Shenkuu Interactive Plot

Summary: Something is wrong with the Emperor of Shenkuu. You begin your mystery at the royal palace where you meet Princess Lunara and Kentari the Neopian samurai.

Setting: Shenkuu palace at midnight, cue the sound of an oriental zither

Lighting flashes angrily through the Shenkuu skies as the sliding door to the Emperor’s chambers flies open forcefully. The harsh storm wind rips through the room’s delicate screens. An ornamental porcelain vase shatters loudly in the courtyard.

There is a low, barely perceptible buzz, then the Emperor’s voice rings out into the night. He begins yelling something incomprehensible over and over again. His stately Gelert silhouette hunches over in pain, sobbing. Night turns into day.

It is the next morning, and you are in the royal Shenkuu courtyard. Where would you like to go?

a. Search the courtyard for clues

b. To the Emperor’s chambers

c. To Princess Lunara’s tea room

d. Visit Kentari in the royal armory

Click ---

a. The wooden beams along the palace walkway surrounding the courtyard stand serenely as they cast their morning shadows onto the ground. There is a peaceful sound of soft, trickling water from a pond. In one corner is a potted bonsai tree, whose branches look carefully pruned.

You investigate the pond, and, peering through its emerald depths, something glimmers. There might be something shiny inside the pond, but you can’t reach it. Maybe you have to find something or someone to help you with that.

Behind the bonsai tree, you notice the remains of a once beautiful, black vase. You move aside some of the larger broken shards. Their edges scrape roughly against the cool stone ground. There is a small, tattered piece of parchment paper. It reads: “On Kuji mountain, my only solace is a cup of tea.” It looks and sounds like part of a poem.

b. You hop up some steps leading out of the courtyard, and amble along a long, covered walkway leading to the Emperor’s personal chambers. Out of the corner of your eye, you see something or someone darkly-clothed fly past. Was that a buzzing sound? A burly Skeith from the royal guard blocks your way.

“The Emperor’s orders are to leave him alone in his room,” he says gruffly, his tail determinedly hitting the floor. He won’t tell you anything else besides that. Maybe you can find another way to get in.

c. As you approach the tea room, you hear a demure, “Good morning”. Cybunny Princess Lunara shuffles past you smiling, takes off her shoes, and carefully lines them up on the floor outside before settling herself down on a floor cushion. Following her lead, you walk barefoot onto the straw mats, and sit across from her at a low table. There is an Ikebana flower arrangement in the corner. A scroll hangs down from the wall with a poem.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asks. The pieces of her tea set cling delicately as she sets them on the table. While drinking tea, you ask her about the poem on the wall. You also ask her about any news concerning her father’s, the Emperor’s, health.

“Father has been having nightmares lately,” she replies, her long ears drooping. As for the poem, she explains that there is a new poem set up in this room each season. “This one was written by one of our emissaries to Altador,” she says. “It is an Ode to Mount Kuji.” She pauses. “Come to mention it, he hasn’t returned from Altador yet. Maybe Kentari knows more about that. If you’re going to see him, would you give him this?” She gives you a small parcel of rice cakes to give to Kentari.

d. Shoyru Kentari yawns as you enter the royal armory, and adjusts his helmet matter-of-factly. A warn-down quiver full of arrows rests on the floor. “I’m so tired from staying up all night guarding Captian Tuan’s petpet farm,” he moans. “He keeps telling me that there’s a ‘dark, sneaky menace’ scaring his petpets at night, but I think that he is over-thinking things.”

“I didn’t even get the chance to eat breakfast,” he continues. You tell him about something shiny you saw in the courtyard pond, and pass him the parcel of rice cakes given to you by Princess Lunara. He immediately opens them, and starts eating.

“You saw something in the pond?” he asks, mouth full of rice cakes. “I can help you get it. But hold on a second, just let me have one more bite.”

Kentari follows you to the courtyard pond, sword in tow, and he tries to reach the shiny object with his sword. He leans precariously over the pond bridge, until, whoops, he falls into the pond with a splash. Aaaaaaaah! He emerges drenched from the pond with a lotus flower hanging off his armoured shoulder pad. “I got it!”

He gives you the shiny object, and you take a closer look at it. This sun-like symbol engraved on it looks familiar … could it be … an Altadorian crest? What is this doing here in Shenkuu?

“Something from Altador?” says Kentai, incredulous. “Our emissary to Altador has not yet returned, so why would we have something from Altador here in Shenkuu? I need to show this to the Emperor.”

Kentari marches down the royal palace walkway, and confronts the Skeith guard blocking the way to the Emperor’s room. "Out of my way! I need to see the Emperor!" he cries. The Skeith reluctantly steps asides, puzzled at Kentari's urgency. You follow Kentari into the Emperor's chambers.

The Emperor and his guest both turn around when Kentari bursts into the room, shocked expressions on their faces. "What is the meaning of this?" the Emperor asks. His guest his silent. The Emperor's guest is an Aisha wearing an elegant, flowing robe tied at her waist. Is that the legendary Guardian of Shenkuu? She remains silent. Kentari shows the Emperor the object with the Altadorian crest. The Emperor's eyes widen in surprose. His guest calmy states, "It is just as I had thought." She suddenly whirls around, and expertly strikes the wall on her left. The wall yelps in pain! A Buzz ninja appears behind the broken paper screen wall, its wings crumpled on the floor. "He was eavesdropping on us!" exclaimed the Emperor. Kentari came forward and demanded that the intruder tell them who he was and why he was here. A large portion of the black cloth around the Buzz unravelled, revealing a white toga embalzoned with an Altadorian crest. The intruder was a citizen from Altador! "Your emissary won't be returning," the Buzz gasped, "Shenkuu is in danger. The Emperor has been having dreams for weeks about it. It is true. The Dark Faerie has her eye on Shenkuu next!" Fin.Author’s ending note: This story began as my wanting to write a Neopian plot for my guild to enjoy after the Altador Cup XII. I hope that you enjoyed it as well.