[004] A Call to Retribution

[Marullus]

Oh, sorry I missed that. I alluded earlier but he can be clear.

The merchant, broken by Taka's torture, confesses that the wagon was not supplies for the Shugenja's village as he claimed, but was metal weapons intended for the war camp where he intended to go after.

This is why the cargo sank immediately, where bushels of rice would have floated.

[jemmus]

Zenrin
Perhaps going to the war camp would be our best choice. So we can report having seen it in person to the daimyo.

Saizo
If we decide to do so, perhaps I could infiltrate and get some names. Or retrieve some kind of incriminating evidence of its existence. But of course, the merchant here must know names of leaders in the camp, and what they plan to do. It is a shame we can't retrieve the weapons in the river, but for evidence and for their sale value. But I am ashamed to say, I am not a swimmer. He turns to the yakuza. Can you swim, gambler? You'd only need to tie this chain onto a chest. He indicates the manriki-kusari wrapped hanging in loops from his left shoulder. Perhaps if you aide us my comrades could decide to... perhaps it would make a favorable impression on them. How about you, merchant? Can you swim?

[Samwell Turleton]

Daitaro Amano

If we recover any of the sunken wagon's items, how would we make the connection clear to the Daimyo about the intentions of Kogataro? It appears that we would need to recover the dowry from the sunken wagon or the dowry from the hag; or find a way to a confession in the court of the Daimyo by one of these two. Daitaro puzzles over the question in his mind a little further after posing the options.

[Marullus]

*bump*
Those are the options, yes. when you choose a course, we will resume.

[jemmus]

Saizo
The ninja says, Perhaps then we should visit the war camp and try to find other evidence of the treason against the daimyo. Perhaps we could capture another plotter, who along with these two could attest to the crime. I believe the daimyo's bushi would... have the means of extracting confessions. And if not, we have seen that Taka-san has that ability.

Zenrin
Visiting the camp would also let us know its location. So that we can lead the daimyo's men to it, and they can see it for their own and have their proof. Perhaps that would lead to a less harsh outcome for these two men. It is... possible... that the daimyo would show mercy. The monk, remorseful about the killing he has today, feels that if there is even a minute possibility of avoid further loss of human life, they should follow that path.

[Marullus]

Okay! You have to collectively determine next steps for your action AND then also what to do with the unharmed merchant and his wide-eyed, terrified companion while your next steps are taken.

You have the information you came for. You also have the rice papers taken from Kogatoro:

Do you go to the Daimyo now, or do you first try to acquire more phyiscal proof that you can take to him? If you will acquire physical proof, where and what do you pursue? (From the submerged wagon, from the Hag [the dowry box], or from the war camp? In order of potency in convincing the Daimyo.)

...and what do you with these two? Do you kill them? Free them? Secret them away until judgment is rendered? Try to compel them to confession in front of the Daimyo?

The group discusses getting the wagon's contents from the river, but none offer to swim. Doubt is then discussed about tying the wagon's contents to the audacity of the plan you wish to convince the Daimyo is true.

Daitaro Amano suggests that if you don't have the wagon's contents, you can go to the Hag for the dowry box before going to the Daimyo. This is a vote for "kill the hag who killed our families"

Saizo suggests going to the war camp so he can infiltrate and get a list of names or other evidence. This is a sneaky ninja solution; unclear what the others are doing.

Zenrin suggests leading the Daimyo's Bushi to the camp. Taka has been there, and the route is clear, having been extracted from the captives. This is a "go to the Daimyo now" option.

Keiso remains quiet, discomfited by the deaths and not wishing to take part in the decisions of necessary violence to come.

We need at least two votes on one option. Also,
- What do you do with the prisoners?
- Do you go get Satake Motoyuke to take part in the plan, or leave him at court with further deniability?

[Marullus]

*bump*

[jemmus]

Zenrin says, Like many things in life, their are many ways to proceed, and knowing which is the best is not clear. But I will say I like the idea of going to the camp. Killing the hag would be a service to the world. But if we get killed instead, our knowledge of Shosen Makoto's misdeed will die with us, and he may continue them unchecked. So perhaps it is better to first reveal his perfidy and discredit him. Then we can decide about eliminating the hag.

Taka-san originated this quest, and her spirit has perhaps invested the most into it of us all. I will defer to her decision, should she choose to decide on our course.[/dialog]

He indicates the merchant and the yakuza. As for these two, perhaps we should keep them with us? So that they can testify on their crimes, and the father Shoshen Makoto's crimes, to the daimyo.

Saizo says to Kogataro and the yakuza, Men in your positions would usually want to try to betray their captors. Alert enemies about their presence, try to escape during a crisis... that kind of thing. That's only natural. But every minute in Nippon a field mouse does something that is only natural-- but instantly fatal. The teeth of fox and the talons of the owl never think of remorse. The tools do the work they were born to do. The eta shinobi looks both men straight in the eye, the yakuza first, then the merchant.

Zenrin is basically agreeing with Saizo's proposal, so two votes, if that helps move us along. But he also deferred to Taka's call on how to proceed.

[Marullus]

So...

• Taisho (a monk), Zenrin (a Sohei monk), and Saizo (a ninja in an unnamed disguise) are going to go together to a seditious war camp and... sneak in? Walk up with an excuse?
• Taka and Amano will stay and guard the prisoners, keeping them gagged and afraid of Taka.
• Motoyuke still awaits in the city, likely converting a an allied and friendly NPC.

So, what's Saizo's disguise? And what's your approach?

So, are we OK with Saizo's suggestion that the go to the war camp to find out what's up there? And maybe get some more incriminating evidence on the merchant?

Also, I'm not quite getting how the merchant's daughter's engagement ties in. A may have missed some information about the groom's family that was presented. Any hints for us, without being spoilers?

You know nothing of the groom. Since the dowry was going to the war camp, you presume the groom is among them. Likely at least someone in the Samurai caste - you believe that Makoto is staging and funding this coup, but it is unlikely that he will go from merchant to samurai (let alone Daimyo) himself. The involvement of a dowry makes it more likely that he is increasing his standing by the daughter's arranged marriage. Taka and the previous group went to the camp to find out who was in charge there and were promised an audience once they returned from the 'bandits' not knowing of the Hag, and so never learned more.

[jemmus]

It's clear now. Thanks!

Zenrin asks Taka for directions on how to reach the camp, then says, I apologize, I have new suggestion. Perhaps we don't think we need to visit the camp. The daimyo's troops just need how to find it. The proof its existence will be enough of an implication for the plotters.

Saizo replies, To me that makes sense. My idea was to have the merchant here write a letter to the commander of the camp. It would say that that the arms shipment is delayed for two days, for reasons that he would explain later in person. We would stamp it with his seal. The letter would ask that the commander also stamp it with his seal, as proof of the delivery. And I would deliver the letter to the commander as a messenger, or his officers. And then we would take the message to the daimyo, as proof of the treachery and its leader's identity.

But as Zenrin-san says, we just need to direct the daimyo's troops to the site of the camp. That should be proof enough. So, then, to the shugenja instead? To find out more about the betrothed groom's family. Merchant-san, information on his location, please.

[Marullus]

Between Taka and the confessions of the merchant you can describe the way to the camp.

If you want to see the wizard you just follow this clay-brick road. You're halfway there and it is Taka's mentor. There's a small village that has sprung up providing herbs and services near his hut.

The signed letter from Saizo's caper would be a "a gift" of evidence to modify the social roll. You can either pursue more evidence as modifiers or go see the Daimyo now. Your choice.

One error on my part. You know the name of the daughter's betrothed if that's what you were seeking next.


we'll let Ffilz chime in.

[ffilz]

Going to Taka’s mentor sounds like a good idea.

The disruption of the arms shipment may cause something to happen at the war camp that draws the daimyo’s attention.m without our doing anything else immediately.

We do need to do something with the merchant.

[Marullus]

*bump*

Looks like you talked yourselves out of going to the camp. You considered going to the Wizard, but to find information you already have (the name/family of the betrothed - the samurai Tsuzawa Hoshii).

Does that mean you're now ready to go to the Daimyo?
If so, are you taking the Merchant to him, or doing something else with him?
Do you do anything with the name of the samurai (Hoshii) before petitioning the Daimyo?
- a Heraldry roll can produce what you already know
- Otherwise, you're finding someone who knows more and asking them... an easier social roll (perhaps by Motoyuke with his new friends, the clerks) before the Daimyo.

You have the letter taken off the Merchant as a "gift" to help your Daimyo roll.
You can aid your roll with Rhetoric as you explain the situation (you can do the RP as a group and someone can roll with Taka's skill).
This supports the status check for the outcome, which will be rolled by Motoyuke, who has highest status and went to the city to prepare and get a bonus on it.

[jemmus]

Saizo Heraldry [1d20]=1 Wow. An automatic success even with no Heraldry skill at all, correct?
Zenrin Heraldry [1d20]=7

Zenrin
Ah, excuse me Saizo, but we have the information we would get from the shugenja. It's the name of the "merchant" yakuza o-yabun's daughter's betrothed.

Saizo
Oh, you are correct, Zenrin-san. The samurai Tsuzawa Hoshii.... I have heard the name before. The ninja searches through his mind for where he heard the name, and what was said about the man.

[Marullus]

Saizo Heraldry [1d20]=1 Wow. An automatic success even with no Heraldry skill at all, correct?

Indeed it is!

The samurai Tsuzawa Hoshii.... political machinations are not Saizo's normal duties but the Tsuzawa family has already been mentioned among his clan as a ripe target; it is likely the Yakuza saw the potential in the same.

The Tsuzawa are a proud, noble family on the brink of poverty and obscurity. They were prominent under the previous daimyo, before the current Daimyo, Washima Fuhito, rose out of the struggle for this province about 10 years ago. But the Tsuzawa lost much in the war, including a significant portion of their rice-producing lands taken by the Washima as the spoils of their success. The Tsuzawa became a vassal family to the Washima and still hold an honorable place on the Daimyo's councils but their social standing is slipping as they lack the wealth to maintain it (i.e. about to slide from Middle Rank to Low Rank Samurai). The combination of poverty and pride makes the Tsuzawa exploitable in the clan's eyes.

Hoshii is the oldest son of the younger generation, just 19 years old, and pressured to restore what his father and uncles have lost. The implication is obvious - heir to a recognized name wedded to the money of the "merchant" Makoto would prevent the family's loss of face and restore their prominence. No matter the amount of money that Makoto acquires, he cannot ever buy his way into the samurai class... the eternal plight of the merchant class. But by wedding his daughter he has effectively bought a heritage - his wealth will hold influence over his young son-in-law while his grandchildren are born to status and titles.

[jemmus]

Saizo tells the group what he knows of Hoshii and his family the Tsuzawa. I strongly doubt that the Tsuzawa even suspect that the merchant Shoshen Makoto is actually a yakuza oya-bun. It doesn't seem that even a samurai family in need of funds would marry a son to the daughter of a yakuza.

Zenrin says, It is none of our affair, but if we could expose Makoto to the daimyo before the marriage, it could possibly save the Tsuzawa family from some humiliation. And save the young man Hoshii from a scandal. One that could taint the way people treat him for the rest of his life. Perhaps it would be best to hasten to the daimyo with our report. Bringing these two yakuza to confess, as our witnesses.

Saizo thinks for a moment, then quotes for the companions and the captives to hear:
"The laden and driven old ox--
Nothing changes for it if
The drover's boss falls ill." He looks the yakuza soldier in the eye for an instant second, then looks away. Yes, it only makes sense to state the facts plainly.
There is no use dying and leavving a widow or aged mother without support, when the facts will surely be revealed in time in any event. No one had heard that particular haiku before. Perhaps it's one particular to some remote locality, or to the ninja operative's clan?


(Saizo's char sheet says that he secretly writes poetry, that even his immediate family have never seen).

[ffilz]

Keiso will weigh in and agree with the plan to bring this to the daimyo's attention immediately.

[Marullus]

Awesome!

You are on your way back to Takayama to the Daimyo's court, hoping that Matayuke had success in preparing the way for you. Satake Taka, as the highest among your travelling group, makes introduction to get you to the Palace, her uncle already within. You came with haste, and with prisoners, so there is no time to refresh yourselves at the inn after travel or way to keep the prisoners both quiet and secure in doing so. It is not ideal to come travelstained from the road, but there you all are. Zenrin cannot help but be self-conscious, the weight of the sin of murder heavy upon his conscience. He knows he must get to the temple, but this business must complete first. He folds his garments to try to disguise the splatter of blood upon them.

A middle-rank Samurai official wearing his dai-sho prominently steps forward to check your progress before you enter the palace. "What is the purpose by which you come here? Why do you lead two bound men?"

Also, what disguise does Saizo change in to?

[Marullus]

*bump*

[jemmus]

Saizo nods to group and swiftly dashes into the nearby undergrowth. He finds and retrieves the body of a drowned yakuza. He quickly hauls it onshore, takes the wakizashi from under body's tight-cinched woven cotton belt. He quickly doffs his own wet clothing, puts it into his long cotton satchel, and dons the yakuza's garb. He then unties the band holding back his long hair, and the hair falls about his face and make him look like an impoverished, unkempt ronin. He returns to the group. I am ready to proceed.