nopony said:
Let's visit the old castle, so we can update our map by copying the one that's on display there, and see what other mysteries the castle holds.

Also we should show Tsu-Ko the bell we have, perhaps she will be able to tell us something about its magical properties.

Interested in drawing yourself a map of the Kirin Empire, you decide to take Quin Ataraxis's suggestion and visit Yinshin-Pintai's old castle. You lead your party out of the gaming house and along the road north to the higher end of the sloped city.

Along the way, you pass by countless signs with symbols that are foreign to you, yet still draw your attention. Somehow, you are reminded of the equally foreign glowing symbols on Honourshine's magical bell. You turn to ask her if she has tried showing it to your local translator.

Honourshine: "I haven't. Evidently, it has no ties to the Kirin Empire either."

You argue that a spirit such as her might be able to discern something ponies cannot.

Honourshine: "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try."

Tsu-Ko: "What's this about a bell?"

Honourshine takes a moment to show the strange bell to Tsu-Ko, who observes it from a few different angles before offering a shrug in return.

Tsu-Ko: "Huh. Well, I can't read what it says, but I can tell you that it's not bound by any elemental magic. My guess is light magic, which means it's definitely not from around here.

The emotional imprint on it is something else, though. It feels ancient, like primordial age kind of old, and whatever happened then left a mark on it so powerful that whatever came before or after is barely perceptible.

If I had to put it into words, I'd go with the terrified screams of a thousand voices over a stampede of despair. Whoever this bell belonged to probably left it behind while fleeing for their lives — or trying to."

Honourshine: "… That sounds significantly more grim than I expected."

Tsu-Ko: "Don't be too surprised; calamities weren't too uncommon back then. Honestly, we should be thankful to live in such peaceful times!"

Moonflower: "Yuh uh! But ya said it was from the primordial age? Like the primordial beings? Do you think they know somethin' about it?"

Tsu-Ko: "I don't think they'd know anything about this bell in particular, but they probably could give you a lesson in history if anything."

Between the enigmatic Midgardsormr and the cunning Ratatosk, it is uncertain whether you could get a straight answer out of either of them, but you figure that — as Honourshine put it — it wouldn't hurt to try.

_+=

You arrive at the city's old castle grounds, and find that while it is open to visitors, you are among relatively few. The immense structure ahead dwarfs any other building you have seen so far, yet the architecture is distinctively identical.

Likewise, as you enter the castle, you are met not with a typical great hall, but rather with a modest dressing room — the likes of which you have seen in the inn or the gaming house before. As always, you and your friends leave your belongings here.

The widely open rooms with soft-matted floors, wooden walls and paper sliding doors begin to feel like a familiar sight. However, as you begin to explore the castle's numerous similar rooms, you quickly feel lost in its labyrinthian layout.

Fortunately, Tsu-Ko's ability to read the labels on the doors keeps you on track, and you eventually climb to the fifth floor where you find the map room: an otherwise empty room with a massive circular table in its centre.

As you approach the table, your eyes grow wide. Upon its surface is encased an artisanal map of the Kirin Empire; an island sevenfold the size of Equestria. One hundred then-kingdoms split the land into unique provinces, each with dozens of marked locations.

Tsu-Ko: "Impressive, huh? A map like this must've taken a few generations to get just right."

Curious, you ask your sprite companion where the three towns you know of are located.

Tsu-Ko: "Yinshin-Pintai is marked in red here in the Nan Yunjishan province. Shui-Ti is over here on the northwestern coast, on this peninsula. And Taihon-Nonchan is over here near the northern tip of the island, next to the Banhen river."

-+=-Moonflower_*: "Whoa! We went all the way across the island already? Those big gates are way faster than takin' the train."

While you agree, you can't help but feel like you may have underestimated the sheer expanse of the Kirin Empire. Drawing even a rough copy of this map might take all day, if not all of Tsu-Ko's patience. You pause to consider your options.

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