Age of Succession
7216 IC (Imperial Calendar)
Month of The Sea Dragon
Last Day of Winter
Fifth Hour of the Afternoon
Cold & Rainy (visibility reduced 1/2, Perception checks & ranged attacks -4, protected flames extinguished 50%)
Empress Ameiko, last of the Amatatsu bloodline, stands clad in heavy silken robes with her head bent over the grave of her friend and trusted advisor. An old woman stands next to her holding a white umbrella decorated with crane designs. She tries to shield the empress from the cold raindrops that fall over the cemetery. Somewhere on the gray horizon to the west, the sun is setting.
Before the empress is a stone monument with seven faces and seven stone tables radiating in different directions. Each is a grave of one of her gaikoku hito kyōgi-kai, a tightly-knit inner circle of companions who helped her survive the long journey over the Crown of the World, defeat the Jade Regent, and also hold onto the Jade Throne for the last five years. None of them now remain. Retainers, servants, and subjects surround her, but can she truly call any of them "friend?"
Nearest to her, just on Ameiko's right, is the old housekeeper, Taki. Rumor has it, the empress had to dismiss most of her household due to the imperial coffers being almost empty. Some say the palace is now like a tomb with only Taki shuffling about, performing her duties all alone. Other reports suggest that the empress prefers to have a smaller staff since then there are fewer left to betray her.
To the left of the empress is the governor of Kasai Province, Osawa Shunjei. He is relatively new to his station, as well, for the previous governor was a puppet of the Jade Regent and had to be removed from his office. He is, by all accounts, a loyal & competent administrator, but has his hands full trying to manage the affairs of the province and the city as well. With Ameiko focused on keeping Minkai as a whole united, most of Kasai's daily operations fall to Osawa.
Left of the governor stands Hamada Ichiro, the aged but well-respected war hero & general who is now retired, but serves as one of Ameiko's closest advisors. His knowledge & experience is said to be invaluable to her.
Arranged in ranks to the left of the gravesite are the imperial guard led by their mammoth captain Kondo Tsubame. Kondo rarely speaks and some assume he is as stupid as the ogre he appears to be. But, when the empress held an open competition to decide the new captain of the palace guard, Kondo swept through all other combatants easily. Sine then, he has remained loyal to the throne, which is all Ameiko cares about.
On the opposite side of the stone monument are more ranks of armored soldiers. These men belong to the house of Tokugawa. They are all samurai, elite warriors who follow a strict code.The Tokugawa are currently among the highest-ranked families in all of Minkai. While loyal to the Jade Regent during his reign, when Ameiko returned to claim the throne, the Tokugawa immdiately gave their support to the rightful heir. The clan patriarch, Tokugawa Kiyoshi, is present, along with his second wife, a woman half his age named Yokuki. All of the eldest sons are elsewhere, commanding armies & castles in service to the empire, but the youngest son, Hojo, is in attendance.
To the right of the Tokugawa, are the priests of Shizuru, Empress of Heaven. The funerary ceremony was presided over by Kaeda Minoru, high priest of the Temple of the Sun's Blade. Amongst his attendants is a curious young woman who has rarely been seen outside of the temple grounds. Rumors say she is a samsaran, a creature who has lived hundreds if not thousands of lifetimes in different bodies. To most, she is the subject of much superstition, if not fear.
To the left of the priests (and just to the right of Taki), is a handsome young man named Morimoto. He sits cross-legged on a reed mat that is spread over the wet ground. Little is known of his family or past, only that it is believed that he was once a travelling performer. Often he can be seen in the company of the empress.
The graves are in a clearing surrounded by a grove of ancient Minkaian maple trees. Their long, crooked branches twist in many directions weaving a leafless, yet still dense canopy overhead. Some of the contorted shapes formed by the bare branches make the trees look like they are in agony. In truth, the Setting Sun Cemetery is said to be haunted by unquiet spirits that were cut-off from the rest of the temple grounds when the canal system was implemented over 200 years ago. Ameiko's fallen companions -- most of them foreigners -- were only permitted to be buried here. Even her friends who were born in Minkai chose to be laid to rest by their comrades-in-arms.
The high priest has completed his ceremony, and now a pall of silence hangs over the proceedings as night begins to fall...
OOC: Most of you know where you are positioned in relation to the empress and the gravesite. If anyone would like to state actions, please feel free to do so now. Takeru is probably around, too, though he might not be visible.
OOC: First post! =)
ReplyDelete(What? That's still a thing, right?)
BIC: Takeru weighed the option of showing up dressed as a groundskeeper, but instead decided on the drab brown homespun of the common peasant was camouflage enough. He arrived hours early, familiarizing himself with possible avenues a potential assassin might use, then, in deference to the solemnity of the setting, instead of patrolling, settled down in a shadow-drenched hallow between an overgrown shrub and a large stele. Remaining motionless for the hours to come was easy as a novice's task, and at least this time he didn't need to stand the whole time.
He keeps a constant watch for anything out-of-place, or someone moving too quickly. His greatest worry is the long-shot from a heavy crossbow, since that will be hard to spot and almost impossible to stop, but at least in that the rain is a friend and would make such a shot much harder. In everything else, it's now an enemy.
Stealth check: take 10 + 9 = 19.
Perception check: 18 + 4 - 4 = 18.
After waiting a moment in silence to reflect on the ceremony, Hojo, Tokugawa Kiyoshi's youngest son, steps forward to offer a few words. He waits patiently for approval to speak.
ReplyDeleteMorimoto (Moto) has prepared a haiku for the ceremony, and waits until bidden, offering:
ReplyDelete"Pine forest breathes deep -- tide abates"
Megumi bows her head in silent reverence. She remains quiet and follows the lead of her other brothers and sisters of the temple.
ReplyDeleteAt first, Hojo looks to the empress herself, but she appears to be as still as a statue. There is a long silence with only the pattering of raindrops to be heard.
ReplyDeleteKiyoshi half-turns his head towards his son, and gives Hojo the tiniest of nods...
Meanwhile, Takeru keeps his head on a swivel, trying to keep the area under his surveillance. He does not know for certain if there are other members of his clan here (he was not told there would be), or even perhaps a rival order trying to win the imperial contract from under the Black Lotus's noses.
Everything is quiet and still for the moment. No one in the assembly seems to even realize Takeru is present. He is only about fifteen to twenty feet from Kondo. To elude the notice of the captain of the palace guard is quite an accomplishment all by itself. Takeru tries to push away thoughts of himself to focus on the job.
"My name is Tokugawa Hojo, youngest son of Tokugawa Kiyoshi and leader of the forges of the Imperial Palace. Although I am few in years, what experience I have had has been shared between the decipline and dedication of the way of the Samurai, and in perfecting the art of folding Tokugawa steel.
ReplyDelete"I would like to share a few words in honor of Takami Hayato:
"My family has been folding steel for generations, and the blades crafted have served many great warriors, including Takami Hayato. Many years ago Hayato's father came to my grandfather requesting a kitana be crafted in the ancient way to protect him in his service to his emperor: Higashiyama Shigure. The master and weapon became as one and protected one another until Hayato inherited the Kitana from his father. During this time, Hayato proved that this Kitana and the Takami family were ment to work together to protect our lands and serve it's rightful leaders. With the passing of the great warrior, trusted advisor, and life-long friend of the empress Ameiko, both man and blade will rest for eternity, protecting each other as they always have."
Hojo lowers his head once again and steps back next to his father.
Hojo resumes his position among the rest of the Tokugawa. Morimoto looks up at Ameiko and notices that her eyes are hidden behind her elaborate & regal headdress, but he can see her lips are tightly pressed together in an effort to keep them still.
ReplyDeleteAbove Takeru, a nightingale alights on a crooked branch about fifteen feet above the ground. The creature begins to sweetly twitter away from its perch among the constant pittering of the raindrops.
The brief respite is suddenly shattered as a older man in red & black silks pushes past the ranks of assembled samurai shouting, "how dare you! How dare any of you speak of honor and service when my son lies here in this unhallowed ground!" He holds a bottle in one hand and waves a wakizashi around in the other.
Instinctively, the guards and soldiers gathered around reach for their weapons, but the man who staggers into the center of the clearing is himself a high-ranking lord. It is Takami Hiroshi, a retired samurai who has an illustrious family line. Silently, Takeru curses himself, but such a person would have no difficulty being allowed entrance to such an event -- especially when the event is the furneral of his own son. Nobody moves to restrain the lord except Minoru, the aged high priest.
Minoru bravely approaches the armed man and tries to firmly clutch him about the shoulders as the drunkard continues raving. "Hiroshi, my old friend, you are overcome with grief and drink! Do not do this here, I beg you!" The lord shoves the priest away and stumbles. The bottle falls out of his hand and shatters across the grave. Broken shards of glass are scattered amongst the flowers, bowls of incense, and other offerings.
Takami swings the blade wildly, narrowly missing Minoru. He is weeping now and he cries out, "my son! My son! He will wander now with the other unquiet spirits in this accursed place! Wander until the ghosts of these foreign devils lead him to hell! My poor son will never take his rightful place with my ancestors! Never!"
OOC: Takami entered the clearing from the opposite side of the gravesite from Takeru. He is alone and dressed in dark-colored garb. And, as suggested, he is a high-ranking lord and no one would question him.
Here is the sound of nightingale if you're curious & never heard one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8xKv28ZTI0
Hojo looks to his father for an indication of how to react. Being yet new to the social scene, the proper action is not known. He readies himself for a grapple should the distraught father come threateningly toward his family, but doesn't immediately join the fight should he simply get en the way of the guards, who's job it is to protect.
ReplyDeleteMegumi rushes to Minoru's aid, and puts herself between the two.
ReplyDeleteMegumi thinks Tokugawa Hojo is cute.
ReplyDeleteMoto watches the Empress and prepares to follow her lead.
ReplyDelete"Baka," thinks Takeru. Such karma that he would enter on that line. He contemplates the angle of attack, and his hand moves to swap the sling for the sap....
ReplyDeleteBut no. He can hear Strategic's lesson in his mind. The skilled warrior attacks with an overwhelming yang. But the cunning warrior feints first with the yang, then kills with the yin. This drunken fool is the yang, made angry and drunk by some unseen hand, and all eyes are now upon him. But he is not the threat. If the wakisashi at any point seems dangerous, even the overgrown ox Kondo can stop him. He is not the killer.
Takeru ignores the drunken fool, and makes ready for the real attack to come.
Takami staggers around a bit, then Megumi bravely (or foolishly) slides up in front of her master. While still babbling incoherently, Takami spins around wildly and the tip of his blade cuts into Megumi's flesh just above her right elbow. She only wears ceremonial silken robes and quilted garments underneath, so they do little to protect her.
ReplyDeleteBoth the priestess and the drunkard gasp as the blade strikes. Megumi steps back and slides her sleeve up to view the damage. It is a minor wound. No red blood pours forth as the onlookers would expect... only clear fluid, like spring water, issues forth. In the half-light of the cemetery, nobody can hardly see it.
Takami stops and looks up, horrified. But when he sees the pale blue skin of the priestess and her milky white eyes, he stumbles backward. "Ghost! Ghost!" He falls backwards over the stone table and sends a bowl of incense clattering over. The man then just puts his face in his hand and weeps. Kondo strides forward and kicks the wakizashi away from his hand.
Ameiko's chin quivers, though perhaps not from grief. Her eyes, glassy with tears, seem seething with anger.
OOC: Perception check, Takeru.
13 + 4 - 4 = 13.
ReplyDeleteMegumi smiles at Minoru as she helps him up. Irritated, she then applies a quick bandage as she thinks, "I wasn't supposed to be here today!"
ReplyDeleteMoto rises, returned from a meditative haze akin to a journey of 2000 miles.
ReplyDelete"Takami-sensei," he begins, invoking the honorific to impose stature against the distinguished elder warrior. Summoning a charismatic presence that belies his youth, Moto continues. "Has not your son received the proper rites, his ashes interred alongside your sword, passed to him? Do not these mighty Minkaian maples protect all who eternally rest on these grounds?
"Sensei, your grief reflects well upon you as a father, and no man here may cast a cold eye. However, your anger is misplaced. I saw Hayato fall. I was chained and lashed near death, and his bravery helped free me from the arbitrary wrath of the Regent. I was not the only one Hayato saved that day. Indeed, the echoes of his courage have cleansed the entire land, as the smell of budding leaves break winter's grasp.
"Hayato is buried here because of who he was and because he chose to be brave in the face of tyrrany, and those of like mind would not be given the choicer plots lest their lineage contaminate those who merely were, but who did not choose the harder path. That was the path of Hayato, and of the Empress and of all those who fight against tyranny.
"Be proud of your son. Rejoice in his heroic example. Do not fear for his spirit in this place, for it is well-accompanied by friends of strong will and great deed, and the mighty trees protect them all. Now return to your home, Takami-sensei. Show us the dignity of your line and respect for this assemblage, all of whom know your true self and honor your son."
The honeyed words of the sojourner and the bravery of the cute young priestess serve to convince Tokeru that the yang was most skillfully played and the killing yin is yet to come. So too this rain is a sign from the gods that the theme of bravery in combat will honor Hayato and the blow will not be taken at a cowardly range. He replaces the sling in his bandolier and Rising Spring comes silently to his hand.
ReplyDeleteHojo can't help but be a little jealous of the speech, wishing he were capable of such moving words. He tries not to let this emotion on his face, and instead focuses on the tense situation and tries to be as alert as possible. He still maintains the position of letting the guards handle the situation, and will only act if he can help without getting in the way, or if his self or the people near him become in danger.
ReplyDeleteThe young man's voice fades away and the rain seems to abate somewhat. Heavy drops continue to fall from the branches overhead. A hush falls over the scene as Takami wipes his wrinkled hand across his face. He slowly attempts to rise, and Kondo effortlessly lifts him up by grasping his arm. The old samurai tries to smooth out his robes with his hands in the effort to regain some of his composure. His face is still wracked with exhaustion, sorrow, or both.
ReplyDelete"Forgive me, my son," he says in a barely audible voice.
Suddenly, the empress cries out, grasping the left side of her neck. Her knees buckle and she crumples to the ground.
In the next breath, several things occur all at once:
- Taki throws her body over that of the empress. The white umbrella rolls across the muddy earth.
- Governor Osawa dives to the ground, his eyes looking about with terror.
- General Hamada rushes to Ameiko's side. He stands at her left, facing towards the woods, with his katana drawn.
- Kondo is shouting orders to his guardsmen to assume defensive positions.
- Tokugawa Yokuki screams, her voice tearing through the silence of the dark cemetery.
- Minoru spins about in surprise, and then kneels next to the fallen empress.
Everyone else seems understandably stunned.Takeru wildly looks about, and then sees the crooked branch that the tiny nightingale was perched upon. It wobbles up and down violently, as though some great weight has just bent it down & let it go. The bird is nowhere to be seen.
OOC: Actions everybody (and Perception checks, too -- though hearing is difficult with Yokuki's screaming & the soldiers' shouts).
Megumi -- your wound inlicted 1 hp damage.
Morimoto -- I won't make you roll Diplomacy after that. You had your intended effect.
Megumi goes to the empress's side. If she is injured, she either casts cure light wounds or channels energy depending on how injured the empress is. If no injuries are apparent I'll make whatever check you deem appropriate to have Megumi discern what's wrong with the empress.
ReplyDeletePerception = 11 + 0 - 4 = 7
ReplyDeleteHojo Draws his Nodachi and stands to defend his family. Being across the grave from the empress, he trusts her guards to do their best. While he is not too worried of an attack on his family, and cannot do much outside of a straight fight, he hopes that his position and alertness will help calm his mother.
That being said, should any attack come his way, he will do his best to be prepared.
OOC: Perception check: 18 + 4 - 4 = 18.
ReplyDeleteRanged attack: 12 + 5 = 17 (needed to hit AC5).
BIC: Takeru pushes aside the self-recrimination pounding at his head and drowns out the chaos erupting around him. In a blink he falls into the Flaming Void to calm his thoughts. Of course! The bird sang the song that loosed the drunkard onto the funeral, showing...human intelligence? And then an attack. Perhaps the bird was a shapchanger that loosed an attack? But then where is their human form now? Perhaps as they changed they fell from tree, but then they would be directly beneath the limb.
Unless....
The Vanashing Trick. A useful tool of higher-level ninja. They could have loosed a shuriken or blowgun dart and then turned invisible. If so they might still be nearby!
All this flashes through his mind in an instant. He leaps out of cover and grabs his Bag of Powder. In a heartbeat he scans the grass below the still-quivering limb and makes a throw that should cover any still-invisible assassin in white dust. It's a high-risk move. Failure now means the enemy ninja will get away and perhaps never be found.
He thinks a silent prayer to Yaezhing and makes his throw.
Perception: roll 7 + 5 - 4 = 8. I must still be in that meditative haze.
ReplyDeleteMoto drops to the Empress' side, looking for the poison dart in her neck (if there is one) and removing it. Suspecting Fugu, he attempts to suck the poison from her neck and spit it to the ground. If no poison dart, then he draws his kukri and huddles close to the Empress.
Edit: attack roll is -4 for rain, so 13 total. (still enough to hit an empty square)
ReplyDeleteEdit: The first thing Takeru does is to drop Rising Spring (free action) to empty his hand for the throw.
Megumi arrives at Ameiko's side immediately after her master, Minoru. The empress has already extracted a small metal object from her skin. She tosses it aside, curses, then slumps down. Taki cradles the empress upon her lap.
ReplyDeleteAs the gravesite becomes surrounded by armored soldiers, Megumi summons the divine might of her goddess. Golden light passes through the young priestess like a prism and Ameiko's wound is healed (along with Megumi's own injury).
Morimoto crouches down nearby where the metal object clanged against flat stones scattered here and there in the earth. He scoops it up gingerly in his hand and sees that it is a tiny metal dart with yellow tassles opposite the pointed end. The tip has a few specks of dark fluid on it (which he assumes is blood), but it is difficult to make out details in the darkness.
Minoru brushes aside the glossy, long black hair of the empress and yanks back her high silken collar. There is no wound visible (and thus, nothing to suck venom from), but black veins like cracks on an icy river are spreading across Ameiko's flesh. The old priest says, "all the gods have mercy! She has been poisoned! We must get her to the temple, quickly!"
Tokugawa Kiyoshi hears this and turns to Hojo. "My son, your empress needs you. Escort her imperial majesty to the temple with all speed. Your stepmother is hysterical, I must attend to her. Go now! I will join you when I can." He holds the weeping Yokuki firmly with both hands.
Kondo reaches down and lifts Ameiko up in his massive arms. With his guardsmen encircling the clearing, the Tokugawa form two columns -- one on either side of the empress -- and prepare to head east towards the canal that sepates the cemetery from the temple grounds. Hojo is at the head of the columns. As the assembly moves out, the wall of imperial guards opens up to allow the procession to pass through.
Meanwhile, Takeru leaps out of his hiding place and tosses the handful of powder about five feet from the gnarled trunk of the ancient maple. There is a ghostly plume of white dust, but nothing is revealed. But the ninja's ears to not let him down. >Snap! Crack! Thup-thup-thup-thup!< Takeru hears rapid footfalls retreating from the area fleeing north. The raindrops and movement of soldiers' feet nearly obscure the sound, but he can definitely hear something.
Some of the guards enclosing the gravesite shout at Takeru. "Hey, you there! Stop in the name of the Jade Throne!" I guess he does look somewhat suspicious...
OOC: You're back to full hit points, Megumi (as is Ameiko, but she has other issues).
Megumi & Morimoto are still at the gravesite, but they are free to take whatever actions they wish. They may accompany the empress to the temple or find something else to do.
Moto will not leave the Empress' side and accompanies her to the Temple, looking for any other potential threats along the route. On the chance that some foul magic is at play he will sing softly his Countersong so the Empress and those immediately around can hear.
ReplyDeleteMegumi rushes to the temple with the empress and Minoru.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Where is my gear? At the temple?
Hojo calls forward a Tokugawa who is quick in foot (or mounted, if available), and asks him to make haste to the temple, to recount what has happened, and prepare for the arrival of the empress, telling no one else along the way.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat agitated that the procession will move too slowly, Hojo calls for his trusted mount, Taiki. He then moves forward at a faster than walk pace, checking back occasionally to make sure Kondo and the empress are not struggling too much with the haste, and adjusting accordingly. Hojo remains nervous until the arrival of his steed, at which point he will command the horse to watch over the empress, and should true haste be necessary, we will be ready. In the meantime, perhaps Taiki could provide cover, or perhaps a mount for the empress should Kondo choose (although the elevation would make her more susceptible to another attack).
Edit: Before doing anything else, Moto slaps a handful of mud against the afflicted area of the Empress' neck. While not a cure for poison, it may ease her discomfort and possibly even slow the advance of the poison.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Mud is a magic cure for bee stings - no lie. Tell your kids. When they get stung by a bee or wasp, just put mud on it - works instantly and removes pain and swelling. I learned that from my grandmother and I've used the trick more than once.
Takeru curses his bad karma and the skill of the assassin. Calling on all the energy he can muster he becomes the Path of Fire and sprints north, letting no obstacle block him or slow his fleet chase. To the guards that call to him he points north and answers "Follow me, you fools! He is getting away, but in the name of the Empress we can catch him!"
ReplyDeleteIf any guards are to wit-addled to see the escaping assassin and try to stand in his way, he pays as much attention to them as would a leaf on the wind.
Acrobatics check 17 + 9 = 26.
Takeru takes only the most brief of moments to address the suspicious guards, but is then off to the chase through the dark cemetery. The ground rises and falls (often unexpectedly) and there are many trees and tomb-markers to weave around and leap over. The young ninja hurdles one stone monument, vaults over another, and then swings from a tree branch which takes him flying over a sudden drop-off. Falling nearly fifteen feet, he lands, rolls across the ground to absorb the impact, then tumbles right to his feet to continue the pursuit.
ReplyDeleteHis quarry is fast, has a head-start, and may know where he is headed, where Takeru can only follow. If the ninja has any hope to close the gap, he must try to cut the assassin off somehow. Takeru has spent many hours studying the layout of the cemetery in preparation for this mission. Possibly, if he could guess the route his prey is taking, he could opt for a shortcut and gain some ground.
Meanwhile, the procession is moving along quite well, despite the difficult terrain. But they still may not be moving quickly enough. As Morimoto applied some mud to the site of the poisoning, he noticed that the black veins under her skin are spreading frighteningly rapidly. Ameiko is shaking violently.
Hojo sent a swift runner out ahead of the rest of the party. He must first try to secure a ferry across the canal. After that, the journey to the temple is relatively short. None of the Tokugawa brought their steeds with them, but Taiki is never very far from Hojo. The young samurai signals for his horse, and soon the animal is galloping up to meet the column.
Though it is a huge security risk, Minoru advises that the empress be placed upon the horse. "I know she will be vulnerable without her imperial guard, but if she doesn't get to the ferry and up to the main temple quickly enough, there will be no empress left to protect! There is antidote there that may help her, but I've never seen a poison work so fast!"
OOC: Most of everyone's "adventuring gear" is left in their homes in favor of ostentatious ceremonial garb. The exceptions to this -- to an extent -- are Hojo (who has armor & weapons), and Takeru (who has his tools of the trade).
Takeru -- I'll need a Knowledge (local) check, followed by Perception, and another Acrobatics.
Noting the mounted empress, Hojo quickens the pace as best as He can. He may let one or two members drop off should they not be able to keep up, but he tries to keep the majority of them in line. Hojo calls back: "How long do we have?"
ReplyDeleteOOC: how many ferry boats are there, about how long until we arrive, and how long is the trip across? I certainly don't know how long the empress has, nor can I tell how bad it is save for the reaction of others, but I do know that someone ahead will be passing by, and may or may not tell the ferrymen that we are coming with need of haste.
Also, should the answer to my final question be too short, is there enough room for me to mount Taiki the way the empress is currently positioned? Also, I'm guessing the canal is quite wide if there are no bridges. Is the ferry the fastest path for a mount in haste?
Knowledge (local): 4(d'oh!) + 0 = 4.
ReplyDeleteTakeru curses his acetic lifestyle. Living in the camp reading "The Tao of Fire" has left him dangerously ignorant of actual locations. He shall have to see to this in the future.
Perception: 19(w00t!) + 4 - 4 = 19.
Surely the Sight of Yaezhing himself must be upon him! The blood pumps, the eyes clear, the world falls away until there is only this chase. This is both the beginning and end of Life.
Acrobatics: 20(double w00t!) +9 = 29.
Fire in the spirit
As in days of yore.
I'm a leaf on the wind
Watch me soar.
Takeru dismiss the rhyme. It's no proper haiku, so it could never bring anyone Serenity.
OOC: never enough skillpoints....
OOC: Is a Kitsune in Fox form really no faster than a human? I can't outrun my housecats much less an adult fox!
ReplyDeleteEver impertinent, Moto is quickly frustrated with the slow pace of the procession. Why isn't the one person with the horse galloping at full speed with the Empress toward the ferry??? There isn't enough time to think this through rationally!
In order, Moto:
1. Sense Motive against Minoru: Roll = 5 (I am senseless)
2. Slips behind a grave marker, attempting to avoid notice: Stealth roll = 14 + 5 = 19
3. Change shape into Fox form
4. Run amongst the markers to catch up to the horse, attempting to avoid detection: Stealth roll = 7 + 5 = 12
5. Nip the horse in the back leg, attempting to catch it from the side to avoid getting kicked. This is only intended to get the hesitant beast moving with greatest possible urgency. I assume this is an attack roll: roll 20 (!) +2 = 22.
6. After the attack I need to get the heck out of there. I assume it's growing dark and it shouldn't be too difficult unless pursued. Then I change form again and angle back to the ferry.
Megumi attempts to use her medical knowledge and spellcasting ability to provide aid to the Empress and slow the poison.
ReplyDeleteHeal check, treat poison: 15 + 3 = 18
Decent, but Megumi is really regretting not spending as much time studying herbalism and medicine as she did swordplay.
Megumi touches the Empress and calls upon the divine healing energy of the goddess.
Cure Light Wounds: Roll 5 + 1 = 6 hp recovered
OOC: If the Medicine check fails, she tries again. If the positive energy makes a noticeable difference, she casts cure light wounds again.
Hojo has a look of contemplation as he checks back on the progress of the procession.
ReplyDeleteHojo . o 0 (these attempts to aid the empress as people doing whatever they can to make it look like they are helping so that they can in some way impress the crown, and should she survive, be rewarded as someone who helped. The true aid comes from the temple, and if these acts appear to be slowing us down, I will put a stop to them immediately. Haste is the only cure, but how to be hasty without being reckless?)
Takeru cannot ascertain which path might actually be quickest (at least not without stopping to think about it). So, he chooses to simply put his energies into closing the distance by leaping over, ducking under, or otherwise bypassing obstacles in his way (of which there are many). He races like a squirrel through the cemetery, and actually manages to spot a figure running northward away from him. The ninja continues his pursuit. He also hears multiple footfalls & the jingle of armor behind him.
ReplyDeleteMegumi checks on the empress as Kondo reluctantly places her in the saddle in front of Hojo. The young priestess tries to examine her to guess at the progress of the poison. Her opinion is that no amount of divine healing can stem the debilitating effects of the toxin. It seems to be slowing the flow of blood through her veins. Neither she nor Minoru have seen a venom like this before.
Hojo grows nervous. Everyone wishes to help the empress, but he is beginning to realize that the only solution might be getting her to the temple with as much swiftness as possible. Minoru seems to read his thoughts. The priest looks up at him as the young samurai holds the empress tightly on the horse's back and says, "go Hojo, quickly! Just ride!"
OOC: I'll stop there as many more actions have been taken by the players, but Hojo seems to be in the position to interrupt some of the others. Sorry if that is a bit messy, but consider that everything has been thrown into chaos and is moving very quickly. Kondo had Ameiko in his arms, Hojo called for his horse, then Minoru advised that the empress be carried up to the temple on Taiki. The samurai seems to be taking the initiative with that.
Megumi did get a pretty good idea of what the poison is doing, however. She can't do much to slow its effects, though.
Moto -- Kitsune have two forms, and neither of them is a fox. If you wish to edit your post, I can help with that. Otherwise, shall I just have you pursue the empress as fast as you can?
The canal is not far. Hopefully the runner sent ahead will have secured the ferry.
Moto watches helplessly as the Empress is carried off by the samurai. The young bard will never understand the frustrating restraint with which the mighty warriors conduct themselves, seemingly regardless of circumstance. Without four legs of his own he cannot hope to catch up with them, so he turns his attention to the assemblage. Assassins are mercenaries by trade, and any ninja capable of infiltrating a funeral procession led by the Empress and then killing her would demand an incredible fee for his services. Only the wealthiest nobility could afford such a chance and would stand to gain from the end of the Amatatsu line. Such a prominent person would no doubt want to witness the assassin's work first hand.
ReplyDeleteMoto watches the group intently, drawing from his performance background to identify insincere expressions or comments - anything revealing a prior knowledge of the events.
Roll Sense Motive:
Osawa Shunjei = 6
Hamada Ichiro = 11
Kondo Tsubame = 8
Tokugawa Kiyoshi = 4
Tokugawa Yokuki = 18
Obviously, Moto fails to sense anything about most of the dignitaries. He does feel very keenly attuned to the young wife of Tokugawa. Of course - why else marry the old man, except for access to his wealth and privilege? And should the Amatatsu vanish from the earth, no one in Minkai would contest Kiyoshi taking his place as the next Emporer. Indeed - in the wake of all the recent upheaval, the citizenry would demand he take the throne, and Yokuki would be the Empress! But Tokugawa is known to be a man of honor, he would not have orchestrated this coup. But his young wife - what is known of her beyond her beauty? She stole the old man's heart; could she now be attempting to steal the throne of Minkai? Would the woman who killed the Empress be content as the new Emperor's wife? Hardly, when another contract with the ninja and the throne could be hers alone!!
Moto watches her like a fox.
Hojo hardly even acknowledges the before he mounts Taiki.
ReplyDeleteOOC: dirty? Anyway, fast mount has no fail except the mount isn't quick, so let's try: 8+8 = 16, not quite 20.
BIC: Taking a moment to get settled without disturbing the empress too much, Hojo takes position and takes off as fast as his mount will allow.
OOC: Looks like as long as she is under about 180 lbs, Taiki will still be at a light load and move at 50. I will spur every round until Taiki is at about 6 hp (from 20, each spur has a ride check of 15, increases movement by 10, and deals 1d3 points of damage). If you want a list of rolls:
Ride: P/F: Damage: HP: Distance at run on highway: Time (sec):
17+8=25 P 3 17 (50+10)x4 = 240 ft 1/6
13+8=21 P 2 15 240+240 = 480 ft 2/6
20+8=28 P 2 13 480+240 = 720 ft 3/6
15+8=23 P 2 11 720+240 = 960 ft 4/6
15+8=23 P 2 09 960+240 = 1200 ft 5/6
16+8=24 P 2 07 1200+240 = 1440 ft 1
01+8=09 F 0 07 1440+200 = 1640 ft 1 1/6
11+8=19 P 2 05 1640+240 = 1880 ft 1 2/6
Hopefully all of these aren't necessary, but they may be. Horse con is 16, so I get 16 rounds of running. The first 8 rounds are listed above, it will be 200 ft for the next 1 1/3 minutes, for a total of 3480 ft in 2 2/3 minutes. I doubt the canal is small enough to leap (I'd get a +16 [+8 from ride, +8 for horse base speed] to the DC, so maybe I'd try a 25ft canal, certainly would try a 20ft, needing only a 4, unless there is a penalty for having another person holding on), so there will be a break in there for the ferry.
(NOTE: looks like it will remove my nice formatting on my table...)
Moto is feeling the supreme weight of the moment. Whether the Empress lives or *gulp* dies, Minkai will be in chaos. Her leadership was all that was keeping the kuni together. Without her, the vacuum of leadership could give regional daimyos the impetus to vie for power. The stability of Japan is at this moment jostling on the back of a horse. If Moto is correct, then Yukuki's next move will be made very soon - raising her voice, urging her husband to seize power to save the Empire. He will reluctantly agree, his heart heavy. Moto must act now. Still watching Yukuki, he approaches Hamada.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I assume that Moto has some familiarity with Hamada given both of their relationships with the Empress. Moto would have a fair assessment of his character. I doubt they are friends and it seems unlikely they are involved in substantive conversations together, but Moto should be able to engage the old general in private conversation and have that not seem inappropriate. Even if that is not an accurate assumption he will still try this. At this point, I also assume that no one else in Japan has a clser personal relationship with Ameiko than Moto and Hamada. If nothing else, that binds us.
"Hamada-sama," Moto begins, his voice strong to capture attention but laced with grief that is no act. "You know me as the Empress' attendant, and I can claim nothing more. But even my unskilled eye can see where this sequence of events will lead.
"While the Empress recovers, the forces once loyal to the Jade Regent will surely vie for power. We know your loyalty to the Empress and to the kuni is pure; will you represent the Empress in her stead and be the rally point for Minkai?"
Diplomacy roll: 14 + 8 = 22
OOC: This feels like a break in protocol for the gravity of events and Moto's station. My hope is that, with this statement, the assassin's purse will be provoked into action, raising his or her voice in opposition to Hamada acting as throne minister and thus revealing herself. We shall see.
Edit: Moto's statement is intended to be overheard.
ReplyDeleteTakeru chafes at this race. The distance bothers him not, as a trained ninja can out-run a gazelle and still have breath enough for the kill, but the longer the hunt goes on, the greater the chances that the assassin might turn some trap or ambush. While it's difficult to enrage a ninja...it's not impossible.
ReplyDelete"Son of a three-legged dog!" he yells out, not the least bit winded. "You already failed your mission by being seen! At least have honor enough to die decently! What your clan will do to you for your failure will make you beg for the honor of Seppuku!"
OOC: Not really an Intimidate check proper, just want to see if I can get inside his head a little bit.
OOC: Megumi does another heal check if she is near the Empress.
ReplyDeleteRoll: 11 + 3 = 14
Hojo gallops off on his horse with as much speed as he dares with his precious cargo.
ReplyDeleteAs Taiki thunders away, Moto moves back to the gravesite where many of the funeral attendees still congregate, understandably stunned. Minoru does his best to calm everyone, but the sobbing Yokuki seems almost inconsolable. Tokugawa Kiyoshi holds her tightly but appears clearly embarassed. A lord's wife must compose herself much better.
Morimoto walks slowly over to where Hamada Ichiro is gazing sternly over a blubbering Takami. As he walks, he keeps a close eye on the nobleman's wife. The tears on her face are real enough, but he cannot help but feel somewhat sickened. It all seems overly melodramatic to him.
Meanwhile, Takeru continues his heart-pounding pursuit. He nearly strikes his head on a low-hanging branch, but he ducks quickly and is soon upright again and racing through the graveyard. When he raises his eyes to find his quarry, however, the distant figure is no longer in view. The ninja curses under his breath, but then suddenly hears a shout from the darkness, "piss on your honor! Amatatsu will be dead within the hour, so kill yourself for your own failure!"
The stinging truth in the words grinds on Takeru, but the assassin made one error: he revealed his location. Takeru might have lost the chase if the fool hadn't called out.
On the other side of the cemetery, Hojo can see the ribbon of the canal glittering in the lanternlight that burns from the opposite shore. The ferry is there, but it has not quite made it to the near bank. The runner that Hojo sent is shouting to the boatman as he furiously tries to pole across. Hojo can either slow up his horse and wait by the shore for the craft to dock, or he can try something extraordinarily foolish...
OOC: Moto -- Your interaction with Hamada can get played out in my next post. I'm trying to keep everybody on the same timeline.
Takeru -- another Perception, please.
Hojo -- I have enough Ride checks from you to continue the ride, but I need a choice to be made: do you a) wait for the raft to reach the bank, or b) try to have Taiki jump to the ferry and then leap from the ferry to the far shore?
It's a ridiculously difficult maneuver, but much quicker.
OOC: As a player, I don't have enough information to make the decision. The only bit I have is the reference to it being extraordinarily foolish, and we all know the quips about fools. However, fortune does favor the bold. I will have to rely on the experiences of my character. He can see the gap and the difficult jump. If Hojo has done any jumping with Takai and has an idea of what the mount is capable of, I suspect he could judge his odds, or at least his comfort level. This is precious cargo, and dropping it in the drink will not do anyone any favors.
ReplyDeleteThis is how it stands: If my character feels confidant that he has a shot (say, in the two jumps, at least a 3 in 4 chance of success), he'll go for it. The necessity for haste is also a consideration. If the empress is not responding and Hojo can see the poison near her head, then she likely doesn't have time to wait for a boat. This may tempt me to run at 1 in 2 odds (but for 2 checks, that is a bit frightening). If Hojo is not experienced enough with his mount to judge the odds, then he will have hesitated too long and choose to slow and wait for the ferry.
One final OOC thought: if only I were lvl 2 and had access to honor in all things for the +4 to a skill check...such is the way with these things
BIC: Hojo considers his options quickly, but careful, noting both the importance of his passenger and the need to not further risk her life, but also the dire situation and the extreme need for haste. He glances down at her to see if she is responding in any way, and if he can see the blackness of the blood the others spoke of.
"Fah," Takeru calls out. "All of this is a Kabuki show in case they sent someone competent on your heels. Your drunken sap failed to kill Kaeda-sama. So he lived to administer a dose of his golden lotus extract. It is proof against amateurs who rely on the blade-of-death." Takeru is taking a shot in the dark that the assassin used deathblade poison. But it worked too quickly for black lotus, and it's a bit more reliable than the wyvern. And he has no idea if a golden lotus really exists, but then neither would he.
ReplyDeleteIf he can no longer hear the fool crashing through the undergrowth, he must have gone to ground in hopes of stealing away in the growing dark. Well, two can play at that game.
Yaezhing is not satisfied.
Takeru scoops up a stone and sends it crashing in one direction, as he glides silently in the other.
Perception 17 + 4 - 4 = 17.
Stealth: 11 + 9 = 20.
OOC: Megumi begins heading toward wherever her equipment is to retrieve it. Then she'll go to see the high priest and inquire about what is happening and what she should do next.
ReplyDeleteHojo is no fool. He has attempted much more idiotic stunts over the years with Taiki, but never in such wet conditions... and never with so much at stake. He begins to pull back on the reins.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Morimoto approaches Hamada who is still chastising Takami in harsh whispers. Ichiro does not see the need to embarass the drunken lord any further, but what occured here tonight is nearly unforgivable. As Moto draws closer, Hamada falls silent. He turns to face the young man and says with surprising gentleness, "how might I be of service?" There is great weariness etched upon his weathered face. Takami takes the opportunity to slink away bowing profusely.
When Hamada hears Moto's suggestion, his face lowers. "We must all pray it never comes to that. I agree that Ameiko's enemies are many and they still lie in wait for any sign of weakness. But, I am much too old to undertake such a responsibility. In any case, only one of the five noble bloodlines may sit upon the Jade Throne. When the usurper held sway over this land, we saw what became of Minkai. Ameiko is the last. She must survive."
Just a short distance away, Megumi returns to the gravesite gazing awestruck at her hands. Minoru notices her state and says, "my child... you look unwell. I know you did all that you could to help the empress. You acted without hesitation and with great courage in a terrible crisis. I could not have hoped for more from anyone. Ameiko is in Shizuru's hands now, and we could not ask for the empress to be in better care than that."
The young priestess shakes herself out of the fugue and looks up at her mentor. After composing herself, she asks what she might do next. The old high priest considers this for a moment before replying. "If you wish, you may return with me to the temple. Your dedication to the empress has been proven this night, and perhaps you may still be of some further service to her. But, perhaps..."
Here the old man hesitates and seems to be at a loss for words. "Megumi... over the years you have been kept within the temple walls for -- I told myself -- your protection. But this tragedy tonight has made me realize, that may have been cruel of me, and foolish. Part of me has always felt you were meant for some greater task. But how could I have thought that you would learn what it is as little more than a prisoner?" He shakes his head and tears well up in his eyes. "Perhaps it is time for you to find what purpose Shizuru has for you outside of the temple. I cannot keep you from that any longer, even to protect you."
Far across the cemetery, Takeru continues his pursuit. He has little hope of catching up to his prey before the assassin escapes into the labyrinthine streets of Kasai (which draw closer every moment). That is, unless somehow the ninja can tell his quarry which way he is to run...
ReplyDeleteTakeru scoops up a flat rock, the kind good for skipping. He flings it hard to his left, and then ducks sharply to his right -- the sounds of shouting he heard was somewhere between the two.
Some distance to the southeast, along the banks of the canal, Hojo yanks back on the reins to slow his steed as the ferry gradually nears the lantern-lit dock. Suddenly, the empress gasps and grabs hold of the young samurai with desperate strength. Her eyes snap open. Hojo can see in the flcikering light of the lanterns that tiny, crooked black lines are creeping across the whites of Ameiko's eyes like cracks over an icy lake. She whispers hoarsely, "please... go!"
Hojo clenches his teeth and digs his heels into Taiki's ribs. With a snap of the reins, the horse is off towards the canal. The runner that Hojo had sent ahead spins about and dives out of the way. The ferryman waves his arms furiously, but quickly throws himself into the water. The first jump is easy, perhaps too easy. Taiki easily clears the distance, but leaves little space on the raft for the second, much longer leap.
Hojo leans low in the saddle and holds the reins with both hands. The empress clings to him with remarkable ferocity, and is in no danger of falling. Horseshoes briefly clatter across the wooden planks. With a mighty squeal, the horse pushes off with not an inch to spare. The animal soars through the cold air, the surface of the water glittering orange like a pyre.
With a tremendous jolt, Taiki's hooves land on the far dock (the rear ones breaking off a board from the edge). The beast slips a bit on the smooth, wet wood, but soon, Hojo is galloping up the slope towards the paved lane that encircles the great temple. He wraps one arm around Ameiko again, for her limbs have gone limp.
OOC: Takeru -- Please give me a Bluff check, and another Perception.
Megumi -- Did you get my last e-mail?
OOC: I did not recommend the old man take the throne, merely act as throne minister. Time for the nuclear option.
ReplyDeleteBIC: Moto bows to Hamada. "I understand, old friend. You must do as you see right." Then he turns and approaches Kiyoshi.
"Tokugawa-sama," he begins, ignoring the emotional wreckage that is Yokuki. "Pardon my break of tradition, but surely we must act now before word of these events leaves the boundaries of this accursed place. While Empress Ameiko breathes there is still great danger to Minkai. You are known to all to be loyal first to the Empire. Your allegiance to the Regent was only a consequence of your love for Minkai and wish for peaceful continuity. Chaos looms, daimyo, and as the patriarch of the greatest of the clans you must rule in the Empress' stead, for only you can be trusted to relinquish power once the Empress has recovered. You must make a strong statement now, before this elite contingent, so that word of your temporal regency may be carried on the wind. The assassin's employer must not be given the benefit of haste and allowed to make a more immediate and permanent claim to the throne. Will you do this for Empress Ameiko? WIll you do this for Minkai?"
Shizuru is with us. Taiki, our time for rest is near, but not yet at hand! Make wind itself jealous of your speed! Do this in the name of our beloved Empress Ameiko and with the grace of Shizuru, fly!
ReplyDeletePerception check for good measure: Roll = 6. Can I take 10 while talking to Kiyoshi to keep an eye on Yokuki?
ReplyDeleteTakeru goes along a straight path for awhile, and then hooks around, hoping to get behind him. If he buys the bluff, this should put him relatively close. But if he doesn't...well, karma.
ReplyDeleteBluff: 7 + 5 = 12
Perception 20 + 4 -4 = 20.
Hojo rides south, as quickly as he can. People in the lane move out of the way. The great, sheer wall of the temple compound rises to his left. He must make for the main gate while Ameiko might still have some hope left.
ReplyDeleteMorimoto speaks with Kiyoshi, who looks deeply angered & annoyed (though that could be due to his wife's behavior as much as Moto's questions). The two are not well aquainted, but Moto knows the samurai patriarch well enough to know he is the epitome of discipline. Though clearly upset, Kiyoshi replies in a measured tone, "now is neither the time nor the place for such things, Morimoto. Your breath might be better spent praying to Shizuru for mercy on our beloved empress. Now, if you will excuse me, I must see that my wife is returned safely home. This tragedy has made her unwell."
As the two conversed, Morimoto attempted to study Yokuki's reactions. Her cheeks are wet & her eyes are red, but any more detail than that is difficult to detect as she buries most of her face in her husband's chest. She still seems to whimper & mumble softly. She and her husband depart, accompanied by a handful of their household samurai.
Out in the darkness of the cemetery, Takeru tries to maneuver into position to catch his quarry from behind. However, as he strains his ears into the night, he hears rapid footsteps heading west -- towards the area where the stone was thrown, and in the direction of the docks. Either the assassin guessed the ruse, or he is attempting to confront his pursuer.
Baka! He's a sorcerer, that one. Well, for whatever Yaezhing's plan is, Takeru is again behind the assassin, and with a good heading. It seems the chase is again afoot!
ReplyDeleteDiscarding all thoughts of stealth, Takeru sprints west toward the footsteps. He only needs the enemy to hesitate an instant.
Is the main gate typically open or closed, or can I tell what state it is in from where I am?
ReplyDeleteMoto will make his way to the Temple.
ReplyDeleteHojo charges up the flagstone ramp that leads up into the main temple compound. The guards there are startled by the rider & his unexpected cargo, but they make way when the young samurai shouts to them. From the outer curtain to the gatehouse walls that permit entrance to the inner sanctum of the temple, guards yell to one another, "open the gates! The empress comes! Open the gates now!"
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, back at the gravesite, the area is beginning to clear. Kondo has sent a third of his men to scour the cemetery for the killer, a third to escort Takami back to his estate, and a thrid to accompany him to the temple. The last of the Tokugawa have already departed, and Osawa leaves with Hamada to alert the authorities of Kasai that a criminal is on the loose.
The priests of Shizuru leave with Kondo and Morimoto follows behind them. Soon, only Minoru, Megumi, and Taki are left. The old woman is seated on the slab of cold, wet stone clearing away the shards of broken glass from the grave.
Takeru redoubles his efforts to gain ground on the assassin. In the distance, through the trees, he can vaguely see the lights of the harbor built on the shores of the Hebigawa River. The river, and the docks along its length, are the gateway to the Xidao Gulf.
OOC: Nearing the end of this scene (or could be). Most of the group is leaving -- or has left -- the cemetery. Another post coming in a day or two, but feel free to take any other further actions in the meantime.
Takeru fears that once the assassin reaches the docks he'll have a bolt-hole he can use. Or, most likely, just use his seconds' lead to act normally and lose himself in the crowd (it's what Takeru would do).
ReplyDeleteAs the river nears, Takeru has an idea. A crazy idea. So crazy it just might work.
He shouts out, "Look out! A ninja! Get down!"
Again he shouts this. "Look out! A ninja! Get down!"
Again and again. "Look out! A ninja! Get down!""Look out! A ninja! Get down!""Look out! A ninja! Get down!"
The killer must think him mad. Takeru expects that no one but the killer can hear him. And that man has heard it enough that he'll just ignore it. For now.
Megumi goes back to the temple with Minoru and meditates on her vision. During this time she honing her battle skills as well.
ReplyDeleteHis direction has gotten tangled about several times during the wild chase through the ancient cemetery, but suddenly Takeru emerges from the trees and he finds himself facing south towards the river. Between the cemetery and the docks there are several parallel lanes that are each on progressively lower tiers as they descend towards the riverbank. Each street is flanked by clusters of tightly-packed buildings. A perfect maze to lose a killer. Takeru's shouts echo across the intervening space. There is a single runner sprinting towards the buildings. He ignores the repeated calls.
ReplyDeleteHojo races across the courtyard of the great temple. The shouting of the sohei have alerted the priests within the holy sanctum, and enormous red-painted doors bound in gold sway slowly inward. Hojo tries to rein Taiki in, but his hooves slip on rain-soaked flagstones. The horse whinnies, and awkwardly slides to a stop just outside the great doors. Priests in white robes trimmed in yellow pour out of the opening.
Hojo tries to dismount and inform the priests of what has happened, but thankfully, little instruction is needed. Attendants surround the horse and shout "poison!" as soon as they set eyes on Ameiko. Hojo does not realize how exhausted he is. His foot slips out of the stirrups in his haste to leap from the saddle. He falls on the wet stones. He is helped to his feet, and he looks down to see that his hand is splattered with fresh blood. Looking up, he notices about a half-dozen priests are carrying the empress into the main temple. Sohei (warrior-monks dedicated to protecting the temple) gather around in stunned silence.
Meanwile, Kondo Tsubame leads a group of imperial guards and priests out of the cemetery and towards the temple. Morimoto is right behind the main group, while in the extreme rear, Minoru and Megumi walk slowly together. Rain still lightly falls, but it is little more than a cold mist.
Takeru takes off running across the brief open area after his prey. As he gets closer to the buildings ahead, he sees that the streets are softly lit with lanterns and folk still wander about here and there. At first, he assumes the assassin will attempt to get lost in the crowds, but suddenly he notices the dark figure leap atop a barrel, and then to a window ledge, and then grab onto the edge of the eaves. With a heave, he pulls himself up on the tiled, sloping roof. Takeru has gained some ground, but now risks losing sight of his quarry.
Hojo, having completed his task of transporting the Empress to the temple, lets exhaustion overcome him as he stands near the head of Taiki, congratulating him on a job well done and comforting him as best he can, while himself catching his breath.
ReplyDeleteTakeru inwardly growns. On rooftops anything is possible, and the fleeing coward will have the advantage. Well, nothing for it!
ReplyDeleteOOC: Acrobatics Barrel: 11 + 9 = 20.
Acrobatics Window ledge: 8 + 9 = 17.
Climb sloping roof: 17 + 6 = 23.
Takeru lifts himself up onto the rooftop with a grunt. Immediately after swinging his leg up over the edge, he hears a thump and a strange squeaking noise. Glancing up, he sees a man dressed in dark clothing with a sash wrapped around his lower face sliding down the slope towards him.
ReplyDeleteThe ninja turns his face aside, but still takes a powerful kick to his left shoulder blade. Takeru has never felt a harder blow. He feels as though a bone may have broken.
Back at the temple, lesser priests, servants, and guards drop to their knees around the doorway and press their foreheads to the wet stones. One of the sohei approaches Hojo and says, "come, my friend, let's take a look at that lip. You split it wide open. You've done all you can. She is in Shizuru's care now." During the second jump, Hojo's mouth must have struck something as his body pitched forward on the landing. Blood has run down his chin & throat.
The procession led by Kondo sweeps eastward along the canal to reach the bridge. The ferry is more direct, but cannot carry as many passengers that need to reach the temple.
OOC: Takeru -- You take 6 damage (lethal) from the kick and must roll a Climb check to stay on the roof. If you wish to voluntarily drop to the ground, give me an Acrobatics check to land safely.
Megumi & Morimoto -- You may choose to take the ferry if you choose. It is docked in the side you're on (or you can choose to book it the long way).
Moto takes the ferry, making sure to be on the first crossing.
ReplyDeleteHojo faces the sohei and bows carefully, lest he be overcome by his fatigue. "The empress has been in the care of Shizuru from the moment this foul deed was done. I simply happened to be the one through whom she worked. Although I have played my part, and the Empress' fate lies in the hands of other agents, I still wish to remain near the entrance of this great temple and serve as guard such as I can. I both accept and very much appreciate your aid, but please let us remain here at the front door. And please see that the noble Taiki, whom Shizuru has just bestowed wings, is cared for as equally well." Hojo finishes this statement with a gesture toward his mount, whose fatigue cannot be denied.
ReplyDeleteIt is Hojo's intent to take charge of the security of the temple until another comes of sufficient rank to relieve him. To avoid exertion and facilitate in healing, my actions will be through authoritative command. Few will be let inside, but Hojo will instruct others to spread around the perimeter and watch over the walls, either forbidding anyone from entering or alerting all should something go wrong. While it does not seem likely any further attempts on the Empress' life today will not pass through the front door, should the traitor or any of his agents suspect she might survive, they may yet attempt to finish what the set out to do.
OOC: I know leadership is a Cha based action, and I suspect any role will be as such. Unfortunately, I am not blessed with Charisma and get a +0 to those checks. However, if it is diplomacy or Intimidate (likely diplomacy) I get a +4 based on skills and another +2 for wearing the parade armor of this great empire. That being said, my d20 roll is a 6 (I suspect my bloodied face didn't help matters much...). This puts me at 12 for diplomacy or intimidate to help keep the crowd under check and see that my orders are carried out (maybe I should learn the rules for leadership a bit better, it may become a thing I do...).
Also, as I'm beat up a bit, any damage to worry about? I'm guessing I'm also fatigued? Or am I in better shape than I fear?
Pardon my typo: it does not seem likely any further attempts will pass through the front door. I am a bit tired and rather sick at the moment...NyQuil is about to win.
DeleteFeel better soon.
DeleteOOC: Drop down?? Death before dishonor!
ReplyDeleteBIC: Takeru clings desperately to a roof-top protrusion. He stares daggers at his attacker. "You think by using direct force you will escape this day." Takeru's hand flies to his bandolier and pulls a small bag that clinks as it is pulled from its resting place into his ready fist. "But you have already lost." He hurls the small bag...
...at his attacker's feet!
OOC:Caltrops attack at grid square which he currently occupies. If he gets a AOO, I'm AC23 against those.
Climb check: 16 + 6 = 22.
Ranged attack vs. grid square AC 5: 12+ 5 = 1.7
The sohei bows to Hojo and takes Taiki away to the nearby stables to be watered. The other guards scatter to attend to their duties. A young acolyte arrives at the gates a short time later to offer the samurai some clean cloth & a bowl of water to attend to his bleeding. It must've been quite the blow, but Hojo doesn't recall feeling a thing.
ReplyDeleteTo the south, beyond the cemetery, Takeru grabs hold of the eaves with one hand and flings a bag of caltrops across the rooftop with the other. They clatter noisily over the tiles, some of them sliding right off the edge. They seem to bother the assassin very little, but when he shifts his weight on one hip to deliver another kick, the man plants his hand right on one of the spikes.
The kick is harmlessly deflected, and the man jerks his hand upward. He slides off the edge of the roof, but lands nimbly on the large barrel below. Once he plants another foot, however, he pricks his foot on another caltrop. Before toppling over, he reaches out to grab Takeru's leg.
Morimoto climbs aboard the ferry and then looks back to Megumi & Minoru to see if they will be accompanying him...
OOC: Hojo -- You've only taken 1 point of non-lethal damage. That will heal in an hour if you recieve no further injury.
Takeru -- Take an attack of opportunity as the assassin attempts to grapple you. Now he wants to pull you down!
Takeru flails about, trying to kick the man in the face, but the angle is all wrong, and it's difficult to get the right body position with his hands on the eaves. And hand-to-hand was never his forte anyway.
ReplyDeleteOOC: AoO 3 + 2 = 5.
BIC: The man's one good hand grabs Takeru's foot in a desperate grip, trying to pull him down. Takeru gages the distance, and shouts to him, "You're trying to pull us both down? Yaezhing has granted your prayer!"
Takeru lets go.
OOC: Takeru tries to land on him, using his body to soften the blow. Whether that happens or not, he tries to put some distance between them as soon as they hit.
Acrobatics falling roll: 17 + 9 = 26.
OOC: Uhhhhhhhhh, of note, he only drops down if the guy succeeds in grabbing him. If not, he'll just hand-over-hand and pull himself up onto a non-caltroped part of the roof, and then take stock from there.
ReplyDeleteHojo accepts the Clean, wet cloth and wipes his face clean of both blood and sweat. He hopes the excitement is over, but remains vigilant and alert, preparing for both another attempt on the life of the Empress in her weakened state, as well as the anticipated crowd once word is spread.
ReplyDeleteOOC: While I wipe down my face, these are the thoughts going through my mind, as well as my final intended action:
What is the state of the temple, as far as security is concerned? Are the gates and doors now closed (it would probably be better if they were). Seems fitting that the only people allowed in the temple at the moment would be the residents of the temple, and possibly a very select few of the Empress' closest friends/personal guards. The temple grounds should be home to common guards and other trusted members, such as those who attended the funeral and helped her toward the temple. If this is not the way of things, and it doesn't seem clear that anyone else is taking charge, then I shall ask the acolyte if there are some higher ranking persons who would ordinarily take responsibility for these types of matters, or who near by could help carry out these orders.
As Takeru releases his grip and comes down, the assassin tries to hurl the ninja down to the hard cobblestones below. Despite not having complete control over his descent, Takeru softens the impact by tucking into a ball and rolling to his feet. He is now upright and facing the masked man who is ten feet away and five feet above up on the barrel.
ReplyDeleteHe plucks the jagged metal object out of his palm and tosses it aside. "I've felt worse, boy. Much worse. But not worse than what you're about to experience." He tears off his plain brown tunic revealing a broad-chested, chiseled physique that ripples with muscle. Across every inch of his upper body are elaborate tattoos. Takeru can still feel the pain from his powerful kick.
At the temple, Hojo is finally starting to catch his breath. The temple guards -- warrior-monks called sohei -- are well-disciplined and attend to their duties with dedication. Lesser priests & servants mill about, but most of the senior clergy are inside with Ameiko. The main gates to the temple compound are still open as are the gates in the curtain wall surrounding the Temple of the Sun's Blade. Hojo knows that during the reign of the Jade Regent, Shizuru fell out of favor and the temple became neglected. It is still very simply maintained. Though it is the center of all worship of the Empress of Heaven, it has struggled to find adequate funding for such a huge facility. The empire must funnel its resources elsewhere.
A short time later, Hojo looks towards the yawning gates and considers having them shut for security reasons. But as he has these thoughts, he notices a slender figure racing up the flagstone slope heading right towards him. It is the poet from the cemetery. The samurai does not recall his name, but has seen the young man in the presence of the empress before.
Two sohei stop him by crossing their naginata in front of his face before he can pass through the inner gate.
OOC: Takeru -- Please make a level check to oppose the assassin's Intimidate (1d20 + character level + target’s Wisdom bonus + target’s modifiers on saves against fear... whatever is applicable).
The fight taking place far from the temple is on a slightly different time-line than the rest of you are. I want to narrate both simultaneously, even though the battle is going by lightning quick. Just be aware of that. It shouldn't cause any problems ultimately.
Morimoto -- You ran the rest of the way to the temple. You may attempt Diplomacy with the guards to enter.
Megumi -- You have stayed by Minoru's side, but are still heading towards the temple. The old priest is asking you what has disturbed you so greatly (he senses it is more than the attack on the empress).
Hojo sets aside the bowl and soiled wash cloth, and begins walking toward the newcomer. The walk is slow and calm, a walk which shows no sign of urgency, despite the uncertain circumstances.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I will continue to walk forward until I am at a comfortable talking distance, unless he gives reason for sudden action. If he hasn't started talking by then, I'll begin the conversation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow come there's no Edit function?
DeleteDiplomacy Roll: 17 + 8 = 25
ReplyDeleteMorimoto approaches the guards, slowing but not stopping.
"Unless the Spirit of the Empress is now walking amongst the pine and maple of the glade, lower your weapons and allow me to pass."
Assuming that works, Moto bows low to the Samurai but begs pardon - there will be time for introductions later. He must be with the Empress now. If diplomacy and urgency fail to grant passage into the temple, then he will parlay with Hojo in an attempt to gain access.
Save vs Intimidate: 2 + 0 = 2.
ReplyDeleteTakeru feels his lack of training and the enormity of the moment weigh fully upon him. Of course they would have sent a skilled assassin. Of course he would have been prepared for a fight. Takeru wonders if he should have stayed with the Empress. For all he knows she could be dead by now, and this fight is meaningless....
He turns and hastens away.
No.
He shakes his head and regains some clarity. He has a duty to bring her killer to justice, whatever else.
He turns back.
Though his hands shake, he works at the strip of cloth still wound about his wrist.
"You forget the first tenant," he says, his voice trembling only slightly. "'Know thyself and know thy enemy'. I know that I have a sling."
He finishes unwrapping the sling, and loads it.
"And I know that you...still have a caltrop in your foot."
OOC: 30 ft move action directly away from him. Standard to ready and load sling.
BIC: Takeru swears to Yaezhing that if he ever gets out of this, he'll finally give the sling a name.
Hojo speaks slowly and evenly. "I know your face, you have sat with the empress in good times." The pace is timed to keep his focus, but to last almost a minute. Hojo stands in the way until he finishes speaking. "Be with your empress, but do not interfere with their actions lest you slow their progress. Her best chance for survival is in the clergy's hands with their undivided attention, and I seek to limit their distractions."
ReplyDeleteAssuming there are no interruptions, I then step aside to let him pass. Hopefully the message got through, but Hojo still worries that he should have denied access. Yet, he feels this deep understanding that he can trust this man to do the right thing.
Moto silently resents the plodding duration of the Samurai's measured warning - as if the young bard would interfere with the efforts of the healers. Following the rules of decorum, he bows to the larger man on his way past.
ReplyDeleteOnce inside, Moto is keen to look for the odd monk. Surely, an assasination attempt of this magnitude would not rely on the talents of just one man. The poison used would be known to be absolutely lethal, but should the shot miss its mark and fail to imbue the necessary dosage, or should the Empress display miraculous resistance to it, then the job would need to be completed by another, and that person would almost certainly be around or inside the Temple.
That Minoru and Megumi are not yet arrived is unfortunate - the fates appear to be aligning with the killer. Moto will need to be close to the Empress, observing every action made toward her by the healers. Should any spells be used he will try to remember some keywords or phrases he can recite back to Minoru should the Empress not recover.
OOC: I assume Perception is not hindered inside the building. Roll of 7 + 4 = 11. Ugh. Let me know when I can attempt another roll.
Still OOC: How does communication from inside the Imperial Court typically reach the masses? Regardless of how this turns out, Morimoto will be thinking about how to control messaging. He is a bard, albeit a young one, but never a better chance to practice on'e skills than during a crisis.
Morimoto finds an out-of-the-way spot high up on a balcony overlooking the central sanctuary. Little light creeps inside so only the flickering light of braziers & candles illuminate the scene below.
ReplyDeleteLying on the tiled dais before the forty-foot-tall golden statue of Shizuru is the empress Ameiko. Her body contorts in agony as various priests & priestesses try to both hold her still and make her as comfortable as possible. There are six immediately around her trying to treat the poison, while at least a dozen more kneel in a semi-circle praying to their goddess. Heart-rending screams echo throughout the vaulted chamber. Moto himself didn't feel such pain when Ameiko rescued him years ago. He can hear little else.
Outside, Hojo continues to stand vigil before the great temple doors. He can hear the screams from within, as well. The empress is still fighting. She is strong.
Across the city, Takeru manages to pull his sling free even as his hands quiver uncontrolably. He tries not to think about how many men his opponent has certainly killed, but rather keeps in mind that he has the tactical advantage -- for the moment. Takeru stops, pivots, and then searches for a bullet among his many pockets & pouches.
The assassin drops down from the barrel, now twenty-five feet away from the ninja. A shudder goes through his injured leg, but he makes not a sound. He only breathes deeply and flexes his muscles, forcing the pain away. As Takeru places a metal sphere into his sling, the man turns & picks up the barrel. With a mighty heave, he hurls it through the window behind him.
Back at the temple, Hojo sees two more figures approach. It is the strange, blue-skinned priestess leading the aged Kaeda Minoru up towards the double doors. Guards do not block their path, but step aside & bow.
OOC: Takeru -- You are shaken (–2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks). Did you remember to subtract one bag of caltrops from your equipment?
As a reminder to everybody, it is much easier to keep track of ammunition, spells & other consumables by marking them off right away. If you forget and I have to go back through all this text to figure out what the proper numbers are, the DM will not be happy.
Morimoto -- You expect that the empress' closest subjects will be turning Kasai upside-down to find the attacker. News of Ameiko's current condition will be hushed up quite well, however. Thankfully, there's no texting in this world. Ameiko is believed to be the direct descendent of a goddess, so nothing that might make her look weak will be allowed to spread.
Takeru forces a smile onto his faces and mentally wills his bowels to stop quivering. He shouts, "Running away? When I've not yet landed a blow. Your Clan will be so very proud! Maybe you'll even earn a nice kiss from your husband!"
ReplyDeleteOOC: Sling attack 14 + 5 -2 = 17
damage (if hit) 3 + 2 = 5
OOC: What building is it that he just threw a barrel through? I assume it's warehouse of some kind?
BIC: As he looses the sling, thoughts race through Takeru's mind. Why would he break a window? Why not try to attack? Perhaps he sees that if we stay out in the open, he is at a disadvantage? That must be it. He hopes by disappearing into the warehouse he can force me to chase him. Either he loses me and makes his escape, or he can bring the battle to close quarters. Or something simpler. If I chase him through the window, he hits me as I come through. Let's at least cut down that option.
Instead of reloading, Takeru moves along the building. Staying 25 feet away, he gets closer to a corner of the building, trying to find a door. If he must chase him, at least he needn't follow him.
OOC: Caltrops and sling bullet erased, weight updated.
The assassin takes the sling bullet in the back as he spins around, but keeps moving. He disappears into the building by flopping into the shattered window. Takeru cannot tell what the purpose of the structure is (many of the city districts have building that are uniform in appearance, a common practice in many of the larger planned communities in Minkai). He does, however, hear screams from within.
ReplyDeleteThe ninja moves around to the side of the building where he sees more windows, but no doors.
Takeru admits to himself that this is a cunning move. If Takeru breaks another window to enter, that just makes another portal for him to escape from. If he keeps walking around to a door, that will give him time to either escape, or to hide so well that finding him will be impossible.
ReplyDeleteTakeru shakes his head to clear his thoughts. One could go mad planning every action and counter-action. Best to do something now than to do nothing while waiting for the perfect plan.
Takeru runs around the building, looking for the door. The peasants inside may be rushing out of it, but it is now one of the two ways out from the building. If he hurries, he may be able to enter and use the stream of fleeing peasants as cover. He stuffs his sling back into his bandoleer. He draws Slumber and heads on.
Takeru rounds the corner and sees two doors. This building appears to be a pair of shops adjoined on the ground floor with quarters and perhaps storage above. The easternmost and closest door is locked. If offered the imperial contract on a permanent basis, the Black Lotus will have skeleton keys that will be able to open almost any lock in Kasai. Sadly, Takeru does not have one of them now.
ReplyDeleteBaka! He thought to encounter a tide of fleeing workers, but perhaps there are very few inside, or the foe has just killed them all. No matter. But entrance is still a priority.
ReplyDeleteNot having time or keys to deal with the door, Takeru goes to a close window and smashes his heavy sap through it. He steps in and crouches low, giving himself time to adjust to the dimmer light.
OOC: Move action inside. Standard action of a readied attack.
Takeru tries his best to clear the bottom of the sill of jagged shards before boosting himself through. He somersaults to the floor of the dark room inside and hears sounds of people to his left. As his eyes begin to adjust, he hears the shuffling of feet. Probably made by the residents of the place, but the killer could be among them, too. In moments, most of these noises have faded away.
ReplyDeleteTakeru can make out the dark outlines of furniture around the room, but more importantly, the black contours of a doorway to his left and another straight ahead.
OOC: Perception check and actions.
Perception check 10 + 4 = 14.
ReplyDeleteTakeru glides silently and slowly toward the other door, weapon at the ready, ready for anything.
Stealth check 9 + 9 = 18. Move action forward, Standard action readied attack on approach.
Takeru rises up onto the balls of his feet. As quietly as he can, he moves through the room, circumnavigating the table he sees in front of him. There is a noise when he accidentally bumps into a chair that he couldn't quite make out in the dark along the right side of the table. The ninja steadies himself, uses shallow breathing, and contiunues to the door. He is prepared to strike at anything he sees, but for all he knows, it could be an enemy or a resident of the house.
ReplyDeleteAs he steps just outside the archway, he hears the crunch of broken glass under his feet...
OOC: Unclear as to which door you meant, but since you wrote "forward," I'm assuming you intended the door across from you against the opposite wall. You'll have to remind me who "Slumber" is. I don't see that weapon under your equipment list.
Takeru mentally curses himself for falling for the 'glass on the ground' trick. Well, there's nothing for it. Like a hunting predator he continues on.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Yep, that is the door I meant. As the ninja has no obvious options, he'll continue toward it. Move action forward; Standard action: readied action: Attack on approach.
Sorry, I wa bouncing around names for the sap. I guess the one I decided on was Summer's Sleep. That's what I meant.
Takeru passes through the opening. He can see the overcast night sky through a shattered window across the chamber, but little else.
ReplyDeleteHe has barely taken two steps when something lunges at him from the left...
OOC: Readied action vs. readied action... what to do? You have the better initiative, however, so take your attack.
By the way -- to anyone who may be following along -- this will be the typical length of a post (probably slightly longer with more party members), not the novellas you've been seeing thus far. Exposition, y'know.
Takeru sense more than feels the sudden rush of air. His hand whips out, slashing with the sap more on instinct than any conscious feeling.
ReplyDeleteAttack 13 + 2 = 15.
dmg 3 + 2 = 5.
The sap hits something solidly, and Takeru hears a grunt. Despite the force of the blow, the young ninja can feel powerful hands grasp him on his collar and his opponent moves in closely to him. The arm that wields the sap is suddenly pinned between the enemy's forearms (even as he maintains the grip on Takeru's clothing). A knee comes swiftly up behind the ninja's elbow, but Takeru is able to twist slightly to lessen the effect. He does not lose his grasp of the weapon.
ReplyDeleteOOC: The darkness does offer another obstacle in the battle, but you made your concealment roll. Your CMD was also sufficient to resist the disarm attempt (narrowly).
Your turn!
Takeru's blood boils and he finds himself beyond rage. That this man would would try so galling a maneuver as a disarm is the final blow! As if honest combat was not enough. This game has gone on too far by half as it is! If there are any answers to be had to save the Empress, it is time to find them, and bring honor to the clan!
ReplyDeleteUsing his off-hand as a counter-weight, he develops the Falling Crescent, swinging around high and then down with all his weight.
Attack 18(w00t!) + 2 = 20
dmg 4 + 2 = 6(also, nonlethal)
Takeru's opponent seems to dodge away from the swinging left hand and then shift his weight back in just in time to feel the sap fall downward in a rainbow arc.
ReplyDeleteThe blow surprised him, but he chuckles in his throat, and says with a hiss, "you seek to capture me? Surely you must see that is not an option... never subdue in a fight to the death, fool." In the half-light, Takeru can see a glistening down the side of the man's face. The killer is tough, but at least he can be hurt.
The man takes a step five feet to his left, so he is standing between Takeru and the window in the north wall. This seems odd, since Takeru was having some difficulty fighting in the dark -- now the silhouette is obvious against the faintly glowing square. The man lifts his arms up in a defensive stance, and then throws a vicious jab at the ninja's head. Takeru is able to slip his head to the right and partially block it. It helped he could see the blow coming.
"Your commitment to dishonorable ways has clouded your vision," Takeru sneers as he feints with a double-jab from his empty left hand. "Were you not so blind to your first loyalty to the Empress you would see that not only you, but your entire cause is lost." He launches in to the first seven steps of Leaping Blossom, a simple attack that is easily fended off by the monk. "Just as the Clan supports the Empress, the Water of Life flows from the Empress to nourish the roots of the Clan." He follows with Crashing Mountain in Autumn, working his foe's defenses to the left. "It is such basics truths that you now miss. Just as the Ancient Generals achieved victory by not succumbing to the will of the foe, so too do the Thirteen Chapters tell us victory is achieved by first making one's self invulnerable," Takeru Raven-taps high, a rookie's mistake, "and then waiting for the enemy's weakness." The second Raven-tap was a feint, as the sap wheels low and right, aiming for the enemy's jawline.
ReplyDeleteAttack: 17 +2 = 19.
Damage: 6+2 = 8 (nonlethal).
The blow hits solidly (again, thanks, in part, to have an enemy clearly outlined against the moonlight outside), but the assassin absorbs it impressively. He is tough.
ReplyDeleteThe man says, "you talk too much," as he weaves one way before suddenly striking out with his fist at an unexpected angle. Takeru's defenses are completely down, but luckily the blow is not aimed true. If it had connected, the result might have been dire, but the young ninja fights on.
[ooc: sorry, your new post only showed up just now, for some reason]
ReplyDelete[bic]: Takeru gris his teeth, seething with rage that the man will neither fall nor surrender. "Oh, you shall be made to learn the art of talking! The Confessors shall make you wax elequent on topics you yourself had thought long forgotten!"
Takeru swings the sap in a haymaker, recklessly aiming to end the overlong combat.
To hit: 8 +2 = 10(whiff!)
damage: 1+2 = 3.
The man -- still outlined against the window at his back -- crouches down as if ready to spring. He attempting a spectacular (and desperate) maneuver to end this now... surely he tires of this pursuit. This is understandable, to have an upstart novice ninja cause such trouble must needle at him. It makes Takeru grin slightly, even as he ducks down to avoid the high strike on its way.
ReplyDeleteBut, without warning, just as Takeru lowers his head and moves forward to take advantage, the man does not leap up as it appeared he would (Bluff 26 vs. 10 + Sense Motive). He remains on his feet and executes a simple knee lift. Takeru is almost inhumanly quick, but the feint is executed like fine art. The young ninja almost jerks back in time, but the knee strikes home, landing right across the bridge of the nose.
Well, Takeru doesn't really remember that. He blacked out first.
OOC: 5 dm. plus the 6 you took before equals 11 total. That puts you at -2 and unconscious. But don't feel bad... you fought fabulous for being at it all alone.
Don't worry about bleeding out. You stabilize before anything really bad happens. Now we will get you into the main thread...
"Hai!" says Takeru, searching his memory for details during the whirlwind that was the fight.
ReplyDelete"He was a master of strategy. Even as he got a lead, he waited for me to catch up so he could ambush me with strikes that nearly dislodged me from the roof. But he also made mistakes. Toward the end he put himself in front of a highlighted window that gave me a temporary advantage."
Takeru pauses, searching his memory for any other clue that might be useful.
"Also, he was heavily tattooed. Almost ostentatiously so. Ever inch of his torso was covered by elaborate, lovingly crafted tattoos. I hope this helps."
Miwa watched, from the cover of the stone monument, as the young man ran from the Hungry Dead one. She shook her head at his action, knowing how keenly the ghouls could sense and see their prey in the dark. When the creature jumped atop the nearest stone slab and searched out the cementery for the man, Miwa knew she had to move forward, as quietly as she could. She would be of no aid to the young man this far from the ghoul or him.
ReplyDelete[OOC]Stealth Roll(1d20)+1:
17,+1
Total:18[/OOC]
[OOC]
Perception Roll (to see past obstacles and move) (1d20)+7:
19,+7
Total:26 minus whatever penalty...[/OOC]
The cemetery grounds were littered with trees, gravestones, monuments, rocks and shrubbery, and movement would not be easy or swift, especially in darkness. Still, Miwa attempted to draw nearer, using the shadows and clutter as cover, for she was not yet ready to show herself to the Hungry Dead one. She dodged past stone and plants until she found herself within 25 feet of the crouched, vigilant ghoul. [OOC]Assuming difficult terrain, half speed?[/OOC] At this distance, (now, roughly 25 or so feet from the ghoul), she was still not close enough to wield her magic.
She waited and peered through the darkness to the best of her ability, marking any movement from the ghoul or sounds from the fleeing man. If the ghoul caught her scent, she would be ready to strike. Miwa could not give warning to the man and hoped he had witnessed the ghoul mark his movement and ready itself to give chase.
[OOC] Perception Roll(1d20)+7:
19,+7
Total:26 minus whatever penalty[/OOC]
Perception check = 11 + 5 - (not sure). Would it help me run faster to turn into a fox, now that I have that ability.
ReplyDelete(OOC: edit, "now" instead of "not". As to say, Morimoto changes into a fox so he can run faster. Like I tried to do much, much earlier in this game, before we established that Morimoto actually does have that ability. A fox can darn well run a lot faster than a human or I dare say a ghoul, but I haven't read the rules on such things so there's really only two things I know, and one of them just left town.)
He has not fled far when Morimoto realizes that the creature has heard or spotted him, or both. He hears chilling, breathy slavering not far behind him, and then some sounds of pursuit across the muddy ground.
ReplyDeleteMiwa keeps the ghoul in her sights. She can also see the fleeing man (or at least his vague silhouette against the night sky). She decides that perhaps cutting across the cemetery to intercept might be the best course, otherwise both of them will outdistance her.
OOC: See my e-mail, Mike.
Ah! But the ghoul had started to give chase and would get away from her and would leave the young man without aid if the creature gained ground.
ReplyDeleteShe scanned her eyes and found a swifter path diagonally across from her hiding place by the monument. The distance between us only grows, she railed silently. Prince of the Moon guide my steps this night, she prayed quietly as she brushed her fingers across the jade crescent moon pendant around her neck.
[OOC]Stealth (as she moves swiftly, cutting across the cemetery) Roll(1d20)+1:
9,+1
Total:10
The fall of her feet this time was not as quiet or gentle, yet she continued on, past the statues and monuments.
[OOC]DM, how soon will Miwa reach the ghoul at this point?[/OOC]
Owing to the principle that wishing for a thing does not make it happen, Morimoto remains rigidly stuck in his bipedal form, quickly losing both his stamina and his nerve. He curses gods for his unwillingness to learn the rules, and so it goes... But then that god bestows upon Morimoto a singular vision - an adventurer in strange clothing but without weapon, engaged in mortal combat with a viscious beast twice his size. Desperation his only compass, the adventurer takes the beast by the snout and lower jaw, and rips its head apart!
ReplyDeleteMoto runs for the largest standing monument and stops quick behind it, finding the advancing ghoul. Though no match for the fiend straight up, he may be able to keep the stone between himself and the ghoul long enough for... something. Failing that, he will tear at the ghoul's face with his bare hands, attacking its eyes...
As Miwa runs across the cemetery, she quickly gains ground on the relentless ghoul and begins casting [OOC]Firebelly[/OOC], feeling the magical fire begin to stir and heat her belly [OOC]granting fire resistance 5 to Miwa[/OOC].
ReplyDeleteCast Defensively (DC 17) Roll (1d20)+9:
17,+9
Total:26
When she is within 15 feet of the Hungry Dead creature, in the shadow of a tall stone statue, Miwa opens her mouth and a bright orange cone of fire shoots across at the ghoul.
[OOC]Breath weapon[/OOC]
Fire Damage Roll (1d4)+0:
4,+0
Total:4
[OOC]Reflex Save (DC 16) for half Damage, SR applies. Spell Duration: 2 mins. Each time you use this breath weapon, reduce the remaining duration of the spell by 1 minute. [/OOC]
Morimoto senses the creature closing on his heels, so he finds a large slab of stone standing upright from the ground that is covered with carved writing. He swiftly darts behind it, and turns in the direction of the fiend. When Morimoto stops, the loping hunter slows down and begins to stalk around the monument. The kitsune moves in a circle away from his enemy.
ReplyDeleteMiwa gains ground very rapidly now that the hunter & prey have ceased the pursuit. The young man has not drawn a weapon, but is trying to keep a stone monolith between himself and the ghoul. She moves within about fifteen feet and begins casting one of her divine spells. The creature hears her approach and spins around.
Morimoto can see a girl in ornate robes appear from behind a tree. She holds a spear that seems nearly twice her height. She stops and begins drawing in a great, deep breath. As she fills her lungs, a strange symbol seems to glow on her forehead, like an ember does when breathed upon.
Before the beast can lunge at her, she exhales and sends a fan of flames pouring out of her mouth. The creature screams and immediately turns to flee deeper into the cemetery.
OOC: A note to both of you -- Stealth is impossible when moving at normal speed or faster. At less than normal speed, but more than half, it's a -5 penalty. It's meant to be used when creeping slowly along.
The ghoul has taken a full move action to flee. It is about 30 ft. away.
Miwa stood; the harsh heat of her breath fluttering along her sensitive, yet unmarked lips. The brand upon her forehead was pulsating, still, as if entreating her to finish the task. Watching the Hungry Dead one flee toward the heart of the cemetery, Miwa’s momentary contemplation gave way to animation, for she could not permit such a beast to readily wander the graves looking for other, innocent prey. The young oracle gave swift chase, the last of the fire in her belly churning and seeking release.
ReplyDeleteAt the precise distance to the beast (15 ft), Miwa drew one last, deep breath and exhaled; the fanning flame parting the darkness and reaching hungrily for the beast’s back.
Fire Damage Roll(1d4)+0:
3,+0
Total:3
[OOC]Reflex Save (DC 16) for half Damage, SR applies.[/OOC]
Miwa’s original purpose this night had been altered. To chase the wounded ghoul, alone, further into the dark depths of the cemetery would not be wise – They were not always solitary creatures. And, she did not want to leave the young man unprotected; so she waited for a few heartbeats until she was certain the beast would not retaliate, and, then turned; running back to stone monolith where she knew the young man was hiding.
Hiding?? Who's hiding?
ReplyDeleteMoto is impressed by the girl's huge rod. And also pretty frightened that he may be next. Taking an action while the girl hibachis the ghoul, he again resumes his mission to find the whereabouts of the two ninjas, and flees into the relative safety of the town.
Miwa pursues the beast north, while Morimoto flees south towards the lights of the harbor.
ReplyDeleteThe oracle spews another cone of searing flame at the retreating fiend, but the creature is very nimble. Its heels are barely singed as it springs away, falling on all fours.
OOC: The ghoul spends a full-round action to high-tail it out of there, and moves 120 ft.
Miwa did not continue the chase. She stood peering into the darkness as the raindrops fell and slipped down her face. The brand upon her temple had stopped pulsating and the heat in her belly had cooled. She gripped her long spear in one hand and waited until the ghoul was wholly obscured by the dark before turning on her heal and running back to the stone monolith. The young man was no longer standing there – He had fled without a word. Miwa stroked the jade crescent moon pendant around her neck and then peered keenly toward the distant lights.
ReplyDeleteShe listened to her breath and the familiar words fell softly from her lips like the rain upon the leaf litter in the cemetery. From the top of her longspear a light sprung forth and flowed outward to push back the eager darkness. With alert eyes Miwa then began the solitary walk toward the distant lights.
[ooc]Cast Light on Longspear.[/OOC]
Perception Roll (1d20)+7:
9,+7
Total:16 minus any penalties for the rain etc.
Miwa gives up the chase, and turns back to try locating the strange man. Though the rain has now ceased, it has done its work on the earth of the cemetery. In the bright light of her illuminated spear, she can see tracks clearly in the muddy ground leading south towards the harbor.
ReplyDeleteHeading in that direction, she can just barely make out the silhouette of a figure moving south against the lanterns that light the streets of the riverside district. It suddenly occurs to her that it is now the first day of spring... a new year has dawned! No wonder the city still seems so alive at this hour.
She has no idea what he was up to wandering around a graveyard in the middle of the night... he didn't seem drunk. If anything, the young man was intensely focused. Something drives him.
After another half hour, Morimoto succumbs to the realization that the trail is cold. Perhaps it was always so, as the onset of revelry surrounding the sobriety of the funeral would surely have masked the movements of two skilled assassins. As the old year fades into the new, so does any hope of finding the Empress' would-be killer. At least not tonight.
ReplyDeleteMoto slows as he reaches the riverside. A familiar izakaya still beams brightly with oil lamp and fanfare. The weight of the evening's events finally allowed to weigh fully across his shoulders, Morimoto goes in for a much needed drink, collecting a pair of soya beans from the bag hanging inside the door.
The tavern owner is no stranger to Moto; though he appears much too young to enter such an establishment alone, the bard's true identity as Kitsune is not a secret to the owner of Kazakukiya, Todo Akira. Space exists at a premium near the stained maple plane that separates the tavern proprietor from his customers, but Moto wedges his slight frame up to the bar and patiently waits for Todo's attentive gaze to fall to him.
"My friend!" exclaims the jubilant bartender. By all indications business has been exceptional this night, and Kazakukiya is one of the more popular establishments this side of the river. "I heard about the passing of Takami Hayato, very sad." With the skill of a veteran bartender, his face moves fluidly, from warm camaraderie in one moment to sympathy the next. It is a face for Morimoto alone.
A glass appears before the bard and a bottle is tilted over it. Clear liquid fills the vessel three-fingers full of sake, served at room temperature, several shades cooler than Moto would have preferred. But the glint in Todo's eyes tells him this is the good stuff, no need to temper with heat or cold.
"To fallen friends," offers the beet-faced proprietor, lifting the bottle in salute.
The drink well in hand and already passing between his parched lips, Moto swallows his emotions. 'Not yet,' he instructs himself. 'Thank the gods, he does not know. None of them know.' The kitsune's weary gaze pans the room. It is crammed full of celebration - the New Year would last a few hours longer in Kazakukiya than anywhere else.
As if on cue, the stinging tones of a ryuteki pierce the din as the last of the dry alcohol scorches Morimoto's throat. The glass is set down and immediately retrieved by Yat-chan, one of Todo's trained macaque monkeys. The clothed primate returns briefly for his "tip." Moto hands over the beans; Yat-chan hoots and scrambles off to clean up after the next patron.
The warmth of the spirit settling his stomach, Moto listens more intently to the musician. The veteran bard plays a comically up-tempo version of Aire to First Hyacinth, and the clientele burst spontaneously into song. The rendition proceeds lustily for several improvised choruses, graphically flowing from one portrayal of bloom and fertilization to another. Privately, Moto is relieved. The Empress lives, her killer failed. The truth of her condition appears to have held the test of the night, at least it has not yet seeped to the depths of such establishments. Tears leak across his flushing cheeks. He wipes them abrasively as the bawdy song finally bursts apart of its own flatulence.
"Will you sing?" follows the hoarse bellow of the bartender.
Morimoto purses his lips and shakes his head narrowly. "Next time," he offers. Then he shows his palms. "I have no coin tonight."
"Next time," replies Todo, the smile returned.
Moto exits the tavern along a circuitous path, keen to avoid so much as a salutation. His heart is not in it, and he is suddenly very tired. 'Tomorrow,' he thinks, 'I will need to collect my things and leave the Palace, and I do not know when I may return, if ever.' In a moment of clarity he plans a slight detour to the Temple, to see if Hojo and Megumi are still there and if they have discovered anything among the endless stacks.
ReplyDeleteThe air has turned colder during the interval, and it fills the kitsune lungs with the pervasive musk of the river. His perception softened, he calls for the ferry, bowing and supplying his palace credentials. This man too is familiar, and the stout oarsman offers to carry Moto along the next crossing, his boat already in danger of rapidly losing altitude for its unseemly load of retiring revelers.
And so he waits.
OOC: Perception roll = 9, plus bonus minus moderate inebriation.
Miwa loses the curious young man once he enters the labyrinth that is the rows of closely-packed buildings of the riverside district. Whatever was driving him, it has -- for the moment -- driven him out of her sight.
ReplyDeleteNow in the bustle of the city again, Miwa can see a group of revelers down one side street cavorting & shouting amongst flashes of fireworks that light up the walls to either side. A heavy smoke hangs in the air above the rooftops. The drunken celebration does not interest her in the least, and her superiors should be made aware of the creature roaming the cemetery. She had hoped to speak with the fellow she had crossed paths with earlier, but that now seems to be a fool's errand.
For a moment, she lifts her face to the night sky and smells the smoke. To the west, she can see the enormous statue of the Jade Regent that stands watch over the mouth of the river. The despotic ruler had it built in his image (at great expense), and though his time atop the Jade Throne is done, the new empress cannot afford to tear it down. The imperial coffers have been emptied, it is said, to repair the considerable damage that her predecessor has done to Kasai -- and the entire empire. So there the enormous statue remains, its fearsome visage lit up with the flashes from more fireworks that are set off where the river empties into the Xidao Gulf.
Miwa pivots on her heel to return the way she came. Suddenly, she happens to see the strange young man once again... this time he is strolling more or less casually. He has emerged from a tavern and seems to be heading out of the riverside neighborhood. He makes his way roughly northeast, towards the distant palace quarter. He is no longer driven, as before, but if anything seems melancholy.
OOC: That was an engaging post, Morimoto. You should drink more often when posting.
The young oracle had dedicated this night to communing with the spirits in the Cemetery of the Setting Sun and not protecting an ungrateful living soul wandering the darkness of the grounds while celebrations were had throughout the city. What had his purpose been this night? He had not appeared drunk or lost among the stone monoliths and trees. And then, to happen upon the Grave Creature during the dawning of the New Year held significance and would have to be reported to the Priestesses of the Moon Prince. Tsukiyo’s faithful were congregated near the Tree of Souls, and, since she could no longer determine the whereabouts of the young man she had been tracking, Miwa deemed it sensible to return to her superiors.
ReplyDeleteLit longspear in hand, she turned around to walk back from whence she had come, when the flash of the fireworks over the river illuminated a man of familiar build emerging from an izakaya and walking without rush toward the riverside district.
There you are; little fox. The young man had been fleet of foot in the night and had reminded her of a fox she watched as a child.
Miwa had wondered if this too was a fool’s errand, since the young man had promptly run off without a word to her upon their first encounter. She noted his general direction – what business did he have in the distant palace quarter? She began to follow quietly and steadily behind him for his strange behaviour this night certainly warranted closer scrutiny.
He had stopped by the loaded ferry and would have to wait for the next crossing. Miwa approached evenly and stood a short distance from the man. She did not want to give chase, again, through the nestled buildings – for he seemed to possess a lightness of foot which she admired. His manners, on the otherhand, could do with some improvement.
“Less trouble here than in a cemetery on a night such as this", she stated simply in low voice, hoping not to attract the attention of any other revellers nearby hoping to score passage on the next ferry.
If the young man turned and acknowledged her, she would bow and make introduction. If he decided to run again, she would not give chase. Miwa had more important matters to attend to this night.
[OOC]Perception Roll(1d20)+7:
16,+7
Total:23
Sense Motive Roll(1d20)+7:
7,+7
Total:14
Diplomacy Roll(1d20)+10:
10,+10
Total:20
Morimoto exhales audibly. Through the patchy fog, halfway across the river, the ferry pitches violently to port, spilling four of the more voluminous passengers into the frigid flow. They splash and curse before setting arms and legs to the remaining task. A chorus of laughter erupts from the small boat - everyone understands safe passage is not gauranteed. Moto knows better - the oarsman controls the boat with imeccable strength and skill; these revelers were given a safety lesson.
ReplyDeleteStrong drink and exhaustion mix, lucidity fades. The young kitsune casts a glazed, Totoro stare across the city to the Palace, trying to imagine the dialog behind its walls. There would be two distinct voices, both directed by the Empress: One expressing the need for a quiet transition plan, tho other an even quieter subterfuge. Overlaying each would be the plan to root out and expose the factions that plot against her.
When the high voice speaks to him the words do not immediately register, floating barely audible above the background noise. Then, from his subconscious, Moto retrieves the word "cemetery," and rolls it over in his mind.
Finally, after what must seem a completely inappropriate duration, Moto realizes he is meant to respond. "I doubt thare are nights such as this." Then, not quite satisfied with his awkward quip, he adds, "I am unarmed. If you pursue to kill, be quick about it. Otherwise make your interest plain."
Morimoto sits cross-legged on the foot-smooth cobblestone, watching the ferry and waiting.
“An assassin would not make their presence known.”
ReplyDeleteThe young man did not appear well-disposed to her presence. The right corner of her mouth turned up in mild amusement; still the annoyance shone from her brown eyes.
“My only quarry this night was the grave creature.” Miwa held her lit longspear loosely in her right hand.
She was unaccustomed to such a show of disrespect – that this man would sit before one dedicated to Tskuiyo and not show courtesy was beyond reason.
She bowed and made her greeting. “I am Miwa, Oracle of the Heavens in the service of the Prince of the Moon and attendant to the Tree of Souls. I seek to know the purpose of your visit to the cemetery, alone, this night?”
Moto turns to appraise his pursuer. Several thoughts course through him; the animal fire burns hot in his adolescent body, after all. But his melancholy wins the brief struggle. Oh, how to respond...
ReplyDelete"I am Morimoto Masaharu, resident poet of the Royal Palace and personal servant to the Empress." He hoped his title stacked up. For such a young woman, this Oracle boasted an impressive resume.
"My reasons for being in the cemetery are my own, but if you know the name on the least varnished stone then you can now guess my earlier purpose. I cannot in good conscience say more. And what of you - were you simply hunting for fiends among the dead, as if a public service?"
“Pay your respects to the dead, but not alone at a late hour, Morimoto-san.“
ReplyDeleteMiwa’s deep brown gaze held his form keenly, never faltering.
“The Prince of the Moon’s faithful are called as brokers between the living and spirit worlds. We tend the cemeteries and defend villagers against evil spirits for we do not fear the dark. Tsukiyo has shown divine mercy, on this auspicious night; for had I not been present at the very hour, the grave creature would have supped on your young bones. You must pay tribute to Tsukiyo’s shrine in the Empress of Heaven’s temple.”
Miwa’s response was spoken steadily and soberly – no vanity marked her words.
Looking out, across the misted river, almond-shaped eyes searching out the laden ferry, the young oracle spoke her question, “Are you bound, then, for the Royal Palace?”
Morimoto suspects a heavier hand than Tsukio was involved in his unfortunate inability to extradite himself from the cemetery without encountering the ghoul, but figures there's no harm in paying tribute. He makes a mental note, but it immediately slips his mind.
ReplyDelete"I am. Do you have business there?"
Miwa turned deep brown eyes on the seated Royal Poet.
ReplyDelete"My Superior received a summons to the Royal Palace after the attack upon the Empress. My Superior remained in the great temple when the gates were closed. I must make my report to her on the grave creature in the cemetery this night. I have wounded it, but it still lives and roams."
Miwa looked over the river and the reflection of the last of the fireworks display. The light radiating from the tip of her longspear, fell upon her, making her white hair appear more vivid in the night.
"If you accept my company, I shall ride the ferry with you, Morimoto-san."
"Then we will travel to the Temple together. I left companions there as well. You know about the Empress, but do you know her fate?"
ReplyDelete"We have reached an accord then." Miwa respectfully bowed before the seated Royal Poet.
ReplyDelete"And, in truth, I do not know of the beloved ruler's fate for my time has been spent among the graves. My Superior has been silent since her seclusion. I have heard whispers among the mourners roaming the cemetery this night -- whispers spread like wildfire. Would you share the Empress' fate with me or do I wait until I have audience with my Superior?" Miwa's deep brown eyes lingered on the young man and she waited upon his decision.
Morimoto takes to his feet. He feels sluggish, a combination of exhaustion and intoxication, but he puts on his level-best face. The ferry ought to be on its return trip by now. He faces the Oracle and returns her bow.
ReplyDelete"The story of her fate is not mine to tell."
The discussion is left at that for now as the ferry arrives with waves lapping against its sides. For a city so huge, travel is often extraordinarily easy, thanks to the extreme care taken in its planning. The canals, in particular, can transport a traveler from one end of Kasai to the other with relative ease.
ReplyDeleteShortly, the two companions are nearing the great temple complex of Shizuru, which is like a small city onto itself. As the Miwa and Morimoto glide down the canals, they notice that the signs of celebration are dwindling away and stranger behavior seems to be spreading.
At different points, they notice large groups of people (of all ages) gathered in the city squares, heads bowed. In other places, there are groups of armored horsemen trying to corral gangs of unruly citizens. There's even a building in flames down one street. There is one scene that is particularly disturbing: a group of men carry a palanquin on which stands another man dressed in outlandish robes. His arms are raised and he holds long, unfurled pieces of parchment in his hands. He yells to the people around him from behind a red demonic mask. Most citizens try to avoid the shouting man, but a few stragglers have fallen in behind him.
It would seem word of the empress' untimely death has begun to find wings.