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

[Rain Yupa]

@ Denbe & Miyako:

Coughing a bit violently, wincing in great agony, his eyes would seem to grow heavy. "Why so glum... you're acting like I'm dying or something." He would smile, a trickle of blood trailing down the side of his mouth. "I ask you one favor... tell Magistrate Machiko... that she's a... stupid cow... heh..." Giving Denbe's hand a sudden strong squeeze, his grip would loosen, and his eyes, close.

Lord Sun would finally look out upon the land from the eastern horizon, a stream of light bathing the village, and Iwao, or perhaps Bayushi Sanzo, alike.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Wrapping Up:

Bayushi Kojiro soon returns with the spoils of war: A medicine kit! It probably wasn't until later that he realized it was an empty one. Ujina Denbe and Shosuro Miyako would be near the body of that mysterious man. Kaiu Kagae was not immediately in sight, though he would be found unconscious where you camped the previous night, a grievous injury to his face as a result of a katana. He has gone down fighting, armed but not armored.

It's not hard to piece together who the likely culprit was, but the curious thing is, why he would strike down Kagae but not kill him. Upon treatment, the wound would travel from jawline to opposite hairline, cutting clean across the center of his face and between both eyes. A purely superficial one, though it would likely scar as a permanent reminder of his encounter.

There is that first medicine kit still there, though I ask one of you to roll me 2k2, dice explode as normal. The result is the number of doses left in the kit, after treating Kagae's injuries (some of which have been bandaged up already, though the job is rather slipshod due to awkward angles).

Also, as part of the wrapping up process, there is one important issue: A bunch of dead bandits (technically, two that fought Kojiro aren't dead; what do you do about them?), a dead magistrate, a dead ronin, and a village that has suffered for all of it. It's one of those things where you TECHNICALLY don't have any jurisdiction, but since you've gotten yourselves involved, you're obliged to handle this somewhat, even if it's passing the buck to someone formal. These lands belong to the family of one quarter of the party, after all.

You came from Kuda Mura to the southeast, and your destination is Kamisori sano Yoake Shiro, to the northwest. You're closer to the former, but you might not want to backtrack.

Kagae is fit to travel by noonish, after his wounds are treated and your bellies are fed (complements of the town).

How do the Jade Wardens resolve this chapter?

Also...

Kaiu Kagae gains 2 points of honor for facing a clearly superior foe in the name of his family/clan.

Ujina Denbe gains 2 points of honor for acknowledging a superior opponent.  

[Plainsfox]

After chucking the empty medicine kit in a random direction, Kojiro would learn what happened from Denbe and Miyako. (He hopes.) He would then bow deeply to Iwao/Sanzo's corpse and say the following. "Thank you for helping me protect her, Sanzo-san. I..."

After that, Kojiro would bury himself in the tasks needed to clean this....situation up and search for Eta to properly handle the corpses left here. Sanzo and Machiko to be treated honorably. The bandits to be immolated together, unless anyone else wants to do anything different to them. Kojiro will dispatch them as needed.

Kojiro would then reclaim his bow and archery equipment and gave Denbe's back to him. He would spend a short bit examining Tengu-san's swords, hoping to unravel a little bit of the mystery that surrounded the man.

Finally, Kojiro would state the following. "It's probably best if we send a messenger to Kuda Mura. We should also stay here for a day or two....but our duty lies onward still and we need to attend to it."

Also, for whatever it was worth, Kojiro would pick up the No Dachi.
OOC:
first three, 2k2 for medicine roll+1k1 for explosions: 10 doses left
Second three Intelligence/ Weapons roll, no explosions.
Results: 14  

[Mongooseh]

Kagae would be sitting down on a log fiddling with his sword and his back to the rest of them, "Send someone to my father he'll deal with it..."

"...Denbe-san maybe? It'll kill my mother to see me like this so quickly. That and sending Kojiro-san means sending him with the other. I wouldn't mind the rest if it isn't too much to take into consideration."

Kagae realising he was beginning to sound spiteful took a hammer out of his pack and begun hammering dents out of his armour.

*Dink* *Ding* *Dink*...  

[Tei Kae]

"Kuemon is still loose, Kaiu-san. I'm not sure it would be wise for any of our group to be by themselves." Miyako pondered the dangers ahead. "As much as a rest would be appreciated by all of us, we are now yet another day further behind in our mission." She then turned and looked at Denbe-san.

"Is that not the wisest course, Denbe-san, to continue on our journey? Surely there must be a messenger used to send normal messages of need to Kuda Mura."  

[Psychofish]

The Hare sat in the camp whittling- carving something in the vague shape of a man out of a piece of wood with his tanto as they sat, look of concentration- or perhaps just dissatisfaction- on his face. Not that he seemed to be doing a very good job of the whittling, or even paying much attention to it.

"I have to agree. Our duty was never here," the Hare discarded his work and pulled his pack in front of himself, digging into it slowly. "We did what we could- already to the detriment of our mission. I have paper. We'll write a letter, instruct and pay a peasant, and send the message to Kuda Mura. Then we go onward. Every day we dally could be another one the trail to the magistrate goes dead. If we are so lucky that he has survived so far... then all the more reason to hurry. We continue forward, until we have seen the mission through."

The Hare would send the message, un-ciphered, addressed to the magistrate they had met in Kuda Mura, rather than Kagae's parents, and include the details of their battle, Kagae's wounds, and the deaths of the magistrate, bandits, and Iwao- the message was bare bones beyond those facts, but he'd willingly hand the paper and ink over to any of the others to add more to the message.  

[Plainsfox]

@The Village

The No Dachi Kojiro had obtained was a poorly made and poorly maintained thing. Kojiro was surprised it had made it this far. He did notice the Hare's eye wandering to it on occasion. "Here, since you've helped watch over Shosuro-san, this blade may help you get obstacles out of the way a little bit faster, Ujina-san. Personally, I'd toss it away as soon as we're able to. If we're lucky, you could get a Kaiu made no-dachi to replace it."

The Scorpion looked at Tengu-san's katana as he crouched on the ground. As he examined the katana, Kojiro lovingly traced the Yasuki Carp and Chrysanthemum mon on the hilt. He then placed the Daito with Tengu-san's Shoto and then turned to face the others.

"Whatever the outcome here, we worked ourselves ragged to get to here and we shouldn't work ourselves ragged to complete our mission. We may as well stay a day....but if you believe that speed is still of the essence...."

Kojiro would shrug, indicating that he'd go along with them.  

[Psychofish]

"Thank you, but no, the spoils were of your battle. I merely aided my fellows," Denbe wouldn't get too flowery about it, but he'd follow the standard procedures of polite society- turn down the gift twice, and accept if offered a third time. He'd take the no-dachi, testing the blade with rather mixed feelings but trying to keep a straight face as he put it on his person.

"We were exhausted getting here, and have tired ourselves out. If that's a concern... we'll leave as soon as we are well rested again."

The Hare intended to stick to that plan; unless anyone objected or had more to add to the letter, he'd simply take it to a peasant, give them a bu, and instructions to deliver it to the magistrate, and then come back to rest until the moment they all felt well again- and then he'd urge them to the road.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Everyone:

I will be starting Act 2 Chapter 2 tomorrow, so if anyone else has anything to add, this is the time for it.

This is a Chapter end, not an Act end. Your raises, rolls, and stat changes that reflect on your experience sheets apply to ALL chapters of an Act, so keep in mind what you rolled in here when you finish the Act.

Everyone gets 5 experience for completing Act 1, Chapter 1: Daiippo! The normal restrictions for purchasing skills still apply (you can raise a skill once per Chapter, rather than only once per Act).

@ Newcomers, this 5 experience is already factored into the starting experience I'm giving you.

@ Matsu Seichiro, Kitsu Kyumi, Yoritomo Hisashi, Kakita Zanzen: If any of you can justify to me why you deserve the 5 experience, you can have it. Names are listed in order of who has to do the most to least convincing.  

[Mongooseh]

Kagae would start putting his armour and travelling gear on and turned to the group, "It's decided then."

Then he started walking in the direction of Kuda Mura shouting back, "Don't worry about me I'm just going to go traumatise my mother and inform my father of what happened here. Unless you didn't realise Denbe-san he has a bit more authority than a junior magistrate! Meet you all in Kamisori sano Yoake Shiro!"  

[Rain Yupa]

As you all are resting up and preparing to leave, several of the villagers would come with gifts of traveling food, to see you off and in thanks of defending them from the bandits. Everyone gains enough rations to get you to Kamisori sano Yoake Shiro!

They apologize for the inconveniences their troubles have caused you, and will pray to the Fortunes to bless you for the great deeds you have done for them this day.

Everyone gains 1 point of Glory for defeating the Bandit force!

Kagae, do you really go the opposite direction, when a method of communication has already been decided by the others? It will take you at least two days of travel to just make it back to this village, holding the mission up that many days. As such, there will be a 2 Glory Point loss if you decide to follow through on this course of action (since a man's life is possibly on the line). If you go through with this and Miyako, Denbe, and Kojiro decide to wait for you, they will suffer an honor loss as well, as per "Disobeying your lord's commands". This is per day you wait.

Kagae does not lose this honor if this happens, because he values his duty to his Family more than he values his duty to the Jade Magistrates.

Appropriate Intelligence-based skills might help figure out if this is worth it or not.  

[Tei Kae]

[Intelligence/Lore 2k2=7]

Miyako was just confused. Yes, his parents were influential/rich, but she could not figure out how his father was more important than a magistrate for a small village. "Kaiu-san. We can send them a letter as well, but our duty is to our mission."  

[Psychofish]

Denbe is frustrated, bitter, and ready to move onward- unless he would be left to forge onward alone, he is determined to begin on the road again within the day, whether this means he is down one Crab, or even down a Scorpion and a Crab. Honor or glory gains or losses be damned.

Roll still made on account of the player's like for information.  

[Psychofish]

[3k3 Intelligence/Lore(Law): 15]  

[Plainsfox]

@The Village

Kojiro would bow politely and smile genuinely to the villagers as they issued their thanks and gratitude.

"Kagae-san.....I do not know your mother well, but I do know mothers. If you've been planning to remain unmarried, then the last thing you want to do is to go back home right now. Chances are you'll be married to someone who can 'Take care of you'. You don't want that to happen now, do you?"

OOC
Awareness/Courtier 5k3 w/ 3 dice for explosions
1 raise to put the emphasis on what kind of women Kagae would end up with. Mainly big, suffocating women that wouldn't allow him to do anything he wanted to...and maybe make him act like a Crane.
Results: 20 (after raise)