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 Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:01 pm
Hantei did not lighten his attitude - he was not angry to begin with. It. Was there something... "It," that made them do this? Threatened them, or took control of them? It seemed far too imaginary to believe, but Hantei looked over the man's shoulder, down the road to the east. "It? What is.. it?" He asked, trying not to sound harsh. This man had probably had enough of him.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:09 pm
He follow's the other's look to the eastern road. There was obviously more to this than they were being told.
"What is down that road, there?" He points eastward.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:14 pm
As you peer down the road to the east, you see what appears to be a walled temple, sitting atop a hill outside of town.
At your next question the old man again rises to his knees.
"Very well!" the old one sobs, his resolve broken at last. "I will tell you. The magistrate, Eojin! He took our children! He took them away, to feed them to the great Goikengu demon! We killed Eojin to save our children!"
Suddenly, a shadow not cast by the sun falls over the peasants and the remaining crowd screams and scatters. Before the old man can react, another man leaps upon him, pulling a small kitchen knife from his clothing. In a frenzy, the second peasant stabs the old man, blood spraying everywhere. After he has butchered the old man, he looks up at you and smiles - and his eyes are black from corner to corner "...come to me, samurai," he hisses - the voice seems ten times louder than this man could have spoken - "come to me, and I will show you death... and pain..." He laughs. Then the knife-wielding peasant's head spins suddenly, snapping in a single convulsion and he falls in the dust - dead. The black slowly fades from his eyes.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:15 pm
Desc picks up his naginata again and to look around nervously. "All of a sudden, I don't like dis one bit. It? It don't sound good ta me. No chil'dren? Also not good. Perhaps 'It' haz der chil'dren. How'd they know dat some samurai would be by here? Or perhaps they are being forced to not do any werk. Sumthin's not right 'round here. Don't like it one bit.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:16 pm
The ashigaru who led you to town steps forward from where he knelt behind you. "Come, I will lead you to his body." He walks off towards the south.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:19 pm
The samurai unsheathed his Katana. He was discouraged. A Goikengu demon? He had not even seen an image of one before, much less seen one. "You will pay for this, foul demon!" So... the magistrate may have been murdered by this frenzied Goikengu demon... There was a lot to think about, but the samurai kept focus on the task at hand, hoping that the naga and spirit folk might help if the demon were to try anything strange, which it already had.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:19 pm
Desc jumps back from the man who's neck just snapped and proceeds to shout a few obscenities in nezumi.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:21 pm
You follow the ashigaru to a torii arch near the southern edge of the village. A body hangs from the arch, rotting. A crude instrument has decapitated what the ashigaru tells you is Eojin, the samurai magistrate, and a pile of small silk haresting knives lie beside the arch. The body has several knife-wounds and punctures.
There is a monk here, chanting to the local spirits and burning what appear to be someone's personal effects.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:26 pm
Desc begins to regret walking down this path. He begins to think to himself whether or not he has any reason to help these villagers. He finally decides that it is not in his best interest to allow a demon to control any villagers that his band would like to plunder, besides, he had heard rumors that his master, Hitomi, had been spotted this way.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:31 pm
Aodokemaru gasped in shock as the pesand descended upo the old man. He drew his tanto but he was too late to do anything but watch in horror. He was startled, so much so that he wheeled around at the sound of the ashigaru's voice, and for moments after, he hand to collect himself and willfully slow his breathing.
"...th-that would be fine." He nodded to the youth and glanced to the Nezumi.
"I don't think his mother's promiscuity matters to him much now, Desc."
As Aodokemaru followed the ashigaru to the sight of the hanging and decapitated body of the magistrate, he lingered behind the others. Along the way, he'd picked up a stick from the ground and as he stepped, he constantly etched into the earth crudely the same character for 'seal.'
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:35 pm
Desc glances at the spiritfolk, "Wasn't aware ya spoke nezumi." He then looks slightly nervous, wondering what else the spiritfolk might have caught him saying.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:43 pm
"A few words, here and there..." He answers the Nezumi as he remains focused on his work. His constant etchings didn't serve any purpose other than to help calm his own shot nerves.
As he approaches the monk, he pauses and listens intently to what the monk 's chants, hoping to gain an understanding of the subject.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:44 pm
"Spiritfolk, Nezumi... It might not be the best time for you to be speaking about other ideas... There is a Goikengu demon after everyone in that village. Any demon at all might at least want you to help save those people." He spoke, trying to persuade them to speak in Common. "He might come after us, too." So long as they could speak their own language, he couldn't tell what they were planning... but neither could the Goikengu demon.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:58 pm
As Aodakemaru looks over the monk, he realizes that among the items about to be burned there is what appears to be a notebook of some kind. Just as he notices it, the monk reaches for it, to add it to the fire.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 5:02 pm
"Wait! Monk, may I see that?" He kneels upon his knees and points to the notebook he was about to point into the fire.
The samurai had a point, if they were to have any hope at all against this...Goikengu, they would have to focus on finding out as much as they could about him, maybe the notebook could help?
"My name is Aodakemaru, by the way." It was strange, but he realized he'd not introduced himself yet.
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