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Kentaro is impressed by the heart of this woman, even as he is shocked, having not considered poison in his modest ways. City folk are strange indeed.

He sits, quiet, waiting for Ito or Omi to have the honor of being first served. He then has no hesitation to drink, assured by the woman's display.

After the tea is served, Akemi again sits and makes oiran-style tea time small talk. It's a beautiful autumn day, isn't it? Even here in this lonely place the turning maple leaves are beautiful.
Such things as these cherished tears
coloring
scattered maple leaves.
That is a haiku by a poet named Matsu Bashoh, please don't think that my silly self could compose something like that. Some say that autumn is the most poignant season, because summer is gone and winter is coming. The poor trees paint their leaves with beautiful colors, because they know they will soon die and scatter. The bushi-sama have come to scatter leaves, I suppose, she softly says, with a downward gaze. I can't think of any other reason to find this desolate place and come to it. The leaves may begin falling in half an hour, an hour, or two hours. But I don't think three hours. I have no doubt the bushi-sama will be well-prepared for the momijigari.
Well, I will check the rice.

She rises and leaves, and Taisho sees her enter the wellshed. In a few minutes she returns with the hot kettle. Please forgive me, bushi-sama, but we must use the tea vessels also for the rice. And please forgive, I must again rudely partake before the guests do. She eats her cup of rice and it has no apparent effect on her. Please, bushi-sama, partake. I will take a cup to the gakusho-sama.

Momijigari - a maple leaves viewing party, with sake, snacks, and spontaneous haiku compositions. Matsuo Bashoh was a real poet, but from the 17th century.
The hours she mentions are Japanese hours, of course (two hours long). It's currently around 2:00 PM. Actions? You can skip whether your PC drinks the tea or eats the rice if you want. We've spent plenty enough time on this scene, I think.

Kentaro allows Ito and Omi to drink before him, and then also to take rice before him, but otherwise sits and stares at the woman. His mouth hangs open, unable to muster suitable responses to the small talk.

Which to him, is amazing. Amazing, important talk. A woman who recites poetry with gentleness but has the bravery to make direct eye contact and to test for poison. Who formulates a beautiful analogy for the red-falling leaves of maple trees... turning uncouth and bloody truths into an image of beauty. Not in all the mountains did he meet such a woman. He will never regard the splattering of blood the same way again, but always remember it as momijigari. His face flushes scarlet when she looks to him, but he is sure to make eye contact and maintain it in a manly way.

"Remain inside and quiet... that no harm would come to you." he tells her.

When dinner is complete, Kentaro prepares for the return of the bandits. Using what he learned of their habits from studying their trails, he finds a good place to overwatch with clearance for a long distance and cover for himself, likely atop the large rocks that form the rear wall of the hut. He then prepares his dai-kyu and waits, silent, watching leaves fall.

Taisho will partake as well and I assume the others will communicate the situation to him and he will continue to watch. I don't think there's any magic he can do to help the watching.

Marullus wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:42 pm

i-dont-always-fall-in-love-but-when-i-do-its-with-a-stripper.jpg

Kentaro's climb up the rock is an Easy Climb up "surfaces rich with handholds" (p. 6). He can reach the top in 2 detailed turns (2 yds movement per turn), or faster if he wants to make a Climbing roll (Dft/2).
A simple miss leaves the rate unchanged. A Critical Failure will
cause the character to remain motionless, with one chance in 20 of
checking for a fall as for normal failure in a Steep Climb.

There's no roll for an Easy Climb, unless the character wants to go faster. Kentaro can take his time and not have to roll. It seems that all climbs are in detailed time. Mainly, I just presented the rule for everyone, since I got familiar with it. Learn as we go!

Please state where on the map your character will wait for the bandits. Please state the grid coordinates, and also the direction you're facing. The top of the map is North.

Kentaro is at O26, on top of the 9 feet high rock that forms a wall of the hovel. He is on Treacherous Ground.

All gray squares, whatever the shade, are treacherous ground (-1 to BCS for hand to hand combat). But they may be an elevated position compared to an adjacent square (+1 to BCS). For example, a lightest gray square (the ones that look white) are elevated compare to clear terrain (green) squares. The rules don't include the elevated position bonus for missile attacks.

I'm going to add an additional modifier. Young tree/scrub foliage (YT) squares are treacherous ground squares. Attacking from them is -1 to BCS. If it's also a gray square, the effects are cumulative (-2 total to BCS). Movement into a YT square costs the same to BMA as picking one's way through a boulders square (as below).

T – A clear area with a tall tree. The trunks don’t obscure vision much, but using a Long range hand to hand weapon will be at a Hindrance.
YT – An area with a young tree. Also a Hindrance for Long range weapons. Vision beyond a YT square is mostly obscured.

Picking one’s way (walking) through a boulders square (light gray) is at BMA/4 (round to nearest). Faster, riskier movement requires a Broad Jump from stone to stone to stone. Entering a lying or standing rock square requires Climbing. Climbing a lying rock isn't much challenge at all.
viewtopic.php?p=560867#p560867

jemmus wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 5:32 pmKentaro is at O26, on top of the 9 feet high rock that forms a wall of the hovel. He is on Treacherous Ground.

...I think that works. Validating my assumptions:

• He has a clear line of sight both north, south, and west from there.
• He has an elevated position for +1 BCS to his archery.
• I asked for a spot with partial cover from incoming fire - is that true or unavailable?
• Those coming at him on foot will have to climb and/or face a -1 BCS penalty for being lower than him in a melee.

Before climbing up to have his superior overwatch position, Kentaro clears his throat and asks the other Bushi, "I have a strong bow with good range, so will climb above... if you have arrows to spare, I will take them as part of a tactical plan." He doesn't draw attention to his quiver, more than half empty, but it hangs openly on his belt.

No, clear vantage is reason enough to be up there. His range and damage with a 4-man Dai-kyu is extreme... he is point blank to 50 yards, so that's anywhere on this map. He hopefully can start firing on them at that range and have a good amount of rounds as they close.

Kentaro asks the woman, "Tell me - do the bandits carry bows? Do they have swords, or lesser weapons? Is their aught we should expect of them?"

Akemi says, Two of them have bows. But they a shorter ones. One of them is carried by Kazuo, who is tall and big and very strong.
They are armed with wakizashi, yari, and naginata. Most of them have armor. The leader Satoshi has a... I don't know what it's called... the chest and back part of the armor-- that's lacquered dark indigo color. Three of them don't have armor. Last night when they were drunk, one of them, a heimin named Ken'ichi, asked to wear that helmet there. She nods to the goods at the back wall of the hovel. But the leader Satoshi said, "A green pepper goes into a pot. The pot doesn't go onto the empty green pepper head." Everything but Ken'ichi laughed and laughed. Then Kazuo, who is also ronin, came up with a haiku.
The green pepper asked
The pot to cover it-- oh!
The full Moon-- where is it?

And again everyone but Ken'ichi laughed and laughed. Ken'ichi's emotions flooded into his head and his face turned bright red. He stood up, pointed a finger directly at Kazuo's face, and yelled, "You! I will cut you right here and now!" He was reaching for his yari leaning against wall behind him. But big Kazuo just stayed seated and smiled and thumbed the hilt of his wakizashi. I'm just a silly woman who knows nothing about fighting, but even I could see that Ken'ichi knew that in this narrow house he would probably be cut many times by Kazuo's wakizashi every time he tried to attack with that long yari.

But then Satoshi smiled broadly to the group and Ken'ichi. In the the style of a monkey or barbarian mocking an oiran, in a feigned high comic voice, "Welcome, honored guest, Ken'ichi-sama. Please have a seat. Please allow me to fill Ken'ichi-sama's cup." And Ken'ichi did sit down again and Satoshi did fill his cup with sake, and laughed again. But then they quiet. Ken'ichi's drunken face was flushed with rage. I have no doubt that mine was too, because of Satoshi mocking me. But Ken'ichi dared not raise his gaze to meet Satoshi's. And I, behind the circle of drinkers, didn't dare to do so either.

Where would the bushi like Taisho to keep watch from?

One thought is hanging out on the big rock will also make us visible to the bandits as they come back perhaps giving them time to scatter before we get more than a bow shot or two off.

Omi will be prepared to attack the bandits from the hut, he will ready his bow by the entry, and prepare to keep watch from there.

Taisho will be on top of the rock, with a good Wit, his Perception of Hidden Things will be good.

Kentaro climbs onto the lying rock, then climbs the craggy nearly vertical one using handholds and footholds. He stands on the nearly horizontal top of the rock, his feet three yards above the ground, his head nearly five yards. From here, he can view the whole rugged field of boulders, scrub foliage, and trees. He can see over most low foliage. But he cannot see the area just behind the leaves, of course.

Taisho follows close behind and scans all directions from the top of the rock. There's nothing to be seen except the wildness of this part of Chiyo-san mountain.

We need Ito's position and Omi's confirmation of his position. Is he going to stay in the house, or move to somewhere with better line of sight for archery? TBH, at ground level visibility is pretty short range about anywhere.

Omi remains watchful from within the house.