Scroll 1 - The Master Craftsman's Tea Vessel

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei took four healing salves and a lock pick set.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma didn't take anything.

[jemmus]

The ninja leave the subterranean storehouse and shelter in the light of the dawn, carefully concealing the trapdoor under fallen leaves and needles. They make their way west down the mountain to the Fuefuki ["Play a Fife"] River and follow a trail along its eastern bank. The pass two fishermen fishing with poles from the bank. They nod to the travelers, but make no inquiries of them. They pass a peasant farmer's house with a dry land soy bean crop.

Soon the trail has descended into the start of the broad, flat-bottomed valley that is home to the city of Kofu. Flooded rice paddies are ready to be planted with seedlings in the next month or so. A large, tile-roofed house sits off of the road and surrounded by paddies. The house of a wealthy jizamurai ["self-retainer"] independent samurai landowner.

The road curves to the left, and the fortress of Kofu Castle sitting on its carved-up hill is seen.

The road passes a distance from its walls, to the north. Map: https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 68#p664968 The travelers pass a large dojo and enter the town itself, with a few houses and shops on each side of the street. The approach a T-intersection. The road is barricaded with structures of bamboo poles lashed together in the shape of Xs, one structure for each entry into the intersection. Ten foot ashigaru bushi with yari and han-kyu are inside, along with a mounted and fully armored samurai bushi with a dai-sho and a dai-kyu. A sergeant of the ashigaru demands, Halt! And listen carefully! You will state your names, where you are coming from, where you live, and what business you have in Kofu.

Actions? What are the PCs' hensu-jutsu disguises?

[Grognardsw]

On the journey to Kofu…

Jonsei traveled down foothills of a majestic Japanese mountain, a sense of awe and tranquility overcoming him. The air was crisp and fresh, infused with the invigorating scent of pine needles and damp earth. The forest surrounding him was alive with a vibrant tapestry of greens - from the deep emerald hues of the towering conifers to the delicate shades of the ferns and mosses carpeting the forest floor.

The path meandered through the dense foliage, dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy overhead. The rustling of leaves and chirping of birds provide a soothing melody to the journey. The deeper Jinsei ventured, the more he become immersed in its enchanting embrace. The trees towered above him, their trunks adorned with knotted roots and lichen, casting intricate shadows on the ground.

The rustling of leaves, the hum of insects, and the soft patter of raindrops on the foliage reminded Jinsei of the beauty and power of nature.

The preceding was brought to you by ChatGP, with the prompt describe walking through Japanese woods. Soon whole modules will be produced such.

At Kofu…

Seeing the roadbock ahead, Jinsei adjusted his fisherman’s costume and took out his rod from the bamboo case. He rubbed his hands on the salted fish he had, then rubbed his face to work up a good fishy stench.

“Fisherman here to sell goods and find work,” answered Jinsei, looking up at the ten foot bushi.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma stops and keeps his eyes pointed to the ground like a respectful peasant.

"I am Urashima and I hail from Kai and I am here to trade some goods."

[Marullus]

Kaida ensures that she and Minoru approach separate from the pair of peasant fishermen, as they wear the guise of priests.

"I am Utsuku, travelling from Heiwa-tekina Kakuri, the Shrine of Peaceful Seclusion." She remains serene, waiting patiently for passage.

[ffilz]

I am Yoshi, also traveling from Heiwa-tekina.

[jemmus]

I'm going to assume that Fuma's han-kyu is unstrung and that he has some sort of disguise for it. Perhaps some kind of wrapping. Concealing weapons seems a part of the hensu-jutsu skill. The bushi have no reason to suspect that the travelers are ninja, so there are no hensu-jutsu rolls needed.

The mounted samurai nods. The sergeant says, You must report to the Traveler Registration Office before sunset to register. You cannot stay overnight in an inn without a registration document. The Office is on the south side of Kofu Castle. You cannot be on the street from the Hour of the Boar* until sunrise.

The travelers continue east and reach another intersection and checkpoint. From here, a clear view of the not far away sacred Mount Fuji rising over the province of Kai can be seen.

The intersection is at the top right (northeast) corner of the map.
The checkpoint is manned similar to the first one. There is a banner with the mon insignia of the Takeda clan.

The travelers are again questioned and told to report to the Traveler Registration Office and warned about the curfew. They take the road south toward the merchant Tanaka Jiro's mansion. The meet a patrol of 10 ashigaru bushi commanded by a samurai on foot. The bushi eye the two pairs of travelers, but don't challenge them. The two groups encounter another checkpoint and receive the same admonishments. An finally a fourth one, this one at an intersection with the much wider Koshu Kaido highway. It's at the eastern entrance of the highway into the city, and it's manned by 12 ashigaru, two foot samurai, and two mounted ones. And, incongruously, there is a shugenja woman with them, wearing a white and red armband with the with the mon of the Takeda. She looks at the travelers, but does not seem to do decide anything mystical or magical. The travelers must wait for a patrol of 12 mounted samurai to pass through the checkpoint, headed toward the east. Then for a merchant's train of laden porters and oxen. Then they are allowed to pass, with the same warnings about registering and the curfew. An ashigaru sergeant says, The Traveler's Registration Office is to the west, on the highway, just before the bridge over the river. If you can't read the sign, ask someone to take you to it. If they don't cooperate, report them to the nearest Takeda bushi. That is compulsory.

It's the Hour of the Dragon,** and the merchant's mansion should be a mere 500 steps or so to the southwest, as the crow flies.

*9:00 PM to 11:00 PM
**7:00 AM to 9:00 AM

[Grognardsw]

Out of earshot of the many patrols, Jinsei said “Pass by Tanaka Jiro’s villa, then I suppose register?”

[Rex]

Fuma

"A good plan, some recon is always helpful."

[jemmus]

Jinsei and Fuma feel eyes upon their backs before they hear the bark of the ashigaru sergeant's voice. You stupid fishermen! The Travelers Registration Office is to the west! He points his arm down the highway to his right. A keen-eyed ashigaru soldier has said something to the sergeant and is scrutinizing the fishermen. Whhy are you talking to each other? Eh? The ashigaru spearmen alert and bring a second hand onto the shafts of their yari. The archers drop a right hand to the quivers at their waists. The sergeant looks to one of the two foot samurai, who looks to the other samurai, who looks to one of the mounted samurai, who looks to the more finely and heavily armored one. That one stares at Jinsei and Fuma, appraising them.

As does the shugenja wearing the Takeda family mon armband. But she seem unconcerned in the end. A half a year of war and tight security. Inspections of honest peasants coming in to sell a what they have, buy what they want or need.

Need hensu-jutsu d20 rolls for Fuma and Jinsei
Hensu-jutsu
The Ninja has no inherent chance of being spotted as a fake. It requires a Wit ST even
to suspect a Ninja in one of his disguises. The Ninja’s Level is always
subtracted from this Saving Throw. Only if this Saving Throw
succeeds may a character be motivated to watch the Ninja more
closely. This happened, twice, with one ashigaru and the samurai leader. But not with the shugenja.
And in this case, the Ninja is allowed a Hensu-jutsu BCS die
roll. If it succeeds then the watcher is satifisfied that the Ninja is not
at all dangerous and will take his unwanted attentions elsewhere.
If the Hensu-jutsu BCS fails, then the absolute value of the Effect
Number is the chance in 20 that the Ninja’s disguise has failed and
the observer will figure out his true identity.
It seems that hensu-jutsu is amazingly powerful. If we look at the successive die roll odds involved. Kind of take different kind of "perfect storm" rolls for it not to succeed.

[Grognardsw]

“Me so sorry!”

Jinsei bowed to the ashigaru and exaggeratedly knocked his hand against his forehead.

“So stupid! Confused by big city!”

He shuffled west, scratching his ass.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma follows along, "City to big." and follows Jinsei.

[jemmus]

You guys didn't roll any henju-jutsu checks and demanded by the dice kami , but that's OK. For now....

The peasant ashigaru bushi give the fishermen actors a hard stink eye and haughtily raise their noses at them. It seems they'd like to laugh and scoff at them among themselves. But the two mounted and two foot stern-looking samurai are watching. As well as the shugenja woman.

Priests Kaida and Minoru approach the checkpoint. A peasant grandpa and grandma who had been waiting beside the highway for the cavalry troop to pass slowly step up for inspection. They shoulder wood frame backpacks laden with furoshiki bags. The ashigaru sergeant demands the same information from them: name, village, business in Kofu. The old man says, I am Taro, from Yamazaki village. This is my wife, from Daibosatsu-san* in this Kai Province. My previous wife left from this Earth and we have recently married. We are coming for my wife to meet my son, his wife, and my grandchildren. We've brought food for a meal and presents. The shugenja looks hard at travelers. Particularly the old woman. She clasps her hands in mudra postures and murmurs under her breath. The four samurai watch closely, but the peasant ashigaru dare not. Their eyes are on the travelers, but they are listening wide-eyed to the arcane ritual happening behind them. The hairs on their arms stand on end.

The shugenja woman woman ceases her murmuring, looks down, and sighs. She looks up at the more richly armored and horse samurai. Nothing. They can go. She looks at the old woman. That one remains head bowed and back bent under the weight of her pack.

The armored samurai captain watches from high in the saddle. He sweeps a finger across the street and says, Kill them both.

A foot samurai barks an order. It's very short work for the ashigaru. The old man drops. But the old woman turns, and with surprising speed and suppleness, runs back along the highway. She turns left up a mountain slope, back toward-- Daibosatsu-Koge. The isolated mountain pass south of The Village. The ashigaru pursue, the four fastest of them quickly leaving the other eight behind. The mounted samurai captain yells, Stupid, slow fools! You eight get back to your positions! Twelve dogs chasing the same rabbit! While one wolf kills the 100 hens!" Get back to your positions! Yari up!

For a moment, there is a space of all of the humans being in the deja vu world of the kakariyo the world of the supernatural. Then they return to the mundane. The ashigaru brings back the body of fox, thrust through with yari blades many times. Taisho-san! It was a kitsune! The old man was tricked by a fox! They look at the bloody body of the old man, lying on the highway before the barricade fence.

Minoru and Kaida see the mounted samurai look at the dead kitsunefox and say to the shugenja, On the battlefield, a mistake by bushi results in his death. No other punishment is needed. You rightly suspected the woman, but your magic failed. In the world of shugendo, what is the punishment for a mistake? The shugenja bows her head and says, I apologize for my failure, Captain-san.

The officer turns to the ashigaru. Two eta**, take the body away. Then deliver pack and goods to the quartermaster's office. Tell the officer that Captain Honma says it's for the widows and orphans relief. I need not have to tell you to keep your hands out of the furoshiki.

He looks at Minoru and Kaida and nods to an ashigaru. The sergeant barks, Come on then, priests. The actors are admitted. The sergeant says, See that bumpkin fisherman scratching his butt there? Follow him to the Traveler Registration Office.

*It's a mountain just south of The Village.
**Eta are the untouchable caste. The handle dead bodies and work as butchers and leatherworkers. Ninja are eta.
Next actions? Report and be registered? Something else?

[jemmus]

I revised the post above a little for better clarity.

[ffilz]

Register as directed. With the excitement, we don't need to give cause for suspicion.

[Marullus]

Kaida remains serene, following directions to the registration office and hopefully avoiding attention.

[jemmus]

Two armored ashigaru bushi with yari stand guard outside the Travelers Registration Office. Inside, there is a front room, with a wall and closed sliding shoji separating it from a back room. Four clerks sit on the floor behind low stands/desk along on walls to the left and right. A fifth, apparently more senior one, is behind a similar desk beside the shoji.
All have rolls of paper standing in racks beside them, and all have brushes and inkstones. Three of the clerks wear cotton kimono with the Takeda kamon insignia, two wear insignia that the ninja don't recognize. Perhaps they are the kamon of the Takeda's retainer samurai clans. Every man wears the samurai shaved pate and pony tail hairstyle, and all have the katana and wakizashi dai-sho at their waists.

The priests wait while the fishermen's aliases and the information on their home villages is duly taken down. When Jinsei says that he is here to sell his goods, the senior clerk says, What goods? Fish? Crayfish? Clams? Present them for inspection!

Actions? Anyone in the nakama group can act here.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei, stinking of fish, opened his dried fish satchel to show his wares.

[jemmus]

A clerk gives each traveler a thin piece of pine board with his name, the date, and "overnight pass" written on it. They are stamped with the Traveler Registration Office's vermilion seal. Report here every day in the morning, in the Hour of the Dragon. And report here when you leave Kofu. If there is an entry into the city with no corresponding exit, the offender will be hunted down, or barred from entering the city again.

It is the Hour of the Dragon on the city's main street, which is also the Koshu-Kaido highway to the east and to the north. Merchants open their shops, laborers make their way to the sites of their work, street vendors hawk baked yams and roasted eel, mostly-naked porters and messengers run with their poles on their shoulders.


The PCs are on the Koshu-Kaido near the bridge south of the castle. (Map in the Game Setting thread: https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 12#p666212 Actions?