Jade Legacy [L5R 3eR] - Act 2 Chapter 1: Daiippo/First Step

[Plainsfox]

Damage: 6k3+3 dice for explosions
Results: 23  

[Psychofish]

Kojiro was starting to take shots at the archer- that left Denbe to buy his companion a chance to close the distance. And to keep anyone else from coming up and assaulting him. With Kuemon missing and Kagae still nearby Kojiro, Denbe had one clear target.

Advancing steadily, the Hare moved toward the bo wielding bandit, brandishing his katana.

"It's not Sanzo you should be concerned with at the moment," the Hare spoke up once he was nearly close enough to strike, making sure the man knew he was under attack before taking a swing.

[6k4 Agility/Kenjutsu: 32 vs Shogo's TNtbH+5]

With that bandit way out of reach, Denbe would assume Kojiro would have plenty of time to pepper him with arrows and prepare if he charged, so the Hare took to making sure they stopped this archer as soon as possible. While the Scorpion fired on him, the Hare began to sprint- trying to close the distance as quickly as possible to ensure that they got the archer between them, before he could do much more harm.  

[Psychofish]

[5k2 Damage: 15]  

[Psychofish]

[1 Raise to get there faster.]
[7k4+3-10 Agility/Athletics(Running): 9 to sprint to the archer's location. Refund the raise to the total if it's the number, not raises against a TN, that matter.]  

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
--------------------

@ The Boys' Fight:

37 - Denbe, Katana drawn, 9 damage, (Grazed +5), Full Defense Stance (TN+17)
37 - Kojiro, Yumi drawn
30 - Akahito, Hankyu drawn, 24 damage (Crippled +20), 1 VP spent
17 - Iwao/Sanzo, Katana drawn, 7 damage, (Grazed +3)
10 - Kagae, 15 damage, (Hurt +10), Katana drawn
10 - Shogo, Bo drawn, Searching for Sanzo Stance

Plainsfox would draw an arrow back with Denbe's bow, taking aim at the figure up in the treeline. Loosing the arrow, it would audibly thunk against something definitely made of meat and not wood - a blow that the bandit in the tree was barely able to block by putting his arm up before it did irrevocable harm - an act that caused the man to cry out in pain.

Though, the impact was enough that he lost his precarious balance from the tree, and with a second cry louder than the first, as he slipped, and landed with a fierce and audible thud, his bow and collection of arrows breaking upon hitting the ground.

An athletics check would be unnecessary to reach the archer's position, especially after he fell. That's a simple full move action. The Athletics would be necessary to get there before the archer hit the ground (so he would land on you instead). Whether or not that is your intention, you failed the roll, and got that post-gravity.

"Pl-please! Kuemon, h-he put me up t-to this! I never wanted any p-part of this, h-honest!" the bandit would say as Denbe approached - a young man, as much as 5 years younger than Denbe himself. An arrow protruded from his right forearm, and it looks like his left leg was broken from the impact.

Kagae, Kojiro, Denbe, go ahead! Shogo and Iwao are nowhere to be found!

--------------------

@ The Girl's Fight:

Kuemon stormed right up to Miyako, sword in hand, and aggressively moved to place the business end of his three foot razor blade against her throat - though he did not cut her.

"I have no interest in companionship, and don't me a fool that I would believe a samurai woman would ever want to sink to the level of banditry. You lot are far too prideful for practicality."

He gritted his teeth, breathing hard as if bracing to lob off Miyako's head... but ultimately, seemed to hesitate.

"If you are sincere - truly sincere - then there is one thing... one kami damned service you can provide me. Be my bargaining chip and shield as I kill Bayushi Sanzo. If he's half the coward I think he is, he wouldn't have it in him to cut down his kinsman, so you have little to fear. Once he's dead, then I may consider sparing your life."

Miyako, thoughts?  

[Plainsfox]

@Boy's Fight Out

The Scorpion bushi smiled inwardly in satisfaction over that arrow's flight. It had almost felt like Yogo Sanjuro was there, helping him to defeat the young bandit. "Do with him as you like. I'm worried about Shosuro-san. She should be here by now. I'm going to see what's taking her so long." With that, Kojiro turned back and headed down the path that he came from.  

[Psychofish]

[5k3(+10 from Clear Thinker if he's lying)-5 Awareness/Investigation(Interrogation): 18( or 28 ) to determine if he is being honest.]  

[Tei Kae]

Miyako laughed and then visibly preened even with a knife to her throat. "You think I'm a Scorpion Samurai. I -am- good." She stared right back at him, boldly. "You'd be surprised how practical I can be and all that sounds like a fair trade to me." She did however c**k her head and look up at him.

"Why exactly do you hate him so much anyways? Or is it just your pride that he kept the village from you."Turning his words about pride right back on him.

[Deceit/Awareness + Voice + Dangerous Beauty+ School Technique: 10k4
Free Raise to convince him of her helplessness/not Samurainess/Stupid femaleness
=32]  

[Psychofish]

Denbe hoped he was lying- it would ease his conscience. But the fact was, he'd taken up arms against samurai, and the village, and killed a magistrate. Threat or not, that was gone too far to be forgiving. Chances were, even if the Hare took him alive... he'd only be suffering those injuries until the first Emerald Magistrate could put him down instead.

As the Hare lifted his blade and hoped to end it with as little pain as possible, he wondered if the boy would have had his ceremony into adulthood, had he been samurai.

[Full Attack Stance. 2 Raises to damage 1 to hit.]
[6k4 Agility/Kenjutsu: 21 vs TNtbH]  

[Mongooseh]

Kagae watched as he was left alone, again, but decided to look for his wakizashi since he had the time scanning the wreckage of the hut he hoped it would be temptingly jutting out some where. As he hummed a song to ignore his wounds.

(3k3 perception to spot the symbol of Kagae being a samurai. Result: 16 )  

[Psychofish]

[6k3 Damage: 37]  

[Rain Yupa]

GM's notes:
Kojiro: -1k0 earth/water.
Denbe: -1k0 earth/void.
Kagae: None
Seichiro: -1k0 earth/void.
Zanzen: -1k0 earth/water.
Kyumi: -1k0 fire/void.
Hisashi:None
Miyako: None
--------------------

@ The Boys' Fight:

37 - Denbe, Katana drawn, 9 damage, (Grazed +5), Full Defense Stance (TN+17)
37 - Kojiro, Yumi drawn
17 - Iwao/Sanzo, Katana drawn, 7 damage, (Grazed +3)
10 - Kagae, 15 damage, (Hurt +10), Katana drawn
10 - Shogo, Bo drawn, 28 damage (Injured +15), Found Sanzo Stance!

Denbe probably feels no remorse - not only is he doing the right thing, as a samurai, but it seems like the young man is just trying to come up with any sort of defense that wouldn't send him to jigoku, or some other equally unfitting afterlife. Denbe doesn't buy it, and a quick scream of terror is cut short.

Kagae - It'll take about a minute, but you are able to find your wakizashi, jutting out of the corpse of a woman who could have died from either blood loss, massive burns, her roof collapsing on her, or any of the above.

Kojiro, you begin to make your way back west to see what's keeping Miyako. She should have been there by now. Though, as he reached the crest of the incline he had run up to get here, he saw no sign of her...

--------------------

@ The Girl's Fight:

Miyako, let me know if you had been wearing something out than your clan colors/kimono all this time. You should have a mon identifying you as part of the Scorpion Clan.

"Akahito saw you with the other samurai when you entered. I am no fool. Now, come, time to earn your keep or lose your head," Kuemon would gruffly say. With his left hand, he would grab Miyako by her upper arm, forcefully leading her southward and around the perimeter of the village - that is, if Miyako didn't do anything to stop him.

Miyako, you get the feeling that he believes you are a samurai, despite your best attempts. However, the initial success will get you helplessness (courtiers are often unable to defend themselves), and the free raise will get you the 'stupid femaleness' as you put it.

Stealth with 2 raises: one to move quickly, one to compensate for Miyako as his hostage: 24 after the -10 from those raises.

"This village will be mine. No one will keep it from me. I claimed it, and no one - not the Crab, not the Scorpion, and especially not that man, will deny me my prize," was all he would say in response to Miyako's incessant prodding on the matter.

As they soon were under the cover of darkness, Bayushi Kojiro would soon move up to the crest of the hill and look down to where he expected Miyako to be, only to see nothing at all...  

[Tei Kae]

"That was kind of the point. I joined the group at Kuda Mura." She tugged a little to straighten her kimono as he yanked on her arm. It was colored crimson and black, but it bore no mon upon it. "They believe me to be a woman from the Shosuro clan. They never even asked for any proof of my identity." It would of course help if he believed the group too stupid to take seriously although every word she stated was truth.

[Deceit/Awareness + Voice + Dangerous Beauty+ School Technique: 10k4
Free Raise to convince him of her not Samura-iness=36]  

[Psychofish]

There would be a few moments of wet hacking sounds, before Denbe would stand holding the young man's head by the hair, as promised, and turn to walk back toward the village. This gave him time enough to think about what exactly needed to be done about the dead magistrate- or more specifically, what it meant should be done with Iwao now that she had died. They'd have to report the magistrate's death as soon as possible, and see that her body was properly seen to.

And that was what Denbe did for the moment, pausing to kneel and place the head beside her.

With a sigh, he'd stand, and go to Kagae- the nearest of his companions, and the only one he could see at the moment, before bowing to him and holding his head down.

"I'm sorry, Kaiu-san. The bandit in the burning building had used your weapons to murder those peasants." He was proud to have slain him and returned the Crab's katana, but the wakazashi... he hadn't been able to stop it's use, or hand it back to him directly, as the Crab was already standing over the blade and the woman's corpse.

[3k3 Intelligence/Lore(Law): 11]  

[Plainsfox]

Tired and weary, Kojiro frowned as he looked down to the ground, to see if he at least could make out whatever imprints Miyako had made as she moved. If he was lucky, he could follow the little Shosuro's trail. The Bayushi doubted that Miyako wouldn't avoid joining them unless it was necessary.


OOC:
Intelligence/ Hunting (Tracking) 5k3 w/3 dice to handle explosions.
Results: 18