Session VIII - Rhymes and Reasons

-25th of Hare - 6th of Dragon, 1157 - supplimental-
Sou and Yukika took two trips that they report back on. The first was to investigate the portal Sakkaku (trickster spirit realm) in the middle fo the Otochu river, just south of the Oichi Mura. Had heard rumors of the portal, and did find one at the bottom of the river. Doesn't seem to be anything out of sorts; no large number of spirits coming out of it or anything, linking to a body of water in Sakkaku at the surface. Were we pressed, we could get to it by swimming. No spirits hanging out; just the portal, so things seem fine.
 
On the second treck to pick up the Koki, the chef from Shizu Mura. The Scorpion seem to have settled in harmony and the people are being provided for. The headman be asked that they be considered for infrastructure. Village is about 1,000 people, day into the forest. There's a tradition of if people are visiting, but stay until the evening, they spend the night. Seems the same in the smaller forest villages as well; makes Sou think they may have some concern about going out at night. Also heard lore of a frog king, where a boy and sister roamed upstream to the mouth of the river and saw the frog king keeping court. The sister remembered her manners, the king was pleased, and offered her a boon in exchange for something from her - he gave her gold and ate her brother. They see it more as a joke than a horror. Some of the houses in the village have protective talismans made of the forest above their doors. A lot of the stories are darker than Sou anticipated with a town so in harmony with the forest around it, but he did not see signs of justification of this. Could be stories of a by-gone area? Or something from deeper in the forest? Sou saw nothing to justify it, no spirits. The Scorpion also passed on stories of a monk trapped in the spirit realm, but no one knows where this shrine is and Sou could not find any sign of it. Talk of a ritual of renewal; a goat tied to a tree at the edge of town on the night of a full moon, and in the morning, it is gone.
 
 
-Night of 7th of Dragon, 1157 - the ball is still rolling-
 
Poetry contest!
 

Doji Miro offers up a poem about the Senegawa lake (positive subtext about Bayushi Kenzo)

Doji Yoriko the Komi valley

Kaiu Fumiko about the weather and how pleasant it is here

Tomori Hiruka about the Taru mountains

HIkoma Mei about the Kawa forest (expressing admiration and longing for Shiba Ikko)

Yuritomo Etsuko taro mountains (expressing admiration for Hida Haundo)

Asako Izuna poem about the peasants of the province

Bayushi Itaru about the wide open spaces (either about Doji Ayumo... or Miya Iamiko?)

Bayushi Yoshiko about Senegawa lake (slightly better than Miros - a lot of really clever insults against the crane clan)

Shinjo Shinako about how the province is a gateway between the wider world (a bit scandalous in his longing for the wider world)

Suzume Hideyo (best poem of the night) about the commoners.

Kasuga Hitsuko about the commoners and how the minor clans have so much in common with them

Miya Kishan (not a good poem) about the countryside of Naishou (about the geisha he's currently seeing)

Genjiro notices that Kishan's son, Kuboti, is both embarrassed by his father's poem and not surprised. After Suzume Hideyo's poem, Miya Iaimiko seems more than a little taken with him.
 
Ansho-sama announces Suzume Hideyo as the winner, to no surprise. We all have the feelings inspired by the poem lingering for some time.
 
Kazue attempts to use By the Light of Lord Moon discretely, but she does not come across anything significant, including the missing pendant of Doji Shunpei. She covers about a third of the party before the Void catches up with her.
 
In the samurai quarter, Sou checks on the performances; acrobats, geisha performances, singing. All nicely done; not as good as the palace, but a good event for those that attend. He also witnesses a duel between a Crane and Lion; Crane wins, and doesn't seem to be anything unique to these two samurai.
 
Genjiro talks with his escort, Soshi Masami. She's a bit disappointed that they didn't manuever and fight the Crane before Ansho-sama showed up, since she thinks it would have helped the Scorpion claim. Likes Naishou, a pretty good conversationalist for a Bushi.
 
Kazue also attempts to speak with the air kami to ask questions about Shunpei's pendent. It was in this room that he noticed the missing pendent here; they describe a woman in red gold with her face half covered that was smug about the missing pendant. Likely either Soshi Sayumi or Soshi Shigeko. She found something that seemed to make her very happy. The spirits point out the area where she found it, not far from where Shunpei started to show distress; an area outdoors, in a portion of the garden. They say the necklace flew here; could mean dropped, fell, or was thrown. The sad Crane had it before it flew. Sou tries speaking with earth. Asks them if someone touched Shunpei after which he was lighter; no-one stole it from him directly. Second question about the necklaces says there was a weakness in Shunpei's earth that caused it to fall from him, then lay on the ground for some time. Third was whether or not the failure was caused or passage of time? Passage of time. Sou and Kazue would like Genjiro to go speak with Soshi Sayumi / Shigeko, or would need to report it to Ansho-sama.
 
 
-8th of Dragon-
Morning breakfast with Ansho-sama. He seems genuinely pleased with the outcome of the party. Get news of the prior night; brawl in the merchant quarter between the dock workers. More duels than the one Sou saw in the Samurai Quarters, but all to first blood only. Kasuga Inigo has arrived, who has been serving in Gaijin lands for the last several years. That has wrapped up, and has come to serve Ansho-sama here. Ansho-sama has met with Shiba Gaijitsu today, and would like to have some input into the magistrate and gokenin candidates - we could do interviews while we have the chance. Mention that it seemed Shunpei may have lost his pendant; we are looking into it. Kasuga-san has also been given magistrate papers, and will help serve in that capacity.
 
Send out invitations for the list of potential magistrates and gokenin we've been given to setup interviews today.
 
Genjiro goes to speak with Soshi Sayumi and Shigeko. He asks them about the necklace, saying that the matter is delicate. They say they know nothing. Genjiro doesn't detect deception there, but when he clarifies it's important, definately catches Sayumi in a lie. He goes to Bayushi Itaru, who says Genjiro can't speak with his authority, so should do what he thinks he must.
 
Regroup back to the compound, and Genjiro informs the group that he could not come to a clean resolution. Inigo recommends having someone propose someone approach Doji Shunpei in an open place and mention the necklace, talk about its wonder, so everyone will notice that he's not wearing it. That way, all of them can be testimony to show a time when he wasn't wearing it, and hasn't been wearing it in quite sometime. Discuss what is relayed to Ansho-sama; Genjiro will apologize that he could not locate the necklace, and is unaware of its ultimate fate from the evening.
 
Ansho-sama, Doji Shunpei, Kasuga Inigo, and dozens of witnesses are there during the day when Inigo is introduced to Shunpei. Inigo gushes about jewelry, and has heard of Shunpei's necklace. Shunpei apologizes that he's not wearing it, talks about how it was a gift, how he was not worthy of it. Inigo makes himself a spectacle, trying to defray Shunpei's embarrasment.
 
Kazue goes to speak with Isawa Suzuhiho and get a debrief for what she wished to speak about. Suzuhiho asks if Kazue knows of news in Phoenix provinces; asks if she's aware of any mysterious murders in Phoenix provinces. She has been on the trail of a murder for years, and she believes he is in Naishou province. He's a shugenja, and as far as she can tell, nothing connecting his victims aside from just his need to kill. She believes he came sometime in the last year; she's been tracking him for 3 years. She lays out the evidence, victims, and her thoughts on the matter. She believes its a Phoenix Shugenja crazed serial killer. She's looking for allies with the temporary governor. Most victims are samurai, some peasants, unsure about eta. Wants Kazue to know about the evidence, in case something happens to her. Its been one at a time in the cases she's seen. Spells are always used; she knows in talking with the kami afterwards, and has a feel for the signature of the spell caster. He started using more common spells, but he's been developing new spells. Also tells her about the province, and coaborates some of what we've already learned.
 
Start the magistrate interviews. Really looking for skills and things that might disqualify them. We'll send a message after a final pass from Ansho the following day for approvals.
 
Kitsuki Umeji. He admits he doesn't have enough of an impression of the province as to where his skills can best be utilized. Haundou asks him about what he would do in a case with only circumstantial information, but that actions have political implications; what do you do? He says the evidence is the evidence; a magistrate is as much political as law enforcement. Inigo asks about past appointments; most recently, the Dragon's clans holdings in the Imperial capital. Verdict - definately. Likely one of the dockside assignments.
 
Tsuruchi Goro. Recently a bodyguard with his perception, but was a bounty hunter the prior years and can rattle off an impressive list of bandits. Plains, rolling hills, mainly tracking along to catch them. Doesn't have a lot of political experience; mainly as a tracker and manhunter. Has a preference for the country side as opposed to the city. Inigo asks what the moment he is most proud of? The time he hunted down and eliminated a group of bandits terrorizing villagers in the Moshi province over several months. Seems duty over compassion.
 
Soshi Itaru. She's been focused primarily on finding agents of the Lying Darkness since her Gempukku. Last stationed in the Imperial capitol. Politics and the political situation doesn't effect the execution of justice. When asked about her greatest accomplishment, she shares a story of identifying, tracking down, and eliminating someone who had given their name to the Lying Darkness that also involved her needing to kill and eliminate several witnesses that were otherwise innocent and burn a house down. As to where, she believes she could be of equal use wherever she needed to be in the province. She has no concern about working with others, but would need someone that could accept the sorts of things that she must do. Verdict - scary, but competent - assign to Shizu Mura?
 
Shinjo Shinako. Mainly scouting, tracking, a lot of army duty. Was in the imperial capital when the assignment came. Instinct would be to enforce the law, but understands that politics subverts the law. He spent a month shadowing a hostile army for a month without having ever been detected. Would definately prefer to be roaming. No problem with working with someone, but they'd need a horse. Verdict - in. Maybe roaming with Goro?
 
Toku Mie. Most recently was a courtier for the Monkey in the capitol, previously the court of the Monkey captain, and prior to that a magistrate protecting peasants in the Monkey lands. She wished politics had no bearing on the law, but knows that's not the world she lives in. Her proudest moment was tracking down a shugenja that had cheated and extorted a village (that had gotten payment from the villages for asking the kami to bless the crops, and got food, lodging, and drink for the month she claimed to be working on their behalf). No particular preference in station. No particular issues with working with a partner. Verdict - in! Free floater for places.

Akodo Jun. A whole lineage as to his accomplishments. Proudest accomplishment was discovering the fate of a couple of Lion samurai that had gone missing, discovered to have been murdered by the peasants of a village and got justice. Haundo asks what reason the peasants gave; said the samurai were abusing them. The law is the law. No issues with working with a partner. He can ride. No particular preference as to assignment. Verdict - in.
 
Hiruma Miori. Hiruma scout, most recentlyf serving as a bodyguard. Has experience in the Shadow Lands. Her most proud moment was in her Gempukku when she had retrieved a previously lost artifact from Hiruma Castle when she went into the shadowlands; a piece of the shrine bell.
She can ride (but not in combat). She's tentative on having to deal with political ramifications. Would prefer not a city, okay with villages and towns. She prefers working alone. Verdict - in!
 
Usagi Yoshihiko. Very small. He's been in the Imperial, travelled there doing research on curses. Magistrate in Hare lands since gempukku, mainly travelling the country side. Most proud of defending a peasant village from bandits that had been raiding it, outnumbered 8 to 1. He knows how to ride, but not in combat. He would prefer to not have to deal with politics at all. He'd very much like to be assigned to the village of Ichinori Mura. He believes his past experience may make him ideally positioned to bring the law back to them and deal with whatever issue is troubling them. He talks about his experiences with curses; helped destroy a couple of cursed items, researched some, proved some existed. Verdict - in! Possibly Ichinori Mura.