Arc 3, Session 17, L5R

December 1118, Week 1: Bleeding Hearts

There was a brief pause as Hiruma Kazu’s words sunk in. A murder…? The courtier rushed towards where Kaiu Asano sat, throwing himself to his knees. Between his gasps for air he explained what he knew of the situation.

Upon waking, Hiruma Kazu had made his way to his retainer’s quarters. The tatami door was left sloppily open from a hurried exit. Staining the floor in front of the doorway was a darkening pool of blood; crimson footprints had marked a flight taken in a panic. The courtier, rightly, called for guards.

When they arrived, the group of Crab entered the guest room. As expected- sadly- Hiruma Yori lay dead on his sleeping mat. His body was in a state of undress, & a large hole yawned across his chest. His heart was nowhere to be seen.

For a murder to happen during a Winter Court was practically unheard of. Given the potential consequences, the guards sent a runner to Kaiu Asano. At her command, Kaiu Gudeta left his post as her retainer to take charge of the investigation.

No signs of foul play could be found in the room, & the dead bushi’s body showed no signs of a struggle. Thankfully, the trail of blood had been clear enough to follow. Just as he finished recounting the events to this point, Hiruma Kazu was interrupted as Kaiu Gudeta entered the room with an entourage.

In the core of their midst stood Ikoma Choshi. Her clothing was rumpled & painted in hues of rust. Loose hair surrounded her face, as her bloodshot eyes stared at the floor. Kaiu Gudeta reported that the footprints had led them directly to the Lion’s room: she had been found sitting on her sleeping mat in a near-catatonic state of shock.

Scarcely had the retainer’s voice ended when it was drowned out by the sound of steel being drawn. His features contorted in a roiling mess of fear & rage, Hiruma Kazu leveled the point of his blade squarely at Ikoma Choshi. In a rising voice, he demanded she be quickly brought to justice.

The Lion may be accused of many things, both real & fabricated, but there are not many who would question their intense loyalty to members of their pride. Takeshi’s blade sang as the veteran dashed between the enraged Crab & his prey. How dare her life be taken for a crime there was no proof she had committed!

Maintaining his stance, Takeshi ordered Ikoma Choshi to give a report of what had occurred. She recounted how she & Hiruma Yori had been having a courtship dalliance over the course of the Winter Court- unsanctioned by their respective lords. By her recounting, she had fallen asleep in his quarters, only to awaken drenched in the Crab’s blood.

Hiruma Kazu interjected at this point, defending the honor of his fallen brethren. Tensions were rising across the chambers when Yudai moved to loom over the arguing pair of samurai. Kaiu Gudeta stood between the scene & Kaiu Asano, his own sword ready for what may come. Takeshi’s calm rationale finally got through to the courtier, enough for both men to agree on sheathing their katanas.

Still, Ikoma Choshi would need to be brought to a holding cell. Despite Takeshi’s…vehement opinion otherwise. Kaiu Gudeta told the Lion that he would ensure Ikoma Choshi would be treated fairly until her place in the events was truly uncovered. His entourage left the room in an awkward silence- at least, until the whispered gossipping began to swell.

Only a poor smith waits for his metal to cool before striking it. So, our heroes needed little convincing to lend their eyes to the investigation. In a gracious gesture, Takeshi personally asked Hiruma Kazu to accompany them to the crime scene.

The posted guards moved aside at Yudai’s approach. Kiyuki perused Hiruma Yori’s personal effects, while Hayata began to place ritual wards along the doorframe. If anything touched by dark magic had passed through it recently, he would soon know.

Meanwhile, the bushi examined the corpse with Hiruma Kazu. None of them could think of a weapon capable of causing the damage that had been done. Strangely, it almost appeared as if whatever had caused the wound had come from inside the retainer’s chest.

Hayata let out a quiet “hmph” as the group discussed possible causes. The Tortoise’s ritual had already responded to his prayers, confirming their worst fears: something wicked this way had come. Yudai wasted no time in telling the guards to bring a member of the Kuni family to the quarters. He then left to report directly to his lord on the matter. 

Though Megumi wasn’t sure what, if any, weapon had been used, her suspicions were still pointed directly at the returned Falcon. After informing her comrades of this, she took her leave as well to pursue the lead. Takeshi & Hayata waited for the experts to arrive with Hiruma Kazu. Kiyuki quietly excused herself from the gory scene. 

The surviving Hiruma was clearly falling into despair. Where once fear had woven an undercurrent through his words, now only resignation remained. His lord, Hiruma Yoshino, must be informed. The courtier seemed to already dread whatever her response would be to the news of her favored nephew’s demise. 

Elsewhere, Megumi staked out the Toritaka Ochiyo’s room. The Falcon could be heard finishing up a set of prayers within. When the ghost hunter’s voice faded into silence, her door began to open. Megumi ducked around a corner to stay out of sight. A few moments of waiting, & the coast was clear.

Toritaka Ochiyo’s quarters were sparsely occupied. A thorough search found no hidden weaponry or strange, occultic items. The only thing of note the Unicorn could find was a pillow-book tucked beneath the tatami mat. Satisfied- or perhaps disappointed- Megumi began heading back to the crime scene.

For her part, Kiyuki had made her way to the castle’s dungeons. A quick bit of charm, & she was able to convince one of the guards to escort her to Ikoma Choshi. The woman sat despondently in the center of her cell, the only clean part of her the twin arcs curving down from her eyes.

The guard made sure to stand well within earshot of anything the Scorpion wished to discuss with the prisoner. (Now, why be so suspicious of a girl just looking to help?) Though she had little to say, Ikoma Choshi finally began to respond when Kiyuki asked if she could bring the Lion anything from her room.

 

In a dazed voice, she explained that she had a portrait of her family from her genpuku next to her pillow. Kiyuki left shortly thereafter, promising to fetch the painting & a set of fresh clothing. One half-life to the guards outside the Lion’s room later, & the courtier was granted entry. Finding nothing suspicious, she gathered what she had ostensibly came for & left.

Still at the crime scene, Hayata, Takeshi, & Hiruma Kazu were soon greeted by Kuni Enko. Her own mystic capabilities were able to confirm Hayata’s findings…but not much else. The kill appeared to have been caused by a creature or spirit of some kind unknown to her. Whatever it was, it had sped to the closest window as a means of escape.

Turning to the door, she let the party know that she would begin to investigate the matter further. She did not reach the door. Takeshi’s voice, full of scorn, accosted her for her lack of knowledge. Needless to say, this quickly evolved into a quite “spirited” exchange.

Below, Kiyuki returned to the dungeons. Alas! For an unknown reason, the guards were unwilling to allow her to pass on the supplies. Raising her voice so that the Lion knew she was there, the Scorpion bemoaned the cruelty of this decision. Guilt-trip or not, she remained barred from entry. 

It was on her return trip to Ikoma Choshi’s quarters that she ran into Yudai, a young witch-finder in tow. The pair swapped a bit of information about what each had been doing. Ever eager to help his friend perform a good deed, Yudai suggested Kiyuki come back down to the cells with him.

While the heroes watched, the Kuni performed a thorough spiritual “litmus test” on Ikoma Choshi. They reported that there was a minimal lingering amount of Taint in her aura. Much too small for a practiced maho-tsukai- unless they were some sort of unholy savant. Leaving the guards with instructions to allow Ikoma Choshi to swap to her clean clothes, Yudai & Kiyuki started their own return journey.

As luck would have it, Megumi, Kiyuki, & Yudai all arrived back at the crime scene as Takeshi was throwing insults at Kuni Enko’s back. Hayata stood behind him with Hiruma Kazu, clearly enjoying the show from a safe distance. When both combatants had bled their verbal quivers dry, the witch-finder left in a rage.

Given the stresses of the day thus far, our heroes each retired to their own devices for the moment. The funeral for Hiruma Yori was held the next morning in the castle’s courtyard. All in attendance were somber at the sudden loss of a fledgling samurai. 

Once his body had been burned, Takeshi accosted Kaiu Asano. Ikoma Choshi was still being held unjustly; this now meant she was unable to attend the service for the man she had loved, however briefly. It was clear to all within earshot that much of the Lion’s musings bordered on insult- yet Kaiu Asano received them all calmly, for reasons unknown. 

Later that day, our heroes separated for further investigation. Hayata returned to the castle’s stores of maps, while Kiyuki spent some time in study with Kuni Enko.

 

Megumi & Yudai spent some time discussing the circumstances of the murder & what they could extrapolate thus far. It was clear the likelihood of finding the truth of the matter would be difficult, if it were even possible. Knowing that her friend was out of his depth, she promised to help him through the remainder of the Winter Court as she was able.

Hiruma Kazu was absent at dinner that evening. Takeshi sought him out with aid from some of the castle staff, finding the courtier in a private study room. His table was covered in crumpled parchment. Clearly exhausted, it took a moment for him to register the Lion’s entry.

The Crab invited Takeshi to join him. With ink-stained fingers, he poured & offered a cup of tea to his guest. Hiruma Kazu appeared strangely calm. Before the Lion could open the discussion, the courtier apologized for how he reacted to Ikoma Choshi the day prior. 

Already on edge from the expectations put upon him, the discovery that his lord’s nephew had been killed under his care had set him straight to a panic. Hiruma Yoshino was known for her strong enforcement of fair justice- but even someone as esteemed as she was susceptible to emotions. 

Looking Takeshi dead in the eye, he admitted that he feared his lord’s response. Hiruma Kazu’s career had died with Hiruma Kazu, almost certainly. But beyond that…the murder would be expected to be repaid in kind. No matter the lack of evidence. 

Takeshi motioned to the heaps of paper. What had the Crab been writing for these past few hours? Hiruma Kazu explained that he needed to send a letter home detailing the bad news. But, he stressed, he was taking care to emphasize how helpful the Lion samurai were being throughout the process. Though he had been convinced that Ikoma Choshi was innocent, time would tell if his opinions would be heeded or not.

When the tea had grown cold, the pair bid each other goodbye with honest respect.

December 1118, Week 2: A Small Matter of Pocket-Change

At the start of the next week, Hiruma Kazu broached the subject of Ikoma Choshi’s status with Kaiu Asano. The party recounted all they had learned up to this point. The courtier added a coda to their report: speaking for the Hiruma family, he believed that Ikoma Choshi was innocent & should be released. Surprisingly, Otomo Kuni also lent her voice to the idea.

Kaiu Asano exchanged a brief look with Yudai before she decreed it would be made so. The search for the true killer would continue, but the Lion bushi was freed with an apology directly from the Crab lord. Little that it helped smooth things over.

With the heart of the matter resolved- for the moment- the court could move back to their planned proceedings. The next representative to speak was Yasuki Ariko. With the nonchalance typical of her family, the woman promised she would take up little of the counsel’s time.

Sitting casually before the gathered samurai, with none of the props her predecessors had presented, she began. The Yasuki had served their Clan honorably since their addition to the Crab. Sourcing supplies, maintaining trade routes, & generally ensuring the Crab had whatever they needed for their fight against the Shadowlands

This, of course, meant they trafficked more in koku than the other families. And supply-laden caravans often found themselves the target of the unscrupulous & opportunistic…

In the past, the Yasuki had been granted leave to use Clan funds to hire ronin bodyguards. This year, they simply requested the same grace- in fact, a bit less money than before. The party questioned the value of this. In turn, Yasuki Ariko admitted that perhaps it wasn’t the best help her family could receive, but she hated to come across as greedy.

When pressed to explain why more guards were needed, the merchant idly scratched her cheek. Well, the Crab had always had a more accepting view of ronin. Over the past few years, the Yasuki had come to heavily rely on one named Osen. He remained secretive about much of his origins, but his skills & equipment proved he had once belonged to one Clan or another. His knowledge of leadership & tactics had proven quite beneficial in protecting the Yasuki trade routes.

Such a shame that he had now formed a band of ronin intent on ransacking the very goods they had once protected.

Our heroes were quick to understand Yasuki Ariko’s approach. Surely, they asked, if the problem is ronin, wouldn’t it be better to have honorable Crab soldiers directed to root out the vermin? After brief consideration, the merchant nodded along. That would absolutely be a more dependable measure than throwing yet more ronin at Osen- & it would actually cost less than the funds she had originally requested the use of!

Yasuki Ariko graciously expressed her thanks for such a wise audience. If Kaiu Asano had noticed the merchant’s strategy, she gave no sign as she announced the end of the council. It was refreshing to have a relatively simple request be made. True to her word, Yasuki Ariko’s presentation didn’t even take up the day’s allotted time. Extra time which our heroes were eager to make use of.

They spent the rest of the day gathering supplies & allies for their trek into the Shadowlands. Joining the five of them were Ikoma Choshi, Hida Iwa, & Hiruma Kazu. Only they & Yudai had ever set foot beyond the Carpenter Wall. For the rest of the group, it felt as if chill clouds had begun to gather in their souls.

Following typical Crab protocol, each of the samurai took up a role in the scouting party. Hayata would be the group’s Wayfinder, while Kiyuki would focus on Planning for each day. Megumi would use her keen eyes as a Watchman, & Yudai’s familiarity with the terrain made him perfect to serve as the campsite Founder. Finally, Takeshi would act as the Quartermaster, maintaining the party’s supplies.

After travelling as close to their destination as they could along the Wall, the group set foot into the blighted realm. There was a palpable sense of malice imbued in the very earth & air around them. Rocks seemed to shift at just the wrong moment underfoot, & trails that had appeared clear were revealed to lead to myriad dead ends.

December 1118, Week 3: A Sickening Hike

Early on the journey, Takeshi & Hida Iwa spotted the signs of a nearby campsite. The pair investigated while their comrades took a brief break. It was indeed a Crabe campsite- one littered with the horrifyingly destroyed remains of its inhabitants. Whatever had caused the wounds on display was clearly something unholy. Takeshi informed the party of the abandoned site, taking care to keep the maimed condition of the corpses to himself.

A few nights later, Megumi could sense wildlife near the group’s tents. Whatever it was, it brought with it a sense of unease. Her vigilance made sure she noticed the very second something touched the wards placed around camp. Alerting her allies gave them time to move out of the way of a stampede of Tainted deer. Thankfully, no one was injured as their hoofbeats faded into the dark.

Several days later, they had reached a point to safely ford the river barring them from their destination. Yudai set up camp as the soothing sounds of the water provided the samurai with a bit of comfort. As he finished, the campfire suddenly exploded into a furious gout of flame. A foul kansen had stoked the blaze in an attempt to burn the group’s supplies; thankfully, Yudai had set up the clearing in such a way that the group suffered minimal losses.

Finally, they began to climb the mountains Hiruma Kazu’s scouts had found a tunnel in. During the ascent, Kiyuki began to feel the corrupted air lessen slightly. The source proved to be a small kami shrine in a rocky alcove. The kanji were far too faded to read, but the Scorpion knew that it would be unwise to forgo an offering to whichever spirit watched over the purified space. She artfully presented up some of the group’s remaining fruits with a grateful prayer.

One day’s climb later, & the tunnel’s entrance had been found. Even with blazing torches, the shadows within were practically smothering. Strange rumbles pervaded the earth as voices- real or imagined- seemed to call out to them. Yet, this close to their goal, nothing could deter them.

So dark was the moonless sky that greeted them that it took several minutes for the party to realize they were once more above-ground. Below them stood the desiccated skeleton of the once-proud Daylight Castle. 

Hiruma Kazu stifled a pained gasp. The expressions on the faces of he & the two Hida were simultaneously awed & dismayed. This was a tragedy rooted deep in their Clan’s history, yet it still stung like a fresh cut.

The rest of the group allowed the Crabs a moment to process the sight. Even if the reports of little movement in the castle were correct, they would need all of their wits about them to dare tread within those fallen halls. To see what they could see. To find what they could find. 

And to kill what lay in wait to kill them.