Jade Legacy [L5R 3eR] - Act 2 Chapter 1: Daiippo/First Step

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
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@ Village Center:

The man would frown slightly. "Mmmostly. There was a local Crab magistrate that was snooping around about a week ago, but I... dispatched her, if you get my meaning." The man would give a toothy smile, that seemed... almost out of place.

"Beyond that, it's been local riff-raff. But the Scorpion ninja that I arrived with are keeping them at bay. If you brought more soldiers, then we can finally put an end to them once and for all!" He would pound one fist into another open palm, indicating his sincerity of martial conquest. "I was just coming to greet you. I thought I heard our troops arriving. It must have been a large detachment, from all the noise they were making..."

In addition to your responses, please give me Intelligence/ Lore: Scorpion Clan, or Know the School: Scorpion, or Underworld, or Bushido, or Investigation, or Etiquette. TN 15.

@ Heraldry roll: Kojiro has no idea who this is. He doesn't even have a name to go by. No clue. He can attempt the roll again once he has this person's name.  

[Plainsfox]

@Village Center

Kojiro couldn't help but move towards a more protective position near Miyako. He didn't entirely like that comment. However, a question has been answered. A lot more were raised though. Let's see if he could get another one answered at least.

The first thing he needed to do was to cover for the rest of the Jade Wardens."That sounds like excellent news, Bayushi-san. I will warn you, due to the nature of this assignment, we've had to bring reinforcements in under the guise of a group of assistants to a magistrate. They are a dutiful bunch and have been ordered to keep their cover until given instructions specifically from Shosuro-san here."


Kojiro sighed and slumped his shoulders as he continued the story."I fear that Shosuro Hideyoshi is so deep into his role that he is unable to act like anything other than a Crab. He has bought so deeply into his Crab persona that he thinks of himself as Kaiu Kagae. It's the lousy weather here. Lord Sun has touched all of us with a little madness, I think. If you manage to find him, could you please have him constrained until Shosuro-san can speak with him?"


OOC:

1st 8 dice: 5k3 to Intelligence/Etiquette +3 to handle explosions
Results: 21
2nd 8 dice 5k3 to Awareness/Deceit +3 to handle explosions
Raises called: 1 to sound properly officious
Results: 25  

[Tei Kae]

[Intelligence/Etiquette= 4k2 =18]

As he spoke further, she let a little frown purse her lips. "Of course you would do your duty, there was never a doubt of that." And then warmed up her smile. "I am afraid that my yojimbo is correct. We were unsure what condition we would find you in and our journey was overly taxing upon our own party."  

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
--------------------

@ Village Center:

@ Etiquette Rolls: Open admittance of murder? Military conquest? And possibly most importantly, Scorpion ninja?! None of these things fit what one would hear out of a Scorpion samurai.

The Scorpion would frown, then shrug. "That is quite unfortunate. I assume that our Clan's conquests have spread our forces thin, but a sword is a sword, even if the mind is dulled. We'll take what reinforcements we can get, brother. I'll give the orders to my men, though I am sure they are already on the case."

Placing his hands on his hips somewhat dramatically, he would then begin delegation. "As the warlord in charge of securing this region, I suggest putting the bushi on defense immediately, to bolster our lines. Come the morning shift, they can be relieved and will be allowed to rest up. If possible, I would prefer to speak with whomever is in charge in private to iron out the finer details." 21 on his Courtier (Political Maneuvering) to try to make this happen.

He would turn aside and gesture back to the house which he formally occupied, the door still ajar. What do you do? What DO you do?

--------------------

@ Kagae, by himself:

As Kagae begins wandering around, looking for the Scorpions, he would hear someone clear their throat behind him. "Hello there, stranger. What brings you around these parts?" If Kagae turned around, he would find a young woman, not much older than he, with medium-length loose red hair and a playful flirty smirk on her red lips staring at him. Her eyes traveled down and back up, and she bit her lower lip as she sized him up.

"You must be dying in all that armor. I'm one of the hired hands the Crab sent to help hold this village, but it's awfully boring all the way out here. I thought you were a bandit or some marauding Lion in search of a fight, but I'm glad I was wrong. I'm about to be relieved from my watch any time now; do you want to join me and make yourself comfortable? It's felt like ages since I've had some quality company." 16 on her Courtier (Manipulation) and 26 on her Deceit (Seduction) roll! She's giving you that wanton look that only a woman can pull off...

(Reminder: Seduction is resisted by Awareness/Etiquette (Sincerity). Add your honor rank to each die when resisting.)

--------------------

@ Everyone else:

Hang tight. We'll know your fate after the next round of posts, it looks like.  

[Tei Kae]

"Yes, of course." Miyako was liking this less and less. "As for speaking to whomever is in charge, you get the luck to deal with me." She posed becomingly but not seductively, letting him make what he would of her jade green eyes, with the delicate spider's web of a mask upon her face, her petite frame or the entire picture she presented. She would have 'her' way.

She turned and looked at Kojiro. "Kojiro-san, would you please tell the others to join us?"

[Courtier/Awareness/Manipulation 7k4 +3 with a few for explode-y=46]  

[Plainsfox]

The bushi would nod his assent to Miyako's statements as he hovered around her protectively. When he was certain that Tengu-san attention was taken with Miyako's eyes, Kojiro would try to slip his new piece of jade into the back of her obi.

After Miyako turned to him he would bow in compliance. "At once, Lady Shosuro!" The Scorpion would then march dutifully towards their team mates, doing his level best to disguise all the misgivings he was feeling about this predicament. Kojiro hoped that his little gift was not needed, but this village gave him bad feelings. Tengu-san seemed to be a bad collage of other clan's impressions of a Scorpion.

OOC: Agility/Sleight of Hand (untrained.) 3k3 to place a piece of jade in Miyako's obi.
Results: 23  

[Mongooseh]

@ Kagae, by his oh so lonely self:

Kagae was sizing the woman up aswell as she spoke and turned a bright red at her advances as he shrunk away into his armour. Placing one hand firmly on his sword he replied very sheepishly,

"A-as g-g-great as that s-sounds I mu-must p-point out that there w-was a scorpion banner h-hanging outside of town... B-but it must be nothing... I'm here on a mission from the empire... But it isn't urgent for immediate action... Sounds like fun..."

Kagae would wait around for her to finish her watch.

"My name is Kagae by the way..."  

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
--------------------

@ Miyako and the Scorpion?:

Before Kojiro goes, he slips a small sliver of green stone in Miyako's obi, just in case. The mystery Scorpion does not seem to take notice of this.

Miyako would step through the door of the headman's hut, the mystery man pausing to give Kojiro a look reaching for the sliding door. After a Raw Awareness roll, an Awareness/Investigation (Interrogation) vs TN 15 (his result) will give Kojiro the impression that he means no harm.

Then the door would close.

Turning to face Miyako, the man would wait a few moments in silence, as if waiting for something, though not from Miyako. Then, he would reach to his left side, for his daisho...

And unbind them from his obi. Kneeling before Miyako, he would place them on the ground before her, saying lowly, "Kill me if you must; I will not fault you for it. But please, there are two ashigaru in Kuda Mura working as my associates. Their contribution to my cause was made due to pressure, and they should not be made to suffer for my indiscretions, Shosuro-sama. It is my one request."

Miyako, give me a TN 15 Perception/Investigation (Notice) check!

--------------------

@ Kagae and the Scorpion?:

The girl would frown a bit, before slinking a bit closer to Kagae. "I know it doesn't help my cause any, but I have no idea why that thing's even there. It was Bayushi Sanzo's idea. He's the envoy from the Scorpion that's currently residing in this village. I don't know what he has to gain from doing so, but you know how Scorpion are. Still, he must have gotten permission from someone important."

She would smile, almost beam, as Kagae introduced himself. "You can call me Ginko. Though, if you're handsome under that helmet, you can call me whatever you want..." She would stride forward, delicately as a woman would, despite the katana at her side, indicating her warrior training. She would press her palms against Kagae's cooling armor, sliding them up as her eyes met his. She would let her hands guide themselves to the shikoro of his helm, pausing for his consent before she would try to remove it.

Courtier of 13 to encourage his approval with those big brown eyes of hers.

--------------------

@ Everyone else and the Scorpion?:

Denbe! Zanzen! Hisashi! Kojiro comes back, and seems to have misplaced his charge.  

[Plainsfox]

@Acting Lessons

The Jade Warden headed back to his compatriots, obviously agitated. "Right. We need to head into the village now. However, something's not right in the village. We've managed to convince them that you are actually a secret patrol of samurai disguised as assistants to a magistrate.....so you must pretend that you are pretending to be Scorpions pretending to be you."

The Bayushi took a deep breath. "Denbe-san. I have a special favor to ask of you. If this even looks like it might go wrong, I want you to run back to Kaiu-san's parents and tell them what happened here." Kojiro paused as if he was going to add something else, but decided to get the group moving. " I....let's get a move on!"

OOC:
Awareness/Courtier roll to get the group moving (5k3 w/3 explodies)
2 raises to sound extremely urgent and that this is all a good idea.
Results: 19  

[Sutiiven]

A much more calm and collected courtier than earlier that evening raised his hand as Kojiro made his request to action.

"...Kojiro-san, you must be joking. That can't be even remotely appropriate, if not downright dishonorable. I know I'm a pirate who's done my fair share of questionable things this evening, but you're asking us to do something that pushes some pretty tight boundaries."

Now that he wasn't being berated by a certain Crab, he was more in the mindset to look at things appropriately - and in this case, their very nature as Samurai was being brought into question, assuming they were to follow through with this grand deception.

Actually, that brought something else to mind -

"Forgive the sudden digression, but did you happen to run into Kagae-san while in the village? He stormed off after you two once our... ah... disagreement was settled."  

[Plainsfox]

@The Rest of the Party

The Scorpion realized how worried he was about Miyako must've blinkered his perception on the matter. The solution to the situation was obvious, however. "You're right. Forgive me. You only need to act like yourself. Please follow me and please hurry. We don't have time to argue."

Kojiro would again try to usher the group towards the village. "Kagae? I didn't run across him. However, I'm not too worried about him. He IS a Crab and this IS his home territory. By the way. either touch me with jade or ask me a question you think only the real Kojiro would know the answer to. For all you know, I could be an Oni in disguise."

OOC:
Awareness/Etiquette roll to properly apologize for any request to do anything dishonorable. (5k3 w/ 3 additional dice to handle explosions)
1 Raise to make sure that the request to do anything dishonorable is fully unintentional and motivated more towards Miyako's safety than anything else.

Results: 23  

[Raganui Minamoto]

@ wherever we are

"If I ever thing you're an oni, then Kami help you if it's not one." He replied simply. "How about I just stay quiet... I don't think that I could properly speak if this situation calls for what you ask. But I will not attempt to be what I am not."  

[Mongooseh]

@ Kagae and the Scorpion?:

Reaching up and undoing the string on one side of shikoro allowing her to undo the other.

"So Ginko-san from which family do you hail from? The katana at your side must mean your a samurai of sorts... Or are you at least aware what happens to non samurai touching a katana?"  

[Tei Kae]

Miyako's hand had slid to her own weapon as she walked in, just to be on the safe side and lightly her fingers had touched as she spotted the quick movement, but even she was caught unaware as he undid his obi and bowed before her. She was a bit clueless as to what exactly was going on, although she was quite well aware of his compatriots in the town they'd left.

Her hand remaining on her hilt, she regarded the man before her with disgust, although she was careful for it to not show in her face. "What will happen to you is as yet undecided. We ran into your compatriots and they ran from us. Would you care to explain that?"  

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
--------------------

@ Miyako and the Scorpion?:

The man would shake his head a bit, unsure how to answer. "Kufu and Jotaro ran? You mean..."

Suddenly, a proverbial lantern seemed to light above his head.

"So the Scorpion didn't send you to kill me!" He tensed, looking longingly at his sword which he apparently foolishly disarmed himself of. It WAS in arm's reach...

There was an awkward pause.

But he instead decided to scramble to his feet and back away. "Okay, this... this actually looks a lot worse than it is. My name is... was Yasuki Iwao. It's just Iwao now. I borrowed the name Bayushi Sanzo to help save this village - I truly did not mean any disrespect to the Scorpion." He paused once, glancing down at his daisho. "Truthfully, I would be more comfortable with my sword in my possession. May I reclaim it?"

Regardless of Miyako's answer, he would speak a bit more. "I hope Kufu and Jotaro are still well. They really had no say in this, and I forced them to keep silent on my dealings here. But beyond that, I assure you, I'm acting alone in this village."

--------------------

@ Kagae and Ginko:

Kagae! I would normally call for an Intelligence/Lore: Bushido roll, but...

As Ginko lifted the helm from Kagae's head, she would smile. "You're not a wreck under there. Good. We can DEFINITELY work with that."

Leaning in close to Kagae, she would casually disgard his helm, dropping it to the dirt at their feet. "As for my family, you might have heard of us. I come from the Family of Hard Knocks."

With a coy smile, she would suddenly step back, and *CRACK!*

Kagae would definitely hear the branch breaking from the force of the impact against the back of his skull, but for the life of him, he didn't feel any pain. Or ANYTHING for that matter. The moon seemed to vanish, as if Lady Moon was swallowed by an Eclipse, and Kagae would float freely in a sea of blackness.

--------------------

@ Everyone Else:

By the time you start heading back to the house where Miyako was left at, one of you stumble upon a metallic rock in the ground. Upon examination in the moonlight, you recognize it to be the helmet of Kaiu Kagae. A broken branch nearly as thick as a forearm lay nearby, but otherwise, there is no sign of your companion.