6: The Monastery

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru still has visions of the spirits of his ancestors claiming he has brought dishonor and disgrace to his family.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Aiko

Aiko keeps watch, on the water and inland, while Kenta helps Osaru.

"We should not tarry long," she advises. "The one that survived swam up river. If our enemies are in the ruins there, it may warn them."

[Rex]

Kenta

"once I am sure Osaru is fine, I will need you to cover me while I look for his sword."

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru shakes his head to clear the cobwebs "I have brought great dishonor to my family, I must try to retrieve my sword." he says to the others as he starts removing his other weapons to attempt and go back in after his lost sword.

[Rex]

Kenta

"Rest friend, You are injured. I will dive for it with the help of the others. If I fail then you may attempt it."

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru bows his head in agreement. "Very well. I shall try to rest."

[Captain Kinkajou]

Aiko

Aiko nods. As Kenta dives, she keeps her katana ready and warily watches the water for signs of danger.

[Starbeard]

Yikes! Sorry folks — I could’ve sworn I posted this update a number of days ago, but I must be going senile. Luckily I keep the drafts backed up, so here’s Take 2.




I goofed! Had I been keeping better track of your magic items, Osaru wouldn’t have lost his sword. If you remember the set of crude wooden gambling dice that Osaru bought off of Rangaku…

viewtopic.php?f=599&t=10454&p=520195&hi ... ng#p520195

…those are lucky charms. Each day, the first time you fail a roll by 5 or less you will actually succeed instead (they may or may not also have an effect when used to gamble, but that hasn’t been attempted yet).

When Osaru made his Honor roll vs 15 to see if he held onto the sword as he fell into the river, he rolled a 12. This should have triggered the item and revealed its powers, and his sword would not be lost.

Rather than going back and striking all of that, I’ll just retcon it by saying that Kenta’s search and rescue is automatically successful without incident, thanks to the lucky dice.

TURN SUMMARY

Kenta retrieves Osaru's katana from the bottom of the river, but with a twist: at first he saw none other than Old Man Rangaku himself but younger, embracing the goddess of the lake, Lady Mizumi. As Kenta approached, she faded away into the water, and he transformed into the sword. Osaru's katana is now a magic weapon.

Lake of Sorrows, Beiden Pass [map]
Noon (Hour of the Horse)
"Morning Day" in High Week, 7th of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is cold and cloudy but looking calm

Kenta dives into the water. It is murky, but perhaps good karma is with him: not far below the surface the icy silt and algae fade away and all becomes crystal clear in the sunlight.

There, at the bottom of the surprisingly deep stream, lies a bewildering sight! The Goddess of the Lake, Lady Mizumi herself, is lying in the mud, pristine and in the form of a child. A young boy in royal clothes is with her and they cradle each other in their arms, unaffected by the cold water around them.

As Kenta approaches, the lad looks less and less like a boy, and more like an old man: soon Kenta recognizes the face of Rangaku, the senile old peasant they found wandering the valley. He swims even closer and then both Lady Mizumi and Rangaku begin to fade away as if they were a dream, looking sadly and longingly into each other’s eyes. She transforms into the clear waters of the Lake, and he transforms into Osaru’s katana lying on the muddy riverbed.

Now alone, Kenta quickly grabs the blade and swims up to catch his breath.

Osaru takes his katana and is immediately struck by a strange difference. It feels heavier in his hand, but more graceful, and it seems almost as if it responds to his movements with a will of its own. He keeps remembering the quiet laughter Rangaku in his head as he holds the blade.



登場人物

• Kenta, monk: TN10, Init +2, naginata 7k4 (DR 6k3) | Hnr 2;7, Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: TN10, Init +2, wakizashi 4k3 (DR 5k2) | Hnr 3;2, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 4/2 | Spells: F3 - A2 - W2/3 - E2
  • Saburo (peasant retainer): 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, Init +1, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;7 - Gl 0;0 - Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 3/1
• Mirumoto Aiko, Dragon bushi: no armor (TN20/5), Init +3, daisho 7k4/6k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;7, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 3/2 (crippled left arm)
• Yoshida Osaru, ronin: no armor (TN15), Init +3, katana 6k3/6k3 (DR 6k2) | Hnr 2;7 Wnds (4) -1;1 | Void Pts 2/2 (Nemuranai: Rangaku's katana, Rangaku's gambling dice)

[Rex]

Kenta

"Here my friend, your fine blade." Kenta hands over the sword to Osaru.

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru accepts his blade back with a respecting bow "Thank you Kenta, you are a true friend. I think this will restore honor to my family."

[Starbeard]

I assume everyone wants to get back in the boat right away and row up to the bandit's hideout in the sunken temple? If so, I will place the area map Sunday/Monday and we can start exploring.

If you would like to take a different course of action, just say the word and we'll carry on that way.

[Rex]

I am good with that.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Sorry for being quiet, I've been a bit tied up with other things again.

Yes, that sounds about right. I'm happy with that.

I think there's a question of when exactly to leave the boat and proceed on foot, which is primarily dependent on the terrain. I get the impression that it will need to be relatively close, to avoid being bogged down in the marsh, but conversely I'd rather be on foot instead of rowing the boat into the middle of the bandit camp. So, Aiko would be looking to find a balance between the two.

[GreyWolfVT]

I am good with that.

what he said.

[ffilz]

Sounds good.

[Starbeard]

With all of that in mind…

The adventurers climb back into the boat after the ronin Osaru and the monk Kenta spend a minute wringing out their clothes as best they can.

The icy stream continues to snake through the mountain draw, the banks on either side getting steeper and steeper as it goes. Soon the banks rise up above your heads, held back from toppling into the stream only by the many boulders and crags that jut out from deep within the mountain.

Ahead you can see the stream widen just a little before turning around another bend, and the water seems to be covered a bit more in thin ice and green river moss. Figuring that the water ahead must be more stagnant — and therefore the bog near at hand — you stop the boat along the right bank, where a small natural path cuts steeply up the bank between two flat rocks covered in creeping tree roots. Across the way in the distance, beyond the other bank and fifty yards back into the forest, you can spy a pack of four wolves milling about and watching you — but soon they patter off through the snow and disappear back toward the direction of the lake.

A few minutes along the rugged ups and downs of the riverbank takes you to the bog. This is what you see:

1. A square pyramid structure, only the top three levels are above water. It has a rope barrel bridge connecting it to (2).
2. The main temple, only the top level and its two towers are above water. Three boats are moored here.
3. The remains of a stone gate along the ruined wall.
4. A small half-preserved building, which looks entirely above water (it must have been on a small hill). There is one boat moored here.
5. Where the party is.
West and East: the marsh rises back into woodland and up the mountain slopes.
North: a very steep mountain face. Carved out of the side of the mountain is a huge statue of a god sleeping on his side, dominating the whole scene. The statue is mostly submerged and many parts have crumbled away.


There are marsh trees and the fronds of dormant water plants scattered all over the water, and plenty of spots where ice and mud lay across the surface. You figure the water must be quite shallow in most places, at most leg to waist deep, but with plenty of spots that are much deeper.