[OA/FR] Rokugan - Updated 12/13/03

[Black Omega]

Rokugan meets the Forgotten Realms, you know it had to happen. It took some squeezing, but I put Rokugan in NW Kara-tur. The Golden Way now connects Thesk and Rashemen to the lands of the Unicorn Clan in Rokugan. PC's are subtly encouraged to be Rokugani, using the classes from the OA book until the Rokugan d20 book is finally out. Forgotten Realms characters were also allowed for the L5R impaired.

Overview: The Emerald Empire of Rokugan stretches along the coast of Kara-tur and deep into the interior. 30 million subjects ruled by a Emperor of divine blood. By Imperial Edict, all contact with the outside world was prohibited, unless explicit permission was given otherwise. It's an ordery empire where the only conflict is order/honor v chaos/dishonor. And with the Shadowlands, a realm of evil and corruption where the taint reaches deep into the earth itself. Anyone dying in then Shadowlands rises as a zombie within a day. The living are subjected to the Taint, a corruption of the body and spirit that can only be prevented by carrying jade.

Starting Point:

The Year is 1157 Rokugan Time, 1372 Forgotten Realms Time. Emperor Toturi I rules in Otosan Uchi, capital of the Emerald Empire of Rokugan. His 31 year reign has seen unprecedented upheaval and conflict. Two years of Clan Wars preceeded it, leading to the death of the last Hantei Emperor and Toturi's rise to power. Then just two years later Toturi was kidnapped and the five year war to preserve Rokugan's past and soul raged, ending in the battle at Oblivions Gate. The Sun and Moon died and were reborn. Then the ten year Spirit War was kicked off by the reborn Hantei XVI in an attempt to return the Emerald Empire to the divine bloodline that had ruled it for 1,000 years. Finally defeated in a great battle that destroyed Beiden Pass, Hantei XVI gave in but managed to convince Emperor Totuti to have one of his son's given the Hantei name and brought up on Hantei XVI's estates. The empire has had seven years of peace, but it's only a lull before the next storm.

For nearly 300 years caravans traveling along the Golden Way have linked the Forgotten Realms with the Emerald Empire. At first merely a trickle, the trade has grown as the Unicorn were granted official permission to trade with the outside. The Golden Way begins in Telflamm in Thesk, winding through Rashemen and the Hordelands before ending in Bugaisha. Once a simple fort, Bugaisha is the only location in the Emerald Empire open to trade with barbarians and has grown into a merchant's town that bursts to life with each new caravan. The town is ruled by Shinjo Jyaku, an energetic samurai who has explored as far as Thay, Rashemen and Thesk and who is now entrusted with the key to the Unicorn?s fortune in the west.

To the south a small group makes it's way across the Heigen Yuki (Snow Plain), though in the hottest part of the summer there is no snow in evidence. The leader of the group is Hiruma Toshio, a young Crab Clan Samurai carrying a letter from his father ordering him to Bugaisha to serve under Shinjo Jyaku and help strengthen the present tenuous alliance between the two clans. Traveling with him is a friend simply called Sho, a former Crab Samurai whose lord and family were lost to the Shadowlands, leaving him a Ronin. Most curiously, a large monkey follows as well. A gentle and spiritual creature from a far off race called Vanara, he's often treated as a pet or curiosity. In truth he's a Shaman, repaying a debt to one of Toshiro's ancestors and following a vision that said his destiny lies far to the north.

To the west a caravan slowly creeps over to wastelands, unerringly drawn to Bugaisha. Like so many other caravans, it is filled with merchants drawn to the gold that gives the Golden Way it's name. But this caravan has something more. A woman named Mir has wandered far from her home in the High Forest, exploring to the limits of the Forgotten Realms and beyond, making her way as a bard and healer. She's a worshipper of Silvanus with silver hair, golden eyes and an aura of otherworldliness about her. Verick volunteered as a simple caravan guard for the trip but his appearance hints there is Rokugani blood in his past. He speaks Rokugani nearly like a native, but his chosen weapon is a double sword?a study in contrasts. Almost unnoticed, a moonelf named Volar has paid his way to accompany the caravan across the Hordelands. He?s traveled far from his home in Evermeet in the pursuit of knowledge and now his path takes him even farther, all the way to the Emerald Empire. And what's a delegation from the Red Wizards of Thay doing with the caravan? There's no Thayan Enclave in Bugaisha?.

 

[Black Omega]

Dear son,

I know you were looking forward to your tour on The Wall, but I?m afraid there is bad news. Disappointing I know, there is nothing like facing down thousands of Goblins at a time, there is even a new demon that can suck your brains out through your eyes. But duty comes first. You are being assigned to Unicorn lands. The alliance our Clan Champion, Hida O-Ushi-sama, started has to be built upon and this may even be a step in regaining our family's lost glories. You are being sent to serve under a Unicorn lord named Shinjo Jyaku. I don't usually have much use for Unicorns but the last time our clans battled I fought him twice. For a Unicorn he's strong and tough. Of course, I still nearly killed him both times. Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to turn into some dung-eating Crane, I know you are not a diplomat. Just be yourself and you'll do fine. Be strong and don?'t take any **** if they don't respect you. Shinjo Jyaku knows what Crab samurai are like, he'll expect no less. And remember, you are Hiruma. We've lost our lands and our castle but not our honor. Make me proud.

Hiruma Tetsuo

And so it begins.

Hiruma Toshiro's destiny was contained in that letter, not to fight on the wall but instead a long journey to the lands of the Unicorn. Toshiro was accompanied by his friend Sho, a former Crab Samurai who's lord and family had fallen to the Shadowlands, leaving him a ronin. Along the way they stopped by the Temple to Osano-wo to pray for success. A whim sidetracked them briefly, venturing into Shinomen Forest in search of the reclusive Reihaido Shinsei. They didn't find the Crow Temple of Shinsei but they did encounter a curious creature, a large monkey with blue-grey fur and leather scale armor. And the monkey talked(!) identifying himself as Mindra, a Shaman of the Vanara send by the spirits to work off a debt to Toshiro's ancestor by helping Toshiro. United by fate, the three began the long trip to Bugaisha.

By the time Hiruma Toshiro's group was approaching Bugaisha it was the month of the Monkey, the heat of summer having melted away the snow that gave the Heigen Yuki it's name. At the same time a caravan was approaching from the other side, completing the six month trip that stretches from one end of the Golden Way to the other. Representatives of two merchant houses, a number of independent merchants, the mysterious and reclusive Red Wizard delegation and assorted guards as well as a few adventurers new to this trip. At the final stop before Bugaisha Malacon the Axe, caravan security chief and man of appropriately suspicious demeanor, assembled those new to Rokugan for a pointed chat, letting them know a lot of gold was involved in this trade and there would be little patience for some newbie screwing things up. The roko warriors were a touchy sort, very concerned with honor and easily offended. The boss of the town was Shinjo Jyaku, a member of the Unicorn. At a question from Volar, a highly curious moonelf, he clarified that Unicorn was just one of the clans of the Empire, there was no real unicorns. The unicorn was their symbol. The group was informed the native warriors were easy to identify, they wear two swords and dress in purple with unicorn symbols. Quite a few of them speak common, so don't think you can make smartass comments without them understanding! Roko clerics worship spirits, and a pretty lenient about clerics practicing their religion, but anyone who stirs up trouble and tries to mess around with local politics is dealt with swiftly and it's not pretty. We have an area for ourselves where the merchants set up. For those of you without a place to stay, there is a proper inn, called the Dancing Ferret, with proper food and drink, not the rice and noodles you'll find in the rest of the city.

The caravan entered the barbarian area slowly, purple and white clad Unicorn Samurai checking in each person by having them sign in and leave a thumbprint by their name. The merchants area was guarded by a wooden barricade and the buildings were familiar, Thesk and Rashemen styled. While the merchants migrated to their own areas..even the Red Wizard delegation already having a house ready for them, others made their way to the Dancing Ferret, a classic Faerun inn. Perhaps a little overpriced, but where else is there to stay? Far away from home, Volar fell in with Mir, a bard and cleric with an aura of otherworldly beauty, and Verick, a young man with the features of a rokugani and some knowledge of their language. Setting off to explore, they found posters promising 'Gold! Adventure! Fight Bandits! See Echigoya, Plum Blossom Merchant House.' After a brief discussion their path took them toward the merchant house.

From the south, Toshiro and friends entered Bugaisha proper, a walled town of filled with buildings made from wood and paper. Guards at the gate checked Toshiro's papers and directed him to the citadel, formerly the small for Bugaisha was built around. Waiting on the audience with Lord Shinjo Jyaku, the three met a shriveled old man with a halo of white hair over an otherwise bald pate. His name was Echigoya, head merchant of the Plum Blossom merchant house, a man with an eye out for warriors. There was some polite conversation and a mild misunderstanding that had resulted in Echigoya offering to buy the talking monkey, Mindra, as a pet. An offer that earned a harsh glare from Hiruma Toshiro and many apologies from the merchant. Finding the Samurai had arrived to serve Lord Jyaku, the merchant humbly requested the three to stop by his merchant house later, he had a way they could serve. Before there was time to follow up on the mysterious offer, Toshiro was summoned into the main chamber.

Waiting on him sat Shinjo Jyaku, Lord of the Snow Plains and Bugaisha, honorable Samurai of a dishonored house. Burly, middle-aged and with a hint of barely restrained energy about him, Jyaku-sama got right to the point, welcoming Toshiro into his service, enquiring after his father, letting him know his duties as a Unicorn Samurai. To serve him..to protect the peasant..and to learn how to ride, damn it! About the only way to keep most Crab Samurai on a horse is with rope. Toshiro was given a small house of his own, and at his father's request, Jyaku-sama was assigning him a maid with substantial experience. If Toshiro was disappointed to find that the main would be old and wrinkled instead of young and pretty, he gave no sign, as was appropriate. Toshiro was given a week to settle in, then required to show up for training in horsemanship.

After being dismissed, Toshiro, Sho and Mindra first visited his new home, a wooden and paper house at the edge of town. The maid was a sprightly old woman at that hard to define place between 70 and ancient. But the house was obviously well kept and Mindra the monkey even managed to laugh when offered a swinging bar for his room. After briefly looking around, the three continued on to see the merchant Echigoya.

[DM Note: Mindra being treated as a pet has become something of a running joke. Someone in the group has joked that if they can get the bard to do the music and convince Mindra to dance and tip his hat to people who offer money, they'll have a good racket going.]

At the appointed time, three hours past noon, the six converged on the Plum Blossom Merchant House. After bringing them into a sitting room and politely serving tea, Echigoya finally got around to the business at hand. Bandits. Echigoya runs a gold mine, a large part of which goes to Lord Shinjo Jyaku. And bandits have been attacking every third or fourth shipment. Jyaku-sama has been very patient about it so far. Patrols have been sent to the area and he's even told Echigoya not to trouble himself over it. But the wizened old man didn't want to wait until it became a problem, so he was taking action now. Speaking in a mix of Rokugani and common for the two sides, he asked them to go with this next gold shipment, to guard it from the bandits he was sure would strike. Especially since word had leaked out this shipment of gold would be especially large. The six agreed, with Volar taking out an advance on their payment for the job by buying kimono's, Mir also getting a healing kit while Volar purchased some sleeping fire, a local alchemical item. Wary of speaking to long to Volar in common to avoid offending the samurai, who obviously didn't understand the conversation passing by him, Echigoya put off until later explaining about how travel papers work for the empire and other minor questions.

The group started off the next morning, following a guide provided by Echigoya, traveling north along a path that lead from the Snow Plains to rugged foothills. The two days there were uneventful, the loading of the mules with gold equally tedious and unexciting. Volar talked with the guide a little, discovering a few little tidbits Echigoya had evidently forgotten. Guards had been hired previously, ronin. The bandits were led by a ronin who had killed the guards. The other bandits had not actually done anything but look mean. A little bemused the guide and others guiding the mules had never resisted, Volar saw to it that this information was alos passed along to the Samurai. A brief discussion over who was in charge inevitably resulted in Hiruma Toshiro taking charge in rather blunt fashion. Well..at least is sounded blunt once Verick had 'translated' for Mir and Volar.

[DM Note: Currently only Mindra and Verick speak both Rokugani and Common so they do all the translating. sometimes the players just say 'We're translating.' Now and then though, they say 'And this is what I translate it as...' Various people are already getting suspicious the translations are not always faithful. ]

The trip back south through the rugged foothills went smoothly for the most part, until late in the day. As they approached a bend in the trail they heard movement on either side. Then a ronin flanked by three spearmen stepped into the path ahead, blocking their way. All the men had their faces blackened by soot and were dressed in ashigaru armor, simple breastplates with arms and leg armor strapped on. The Ronin?s challenge was blunt and to the point. Step away and let us take the gold and no one gets hurt. The Crab Samurai's answer was just as to the point, an arrow fired at one of the spearmen as he charged. As he charged, the Ronin called out orders then snarled to Toshiro, asking what name he should put under the Samurai's head after he chopped it off and stuck it on a spike by the road. The Crab remained silent. The battle joined, an archer appeared on either side of the group, firing from rocky outcroppings up higher. The Crab and Ronin clashed, the Ronin drawing first blood with a fearsome overhead strike that slashed into Toshiro's shoulder. The crab stoicly ignored the bandit's stinging insults and and attacked back, drawing blood with a swift slash to the chest to even it up. The three spearmen charged Sho, who drew his two swords and counterattacked. A spear wounded him in the arm but he quickly began to hack through the bandits.

While Mir, Mindra and Volar exchanged arrow fire with the other ambushing bandits, Verick charged up the rocky incline, taking two arrows before closing the range and hacking down one archer. The other archer scored hits on Mindra before taking an arrow to the shoulder that wounded him badly. Then he disappeared after one last shot. The three spearmen cut down, Sho watched as Toshiro and the Ronin matched each other evenly, stroke for stroke, both covered in blood. The battle ended when Verik charged down to help..trying to jump down from the outcropping, but his armor caught on a rocky edge and Verick slide face first down the slope to the Ronin's feet. Undaunted, he leaped up, proclaiming himself Akodo Verick of the Lion and attacked. The Ronin snarled, lashing out with a furious strike that cut a deep gash in Verick's arm, while Toshiro angled in from the side, launching a powerful cut that took the Ronin's head off.

The battle finished, Mindra and Mir put their healing spells to use curing those wounded. One bandit was found to be merely dying, not dead yet, so he was healed as well and tied up. The Samurai and Sho conferred, leaving the barbarians to search the bodies.

[DM Note: This was the first d20 DnD battle I'd run and it was about as close as I expected. Not very. But I was trying to err on the side of caution. Even then my bandits and one Ronin scored the first three hits including a crit threat and it looked close for a couple of rounds. But in the end the group won pretty handily. Don't worry, we'll see PC's hit negative hp's soon enough... ]

 

[Black Omega]

Next installment posted later today but first..

Cast of Characters

Akodo Verick - 3nd Lvl Fight/1st Lvl Rogue, N, Human
Hiruma Toshiro - 4th Lvl Samurai, LN, Human
Mindra - 4th Lvl Shaman, CN, Vanara
Mir - 2nd Lvl Bard/1st Lvl Cleric of Silvanus, N, Aasimar
Sho - 4th Lvl Fighter, CN, Human
Volar - 4th Lvl Wizard, N, Moonelf

 

[Black Omega]

Dead of night

The 24th Day of the Month of the Monkey

As Mindra and Mir did their thing, healing those wounded, Volar searched the bodies. The peasant bandit's revealed nothing of interest, but the ronin's body had a string of 100 gold coins around his neck, a katana that had been maintained flawlessly, and which after some examination was revealed to belong to someone in the Unicorn Clan. Most curiously, writing on a sheet of rice paper was found. Verick translated it as:

A gold avalanche
So beautiful rushing down
Then only darkness

A little puzzled over that, the group next awakened the lone captured bandit. He awakened with a frightened "Don't hurt me, I didn't mean it, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" The group managed to calm him enough to find out he was from a local village. He finally admitted to being a former bandit serving a notorious bandit chief named Rodrigo, a hulking, massively ugly man. But five years ago he'd given up banditry and tried to settle down. Then recently this ronin had appeared, knowing about his past and blackmailing him into helping with the gold robberies. Given the choice of either he and his family dying if his past came out, or joining in and hoping things worked out and he didn't get caught, he took the easy way out. His many protests that he had no choice, he never wanted to do it and the most frequent "It's not my fault!" fell on deaf ears, particularly when he could not tell the group what became of the gold, only that the ronin paid the bandits in silver coin. At this point the group just left the pathetic fellow tied up while debating if the haiku was perhaps a clue to where the gold was stashed.

The 25th day of the Month of the Monkey

That evening the group camped out, setting watches while their guide and a helper saw to the horses and mules. The third watch early in the morning belonged to Verick and Volar. Before the first glow of dawn appeared over the horizon another glow was seen, angry red and flickering. Not long after Verick spotted a figure approaching the camp. As Volar quietly woke the others, Verick got his sword ready, preparing for an attack. Instead, into the camp leapt a peasant in armor! Well, not very good armor. And he was unarmed, a blood rag binding a nasty wound in his shoulder and a few streaks of soot still darkening his face. Urgently he introduced himself as Nezu and asked the group for help. Zombies were attacking a nearby village and the Unicorn patrol there. Zombies! So he'd come to the only other samurai he knew was near by to find help.

The group was suspicious of this, suspecting some sort of ruse to lure them away from the gold. But they got everything together and started off toward the glow at the best pace the pack mule could set, not too fast. By the time they crested the hill and looked down over the village any fighting was over. In the flickering light of one burning building they could see zombies deeper in the village and a ring of zombies and skeletons around a figure in a dark robe kneeling over a bound girl. All the zombies had white ceramic masks covering their faces. The skeletons as well, their masks marked with a blood red symbol of the Void over the forehead, their eyes flickering with a cold fire.

Hiruma Toshiro started the attack with an arrow that struck the kneeling figure in the robes. He whirls and gestured, cutting his own hand and flicking blood toward the group, a dark red mist rising about them, making their eyes heavy...but all of them fought off the effects, Volar simply being amused someone tried a sleep spell on him. Mindra and Mir both summoned up power from the spirits and Silvanus respectively, a wave of positive energy from the two turning all the zombies and one of the skeletons.

[DM Note: Bit of a surprise, this. The only group we'd had in the past that fought many undead didn't have a cleric. Hadn't really taken into account how effective turning would be when someone rolled high.]

As the fighters charged him, Sho actually reaching him, the bloodspeaker cut his hand again, a wall of polluted water springing up around him, hurling the ronin back away where the skeleton chopped at him, then a screaming blob of energy shaped like a skull engulfed him, turning his bones to ice as it stole away his strength.

[DM Note: Criticals on Ray of Enfeeblement are fun. The spell did -8 strength in one shot. Poor guy could barely stand in that heavy armor.]

A wail was heard from inside the skeleton's mask, zombies from deeper in the village summoned. Then it chopped at the ronin again, using its katana with some skill, Volar and Mir both agreeing this was a very unusual skeleton. But then another blast of positive energy turned it and the remaining zombies as well, leaving the shugenja by himself to face the group. As the last skeleton fled the robed figure cried out "Mistress, don't forsake me! I can still win this!" His eyes turning to the group, a sleep spell bubbling out to fell both Toshiro and Sho before he warned "That is but the slightest taste of my power...do not follow lest you suffer far worse." Then he fled, the wall of water falling. An obscuring mist slowed pursuit but Verick kept in close on him, nearly killing him with a savage slice of his double sword before a Fear spell sent him fleeing. Mindra had awakened Toshiro and Sho, but it was no use. As fast as they caught up to the robed figure, which had paused to heal himself, another sleep spell fell put them back out. Luckily for the group, Volar was immune to the spell and as the robed figure fled an elven arrow found it's target, catching the man in a critical spot, leaving him unconscious and bleeding to death. Some koku, a magic amulet, and a vial that showed as magic were quickly looted from his corpse by the moonelf.

[DM Note: The chase went on much longer than expected, at the rate it was going we were joking as they went they were passing slow moving zombies still fleeing from that turning.]

Mindra and Mir had stayed behind to untie the girl; Mindra cleaning some marks off her face, some sort of nasty looking black salve mixed with blood and forming symbols. A little to their surprise, the girl didn't scream or panic when she woke up, instead she was very focused. She identified herself as Utako Shiko, asked what had happened, and let the two know she had been part of a patrol with four other samurai, all of whom were now missing. The attack by the zombies and a mist rising around the samurai were her final memories of that battle. Samurai evidently have problems with sleep spells.

Recovering from the Fear effect, Verick found himself back where the party had started, the mules, guide and the dirty peasant in armor there, the bandit lying on the ground, his throat slit. As the peasant explained, "He was trying to escape...besides, he was just a bandit." Indeed, the rope binding the bandit's wrists had been coming undone, so perhaps it was true. Verick was suspicious though, and did his best to make Toshiro suspicious as well, suggesting the samurai should just kill the peasant for taking away his prisoner like that. The peasant protested that it was just killing a bandit but quickly moved on to groveling, apologizing to the Samurai for killing his prisoner, apologizing for not knowing the samurai wanted him alive, apologizing for simply being a pointless peasant while the Samurai was a lord of great skill and compassion. Where explanations had failed, groveling worked fine and Toshiro just warned him to keep close with the group.

With Nezu whipped into line and Mindra having restored Sho's strength, the group split up. While Mindra, Mir and Volar stayed in the village helping out, Hiruma Toshiro, Utako Shiko, Sho and Verick went out trying to track down the missing samurai and find where all the zombies went. It was slow with no real tracker in the group, but eventually they found their way to a cave. Chatting as they traveled along, Verick revealed to Shiko he was really Akodo Verick, returning to claim a place in the family, but they didn't know it yet. Shiko laughed and admitted she'd love to see how that worked out. Verick was a little puzzled over that, but didn't have time to ask more since Toshiro had decided to check out the cave. A simple trap at the entrance, a bamboo gate that apparently would swing down to trap people inside, was dealt with, then the four crept deeper into the cave. The stonewalls widened as they went deeper...and suddenly the light of Verick's lantern revealed faces...white faces frozen in the ceramic masks...and then the zombies attacked. Showing great stubbornness but no tactics whatsoever, the four fighters met the charge head on, Toshiro taking the point as the wave of zombies hit. As fast as one zombie was cut down, another took it's place as the four held their ground, hacking at anything that moved.

Slowly they started to wear down...a zombie ripping into Toshiro's armor before being cut in half. Another of the evil creatures hammered Verick with a crude club. Both Shiko and Sho bitten and bloodied. And still more zombies came. Finally, just as the wave of zombies seemed to break, no more seen deeper in the cave, Toshiro fell, a savage blow from a zombie drawing a shower of blood before he hit the ground with a thump. Seconds later, Verick took a slash from a curved dagger, stumbling in the blood covering the floor of the cave before another blow laid him low as well. Both Shiko and Sho had come through the battle wounded but not badly so and they managed to finish off the zombies before the undead could kill their fallen comrades. Inspired, Sho managed to use his meager healing skills to stabilize Toshiro while Shiko did the same for Verick. (Rolls were 20 and 18; they needed it).

An inspection of the cave revealed a spot where rituals had been performed, the area stinking with old blood. But no sign of the lost samurai, the skeletons or whoever set the trap. Sho suggested one of them stay behind while the other rides for help from the group left behind in town, an idea Shiko refused emphatically. Finally they started back, Verick and Toshiro carefully tied onto their horses. Luckily, whoever had been there had fled and they made it back safely. Though the four were so wounded the group had to spend an extra day in the village so they could heal fully. Then they started back, Toshiro ordering Nezu to stay behind at the village and guard it, a task the peasant was more than happy to accept.

The 28th day of the Month of the Monkey

The trip back to town was uneventful, Verick presenting the heads of the bandits and ronin for Echigoya when they reached the Plum Blossom Merchant House. The barbarians were paid quickly, the merchant in quite a hurry. Caravans were setting out from Bugaisha for the east in quite a rush. Word had come from the land of the Dragons of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, driving large numbers of that clan from their ancestral mountains.

 

[Black Omega]

The 1st Day of the Month of the Monkey

Hiruma Toshiro reported in to his Lord, Shinjo Jyaku, relating the story of their fight with the bandits and with the undead;tactfully omitting that he had twice succumbed to the Bloodspeaker's sleep spells. Stoically, the Lord of the Heigen Yuki nodded and listened to the young samurai's report. He even complimented Toshiro on how bravely he had fought. Then the other sandal fell.


"Toshiro, it was foolish to go off after those zombies as you did! It's not a question of bravery; no one can doubt your courage. But your duty extends to letting me know there are maho-tsukai in this area. The Bloodspeakers are a danger to the entire empire. If you and the others with you had fallen in that cave, would anyone have known where you were? What happened? You left three barbarians back at the village who have no idea what a Bloodspeaker is. Your bravery is commendable, but a Samurai must know when to put duty before glory. You will report in the morning for training. You serve the Unicorn now, I expect you to ride like one!"


Mir, Volar, and Verick were left with the items recovered from the body of the Bloodspeaker. A vial of a thick black stuff like had been used in the ritual one Utaku Shiko, and an amulet of some black stone that showed up as magical. At first they debated going to one of the Red Wizards in town, even contacting one of the low ranking peon wizards with the group. He was willing to identify the items, but for 200 gp for each. The price was not to their liking, so the three went to the Temple of the Seven Fortunes instead. After telling the story of where they got the items, they were quickly let inside to a side room, waiting but a few minutes before an older Shugenja entered, two burly shaven headed monks waiting by the door in case there was trouble. The Shugenja introduced himself as Iuchi Kazuyuki. He scanned the two items, revealing they were tainted. He also informed the three that they were not tainted, having conveniently forgotten to let them know they were subjects of the scan as well. Looking somber, the Shugenja answered questions about the taint from Volar, revealing it to be a form of corruption of the spirit that manifests in the body as well. A manifestation of the Shadowlands that can be spread beyond by things like the vial combined with certain blood rituals. The amulet turned out to be a way of controlling the undead for someone who could not normally do it. Mir, Verick and Volar were politely thanked for bringing these items to the Temple, so they could be destroyed. Volar wondered aloud about getting the items back, but dropped the issue after Kazuyuki commented that possession of such items was punishable by death. Mir asked about getting help with the local language and customs, while Volar questioned about learning how the local healing salves were made. This the Shugenja was more than happy to assist with.


The 2nd Day of the Month of the Monkey


The heads of the bandits turned up around town, posted prominently for display with the names of the miscreants underneath. The 'ronin' was revealed to have been Shinjo Nobuhiko, a local, minor samurai.


Mindra the Vanara found himself back home in his native jungle, somehow turned dark and disturbing in his absence. The spirits that had guided him since his childhood swirled around him, twisted into dark reflections of their former selves. In the darkness before him loomed a familiar face, his own but framed in a ghostly white...the masks he had seen on the zombies. Chill and unpleasant, Mindra's spirits closed in around him, freezing him in place as the mask floated nearer. His blood turning to ice as he struggled, held helpless as the mask drew nearer. Almost to his face, blocking his vision, then with a piercing monkey shriek he found himself awake, in the guest room Toshiro had set aside for him. Where his fingers had touched the tainted black goo on Utaku Shiko's face, there was a black stain, a burning ache that only slowly faded as the light of dawn peeked into the room.


The monkey's scream went unheard, Hiruma Toshiro already gone to start his training. At the training grounds, Lord Shinjo Jyaku brought out a sturdy warhorse, personally selected by him for the young Crab Samurai. Then Lord Jyaku presented Toshiro's riding teacher, a young woman named Shinjo O-Hisa. Clad in leathers and a horsehair-plumed helmet, she had a touch of the barbarian look Toshiro seemed to like. This appreciation only heightened when Toshiro learned the girl had fostered with the Crab Clan. Lord Jyaku's amused smile during the introductions suggested there was more left unsaid. And in minutes Toshiro found out just how harsh a taskmistress the young woman was, falls from his horse bruising his body and ego. And O-Hisa politely asking each time "Are you finished yet? Are you hurt? I can send you home to a healer." In true Samurai fashion, Toshiro endured.


Mir's lessons in Rokugani began well, her bardic talents a great aid in picking up yet another language quickly. On the way back to the Dancing Ferret Inn, a cheerful young woman approached Mir. Clad in white and lavender kimonos, her long dark brown hair set in long braids. The girl introduced herself as Iuchi Yoenki and started asking questions about the battle where Mir used her divine power to turn the zombies. Intensely curious, then girl soon turned the questions to the God Mir worshipped, to how such things were done where Mir was from. It didn't take long for Mir to get into a little trouble:


Yoenki: So, what do you mean by Evil?


Mir: Well, it's if someone kills just for the joy of killing or steals from people.


Yoenki: And your God is against this?


Mir: Silvanus balances between Good and Evil. So sometimes I lean more toward Good and sometimes toward Evil.


Yoenki (slightly puzzled): Oh, so sometimes you kill for the pure joy of it and sometimes you don't?


Mir: Umm...


Even so, the chat went well and Mir agreed to help Yoenki do an experiment on how her powers work and if there was some way it could be used on a broader scale. The exact details were left unsaid, but Yoenki left even more cheerful than before, practically skipping.


Troubled by the nightmare and throbbing in his fingers, Mindra went to the Temple of the Seven Fortunes. He walked up to the monk standing watch over the gate to ask for help:


Mindra: Hello, I have a problem. I could use some help.


Monk (looking over a large talking monkey): Yes, I can see the problem. I think we can help. May I ask your name?


Mindra: Mindra.


Monk: That's an unusual name, are you a Moto? They often have foreign sounding names...


Mindra: What? No..no...Argh! Oook! Oook! Aaawwk! I'm supposed to look like this!


After it was worked out that Mindra's problem wasn't that he looked like a large monkey, he was allowed inside to see Iuchi Kazuyuki. Luckily, Mindra wasn't truly tainted, that would have required a ritual. But he was slightly touched by the taint, a condition the Shugenja could fix through a lengthy ritual.


[DM Comment: This was a lot of fun. I've been trying to find ways to keep working in how weird a talking monkey is to this area and the look on the player's face a few minutes into the conversation when he realized that the monk was assuming his problem was that he was a talking ape was well worth it.J]


A couple of days pass, Volar studying herbalism. Mir performing at the Inn in exchange for room and board and while studying Rokugani. Sho hanging out with the other ronin in town and practicing his skills. Verick asking around about the Akodo and the Lion clan, gathering information. Mindra being cured of the taint. And Toshiro being put through hell by his charming teacher, Shinjo O-Hisa.


The 4th day of the Month of the Monkey


While relaxing back at the Dancing Ferret, where he, Mir and Volar were all staying; a tall beautiful blond woman in tight black leather approached Verick. She didn't bother to introduce herself, but knew who Verick was well enough. The woman had an offer, a foreign merchant was trying to do an end run around the Unicorn Clan merchants and make a trading deal with someone deeper in the Empire. By Imperial Decree gaijin merchants were restricted to Bugaisha and were required to do all trading with Unicorn Clan merchants. Her own interest was more personal, the merchant had taken something from her, she wanted it back. But she needed help dealing with the ronin the merchant was employing as guards. And travel papers are required for travel beyond Bugaisha, something the Samurai Verick had worked with could get, since he'd be serving his lord by enforcing the law. And everyone else could have whatever gold the merchant had as well as whatever goods he was taking to show the person he was meeting with. Verick agreed to take the deal to his friends and the woman said she'd be back around later to meet with him again.


Verick got together with Volar and Mir and passed the details along, as well as realizing he didn't have a name for the woman or the identity of the merchant. Volar was all for the deal, it gave him a chance to travel freely beyond Bugaisha and explore the Empire a little more. Mir was a little reluctant to cut off her lessons so fast, but more than willing to do some traveling as well. Verick was the one not sure he wanted to go along with it, the 16 year old very serious for his age, something the others have started teasing him about. Akodo Verick talked little about his travels here to perhaps return to the Lion Clan, Volar mentioned he's from Evermeet, Mir revealing she's from the High Forest. Her casual comment that she had once dated a centaur seemed to truly boggle poor Verick's mind as he tried to figure out just how that could work physically, much to Mir's annoyance. Finally they agreed to take the deal to Mindra and see if he thought it was worth taking to Toshiro.


[DM Comment: Akodo Verick started CN, an alignment his player normally favors. The Emerald Empire's been a bad influence though and he's steadily drifting toward N and maybe LN at some point. The 'dating a centaur' comment threatens to become a running joke as Verick kept bringing it up later on.]


The three were shown into the sitting room by the ancient lady that looked over Toshiro's home and the three put the deal to Mindra (at this point Verick and Mindra are still the only characters speaking both Common and Rokugani), though they were soon joined by Sho and finally, achingly, Toshiro joined them as well. Toshiro was more than enthusiastic about stomping out this attempt to bypass imperial law, as well as getting a few days away from O-Hisa to recover. Details were worked out for traveling, Hiruma Toshiro got permission from Lord Jyaku to take the trip and traveling papers that would see him to the edge of Unicorn lands. At the later meeting with the tall blond in leather, the group agreed and she introduced herself as Leila and identified the merchant they were seeking as Malthorn, a trader from Thesk. Leila knew what direction the merchant was going in and about how far ahead he was, but the scrying she can arranged could not give any more details than that, she suspects something must be interfering. She wasn't sure who Malthorn was planning to meet but figured it must be a Crane of Scorpion representative.


The 5th Day of the Month of the Monkey


Making arrangements for the whole group to get horses this time, they set off on the trail of Malthorn, Verick taking the rearguard, now and then heard muttering to himself "Centaurs! But..I mean..it just wouldn't..Centaurs!"



A brisk days ride brought them to the village of Mimura and a brief chat with the guards at the gates revealed that while no gaijin merchants had come through, two merchant's had come through with ronin guards and just one wagon, the group suspecting he was somehow disguised.


Checking in for the night, the group stayed at the Blessings of the New Year Inn, a very clean, prosperous establishment decorated with a strong, slightly creepy, spider theme. While enjoying their tea and the evening meal, a young lady named Furiko provided entertainment by playing a Biwa, a short necked lute. In true bard fashion, Mir struck up a conversation with her to try out her slight knowledge of Rokugani and they discussed music, with Mir showing a little of her own musical talents. The girl revealed she was what was called a Geisha and began politely asking Mir about her own training, at which point Volar leaned over to comment to Mir "I think she thinks you are a geisha also." Verick chimed in once again with "Well, she's admitted she's dated a centaur." Once it was made clear what a centaur was, Furiko was rather bemused by this, mock whispering to Mir "He almost sounds jealous, does Verick really like you?" Something quickly denied by both Verick and Mir.


Then monks entered the inn, the first monk so massive he had to not only lean down but also turn sideways to get inside. The other monks accompanying him had a disreputable look more associated with bandits then religious men. The massive man invoked Shinsei's blessings, then grabbed the innkeeper and slapped him up against the wall a couple of times before tossing him along the counter, leaving the poor man crumpled up unconscious. When the group stood to save the old man, the massive monk growled over "Shinsei once said nothing was ever accomplished by violence or meddling. I'm simply following the Tao of the Fist. Stay out of my way." Then he grabbed one of the shelves holding sake bottles and violently ripped it away from the wall, sending it crashing down. Toshiro, Sho and Verick all unsheathed their swords and the brawl began. While Sho and Verick faced off with the six disreputable monks, Toshiro went after the huge monk, who simply cast his staff aside and tackled the Crab Samurai to the ground, pinning him before palming Toshiro's face with one massive hand and starting to bounce his head off the floor, introducing him to the Tao of the Fist.. While Mir's bardic song bolstered the group, Volar chanted, casting forth a cloud that sent several of the 'monks' into a deep sleep. The elf then invoked a wave of dazzling colors that blinded both Toshiro and the huge monk he was fighting. One of the 'monks' escaped in the confusion, but the others were captured and once it was clear he was alone, even the huge monk gave in, sitting back, crossing his arms and growling "Shinsei said there is no shame seeking peace over violence."


[DM Note: Toshiro's player has such bad luck with dice sometimes. He bought a new set just for this character and even so he's kept rolling badly. This last fight he had a +6 to counter the monk's grapple check of +7, yet he still somehow managed to lose each roll off. ]


Volar produces manacles from his backpack to help make sure the huge monk is kept securely bound and all those captured were turned over to the local authorities. Later that night, Toshiro is awakened from the sort of sleep only a half bottle of Plum Brandy can provide, several sharp kicks to the ribs necessary to awaken him. Bleary he looks up into the dim light, only to see four figures dressed in dark colors. One is holding his swords! Another figure, holding a wooden sword, growls "On your feet, dog! Face your death like a Samurai!"

 

[Black Omega]

Slowly, Toshiro rose, the fuzzy headed feeling still making it hard to think. As three of the figures stepped back, the other lifted a wooden practice sword, a bokken. 'Remember that samurai you killed? Now it's your turn to face a dishonorable end. Beaten to death by a club, no one will ever know who or why, just an unknown thief leaving a Crab samurai dead.'

The alcohol daze helped dull the pain as the first strike hammered into Toshiro's ribs but his reaction to the second strike was a little too slow, the disarm attempt foiled as the bokken slammed into his shoulder. A couple of sharp strikes were taken on his arms before another struck the side of his head, leaving him seeing stars for a moment.

'Come on, Toshiro, I thought Crab were tough!' The masked figure lashed out with the bokken but Toshiro ducked low, his arms wrapping around the the masked figure, his momentum crashing both of them through the wall into the next door room. Sho's room. Both the masked figure and Toshiro wavered a moment, fumes almost overcoming both with an urge to sleep. As the fumes leaked from the room, the noise awakened Sho, his eyes opening to see the two men locked together, struggling.

At the same time, Volar and Mindra yanked open the door to Toshiro's room, coming face to face with the three masked men inside. A fast sleep spell left one man crumbling to the ground in a doze. The other two charged and the spell casting monkey and elf found themselves in melee with the two sword wielding masked men.

Sho grabbed his two swords and engaged the warrior with the wooden sword as Toshiro rolled away, picking up the katana dropped by the sleeping figure. A wave of color rolled from Volar's fingertips as he backed off, Mindra engaging with his quarterstaff as the two men were blinded and stunned. Twin swords lashing out, Sho scored hit after hit on the masked man, the wooden sword no match for his steel. Then Toshiro joined the battle against the other two, helping Mindra and Volar to finish the other two.

Exploring the strangely quiet Inn, they found that everyone else in the building was asleep as well, sleep traps spreading their fumes into the various rooms of the Inn. Volar related that earlier he had just been coming out of his trance for the night when he smelled something unusual. A sickly sweet scent. Curious, he asked a maid into his room and watched as she wavered and collapsed into sleep. From there he had awakened Mindra and then the two went to find Toshiro when they heard the crash in his room. One the sleep traps, small pots heated by a small flame, were removed, it became easy to awaken every. Well, almost everyone. Mir, Verick, and a couple of servants could not be awakened. [DM Note: the players were not present this week.]

Once again, the local Yoriki was summoned once again, this time so the bodies could be turned over. While Toshiro had suspected ninjas, the Yoriki was able to ID the men as local thugs who were known to hang out in one of the seedier bars in town, the Silver Okasan. The Yoriki also commented to Toshiro that there had been rumors that he was associated with bandits. That his fight with the samurai leading them had simply been a take over bid on his part, and perhaps this attack was simply part of that power struggle. Toshiro denied all this, of course. And the Yoriki did not push, but the suspicion obviously remained.


As the group was finishing breakfast, a messenger delivering a note from a Yasuki Kome approached them. The message invited Toshiro and his friends to tea and explains he had information he thought Toshiro might need.

Yasuki Kome turned out to be a local sake merchant and after an exchange of pleasantries he apologized for all the trouble Toshiro that had happened to Toshiro. As a fellow Crab, he was deeply disappointed to find a fellow clanmate in such difficulty in Kome's own town. So he was offering a couple of things he thought might help them. With two group members in comas, he suggested they could find a sword for hire. A slight woman named Yukiyo. And for the sleep potion, he slyly suggested a conversation with an herbalist named Yutaro might yield results.

The conversation with Yukiyo didn't start smoothly, the young woman rather defiant toward the samurai and blatantly mercenary. But once Toshiro decided to 'go for a walk' an agreement was worked out for her to help them. [DM Note: New character for a player who can only show up occasionally.]

The trip to the herbalist was short and to the point. Yutaro became instantly nervous the moment Kome's name was mentioned, even more so as the group questioned him on the sleep traps. Finally, he admitted he might have something that could help. Excusing himself, he moved into the back area of the store, behind a curtain. A click was heard and Yukiyo peeked into the back, the herbalist having apparently exited through a back door. Yukiyo and Sho caught up with him and with a little 'gentle' persuation he was guided back to the shop.

Under pressure, he finally admitted he made the sleep poison for a slaver group run in town by Madame Sadoka. And he had an antidote for people who fell more deeply under the effects of the poison. In exchange for his life and his involvement not being mentioned, he agreed to help cure Verick and Mir and to make it easy to track the next shipment of the sleep poison.
A fast trip to the Inn began the cure for Mir and Verick. Yukiyo was the one set to keep watch on the herbalist's shop. When a ronin left carrying a package marked with a red cord, that was the signal this was the ronin with the sleep poison. Yukiyo followed him to the Silver Okasan, watching for a short while before informing the group.

The group traveled over to the Silver Okasan, ready for a fight. Toshiro and Sho just drew their weapons and kicked in the door, marching in and attacking. Inside, Madame Sadoka was talking with several heavily armed ronin and one other without armor.

The one without armor cast a spell invoking the blessings of the Kami, while Volar countered with a sleep spell that causes two of the ronin to slump down. Yukiyo started to shoot arrows while Sho and Toshiro charged. Sho went after the bartender, an ugly man who had pulled out a bow. Toshiro went after the group of ronin by himself as the shugenja who had cast the blessing started waking up the ronin who had succumbed to it's effect.

Sho chased the bartender behind the bar, where Madame Sadoka was hiding. The remaining awake ronin flanked Toshiro, nearly overwhelming him. Mindra was forced to run up beside him and start healing him, risking attack from the ronin as he cast the spells.

With the two ronin awake, they moved in, trapping Toshiro and Mindra against the wall, katana's hacking into both of them with lethal intent while Sho kept chasing the bartender. The shugenja kept moving to heal the ronin, then as arrows hammered into him, he cast a sleep spell that downed Yukiyo.

When Sho finally cut down the bartender Madame Sadoka made a run for it, a slash from Sho cutting her badly but she was able to dash past Volar and out the door. By this time both Mindra and Toshiro were badly cut up, nearly out on their feet. A grease spell cast by Volar downed one of the ronin and forced the other to crawl out of the grease. Toshiro cut down the ronin who had fallen. Another grease spell kept the ronin slowed down and forced them to fight Sho and Toshiro one on one. Volar awakened Yukiyo and their arrows cut down the unarmored shugenja and without his magical healing the ronin were cut down one by one.

After the fight, Toshiro cut of the heads of the bartender and each of the ronin, sticking them on spikes outside the bar with a note to proclaim who did it and why. Volar and Yukiyo checked into the back of the bar, finding what appeared to be an opium den. Overstuffed pillows, drugs, dark. Volar took one of the pillows while Yukiyo took the drugs.

The party headed back to their in, met at the door by the innkeeper, the older man looking a little nervous. "I have some good news, you..um..the woman, Mir. She's recovering just fine. But..um..about your friend..Verick. There's been some bad news."

[DM Note: This was a brief but fun scene. Mir's player was only gone for a week, and Verick's player gone for two weeks. Even so,when the innkeeper said this some of the players where like "Oh no, we must have missed something, this is bad!" Always cool to get players reacting first in character then reminding themselves "Oh right, he's not back next week."]

 

[Black Omega]

Still the 5th Day of the Monkey

Yutaro was summoned over again to minister to Verick, explaining nervously that a few people do have this sort of bad reaction to the medicine; it's nothing to be concerned over. He's found Lion clan members in particular often have this trouble.

Satisfied at least that the healer was too worried not to be helpful, the group notified the authorities of the fight at the Silver Okasan. Three fights in less than a day, the local Yoriki was just thrilled.

Yukiyo asks Toshiro about Madame Sadoka and if the group should keep going after her. He vaguely admits he'd not mind if she died, but leaves it at that. Checking around town for information, she found the location of Madame Sadoka. Sneaking to the building, she worked at the lock, though perhaps not as quiet as she might have wished. As the door slide open Sadoka and the two heavily armored ronin she was talking too looked up. Yukiyo got off a fast arrow and Sadoka fell and the two ronin charged, katana slashing out, carving into the young woman. Trailing blood into the darkness, Yukiyo barely escaped, hiding out until the first rays of light signaled morning.

Yukiyo went out to find a healer, a young local Shugenja. He was happy to be of help, though he only had one healing invocation left. He'd apparently been called away to heal a older woman who had been attacked that night.

The 6th Day of the Monkey

Back at the Inn, the Yoriki had shown up, this time accompanied by a young man named Ide Masaaki. A rather foppish figure in fine kimono, wearing the two swords in a way that suggested he didn't draw them often. Masaaki thanked Toshiro and his friends very politely for their fine help cleaning up crime in the town. They'd been of great service to him and he was very appreciative. But..he was sure they had very important business to be attending too. Important business for their Lord. In the interest of being helpful, he'd already arranged to have their horses saddled. The guards at the gates informed to let them out without their papers being checked. Guards would be posted to make sure Verick was kept safe until he recovered, then he'd be sent on after them just as soon as he could stay on a horse.

Given the velvet boot onward from Mimura, as the group joked, they pressed on, meeting a partially healed Yukiyo outside town. Trotting on at a brisk pace the group began to pass caravans of wagons. The first single wagon the encountered was guarded by a few ronin and watched them warily. But no magic was detected on it and after a brief discussion the group passed them by.

The next single wagon was far more suspicious. A single merchant, silent and unfriendly looking, but still Rokugani. Six ronin, five in armor and armed with lance and bow as well as katana. The wagon pulled off to the side, the ronin guards at ready as the group slowed to pass them by. Volar called out in Common "Hey Malthorn!" to no reaction, though the ronin without armor glanced over. Volar said they were searching a merchant named Malthorn and wondered if they had seen him. A curt shake of the ronin's head was his answer, then he answered in Common as well, a growling denial "No, foreigner merchants are not allowed outside Bugaisha. Move along."

Volar cast a detect magic over the wagon and the merchant and the ronin without armor returned the favor, chanting softly. Magic was found in the wagon and on the silent merchant. Speeding up to pass on by the group paused a little ways ahead of the wagon to plot and plan. Should they go on ahead and try to ambush them when the wagon and ronin camped. Should they just cast some spells and attack now.

Yukiyo pulled out a spyglass to look back at the wagon and saw the merchant with a spyglass of his own watching them. And the ronin shugenja casting spells on some of the other ronin. As the group was deciding now was a good time to attack, the ronin beat them to hit, charging in on horseback just as the group was dismounting.

The ronin's plan was obvious, several of them pulling up short and starting to launch arrows as two more charged in with lances. A couple of tanglefoot packets were tossed at Sho and Toshiro, trapping Sho briefly. Then the lancers charged around toward the spell casters. A sleep spell stopped one of the charging ronin short, sending him tumbling from his horse in a sudden doze, only to be awakened by a hard landing on the ground. Looking up, he saw Toshiro and Sho standing over him, katanas drawn. He didn't see anything after that.

Arrows from the other ronin thunked into Mir and Yukiyo, who fired back. Volar turned Mindra invisible so he could heal safely. An entangle spell from Mir caught one of the ronin on horseback. A charge from a lancer nearly skewered Volar, and then as the rider turned to charge again a color spray brought him up short and he was forced to dismount.

Volar retreated back and the ronin ran up, cutting Mir down with a slash of his sword before chasing after the elf. But energy surged in Mir, healing some of the damage, restoring her to consciousness. The ronin shugenja took arrow after arrow from Yukiyo, a sleep spell casting Toshiro and Sho into a slumber. Invisibly Mindra started to wake them as Mir recovered.

Toshiro was roused and cut off the ronin chasing Volar; a brief exchange of slashes bloodied both men before the ronin was cut down. Three ronin were left to shoot their arrows, exchanging fire with Yukiyo's deadly shots as well as taking shots at approaching Sho and Toshiro. But the samurai were far to slow to come to grips with the mounted archers.

The breaking point of the fight was Volar running in close enough to the wagon to cast a charm spell, ensnaring the merchant. One of the horse archers fell to arrows from Mir and Yukiyo as Toshiro and Sho chased the others around. With Volar's new friend the merchant talked into trying to end the fight, the other Ronin finally withdrew from the fight.

After having disappeared at the beginning of the fight, Leila reappeared once the battle was finished. She was carrying a small box, lacquered black and tied with a golden cord. Happily, she thanked the group for their assistance and let them know she was taking off ahead of them. The next caravan was leaving from Bugaisha in just a few days and with the wagon slowing them down the group was never make it back in time.

Anxiously, the merchant consulted with his new 'friend' Volar over how to deal with the samurai. The merchant admitted to being Malthorn and finally turned back to his normal appearance, a magical amulet allowing him to appear Rokugani. His inventory list was found, a varied list of items from cloth to magic potions to a cask of firewine. One of the potions was missing, assumed also taken by Leila. Malthorn's main concern was that the Pearl was safe. It was the key to the deal he was going to make with someone deeper in the empire. A large, fist sized pearl, glowing golden and with an aura of great magic.

Before the group could follow up on that more, they spotted riders far off, approaching fast. Volar had claimed Malthorn's spyglass and he and Yukiyo used the glasses to check out the riders. Through the dust they made out what looked like Hordeland barbarians! Squat, fierce looking men in fur and leather, riding fast toward the group. Concerned, the group prepared for a fight.

It was only when the riders drew close and slowed to a trot, brushing some of the dust off their armor, revealing the purple of Clan Unicorn. The lead rider trotted up beside the group, glaring over them before growling out "I am Moto Subatai, gunso of the White Guard of the Moto. What happened here?"

Toshiro explained only briefly, the barbaric Moto cutting him off with a "We are searching for an item stolen from Shiro Moto. A pearl gifted us by the Naga." At this comment Mindra gave a quiet monkey squeak, looking more anxious. At the Moto's command a Shugenja cast a spell over the group, pointing out Volar, Mindra, Mir and Toshiro as having magic.

Moto Subatai accepted Toshiro's word that he did not have the pearl in question, but insisted the other three be searched. There was little trouble with Mir. She had a pearl that registered as magic, but it was far to small and the wrong color to be the pearl they sought.

Volar emptied out his Handy Haversack, a process that took several minutes and ended up with a pile of scrolls, a tent, a overstuffed pillow, food, drink, writing implements, and more, a pile that grew to impressive size. But nothing the barbaric Moto were searching for.

The last Mindra, the worried monkey edging over to the side more behind Toshiro with each passing minute, hoping to be forgotten. When the fierce gaze of Moto Subatai turned to him, though, Mindra stepped forward, showing his own pearl. It was larger, carved with the intricate symbols of the Naga. The Moto leaned over for a far closer look, a glare to the monkey then back to the pearl before he sat up straight again, shaking his head brusquely. "Not the pearl I'm looking for. You got this from the Naga though?"

Mindra nodded "I found it in a abandoned city in a forest far to the south. It was just laying there."

Moto Subatai snorted, then shrugged "If the Naga want it back they'll find you then. You don't have what we are looking for. Have any of you heard anything of the pearl we seek?"

There was a uncomfortable silence, then Toshiro spoke up "A barbarian helped us find this merchant. She took a pearl from him that she had claimed was her's. That might be the pearl you are looking for. She left not long ago heading back toward Mimura."

 

[Black Omega]

The evening of the 7th Day of the Rooster

The Moto swiftly disappeared from view, the dust cloud kicked up by their horses passing quickly out of view as they raced on to catch Leila. Toshiro and friends were left to plod along after them far more slowly. What had in the morning been a ride of less than a day was now a two-day journey on a slow wagon to Mimura.

Approaching Mimura on the 9th Day of the Rooster, the group was treated to the sight of the monks they had fought when they first visited the village out working on the wooden stockade fences that surrounded the small town, the huge monk who had nearly twisted Toshiro's head off carrying logs all by himself as he chanted to Shinsei.

True to the promise, the group was allowed through the checkpoint without their papers being checked, not even a comment on the group being accompanied by the girl a complaint had been filed against last time. Stopping by the Blessings of the New Year Inn, the group was greeted with good news: Verick had recovered from the sleep drug and was up and around again.

A room was found to keep Malthorn securely locked away in, the merchant still manacled. A gag had been added after the charm spell wore off the and the merchant had started letting his feelings for Volar be known, starting with course Rokugani, then moving on to common and finally barbaric Hordelands dialect where most curses involved unnatural things with horses. Each member of the group took an watch over him. Just to be annoying, Volar put a sleep spell on him to keep him out of trouble during his watch, while Mir Charmed him, just to add salt to the wounds.

After spending the night at the Inn, the group was greeted in the morning by the politely smiling face of Ide Masaaki. Nothing important, he was just stopping by to make sure there had been not troubles, everything was to their satisfaction, and by the way, he'd taken the liberty of making sure the wagon was ready to go, the group's horses prepared. After all, he was sure their very important business would require them to be moving right on quickly.

Annoyed, Verick just growled to the foppish diplomat "Our business is our own. We might just stay a few days; it's not that urgent. That's enough for now. Go."

Diplomatically, Ide Masaaki ignored the boy's words totally, instead looking to Hiruma Toshiro with a nod "Let me know if you need anything and arrangements will be made. The guards at the gate have already been told to let you pass on through." And with that, Masaaki departed.

As the others in the group looked to him, Verick just shared back coldly "He's not a warrior, or even a diplomat, he's a weasel.' At Verick's urging, the early morning departure time was delayed, a large breakfast followed by tea as the Hour of the Hare turned to the Hour of the Dragon. [DM Note: And some joking about them having Breakfaster, second breakfast and elevensies, as the Hobbits say. We'd watched FotR not long before.]

As the group lingered, a young man who had been hanging around, drinking tea, approached Sho. Quietly he enquired if the ronin was interested in the whereabouts of Madame Sadoka, the woman the group had nearly killed in their last visit.

Sho handed the man off to Yukiyo and hard bargaining followed, ranging from 25 koku to 50 and working toward the middle, punctuated by Yukiyo walking away at one point. And hour passed before the young man approached again and the deal was finally settled. He revealed Sadoka had moved back to the Silver Okasan and had nearly fortified it, sealing off the back door, reinforcing the walls and windows and even putting a new lock on the front door.

Even armed with this new information, Toshiro was more eager to get on with the trip than to settle old scores and finally they set out for Bugaisha. The first day of travel passed slowly but uneventfully. But on the morning of the 11th Day of the Rooster as the group prepared to get moving they were found by six riders.

One of the riders was the Shugenja who had escaped when Malthorn was captured; the others were ronin in dark armor, armed with bow, lance and katana. The riders pauses 200 feet from the group's camp and the Shugenja yelled out "Give us the merchant and you can keep the rest. No one needs to get hurt!"

Toshiro answered with an arrow, though it missed any of the riders. As the group waited for the riders to charge the Shugenja yelled out "Ready! Aim! Fire!" A volley of arrows from the riders fell among the group, Sho and Mir both being struck. Volar conjured up a shield for protection as Yukiyo and Mir both used the wagon for cover. After another volley of arrows it was becoming obvious the riders were going to cut them down from a distance and Volar started grabbing out scrolls from his Haversack, casting protection from arrows on Mir, Verick, Toshiro and Sho. Meanwhile Mindra was turned invisible to act as medic again.

[DM Note: The Protection from Arrows spells worked better than anyone would have guessed. I started rolling very badly to hit the people protected with the spells, so it was around five rounds before the ronin realized their arrows had no effect when they hit.]

Verick, Sho and Toshiro started to charge forward, protected from the arrows now and shadowed by the invisible monkey. Mir cast an Entangle, but only managed to snare one of the riders. As arrows started to bounce off Verick and Toshiro, the ronin knew something was up and at the Shugenja's command switched to their secondary plan. A spell invoked the Grasp of the Kami, freezing Toshiro in place as the ronin flanked to either side of the charging fighters and rode straight toward the wagon where the merchant was kept.

One rider was a little careless however, and Verick managed to get close enough to slash his horse's legs out from under it while an arrow from Yukiyo caught it in the neck. Furious, the Ronin yanked out his katana and charged the boy.

Switching to lances, the other Ronin charged in, scoring a bloody hit on Volar, the second time the Wizard had been skewered in combat with the ronin. Yukiyo threatened the manacled Malthorn with an arrow and demanded the ronin surrender or she would kill the merchant. Since Malthorn was already likely facing a death sentence for breaking an Imperial Edict, this wasn't persuasive and the Ronin Shugenja cast a sleep spell. Yukiyo resisted but the merchant didn't and his last memory of the battle was staring into an arrow held to his eye.

Unable to move, Toshiro decided he could will his way past this, focusing all his willpower on breaking the spell.

Steel flashed as the dismounted Ronin matched his powerful two handed slashes against the faster flurries from Verick's Double Sword, blood quickly covering both, neither willing to take a step back from a duel that would do Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn proud.

Grasp of the Kami spells (Hold Person) froze Yukiyo in place but Sho did substantial damage slashing the horse out from under another Ronin before killing the rider. Mir dueled with another rider from on top of the wagon, dodging back from the slashes of his katana while stinging him repeatedly with Magic Missiles from her wand.

Toshiro felt the spell holding him weakening, redoubling his efforts, knowing he was winning! [DM Note: In other words, the duration was running out.]

The Ronin Shugenja invoked Shinsei's Protection (Sanctuary) upon himself, riding around the wagon to try and grab the merchant off it while Yukiyo was frozen and Sho and Volar were busy with the other Ronin.

Verick's duel with the Ronin was winding down, both panting for breath and bleeding from a dozen places. The next hit would decide it..and as luck would have it at that point Toshiro's willpower overcame the spell holding him [DM Note: Well, the duration ended at least] and he leapt into action, cutting down the Ronin and finishing the duel.

Sho and Yukiyo finished off another of the Ronin with sword and bow and Volar slowed the Ronin Shugenja by blinding him and his horse both with a color spray. However, no one could take advantage since his spell still protected him from attacks, only Volar able to bring himself to harm him.

But his horse was not so lucky. The merchant was drawn over the back of the horse and the Shugenja started to ride off Yukiyo, Toshiro and Verick launched arrows into it while Mir's Magic Missile's seared into the Shugenja himself. Just before he would have gotten out of range the horse collapsed. Left with no chance of rescuing the merchant and his his opponents getting on their own horses to run him down the Ronin Shugenja surrendered himself to Toshiro.

 

[Tokiwong]

Pretty Good

Looks good so far, I am starting a Rokugan myself so I like the stuff you have. Just a comment might want to look at your format not sure if it is me but there are odd bits of text that I can't read which obstruct my full enjoyment of your entertaining story.

visited the village out working on the wooden stockade fences that surrounded the small town, the huge monk who had nearly twisted Toshirofs head off carrying logs all by himself as he chanted to Shinsei.

Like that bit, just hard to read with that square thing, maybe it is me, but that tends to show up often. But I like the story so far.

 

[Black Omega]

A player in my game has commented on this also. I had been typing up everything in Word. I'd tried saving the document in text and that didn't help and tried pasting to notepad. Evidently that didn't help either. I can't see them, unfortunately. I'll keep experimenting to get rid of that. Wonder how everyone else types this up...