[Closed] 2: On the Road (Kenta, Senichi)

[Starbeard]

Falling Leaf Month, 25th (Morning Day, Low Week)


The city sleeps off the festivities of last night as the Sun Goddess Amaterasu casts her rejuvenating rays across the streets of Otosan Uchi.



Kenta and Senichi say goodbye to their companions, who get a late start to their own trip. The rest of the day is spent quietly at the Temple of the Fortunes, performing a few last rites before tomorrow's journey.

(Because you started on Morning Day, the best day for beginnings, your chances of having random encounters is reduced)

The next morning comes swiftly. Monk and priest, already accustomed to early rises, are both rested and ready to set out with the other travelers at first light. You cross the bridge out of your neighborhood, through the outskirts of West Hub Village, past the gates of the city and onto the ancient Road of the First Emperor, oldest and most venerable highway in all of Rokugan. Senichi rides his horse at a lazy pace while Kenta and Saburo walk alongside.





The road provides good views of the plains to the south and the hills to the north. The whole countryside is swathed in autumnal colors, and occasionally you pass by a party of sophisticates having a picnic in the country to admire the leaves.



In the afternoon you come to a village along the road, The Village of the First Emperor. Senichi knows that it isn't large, maybe 90 villagers, and is known for its distinctive style of lacquered saddles. Crime is known to be very low, because the yoriki (samurai police officer and bailiff) also happens to be an Imperial magistrate in charge of the road this close to Otosan Uchi. The village isn't walled, but the road is blocked on either side by large gatehouses. The gatehouse is open, and four pikemen stand at attention, checking the papers of groups who pass through on their way back from the festival.

(Remember that Kenta has forged papers. Whenever the papers are checked, the officer will make a Perception + Law check against TN 20 to see if they are discovered.)

Actions?





登場人物

• Kenta, monk: no armor (TN10), naginata 6k4 (DR 7k3) | Honor 2;5, Wounds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: no armor (TN10), wakizashi 3k2 (DR 4k2) | Honor 2;6, Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spell Slots: F3/A2/W3/E2
  • Saburo: 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;5 - Gl 0;0 - Wds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 1/1

[ffilz]

Does Senichi know of Kenta's forged papers? I don't think so.

Senichi will politely hand over his travel papers.

[Rex]

Kenta

I thought I shared it, but it may have been OOC. Should I roll against something?

Kenta will hand over his papers.

[Starbeard]

Sorry, got bogged down again.



Both of you walk up to the village gates and hand over your travel papers. The guards make a point of looking very serious as they examine them, then hand them back and nod you forward.
(They're rolling 3k2 vs TN 20 to spot the forgery: [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 4 [1d10] = 4 = 13, they failed)

Being a priest and a monk, you can arrange to sleep at the home of the local shrine priest for free. It turns out that this priest was resident at a shrine in Beiden Pass for some years, and he seems concerned about you going. Something about "Sakemono," "The Strange Howling" that rides on the chill winds that blow through the pass.

Actions?



登場人物

• Kenta, monk: no armor (TN10), naginata 6k4 (DR 7k3) | Honor 2;5, Wounds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: no armor (TN10), wakizashi 3k2 (DR 4k2) | Honor 2;6, Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spell Slots: F3/A2/W3/E2
  • Saburo: 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;5 - Gl 0;0 - Wds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 1/1

[ffilz]

Sorry, got bogged down again.



Both of you walk up to the village gates and hand over your travel papers. The guards make a point of looking very serious as they examine them, then hand them back and nod you forward.
(They're rolling 3k2 vs TN 20 to spot the forgery: [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 4 [1d10] = 4 = 13, they failed)

Being a priest and a monk, you can arrange to sleep at the home of the local shrine priest for free. It turns out that this priest was resident at a shrine in Beiden Pass for some years, and he seems concerned about you going. Something about "Sakemono," "The Strange Howling" that rides on the chill winds that blow through the pass.

Actions?

We will be appropriately appreciative of his hospitality and implore him to share more about the Sakemono.

[Rex]

Kenta

"Is there any chores you need done? I have no coin to donate to your shrine, but perhaps I could help you in another way."

If Senichi doesn't get any info on Sakemon Kenta will try as well.

[ffilz]

Kenta

"Is there any chores you need done? I have no coin to donate to your shrine, but perhaps I could help you in another way."

If Senichi doesn't get any info on Sakemon Kenta will try as well.

Ah, yes, forgot about donations. What is an appropriate donation? Otherwise I will offer service also.

[Starbeard]

One copper zeni each would certainly be enough of a donation. Senichi's purse would not even miss it, being a rich Unicorn. The priest has change, and if Senichi gives him 1 koku then he'll give 4 bu, 8 zeni back.

Figure that 2-3 koku is enough for a single person to live modestly for a whole year). The exchange rate is:
10 zeni = 1 silver bu
5 bu = 1 gold koku

[Starbeard]

The priest Tenkazu bows humbly and rejects the donation twice before finally accepting. After hosting you with a brief tea ceremony, he talks to you about Beiden Pass in hushed tones while you wait for dinner to arrive from the village headman's kitchen.

"Beiden Pass has always been a supernatural place, full of death and mourning. More souls have died there than anywhere else in Rokugan. Everywhere tree and drop of water is haunted.

"Sakemono, 'The Strange Howling', is one of the most awful of its haunts. The mountain winds always come howling through the Pass, and during the winter they chill you right to the bone. Sometimes the chill is so horrible that it drives men mad. When I was priest in one of the villages, we called this the Strange Howling. Every few years the Strange Howling would ride through on the winter winds, driving the minds of those it chilled to murderous insanity.

"Many of the villagers give offerings and pray to Sakemono, believing it to be the angry spirit of the mountain winds, but that is just simple peasant superstition. I haven't been back in several winters, but I have heard from others that Sakemono rides the winds almost every winter now. It is unhappy, and craves blood. The spirit of the wind would not do that. Something sinister haunts the air in Beiden Pass, mark my words."

[Starbeard]

If you have questions, Priest Tenkazu is willing to talk about any aspect of Beiden Pass and Sakemono. Otherwise, feel free to explore any other aspect of the village or volunteer to move on to the next leg of the trip.

Map of the Village of the First Emperor (with gated guard stations at either end):

[Rex]

Kenta

"I am ready to move along with our journey Senichi, is there anything you would like to do first?"

[ffilz]

Kenta

"I am ready to move along with our journey Senichi, is there anything you would like to do first?"

Sorry, crazy day, I'll try and respond tomorrow.

[ffilz]

I will thank the priest for sharing about Beiden Pass and with that we will move one (sorry, I just needed a chance to think if there was anything else we wanted).

[Starbeard]

Alright, let's move on then!

Falling Leaf Month, 26th (Cursed Day, Low Week)


The night passes hot and humid. In the middle of the night you are woken by a pair of foxes fighting just beyond the village.

At midday you are alone at a countryside way station, a small affair that is nothing more than a wooden gazebo accompanied by a tiny roadside shrine to Daikokuten, the Fortune of prosperity and plentiful harvests.




Next to the way station and shrine is a small pond of water. In it you see a strange omen: the algae and waterlilies in the pond have floated together to form the character for death…
死

As you continue on, before Kakita Castle is in sight, you see what appears to be a man resting against a tree up ahead, and you can smell blood on the wind.

Actions?



登場人物

• Kenta, monk: no armor (TN10), naginata 6k4 (DR 7k3) | Honor 2;5, Wounds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: no armor (TN10), wakizashi 3k2 (DR 4k2) | Honor 2;6, Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spell Slots: F3/A2/W3/E2
  • Saburo: 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;5 - Gl 0;0 - Wds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 1/1

[Rex]

Kenta

"Caution Senichi, i feel something is amiss." Kenta becomes very watchful, scanning for anything nearby that could be a threat as he approaches the man.

[ffilz]

Senichi will make an appropriate blessing or whatever (like crossing oneself) at the sight of the omen.

How much time passed between that and seeing the man resting against the tree?

If he doesn't move as we approach, I'm considering casting Evil Ward (I'd have to do it within 30', 5 actions).

[Starbeard]

It's been about 2 - 2 1/2 hours between the omen and this encounter.

[Rex]

Kenta will approach the man cautiously.

[ffilz]

I will cast Evil Ward. What do I roll for that?

[Starbeard]

Evil Ward is a fire spell, so you roll Fire Ring (3) + School Rank (1), keeping dice equal to your Fire Ring. The base TN is 10.

However, keep in mind that it is an immobile spell, so you won't be able to carry the ward around with you once you create it:

"The shugenja inscribes upon the ground (or on any immobile surface) a symbol to ward off evil. Once completed, any creature with the Shadowlands trait within a thirty-foot radius of the symbol erupts into flame (DR 2) for every minute they remain within the area of effect."

If you still want to cast it, it takes 5 actions (you typically get one action per round, which are 5-10 seconds long), and the ward lasts for 1 day. You can make raises, by adding +5 to the TN per raise, to increase the range (10' radius per raise), duration (+12 hours per raise), damage (+1 DR per raise), or decrease the casting time (-1 action per raise).

You can also gain a Free Raise to add somewhere if you double the casting time of the spell. So, by taking 10 actions to cast it, you can add a raise to the range/duration/damage for free.