamiishizumisanzai Tomb
Day Forty-Six

   Today was the day that Fumihiko Wakamisugi would finally achieve the highlight of his career. After all, just over forty-five days after arriving on site, every last piece of equipment had arrived, and he, as well as the others from Gakushūin University and a few associates, were now well and truly ready to enter the Grand Mausoleum of Emperor Tengyō, or at least what was left of it. Even with the surveys, there was, understandably, much that was simply unknown; certainly, it wasn't likely to be in pristine condition, given that it had been more than twenty-two hundred years since the tomb was built, however, it wasn't necessarily impossible. That was why such specialized equipment had been put into place, resembling, to an extent, the enclosure covering part of the nearby Haniwa army. That being said, it was a smaller structure, only covering a small part of the site surrounding the entrance of the grand subterranean tomb, with an internal airlock designed to help preserve the artifacts inside from being damaged like what was seen in surrounding areas.

   However, this first major step was at the back of the 58-year old doctor's mind, instead caught up in preparing to enter the structure. First, he'd need to get suited up; previous checks had indicated trace amounts of mercury in the air, alongside some other potentially hazardous fumes and particulates, not to mention that he and a few others set to enter alongside him ran the risk of disturbing the site as well. This wasn't something he was particularly comfortable with; usually, the most he'd ever need was a basic mask and a pair of gloves, but such was the importance—and danger—of this site that he, albeit begrudgingly, accepted the reduced mobility that came with this much PPE. After that, a number of tests were performed, both on his suit and on the airlock, then finally, a lecture on proper procedure. It was something he felt he had heard a thousand times before; do not take off the suit, do not run in the suit, do not unhook the oxygen supply. So many rules, absolutely necessary for safety, but still quite dull.

   Eventually though, after passing through an air shower and then the airlock, Fumi, as well as Takahashi—Jirō Takahashi—and Ryūji Sanada found themselves in front of the main entrance. It was a great stone door, sealed from the outside in ancient days, once lost amidst the sands of time and underneath the earth, now revealed for all to see. According to numerous historical texts, many written after the fact, the entrance to the tomb had been buried to prevent grave robbers from entering, and evidently, they were proving true. Opening the door was, by comparison, relatively easy, having already been unlocked a day prior, although nobody had been ready to enter until now. With some effort on the part of the three intrepid explorers, the door budged, slowly opening.
   "Alright, lights on." Fumihiko said, turning his flashlight on. "Make sure you get this on film, Takahashi-san." He followed up, motioning to the camera his student was holding. Jirō nodded, pivoting the camera to a bit of text just above the door, written in an ancient Ōnishi script which the student couldn't interpret.
   "What's that say, Professor?" Asked Sanada as he pointed to the carving, if only for the sake of having it on record.
   "That? Well, roughly speaking, it says, 'Wakatarashihiko, Lord of Ten-Thousand Chariots, Liege of the Five Lands, Grand King of All Under Heaven, rests here among his most dutiful servants.'" Fumi paused, catching his breath. "'Woe be upon he who defiles this sanctum, whom shall forevermore be doomed to suffer for his transgressions'... So, y'know, pretty normal stuff for tombs of this era."

   Dutiful servants and a warning to those who would enter. On paper, it sounded more like a pitch for some B-movie, no doubt involving some horribly distorted interpretation of an archaeologist going out to seek adventure on a lost island in the Rokkenjiman sea or something equally as fantastical. Knowing that somebody would inevitably seek to capitalize on their findings, Fumi figured it was only a matter of time before someone made a fictionalized account of their work here... He could only hope it would both be accurate and that he would get a cut. The Kami knew his department could use the funding after a stunt like this. After a moment, he proceeded, taking his first steps into the tomb which had, in effect, started his career all those years ago. With light in hand, he could see that which had been shrouded in darkness for millennia; murals depicting great conquests, the wealth and piety of the first Emperor, the command he held over a great many people... scratches? No, claw marks, the sort you'd only see at the site of a massacre. He hesitated for a moment, sweat dripping down his back, before slowly looking down, where he saw a sight which, even after all his years in the field, shook him to his core.
   "...By the Gods." He muttered, shining his light beneath him. All around, dozens upon dozens of skeletons lay, undisturbed for thousands of years, yet still in remarkable condition. There had been rumors, of course, that Emperor Tengyō, wishing to preserve the secrecy of his tomb's interior, had the laborers killed, but this... This was worse than he could've imagined. Though it was too soon to confirm, he figured, though he shuddered at the thought, that they had been sealed here alive, slowly dying, whether by oxygen depravation, starvation, mercury poisoning, or a combination of the three, while pleading to be released. Such was the way of the world back then, but he privately admitted he was glad to have been born in more enlightened times. "We've... Uhh, got a situation here." He called out, motioning for the others to take a look. This first discovery, though important, was surely a grim reminder to not view the past with rose-tinted glasses; mankind had grown since then, though often times it didn't show it. In any case, they had plenty of work cut out for them.

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