This thread is to provide an index of scenes so far (easier to catch up with!) and will also track awards of Budo and On as the story progresses.
The Tale Thus Far...
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
Characters: Sumi the High heimin merchant Yakuza, Amano Souta the low samurai Bushi, Kamine no Toshizo the High ronin Bushi, and Michikawa Samimachi (aka Ha) Middle ronin Bushi.
The characters meet at the Three Leaves Inn, a days travel from Takayama. They meet, play Go, share tea, and discuss rumors. They agree to travel together to Takayama, the largest city in the valley, hoping to find fortune and honor, or at least employment.
The group discusses the relative merits of a mountain full of bakemono or a secret war camp being raised. Most are reticent of both options for their own reasons.
The group of warriors decides on going to the secret training camp preparing for war. Sumi introduces them to Osama, who knows the way to it and offers to serve as guide. Osama explains they will travel a day and reach Takayama, where they can stay at a proper inn for the night before heading up the mountain into rougher terrain. Osama tells them to provision for a week in the mountains.
Along the road to Takayama, the group encounters a group of religious pilgrims feeding rabbits, then later in the day some wandering potters. Asking for news, the potters suggest an Inn run by the Yakuza where news is more likely to be heard. Osama suggests a low-key Inn more appropriate to your station. The group decides to spend the night at the Yakuza inn and head out in the morning.
(One month OOC Hiatus. Sumi and Amano Souta depart for OOC RL reasons.
Rising in the morning, Ha and Toshi find two others discussing with Osama - a middle Samurai woman and a wandering Buddhist. The woman buys everyone a rich breakfast and they find common cause in going to the hidden war camp, avoiding the bakemono of the mountain, Osama leading them together.
Characters: Kamine no Toshizo the High ronin Bushi, Michikawa Samimachi (aka Ha) Middle ronin Bushi, Satake no Taka the Middle Samurai Shugenja, and Eiji the High eta Buddhist Gakusho.
The group follows Osama into the mountains, Toshi and Taka both mounted on warhorses, Ha and Eiji both on foot. Encounter: at mid-morning, they come upon four wild boar, the largest pawing the ground and issuing challenge to the group. Taka invokes water magic and mires them in the mud, allowing the group to go around without harming them. Having revealed herself as Shugenja, she gets some side-eye from her other new companions.
XP:
Discussion on Budo/Shugendo.
Common House Rules agreed for both games.
Decision: Taka gets Shugendo for defeating the lead boar. Bushi do not get Budo on this encounter because nobody else had to act in it.
Taka: +3 Shugendo for overcoming lead boar who issued challenge.
No other awards.
Around mid-day, they hear a patrol marching towards them on the trail. The group prepares and waits, letting the patrol come to them and initiate contact.
GM Change from Ffilz to Marullus.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
(New Thread.)
They hear a patrol on the trail ahead. A mounted samurai and three ashigaru appear through the forest trees, challenging the group regarding their business. He is impressed by Ha's fighting spirit, however, and leads them to the camp.
They are led to the war camp and brought before the Gunsō for introduction and approval.
They hear a patrol on the trail ahead. A mounted samurai and three ashigaru appear through the forest trees, challenging the group regarding their business. He is impressed by Ha's fighting spirit, however, and leads them to the camp.
They are led to the war camp and brought before the Gunsō for introduction and approval.
Last edited by Marullus on Mon May 24, 2021 10:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
Each offers introduction with a request to be trusted to enter the secret encampment. The Gunsō reacts to each, mocking the ronin Ha, politely rejecting the mysterious Shugenja noblewoman, but finding measured approval of the quoted scriptures of the Buddhist gravedigger and young Bushi, Toshizo. He agrees to accept them if they first can mollify the requests of the demanding merchant, Shoshen Kogatoro. The merchant represents his father, the wealthy Shoshen Makoto, and offers an exorbitant sum if they can teach bandits a lesson and retrieve a valuable treasure box meant for his sister's dowry. The party accepts and is introduced to Kobi, who can guide them to where the camp of 20 bandits lies in a hidden mountain valley.
Hiking through the moonlit night, they arrive just before dawn, overlooking the bandits encampment, ready to formulate a plan of attack.
Hiking through the moonlit night, they arrive just before dawn, overlooking the bandits encampment, ready to formulate a plan of attack.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
In the pre-dawn light, the pair of bushi sneak up on the watchtower, getting as close as they dare to attack with surprise. Toshizo's first arrow flies true, puncturing the ashigaru armor of one of the guards and dropping him to his knees, the other fumbling in surprise and knocking his bow over the railing of the tower. Taka summoned a half-dozen illusory copies of herself which emerge from the forest, dancing like ghosts come to claim the guard's souls...
But before the guards can even compose themselves, a second pair of shots fells them both. The guard tower is now unmanned and no alarm was raised to alert the brigands below, the sunrise cresting the southern mountain peaks beyond.
But before the guards can even compose themselves, a second pair of shots fells them both. The guard tower is now unmanned and no alarm was raised to alert the brigands below, the sunrise cresting the southern mountain peaks beyond.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The group pauses for several minutes as Eiji calls upon the Buddha to bless their further undertakings against the bandits below while Kobi collects the heads of the dead guardsmen for the bounty and gathers their dai-kyu and katanas together.
Descending the trail into the misty valley, they encounter the two guards coming from the building below to relieve their (now dead) companions at the tower. The bushi draw their blades and rush the guards as the guards turn and flee back to warn the bandits in the building. They do not escape, however, and are cut down by Toshizo and Kobi before they can raise an alarm. Eiji joins them and tells of the trails in the morning dew away from the building.
Ha and Toshizo divide into two groups, entering the building simultaneously from opposite ends. Toshizo, Taka, and Eiji find an empty entry room. Ha and Kobi enter a common area where two officers sit at a table in discussion and eleven bandits sleep on the floor. The officers in the common room raise an alarm, stirring all the bandits to action but, due to being surprised, none have time to don their armor before facing the party. Toshizo rushes forward, engaging a ronin officer in the hallway as Eiji kneels and entreats the Buddha for his success. Ha cuts down a bandit before he can even roll free of his blankets and Kobi engages one of the officers blade to blade. Ha cuts down two more bandits and Kobi cuts down one officer while the other charges to stop Ha's slaughter. Toshizo draws his first blood in combat and feels his first wounds, but then overextends and tumbles to the ground, a critical moment at his foe's mercy. The bandits, now on their feet, surround Kobi as well and stun him, as well.
Toshizo suffers a vicious blow as he is on his knees, at his oponent's mercy. Taka hits the man with a thrown blade. The officer cuts Toshizo down and he collapses, bleeding. Taka stabs the man with her tanto and the man turns to attack Eiji. This, however, causes Jīva to lunge forward and savage the officer's leg. With Eiji hitting the man in the head with his monk's spade, Jīva savaging his ankle, the Officer subcumbs, collapsing to the floor.
Ha faces three men, bravely holding his own. He finally lands a serious blow on the officer. He then mis-steps, tripping over the corpse of a fallen foe, and tumbles to the ground. Still facing three men and now from his knees, Ha tries in vain to continue the fight but succumbs to further wounds.
Kobi gets back to his feet, and while suffering vicious blow after vicious blow, fights on in the face of death and takes out each and every one of the seven men surrounding him before he collapses, wounded beyond the aid of even the Gods.
Eiji begins bandaging the wounded, friend and foe alike. Taka strides confidently into the room where only two men remain standing, the bodies of a dozen of their allies and only two foes scattered across the bloody floor. Entreating upon the samurai woman's mercy, the two bandits gather 'their' belongings while spilling as much as they know to help distract and spare their lives, finally fleeing out the open door.
Descending the trail into the misty valley, they encounter the two guards coming from the building below to relieve their (now dead) companions at the tower. The bushi draw their blades and rush the guards as the guards turn and flee back to warn the bandits in the building. They do not escape, however, and are cut down by Toshizo and Kobi before they can raise an alarm. Eiji joins them and tells of the trails in the morning dew away from the building.
Ha and Toshizo divide into two groups, entering the building simultaneously from opposite ends. Toshizo, Taka, and Eiji find an empty entry room. Ha and Kobi enter a common area where two officers sit at a table in discussion and eleven bandits sleep on the floor. The officers in the common room raise an alarm, stirring all the bandits to action but, due to being surprised, none have time to don their armor before facing the party. Toshizo rushes forward, engaging a ronin officer in the hallway as Eiji kneels and entreats the Buddha for his success. Ha cuts down a bandit before he can even roll free of his blankets and Kobi engages one of the officers blade to blade. Ha cuts down two more bandits and Kobi cuts down one officer while the other charges to stop Ha's slaughter. Toshizo draws his first blood in combat and feels his first wounds, but then overextends and tumbles to the ground, a critical moment at his foe's mercy. The bandits, now on their feet, surround Kobi as well and stun him, as well.
Toshizo suffers a vicious blow as he is on his knees, at his oponent's mercy. Taka hits the man with a thrown blade. The officer cuts Toshizo down and he collapses, bleeding. Taka stabs the man with her tanto and the man turns to attack Eiji. This, however, causes Jīva to lunge forward and savage the officer's leg. With Eiji hitting the man in the head with his monk's spade, Jīva savaging his ankle, the Officer subcumbs, collapsing to the floor.
Ha faces three men, bravely holding his own. He finally lands a serious blow on the officer. He then mis-steps, tripping over the corpse of a fallen foe, and tumbles to the ground. Still facing three men and now from his knees, Ha tries in vain to continue the fight but succumbs to further wounds.
Kobi gets back to his feet, and while suffering vicious blow after vicious blow, fights on in the face of death and takes out each and every one of the seven men surrounding him before he collapses, wounded beyond the aid of even the Gods.
Eiji begins bandaging the wounded, friend and foe alike. Taka strides confidently into the room where only two men remain standing, the bodies of a dozen of their allies and only two foes scattered across the bloody floor. Entreating upon the samurai woman's mercy, the two bandits gather 'their' belongings while spilling as much as they know to help distract and spare their lives, finally fleeing out the open door.
Last edited by Marullus on Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
Budo:
Toshizo 3
Ha 6.5
Taka .3 this scene, 3 before = 3.3
Eiji 3
Toshizo 3
Ha 6.5
Taka .3 this scene, 3 before = 3.3
Eiji 3
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
With Eiji's ministrations and propitations to the Buddha, the party recovers. Toshizo wakes to see Eiji healing his foe and develops newfound respect for Buddhism. Ha warns the Gakusho to treat his allies first.
The group sets watch for a six hour rest, but after four hours are interrupted by banging down the hallway and by the appearance of a fluffy cat with black fur. Investigating the banging, they find a filthy kitchen and a bound, angry woman on the floor. Ha removes the gag and she introduces herself as Amano Souta, who recovers her belongings and dresses behind a screen and joining the party.
The group sets watch for a six hour rest, but after four hours are interrupted by banging down the hallway and by the appearance of a fluffy cat with black fur. Investigating the banging, they find a filthy kitchen and a bound, angry woman on the floor. Ha removes the gag and she introduces herself as Amano Souta, who recovers her belongings and dresses behind a screen and joining the party.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
Valuables found in the house:
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The group clears the aftermath of battle while Toshizo asks Eiji for buddhist advice. Eiji buries the bodies of all the slain bandits while Amano Souta dismantles interior wall panels of the house to make a bonfire to illuminate the night and keep watch over the cavern entrance.
Eiji is taken over as a PC by Ffilz.
Toshizo struggles to execute the bandit officer. Ha offers a duel to the death instead of an execution. The proud ronin accuses them of being the dishonorable ones, working for criminals, and accepts. Ha has a decisive victory against the proud ronin, Hagiwara Kenshin, in a duel to the death.
Ha gets +2 Budo and +30 On.
Eiji is taken over as a PC by Ffilz.
Toshizo struggles to execute the bandit officer. Ha offers a duel to the death instead of an execution. The proud ronin accuses them of being the dishonorable ones, working for criminals, and accepts. Ha has a decisive victory against the proud ronin, Hagiwara Kenshin, in a duel to the death.
Ha gets +2 Budo and +30 On.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
By the light of Souta's bonfire, the group stands watch for the night as Eiji carries the slain Hagiwara Kenshin to tend to his burial. In the dark beyond the firelight, they discover a half-dozen bakemono-sho desecrating the mass grave and hauling corpses to the cave mouth. In the fight that follows with both arrows and blades (and a solid blow from Eiji's shovel), Souta is rendered unconscious by their wakizashi blades. Taka mired them in mud with her magic. Powerful arrows were shot from the cave at both Souta and Taka, but none found their mark. Slipping in the mud, five of the six bakemono-sho were ultimately slain and no bodies were stolen. Eiji bandages Souta and gets her to her feet to limp back to the house.
At the same time, Taka projects herself to the kakuriyo . On the astral plane, she discovers a Dai-Bakemono in the cave mouth, who engages her in a magical duel. After standing her ground in a valiant fight against a superior foe, Taka realizes her defeat is imminent and flees the duel, using a mirror-deception to shield her as she rushes the cave to discover its secrets before returning to the material world. (Taka loses 25 On for fleeing the duel) She evades the Dai-Bakemono's rage long enough to discover the Black-Eyed Hag in her lair, but is overcome by the Dai-Bakemono before she can return to her physical form to share the information. So far from her body her soul is at risk, and the others find only that she collapses and slips into a coma from which she cannot be woken...
Budo:
Ha - 4 Budo
Toshizo - 2 Budo
Souta - 0.5 Budo
Taka:
.1 Shugendo casting Mud
.2 Shugendo casting Mirror of Deception
(Edit: I'm also allowing the duel rounds as 'successful castings' even though they aren't named spells. It's a lesser award than winning.)
.3 Shugendo for each successful Duel Casting (x3= 0.9)
New Totals:
Toshizo 3 + 2 = 5
Ha 6.5 + 4 = 10.5
Souta (new) + 0.5 = 0.5
Taka .3 this scene, 3 before = 3.3 + .3 = 3.6 + 0.9 = 4.5
At the same time, Taka projects herself to the kakuriyo . On the astral plane, she discovers a Dai-Bakemono in the cave mouth, who engages her in a magical duel. After standing her ground in a valiant fight against a superior foe, Taka realizes her defeat is imminent and flees the duel, using a mirror-deception to shield her as she rushes the cave to discover its secrets before returning to the material world. (Taka loses 25 On for fleeing the duel) She evades the Dai-Bakemono's rage long enough to discover the Black-Eyed Hag in her lair, but is overcome by the Dai-Bakemono before she can return to her physical form to share the information. So far from her body her soul is at risk, and the others find only that she collapses and slips into a coma from which she cannot be woken...
Budo:
Ha - 4 Budo
Toshizo - 2 Budo
Souta - 0.5 Budo
Taka:
.1 Shugendo casting Mud
.2 Shugendo casting Mirror of Deception
(Edit: I'm also allowing the duel rounds as 'successful castings' even though they aren't named spells. It's a lesser award than winning.)
.3 Shugendo for each successful Duel Casting (x3= 0.9)
New Totals:
Toshizo 3 + 2 = 5
Ha 6.5 + 4 = 10.5
Souta (new) + 0.5 = 0.5
Taka .3 this scene, 3 before = 3.3 + .3 = 3.6 + 0.9 = 4.5
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
In the morning, Eiji heals the others as best he can, but their wounds remain severe. They opt to spend a full day at rest, letting their bodies recover from battle, while keeping watch on the cave mouth. That night, he heals Souta's wounds before they take shifts and get sleep. They keep the watchfires burning but at the cost of burning all the mats and interior walls of the building.
On the second morning (the third since they arrived, having slayed the guards in the watchtower at the first dawn), Eiji settles into a trance, pursuing insight about Taka's situation and how to restore the shugenja. He learns one of the Hag's secrets: how Taka's soul is now bound.
Eiji:
1 Shugendo from Magical Healing when dawn comes (Three successes at .1 is .3 total, rounded up to the minimum of 1.)
0 Shugendo The same evening when he further heals Souta (two additional successes at .1 each is a new total of .5 for the day, still rounded up to the same minimum of 1... new ruling that the minimum 1 Shugendo applies daily, not per attempt.)
1 Shugendo for gaining useful information from a Trance.
New Totals:
Eiji 3 + 2 = 5
On the second morning (the third since they arrived, having slayed the guards in the watchtower at the first dawn), Eiji settles into a trance, pursuing insight about Taka's situation and how to restore the shugenja. He learns one of the Hag's secrets: how Taka's soul is now bound.
Eiji:
1 Shugendo from Magical Healing when dawn comes (Three successes at .1 is .3 total, rounded up to the minimum of 1.)
0 Shugendo The same evening when he further heals Souta (two additional successes at .1 each is a new total of .5 for the day, still rounded up to the same minimum of 1... new ruling that the minimum 1 Shugendo applies daily, not per attempt.)
1 Shugendo for gaining useful information from a Trance.
New Totals:
Eiji 3 + 2 = 5
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The group enters the cavern to face the bakemono-sho within, looking for the hag to find and free Taka's soul. Eiji bears a litter with Taka's body upon it, getting her body to where her soul can find it, while Ha and Toshizo take the lead, Souta a step behind bearing the chochin lantern. Reaching the first cavern, they come upon a pair of armored bakemono-sho standing guard who demand they stop and depart.
Toshizo takes down one guard while Ha chases down and cuts down the second as he tries to flee. The cavern falls silent as its reverberating scream of alarm ends.
Budo:
Toshizo 5 +1.5 = 6.5
Ha 10.5 + 1 = 11.5
Souta .5 + .5 = 1
Taka 4.5
Eiji 5
Toshizo takes down one guard while Ha chases down and cuts down the second as he tries to flee. The cavern falls silent as its reverberating scream of alarm ends.
Budo:
Toshizo 5 +1.5 = 6.5
Ha 10.5 + 1 = 11.5
Souta .5 + .5 = 1
Taka 4.5
Eiji 5
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The party decides to fall back to the entry tunnel and wait. Knowing this tactic will have them facing all the the bakemono-sho of the cavern at once, they hope they can funnel them to a smaller space to gain advantage. At the tunnel mouth, the three Bushi stand abreast, draw their bows, and prepare to shoot the oncoming foes.
As the bakemono-sho come into view, all three Bushi draw and fire their bows - only to result in disaster! Toshizo and Ha find their bows snap their limbs and Souta breaks her bowstring all in one volley. A disembodied cackle, brittle with age and decrepitude, the very sound of childhood horror stories of old hags in the mountains, echoes in the darkness. A vanguard pair of bakemono-sho with masakari axes leads eight bakemono-sho with wakizashi, their dai-bakemono leader hanging back at the edge of the light. Seeing the broken weapons, they charge! The foes clash, the two axe-wielding bakemono-sho cut down, Souta and Ha taking minor wounds. The Dai-Bakemono, however, unleashes a horrifying volley of magical fire upon the party. Though Eiji calls upon Buddha's favor to aid them it is not enough - all three Bushi are struck by the magical flames and all three of them find their armor and clothing ignites as well. Trying to extinguish the flames, Toshizo drops and rolls and inadvertently makes himself a better target for the bakemono-sho and Souta drops, pierced by blades as she backs against the cavern wall. Ha lunges forward to grapple the nearest warty bake to set it on fire, but misses, getting struck by the bake's blades as well. Another volley of fire rains upon them, this time burning Eiji, but he brings his hands together and the flames on his body extinguish, winking out around him.
Souta groans on the floor, her hands pressing the haggard rags of her burnt kimono against the gushing sword lacerations in her flesh. Her eyes close, her face pale and still as porcelain. Toshizo has ceased struggling, passing out from the pain of burning alive inside the heavy metal o-yoroi. His body lies motionless as the bakemono-sho continue to kick it a few more times for pleasure. Ha roars and swings his katana in a mighty arc, burying it into the body of the bakemono-sho before him. His foe stumbles back, squealing in pain, as Ha's fingers go slack, losing their grip on the blade. Overcome by the flames as they burn through the last of his armor, Ha falls to his knees, then, at last, to the floor. The bakemono-sho takes Ha's own katana from its side and with a vicious, hateful rictus, drives it into the samurai's unconscious form on the cavern floor. Jīva lunges at the oncoming rush of monsters, his teeth snapping on air as the they dodge aside. Sneering at the dog, the merciless bakemono-sho set upon it with fierce hatred. Stabbed by their blades, the dog's body waivers a moment, then collapses at Eiji's feet, fulfilling its dharma. Eiji looks upon the bake with a deep sadness as his dog dies. His wounds are already severe, but he shows no fear or hesitance, holding his mudra against their hellish master. From the rear rank, one of the bakemono-sho lunges, its blade piercing the buddhist monk's chest, time seeming slow as he looks down at the last of his life draining from the wound. Eiji collapses.
It all fades to black.
TPK. All characters reincarnated with +5 attributes for Karma.
As the bakemono-sho come into view, all three Bushi draw and fire their bows - only to result in disaster! Toshizo and Ha find their bows snap their limbs and Souta breaks her bowstring all in one volley. A disembodied cackle, brittle with age and decrepitude, the very sound of childhood horror stories of old hags in the mountains, echoes in the darkness. A vanguard pair of bakemono-sho with masakari axes leads eight bakemono-sho with wakizashi, their dai-bakemono leader hanging back at the edge of the light. Seeing the broken weapons, they charge! The foes clash, the two axe-wielding bakemono-sho cut down, Souta and Ha taking minor wounds. The Dai-Bakemono, however, unleashes a horrifying volley of magical fire upon the party. Though Eiji calls upon Buddha's favor to aid them it is not enough - all three Bushi are struck by the magical flames and all three of them find their armor and clothing ignites as well. Trying to extinguish the flames, Toshizo drops and rolls and inadvertently makes himself a better target for the bakemono-sho and Souta drops, pierced by blades as she backs against the cavern wall. Ha lunges forward to grapple the nearest warty bake to set it on fire, but misses, getting struck by the bake's blades as well. Another volley of fire rains upon them, this time burning Eiji, but he brings his hands together and the flames on his body extinguish, winking out around him.
Souta groans on the floor, her hands pressing the haggard rags of her burnt kimono against the gushing sword lacerations in her flesh. Her eyes close, her face pale and still as porcelain. Toshizo has ceased struggling, passing out from the pain of burning alive inside the heavy metal o-yoroi. His body lies motionless as the bakemono-sho continue to kick it a few more times for pleasure. Ha roars and swings his katana in a mighty arc, burying it into the body of the bakemono-sho before him. His foe stumbles back, squealing in pain, as Ha's fingers go slack, losing their grip on the blade. Overcome by the flames as they burn through the last of his armor, Ha falls to his knees, then, at last, to the floor. The bakemono-sho takes Ha's own katana from its side and with a vicious, hateful rictus, drives it into the samurai's unconscious form on the cavern floor. Jīva lunges at the oncoming rush of monsters, his teeth snapping on air as the they dodge aside. Sneering at the dog, the merciless bakemono-sho set upon it with fierce hatred. Stabbed by their blades, the dog's body waivers a moment, then collapses at Eiji's feet, fulfilling its dharma. Eiji looks upon the bake with a deep sadness as his dog dies. His wounds are already severe, but he shows no fear or hesitance, holding his mudra against their hellish master. From the rear rank, one of the bakemono-sho lunges, its blade piercing the buddhist monk's chest, time seeming slow as he looks down at the last of his life draining from the wound. Eiji collapses.
It all fades to black.
TPK. All characters reincarnated with +5 attributes for Karma.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
A Call to Retribution
Characters:
Taka Satake tells them of Shoshen Makoto, Oyabun of the Yakuza, which resulted in the death of all their relatives. The Oyabun is related to a war camp hidden in the mountains - where the previous group met his son - which can only be to oppose the Daimyo. She and asks them to enter into arrangement to expose and ultimately see to the death of Makoto.
The group enters into a plot together, gathering information on the Oyabun and his operations. After considering options, they settle on a plan. The Oyabun is too difficult to interdict himself without entering his armed compound. They see that his son, Shosen Kogataro, leads the trips to the hidden war camp and conspire to ambush him on his way down the road from Takayama to the village of the wizard Hidetoke Kiyomaru while Satake Motoyuki, a Samurai in Service who could not been associated with such ignoble behavior, went to the Daimyo's court to secure the right ears for when the evidence of the Oyabun's Secret arrives. He learned there of speculation of the Daimyo's ill helath - of concern as discontent foments in the rabble of the capital city.
The ambush begins flawlessly, slaying the guards and a draft horse, causing the entire wagon to careen of the bridge and knock the guards into the water with it. The unarmed guard is slain as he tries to swim while the last man tries to flee and is downed by an arrow. They capture and bind their target, Shoshen Kogataro, as well as one of his yakuza thugs. Keiso decides to consecrate and bury the dead while the others deal with the living.
Satake Taka shows her power as a sorceress, compelling truth from Kogataro with torture of the mind. He confesses his father's scheme and Seizo also took a rice paper scroll from him that implicates and name of the samurai he has chosen for betrothal to his daughter. The group faces the question of what to do next.
Characters:
- Ffilz: Satake Motoyuki, a Bushi In-Service to the Daimyo. (Sheet)
- Samwell Turleton: Satake Taka, Shugenja Samurai. (Sheet)
- Samwell Turleton: Amano Daitaro, a bushi, Souta's older brother (Sheet)
- Jemmus: Kamine no Zenrin, A Sohei Bushi (Toshizo's older brother) (Sheet)
- Jemmus: Saizo, A ninja / Impoverished Budoka (Sheet)
- Ffilz: Keiso, a Gakusho carpenter (Sheet)
Taka Satake tells them of Shoshen Makoto, Oyabun of the Yakuza, which resulted in the death of all their relatives. The Oyabun is related to a war camp hidden in the mountains - where the previous group met his son - which can only be to oppose the Daimyo. She and asks them to enter into arrangement to expose and ultimately see to the death of Makoto.
The group enters into a plot together, gathering information on the Oyabun and his operations. After considering options, they settle on a plan. The Oyabun is too difficult to interdict himself without entering his armed compound. They see that his son, Shosen Kogataro, leads the trips to the hidden war camp and conspire to ambush him on his way down the road from Takayama to the village of the wizard Hidetoke Kiyomaru while Satake Motoyuki, a Samurai in Service who could not been associated with such ignoble behavior, went to the Daimyo's court to secure the right ears for when the evidence of the Oyabun's Secret arrives. He learned there of speculation of the Daimyo's ill helath - of concern as discontent foments in the rabble of the capital city.
The ambush begins flawlessly, slaying the guards and a draft horse, causing the entire wagon to careen of the bridge and knock the guards into the water with it. The unarmed guard is slain as he tries to swim while the last man tries to flee and is downed by an arrow. They capture and bind their target, Shoshen Kogataro, as well as one of his yakuza thugs. Keiso decides to consecrate and bury the dead while the others deal with the living.
Satake Taka shows her power as a sorceress, compelling truth from Kogataro with torture of the mind. He confesses his father's scheme and Seizo also took a rice paper scroll from him that implicates and name of the samurai he has chosen for betrothal to his daughter. The group faces the question of what to do next.
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The group decides they have enough to carry to the Daimyo, and that compelling testimony from Shoshen Kogataro and his guard in front of the Daimyo is the best immediate use of the prisoners. Saizo recalls the name of the samurai betrothed to Shoshen Kogataro's sister - Tsuzawa Hoshii - and relays to the others his suspicions of Shosen's maipulations of the family's plight. Then Saizo decides it is better to avoid being outed and disguises himself to wait outside the Daimyo's courts.
The group is led in and the Daimyo arrives to hear their charges personally, on the grounds that it is a threatened coup against his rule. Testimony is given by Zenrin, Keiso, and Motoyuki, as well as compelled from both prisoners.
The Daimyo hears all the testimony and readily agrees. He orders Shoshen Makoto beheaded in the chamber. The party members are all avenged for their loved ones and can seek a measure of peace...
<End of Chapter>
The group is led in and the Daimyo arrives to hear their charges personally, on the grounds that it is a threatened coup against his rule. Testimony is given by Zenrin, Keiso, and Motoyuki, as well as compelled from both prisoners.
The Daimyo hears all the testimony and readily agrees. He orders Shoshen Makoto beheaded in the chamber. The party members are all avenged for their loved ones and can seek a measure of peace...
<End of Chapter>
Re: The Tale Thus Far...
The Daimyo's Peril
Characters:
(Summary of skill/attribute gains)
But the bill comes due, and the party is requested to aid the Daimyo in a time of need. The elder scholar and advisor Washima Kumpei presents the situation over dinner. The Daimyo has fallen ill, afflicted by something uncanny that may need the Gakusho's wisdom to uncover. Discretion is needed, as a weakened Daimyo may throw the province into turmoil.
Characters:
- Ffilz: Satake Motoyuki, a Bushi In-Service to the Daimyo. (Sheet)
- Rex: Oguroyumi Gozen, a Bushi daughter of the Daimyo's guard. (Sheet)
- Jemmus: Kamine no Zenrin, A Sohei Bushi (Toshizo's older brother) (Sheet)
- Jemmus: Saizo, A ninja / Impoverished Budoka (Sheet)
- Ffilz: Keiso, a Gakusho carpenter (Sheet)
(Summary of skill/attribute gains)
But the bill comes due, and the party is requested to aid the Daimyo in a time of need. The elder scholar and advisor Washima Kumpei presents the situation over dinner. The Daimyo has fallen ill, afflicted by something uncanny that may need the Gakusho's wisdom to uncover. Discretion is needed, as a weakened Daimyo may throw the province into turmoil.