Arc 1, Session 8, L5R

 Hida Hotaru’s Private Records, August 10th

It is plain to see that the success of last night’s endeavor has lifted some of the weight from our group’s shoulders. Hayata sat once more with Moshi Jukio He stayed true to his word, & explained what he could of the meaning behind their sojourn to the forest yesterday. The Daimyo seemed intrigued by the implications there had been a murder & impersonation, but chose not to pry further.

Kiyuki spoke with Kaikoga Ochiai about her dreams: her most recent ones were violent, but left a lingering feeling of peace as they closed. Yudai spoke briefly with Mirumoto Hina. She had evidently taken ill the past few days, & was thus unable to attend those events.

Megumi made her way towards Otomo Sorai & Ruko. In even & polite speech, she conveyed the events of the night prior. With the murderous imposter taken off the board, it was her hope that this would clear Monsho no Rumiko of suspicion. The Spymaster took his time in answering, clearly enjoying making the Unicorn wait.

When he responded, it was to tell her that who he should punish, & how to punish them, was his business alone. The dismissal that followed was cold, & carried overtures of a threat. As breakfast concluded, Daidoji Hansha lingered near to the table expectantly. Yudai joined him for another brief discussion in private.

Yudai explained that the information gathered thus far had led us to believe a wedding gift may have been responsible for causing the bride’s affliction. The Crane took that in for a few moments. Both samurai knew it was considered impolite, at best, to peruse wedding gifts until after paying thanks at the actual ceremony. Still, it was an avenue of thought well worth considering.

Hesitantly, the Yojimbo extended an invitation to dinner for Yudai & the rest of our group. He then left to speak to Tsukiko regarding the possible source of the curse. There was a brief break before the day’s competitions, which most samurai used to prepare themselves.

First up were the Dagger matches. Mirumoto Hina, Asako Rekai, Kitsune Ryosei, Megumi, Yudai, & Kiyuki took part. All of the samurai performed well, but Yudai ended up winning the final bout. Competing with the Bo were Usagi Oda, Toritaka Ochiyo, Megumi, Yudai, & Hayata. Despite earnest efforts, the Hare Daimyo’s blood was up: he quite literally swept Yudai up in the final match.

Usagi Oda, Mirumoto Hino, Asako Rekai, Kitsune Ryosei, Yudai, & Megumi all entered using the Spear. The bouts in this round were the most evenly-matched, but Usagi Oda once again won through. Only Megumi, Yudai, & Usagi Oda bore forth with Axes: ending with the Hare in victory once again.

The last of the day’s titles was for wielding Clubs. An exhausted Usagi Oda entered, alongside Toritaka Ochiyo, Yudai, & Megumi. Much to her visible pride, the final pairing came was Crab VS Falcon. It came as no surprise when Yudai dealt her a solid defeat. Thus, the martial displays had two victors: Usagi Oda in 3 bouts, & Yudai in 2.

Kitsune Ryosei had found herself cornered in conversation with the Phoenix. Both Kiyuki & Yudai joined the discussion, for separate reasons. After paying due deference to Asako Rekai, Kiyuki walked off with the Fox.

Before the Inquisitor could leave, Yudai pressed her on the fine details their earlier conversation had glossed over. Needless to say, she was left quite frustrated when Yudai left.

In the break before dinner, Hayata spoke with the Bard once more. They exchanged a small bit of information back & forth: Hayata learned a bit more about our keen-eyed friend, the Falcon. It seems she was shamed by her lack of skill in detecting the supernatural, as most of her clan can. Given her martial prowess, she has been seeking to marry out of her clan- ideally to the Crab. This explained her odd interest in Yudai’s younger brother.

Kakita Nisobu agreed to keep an ear open for news of Shizuko’s whereabouts, in return for future information on our end. Shortly after the normal dinner had been served, Daidoji Hansha arrived at our villa to guide us to our private meal.

Rather than the veranda we used for our breakfast so many days ago, we were led to the second floor of the villa. Here, we were welcomed into a large meeting room: one for much larger groups than we had. After everyone was seated & food was on the table, the groom made his way towards the back of the space. He unfurled a paper screen & returned to his seat. The sound of a door sliding open came from behind the screen, followed by a discomforting shuffling.

Whatever was moving, it didn’t sound quite human any longer. In a somewhat louder voice, our host opened the floor for discussion of the malady haunting the couple. He was able to confirm that, in her excitement, Tsukiko had browsed the wedding gifts on the morning of July 27th. Though she was able to resist opening most of the presents, one had been wrapped in such a way as to reveal its contents by shape. And so, she had taken just that gift to her quarters: a lavish hand-mirror.

At this, Doji Tsukiko slid a wrapped object across the tatami floor. When it stopped short of the table, the Yojimbo fetched it without a word, laying it in the center of our table. After ensuring the reflective side was face-down, we unwrapped the mirror. True enough, its design was elegant & beautiful. To my own eyes, it appeared to be nothing more than a normal, if expensive, accoutrement.

Hayata surprised all of us by asking Kiyuki if she could sense anything about the mirror. The Courtier hesitated briefly, before pulling out incense. She set the table for a ritual to speak to the local kami: lighting the incense, & making another setting, as if for another guest. Invoking the kami specifically of the void, she waited.

A short time later, she opened her eyes. The kami had conveyed to her that there was no longer any sense of malevolence lurking in the mirror- as if its dark powers had left it. The mirror itself was not sentient in any way, & acted more akin to a weapon or trap, triggered when someone gazed into the glass.

Finally, they were able to warn that the object felt strongly as if it were from another realm…Yume-Do in particular. Unfortunately, the spirits could offer no guidance on how to lift the mirror’s affects. Talk at this point wound its way to theories & musings.

At one point, Megumi interjected to speak of Monsho no Rumiko’s imprisonment. She feared that Otomo Sorai intended to lay the blame for the bride’s condition upon the Mantis unjustly. Doji Tsukiko let out a strangled sound of shock at this, & seemed incredibly distressed. Despite their willingness to help, both of the Crane were far outstripped in status by the Imperial. Their intervention could likely do little to help free the Tenkinja. Daidoji Hansha was quiet for a moment.

When he spoke, he pointed out that it would be difficult for Otomo Sorai to pin a crime on Monsho no Rumiko if there was no evidence any crime had been committed. Thus, curing Doji Tsukiko before the wedding ceremony would allow them to add credence to the story that the bride had merely been sick. She & the Mantis were long-standing friends. It would make sense that Monsho no Rumiko, known for her love of wine, may have attempted to check on her dear friend’s health in a compromised state…

Naturally, this led discussion back to possible solutions. Kiyuki pointed out that she had spoken with Kaikoga Ochiai some- enough to know she would likely be able to explain more of the mirror’s connection to the realm of dreams. The idea of involving yet more people set Doji Tsukiko to hysterics. Without letting the groom get a word in, she could be heard shuffling out & closing the door.

Once he was sure she had left earshot, Daidoji Hansha leaned in & whispered. Though his bride disliked the idea of others knowing more of her condition, he trusted the party’s judgement in this matter. He thanked us all for attending, & let us know he would continue to speak to Doji Tsukiko to convince her this was the most useful way to proceed.

After he had seen us outside, we discussed our options briefly. Hayata wished to pay Yoko another visit, while Megumi was eager to track down Shizuko. It was with a barely-hidden grin that I watched Kiyuki & Yudai head off together to visit the Moth. Though I have been feeling better of late, my body can still only do so much, so I retired to our quarters to rest & write.

 

Hida Hotaru’s Private Records, August 10th, Continued

My friends’ return has brought several bits of good news. Yoko let Hayata know that she had successfully convinced Kou to return. The chef is currently sleeping off the effects of a few days of drinking, but will begin cooking once he can stomach it.

Yudai & Kiyuki had knocked at Kaikoga Ochiai’s door, waking her from a deep sleep. She was quite confused, but invited them in regardless. They took care to explain the bare minimum before asking if she could examine the mirror for them. The Moth closed her eyes, & laid her hand on the handle of the mirror. A few seconds later, she drew her hand back with a hiss, as if she had stuck her hand into a flame.

In a troubled tone, she explained that she believed the mirror was some form of Yōkai. According to her clan, Yōkai were believed to be birthed from Yume-Do, influenced by the dreams of mankind. When Yudai asked her if she knew how to reverse the mirror’s effects on a person, her face blanched. For the first time throughout the wedding, Kaikoga Ochiai bore a serious expression. The Yōkai, she explained, were nearly as innumerable as the stars. Humanity’s myriad fears & dreams had created thousands of Yōkai.

To elaborate on her point, she rummaged through her belongings for a book. The tome was several inches thick; the Moth began flipping through the pages, rattling off the names of various Yōkai. Her volume alone listed a few hundred. A feeling of hopelessness fell upon Kiyuki & Yudai. Until Yudai’s ears perked up.

One of the Yōkai the Moth had mentioned sounded familiar. A Nekomata- the same sort of creature Seichū had recounted fighting in the past. The pair of samurai thanked Kaikoga Ochiai for her time, & moved on. Knocking on the frame of Seichū’s door woke him instantly. The Ronin slid the door open a crack, blade at the ready: when he saw who was there, he sheathed his weapon.

He warily let the duo inside. As they had with the Moth, they explained some of the circumstances, before bringing forth the mirror. Seichū narrowed his eyes at the object, before resting a few fingers upon its back. When he re-opened his eyes, he did not jerk away from the mirror. This was certainly a Yōkai- an Ungaikyō to be precise. The Ronin flipped the mirror face-up before either samurai could react, explaining that it currently held no power.

An Ungaikyō was similar to a Nemuranai, but lacked any form of sentience. The mirror would show a horrible, monstrous version back at a viewer. This shape was influenced by all of the negative qualities that others saw in & spoke of regarding the viewer. After seeing this visage, the person’s form would slowly change to match it. Now that the Yōkai had wrought its magic, the mirror itself was dormant.

Seichū acknowledged that he believed the mirror may have been why he had been guided to the wedding in the first place. Kiyuki asked if he knew how to undo its effects. The Ronin communed with the kami briefly to see what guidance they could offer on the subject. After a moment, he nodded. There was a purifying ritual that could re-seal the evil of the spirit within the mirror. The afflicted must be present, & the ritual could only be performed under a full moon.

Yudai requested that Seichū assist them with this task, & keep this secret. With a wry grin, the Ronin explained that he was rather inured against politics & would have no reason to speak of this to others. The samurai thanked him, & left to visit the host’s villa once more.

The guards fetched Daidoji Hansha, & the pair explained what they had learned. According to the lunar calendar, the full moon would be on August 15th: the night before the actual wedding ceremony. This was unfortunate, but not terrible.

The difficulty would come in convincing Doji Tsukiko to attend. Daidoji Hansha said he would work on convincing her. Thanks & farewells were exchanged, before the samurai each returned to their quarters. Strangely, no one had seen Megumi since dinner. Perhaps we will see her at breakfast.

 

Hida Hotaru’s Private Records, August 11th

In the morning, we all made our way to the gardens again. Megumi was still absent, but most everyone else was present. Moshi Jukio was sitting near Kaikoga Ochiai, while Kitsune Ryosei sat glumly alone. Kiyuki spoke some more with the Fox: it seemed that, despite promising to cheer Kitsune Ryosei on during yesterday’s competitions, Moshi Jukio had failed to attend. This only worsened the shame the Fox felt in her losses.

The pair shared some encouraging words for each other, which seemed to help the Fox’s spirits. She boldly promised that if Kiyuki would enter today’s Iajutsu contest, she would as well. Both samurai agreed, & passed the rest of the meal in companionable discussion. Hayata spoke briefly with Hideaki, inquiring into the whereabouts of his fellow servants.

Though the server had no knowledge of the matter, he seemed quite…interested in Hayata. I could see the Tortoise was chafing under the servant’s constant nattering: it looks like the Fox & Moth have some competition!

Towards the end of the meal, Megumi arrived. Her haggard appearance seemed to imply she had gotten little to no sleep last night. I’m curious as to what could have happened, but did not feel it my place to pry. If it relates to our ongoing investigations, I am certain she will let us know.

Yudai suggested the two of us spend the day wandering the village & countryside. Neither of us would be taking part in the Iajutsu matches, & it seemed a good opportunity to find a few moments of peace. I enjoyed our time on the shores of Mojiretsu no Puru the most. Some friendly villagers lent us some fishing gear, & we whiled away quite some time in that pursuit.

When we returned shortly before dinner, we were caught up on the day’s competition. Most of the guests took part, & several of the matches were quite impressive. In the end, it came down to Kakita Maru & Mirumoto Hino- not surprising, given that both are acclaimed duelists. Somehow, Toritaka Ochiyo also made her way to the finals.

The two specialists quickly took the Falcon down. The Crane furiously launched attacks at the Dragon, who guided each blow safely away from her. Eventually, Mirumoto Hino saw her opening, & took down Kakita Maru in one strike. The Crane stormed off, without even a bow to her opponents; for her part, the Dragon seemed…disinterested in her victory.

Not much else of note occurred as the day wound down. Dinner was quiet, but comfortably so. Overhead, the darkening storm clouds grew yet stronger. Were they natural, or the work of our missing Mantis? I am not sure myself, but the ache in my bones tells me the storm will break soon.