Arc 3, Session 16, L5R

November 1118, Week 2: A Matter of Order, Continued

Takeshi accepted Hida Iwa’s duel. The Crab conceded that the Lion choose the form of their combat, & did not need to wait long for an answer; Takeshi proposed a game of The Five Measures rather than a physical contest. Hida Iwa hesitated only momentarily to confirm that they were speaking of the war-game the Crab call Hida’s Shoulders.

 

With this agreed upon, the time had come for terms to be laid down. As the challenger Hida Iwa spoke first.

 

“To the Lion, war comes & goes as a season. For the Crab, war has no end. I believe you have dishonored the duty we uphold at steep cost, so my terms are thus: there is a room in the center of this guard tower. Within it are recordings of all of the brave samurai who have laid down their lives to protect Rokugan from the Shadowlands. If I win, you will spend a day meditating in this room, memorizing the names of the fallen.”

 

Takeshi seemed slightly taken aback, having expected terms designed for humiliation, not education. Letting go of the harsher terms he had been prepared to state, the Lion instead responded in kind: when- not if- Takeshi won the duel, Hida Iwa would accompany him on a sojourn into the Shadowlands, that they may repair this rift by working together.

 

The pair were both satisfied with these conditions, & agreed to meet in a strategy-planning room the next morning. Takeshi sent for some scrolls on The Five Measures to be brought to his quarters, along with food & drink. He invited Ikoma Choshi to join him.

 

Much to her surprise, they spent the evening in amenable conversation on many topics- none of them involving studying for the coming duel. While she remained naïve, the soldier was honored to hear such candid words from her former teacher. When Takeshi spoke of his trek past the Wall, she eagerly agreed to stand at his side.

 

At the same time, Yudai was having a meeting with Kaiu Asano. Word of the duel had already spread, as gossip spreads amongst soldiers quicker than fleas. She had already issued edicts that disallowed the rank & file from attending, the better to keep things sparking further such…entertainment. What she required from Yudai was for him to act as the arbiter & judge over the duel’s fairness. Perhaps regretting having convinced his allies to visit his homeland, Yudai swore it would be done.

 

When dawn came, Hida Iwa met with Yudai in the planning chambers. Takeshi arrived only seconds later, with Ikoma Choshi in tow. Hayata, Megumi, Kiyuki, & Otomo Kuni attended as spectators. Just before the doors closed, both Hiruma Yori & Agashi Junji took seats as well.

 

The long table at the center of the room was covered in hand-crafted, molded terrain. It was clearly a facsimile of the Carpenter Wall, with detailed pawns representing both soldiers & machinery. On the Shadowlands side of the map were a myriad of carved monsters. Takeshi took up a position on this side of the table, leaving the role of defender to Hida Iwa.

 

The rules & terms of the duel were stated for posterity’s sake, & the match began. Takeshi maneuvered his forces to & fro in an inscrutable dance. Each time it seemed he would have his forces charge the Wall, he drew back, muttering that it was not yet the right time. Hida Iwa made a series of small sorties into the Shadowlands with his troops. Each time, they managed to cut down several of Takeshi’s demons.

 

Slow as the game was, some of the audience lost interest; Agasha Junji, visibly bored, left the chambers while drinking from his flask. Still, the Crab ranged slightly further out each turn, as Takeshi’s forces infuriatingly refused to engage. The aloof manner in which the Lion continued to hold back was clearly setting his opponent on edge.

 

Finally, the stress grew too much. Hida Iwa arranged his soldiers for one last, mighty push outward…which is exactly what Takeshi had been waiting for.

 

As if by magic, the seemingly disjointed positioning of his own pawns could be seen as a pattern, a latticework only waiting to be drawn closed. The very moment the Crab’s tokens were within striking distance of the bulk of Takeshi’s forces, all of the other demons & their spawn rushed to the Wall. With barely any soldiers left to block them, the horde overran the doors & claimed victory.

 

Ikoma Choshi looked upon her teacher in awe as Yudai announced the results. Hida Iwa was clearly both angry & embarrassed, but solemnly bowed low to Takeshi. He swore to uphold the Lion’s terms & declared any feud erased. Takeshi returned the respectful bow, & said that he looked forward to traveling with such an august ally.

 

In the wake of the duel, the spectators discussed what they had witnessed. Hiruma Yori seemed particularly awed & interested by the events, & discussed them with Kiyuki & Hayata. The others began to wend their separate ways. Getting some rest would be a good idea, given that the Hiruma would begin presenting their case before the court on the morrow.

November 1118, Week 3: The Long Awaited Dawn

Having spent a few days pursuing their own interests, our heroes were gathered into the council chambers for the first of the Winter Court's debates. As determined, the Hiruma family would present their qualms first.

 

Their family representative, Hiruma Kazu, took the floor with an...eager air. Behind him were several scrolls & maps, covers drawn. What great issue could he be about to reveal?

 

To everyone's immense surprise, the maps showed none other than Daylight Castle. In 716, the Hiruma had lost their homelands. Ever since, they had sought to reclaim it over multiple campaigns. None had succeeded.

 

The Hiruma's proposal this time involved a different approach: less military approach, more stealth mission. Previously, they had approached the castle by various overland routes. No matter which angle they attempted, the swathes of hellspawn were too strong to overcome.

 

Hiruma Kazu's scouts had spent the last year gathering intel on the lands surrounding the castle. For whatever reason, the goblins & other demons had been migrating away. Confirmed numbers tallied no more than the a few hundred. Still a fight, to be sure, but a fair sight less of one than ever before.

 

On top of this, a recent land survey had found what the Hiruma believed to be a tunnel that would lead directly to one of Daylight Castle's basements. A small, well-oiled team could potentially use the tunnel to infiltrate the building itself, rather than attempt a siege. With the lessened monsters dwelling therein, it would be possible to take & hold the keep.

 

Questions immediately arose from those gathered. Why would this attempt fare better in the long-term? Yes, it may be possible to take the castle, but what then? Would the squad be stuck there to weather a siege of their own?

 

The Crab was prepared for these lines of inquiry. Displaying a new map, Hiruma Kazu explained that he had discussed with members of the Kuni clan if it was possible to cleanse parts of the Shadowlands. He had been assured it was possible...so it would not be impossible for the Hiruma to begin fashioning a "safe road" between the Wall & Daylight Castle.

 

Fashioning tall walls would help protect the cleansed route, & the narrowness of the trail would make it considerably easier to manage than building another full wall. Why, he had even convinced several Yasuki to lend funds to just such an expedition!

 

Notably, these points seemed to be news to both Kuni Enko & Yasuki Ariko.

 

Further questioning began to stoke Hiruma Kazu to ire. This was only worsened when Hiruma Yori was convinced to chime in, with predictable results given his recent attempts at debate. Before things could reach a fever pitch, Kaiu Asano called for peace. This proposal clearly required much consideration- a second day of debate would take place two days hence. Whether Hiruma Kazu was pleased by this was hard to tell.

 

Once the meeting concluded, the patrons wandered across the council room. Yudai & Takeshi spoke regarding the presentation & its many pitfalls. Both had great concerns for the righteous quest the Hiruma seemed to desire. Agasha Junji wandered nearby, & joined the conversation. He agreed to attend a meeting with our heroes to discuss a counter-proposal for the next debate.

 

Besides preparing for this, the samurai spent their time on various pursuits. Megumi stopped at the Kaiu Forges in an attempt to requisition a knife. Coincidentally, Yudai paid a visit to his old mentor & retired Forgemaster, Kaiu Takumi, very shortly afterwards.

 

Kiyuki spent some of her time aiding Otomo Kuni in cataloguing her research, while keeping an attentive eye on the guest quarters' hallways for some reason. Hayata, as was his wont, dove into the maps held in the Kaiu library.

 

Though he had won the duel, Takeshi made time to visit the memorial room Hida Iwa had mentioned. Calling it a shrine would not be accurate, but there was a similar air within. Rather than the typical plaques found across the Empire- cast in metal or etched in ceramic- the records of the fallen were instead carved into tall, thin, wooden boards. These boards were stacked many dozens deep, each drowning in the names of the dead. The Lion's time in this room was spent in somber contemplation of the sheer scale of the tithe the Crab paid for Rokugan.

 

Soon it was time for the Hiruma Kazu to be heard again. He reiterated his previous points & expanded on them, having used his day to study preemptively. Unfortunately, so had his counterparts.

 

Yudai took the floor, & called for the servants to bring in a bag of rice. With aid from Takeshi, he began to use grains of rice to demonstrate some rather major supply chain flaws in Hiruma Kazu's plans. The point was well-driven home, perhaps to the point of overbearingness.

 

This quickly became clear when Hiruma Kazu launched into a tirade at the non-Crab members in attendance. Amazingly, he seemed to still be holding onto the faintest thread of composure, though his hand began to draw towards his sword...

 

Yudai knew the courtier was well-known for his ability to decide political matters with the blade. He offered a compromise: Yudai & several other samurai could sortie forth to verify the usefulness of the tunnel, & attempt to count the monsters present. This small step was a much bigger victory than the Hiruma had usually attained, but Hiruma Kazu was unwilling to speak any further.

 

While his elder deliberately turned to stare at a wall, Hiruma Yori nervously spoke for his family. He graciously accepted that this offer would be a great boon towards the Hiruma's ends, his embarrassment plain. This was quite the first court for a young samurai indeed.

 

When Kaiu Asano tapped her hammer's haft on the ground to call the meeting's end, Hiruma Kazu stormed off without a word. His retainer apologized as much as he was able within the realms of propriety. The family presentations were off to a very great start, by all accounts.

 

November 1118, Week 4: Of Ward & Bone

Kuni Enko was next to speak for her family at the Winter Court. Unlike Hiruma Kazu, she stood alone at the center of the room, with no scrolls or maps. Only her strangely-bulging satchel upon her hip...

 

Whether it was due to the wide-eyed woman's own aura or merely a trick of fate, the cold seemed to worm its way tighter within Shiro Kaiu's walls as she began to speak. Her family's request was simple, & minimal in cost.

 

Lately, she explained as she reached into her satchel, strange monsters had been seen in the Shadowlands. Beasts of shape & ability unfamiliar. They were no less deadly than the more "common" servants of Jigoku- some perhaps even more so.

 

As she intoned these words as a rite, she lay three misshapen lumps upon the floor. With delicate movements, she unwrapped the protective wards smothering the items, revealing unrecognizable skulls. One appeared to be some sort of combination of bird & fish; another, eerily close to a human's. The last of these appeared largely feline in nature, with thin nose slits.

 

The Crab had been repelling these creatures, & were not afraid to face the unknown- let any who would say so be struck down where they stand. What the Kuni had come to request was the funds & permission to entreat other clans for information about the new foes. Foremost amongst the Crab for studying the dangers of the Shadowlands, their family believed that more information was the only way to safeguard against these new threats.

 

After receiving a regretful nod from Kaiu Asano, Kuni Enko continued. There was at least one member of the council who had first-hand experience with these beings, she said.

 

Hida Yudai.

 

Kuni Enko pointed to the feline skull, asking Yudai if he recognized it. Through a grim tone, he confirmed this. The representative then pressed him to describe the creature he had encountered. All those present could see his gaze flick to the residing lord, who begrudgingly motioned for him to reply.

 

In a low, steady tone, he recounted a battle from some months ago. A tale of encountering a strange hunting cat, coated in scales of darkness. Fangs the size of a man's forearm dripped venom from its mouth, a lethal promise. And its neck...its neck was able to stretch beyond all reason, allowing it to strike from shadows unseen. Yudai had seen a comrade felled by the beast before he was able to pummel it into the dirt.

 

"I think I've heard of this beast before," Megumi said suddenly. Yudai's head whipped in her direction, as did Kuni Enko's. The Unicorn continued, saying that the memory was faint, but she seemed to recall having heard of such a thing as a bed-time story from across the Burning Sands.

 

Though it was hard to imagine the last time a smile crossed Kuni Enko's face, hearing this galvanized the witch-hunter in a way those gathered had not seen before. Surely, this very council now served as proof that her family's request bore merit. What better way to close her arguments than with such a display?

 

With that, Kuni Enko fell silent. The weight of her words circled the samurai like a shark. after a moment, several of the attendees approached the skulls to examine them from a safe distance. As Kiyuki & a few others did so, Megumi shared a look with Yudai- clearly the pair needed to have a discussion in private. Still, the session may have passed without further incident...until Otomo Kuni chimed in.

 

She began to bring up the strange creature that had been haunting Koden Mori. Some form of otter-hound hybrid, with unnatural qualities. Before she could get any further, Yudai's shadow could be felt upon her shoulder. His eyes all but burrowed into her skull, & the Crystal Magistrate realized she had somehow misstepped. Claiming exhaustion from the council's debate, she proclaimed she was mistaken, & asked the Crab to escort her to her seat.

 

Of course, this sparked new discussions across the chamber. Now, it may be said that Kaiu Asano had been quite forgiving towards Hiruma Kazu's own flaws throughout his presentation; before the gathered samurai could get invested, she all but slammed her hammer upon the floor.

 

The proceedings concerning the Kuni were now concluded, & they did not merit another day of discussion. Having laid down her decree, she left the council in a stiff march. Her retainer, Kaiu Gudeta, stayed but a moment to "suggest" the samurai disperse. Kuni Enko began to re-wrap the skulls in their protective wards as the guests retreated to their own dealings.

 

No one could doubt that this Winter Council had been a strange one thus far. Who knew the dreary Crab lands could be so filled with drama & secrets? It was an uneasy night of sleep for many that night. Several of the guests were absent or late to the next breakfast, unsurprisingly. It was just as our heroes thought to take stock of just who was missing that the day's fragile calm was shattered.

 

Footsteps, pounding through the hall. Hitched breathing, with a lingering touch of panic. Hiruma Kazu burst into the dining quarters. His hair was unkempt, & his clothes were haphazardly draping off of him as he attempted to find his voice.

 

"It's...Hiruma Yori, was, he's...Hiruma Yori has been murdered!"

 

And thus ended Week 4 of the Winter Council.