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

[jemmus]

Turn 15
Taisho sees Akemi still standing in the stony field, facing Omi and Ito and observing them. She seems alert and ready to run toward them. Her knife and wakizashi remain at her belt sash.
The man with the naginata continues rushing through the stones, toward the west.
The man lying before Ito stays in the spread-eagle position. He says, Bushi-san! Let me live and go free and I'll show you where the money is hidden!
The man in dark blue armor lies on the rock, his bloody katana beside him. He still seems to be breathing.

Akemi ("Ak") is on the map, but so far only Taisho has seen her.
Need everyone's Turn 15 actions. Ito and Omi have Turn 14 secondary actions also, if they want to use them first. Or they can just go to this turn's primary actions.

[jmacatty]

Ito will kill the man in front of him.

Omi will wait for Ito to finish, so they can secure the prisoner.

[ffilz]

Taisho will continue to observe.

[jemmus]

Taisho sees Ito on his rock kneel on a knee, take half a breath to raise his katana over his shoulder, and strike. There's the faint sound of a swift razor ending a life. It's a sound the gakusho has never heard before. The oiran girl raises her head, listening and watching.

Taisho and Kentaro see the man with the blood-stained leg and naginata continue to hasten westward.

[jemmus]

Need Kentaro's action(s) for this turn, then we can move on.

[Marullus]

Kentaro wishes to clamber down from his rock and pursue, but knows there is scant hope of catching the man on foot. It is ill for the bandit to escape. He curses himself again for his poverty of both coin and arrows, and not for the last time.

"Omi-San! Use your bow!" he calls out, pointing to direct his attention to the fleeing man with the naginata.

Action: shouting orders. Hopefully Omi or Ito can draw a bow and fire in time. Omi delayed his action this turn, so is the one named.

After calling out, he clamber down from his rock, telling Taisho to continue to keep watch.

[jemmus]

Please disregard this post and see posts below.
If Omi decides to shoot at the running man, he'll have to use Exchange Weapons as this turn's Primary Action. (He's been using his katana). He's facing south, and would need to face west to target the man. So-- it looks like Omi wouldn't be able to shoot until 2 turns later.
Turn 15 - Exchange Weapon
Turn 16 - Alter Position (change facing)
Turn 17 - Shoot

Or more logically, Alter Position (to spot the target), Exchange Weapon, then Shoot.

This is a rules interpretation. (Change facing being an Alter Position action; and, can't Exchange Weapon and change facing in the same Primary Action). Comments and discussion are welcome.

[ffilz]

Taisho is thinking he should purchase Kentaro more arrows...

[Marullus]

Exchange weapon is a secondary action. Done as a Main Action, it should include some movement and I would be inclined to allow that movement to cover Charge Position. At least, that's my thoughts without looking at the book... two actions seems more fair than three.

[jemmus]

What I see is Exchange Weapon is a Primary and Draw Weapon and Sheathe Weapon are Secondaries. But I didn't spot before that Exchange Weapon allows moving 1 yard. That kind of doesn't follow the BMA system. I char with 10 BMA and one with 5 BMA both move a yard. Anyway, the 1 yard allowance for movement should allow changing facing by 60 degrees. That would put the target within the arc of Omi's front facing.

So it seems he could spend this turn turning and exchanging weapons and shoot next turn. If he chooses to.

[jemmus]

Need Omi's action, then we can move on to the next turn. He can prepare to use kyujutsu against the running bandit with the naginata to the west, or do nothing and wait for Ito to assist him the the unconscious bandit in front of him.

[jemmus]

It's been over a week since we moved forward. Going to move on. Leaving detailed time scale.
Kentaro clambered down from the rock. The man with the naginata continued running westward through the stony field and disappeared into a stand of bamboo. Taisho observed from the top of the rock, but saw nothing else of interest in any direction.

Akemi, her wakizashi and knife still at her belt stash, turned and ran back to the hovel. She soon reappeared, carrying a rope and some torn strips of cloth. The wakizashi was no longer at her belt, on the kitchen knife remained. She looked at Kentaro, Taisho, Omi and Ito and called out for all to hear, Bandages and a rope for binding the captive. Moving quickly and with smooth agility, she made her way through the stones toward Omi, Ito, and the unconscious bandit.

The battered man in pilgrim's clothing emerged from behind foliage and walked toward Ito and Omi, his empty hands in the air to indicate peaceful intent.
Actions please.

[Marullus]

Kentaro looks ruefully at the man escaping westward, his fingers tapping his empty quiver as he frowns. He sighs, turning to observe the remaining situation.

He was never aware of the beautiful Akemi during the fight, but his heart swells as he hears her voice. A delicate flower, bringing bandages and rope, he falls in with her to approach Omi and Ito as her protector.

"I can bind him, if you wish."

[ffilz]

Taisho smiles appropriately at Akemi and clambers down from his vantage and joins her in helping treat wounds.

[jmacatty]

Omi looks at Kentaro. Perhaps, with patience, we could have taken all of these bandits.

[Marullus]

Kentaro blinks. He had thought Omi perhaps too slow or dim to take his shot and slay the last bandit when Kentaro called out a warning. Kentaro had resented that Omi stood idle and allows initiative to slip through his fingers, making no move to win the battle. Now Omi speaks of patience being required, rather than swift action? Patience is indeed a virtue... Kentaro wracks his brain to understand the admonition, how refusing to fire on the fleeing man was virtuous instead of a dire mistake. Kentaro naturally expected praise for slaying three of the four dead foes while Omi patiently chose to slay none. Alas, he can find no reason he would not have shot him down had his own poverty not interfered... he feels further shame that he cannot fathom Omi-san's words.

Kentaro drops his gaze momentarily in submission to his superior. "As you say, Omi-san," rumbles the mountain Bushi with a humble tone. "The man wounded you grievously before he fled you; you should be bandaged by Akemi-san before it worsens."

The large man turns and bows respectfully to Akemi as he accepts the rope from her, stepping to the unconscious bandit leader in the blue armor. This, at least, he understands. Binding and transporting criminals is simple and familiar to the rough man's experiences.

Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=20

If the Target is unconscious, the Attacker can tie him up simply by
making a successful Hojojutsu BCS, rolling on each Detailed Turn
until he succeeds.

Once tied, a Target is allowed a Deftness ST once per hour to try
and slip free, unless he is under constant guard.

Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=11
Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=7
Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=8
Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=16
Hojojutsu (BCS 6) [1d20]=3
So, six detailed turns is 30 seconds to have the man trussed.

The bandit needs to roll Hojojutsu, or roll a Deftness ST with 50% penalty, plus his level, and that total needs to beat Effect Number 3 on
a single roll to escape. It takes an hour unsupervised for each attempt he makes.

"Akemi-san," he asks, inadvertently blushing, "Is this all of them? It sounded as if Ken'ichi fled, is it so? How many are not among them here?"

He removes the blue breastplate and armor from the unconscious leader, Satoshi, cutting the lacing with his wakizashi, before he begins his tying. He is distracted, however, trying to listen to Akemi's response and looks embarassed as he begins incorrectly, needing to untie it to begin a second time. It is no more than 30 seconds afterwards, though, that the large mountain man has deftly hog-tied the bandit leader as surely as an escaping sow or common thief.

[jemmus]

Akemi replies to Kentaro, Sometimes other peasants join the gang temporarily, but these were all of bandits that live on Chiyo-san. I don't think Ken'ichi and Maru, the other peasant who ran away, will come back while you are here. The three ronin are dead or unconscious, and those two are no leaders. But they will surely come back for the money that is hidden somewhere on this mountain. But I would guess only Satoshi and perhaps the dead ronin would know where it is.

She says to Omi, Bushi-san*, if you will allow it, I'll bandage you. If the bushi agree. Akemi bandages Omi's thigh wound. She's no skilled physician, but she's careful and not squeamish. You will need new trousers. The bloodstains will never come out of these. And the daimyo's bushi will of course question you if they see the evidence of fighting. Later we must wash it with water and salt, and apply salt. She doesn't presume to insult Ito by offering to extract the arrow his shoulder or remove his armor to wrap the yari wound. She bows and offers bandages to the samurai bushi. Bushi-san, please. If I may assist, please only say.

Kentaro removes the unconscious bandit's armor, wakizashi, and empty saya katana scabbard. The wakizashi has a elegant tsuba with an image of a demon. The katana lying on the rock has a companion tsuba with an image of the god Shohki. Both are chased with gold. The bushi wonder how these expensive weapons came into the mountain bandit's possession.

Akemi bandages a deep gash in the bandit's shoulder. If you take him to the hut and let him rest, he might regain consciousness the morning after next. Kentaro trusses the bandit with a complicated pattern of rope that restrains every limb.

The man in pilgrim's garb lowers his hands and approaches the group. He carries himself proudly, even haughtily, despite his blackened eye and swollen lips.

Shohki is a Chinese god who banishes demons. He can control 80,000 of them or more.

[jemmus]

A summary of the tl;dr below is at the end, for people who don't have time or interest in reading all the details.

The pilgrim approached, looked the group over, and addressed Omi and Ito. He looks to be around 19 years old. When he speaks the travelers see that he has the blackened teeth of a kuge noble. Which all of them know of, but have never seen before. And he speaks in the Kyoto dialect of Nipponese, which none of the group from Kai and Shinano have never heard before. It sounds rather effete to them. The young man speaks, without offering a polite greeting.

I will trust you, because you I have no other choice. If you are bandits battling other bandits, than my situation is the same as before. If you looked in that chest over you would know that I am no ordinary pilgrim. He points toward a place beyond the foliage where the bandits entered the stony field. I am Fujiwara no Sanetoshi, of the kuge Fujiwara family. All of the travelers are rather shocked. The Fujiwara had been the Imperial regents and the power behind the throne for generations, until the samurai Taira clan recently edged them out. Fujiwara daughters have birthed Emperors and princes.

I grew tired of the endless gossiping, social competition, and dalliances in the capital. So I started on a pilgrimage to the shrines, temples, and famous sights of Nippon. But in Shinano I learned that the Taira have seized power, and that anyone with a connection to the Imperial throne is in danger. I will explain why, so that you will understand the... request that I will make at the end.

In Kyoto, Emperor Takakura suddenly retired, even though he’s still a young man. Obviously the retirement was due to the daijō-daijin regent Taira no Kiyomori’s intrigue, political maneuvering and pressure. Kiyomori has replaced the Emperor with his infant grandson Antoku. He has also exiled several highest-rank kuge with claims to the throne, claiming they had been plotting to depose the now-retired Emperor. Which is exactly what he himself just did, isn't it. The kuge were exiled to the far provinces and to remote Seto Inland Sea islands.

The retired Emperor’s brother Mochihito thought he’d been cheated out of the throne. Which he had. So he plotted with the samurai Minamoto no Yorimasa, a senior Minamoto in the capital. Kiyomori’s spies informed him of the plot, or perhaps an insider betrayed them. In any event, the two fled to the great Nii-Dera Buddhist temple. Kiyomori sent Taira troops, which he now calls ‘Imperial guards.’ As if anyone is fooled by that. The temple had too few sohei to defend Mochito and Yorimasa against the many, many Taira bushi. So they fled and became refugees. Before long, the Taira caught them. The samurai Yorimasa committed seppuku, and the kuge Mochihito was charged with treason again the infant new Emperor and beheaded. Mochihito was a Fujiwara, like me. He was the husband of my mother’s cousin.

The Minamoto are furious about Yorimasa’s seppuku. They have fought the Taira before, and they won’t let the Taira become the hereditary Emperors of Nippon this way. It is sure that war is coming, without delay. There are rumors that the Minamoto lords Yoritomo and Yoshinaka are already touring Minamoto lands in the East to raise troops. It will be a hard and terrible war between the two largest samurai clans of Nippon. Every samurai clan, every temple and shrine, every peasant, every merchant, and even every kuge will be affected. As we speak, the powerful hurry to intrigue with each other and make deals with each other. And deals against each other. From one end of Nippon to the other.

In any event. You can see that it is not safe for me to return to Kyoto. I would risk being exiled for life to some remote fishing village or mountain hamlet. I am on my way to Kofu to ask the Takeda daimyo for sanctuary and protection from the Taira. But today we were attacked by these robbers. My groom and porters were immediately slaughtered. My bodyguard, a young samurai of the Satoh clan of Mino, wounded one of them before the thugs overwhelmed him. They intended to slaughter me also, but they saw my back teeth and the fine clothing in my chest. So they intended to ransom me instead. As if the ignorant peasants would even know how to bargain for anything more valuable than a turnip.

That dai-sho was my yojimbo’s. He points to the dai-sho taken from the unconscious bandit. His armor it over there with my chest. The bandits dropped everything in the ground when you began shooting arrows.

In any event. You samurai soldiers will accompany me to Kofu as my bodyguards. I assure you that you will gain public honor by escorting a Fujiwara to meet with the daimyo. Perhaps the daimyo will reward you with money, or something else a soldier might want. I would like to rest a while, then we will depart. Do you have any food?

Summary
The pilgrim Sanetoshi is a kuge nobleman from the Fujiwara clan, who have been regents controlling the Emperor for generations. The Taira samurai clan have maneuvered their way in the regent position, forced the Emperor to retire, and put an infant grandson on the throne. They also exiled senior Fujiwaras who might have a claim to the throne.

The newly retired Emperor's brother conspired with a senior Minamoto clan samurai to take back the throne. The Taira learned of the plot and beheaded the Fujiwara. The Minamoto committed seppuku to avoid being caught. The Minamoto clan is furious, or war on a countrywide scale is eminent.

The pilgrim Fujiwara is fleeing to the Takeda daimyo in Kofu. He commands the samurai Omi and Ito to accompany him as bodyguards. He offers no pay, but says that they will gain On and the daimyo might reward them.

Under the Status rules, the kuge Sanetoshi no Fujiwara can compel any of the PCs. His social rank is much higher than any of theirs.

Actions, please. I skipped a little ahead in time while I had some free time. So, some things to be resolved by the characters:
-The high-quality dai-sho;
-What to do with the bandit Satoshi;
-Anything else (collecting heads, loot, interactions among characters, etc.)

[ffilz]

Taisho will also administer to Omi, casting some basic healing. What is Omi's injury status?

[jemmus]

Omi currently has 16 of 37 HP.