Seventh Session [Topaz]

 
SEVENTH SESSION
5 March 2018
 
4^th Night and 5^th Day in the Month of the Sun (Hare)
Year 1121 on the Isawa Calendar
The Glorious Reign of Hantei XXXVIII, the Splendid Emperor
 
The Characters
Ø  Togashi Kaku (Mike) [absent]
Ø  Hida Ao (Steven)
Ø  Shosuro Ria (Leia)
Ø  Ide Kasumi (Lindsey)
Ø  Shinjo Konishi (Josh)
Ø  Isawa Kanzen (Tim)
Ø  GM (Chris)
 
IC: Test of the Topaz Champion, Night 4 and Day 5
 


Day 4: “Fight Club” (evening)
 
After the heated conversation at the House of the Laughing Carp, the PCs joined other Contestants at what would certainly be an interesting evening below ground. They travelled via the strnage tunnel discovered by Ao and Konishi into a much larger chamber than remembered. A square tournament ground, ten feet high, opened up around them.
 
An earthen throne sat at the back of the room with the Basket Hat Man upon it. “He” rested easily, hat on head, in his strange geometric-patterened robes. Beside him Kuni Fujizaka, the earth shugenja of the Crab, stood barefoot whispering a chant to the little kami. A ceramic bowl with a straw cover sat on the arm of the throne.
 
All of the contestants attended save Matsu Aeki and Mirumoto Tomoe. All stood in silence, uncertain as to what the Basket Hat Man intended.
 
Hida Ao and Shinjo Konishi moved close to the makeshift throne, ready to pounce, questioning the nature of the events at hand.
 
The Basket Hat Man merely chuckled and ran his fingers through the ceramic bowl. He chose out two chops and rested them on the arm of his throne, covered by the palm of his hand.
 
From behind, Ikoma Shorisuru called out Hida Ao even as the Crab stood in aggression against the Basket Hat Man. The Ikoma “recalled” that one of Ao’s ancestors faced down the original Bloodspeaker, Iuchiban himself. The Lion suggested it possible that Ao’s ancestor may have been cursed, haunted by a maho-tsukai (blood sorcerer).
 
Shinjo Konishi heard the whispered voice in his mind urging him towards violence.
 
Out of nowhere, Shiba Tadamo called out Ide Kasumi, in a duel to first blood. Only a few noticed the Basket Hat Man’s foot digging in the earth as the Shiba’s glazed over eyes stared hard at Kasumi. Ikoma Shorisuru egged on the fight calling out to Kasumi’s “brash and violent past.”
 
Isawa Kenzan purified his fellow Phoenix of whatever magic fell upon her…only to watch as it happened again. Once more, few noticed the ripple under the earth as the Basket Hat Man focused hard on Shiba Tadamo.
 
Hida Ao, having had enough of the evening’s events, lurched forward in an all-out attack, his tetsubo swinging violently.
 
The four small lanterns, the only source of light in the tunnel, suddenly winked out. Each fell to the floor with earth upon them.
 
Movement in the dark. Confusion. Chaos. Isawa Kenzan, or maybe Shosuro Ria, summoned the fire kami and set the wicker top of the bowl aflame.

The Basket Hat Man ran for the door. Ao smashed the throne, barely missing the man as he leapt up and out, out of the room fast!
 
Ria, or Kenzan, or both, lit the Basket Hat on fire and the man fell screaming to the earth. Ao’s second swing struck true and despite the restraint he offered, the mysterious figure fell dead to the earth.
 
Shinjo Konishi dug quickly under the broken throne, urged on by his ancestor. With none the wiser, he discovered a single flawless porcelain mask…
 
Ide Kasumi used her skill with words and the chaotic situation to urge the other contestants out of the tunnels.
 
Kuni Fujizaka fell to the ground unconscious and the walls of the makeshift tunnel began to fall. Everyone rushed quickly to leave, but not before kicking the hat away from the dead man on the floor...
 
…to reveal a peasant’s half-burned face. Confusinly, instead of a man of Imperial blood, a simple peasant with darkly tanned skin and calloused hands lay dead on the floor. Ao snatched up on the peasant as Konishi grabbed Fujizaka and they raced out of the collapsing tunnels.
 


Topside once more, the PCs argued a bit over the meaning of what they had learned. Ao stood unclean, looking down at the confusing sight. Shinjo Konishi looked for a way out and Kasumi argued that they should not be found with the body.
 
Eventually, one of them called out for the Daidoji guards and waited until they arrived. Ready with an excuse, Ide Kasumi stepped forward just as two guards and an Imperial Magistrate appeared at the mouth of the alley…
 
…each of the heroes was shocked to see a man standing between the two Crane. He wore a familiar red and blue kimono covered in geometric shapes. On his head was a basket, obscuring his features. With little time for argument, he ordered each of the characters away as he took charge of the investigation…
 
The heroes departed, unsure how to deal with the possibility of multiple Basket Hat Men.
 
 
Day 5: Test of the Huntsman
 
Too early in the morning of the fifth day, the entire town of Tsuma awoke to the sound of a ritual gong being rung. The contestants raced to the Kakita Dueling Academy’s grounds, carrying what few things they would need for the coming test. Some grabbed weapons, the Hida took his armor in a basket pack.
 
The Test of the Huntsman is the first and only test of the tournament to allow the contestants a choice in the matter of their grouping. Instead of being randomly sorted, each of the Top 4 were allowed to “invite” one other contestant to join their team. Then, each person invited was allowed to extend an invitation to another contestant. The Team restrictions seemed deliberately vague and those who did not join a team were left to “fend for themselves.”
 
The expectation of the event is that each Group would seek Tsu Fish eggs as fast as possible. The first three “groups” to return would receive points, though again the matter of group composition was left vague. Everyone present was keenly aware that the risk of cheating and danger pervaded this Test like no other.
 
Finally, each contestant had to overcome their fear of the Tsu Fish, a being rumored to be carnivorous, capable of flinging deadly spines from fifty feet away, and willing to chase down grown men. OOC: Each contestant rolled against Fear 1(TN 10). All but Shosuro Ria succeeded.
 
 
Kakita Toshimoko stands once more before the gathered crowd, looking particularly noble on such a fine day.
 
"As samurai, you will face many challenges and tasks set to you by your lord. Some will be rather mundane, and some may be quite dangerous. In today's competition, the candidates are tasked with retriving a Tsu fish egg swiftly. For those of you not local to the lands of the Crane, the Tsu fish is an interesting specimen.
 
During the dry season, the many small streams and lakes in the northern Crane provinces dry up, leaving a network of large puddles and trickling creeks that are of little use for agricultural purposes. To prepare for this season, the Tsu Fish store up body fat so that they do not require much food. Dry season is the mating season, during which time the Tsu Fish leave the water and cross short distances to reach other puddles and find suitable mates.
 
Tsu Fish have unusually thick, strong ventral fins, with which they push themselves through the mud like snakes. Of course, there are stories about them actually being able to run on their fins like dogs, climb trees to lay their eggs within them, and attack by jumping on intruders from the trees catching them unawares.
 
A true samurai is willing to take on any task, no matter how dangerous. May you bring honor to your families with the speed of your success."
 
Starting Groups
These are the groups that officially and unofficially formed at the start of the event. Whether they exist together at the end or not may change.
 
Ao’s Group
1.      Hida Ao
2.      The White Wolf
3.      Isawa Kenzan
4.      Toku
 
Kaku’s Group
1.      Togashi Kaku
2.      Ide Kasumi
3.      Shinjo Konishi
4.      Shosuro Ria
 
Shorisuru’s Group
1.      Ikoma Shorisuru
2.      Kakita Himeko
3.      Mirumoto Tomoe
4.      Matsu Aeki
 
Fujizaka’s Group
1.      Kuni Fujizaka
2.      Daidoji Sai
 
Bayushi Sugai
 
Shiba Tadamo
 

 
Hida Ao’s Group took off with rapidity, but stopped once they were inside the woods. Fearing the worst, Hida Ao made them wait for a full turn (20 minutes) while he put on his armor. Other contestants raced through the woods to find the Tsu Fish and Ao’s group readied for action.
 
While waiting, the White Wolf implored upon Isawa Kenzan to “look deep into her soul” as she believed that there was more connecting her to Shosuro Ria than could be seen with the naked eye.
 
Ao’s Group moved on and came across a single Tsu Fish, a big heavy and slimy creature with a razor sharp, spiny fin. It was pinned dead upon a single pongii stick. Realizing that they had no great huntsman in their group, they decided instead to try a different tact. Knowing that Bayushi Sugai would surely be cheating at this event, they worked together to find the Scorpion’s trail. It was rough going, but with perseverance and no small amount of luck, they discovered his path and raced onward.
 
 
Togashi Kaku’s Group came across a dead body in the woods, half-buried beneath a mudslide. The body was that of a peasant, weird runes (maho) carved across part of his body. As the rest of the group moved on into the dangerous woods, Shinjo Konishi hung back long enough to place the porcelain mask upon the creature’s face.
 
The Unicorn was rewarded as he departed. He looked back at the stiff body to see its hand grip tight. When he closed his eyes, Konishi could see through the zombie’s own ask. With a grin, he ordered the creature to find Sugai and attack.
 
Shosuro Ria pondered a missive given to her by the Imperial Chancellor, Bayushi Kachiko. It read simply “Take out the White Wolf.” She spoke to the water kami in a puddle in the woods and uncovered a vision of a broken shrine, deep in the woods.
 
Ide Kasumi began to hum an old and forgotten tune about the woods of Tsuma. Together with Ria’s visions, the group made quick work and raced to the forgotten shrine.
 
 
Bayushi Sugai came upon a broken torii arch at the bottom of a muddy hillside. The woods were broken all around, mud and treacherous ground everywhere. He slid down in between the two arches and dug for the eggs of the Tsu Fish.
 
From afar and from different vantage points, Ao’s group and Kaku’s watched as Sugai began throwing the excess eggs into the treeline trying to destroy any chance of another group winning the day.
 


The Dead Rise
As Ao’s Group and Kaku’s converged upon Sugai engaged in his cheatery, all bear witness to the dark horror before them. Some vile soul had lain a trap for the contestants. The broken arch flared to life with sickly green and bloody red runes. All about the clearing, the dead rose from the earth.
 
The samurai contestants looked on with disgust. Fear gripped their hearts in a plea for them to run. OOC: Each person had to make a Fear 3 roll (TN 20) or suffer -3k0 to all rolls around the zombies.
 
Bayushi Sugai, down at the bottom of the small bowl, drew his steel fast and yelled out for those other contestants near the top: “AID ME!” An easy target, perhaps the noisiest, or maybe just because he was nearest to the arches, Sugai became the focus for most of the dozen undead.
 
Somewhere in the distant woods another zombie lurched forth.
 
Combat erupted with Ao’s Group, Kaku’s Group, and Sugai facing down a dozen of the animated dead. The world was chaos and confusion and fear, screaming and violent moans.
 
Shosuro Ria tried to flee in terror up a tree. An arrow flew from the woods nearby and nearly took out Togashi Kaku in one round. Ide Kasumi’s commanding voice urged them all on, removing the dark pall of fear from Ria’s mind.
 
Shinjo Konishi drew back his tremendous dai-kyu (horse bow) and began to fire. Hida Ao lay waste to a zombie with his tetsubo, but the animated dead continued to attack. Ao remembered his training and roared out to all:
 
“Their faces! Destroy the head!”
 
Sugai danced with elegant speed, dodging attacks from all sides. Hida Ao hurled himself down the valley bowl to put himself back-to-back with the Scorpion. Ria commanded the kami of fire to erupt Sugai’s blade aflame and create a Katana of Fire for herself.
 
Another arrow flew from the woods and took Kasumi in the chest. Togashi Kaku had enough of this mystery assailant and flew off into the woods in chase.
 
Ria was beset on two sides and fell quickly to the attacks from the zombies.
 
Hida Ao, the blood of his Kami flowing through his veins, slammed his tetsubo into the broken torii arches and half the remaining zombies fell.
 
Another blow, and another, and finally no zombie remained…except one singular body that had moved casually between the others. It walked carefully to Sugai, picked up two eggs, and moved on. The others destroyed it without prejudice, unsure as to why it had not attacked.
 
Kaku is gone, lost in the woods. The others stand amid the dark violence all around…
 
…who knows what the next game will bring!
  
 
Experience Awarded:
-> 6xp
 
-> Honor
o Shinjo Konishi engaged in blasphemy by using the Porcelain Mask to raise a zombie from the dead man in the woods -10 Honor
o Shinjo Konishi aided Shosuro Ria (aiding an enemy) and gained +6 Honor
 
 
-> Glory
o  N/A
 
Non-Player Characters (NPCs) Added:
-> The Basket Hat “Men”
-> Zombie Doo Wop Troop