Game Notes: I made a goof and forgot about one of Kenta’s personal goals this whole time. Because he’s heard that Lord Nasu and the Monastery are at odds with each other, until that all gets sorted out (one way or another) he has to make an Honor save or lose 1 point of honor every time he voluntarily hangs out at the castle or pals around with Lord Nasu. I guess the dice already knew that this first time wouldn’t matter: I rolled 9+6 = 15 and so he passed anyway.
True Words Visionary Monastery, Beiden Pass [
map]
Early Evening (Hour of the Rooster)
"Luck Day" in High Week, 5th of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is snowy and mildly wet, threatening downpours
The path out of Midway Quiet Village winds back and forth up the steep mountain, almost entirely shrouded by the snow laden forest of maple and cypress. About halfway up you come to a split in the path, with tiny miniature shrine flanked by a pair wooden logs cut into benches. A sign points you left for the monastery and right for the shrine. You take the left road, up a very steep, leg-burning but mercifully short path that takes you to the mountain ridge, and from there it is fairly light walking along the ridge line to the monastery in the distance.
The sun is dipping below the western peaks as you arrive, shining majestically across the Lake of Sorrows like a scintillant mirror and bathing everything in deep shades of orange.
The monks of True Words Visionary Monastery are fairly typical: some stern, some joyful, but all fairly quiet and going about their work with a certain professional seriousness. One of the younger monks greets you and welcomes you onto the grounds, smiling at
Kenta and treating you with the increased deference you expected to have by being with him.
“Welcome to our home. Please, stay and warm yourselves.”
You are given a very quick tour of the grounds and talks freely, asking about you and providing whatever information you ask without seeming to hide anything. Then he collects some herbal remedies from the kitchen and takes you up to the Indestructible Pagoda, where he bids you sit and chant with him. He guides you through an obscure mantra from the Indestructible Sutra while deeply inhaling the steam from a tea made with the herbs, while he rings bells and draws a mandala in front of you (
Kenta is already familiar with the ritual and helps, though the tea remedy is new to him). As you meditate and chant, you miraculously feel the sickness slowly peeled from your bodies.
You are then brought to the tea house, which doubles as the guest rooms, where you will stay. Suddenly there is a huge gonging sound that rattles your ears, and you discover that the belfry is conspicuously situated right next to your quarters. Almost as an apology, the young guide sheepishly explains that the monks believe that all guests are encouraged to contemplate the monastic life alongside their hosts while they stay.
“All we ask is that you maintain a quiet dignity and keep the grounds around the guest house swept clean. Join us for the occasional meal if you can, and feel free to sit in for lectures and rituals. Otherwise, our home is yours to roam.”
The evening bell has already sounded, and the monks have finished their prayers and are congregating for a meal. With not much else to do, you join them and have a pleasant enough time before heading back to the guest house to sleep. The news and leads you hear are all summarized below in the "post summary."
Aiko:
Kenta:
True Words Visionary Monastery, Beiden Pass [
map]
Early Morning (Hour of the Hare)
"Horse Day" in High Week, 6th of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is cold and cloudy but looking calm
You are all now wide awake early the next day, thanks to the ringing of the great iron bell next door. It is the 6th, Horse Day. You have many options ahead of you…
POST SUMMARY, HOOKS AND NEW RUMORS:
- You spent the night at the monastery. So far they seem legit, bog standard monks. They offered you remedies and healed you of your sickness. (sniffles gone!)
- During the night you definitely heard the distant wails of Sakemono echoing across the Lake, coming and going.
- The monks have confirmed that the local fishing village, on whom they rely for food, are acting strange and fearful, with some of them whispering to the monks in secret about the dead coming up out of the Lake. Furthermore, from some reason they have stopped being very successful with their fishing, causing both the villagers and the monks who rely on them to tighten their belts significantly. In fact, after that arduous trip up the mountainside you are a little disappointed with the meager fare.
- The monastery’s big highlight is the set of the five sinkhole caves on the cliff that connect to underground pools from the Lake (up the stairs at the top of the map). Four of them are small and have shrines in them, but the fifth is unexplored, hazardous and off-limits for fear of desecrating the place with a corpse. This cave needs to be permanently cleansed and purified by the shugenja of the nearby Mountain Shrine, but until that happens they keep it perpetually warded so that its link to the spirit world doesn’t cause corruption to creep up into our own world. The task is becoming rather difficult for them, they complain.
- Speaking of which, the monastery is not on good terms with the Mountain Shrine at all. Apparently, the shrine shugenja refuse to cleanse the cave unless the monks order the fishermen to stop fishing the Lake entirely; however, because the monks are heavily dependant on the village for food, they refuse to cooperate.
- Aiko has had a strange dream, where a goddess gave her these riddles: “Heed not the snake. The scorpion and the cat duel to the death but the snake feeds on both and laughs. The Mountain sleeps, dreaming fitful dreams. Find the keys in water."
- Aiko has also (as will be revealed in the closure of Thread 4) learned about a gang of bandits operating in the Pass. They have spies and thugs in multiple villages, and at least two meeting spots: a cave north of Nasu Castle and the ruins of a mountaintop temple that sounds very much like the one Senichi stumbled upon the other day.
- During supper you conversed with the librarian and have learned that the monastery indeed holds a very impressive collection of historical scrolls and manuscripts of the local area.
- The murderous rascal Shota is currently relaxing in The Village with Hot Stones, and should be there for at least several more days.
登場人物
- Kenta, monk: TN10, Init +2, naginata 7k4 (DR 6k3) | Hnr 2;7, Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2
- Kunpu, (Scorpion) ronin: no armor (TN10), Init +2, katana 4k3 (DR 5k2) | Hnr 1;5, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2
- Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: TN10, Init +2, wakizashi 4k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;2, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2 | Spells: F3 - A2 - W3 - E2 (sniffles)
- Saburo (peasant retainer): 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, Init +1, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;7 - Gl 0;0 - Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 3/1
- Mirumoto Aiko, Dragon bushi: no armor (TN20/5), Init +3, daisho 7k4/6k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;7, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2 (crippled left arm)
- Yoshida Osaru, ronin: no armor (TN15), Init +3, katana 6k3/6k3 (DR 5k2) | Hnr 2;7 Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2
