Session 4: Seven Devils – Part 3
18th of the Serpent, 1172 IC, Southern Sweet Plum Province
Three days of travel across rolling plains, with the hot summer sun during the days and a cold indifferent moon in the nights. Hana was not used to all this traveling and exertion it may have helped if her company was better but between the ronin and the Seppun bushi, there was little good conversation to be had. The two unlikely friends did keep each other company which made Hana all the more pleased, since that meant they didn’t bother her all that much.
Nearing the end of the third day the trio of samurai saw Seven Devils coming into view, it was a large town, perhaps a small city of ramshackle buildings surrounded by rice fields with working peasants tending their crops under the watchful eye of armed men who gave the samurai indifferent glances. It reminded Hana of Ryoko Owari, the City of Lies, perhaps it was something in the air. The samurai passed through gates paying a small “tax” to the guards and entered Seven Devils proper.
This was a den of crime and iniquity, a dead body lie in the street the victim of some recent mugging or perhaps gang retaliation Hana could not tell, she had her own reasons for coming to this village and would stay focused on her goal. She glanced at her companions glad that they were nearby, they were uncouth and violent, but both were handy with a blade and if things got out of hand it would be needed.
Kohaku broke the silence, “So where do we start looking, and who are we looking for again?”
“Junko,” Nobutada answered, “I say we speak with the mayor, they would be well connected here.”
“What about the smuggler?” Kohaku replied while navigating his horse around the mass of peasants in the streets. For their part the peasants did their best to show some proper deference for the samurai.
“What about her she can’t be trusted, Gouda-sama said as much,” Nobutada retaliated.
Hana shivered at the mention of the man’s name his wretched face popping into her mind. She turned to her companions, “We should split up and speak with the mayor and this smuggler, either could know something about Junko.”
“I’m going to speak with the smuggler,” Kohaku shrugged.
“We can go to the mayor,” Nobutada asserted moving closer to Hana. Hana reluctantly agreed and turned her mount bidding Kohaku goodbye.
Kohaku smirked and after some rather scant questions of the locals he found the smuggler’s base of operations as it were an opium den that catered to gambling and prostitution. He dismounted and approached three men burst from the entrance carrying a fourth, they tossed the fourth man down the steps.
The obvious leader of the thugs shouted, “If you show your face around here Ko you won’t live too long to regret it. Pay what you owe, the mistress is losing her patience with you!”
Kohaku, never one to stand aside when the poor were in distress, strode defiantly to the peasant’s side, “Are you okay?”
“Those… those men they swindled me that gambling house cheated me of my winnings! How will I ever feed my wife and kids, I’m ruined! Someone should stand up to her,” the poor man sobbed.
“Don’t worry friend, you just get home to your wife and stay clear of these gambling halls, if I can help you I will,” Kohaku smiled.
“Bless you great samurai, bless you!”
“Just go on home this is no place for you,” Kohaku helped the stranger to his feet and sent him on his way.
The thugs stopped him at the door, their leader grunted, “Piss off samurai, paying customers only.”
“I have money,” Kohaku replied, “why did you toss that poor man out on his ass?”
“He ain’t paid his debts, the boss don’t like that, he better come up with the money or he will have worse then that,” the thug chuckled his cronies following suit.
Kohaku strode past the trio of thugs and took a look around the opium den. There were several tables set up for gambling and a second floor where the prostitutes lounged making cat calls at the patrons. He decided to grab a game of dice and relax until he figured out his next move, besides he could use a stiff drink.
[Kohaku has a weakness for alcohol, so he drinks any chance he can get. – GM’s note]
Meanwhile…
Hana and Nobutada had found themselves a guide, a rather destitute guide, but a guide nonetheless. He was a thin scraggly fellow in his twilight years with a stubbly chin he constantly stroked as he talked, he had the manner of a backwoods yokel and his stories all focused on his good friend Fo who was the smartest man he ever knew. Although not so smart to win at gambling, poor Fo had to sell his daughter into prostitution to pay his debts. But thankfully Fo was smart enough to have a second daughter just in case his gambling got himself into trouble again!
[The guide’s stories actually made Hana’s player cringe; he was a fun one off character to play. I did a fun yokel country voice for him and stroked my chin whenever I went into character for him. – GM’s note]
Hana was grateful to leave the guide’s presence and enter the mayor’s home which was quite opulent compared to most of the structures they had seen in the town. The mon of Otomo Amaya was emblazoned on a flag in front of the home.
Nobutada smiled, “An Otomo, our luck has changed then, I did not expect one of the imperial families in such a place. This has to be a good omen.”
The two samurai were quickly brought into the home and given refreshments by the servants while the lady of the house prepared herself for the unannounced guests. Hana took a seat in the garden, it was a pleasant place, serene even. A far cry from the chaos and iniquity just outside the mayor’s doors.
Finally the lady of the house made her appearance after some long minutes, she wore a fine silk kimono of green and black, her hair was worn in the traditional style if a little dated and her face had lines of age and worry on them, a practiced smile on her lips. Otomo Amaya greeted her guests, “Greetings I am Otomo Amaya, town mayor and magistrate. It is a pleasure to receive such young magnates of the Empire, what news do you bring?”
“I am Asahina Hana and this is my… yojimbo Seppun Nobutada-san. We are actually looking for someone, a woman by the name of Junko she fled the Phoenix territories and we believe she came here, we are retainers of Agasha Kosuke-dono, Daimyo of the Sweet Plum Province,” Hana presented their travel papers and chop proving the validity of the claim.
“How prestigious, well you are both welcome in my home I am afraid to say that I am not aware of such a woman but I will put every available resource at my disposal to the task of finding this woman. What has she done?” Amaya questioned with her practiced smile.
“We believe she may be a witch who practices dark magic,” Nobutada replied bluntly, “she is dangerous and our lord will have her answer for her crimes.”
“Ah well then such an individual must be found quickly, I will have my son and his men search the city for this criminal. Is there anything else you require?” Amaya said with a sweet tone. She placed her hands in her lap, “Will you need rooms for your stay, I would be more than happy to offer my home to such prestigious samurai.”
“I… we would like that yes, you are most kind,” Hana smiled.
“Think nothing of it, we so rarely get quality visitors, a Crane scion must be well connected with the Winter Courts, perhaps we can work out a favor for a favor? It has been an age since I have visited a Winter Court worthy of the name,” Amaya replied wistfully.
“I am sure we could work something out,” Hana offered, she was not as greatly connected as even she would have liked but it was a simple favor.
“Thank you, I knew just by looking at you that we would be fast friends,” Amaya bowed demurely.
Hana returned the bow, “We shall return soon I have some business in town to attend to. I thank you for all your help.”
“More business?” the mayor replied quizzically.
“A simple matter, we shall return later this evening, until then be well Otomo-sama,” Hana left Nobutada following her.
“So why didn’t we tell her about the smuggler?” Nobutada asked he got astride his horse.
“Just being prudent, we don’t fully understand this place and the wrong name in the wrong place could be disastrous,” Hana answered. She wrinkled her nose when she noticed their guide was waiting for them. With a sigh she asked to be taken to the smuggler’s base of operations and then prepared herself for more debauched stories of failed parenting.
Meanwhile…
Kohaku smiled pulling in his winnings. He was doing quite well for himself and felt that he had gorged himself on good drink long enough. He casually mentioned the name of the smuggler, Kasuga Ryoko to the other gamblers. The room went silent and all eyes were on him.
The polite thug leader approached the ronin, “Why you asking about the boss?”
“I got business with her,” Kohaku replied tersely.
“What kind of business?”
“For her ears only,” Kohaku threw his dice once more.
“Well then we shouldn’t keep the boss waiting, get up,” the thug leader grunted.
Kohaku gathered up his winnings and followed his escort upstairs past the prostitutes. He was instructed to wait while the thug made sure everything was fine. After a few short minutes he was roughly ushered inside a simple chamber where a woman stood over a bound peasant, her kimono was scandalously open, baring her tattooed flesh to the world, he even caught sight of her bountiful cleavage and slender legs.
“Who are you?” the woman commanded while two thugs beat on the bound peasant with bamboo.
“Kohaku, and I am…” he winced at the beating, “here for information. Why are you beating this man?”
“Don’t concern yourself with him, better for you ronin. As for your information I know plenty of things but I don’t give it away for free, so what is it you could do for me that would be worth my while?” Ryoko replied softly.
Kohaku kept looking at the wailing man, “Whatever he did, does not justify this torture.”
“He owes me money, he can’t pay an example must be made of him, this is Seven Devils. This is how things work here,” she gestured to the man. She knelt down by him, “He won’t suffer for long, soon he will die and be dumped in the river.”
“You are going to kill him?” Kohaku gasped.
“What, you disapprove?”
“I can’t stand by and watch an innocent man die,” Kohaku pleaded.
Ryoko laughed, “Innocent? This isn’t the Imperial City, there are no innocents here. But since you seem so concerned for this wretch’s life, then why don’t we gamble for it. If you win this man’s life will be spared and I will consider his debt paid; but if I win your life will be forfeit for his and you die in his place. No one can say that I’m not fair.”
Kohaku grinned, “Deal.”
Ryoko tossed dice at his feet, “Then roll.”
Kohaku gulped taking the dice in his hands. He prayed to the Fortunes to grant him luck and then let the dice fly. Each roll on the ground seemed like an eternity the sound of the dice hitting the floor like the shattering boom of thunder. It all happened so slowly, yet the dice finally settled… he had lost.
[Kohaku had to spend a Void point to make the Gaming roll and still lost to Ryoko who was a superior opponent; it was a fun scene. – GM’s note]
Kohaku gulped, “I lost let this man go and take my life instead.”
“You have a stupid kind of bravery, Kohaku. I won’t kill this man and I won’t take your life either, I will take his hand as a reminder that I am a merciful woman. I think that’s fair,” Ryoko ran her fingers along the wailing man’s back.
“Fine,” Kohaku replied somewhat relieved at the outcome.
Meanwhile…
Hana was glad to bid her guide goodbye and entered the opium den. It was a smoky place of sin and vice. Gambling, prostitution, and other vices for those with money enough to pay for the services. She spotted a woman who looked surprisingly like Otomo Amaya, though far younger sitting at a table with other young women and men enjoying a rather scandalous evening of sake and mind altering substances.
She approached the woman, who glanced up at the Crane shugenja and spoke first, “Oh bring me some more sake please.”
Hana furrowed her brow, “I am no hostess, I’m looking for Kasuga Ryoko-san, have you seen her?”
“Ryoko-sama,” the woman lazily shook her head, “no I can’t say that I have, but if you see her tell her I want some more stock… I smoked just about all the rest I got last time. I’m good for the money, can you do that little girl?” Her friends laughed at the petty joke.
Hana frowned, “I am not your errand girl.”
“Well then why are you bothering me then? Don’t you like know who I am? My mother runs this town and you’re starting to piss me off, so run along little girl. If you know what is like good for you, you’ll past that message on to Ryoko-sama,” she rolled her eyes dismissively taking a sip of sake.
Hana turned and thankfully got more help from one of the hugs milling about the bottom floor of the opium den. She noticed a mewling man being lead out with bandages around the stump of an arm he cradled close to his chest. She frowned once more and then followed the thug upstairs and into Ryoko’s office.
Kohaku breathed a sigh of relief to see his two companions and then got right down to business. Ryoko was willing to part with information she had on Junko but she had a favor the samurai would need to handle first before she parted with the information. Hana was wary but relented since this was the best lead they had gotten all evening. Ryoko just needed them to pay a visit to a business partner and ‘remind’ him that he had some outstanding debts that needed to be rectified. The trio agreed and went on their way.
The man in question was a dog-fighter trainer and ran a dog-fighting operation down by the docks. It was an easy enough place to find, the old warehouse that was being used as a makeshift arena was lit up with crude lanterns and had a large crowd gathered to watch the dog-fights. The sight sickened Hana as the animals battled for the amusement and greed of the onlookers. Nobutada stayed close to Hana while Kohaku did most of the ‘negotiations’. Hana took the time to remove some of the younger animals from their cages and even kept a few for herself while Kohaku reminded the dog-fight trainer why it would be a bad idea to stiff Ryoko-sama of her cut. He informed Kohaku that he wasn’t purposefully trying to hold out on her but that one of the local gangs the Devil Tiger’s was trying to put pressure on him for a cut as well. Kohaku grinned gave the man a solid punch to his nose for good measure and the samurai returned to Ryoko-sama.
Ryoko spoke up as the samurai were brought into her more opulent offices on the second floor, “So?”
“I reminded him that he should stay on your good side, he says that the Devil Tigers are putting pressure on him though,” Kohaku answered.
“We did our part,” Nobutada added.
“Devil Tigers just never know when to quit, but you are right you did your part. I know a little something about this Junko, heard that the Kuwata Family picked up a ronin shugenja a few weeks ago. The description you gave me seems to match up, so if you are looking for her, then you are going to deal with them. Good luck with that,” Ryoko smiled.
“What can you tell us about the Kuwata Family?” Hana asked.
“One of the big gangs here, they consider themselves the oldest gang, claim they are descended from some Phoenix families that were left behind here when this town got started as Far Rice Village. They stay out of my business I stay out of theirs it’s been a good working business relationship so far,” Ryoko replied leaning back on her pillows.
“We need to get in touch with the Kuwata Family then, maybe Otomo-sama can help us?” Nobutada blurted out.
“The old bag probably could, she has connections to all the gangs in town, sure she can do something for you. But if our business is concluded, I have other pressing matters to attend to,” Ryoko smirked as she relaxed on her pillows.
The trio of samurai bowed and returned to Otomo-sama’s residence. They had the mayor arrange a meeting with the Kuwata Family in the morning and then retired to nice beds after a warm meal with the mayor’s family including the petty girl from the opium den, the mayor’s daughter, Sora, and her son Osamu. Hana was glad to rest it had been a long day of traveling and dealing with some of the worst scum she had ever had the pleasure of crossing paths with. She was looking forward to leaving as quickly as she was able.