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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 864898" data-attributes="member: 79">The group freed the aged monks and made sure they were ok before they started to search.  Toshiro, Kaz and Verick started looking around the area for any clues while Mir got the monk’s story.  They were all retired Shosuro samurai, far past their fighting days, and now spending their last few years studying the way of Shinsei and caring for the old Temple of Shosuro.  The ghost haunting the temple had not helped them, and they believe the wards were placed specifically to stop it from interfering.Kurocha had come to them for help in hiding and as he was a former Shosuro, they felt it was their obligation to do so without asking questions.  He had been giving a room to use while he waited.  They didn’t know exactly who had invaded the temple.  Whoever it was, they were very stealthy.  None of the monks had known anything was wrong until each felt a blade at his throat and were blind folded before being bound.  Someone was being very careful.Kurocha did resist his questioning under physical duress magnificently.  Far from being silent his stories grew more and more elaborate as the questioning went on.  If everything he claimed was to be believed, he was working for not only the deceased Emperor, but also the Champions of the Scorpion and Unicorn clans as well.  “His final words were a haiku.”  Explained one of the monks.Secrets are PreciousTwelve Jewels for Twelve HoursAll Lost in Mire“He was a true Shosuro and Scorpion.  He’ll surely be reborn as a samurai.”  The monk finished.The group pondered exactly what that meant for a time before Volar took Mindra and Mir aside to plot.  He had an idea but it required Mindra to prepare a certain spell the next morning.  And for the samurai and monks to give them a little time alone with the body.  Mir explained it as a foreign ritual for contacting the spirits of an area.  The monks agreed, though after it was done they wished to see the body was properly treated.  Verick was more suspicious of what they might be up to but wasn’t troubled over it so he kept his suspicions to himself.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The group slept over in the temple that night, finishing their healing up from the damage inflicted by the ninja cadets, save for the weakness still afflicting Mir from that poison.  The next morning, Mindra worked up some questions with Volar and Mir, then he began his chanting.  Low grunts and high pitched monkey shrieks rising to a crescendo when the spell partially animated the dead body of Kurocha.“What would you ask of me…”  the corpse hissed softly.“What were you going to give the person who..gave you this pass phrase…ASIDE from the return code phrase?”  Mindra asked, almost stumbling over the phrasing.“Jewels holding information.”  The corpse moaned quietly.“Who killed you?”  Mindra went on, to the point.“The Golden Scorpion.”  Kurocha’s dead voice intoned, then the corpse went still once again.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Toshiro and Kaz had heard of the Golden Scorpion, an honorable samurai with a fierce reputation as a fighter.  A Bayushi born of a political marriage between samurai of the Lion and Scorpion clans.  The toughest challenge they’ve encountered since coming to Ryoko Owari.  The group wasn’t exactly certain where to find the jewels, though.  They agreed twelve jewels almost certainly referred to  one of Agnar Glitterune’s golden clocks.  Volar and Verick thought ‘mire’ could easily refer to the district outside the city walls where the Eta lived, but others weren’t so sure.  Finally they decided to cast their Fortune Coins and use the augery from that.  The question:  “Will going to Agnar’s place first give a good result in finding what Kurocha has hidden?”  The coins were cast and the magic activated.  The answer was clear.  ‘Weal and Woe’.  Good and bad.  ‘Well, at least going there first will help a little.  We’ll deal with the rest later.”  Toshiro decided.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Agnar was perfectly pleased to see the group again, inviting them in for tea and breakfast.  Certainly his clocks do often have hidden compartments.  It’s Ryoko Owari, City of Secrets.  Even unimportant people have secrets and hidden compartments and doors are popular.  Agnar did reluctantly confirm he had sold Itoshi, the Eta torturer, a clock with such a compartment.  Though he was clear.“I’m only telling you this because I’m sorry about Kurocha’s death and I hope you can avenge him.  Itoshi is on the lower scale even of the Eta.  Someone of his class owning such an item would be frowned upon by local samurai.  So please don’t tell anyone else.”  Agnar cautioned.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The group passed through the Smoking Gate, the stale smoke from the nightly opium addicts lingering in the air still.  Verick decided to wait back at the gate and keep watch to make sure no one followed the group to Itoshi’s.  The group walked on through the neat, clean, but otherwise utterly non-descript village where the Eta lived. It was very quiet indeed, most no doubt already gone to their daily duties.  Kaz and Toshiro decided to wait outside with their Thunderguard 'escort' as Volar, Mir, Mindra and Yukiyo went in to speak with Itoshi.  Surprisingly, the emaciated torturer was still at home.Though somewhat surprised, Itoshi finally invited them inside.  He offered tea and after a glance over Volar’s woodsy green outfit, and the flowers in his hair, wondered if the elf would prefer flowers for his morning brunch?  His offers were politely refused.  Itoshi was unable to help the group though.  He very hesitantly admitted he did have such a clock.  But he didn’t use the compartment.  And certainly Kurocha would not have known about it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meanwhile, back at the Smoking Gate, Verick suddenly had a thought.  Kurocha was tortured for information, by an expect.  Someone who barely left a mark.  What if it was Itoshi?  Then the others had walked into a trap!  The bored guards at the gate looked on as Verick suddenly took off, pushing his horse quickly into a gallop as he tried desperately to get to his friends before the trouble started.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As Itoshi answered their questions in his halting way of speaking, Volar was growing suspicious.  Last time, Itoshi had not been taken in by his nancing elf outfit.  Volar chatted for a moment with Mir and elvish and noticed Itoshi seemed to be listening in on the conversation, though previously he had not known Elvish.His suspicions growing, Volar started to guide the conversation to their previous visit, intentionally asking about things they had spoken of previously without giving away what the actual topic had been.  Putting the increasing anxious torturer more on the spot with questions he could not seem to answer.  Until finally Itoshi stood and aside clearly “My, it’s a sunny day out.”In a flash, the door to the back was yanked open.  Arrows flew fast, two of them hitting Mindra, who felt the poison searing through his blood, weakening him.  Volar was hit by an arrow as well, and then silence fell over the entire room as a shugenja in full armor bearing the colors of the Scorpion clan, cast silence on a small statue and tossed it into the room.  Last of all, a monk in Scorpion red and black, tumbled into the room, her long black hair flowing to follow her moves, a fast kick rocking Mir before she could react.To escape the area of silence, Volar and Mindra retreated immediately out the door as Yukiyo picked up the statue and tried tossing it back across the room.  Then Yukiyo retreated as well.  Face to face with the monk, Mir tried to focus her thoughts.  But she wasn’t fast enough.  Concentrating intensely, the monk struck Mir between the eyes, stunning her with the first blow.  Then she followed up with a vicious kick to Mir’s body, half doubling over the young Aasimar before she finished by wrapping her forearms on either side of Mir’s neck.  There was a sickening *CRACK* as she twisted, then released to allow Mir’s body to fall limp to the floor.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Outside, Toshiro and Kaz were drawing their katana as Mir’s thrush familiar chattered frantically “Mir’s in trouble, you have to hurry Mir’s in trouble you have..tweet!  Tweetweet! Tweeeeet!”“That can’t be a good sign.”  Volar thought grimly.[GM Note:  Considerable bad luck and planning there.  Everyone else took their action to retreat, leaving Mir alone in the room.  Mir refocused in the hope she’d be going before the ambushers the next round, but the monk was still faster.  Add in the group forgetting to heal the Con damage from the poison in the Ninja Cadet ambush.  And I rolled very well for damage.  Ouch.]</blockquote>

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