1st Scroll - The Will of Nobles - 1st - 3rd Days

[ffilz]

Omi currently has 16 of 37 HP.

And no one else is injured?

[jemmus]

Sorry, I forgot that Ito is also injured. He has 12 of 25 HP.

[Marullus]

Kentaro reverently sheathes the gold-chased blades bearing the etchings of the god Shohki, but does not have long to wonder at their provenance before the kuge noble explains their presence here. As soon as the noble finishes his speech, Kentaro drops at the man's feet, head bowed and offering up the pair of blades. What he lacks in courtly graces the mountain bushi makes up in earnestness.

His words spill forth, eyes lowered and blades raised in offering. "I am Togakushi no Kentaro, grandson of Togakushi no Daisuke, who overcame the dragon of Hida, but who's Daimyo surrendered to the Minamoto at the Battle of Three Hills. I too am a Bushi of the Hida mountains, ensuring the honor of my grandfather remains intact by protecting Mount Togakushi. Our holdings now all belong to the Matsumoto - I walk to road of my father, Togakushi no Katashi, performing duties of the sword for Togakushi mountain, service owed to the Matsumoto, as honor of deeds still remains to us. I have never met a Taira, that I know of it. I have traveled further from my home than intended, and finding myself looking upon Fuji-san, hoped only to visit the shrine before returning home, a pilgrimage as an act of honor, as you know as well. As it is an honor to serve the needs of the Emperor and his Daimyo in lands as I pass, I have rendered service against these bandits."

He lifts his eyes, looking to Fujiwara no Sanetoshi. The large man, even on his knees, likely is almost as tall as the noble. "Having no other bond, it would be honor to guard you with my life until you reach Kofu, should you accept it. It is an honor to serve the emperor and guard his family."

OOC:
1) Kentaro was in possession of the fine blades in the previous post. He acts immediately to offer them back to the noble, or will retain them as the new yojimbo unless the noble says otherwise. As his family has no other status or duties, he expects his offer to be more accepted in this than Ito or Omi, his life more easily forefit.

2) Kentaro has stripped and trussed the bandit Satoshi and trusts Ito and Omi to know what they wish to do with him. Kentaro is experienced at returning bounties and assumes we return the bandit leader to the Daimyo as proof and for his judgment.

3) Other actions: Kentaro wants to: a) feed the noble, b) find the hidden treasure, and c) think of a haiku to recite to the oirean before we depart this camp. He wants to get back to the woodcutters and his horse, even if it means braving some movement by lantern.

[ffilz]

Healing for Omi (16 of 37)

(-2 for wounds) fail
(-2 for wounds) fail
(-2 for wounds) fail
(-2 for wounds) fail
(-2 for wounds) fail
(-2 for wounds) success (now at 21 of 37)

Omi is healed 5 to 21

Healing for Ito (12 of 25)

(-1 for wounds) fail
(-1 for wounds) success (now at 18 of 25)

Ito is healed 6 to 18.

Taisho has 4 power left which he will use closer to dawn for some additional healing if he is not called upon to use power for something else.

[jemmus]

This post has been revised, because I forgot about Ito also being wounded. Just the part about Akemi bandaging wounds and some delicacy about the etiquette of offering to remove wounds that are under armor. No big deal if you've already read it. viewtopic.php?p=580374#p580374

The The Story So Far thread has been updated with information for players, in case you aren't subscribed to it. Budo and shugendo awards upcoming.

[ffilz]

This post has been revised, because I forgot about Ito also being wounded. Just the part about Akemi bandaging wounds and some delicacy about the etiquette of offering to remove wounds that are under armor. No big deal if you've already read it. viewtopic.php?p=580374#p580374

The The Story So Far thread has been updated with information for players, in case you aren't subscribed to it. Budo and shugendo awards upcoming. Will be posted in this thread.

Oh, does magical healing have to remove the armor? If so then Taisho would not break etiquette (sorry, I missed that detail).

[jemmus]

No, I was just doing some excessive realism RP about removing arrows and armor for bandaging.

[ffilz]

No, I was just doing some excessive realism RP about removing arrows and armor for bandaging.

Ah, yes, that certainly makes sense... If he may be permitted, Taisho also has healing salve and antiseptic that would be of help, but clearly that would require removal of armor and arrows.

[jemmus]

Very well, I will accept your services, ronin of Togakushi. The weapons are the property of my slain yojimbo's family in Mino, the kuge says. But there is probably no use trying to post them to them now. In Kyoto we are not unfamiliar with disorder and violent disturbances. "War means soldiers. Soldiers mean arson and looting. In wartime, even a beggar becomes a bold bandit." Rather than have the weapons go to looters or bandits, I will give them to my new yojimbo. Ronin of Togakushi, I saw you kill the most bandits. You shall have the katana. To Omi, Samurai, which I presume you are by your equipment, you defeated the bandits' leader. You shall have the wakizashi.

Then to Akemi, Though it is still daytime, I shall bathe and cleanse away the filth of having been manhandled by mountain bandits. Hai, I will heat the water. I must apologize, o-kuge-sama. O-kuge-sama, must bathe outdoors with a bucket. We have no bathhouse on the mountain.

The group returns to the hovel and Akemi heats water in the wellhouse. While the kuge washes himself, the woman in peasant men's clothing returns to the hovel, seats herself, and addresses the travelers.

+2 katana to Kentaro, +2 wakizashi to Omi.

[jemmus]

A summary of this wall of text is at the end.

Akemi removes her conical farmer's kasa hat and addresses the travelers.

Bushi-sama and gakusho-san, I will now tell you the truth. I will include details, including about my own weakness and failure, so that you will know that it is an authentic story. As you can see, I am not really an oiran, though I have been trained as one. I am a kunoichi—a female ninja. I was a member of a certain clan in Shinano, but I no longer have a clan. My former clan hunts me in Shinano, Kai, and possibly other provinces. Probably my own brothers and cousins hunt me, and certainly my father does. He needs my head to prove my family’s trustworthiness and loyalty to the clan. Because the work ninja do requires absolute trust in one another. Absolute trust, whatever the circumstances. Ninja will betray a client and switch sides, for the good of the clan. But they will not betray the clan, or even the clan’s allies. For someone to do what I have done... it is unheard of.

A girl ninja can be very valuable to a clan. We can be oiran and hear the conversations of powerful men. While they relaxed and under the influence of drink and beautiful woemn. We can be maids and nannies in the homes of the powerful, and hear what lords and barons only say to their wives, sons and brothers. So, I was trained in the arts of portraying the oiran, and the ignorant kitchen maid, and the nanny.

Some months ago my clan assigned me to infiltrate the home of a certain lord in Shinano. I was to be in the guise of a beginner, assistant nanny. An old kunoichi of my clan who had for many years been a nanny and servant in the lord’s home. In fact, she had been the lord himself’s nanny. The lord had a young grandson whom the grandmother prized and feared for. He was her son’s only son and the family’s heir, after all. So the old nanny put words into the grandma’s ears. She spoke with humble pride about her bright, precocious, and compassionate granddaughter Reiko-chan. About the girl learning to write katakana on her own. And about how the child seemed to have a healing power as a gift from the kami.

One night, she awakened her parents and said that they must go to a neighbor’s house in the village. At first they ignored the child, but she urgently insisted. As they approached the heimin cottage, they heard the sound of an infant wailing. Wailing, wailing, and wailing. They entered and the baby was bright red from head to foot. The little baby boy seemed about to expire. It’s said that little Reiko-chan raised the baby by under his arms, said ‘Yosh yosh, little baby, yell and yell the badness out!’ Then she put the little boy on her lap, sang the children’s song ‘Dragonfly’s Shiny Eyes’ to him, and rubbed his head, shoulders, and belly. The boy became peaceful and started drifting off to sleep.

But a sound was heard inside the cottage’s door. Everyone looked, and they saw a fox at the door, its head turned back staring at them. Obviously, an inari fox spirit. The baby’s mother and dad say that Reiko-chan put the baby in the mom’s arms, stood up, put her hands on her thighs, leaned forward and said, ‘Get out, naughty o-inari-san! And never come back!’ And the door opened by itself and the fox ran away into the night.

She swept her forefinger before her from her left to her right. It rather startles the listeners, because it’s a gesture Akemi the oiran would never use. It’s more like a gesture of a town heimin woman or even a gambler. Just a story and a lie, of course. But the samurai grandma, concerned about the little lord her grandson, took the hook. The shinobi woman knew that the son and the grandson were the weak spots in the tough old samurai woman’s armor. Should something happen to lord or her grandson, her sister’s sons would take control of the clan. And the old kunoichi knew that the old samurai woman hated her sister, and all of the sister’s brats as well. The fish was circling the bait.

Some days passed and the old shinobi only had to say something like, ‘My foolish old head is happy, Grandmother-sama. It seems that Reiko-chan will be married to a smart and strong boy from another village. She’s set to move there before spring’s end. She’ll need to have children soon, won’t she? While she’s still young and can be a strong and healthy mother.’ At that, the old samurai woman, dreaming of a young, clever and spirits-banishing nanny for her little lord swallowed the entire hook like a catfish. I, as Reiko-chan was in as the little lord’s assistant nanny. Soon after, the old kunoichi feigned infirmity and retired. She probably took a different identity and left Shinano. I would not be good for her to be in the house after I’d done what I’d come to do.

I spent two seasons being the young lord Makoto-kun's nanny. He was a bright and sensitive child. He would sing little haiku to himself about things he was thinking about. Here’s are two I remember.

‘Ants run in a line
Back and forth, in formation
They don’t need a sergeant.’

‘The peasants are poor and
Cold, but we are full and warm.
Strange, the Buddha’s world.’

At one point I watched over him as he and his young cousins played outside the lord’s mansion’s walls. A girl cousin said, ‘What’s your favorite animal?’ ‘A bear!’ said a boy. ‘A tiger!’ said another, and ‘A Horse!’ another. But Makoto-kun said, ‘A swallow.’ The samurai boy cousins looked him strangely, and one said mockingly ‘A swallow?’ That’s the kind of child he was. The other samurai boys thought of the biggest and strongest animals. But Makoto-kun's mind thought of skillful darting and flying, above the surface of the earth. If you’d met him, you would love him, bushi-saama and gakusho-san. I know it.” Her eyes linger on Taisho’s, hoping the kindly young gakusho might understand. “Only seven years old, but as if many years older.”

The time came for me to extinguish of the lord, his heir, and the grandmother. The grandmother was found dead in her sleep in one morning. The next day the lord contracted a sudden illness and perished during the second night. But I couldn’t bring myself to put out little lord Makoto-kun's light. The world would someday do it itself, without my interference. Or not. Perhaps it was possible that the heir of a samurai clan, with no father and a rival aunt and cousins, could somehow live to old age.

The woman, really a girl of 18 years of so, went silent for some moments. She resumed, clear-eyed. I waited until I saw them weeping for the lord. Then I used my training to make my escape.

So. I set out through the town and woods and mountains, knowing the entire clan would mobilize to extinguish me, as quickly and mercifully as the clan would accept as plausible. The head would be the proof. Father is not such a good hensu-jutsu actor as to be able to fool the elders’ council. But if he had the head, they’d probably look the other way and forgive our family. We’ve done long service to the clan and sit on the elders’ council, by the way.

Kunoichi are trained to go big towns when in trouble. An unaccompanied woman anywhere else is conspicuous, isn’t that right? And I’d need money, and was a trained oiran. A fleeing kunoichi would naturally go to a teahouse in a big town, get some coin, renege on her contract with the madam, and disappear in the quiet of the night. I knew my cousins, brothers, and father would consider such things. So I never went to a teahouse, and I didn’t fly toward the urban cities to the west. I went south to Kai.

On the Koshu-Kaido highway I played the oiran who had been sold to a teahouse at a young age and run away from the madam and was trying to reach Kofu. I intentionally got captured by Satoshi and these bandits. What woman would intentionally let herself be captured by such brutes? And if they were any good at banditry, they’d be rather hard to find. There are many more mountains in Nippon than towns or villages, as Bushi-san-tachi and Gakuso-san know. But Satoshi and the bandits were bandits and not kind. As I expected and planned for, of course.”

When Bushi-san-tachi and Gakusho-san appeared at the camp, I resolved to try to help you extinguish Satoshi and the ‘Mura no Banjin’ thugs. You were gracious to a helpless oiran on a mountain, and I saw that you are honorable persons. So I changed out of oiran clothing and hairdo and armed myself. My plan was to observe the battle and kill a bandit—targeting Satoshi-- the leader and most skillful of the ronin—from an unseen direction. But that wasn’t needed.

The girl-woman bows, but not as an oiran this time. Instead, as a fellow fighter with some confidence in her training and ability to do make unorthodox or esoteric contributions along the group’s travels. If I can join you for a few days along the way, wherever you are going, I would appreciate your kindness. I won’t cause anyone any inconveniences to you in any way, I’ll make sure of it. I know it’s difficult to trust a weak person who has betrayed her very kin. She bows again. Her face is lowered, but Kentaro sees a drop of water fall, light up like a crystal in the bright afternoon sunlight coming through the hovel's, and darken a spot on the dirt floor. Perhaps others see it too. Outside, a bush warbler begins singing over the field of 10,000 stones. I ask you the favor of your assistance.

Summary
Akemi confesses that she is really a kunoichi female ninja, though she is trained in the arts of an oiran courtesan. She infiltrated the family of a samurai lord in Shinano, as a nanny for his young son. She assassinated the lord and his mother, but loved the lord's young son and heir too much to kill him also, as ordered by her ninja clan. She is sure that her ninja father and brothers are hunting for her, because they have to execute her for betraying the clan. She intentionally got captured by the remote mountain's bandits as a way to hide from the shinobi hunting her.

When the travelers appeared, she was impressed by their honor in not assaulting an oiran alone in such an isolated place. She resolved to help them kill the bandits, but her assistance ended up not being needed. She asks for the group's permission to travel with them.

Do they give their consent?

[jmacatty]

Ito will ask for assistance with the arrow jutting from his armor. Also he will request bandaging for his injuries.

[jmacatty]

Omi also addresses the group: When I was to accompany my father and uncle on the hunt for the first time, I was overwhelmed by how important I had become. Through the days we hunted, my father and his brother filled me with many many facts of the creatures living in the mountains near us. Finally a day came when we all were prepared to kill the animals that were about us, hopefully prized mountain rams or perhaps a lion. As we sat for hours in the cold, I knew that a ram would appear around a corner of rock that I had particular eyes for.
Sure enough, around the corner came a very large ram, slowly ambling along. I immediately loosed an arrow, striking true, taking the ram in the shoulder. As it stumbled around, preparing to die, I patiently waited so as not to cause a long hunt for a wounded animal. Finally the ram collapsed and I approached. I cut its throat and looked up, for the praise of my father and uncle. My father approached me, and struck me to the ground! "Fool!" he cried. He turned angrily away and walked off. Bewildered, I looked to my uncle for an explanation of this response. Very quietly my uncle said, as he stood over me, "The strongest ram will lead the herd. The entire family follows. By killing the ram, you warned the other mountain sheep and they ran. Patience would have given us the entire group."

OOC: m I'm not as good at this as you guys, but I hope this makes the point in an oblique enough way.

[jemmus]

Nice!

We need a decision about what the PCs do with the unconscious bandit leader. Akemi guessed that he wouldn't regain consciousness on his own until the morning after next.

[Marullus]

Kentaro humbly accepts the commission by the Kuge noble, honored to fulfill the vow he has made. He looks reverently upon the katana blade, testing its balance, then he puts it in his sheath, wrapping his grandfather's blade to keep it safely stowed.

As he then listens to Akemi's tale, his eyes never waiver from the woman, still a beautiful Oirian in his sight. He pauses a moment after she finishes before his deep voice rumbles in response. "I am not worldly," he begins, "Most of my important lessons learned at the Togakushi shrine." He clears his throat, watching her demeanor. "However, this I know - no matter the obligations of your current caste and dharma of its role, the sparing of life, especially that of an innocent child, can only reflect well on the future of your soul. I... I would be honored to have you with us on the road if Fujiwara no Sanetoshi allows it, and no harm shall come to you by my hand."

Since Katsumi was a ninja from the secret ninja base located within the highest temple at the Togakushi Shrine, and sent by his father (head of the Ninja there) for an action in Shinano, Kentaro is watching her reaction for recognition. He is codedly telling her that he is already a keeper of ninja family secrets, even as he reassures her of her safety in his presence.

Plus, he's still obviously infatuated. A revelation of ninja doesn't alarm him at all given his history, and the idea of a kind ninja risking everything to not murder children endears his romantic notions.

TL:DR - yes, he gives consent, but not abrogating the decision of the Kuge noble.

It's been a while, so here's a reminder about what the Andoh clan (cadet clan of the Minamoto) ninyo of Chiyoda village told you.
"I will hire you to kill the bandits and bring their heads, weapons, and armor. I will pay 15 silver for each head. And I will give each person 25 silver upon your return. All of you, one other thing: If you bring back a live robber, I will pay triple. 45 silver. But you must eradicate them immediately, with no delay." Indicating Kentaro, the thrifty ninyo says, "Ten silver will be deducted from your reward for the [letter] post fee."

He said that he would buy weapons and armor at half the sell prices in towns. If you want to loot the bandits' armor, you can cut bamboo poles for carrying it between two people's shoulders.

The ninyo also said he would give a reward of 30 sp for the heads of the o-bakemono and bakemono-sho, which he hasn't done yet. And don't forget that Ito has the o-bakemono's big silver bracelet, that's about as heavy as 20 silver coins.

As Fujiwara no Sanetoshi sets to washing himself from the bucket of water warmed by Akemi, Kentaro sets to the dirty work of his station, sparing the clean hands of the more noble samurai. He inspects the bodies of the slain, collecting their armor and weapons and then beheading them each with a powerful blow of his grandfather's katana, eschewing the ignoble sawing required with a lesser blade.

Ever aware of his own poverty and empty purse and hoping to retain dignity in the presence of his new Kuge noble employer, he is updating tallies in his head. 15 silver for the three heads is 45 silver, plus delivering the bandit leader alive is at least 45 silver, perhaps more for being the leader. The others will get 25 silver and he will get 15, but perhaps the reward for from the Matsumoto of Hida for the head of the thief that brought him here will have returned. With his upbringing among the mountain heiman, it doesn't occur to him to demand the full payment for the three he slew unaided -- he instead figures 90 silver divided by the four of us is 23 silver, plus his own 15 is 38 silver... he exhales in relief that he should be able to again pay for an inn stay on the way to Kofu, perhaps even some meat in his rice. He won't have to consider selling his father's horse just yet. Of course, he still underestimates the cost of inns.

Returning to the others, he keeps all recovered arrows to refill his quiver, bundling the other weapons and armor in a two-man bundle with bamboo poles for Omi and Ito to carry. For himself, he rigs a sling to carry the bound and unconscious Satoshi on his back. "We should set out right away," he suggests to the others, eager to get back to the woodcutters shack, where his horse awaits. "Moving will be easier while this one remains unconscious. It is not too far to reach the horse."

[ffilz]

Taisho concurs and will help Akemi pack up anything she might wish to retrieve.

[jemmus]

I'm going to say that all arrows that were hits can be recovered from the bodies (including one's own body, if applicable). I count 5 hits for Kentaro.

Recovering misses requires searching for yards behind the missed target. Finding arrows in this rocky and thicketed terrain is hard. Only 20%-30% (1d10) can be found. I'll risk offending the Bushido gods and say round up.

[Marullus]

What about quivers on the dead bandits? I more hoped they had spares. I was targeting everyone with a bow, first.

...and the requested roll:
Arrows [1d10]=7

[jemmus]

Good catch, I missed that. Yes, two quivers.
19 Willow Leaf
5 Armor Piercer
2 Bowel Raker
0 Humming Bulbs

[ffilz]

If we want to spend time retrieving arrows in the vein of minimizing the evidence of who has been here or just to make sure those who use bows have plenty of arrows, Taisho will help search for arrows.

[jemmus]

Thank you, bushi-san, Akemi says to Kentaro. Surely the kuge-sama will not leave a woman alone on this place. Perhaps I can serve in his slain groom's stead.

The Fujiwara kuge returned to the hovel soon after Akemi's long speech. She took all of the spare straw mats in the room, some peasant clothing from the bandit's stored loot, and arranged as comfortable as possible place for him to sit. Now I will eat. Akemi acknowledged the command and quickly departed toward the wellhouse-cook shack.

Ronin of Togakushi, gakusho, go and fetch my trunk that the criminals dropped when you started shooting. It's beyond the bushes at the spot where I entered this primitive place. If Kentaro and Taisho do ordered, they will find what they expected: a laquered rectangular trunk mounted on two similarly lacquered parallel wooden bars. A bloody full suit of heavy samurai army lies in a heap beside it.

Sorry, I had to retcon to before Kentaro's action. The trunk's bars are for resting on two porters' shoulders, of course. Two of the five travelers (four PCs and Akemi) will have to carry it. As lowest social rank, that would be Taisho and Akemi. Akemi's a woman, but low-rank women in Nippon do work that men would do when needed.

Does Kentaro still proceed with gathering all of the bandit's weapons and armor?