Arc 4, Prologue, L5R

Arc 4- 1119, Spring

Mercantile business

Coin can open many doors

But cannot close them

Otomo Kuni, nascent Crystal Champion, has been collecting & correlating reports of strange activity from across the Emerald Empire. Your Lord has prepared a few avenues of investigation she believes merit a closer look. 

The floor is also open for each of you to present a potential case to the Crystal Office. 

As Spring begins to blossom, take some time to debate your options before selecting what will be your first official mission.

Dragon Lands

Everyone knows that Dragon lands are ill-suited for farming. This makes it all the more serious whenever something threatens what little crops they do produce. While their lands are ready for the harvesting & replanting of staple foods, their farmers are not: many of them have been stricken with phantom pains & lesions, to the point where they have difficulty moving. 

Apothecaries have determined that no known sickness or disease is at play, throwing doubt on the peasant’s claims. Some clans might simply slay the peasants for what are clearly lies of defiance…but the Dragon can ill afford such a luxury. 

A low level magistrate in the region believes there might be more to the afflictions than meets the eye. Specifically, they fear a spiritual root may be at the base of this tree. It may be worth our time to investigate further.

Phoenix Lands

A few months ago, some enterprising merchants came upon a caved-in entrance on the side of a cliff face. Clearing it revealed an ancient, labyrinthine nest of tunnels. Though they are clearly man-made, pains must have been taken to make them appear as if the Earth had grown them itself. 

Now a swathe of merchants, ronin, & low-level samurai have set up shop to delve for plunder. Though they do not have the tacit approval of the Phoenix, the clan has remained unsettlingly quiet on the matter. Perhaps their minds are bent towards other things at the moment. 

At any rate, the caves have proven rich in metals & gems. Rich enough to make the first few deaths & disappearances only a paltry deterrent- but they can no longer ignore the screams that echo from deep within the shadows. Something unnatural is lurking beneath the stone, & is unlikely to stop without outside influence.

Wasp Lands

This report I did not hunt for: it was mailed to me directly by Tsuruchi Shiko. The bounty hunter has described some odd occurrences within one of their marshes. 

Strange flashes of light & haunting cries have been noted to occur during the nighttime hours. Some have even claimed to see small, floating balls of flame over the swampland. Such things are often the precursor to a spiritual presence. She has not provided much more information beyond that. 

Included with the letter was a blood-stained arrowhead & a single koku. I’m unsure as to the providence of the items, but perhaps they mean more to you?

After much heated debate, the group eventually decided to visit the caves in Phoenix lands.