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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 856827" data-attributes="member: 79">Daikoku’s Shadow was easy to find.  The Temple complex for Ryoko Owari was dominated by the goldenTemple to Daikoku, the Fortune of Wealth.  Rokugan might be the land of a Thousand Gods, but in Ryoko Owari the only god is money and they are upfront about that.  That the Scorpion had founded and for centuries ruled the city was also obvious in the temple complex, with a large temple to Bayushi, the Kami who founded the Scorpion Clan as well as two temples to Shosuro, founder of the sneakiest family in the Empire.The group was looking for the older Temple of Shosuro though.  According to the guards, the temple was haunted by the spirit of a Shosuro samurai who had committed seppuku at the Temple years ago when accused of betraying the Scorpion Clan.  He had insisted until the end that he was innocent, and he would not rest until the true traitor was found.  Since then his spirit had haunted the temple.  Finally a second temple was built, and now only a few old monks are left maintaining the older temple.Toshiro asked the Thunderguards to wait just outside the temple grounds while the others went inside.  Just keep an eye out for anyone trying to sneak out of the temple ground.  Toshiro and friends would handle the rest.It wasn’t quite that simple though.  The grounds of the old Temple of Shosuro were overgrown, the paths only partially clear thanks to all over overgrown plants and vines.  Large oak trees lined the paths.  There were some signs that work was done occasionally to keep the weeds in check, but they were slowly losing the war with the weeds.Focused on the vine-covered temple, the group was taken off guard by a sudden volley of arrows from the trees on either side.  Only Mindra and Mir were struck, Mir suddenly feeling dizzy as the poison took effect, weakening her.  Once the ambushers hiding places were revealed the group could see the ninja up in the trees, figures in the obvious black pajamas, only half hidden now by carefully prepared blinds.  The samurai moved quickly, wasting no time as…they ran away, racing toward the temple and getting out of the crossfire, then pausing to fire arrows back at the ninja.  Left on their own, Mindra, Mir and Volar were surprised by the sudden retreat.  No more surprised than the ninja, though.    Half the ninja kept firing arrows as the other half dropped from the trees, kama and swords drawn.  Except for one hapless figure in black pajamas who fell with a graceless thump.  There was a *poof* of something breaking and he was left coughing and blinded.  The fight simply deteriorated from there.  Mir cast a Hold Person on another ninja still in a tree and he fell out, landing with a painful sounding CRACK.  Verick charged forward to engage those ninja who can come to the ground while Mindra ‘Held’ another of the robed figures.  Kaz and Toshiro fired volleys of arrows that killed to more and finally wanting, to find out what this was all about, Mir managed to ‘Charm’ one.With the group firmly in control, a whistling sound was suddenly heard and arrows flew from another concealed spot, killing the Charmed ninja then the one frozen by Mindra’s spell, as two others fled quickly, fading away stealthily.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“What the hell was that all about?”  Toshiro growled as the attackers fled.Poking around the bodies left behind, Volar shook his head “Their equipment is nothing special.  Average bows.  Arrows.  Eggshell bombs that burst apart far to easily.  Not a single item is finely made, let alone magical.”“There was something different about the guy firing the arrows at the end as well.”  Verick called out from near the gate ‘I tried chasing him down but he vanished.  Some type of dark gray ninja outfit.  He made sure we didn’t get any prisoners.”“Pretty sad ninja.  I’m insulted if this is the best they could send against us.”  Mir frowned.“I don’t think they were sent against us.  How could they know we were coming here?  They must have been waiting here on whoever came along and we were simply the lucky ones…”  Volar said thoughtfully.Pressing on, the ground found the entrance to the temple.  A rectangle of yellow paper was hanging over the entrance, red ink spelling out some type of magic Volar could identify as abjuration.  Some type of warding.  Verick checked the entrance cautiously and was finally satisfied that the warding was not against anything physical.  The temple was silent and rundown.  The inner courtyard was overgrown with ivy and now and then the singing of birds could be heard in the rafters overhead.Off to one side three elderly monks were found, tied up and gagged securely.  And close by was one other prisoner.  Bound hand and foot.  From the look on his face he had died in agonizing pain, but there was no mark left on his body.  Toshiro quickly helped the bound monks.  And as the first was ungagged he was able to confirm their worst suspicions.  The dead man was the one they had been looking for.  Kurocha.[DM Note:  So hard to get back writing after a break.  So bear with me on this.  There’s plenty of action still to come.  Secrets to be revealed, death, destruction and the start of trouble that would haunt the group for months to come!]</blockquote>

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