Arc 3, Session 18, L5R

December, 1118, Week 3, Continued

It was the last week of January. Winter Court was at its end. Our heroes had returned triumphantly from their trek into the Shadowlands a few weeks ago. The breakfast hall had been decorated to honor the hero of the hour: their clan colors adorning the walls, & their favorite traditional meals prepared for all to partake in. As they walked into the room, everyone bowed to greet them…

Megumi felt off as she sat with her allies. Recollections of the journey back to Carpenter Castle, let alone their exploration of the lost Hiruma lands, were impossible to conjure. The last thing she could remember clearly was leaving the tunnel.

As the samurai spoke amongst themselves, they agreed that this wasn’t right. Whatever the source was, they appeared to be experiencing some sort of collective illusion. As they began to push back against their trappings, the dream itself burnt away into nothing.

Causing them to “re-awaken” at the beginning of the same “day”. It played out the same as it had before, except that a different member of their party was the hero being honored. Noting Ikoma Choshi’s strange absence allowed our heroes to convince Hiruma Kazu & Hida Iwa that this was a shared delusion. Every time the day re-started, an old woman’s voice could be heard mumbling what seemed to be nonsense.

It became increasingly clear that whatever had ensnared them was trying to coerce information out of them. The puppetmaster seemed increasingly desperate to learn how to access a “secret heart” of Daylight Castle. As the samurai tried resisting in various ways, a grave mistake was made.

Each time the dream reiterated, their captor was focused on just one of the party. In an attempt to distract them from pressing Hiruma Kazu, Hayata mentioned that he had maps of the castle. Over the course of the next two dreams, he found himself increasingly coming under scrutiny alongside the dream’s “target”.

Finally, the group “awoke” to find the halls decorated in honor of the Tortoise. The phantasms of Kuni Enjo & Yasuki Ariko began to overzealously hound Hayata for more information. Hoping to buy the group further time to find a way out of this nightmare, he tricked the spirit into “transporting” them to a dreamed version of Daylight Castle.

Unfortunately, his allies decided to quickly use this opportunity to explore the imagined building…leaving Hayata alone with the two illusory Crabs. All their facades of friendliness evaporated in a heartbeat. Each put their blades on either side of his throat, & demanded that Hayata show them how to find the hidden chamber.

Hayata, being an honorable samurai, refused to give in to the creature’s demands. He was repaid for this kindness with a simulation of hundreds of years’ worth of torture. 

For better or worse, the truth was that Hayata did not yet have the knowledge that was being sought. When it became clear that further pain would reveal nothing, the group’s captor said they would “do this the hard way”. They embraced Hayata with a coat of razor-blades, shredding his skin.

Instantly, the Tortoise woke screaming. This prompted the rest of the party to come to as well. Hungry, thirsty, & confused, they all began to leave the prone positions they awoke in. In the center of the room was a massive heap of wax, a crude rendition of a candle. 

A figure came running over  in response to the scream: Ikoma Choshi! The Lion was clearly extremely fatigued, & seemed to be on the verge of passing out. Takeshi snapped her to attention to issue a report.

The Lion bushi explained that the group had eventually descended to enter Daylight Castle after exiting the tunnel. They had only been exploring it for a handful of moments before something knocked them all out & pulled them into a bubble of dream. Ikoma Choshi had managed to snap out of the illusion upon seeing Hiruma Yori alive & well- a heart-breaking fact she knew could not be real.

She found herself waking in this very room, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of her comrades. An old Crab woman had apparently dragged their sleeping forms into a sanctuary of sorts within the castle. For several days since, Ikoma Choshi had been standing guard over the party, terrified to let herself fall asleep before they were safely returned to the realm of the living.

The sounds of rocks being moved drew the group’s attention to one of the exits in the room. It appeared blocked by rubble- whether by design, or as a result of the castle’s deterioration. A small, wizened woman slowly crawled through against the floor, carrying a satchel from her mouth. She took care to replace the rocks she had disturbed without acknowledging the party in any way.

Once finished, she sat in a corner with her satchel. Kuni war-paint still lingered on her face, though extremely faded. Her clothes were tattered & her ratty hair was in a tight knot. With good reason, the samurai were instantly wary. How in the world could someone be living in the Shadowlands free of the Taint?

The group tentatively thanked her for her aid. Instead of acknowledging it, the woman crawled towards Hayata. With one withered hand, she gently pat his cheek while muttering “I tried to help you, yes I did. So sorry. So sorry.” 

It took several moments to get a response from here that was actually sensible. She introduced herself as simply Barako. Many years past, she had been a member of the Kuni family. Apparently she had been banished from the family & Clan several years ago. When trying to remember exactly how long, she began to sputter as her voice faded in confusion.

“30 years ago,” Kiyuki said in a soft voice. Barako’s eyes widened as she turned to look at the Scorpion. How had she known? Was her story still told? Kiyuki sadly explained that Barako’s story was deliberately buried, but the courtier had managed to find it. 

The Kuni seemed unsurprised by this. Of course the Crab would wash away the stains of their misdeeds. When she had tried to save them, they called her mad & cast her out. She punctuated this with a spit in the direction of Yudai.

Difficult to parse as her ramblings were, the group was able to nudge her enough in the direction of useful information. This room was Candle Temple, shrine to Osano-wo. Even with the rest of Daylight Castle fallen to corruption, this room would remain safe as long as its candles never went out. She had been surviving all these long years by scrounging up various mosses & herbs free of the Taint.

At some point before she had found this place, whatever armies had been lurking within the keep had been forced out. Two powerful creatures took ownership of the ruins. They were evidently so feared, that not one single other creature had attempted to make their home here.

The first of these creatures was the Siren. Barako explained that it was a shapeshifter & mental thief. Its true form she did not know, but she had seen it wear the guises of beast, man, & oni. This, she explained, was the spirit responsible for forcing the samurai into the dream bubble. All but the top two floors were the domain of the Siren.

In those upper echelons, the Siren’s apparent master lurked. A sickly-thin figure of a man, his wrinkled skin adorned with an uncountable number of eyes- each stolen from his victims. Where his own should lay were only two gaping holes of shadow.

Though both were dangerous, Barako stressed how much more deadly this Watcher was than its servant. Those with cunning & courage could potentially fight their way free of the Siren’s grasp…but the Watcher had let none survive his sight. He seemed to have ordered the Siren to find the “heart of the castle” somewhere in the lower levels. Barako did not know what he sought, but sensed that there were items of “great good & evil” hidden away within Daylight Castle.

On the note of her exile, Barako was much more volatile. She was hesitant to say anything at first. It wasn’t until Kiyuki asked about “the jade” that she began to speak once more.

30 years ago, she had been aiding her brother in preparations for his coming wedding. As a gift for his bride, he had commissioned a piece of carved jade from the Crab armories. The necklace lay around his neck for a few days as part of the Kuni customs. (The better to let his bride have a “piece of him” on her at all times.)

In the quiet of the night preceding the event, tragedy struck. Barako & her brother were toasting to his good fortunes. He raised the cup to his lips before he was stunned stock-still. There was not even time for Barako to ask what was wrong: his chest suddenly burst outwards in a green explosion, leaving a crater large enough for her hand to fit inside. Some green wisps of energy fled from the scene.

The madwoman fetched a hammer & rushed through the halls. Her brother’s blood fell from her face, giving her the appearance of an onryo. The Kuni bludgeoned the armory guard unconscious without a word. She then entered the vault, barricading it from further entry.

And with that complete…she systematically ground every piece of jade into so much powder.

It wasn’t until the changing of the guard that anyone noticed anything amiss. By then, Barako’s work was done. The small keep’s stores of jade were utterly destroyed beyond use as blood- both hers & her brother’s- coated all of the glittering dust. She had argued her case of course, explained her reasoning, but the idea of “false jade” was improbable at best. Due to her apparent insanity, she was excommunicated rather than executed.

As the tale unfolded, several of the samurai exchanged glances at how familiar the brother’s death sounded. Something to discuss once they had safely left the castle. Leaving the woman to her own devices, the party began to discuss the seeming nonsense she had muttered in their dreams. Might it be a clue?

Several debates later, they had pieced it together into a strange parable: WITH UNCOUNTABLE EYES, WITHIN THE DEPTHS OF THE DAYLIGHT, THE WATCHER WILL NEVER FIND THE DOOR HE SEEKS. 

Hayata thought for a moment, before recalling a coda: THE WATCHER A FOOL. YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT ISN’T THERE, USING WHAT IS.

Our heroes wondered at the meaning inherent to the words. They recognized that it meant the Watcher was unable to find this hidden chamber using his own devices, but not how they might do so themselves. Until…acting on an impulse, Hayata moved his eyepatch to cover his remaining eye. While his grim, empty socket stared at the wall, he let out a gasp.

He saw total darkness- save for a clear blue light somewhere far below. This had to be the work of some ancient warding spell, enacted due to a prophecy. What better way to keep out a beast with a thousand eyes than by enchanting the door to only be usable by the blind? 

There was some short debate on if the group should attempt to reach the hidden room or simply flee the keep. In the end, worry over the room eventually being discovered by the Siren meant they felt compelled to learn what was in there.

With Kiyuki at the front, the samurai left Candle Temple in marching order. Hayata was in the middle, protected while “blind”. Due to the Scorpion’s expertise in moving quietly, they managed to avoid running into the Siren along the way. A steep set of earthen stairs led them to the storerooms. The space was split into several rectangular cellars with little to tell them apart in the dark. 

Yet now, Hayata took to the fore. He led the samurai into one specific basement, & to one of its longer walls. He raised his hand as if reaching for a door before coming to a tentative stop. The Tortoise took a deep breath to steady himself. Then he hooked his finger inside the wall, & began to peel it back.

Dead air leaked out of the magically opened doorway. Dust & cobwebs coated every surface, telling the tale of when this chamber had last seen any light. The party entered the “heart”, & Hayata closed the doorway behind them.

The room appeared to be completely empty- save for one corner. In it, pressed against the wall, was a misshapen mass of black stone. Its surface appeared to all but drink the torchlight. A chill ran through the group as they all recognized this must be obsidian. Even from across the space, they could still feel waves of unease radiating through them. But for a chunk of this size, what they felt seemed oddly weak.

Which explained the sword.

Piercing through a wooden shrine before the obsidian was a gleaming katana. Its hilt & crossguard were intricately detailed, while the blade…the blade was made of pure jade. Hiruma Kazu nearly fell to his knees at the sight. This was Kishu, the original Hiruma’s blade! Once thought to have been lost when an impaled Oni had escaped, it had somehow been found & brought here. Its effects were what protected them from the obsidian, & concealed its location from the Shadowlands.

Finally, a hata lay before the shrine, emblazoned with the Hiruma mon. A normal battle standard would not have been able to remain intact for so long sealed away thusly. Takeshi reverently reached out to the flag & ran his fingers across a few threads. To his amazement, the hata was not made of fabric, but impossibly thin strings of metal woven into form. The skill it would require to make such a thing was unheard of.

It was clear now that the Watcher sought access to the Obsidian for nefarious purposes, just as it was clear that the sword was the only thing preventing him from discerning its whereabouts. Naturally, the presence of such sacred & holy items almost immediately sparked a debate on how to proceed. 

Yudai, Kiyuki, & Megumi believed the best course of action would be to bring all three items back to the Carpenter Wall. Returning the Hiruma family sword & hata would hopefully quell their insatiable lust for retaking Daylight Castle. And who better to safeguard the obsidian from the Shadowlands than the Crab, who already fight against them everyday?

Takeshi & Hayata, however, were wary of removing the Obsidian. Carrying it on their return journey would certainly draw out stronger forces of evil. If they were able to make it to Crab lands, what then? Had not the Crab already admitted they did not know all the tricks of this forsaken place? How could they be entrusted to safeguard such a dangerous object?

Increasingly heated arguments bounced back & forth across the room. What about taking just the sword? Just the hata? All of these were decried for one reason or another. At one point Hida Iwa suggested attempting to crush the stone with his tetsubo- the only suggestion everyone else present agreed was a bad idea.

This, though, led to a similar idea: if Kishu had been holding back the might of the Obsidian for these hundreds of years, might it be able to destroy it as well? It was possible, but there was no telling what exactly would happen if the two heavenly stones were to touch. The result could be anything from destroying the sword to killing everyone in the room.

The debate had now reached its lowest point. No longer were arguments being made on the virtues of the proposed ideas, but instead on the personal merits of those who suggested them. Hayata had heard enough. Calling for silence, he pointed out that only he could open the exit from this room. If the group wished not to die here, they would need to convince him of a plan. Unless one of the other samurai wished to stab out one of their eyes…

Silence pervaded the space for a few moments after this show of force. When they spoke again, it was to suggest somewhat more compromising ideas. 

One thing the entire group had acknowledged as a valid fear was once again falling into the Siren’s clutches. It had already proven capable of intimating knowledge from their minds; if they were to be ensnared a second time, it would instantly learn how to reach this room. So what if they removed the sword but momentarily? Used it to kill the spirit, then debate on what to do with the blade?

Sadly, little is as guaranteed as in-fighting when a group of samurai are forced together. Even these plans were argued against. The heat in their words was rekindled even stronger than before. It was as Kiyuki & Takeshi were on the verge of violence that Hayata moved to the wall while shaking his head.

Not giving anyone anytime to notice, let alone react, the Tortoise opened the mystic door. Standing only a few feet beyond, in the darkness of the cellar, was Barako. Her lips curled in a wrinkly smile…that continued to widen uncomfortably.

“Oh good! I knew you were somewhere around here,” the Siren said in the old Kuni’s voice. Cutting the spats to a halt, the creature tackled Hayata into the chamber, raking him with claw-tipped fingers. Whatever their other faults may be, all of the samurai rushed to their friend’s defense.

Megumi slashed at the Siren’s outstretched arms as she darted backwards to gain space for her bow. Yudai grabbed Hayata, bodily switching places with him. As he did so, Kiyuki & Takeshi flanked him to face the spirit. Ikoma Choshi, Hida Iwa, & Hiruma Kazu all dealt blows to the fiend as best as they were able.

Being in close proximity to the Siren seemed to aggravate the noxious feel of the Obsidian; several of the samurai could feel their souls becoming Afflicted. This did not deter them from their duty. 

Yudai did all he could to draw the beast’s full attention, causing it to shift into a mockery of his form in response. In place of its right arm was a fleshy tetsubo. Megumi nocked an arrow, waiting for the right moment to strike. Communicating without words, the two Ikoma both assumed the same stance, ready to counter any move against Yudai.

It was only a breath before the Siren took the bait, lashing out at the Crab with a devastating blow. Before the strike could connect, both Lions brought their blades swinging in crescent arcs through the fiend. It’s chest split in a “X”, as fog, not blood, poured from within. 

Denied its wild swing, it let out a bellow in a choir of voices. Its head began to shift through a collage of faces, all screaming in pain. Seeing the visage of Toritaka Ochiyo for a split second, Megumi struck. The arrow whistled across the room as it soared over Yudai’s shoulders. An ear-shattering screech echoed out from the Siren’s open maw.

With a surprisingly meaty thunk, the arrow entered the Siren’s mouth & emerged from the back of its head. Almost like popping a bubble, the creature dispersed into nothing more than a fine mist. Hiruma Kazu took up Kishu & sliced it through the mist as a precaution. The jade of the katana caused the mist to dissipate instantly.

The anger & tension from their arguments momentarily forgotten, the group collectively caught their breath. With the Siren slain, & proof- however small- of the sword’s power, all eyes turned towards the Obsidian stone. If destroying it somehow weakened the Shadowlands further, how could they leave without trying? 

Thus, Hiruma Kazu took up Kishu in his left hand. He reversed his grip to have the blade pointed downwards. His ancestor’s relic gleamed in his grasp as he closed his eyes in thought. And then the jade sword came crashing down onto the Obsidian in one terrible strike.

Blazing green light strobed through the room. All was washed away from sight for several moments. When the spots had fled from their eyes, our heroes could see the results of their endeavor.

Grey, mottled bits of chalky stone lay where the mass of Obsidian had been. Even as they watched, some of these melted further into dust. Kishu’s hilt lay on the barren earth. The once shining blade was no more, having expended itself to purify the dark stone. Next to the remains of the sword, Hiruma Kazu lay in a crumpled heap…his left arm missing from the shoulder down.

Wasting no time, Takeshi rushed to the Crab’s side, calling for any with medical knowledge to join him. He was in a righteous state of calm as he ordered Hayata, Megumi, Ikoma Choshi, & Hida Iwa to their tasks. 

It became quickly apparent that the only way to save Hiruma Kazu would be to cauterize the wound immediately. Choking back against the scent of burning flesh, the team managed to stem his bleeding. He writhed in pain, even unconscious as he was. There was no way the courtier would be able to move under his own power any time soon.

A series of quiet whispers began to seep through the earth around them. The entire castle began to shake, as an ill presence could be felt descending from far above. Yudai took up the fallen samurai in his arms. Takeshi grabbed the Hiruma Hata, while Kiyuki made sure to gather Kishu’s hilt.

As one, the group made their way back to the ground floor. They reached the hallway connecting to the front gates as the castle’s trembling grew still worse. Unfortunately, they did not find themselves alone.

Limping down from the final stair was the horrific Watcher. More of the terrible whispers leaked from his mouth, as his eyes sockets widened to reveal they were actually filled with needle-like teeth. Seeing those who had destroyed what he sought, he thrust out his hands; a seemingly endless stream of disembodied eyeballs began flying in the direction of the party.

Even running as fast as they were able, the eyes began to gain on them. As each one blinked, it sounded like the gnashing of a hungry beast. The samurai found themselves wheezing as they stumbled into the moonlit field. No one voiced it, but they knew they could not outrun the Watcher’s eyes.

Hida Iwa turned & ran back through the castle’s gate. Straining with all his might, he began to close it from the inside. He made eye contact with Takeshi.

“I will hold the door,” the Crab said as his last words. “And I will carve your name in the room of the fallen,” the Lion replied. The doors closed with a resounding thud, & the group could hear Hida Iwa slide his tetsubo through the handles to barricade it completely. Several wet thuds mutely leaked under the door. There were no cries of pain, no whimpers or moans. The Crab made his last stand in silence.

December, 1118, Week 4: A Return From Daylight

Knowing that their ally’s soul was condemned to the Shadowlands cast a dark pallor on their rushed journey to safety. They had known little of him, the same as he had known of them. Yet still, he had believed them worthy of such a sacrifice.

The party put the time he had bought them to good use. Hayata began comparing his personal maps with the ones he had taken note of back at the castle. Close scrutiny led him to find a spot where the Saigo River was potentially fordable. His was proven true shortly thereafter, shaving a day off of their journey.

Carpenter Wall loomed ever closer. While sourcing a good spot for camp, Yudai came across a dead Shadowlands goblin. The despicable thing bore a pack, clearly of Rokugani make. However the thief had come to own the bag, it was clearly no aid in keeping it alive. A few non-Tainted items were able to be salvaged from within.

With only a few miles more struggle, our heroes managed to reach the closest Watchtower along the Wall. After proving they were not shapeshifters- or worse- the samurai were brought into the quarantine quarters. 

Each sat in silence, mulling over recent events in their minds. The Kuni would be here soon to perform a cleansing ritual. They could then begin the walk back to Shiro Kaiu along the Wall, to return to the Winter Council. Which surely could not involve anything near as trying as the Shadowlands.

Surely.