The next morning, Hiroshi, Kentaro and their units were again roused to duty by battle drums. When the Sun rose, the Minamoto armies looked across the river to the Taira camp. Wisps of smoke rose from the remains of campfires. Tents stood empty, or half knocked down. Cooking pots, o-yoroi and ashigaru armor, and weapons were strewn about. Bushels of rice, kegs of sake, and other supplies stood neatly stacked, with their pack horses and oxen tethered beside them.
A murmur of astonishment slowly rose from the 5,000 Minamoto, Matsumoto and Takeda bushi. It soon turned into a cheer of happiness, with weapons upraised.. When that died down, the jokes began. “Did they see a ghost?” “Did the 500 Matsumoto scare them? More than half of which are skinny ashigaru who haven't eaten fish in a year.” “See that pack horse there. Its rope is wound round and around its stake. From a Taira cavalryman trying to escape on it while it was still tethered!” It seems that the spirits of the combined armies are lifted. This time Yoritomo didn't hide in a hollow tree. This time the previous victors ran without a fight. The morale seems to have shifted to the Minamoto side.
Hiroshi's sergeant sets the record straight.
Here's the real story. He makes the sign of ninja kuji kuri hand gestures. He nods, saying with his eyes, Yes, reliable information from ninja spies.
Water fowl on the beach got disturbed and suddenly flew away. The Taira thought it was us doing a night attack from across the river. A few panicked and fled, and that caused a mass panic. No man trusting another, every man fearing he'd been betrayed by cowards and not wanting to be the fool who was cut down alone. Twenty cowards made 6,000 cowards. Kentaro's sergeant says something similar to his unit. It seems that its the official announcement from the top.
The quartermasters will collect the goods. No looting is allowed. Ronin, no pay for you for this 'battle,' because the enemy did not fight. But don't worry, you'll have your battle soon enough. We're pursuing across the rivers into Suruga.
The armies fell into their marching order and continued marching south into Suruga of the wealthy Imagawa Taira clan, masters of three provinces. Mounted Taira bushi sometimes observed the armies from a distance, but avoided any encounters. Peasants in the Suruga fields bowed to the Minamoto army, hedging their bets. The army reached the coast and the Tokaido highway and bivouacked in the fields. Hiroshi and Kentaro again endure a cold night, this one made worse by a cold steady breeze.
The next morning, the sky is a uniform gray. The army entered the highway and turned west. Heading deeper into Taira territory in pursuit of the defeated army. It reached a high, narrow ocean side pass they learned is called Satta.
The officers seems concerned, and the army stood waiting for hours while the commanders discussed. The bushi whiled away the time speculating. “This is a crucial point of the highway. Only a few can pass at a time. It's like going backward through a funnel. A little goes through at a time. But a big cone of water could be waiting on the other side, ready to attack the few emerging at once from all sides.” Eventually the word comes down. Each unit is to double-time through the pass, emerge, and assume its previous place in the battle line. Again, double-time.
Kentaro's ronin cavalry unit emerges, followed by Hiroshi's infantry ronin. Again the Taira's tents and red banners are arrayed, but just a mere 500 paces away. The enemy are on a flat plain cut by rice fields' straight raised bunds. A wooded hill of maples and pines is at their back. The Taira are milling about, forming for battle, as is the arriving Minamoto, Takeda, and Matsumoto. The various clans' officers ride up and down the line, shouting, Pray to your ancestors and make them proud of you! The offspring of their hard work and suffering!” A light snow flurry begin to fall, partially obscuring sight of the banners, horses and men of the Taira.
Shortly before the lines have fully assembled, the snowing stops, but the winds don't. Minamoto no Yoritomo himself and his entourage and guard troop ride up and down the lines, inspecting. It seems that he's not there to inspire, but to gather facts, and correct any defects. He then rides to the center, raises his marshal's baton and calls out,
Bushi! You have trained every moment of you lives for this moment! He is not an especially flamboyant or charismatic speaker. Instead, he gives the impression of being a ruthlessly stubborn operator and a man who intent on having his every command obeyed. Nonetheless, he is impressive. This is a man who has no doubts about himself, and no fear of taking extreme measures to push his destiny to its very end.
If your horse is lathered-- run it to the ground! If your feet feel slow-- make them move faster than ever before! If your arm is tired-- make it strike truer and harder than ever before! Today is the one day to prove the worth of your hard bugei training. Today is the day to honor your ancestors, and defend your families from their enemies. No one will run away from ducks and loons, like the Taira. Honor! Though it means death!
The bushi of the Minamoto army raise their weapons over their heads yell a battle cry. The gusting winds blow the powdery snow across the rectangular fields and pile it against the walls of the bunds. The Taira army raise dai-kyu, yari, naginata, and katana overhead and answer with their own battle cry. The horses look, point their ears and front, paw the earth, and snort steam. The white, blue and black banners of the clans of the Minamoto army whip and turn in the gusts of wind. As do the red ones of the army across the fields.
The Battle of Okitsu
Taira, 6,000 troops (6 Troop Points). Minamoto, 5,000 troops (5 Troop Points (PT))
Situational Modifiers: None. The Taira were on the offensive into Minamoto lands to wipe out the leaders of the insurrection. And nearly did. Morale: +1 Taira, -1 Minamoto. Effect to Minamoto recruiting/rallying efforts because doubts and poor morale (homebrew GMing). Taira retreat and disgrace at Battle of Fujikawa. -2 Taira, +1 Minamoto. Taira on home ground, the capital and reinforcements to their back, +1. Net 0.
The Minamoto army arrived at 12:00 noon. Deployment/Preparation Round - [1d3-1]=3-1=2 2 Nippon hours. Battle starts at 4:00 PM
One-time initial senjo-jutsu (Strategy) roll to see is either commander gets +1 to each Turn roll throughout the battle.
Taira no Koremori: [1d20]=15
Minamoto no Yoritomo senjo-jutsu roll: [1d20]=15
Both fail, +0 each for the battle.
Turn 1. Hiroshi: Courageous mode. Kentaro: Courageous mode.
Commanders' 1d6 rolls for combat results.
Taira no Koremori [1d6]=3
Minamoto no Yoritomo [1d6]=3
3 and 3, tied. Deadlocked results. Per the rules, no losses on either side. But it's been 2 hours of combat, so homebrew rule says half a Troop Point loss per side.
Commanders Koremori and Yoritomo get BCS throws to lose only half TP.
Taira no Koremori [1d6]=3 Loses the full 1/2 TP. Current army at 5.5 TP. (5,500 troops).
Minamoto no Yoritomo: [1d20]=3 Saves. Losses at .50% this turn, so loses .25 TP. TP at 4.75, vs. 5.5. Less than 2:1 ratio, so no bonuses to either side next turn.
PCs roll on the 2d6 on the Deadlocked column of page 36 of book 2. Add 2 for Courageous mode, and please post your results. The first round of battle is challenges to single combat, acceptances, and final resolutions. We can RP that after we see your rolls results.
