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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 884440" data-attributes="member: 79">“It is a fact that fish do not live where the water is too clear.  But if there is duckweed or something the fish will hide under it’s shadow and thrive.  Similarly, the lower classes will live in tranquility if certain matters are a bit overlooked or left unheard.”  Yamamoto TsunetomoToshiro kept his katana ready but allowed Nezu to crawl in through the window.  Anxious and twitchy, Nezu jumped at every little noise as he started to explain.“I can’t tell you what the last few months have been like, my good dear friend.  After you and the others left me in charge of the village again I barely had time to settle in before she came, in the night.  She promised to do something memorable and unpleasant to my family if I didn’t cooperate with her.  I had no choice!”  the rat faced man whined sadly.Seeing that Toshiro was waiting patiently for him to go on, Nezu sighed “She had heard I knew the northern lands pretty well.  And I had contact previously with the Yabanjin tribes up there.  She forced me to guide her from village to village.  She was trying to get the northern barbarians to join in an alliance.  I only escaped because at that last village they were pretty hostile and attacked her.  And while she was killing them twenty at a time I had a chance to run away.”Toshiro frowned a little “Who is this ‘she’ you were guiding around?”Nezu looked side to side nervously before leaning over to whisper softly “Shahai.”A name that spoke volumes.  Killer of a hundred witch hunters.  Leader of the Bloodspeakers, a savage, chaotic cult that has killed thousands over the years.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~First thing that morning, Toshiro got in touch with his friends and let them know about Nezu’s suddenly appearance.  They decided to hide the thin, twitchy man at Toshiro’s place until they had a chance to speak to Lord Jyaku.  When the situation was explain to his, Jyaku-sama sighed a little.“This comes at a very bad time.  The Bloodspeakers have worked with the bandits of Kuzo in the past.  If they are getting an army together, then they have something big in mind.  Something much bigger than simply harassing caravans and raiding villages.  Bring Nezu in, I have questions to ask of him.  Details I need to know.  In the mean time, you have some preparations to do as well.  Tonight we have a dinner to attend.  Several diplomats of my clan are here to make an announcement.  You should all be there for this.”  Lord Jyaku smiled.The timing was perfect.  The group quickly had badges made up, using the Bansho Kishu emblem Verick had come up with.  In addition to that, Verick had even more to add.  Back in Ryoko Owari after he had pulled a disappearing act thanks to Volar’s spells, he had been called the Red Lion.  It was a name he had liked.  To keep up this, he had a formal kimono made using the colors of the Lion Clan, browns and golds.  But then adding red trim as well.  As much as Verick loathed the Scorpion Clan, he did like the name and reputation he was building.That evening the group debuted themselves as Bansho Kishu to the assembled samurai of the Unicorn Clan.  The announcement was timely, since part of the evenings ritual was officially honoring Hiruma Toshiro, Toritaka Kazuyuki, Akodo Verick, Volar, Mir, Mindra, and Yukiyo for their services to the Empire and the Clan, while fighting Oni and Bloodspeakers.  The group’s exploits were praised, in detail.  And through it all, Lord Shinjo Jyaku looked on, spreading his purple and golden fan in approval of the honor layed on Toshiro and Bansho Kishu.  Though his polite smile hid an inner irritation.  Bansho Kishu had been his secret weapon in the Empire, an use that was at an end now that Bansho Kishu was being officially recognized by the Unicorn Clan.The crowning announcement of the night was the official announcement that Shinjo Jyaku would be appointed to be governor of Ryoko Owari, beginning in two months, after he had settled everything in Bugaisha.Once the official business was finished, the entertainment began.  Traditional Rokugani music as well as more barbaric music more suited to the Hordelands.  Mir even had a chance to perform, drawing much notice and praise for her story of Toshiro’s victory over an Oni.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The very next morning the group was summoned to another meeting with Lord Jyaku.  A meeting that was delayed when Verick surprisingly didn’t show up at the appointed time.Verick awoke sluggishly, his head splitting, the light far to bright and the sounds around him almost deafening.  As his vision slowly started to focus, his saw Akiko, his ‘little old lady’ who ran his house.  She was kneeling over him, a cool cloth pressed to his forehead as she looked on in concern.  Soon a healer appeared to look him over, but as Verick’s thoughts cleared he knew perfectly well what the problem was.  He had been poisoned with this type of sleep gas before.  Moving slowly to minimize the pain from the headaches every move triggered, Verick searched around the room, until he found what he was looking for.  A small tube sticking into the room, where the sleep gas came from.The healer mixed a healing tea that would help his headache while Verick considered the attack.  He was perfectly fine.  There was no sign Akiko had interrupted anyone while they were doing something to him.  Then quickly he set to searching his room, trying to find if there was anything missing.  Only one thing had disappeared from his room.  The Kakita Blade that belonged to the Ninja Shapeshifter.  But that didn’t make sense to him…how could she have known where it was?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Verick showed up, apologizing quietly for being tardy before he explained why he was late.  Toshiro sank a little lower where he knelt as he listened.  Until finally he confessed to having left a note for the Ninja Shapeshifter.  To having told her where to find the sword, and to trusting her not to harm Verick.    It also came out that he had received a reply from Lord Yasuki Hachi giving him the name associated with the Kakita blade that was stole.  The Ninja Shapeshifter’s name was Yukiko, meaning Daughter of Snow.  Perhaps some shadow of memory had been why she called her gang Fubuki-tai, the Blizzard Group.Toshiro slunk lower and lower as the others stared at him, wondering why he hadn’t told anyone else about this, and most especially about the Shapeshifter contacting him.  Verick in particular glared, his hand sliding to the hilt of his katana as he fought a battle with his temper to not simply challenge Toshiro on the spot.  Finally Lord Jyaku intervened calmly “Verick, I know you are upset.  But I ask you pause for a moment.  Breath.  Something very bad is about to happen to this town unless we take action.  It is the duty of a samurai to protect those unable to protect themselves.  A task I know the Akodo accept as a point of honor.”Verick did take a deep breath, and though his eyes said this would not be forgotten, he at least released his sword and sat back to listen.“Rodrigo has been a bogey man out at the edge of the empire for decades now.  Sixty years ago he started out as a simple bandit and since then he’s just gotten bigger and more powerful over time.  He also carries a grudge against the Unicorn Clan, and against anyone who has defeated him.  My first military victory came at his expense.  A well planned but wild ambush of the previous Lord of Bugaisha’s forces had defeated him.  I had asked to be put in charge of the rear guard, a dangerous post he was happy to give me.  While the others retreated, we charged back to Kuzo and attacked while they were getting drunk, burning down much of the town before withdrawing before they got organized.  I’ve burned Kuzo twice since then but it always springs up again.”  Shinjo Jyaku said with a slight smile.“They are like cockroaches that way.  Rodrigo has also had a long-standing cooperation with Shahai and the Bloodspeakers.  Your report indicates they are gathering horses, weapons and armor.  It seems they are also recruiting barbarians for some major expedition.  In a couple of months I’ll have to leave Bugaisha behind.  When I do, I want to make sure Rodrigo is no longer any threat at all.  I have an idea for forcing a final confrontation.  But there are certain things I need.  I don’t want to wait until they are ready to attack.  So I need to find where Kuzo is currently.  Preferably in a way that won’t tell that immediately they have been found.  I would also like an idea of their present strength and plans.  Getting this is going to be tricky.  They’ve had a lot of contact with the west.  Rodrigo himself is a Half-Orc.  I want Bansho Kishu to go out, find exactly where Kuzo is at the moment, and infiltrate to gather information and spread chaos.  You have my permission to not be bound by honor for the duration of this mission.  I know this will be dangerous.  But you are the best people for this job.  Your group bridges the gap between barbarian and Rokugani, West and East.  I feel very sure you can find a way in there.  You’ll need disguises and cover stories.  I leave that up to you.  If there is anything you need for your disguises, simply let Yuji know and he’ll find what you need.”  Shinjo Jyaku said, still smiling a little.Volar was the first to speak up.  “We can do this, but there is something I’ll need to get set up before we go.  I can teleport.  If there is a safe place in the castle here I could teleport to, that would be for the best.”“I’ll arrange for a room to be left unprotected against teleport.  Of course, a guard will be there at all times.  We’ll use passwords to make sure no one else tries to take advantage of this.  You should also know Kuzo is protected against divination.  I’ve had the local temple try looking, without success.  So they are protected by magic.  Be careful, my friends.  Very very careful.”  Jyaku-sama concluded grimly.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The planning went quickly, in fact.  Mindra would use his amulet to become Ming, a Rokugani healer.  Mir would reprise her role as a Rokugani Shugenja names Kyruko.  Verick reverted to his Barbarian side to become Vlad.  Volar was the one going furthest away from the norm, working up an illusion and mundane disguise as Wizbang Fireblossom, a female Elven wizard.  But then, it is so hard to tell with elves.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  Toshiro was still thinking on a name but would be slow thinking, very strong and tough.  Kaz became Taz and didn’t change much at all.[GM Note:  I wasn’t worrying to much about names.  I preferred they had something they could remember easily, so Kaz becoming Taz worked just fine.  Toshiro was having trouble coming up with something, so his name just kinda popped into play once he had spent enough time in the role.  You’ll see.]Nezu was not the least bit happy to be called upon to guide the group to Kuzo.  “But you know the way.”  Toshiro explained patiently.  “You used to be a bandit there, you told us yourself.  If anyone can find it for us, it’s you.”That the Bloodspeaker Nezu had betrayed might also be there had the rat faced man worried.  But after Toshiro promised his protection, Nezu finally agreed to act as their guide.  ‘But they’ll know me there.”  Nezu sighed “I’ll need to prepare.  Toshiro, my friend, may I borrow a little gold from you?  I’ll pay you back later.  It’s just if I’m returning to…that place.  I’d better be ready.”Nezu went out shopping and returned later looking like a new man.  Armed with a used scimitar and kukri, an exotic style of dagger.  He had in tow a heavy Crossbow as well, and even new clothing, including a long, dark leather cloak and a broad brimmed hat.  At his request, Toshiro even sparred a little with the wiry ex-bandit as Nezu tried to get ready for the trip.Verick had some items he needed for the group’s cover as well.  Going to find Shinjo Yuji, Verick asked if there had been anything golden or valuable recovered from the Hordeland camp when their invasion was defeated a few months ago.  Verick picked out several items, enough to be worth a 1,000 koku or so.  “We’re going to be coming from outside the empire.  We’ll need something to trade, that way we have a reason to be going to Kuzo.”Finally they were ready.  This time they left town under the cover of darkness and road to the south, then west, circling around toward the area Nezu promised Kuzo would be in so it would seem like they were coming from the Hordelands rather than Rokugan.  They were two days out before something caught their attention.  A thin trail of smoke to the north.  Far too much smoke to be a simple campfire.  Kicking their horses into a canter, then road in closer to take a look.  It was a peasant village at the edge of Unicorn lands.  As they watched, a gang of bandits was running wild over the town, tossing burning torches into some of the wooden huts, while another bandit armed with a lance was riding down fleeing peasants and skewering them from behind while some of his comrades made bets on it he could kill each in one shot.“Looks like we’re on the right track.”  Verick commented grimly.</blockquote>

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