710 The Rock Breaker Plot

The Great Spirit speaks to us all. Whether through each other or through the trees, we can hear her guidance. Too bad we're all terrible listeners so we have no clue what she's trying to tell us. The people we meet, the places we go; did we really bring ourselves to them? Mostly we fumble through life, feeling like this is all a game of chance. A dice roll for a bet we didn't make.

On the twelfth day in the third month of the 710th year, a few days before the Spring equinox, Noosoo stepped out from his home into the morning.

Noosoo is upset that he can't help his daughter Cloowa Yawpon, who still holds out that her brother Gamoo Naadag is alive after going missing over a year ago. Noosoo's morning was interrupted, however, by the appearance of a large sinkhole in his yard.

In the tunnels under Cahokia, there is a growing number of Kookooiya, mud lovers who seek to transcend normal human abilities with spiritual enrichment and push the edges of cybernetic technology. Awaholi Diihii, on this morning of the twelfth day in the third month of the 710th year, is holding a lecture in Naazhiig, a dimly lit chamber, abandoned for centuries, now used as a spiritual hub for the Kookooiya.

In the silence, a sound like rumbling grew quietly before the ceiling of Naazhiig collapsed. As the chamber suddenly filled with light, Chani's quick reflexes pulled Ahana away from the falling earth. Luckily, nobody was injured. Only knowing each other for a few hours, Chani and Ahana had already grown close.

When their eyes adjusted, Chani and Ahana could see Noosoo peering down. Ahana recognizes her dad immediately, while Chani needs a moment to realize that Noosoo is the man who, years before, had stumbled, stabbed, to Chani's door looking to be healed. Noosoo, however, couldn't recognize Chani. Nonetheless, Noosoo invites them both to dinner that night. When they saw that Awaholi Diihii had fled, they raced to the surface. Chani did his parkour while Ahana ran.

At Noosoo's house, Chani impresses Noosoo and his wife Mana, who works at the Hapika, with his relationship with Tiko, the crow that Chani had found injured and healed when Tiko brought a flower to float in a bowl of water, as well as a strange strip of metal. The meal that Noosoo prepares is transcendent. Inspired. Tasty as the grass is green.

Wanting to keep the good times rolling, Chani and Noosoo bring out their best psychedelics to share. Talking and bonding, Mana, and Chani get talking about Cybernetics and the Tunnels. Mana had, years ago, frequented the tunnels and would help them go down into the tunnels to investigate the next day, and she promised to talk cybernetics with Chani another time. The night was a meandering series of spiritual connections. Chani, Ahana, Noosoo, and even Tiko all shared in this experience, though at some point Noosoo chose to enter The Black and spent a while traveling through the earth and into people's homes, tasting their food and drink.

When Mana and Noosoo eventually went to bed, Chani left to meditate by the hole. After a while, Ahana joins him to find him eating a worm. While they were chatting, Chani noticed an injured dog. He tried to get it to come to him, but the dog fled. This upset Chani, but Ahana thought that it was not fair to chastise the poor dog. Later, with Tiko's help, Chani finds the dog and traps it, creating an impromptu tent to heal the dog whom he named Taaz. Before he left, Chani gave Ahana a red ribbon so that Tiko would know where to find her to deliver messages.

The next morning, the thirteenth day in the third month of the 710th year, Noosoo made another insanely good meal, inspired by his nighttime adventure. This meal stretches Chani's imagination and he realizes he might want to stick around.

Later, at Chizi Market, Chani finds a thermal implant for Tiko. Returning to the tent he undergoes the ceremony to implant the cybernetic eye in Tiko. He lit incense and lamps, sharing good vibes with Tiko as well as his Owl's Watch to achieve a successful ceremony. Tiko was in good spirits, but weak.

At the Suyata long house, where Suyata agents live and train together, Chitan Atsi practices with his Anicha Blade. Suddenly, his Second Eye picked up the sounds of screaming coming from the direction of the Hapika.

At the same time, Chani who had set up his tent near the river, also heard the sounds. Chani, Chitan Atsi, and his trainee Nukazii all rushed to help, discovering a huge hole in one of the greenhouses of the Natsoo Wanka Hapika Garden caused by a collapsed Yutsu tunnel. Chani descends down into the tunnel to start helping the injured, while Chitan Atsi stays above, coordinating the efforts to get everyone safely out of the tunnel and using his Second Eye to help Chani recover a young man who had been completely covered by the rubble and remained unconscious.

Rushing against time, Nukazii managed to make it in time to have the Yutsu trains stopped, as well as get aid from the hospital. While Chani holds a ceremony with the injured people as the healers from the hospital arrive to take care of the injured, taking the unconscious young man straight to the hospital.

Unsure about their next move, everyone decides to meet at Noosoo's house.

When they arrived, they found that Noosoo was crafting a beautiful chair in an attempt to cheer up Cloowa Yawpon. Chani suggests that they all go check back in on the young man whom they pulled from the rubble. Chani chooses to leave Tiko at Noosoo's but takes Taaz. The walk is crowded since there are so many people coming to town who can no longer use the trains.

At the hospital, the group finds the victim after Nukazii defused a small kerfuffle when Noosoo showed up armed which the healer Rao took offense to. Entering the hospital room they find one of the victims, Nalani, next to the bed of the once unconscious young man, who, now clean, was revealed to be Noosoo's son Woyi Soo, an artist who, along with Nalani, belongs to the Ami Art Collective. Together in the room, Noosoo with his family and friends celebrates Woyi Soo's recovery and everyone who helped save him. They passed some time sharing plans for Dancing Bear. Chitan Atsi confides in Noosoo about his affection for Akaya, a fellow Suyata. Unfortunately, Akaya is dating another agent named Tuvan.

Noosoo wonders if there could be a reason for the hospital to be targeted so they go to talk to Namo, the head of the hospital. Namo is a colleague of Mana who has always been weary of Noosoo's abrasiveness. Namo can not think of any reason why the hospital would be a target to anyone. While they are there, Chani asks Namo if there is any way he could help him give Taaz cybernetics. Namo offers to let the dog heal at the hospital but is concerned and unsettled by Chani's desire to give the dog unnecessary cybernetic implants.

Without any more leads, Noosoo, Chitan, and Nukazii head out to get Woyi Soo his favorite pie, while Chani wanders the hospital campus with Taaz looking for any equipment he could use for the surgery. Naturally, he gets kicked out. Dejected, Chani takes comfort in mushrooms and spends time collapsing his tent and wandering the tunnels. That leads him back to the hospital collapse where he notices that there are metal strips, just like the one that Tiko brought to him after the first collapse.

With this new information, Noosoo remembers a contact he has had for many years in Chizi who might be able to answer some questions about the strips of metal.

On their way to Chizi Market, they passed by the Yosna Nizig Hotel where a strongman named Tanush and his bear friend Poncho who was practicing and failing to do a flip. Tanush remembered Chani fondly from the year before, without realizing that Chani wanted nothing to do with him. Tanush was eager for a diversion from his abusive dad's bullshit and with an invitation from Nukazii who took a liking to Poncho, he joined the investigation.

Deep in the shady part of Chizi Market, Noosoo leads everyone to his old contact, Nising. Nising tells them that he has seen similar technology when on a trip to the Dine Republic. It was a metal that could expand and compact dramatically.

With this lead expended, Tanush invites Nising out for dinner that night to Niwaanaki, which Nising quickly agrees to, hoping to see Noosoo there as well.

While Chani and Tanush tried to impress each other with their physical prowess, Noosoo speculated on what might be going on. He wondered if the first hole was a test and the second meant to disable transportation. Perhaps the culprits are separatists who could be leading up to a 'big finale'.

(Speaking of big finales, while only Chani and Tanush were looking, Poncho lands his first flip!)

Following up on Chani's plan to sweep the tunnels, our heroes mustered up the help of a handful of friends, some sympathetic animals, and a small crowd of strangers willing to help look.

Chitan floated the idea of finding someone who can Read Earth so they could learn more about the Yutsu tunnel collapse. In a staggering bit of luck, Noosoo's daughter Nanisti Naadag can Read Earth.

Back at the collapse, Nanisti Naadag led everyone in a ceremony where they asked her, "Who is responsible for the collapse." Nanisti Naadag entered a trance and spoke of two men dressed as Public Workers speaking in Dine about someone named Tawazi Chiiya as they inserted the strips of metal into the tunnel ceiling. One of the men has visible tattoos that were revealed to Nanasti Naadag as being signs of a cult in Dine called the Hozho. After they left, the metal strips expanded and contracted, collapsing the tunnel.

Emerging from the tunnel into the night Tanush expressed his desire to research the Dine Republic, but they choose, first, to make their dinner date with Nising at Niwaanaki. While they go off for their meal, Chitan Atsi, Nanisti Naadag, and Nukazii seek out Tapatinaptac at his favorite restaurant, Mnondamwin. Tapatinaptac has a deep trust in Chitan Atsi ever since he saved his life and agrees that something needs to be done right away. He suggested that they all go to the Game Lodge where councilman Kiyankahip spends his evenings gambling.

At Niwaanaki, Noosoo, Chani, Niising, and Tanush were met with a cold welcome because they were obviously not the type of people that the staff was interested in serving. They make good company. It is clear that Niising is very lonely and this time means a lot to him. Not all of the staff were hostile to the group. One server named Wagani was excited to meet Poncho and even brought him out some meat.

When our heroes make it to the Game Lodge, they approach Kiyankahip and tell him all that they've learned. Kiyankahip dismissed their concerns and made it clear to everyone in the lodge that the situation was under control and there was no need to be worried, the festival would continue as planned.

Suspicious of this reaction, Chitan suggested that they stay back and follow Kiyankahip home. Chitan called Noosoo to tell him the plan and everyone agreed to meet up near the lodge. Between Chani and Tanush, this obviously became a race. After some deliberation, they decide that the animals should all go find their way home.

Completely hidden and silent, everyone stalks an oblivious Kiyankahip. After a while, Kiyankahip started to look worried and changed direction, leading them to a house in Mataawi that Noosoo recognized as his estranged son, Wakooni Gama.

From a hidden place, Noosoo enters a trance and enters the black with his sight and hearing. Traveling into the house, Noosoo sees Kiyankahip confronting Wakooni Gama about his ties to Nitsikayi, another councilman whom Kiyankahip has always been suspicious of, and with the information brought to him by Chitan Atsi, he is convinced that Nitsikayi has some ties to Dine. Kiyankahip was most upset at how this would threaten his investments in the festival. When Kiyankahip gets frustrated and aggressive, Wakooni Gama takes a knife and stabs him.

Noosoo bursts from his trance and runs into the house. Wakooni Gama at first lies about what happened, but Noosoo tells him he saw the whole thing, but isn't sure how to handle this since he doesn't want to just sell out his son. Chani stabilizes Kiyankahip, but he still needs serious medical attention.

While they discussed their plan, Wakooni Gama managed to slip away. Chitan jumps to track him, finding him not too far away in a small plaza. Chitan calls Noosoo who goes to the plaza to talk to Wakooni Gama about how he ended up in this situation. Wakooni Gama told Noosoo that he's a lot more like Noosoo than either would admit. Just like Noosoo, when Wakooni believes he is doing the right thing, nothing will sway him. As they talked, a sun wing flew over their heads and just as Wakooni told Noosoo that his home was no longer with him, he jumped onto the sun wing as it flew by and disappeared into the night.

Chani and Tanush are unsure how to help and leave, finding their animals at the Lo Nitat Yawpon House enjoying themselves, playing, and tripping all together.

Noosoo and Chitan weren't content to call it a night, so Chitan used his Second Eye to track the sun wing, following it to the Nithiicha Public Works complex. They found the sun wing parked outside of one of the locked entrances. Noosoo decided to camp out there for the night and attempted to cook Chitan a meal before he went. As he cooked, they decided to tell Nukazii to take Kiyankahip to the Hapika. Unfortunately, Noosoo is off his game and the food makes Chitan ill and they all head to bed.

On the morning of the fourteenth day of the third month of the 710th year, the first day of the Dancing Bear Festival, Tanush and Chani woke up next to Yitiisi Gama Lake with their animals. They managed to capture a few fish, Tanush by hand and Chani with a crafted fishing rod. Enjoying the morning, Tanush took a walk around the lake while Chani took time to do a ceremony for Tiko to heal and make him stronger. Tiko is nearly fully recovered by the end and his new eye can be accessed remotely. Chani really wanted to see Tanush's cybernetics when he returned.

At the Suyata Longhouse, Chitan Atsi tried to focus on his training but was too tired, distracted, and ill from Noosoo's meal, causing him to hurt himself and give up for the day.

Waking up at the Nithiicha complex, Noosoo noticed that the sun wing was still where they had found it. He attempted to walk The Black, but his stomach was still upset and he failed. Instead, he calls Chitan and Nukazii who plan to join him back at Nithiicha. With the trains running, they arrive in only fifteen minutes.

When they arrived, Chitan prayed to Mother asking her to help him find a way into the building. Mother took control over his body and led them all to an open-access tunnel that was most likely how Wakooni and his cohort escaped.

Through the tunnel, they were led to an office. Inside the office, they find a Niisi console that Nukazii expertly hacks into. Nukazii's investigation bore many fruit. He uncovered that Wakooni Gama corresponded last night with councilor Nitsikayi, informing him of what had happened the previous night. Nitsikayi responded with instructions. Personally tell Tachya to slip Kiyankahip sleeping drugs indefinitely. Personally tell Tuvan to find and capture Awaholi Diihii. He finishes by telling Wakooni Gama that their previous plans stand.

At that moment, all across Cahokia, on every public and personal niisi attached to the city's daso, councilor Wan Tho appeared as a hologram informing the city that they had captured the culprit of the terrorist attacks. Wan Tho handed over the hologram to Tuvon, a Suyata leader. Tavon announced that the attacker was Awaholi Diihii, a leader of an underground cult that lurks in the tunnels below Cahokia. He assures everyone that with Awahoki Diihii arrested there was no need to worry about the safety of the city, but that any members of the Kookooiya should be reported to the Suyata who would be patrolling the streets in force.

In Nabanamo, Chani and Tanush sought out Tanush's father, Voreni, because Chani was impressed with his cybernetic work. Voreni is caustic at first, until Chani impresses him with his crafting skills (with a little help from Tiko), helping Voreni fix part of his festival attraction. When Voreni belittles Tanush, Chani points out that Tanush is actually a pretty good kid, pointing out the maintenance work that Tanush can do on the machines and bringing up Tanush's idea of metal hands that he could control as they move around with Yutsu tech. Voreni is intrigued by the idea and becomes engaged in thought.

Chani finds the nearest niisi and calls Noosoo. They all discuss what they should do next. Chani wants to break Awaholi out, Noosoo wants to go back to the hospital, and Chitan wants to find Akaya and hold her for questioning. After some debate, they chose to first seek out Akaya.

As they came to that decision, Chani noticed two Suyata agents walking towards them with mean looks and prepared for a tussle. Chani activates his Owl's Watch.

With the Daso communication still open, Noosoo, Chitan and Nukazii could partially see and hear what was happening. Nukazii used his modded niisi to gain access to some more cameras near Chani and Tanush. Chitan, Noosoo and Nukazii set out to meet up with Chani and Tanush. They decided to take the abandoned sun wing, but were unable to control it and crashed in a ditch, unharmed. With the sun wing disabled, they chose to take the Yutsu train.

In Nabanamo, in a split second, Chani warned Tanush about the approaching Suyata and sent Tiko into the air to keep an eye on the situation while Taaz barked, but ultimately ran away. Tanush shouted for them to run, letting out a loud roar to call Poncho, and hid in an an alley while Chani clambered up onto a roof in an awkward rush.

As the Suyata ran past, one noticed Tanush and squared up with his club while the other Suyata with a bow continued down the road without noticing any of that. From the rooftop, Chani tells Tiko to distract the Suyata with the club while he jumps from the roof onto the Suyata. Unfortunately, Chani clips his toes and lands hard onto the ground, alerting the Suyata down the street to his presence. He raises his bow and aims it at Chani who scrambles back up onto the roof.

Tanush activated his Strength of the Bear to take on the Suyata. The Suyata was tough, but suddenly Poncho showed up, slashing the Suyata across the chest, incapacitating him. To secure him for later, Tanush takes him and shoved his feet into a wall. The bowman raises his bow, seeing his comrade being mauled, and shoots Poncho in the side. Poncho raged up, but Tanush told him to calm down. Tanush then acts as if he were surrendering, but then he grabbed a rock to hurl at the bowman. It was, however, a dirt clod that disintigrated as

From the roof, for a second time, Chani told Tiko to distract the remaining Suyata while he jumped down onto him. Swiping down on the Suyata, Tiko succeeded in distracting him, but got hit down to the ground. Taking the opertunity, Chani jumped down, landing on the Suyata's shoulders, knocking him down. In one sweep, Chani took the Suyata's feet out from under him who dropped his bow which Chani kicked away.

Ripping off his shirt, Tanush tied up the bowman and dragged him and his partner into the alley.

Chitan, Noosoo and Nukazii got off the train in Nabanamo and Noosoo called Mana who told him that she was at the Hapika talking to Namo and the other staff who were thinking back to Chani's visit and how strangely he had been behaving. Mana was trying to calm them down as they got riled up over the Kookooiya. Mana also told him to send the evidence to Sokati so he could upload it to the Daso.

When they got to the area of the fight they found that people were avoiding the area, but everyone was either panicking, furious or rubbernecking. In the alley they found Chani and Tanush with the two tied up Suyata. The Suyata recognize Chitan and Nukazii, making the evidence that they were shown all the more convincing. They both were furious at being tricked and agree to spread the information. Chani spent a moment healing them, but tells them that he's not your average mud lover, pushing a thumb into his injury.

Everyone finds a more private area to discuss their plan. Noosoo checks how people are taking the article, but his admiration of the mud lovers was misinterpreted by some as a condemnation, further polarizing the issue. They once again decided to find and interrogate/kidnap Akaya.

For more information, they called Tupac. He told them that Akaya is patrolling the Post Office. Over this call, they also realized that Chitan and Nukazii's Suyata Daso information was different than what the others were getting, meaning that someone was trying to keep them blind.
Tupac told them that he would cover for them.

They chose to hide in plane sight by pretending to arrest Chani and Tanush, taking the train to the Post Office. There was a mixed reaction on the train with some applauding Chitan and Nukazii for their service, while others were uncomfortable with the authoritarianism of the situation.

Ascending the stairs to the Post offoce building they found Akaya running an investigation and confronted her with the information they had discovered. She reacted coldly to the news of Tuvan, her boyfriend, but was convinced by the evidence and joined the party.

Sneaking to Noosoo's house, they meet up with Mana and the animals. Akaya tries to get Tuvan to meet up with her, but is unsuccessful. In preparation for what is to come, Chani gave Noosoo access to Tiko's eye. While they planned, they got news of another collapse in Nabonamo, killing two people. Calling Tupac, they ask him to do what he can to aid them from inside.

The group decided to go to the Mataawi building and take matters into their own hands. On the way there, Chani and Tanush did an impromptu performance in order to get attention and gather more people to their cause. This works, and a crowd begins to form from passerbys, as well as from people who had read Daso Noosoo and wanted to help. Chani and Tanush got the crowd riled up, leading to Chani getting in a fist fight with a counter protester. Chani beat him down before attempting to heal him. His attempt failed, so Chani just healed himself and took to the rooftops to guide the march.

Arriving at the Mataawi building, they met more counter protesters and sneaked inside, while Tanuk climbs up the outside of the building. The rest went up the lift to the first floor of the Council's three private levels. Hacking open the door they were confronted by a massive Bear Paw mag sling pointing at the elevator.

Working their way up the building they are confronted by a variety of foes including two Niniyan and a pair of fierce Legendary Items. Eventually they made their way to the top to confront Nitsikayi, now revealed to be Tawazi Chiiya, who they subdued and took prisoner as the remaining bombs destroyed the Chikan Thunwi Plaza and killing 1,256 people who were attending the final day of the Dancing Bear Festival led by the councilman Wan Tho.

In the aftermath, the city reeled as it became public knowledge that so many Dine had infiltrated so much of their society. Tawazi Chiiya was exiled, but went missing shortly after. Chani, Chitan, Noosoo, Tanush and the others were hailed as heroes for preventing even more distruction.