[Closed] 2: On the Road (Aiko, Koga, Osaru)

[Starbeard]

Also, I've got every day packed for the next week, so I probably won't be able to update again until Wednesday.

[GreyWolfVT]

Also, I've got every day packed for the next week, so I probably won't be able to update again until Wednesday.

Quite alright I'm in no rush.

[Captain Kinkajou]

ooc: Apologies for my own slow response of late, RL has been keeping me busy. OOC I think we should probably help look for Shota. IC, due to her current condition (haunted, nightmares, lack of sleep) Aiko is somewhat preoccupied and unlikely to push things in that direction. However, she doesn't really feel up to travelling just yet and would certainly do all she could to help Osaru if he were inclined to go looking for Shota. The geisha district near the North Gate appears the obvious choice.

[Starbeard]

Dang, apologies again for more delays. Had a family funeral that ended up taking a lot more to prepare than I thought (a grandmother-in-law, it was sad but she lived a very long and full life, and passed peacefully), and Labor Day weekend hasn't been very kind on my work schedule either. Since I missed my small Wednesday window, it won't be until next Wednesday again that I can sit down at my game table.

Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves any immediate plans, and I'll get to it asap.

[Starbeard]

Alright, let's see if we can't get this back on track.



It is now after noon, and the air is almost viscous with heat. Aiko and Koga accompany Osaru to the north end of town, into Amaterasu's Garden—the geisha district named after the Temple of Amaterasu that looms quietly in the background. Aiko drags her feet, eyes red from exhaustion.



It seems that the boiling heat has scared most people out of the streets, and you have the run of the neighborhood. A pair of geisha walk down the lane, shading themselves with umbrellas. With the characteristic paradox of courtesan style in these parts, they bow very formally but greet you with frank and jovial candor. "What an ugly day! You should have stayed home and come back when it was more pleasant. Are you looking for someplace in particular? You look lost."

[Starbeard]

GreyWolf, would you like to just move on? If so, we can assume that you all poked around a bit, gathered some relevant info but couldn't get any closer to tracking down Shota, then hit the sack and left the next morning. We might be able to catch up with the others after this leg.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Aiko

"Yes, it is indeed a most uncomfortable heat today. Not at all pleasant to be out in," Aiko agrees, smiling politely at the two geisha that have addressed them. "I am Mirumoto Aiko, and this is my brother, Mirumoto Koga, and Master Yoshida Osaru, our good friend. We are seeking a ronin named Shota who we believe frequents this district. He is a murderer and a thief and we intend to deliver him to the magistrate for justice. Do you happen to know of him? If not, then perhaps you might be able to direct us to somewhere we could rest and recover from our toils. I carry a weight and am left weary. An opportunity to soothe my mind and body would be most welcome."

ooc: Apologies again for the slow posting of late. It's been busy. I'm hoping things will be a little clearer going forward.

As for intentions in game, I don't feel Aiko is ready to travel just yet, so we might as well look into finding Shota for a bit. There's also a festival here in a couple of days I believe It's probably the last one Aiko can manage before Beiden Pass. If nobody else (well Ed I guess) is particularly worried about following up on Shota I'm entirely content for that to dwindle (i.e. trail is cold) and to just have us while away a couple of days on other things before departing.

[GreyWolfVT]

GreyWolf, would you like to just move on? If so, we can assume that you all poked around a bit, gathered some relevant info but couldn't get any closer to tracking down Shota, then hit the sack and left the next morning. We might be able to catch up with the others after this leg.

Sorry yes I would like to move on.

Osaru nods his head agreeing with what Aiko has said. "Yes I knew this Shota from a past station in my life and he is quite the scoundrel. If you could help us in any way it would be greatly appreciated."

[Captain Kinkajou]

Sorry yes I would like to move on.

In that case, my thoughts on moving on are, let's assume we don't make any headway in finding Shota. From my perspective OOC, I want to delay our departure from Matsu Castle until after the 1st, so that we are there for the Shouting Festival. IC I don't think this would be a high priority for Aiko but, as you know, it's one of my objectives. What I think Aiko would be trying to do is look for some help/relief from her current condition. Something to distract her from it and give her some respite so she may rest. This may be futile but is what I think she would be trying to achieve. Spending time with geisha, a priest or a wise woman, and meditation all strike me as possibilities for this. I'm content for us to predominatly gloss over this though. My expectation is that pursuing these options will provide little relief but are a good rationale for not leaving for a few days. Does that make sense / sound okay Starbeard?

[Starbeard]

I think that's a good idea. For the sake of glossing, I'll make a couple of quick Investigation rolls for the party, one for each day.

29th day of Falling Leaf Month (Luck Day)—Continued
Investigation 4k2 = 35
…at Amaterasu's Garden, the geisha district of Matsu Castle Town, Koga and Osaru ask around about Shota. Some meandering geisha finally point them to the geisha house owned by Madame Hyacinth. Eventually you locate Shota's favorite geisha and spend the afternoon with her, being entertained with conversation, food and music while trying to probe unobtrusively for information. You each leave 2 silver bu lighter, but learn that Shota spoke with her openly about his ambitions. It seems that he had worked his way up into a position of trust as a spy and smuggler for one of the Great Families—he never said which—and hoped to be sworn in as a full samurai soon. On this particular trip it seems that he was here on special business, a job that would certify him a place in his new clan.

30th day of Falling Leaf Month (Horse Day)
Investigation 4k2 = 15
…further investigation takes you to the city quartermaster's office, to look in on the merchant who had been killed. He seemed to trade frequently between Scorpion and Unicorn lands, at very regular intervals, but he always had little or no goods to declare, and when he did have a cart it was always of random items. The quartermaster wonders if he might have been making his money trading information rather than items.

1st day of Long Month (Morning Day)—SHOUTING FESTIVAL
Investigation 4k2 = 12
…you come to a dead end during the festival. After spending all day and another 1 bu each in the gambling district, the only new information you gather is that the merchant was always seen with a special scroll carrying case that never left his belt. You also can piece a very sketchy sequence of events together, where you can guess that Shota recently began showing up in town at intervals around the same time as the merchant's trips. As far as you know, nobody believes the two knew each other. (Koga covers the 3 silver bu spent in investigation)


Meanwhile…
On the first afternoon, Aiko wanders off from the others to distract herself at the geisha house. She tries to have a good time, but is too worn and distracted. Eventually the entertainers just settle themselves with playing music and chatting amongst themselves in the background while Aiko stares painfully off into space. (-2 silver bu)

On Horse Day, Aiko stumbles back to Amaterasu's Garden district, this time to enter the Temple of Amaterasu. The priests purify her for a noble offering (1 bu), but the anguished ghost of Harada continues to gnaw at her thoughts. She spends the evening trying to meditate, to no avail.

On the day of the festival, she at least gets a chance to let out her frustration by wandering the streets with the peasants and commoners, shouting obscenities and frustrated grievances at the top of her lungs, pulverizing melons with her sword and stomping on firecrackers. The commoners seem to take quite a liking to having a samurai join in on the fun—the local Matsu are usually far too uptight for this sort of thing. (+2 Honor Points for Aiko)

========
That leaves us at the morning of the 2nd of Long Month (Cursed Day). The tallies are:

Osaru: -2 silver bu
Koga: -3 silver bu
Aiko: +2 honor points
Party: -20 copper zeni for room and board

I'll post the next phase of the journey asap. We might even bring everyone back together soon.

[Starbeard]

Long Month, 2nd (Cursed Day, High Week)
The weather is favorably pleasant and dry.


Passing through the merchant district, to the southern gate that leads out to the Imperial Highway of Beiden Pass. It isn't a very long trip before you reach the bridge that leads across the swift current of Three-Sides River. It rests beneath the cool shadow of the snowcapped Spine of the World Mountains, protected on both banks by the sprawling Imperial waystation.

You pass through the outpost station and cross the bridge, making your way through the waystation proper—a whole village in its own right, populated by two full garrisons of Imperial magistrates and Lion samurai. Heavy fog from the Pass rolls down the mountainside, but dissipates at the edge of the village, as though the civilized waystation were keeping the mystic wilderness of the mountains at bay.





It's still early in the day, so you pass straight through after checking your gear and confirming that you will find plenty of shelter in one mountain village or another before the day's journey is up.

You seem to be making good time. The road gradually becomes less maintained as you slowly wind your way up the massive draw into the mountain range. You reach the snow line much sooner than you expected, and the whistling wind begins to tickle at your bones.

Some time later you spy four figures up ahead. They appear to be acting somewhat erratically, and you pick up your pace to identify them. To your surprise, you quickly recognize your religious companions Senichi and Kenta, with Senichi's boy Saburo leading the Unicorn's fine horse. They are following a crazed old man in filthy rags, who is shouting incoherently and threatening them with a knife.

As you approach, the mountain winds tumble through this corner of the Pass, so that all you can hear is the wind in your ears and vision is obscured by heavy swirls of snow.

(Wow! We made it back together! Please post your actions in the new group thread: One the Road: Arriving at Beiden Pass



登場人物

• Mirumoto Koga, Dragon bushi: no armor+daisho (TN15), daisho 2k2/6k3 (DR 5k2) | Honor 2;5, Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Mirumoto Aiko, Dragon bushi: no armor+daisho (TN25), daisho 5k4/6k3 (DR 4k2) | Honor 3;2, Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 0/2 (Haunted)
• Yoshida Osaru, ronin: no armor (TN15), katana 6k3/6k3 (DR 5k2) | Honor 2;4 Wounds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2