Scroll 1 - The Master Craftsman's Tea Vessel

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei tried to sneak by.



Jinsei sneak [1d20]=18
Modifications not applied, not sure what the list of such tallies to.

[ffilz]

Nonitsu roll for Minoru:

[jemmus]

We calculated that there's a +3 to Base Chance of Success for this rainy night, while in the correct clothing (in this case, blue-black indigo ninja uniform), and creeping to avoid detection (and not closing to attack).

Ninjutsu BCSs
Fuma 12
Jinsei 10
Minoru 12

Minoru's ninjutsu stealth succeeds, Jinsei's doesn't.... He needs a 15 (BCS 12 with +3 modifier) or less.

[Rex]

Fuma

Ninja (BCS 12 +3) [1d20]=1

[jemmus]

Fuma, Jinsei and Minoru reach the first of two streets they must cross. They are in trees, and the nearest buildings are 10 yards each to the left and right. The paper windows are illuminated by lanterns inside, but no motion is seen in or around either. The road runs north-south. Some tens of yards north, it curves away to the west. To the south, to the east. Because of the curves and obstructing buildings, no intersection with a checkpoint can be seen at either end of the street.

Across the street is a building with a lit white paper lantern hanging in front of its entrance. It has two katakana characters written on it in black ink. Sa ke. Sake rice wine. The sound of a dozen or more people talking loudly inside is heard. This must be the tavern-gambling den shown on the map of Kofu. A man sits upright on the street near the entrance, back against the tavern's wall and head hanging down.

Two young men slide the door open, step into the street, and slide it closed again. One says, in a harsh, insultingly disrespectful tough guy patois of,Ha, look at that! The stupid drunk bumpkin went out to take a piss and passed out in the street!
The other answers, in the same vulgar speech, Sleeping drunk in front of a gamblers bar is a good way to get rolled. Let's see what he's got left, after all of that coin he dropped on sake and bad bets. He checks inside the unconscious man's sleeves and withdraws what are probably coins, and from his cotton belt a folding fan. Nine copper and this. He spits into the street. Wouldn't even be enough for him to pay the Takeda's fine for busting the curfew.

Jinsei stealthily crosses the street while the yakuza are occupied with robbing the unconscious gambler. It's his first time practicing ninjutsu in the presence real, non-Clan opponents. His mind, which should be like the reflection the Moon on still water, as empty as air, hesitates at the sight of a stone on the road. Minoru and Fuma smoothly and silently pass by, to each side. Jinsei considers and makes a decision to step around the stone. One of the young hoodlums looks up, and his mouth drops open. A ninja!
Go back in! The other man looks, his eyes open wide with surprise. The two slide the tavern's door open, and entering bump into a man was about to exit. The says in a low, polite voice, I'm sorry, please pardon me. He wears the clothing of a peasant, but with also something like a monk's or traveler's loose outer shawl over them. His hands and forearms are wrapped in old strips of swaddling. He steps into the street, tapping the ground with a curved wooden cane. He stops, and turns his head in Jinsei's direction, eyes unseeing but ears listening.

It seems to the ninja that the blind man has somehow detected Jinsei's presence. But he bows his head and says humbly to Jinsei's general direction, Pardon me. I'll be going. He turns to the oppposite direction and starts tapping his way along the street.

[ffilz]

It feels like we missed some description there...

Anyway, it seems like while Jinsei was spotted, immediate alarm has been averted.

As I suspected, the yakuza are as wary as we are about being caught, it was prudent of them to duck away. Now it's possible they will send someone to try and follow Jinsei so we should be alert for that possibility.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei, thinking a herd of yakuza will come through the tavern door at any moment, does not break stride and continues with the others into the woods across the street.

According to the map, we’d continue west to approach the shrine from behind. Hopefully the yakuza aren’t trackers

[jemmus]

It feels like we missed some description there...

Doh! You're right, thanks for spotting and mentioning. Post #285 has been revised to include the missing text. It's at the top, before the blind man appears.

We'll proceed after Fuma and Minoru's actions.

[jemmus]

Minoru and Fuma observe the two yakuza hoodlums roll the sleeves and cotton belt of a drunken gambler in the rainy, muddy street. Both slip across it in the darkness, silent and unobserved. The see Jinsei practicing the same ninjutsu skill taught and learned back at The Village. But the thugs spot him-- and decide not to get involved with moving shinobi in this rainy night. A humble and polite blind man step out of the gambling den tavern and somehow notes Jinsei's movement across the street. It seems that he had meant to turn that way on the street. But instead politely excuses himself and turns to go up the other way.

Young ninja Fuma, Jinsei, and Minoru silently regroup across the street, in the shadow of the tavern. By the map of Kofu, it's a mere 20 yards away to the next and last street crossing before the mostly empty stretch to the Hachiman shrine meeting point. Where Kaida should appear, at some point? But from the candle-lit second storyoverhead, the hear: Ninja da? Bakayaroh! There's the sound of an open hand slapping heads. Boss, it's true! It was a ninja in a black suit and all, crossing the street! a young voice says. After a while, the older heads-slapping voice says, ...Ninja in Kofu.... Is that so? Something to do with the Takeda. Bakayaroh!
Go get, Yuuji, Kohji, Ichikawa. Anyone not as drunk and stupid as you two. Follow the ninja, and bring them back if you can. Of course, you can't. Take a Takeda night patrol to them and get the reward. Wasteful, but better than nothing with fools like you. What are you waiting for? Get going!

The two young voices reply in unison, I understand! Yes, boss! The muffled sound of a wooden screen banging into place and hasty footsteps down wooden stairs is heard.

Options:
-Immobile ninjutsu rolls to hide in shadows here. Communication with each other would be by kuri-kutsu skills rolls.
-Walking or running across the across the next little street into the dark and empty way to the shrine, with ninjutsu rolls.
-Eliminate the yakuza via ninja combat skills.
-Something else? Climbing roofs, throwing shuriken, blowguns, etc.?

[ffilz]

I think we should all make rolls, then we can determine the level of discussion we can have quickly and silently.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei signed in the secret kuji-kuri method. While not as proficient as others in the clan with the sign language (that embarrassing incident about a banana came to mind), today the young ninja succeeded.

Kuji-Kuri (9) [1d20]=8

"Elude pursuit and go to dine - no, shrine," Jinsei signed, quickly correcting his error.

Even if we eliminate the pursuing yakuza (doubtful), the boss will guess what happened anyway and tell the Takeda patrol.
Passing into the forest to elude pursuit, reach shrine, hide, change into disguises, go about our business the next day until the heat dies down.

Making sure I understand the geography, at the moment we passed the first north-south street in the lower middle of the map. We melt into the forest again and cut across, passing the gently curving southwesterly road preferably at a point where there are no buildings. Then northwest around the back of the shrine. Roughly the path of my blue line, awkwardly drawn on my phone, as we'd avoid getting close to any building.

[Rex]

Fuma

Sign [1d20]=18

"Agreed."

Maybe a bonus for keeping it short and simple?

[jemmus]

Minoru understands Jinsei’s kuji-kuri, but Fuma can’t make it out. Is he saying to stay and hide using ninjutsu, or to walk or run using ninjutsu, or to attack the yakuza? He thinks he saw the sign for “go,” but he’s not sure. He shrugs to Jinsei and Minoru and holds his palms up, showing the universal sign for “I don’t know/understand.”

The ninja hear from inside the inn, Yuuji! Kohji! Ichikawa! Boss says to come with us, quick! Through the kitchen and the back door! And bring your weapons! Three voices answer, Hai! Hai! Hai! Somebody yells, Hey! Kohji, you owe me three moons! The first voice says, Shut up, you! No time for that crap! The ninja hear the sound of running feet approaching the nearby back door.

The ninja know that yakuza are usually armed with clubs, knives, or wakizashi. They normally don't wear armor.

[ffilz]

Sorry, what streets do we have to cross? Once I understand the situation, I will signal an action using obvious movement (so we don't have to rely on understanding Kuji-kiri.

[jemmus]

Please see the map here. https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 56#p678856 The PCs are following the blue lines Grognardsw put on the map. You've crossed the first street. The yakuza are about to come out of the gambling house (the kanji Chinese character on the map).

[Grognardsw]

Assuming consensus on my spoilered feedback in my last post…

With the impending yakuza, Jinsei motioned an obvious “this way!” and moved deeper into the woods on the side they just crossed to. He padded along west as quickly as quiet allowed, keeping aware of the loud pursuers.

Jinsei scooped up a large rock in his travels, and threw it far south to hopefully draw the pursuers to a false direction.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will follow Jinsei's lead.

[ffilz]

Minoru will follow.

[jemmus]

It sounds like you're using ninjutsu. If so, we need the d20 rolls.
Stormy night: +2 to BCS
Walking: -3
Avoiding contact: +1
Correct uniform: +1

Net is +1 to BCS.

[ffilz]