Session VI - Are we not entertained?

-21st of Hare, 1157-

Before departure, Chiyoko also contacts the Fortunists to get their blessing at the festival.





-22th of Hare, 1157-

Taka and Haundo, along with 2 soldiers, head to Koso Mura.



Chiyoko, Kazue, and bodyguards arrived in Kaso Mura after midnight, then up and moving the next day. The to-do-list: paper for general invitations, a blessing from the Shintao, entertainers... possibly food and attire. Also might contact Moshi Masako (if there) and Iuchi Lassat about presenting at the festival, with formal invitations going later. Would have to go off to a village on the way back to invite Doji Takozawa. Also contact the chef, Otsu, in Koso Mura about building the menu / assembling a team. Take 6 to 8 troops with to escort the paper back, escort a message on resources back from the contacts in Koso Mura, and have two to four left for other messaging.



Chiyoko will seek out paper and talk with the monks. She stops in with the the paper merchant, Nanato, who has good quality paper in quantity for the rest of the invitations and can have it delivered by the 23rd to Toshi no Naisho. She also asks about entertainers; he mentions the Moshi, as well as Doji Takozawa, the gokinen of Mujitsu Mura, whom we knew about.



Chiyoko goes to meet the Shinsei monks, and meets Goro. Gets the tour, agrees to give the blessing.



Kazue goes to speak with chef Otsu. He's honored by the request, but would need the governor's permission to do so. Seems conflicted by the offer.



Kazue and Chiyoko meet up and head to Itsuki's for kimono's. He's knows their names already. Nice fabrics and designs, so they get theirs along with Daisuke's. Seem a touch more provincial, closer to what the locals wear.



Kazue and Chiyoko then head to meet Shiba Gaijitsu. Kazue lets him know Ansho-sama is keeping him a governor, the disposition of the legions, and tells him about the festival. She asks him about letting Otsu cook for the festival, to which he agrees. Chiyoko asks if he has any questions for Ansho-sama? He does bring up the matter of the "embargo" on goods from outside the province that the merchants of Toshi no Naisho have enacted on Koso Mura. It started a year ago, he can't say exactly when. As to why it started, he says there seems to be a rivalry between the cities; the villages seem less concerned about keeping things within their tribe like Toshi no Naisho residents do. Locals prefer to go to Koso Mura since they don't get sneered at or looked down, giving Koso Mura an advantage in local goods from the Kawa forest and Taru mountains. He provides a list of the major goods that they have difficulty getting. Also a bit of the rivalry based on Fortunists vs Shinsei. He says the Moshi is out of town, and Iuchi Lassat is in town.



They go back and tell Otsu that the governor will be coming with them to dinner, and has approved of him serving for the festival. As to any other plans he'll need, they'll meet again in the morning.



Kazue and Chiyoko also stop by Iuchi Lassat's house. Explain that they've heard of her art, interested in looking at the sculptures and bonsai she can display. Her sculptures are frequently a mix of stone and wood, looks 8k4 at both. She is interested in being at the festival, and would like to deliver a piece created just for the ball. She's also having issues getting things from outside the province through Toshi no Naisho; Kazue says she'll see if the can help; gets a list of what she needs. Talk about Lassat's shugenja school, the Horiuchi. Back in the burning sands, had to synthesize local magic that dominated the kami with their commune magics to capture the will of the kami into a talisman. She also tells about the pieces she can send now.



Taka and Haundo arrive and meet up with the rest. Group gathers together at Otsu's restaurant with the governor, have a very nice dinner. Then the covered market opens up to become the entertainment district. Watch the acrobatic troupes, and see a good performance. Haundo approaches them to see if they are willing, and given Gaijitsu's permission. They also spot a good jester.



Sou and Genjiro talk about Jottei's... reluctance to perform. Can't think of a graceful way to get Jottei out without too easily providing a way for the Crane to take offense. Sou goes to speak with the head Crane courtier, Doji Shunpei, about getting the service of Jottie's noh troupe. He is very agreeable, and will send the missive to Jottei.



Kasuga Hitsuko is waiting for Sou when he gets back to the palace. She wanted to offer her and her delegations assistance if we need any help with the festival. Also wanted to gauge his opinion about gifts; Hitsuko asks if he is familiar with "The curse of Ichinori Mura?" He's not aware; she says there is a rumor of a village in the Kawa forest that spend a night in the village are cursed to stay; they can't leave, or drop dead when they leave; stories vary. She thinks they can break the curse. Sou estimates it's a fitting gift, lifting the curse. They don't have the insight at present, so it could be easy, medium, or very difficult based on how real it is. Sou says it sounds good. She asks if there's anything we need? Sou asks for help with entertainment for the later evening samurai quarter festivities.



Sou identifies the locations back in the mansion for the artwork displays while Genjiro works with Obaasan to hire servants. For Genjiro and Obaasan, a long tedious day, but we weed out some. She slowly opens up through the day. That evening, Genjiro and Junko head to the geisha house to interview Hichihiko. Junko is impressed with her voice (10k5), so Genjiro offers her an engagement to perform at the festival. Sou and Genjiro sync up; will talk with Kikuko about hiring her apprentice to perform around the samurai quarter tomorrow.





-23rd of Hare, 1157-

Chiyoko and Akemi head out to Moko Mura to talk with Moshi Mosako, will take two days to get there and will arrive on the evening of the 24th.



Haundo and Taka visit Gaijitsu, and he easily approves the acrobats and jester for the festival.



Kazue checks in with Otsu, and he wants to ask for help from some locals to help. He knows of them, but doesn't know them, but wants to check on Kouki from Shizu Mura (Kawa forest), Kazue from Botsu Mura (swamp), and Suzu from Sujuko Mura (Taro mountain pass). Kazue also mentions Youta, who runs the governor's kitchen, will be assisting. He wants a good 5 days to prepare in Toshi no Naisho and is good with the help he mentioned vetoing and replacing ingredients.



Kazue sends two troops back to Toshi no Naisho with an update, Iuchi's pieces and the request for her materials, the plans for the chef and the ingredient list, and a request to send someone to Shizu Mura to ask for Kouki. She also sends a bird messenger to Chiyoko to hit Botsu Mura.



Haundo and Taka will head to Sujuko Mura to talk with Suzu, and Kazue and Daisuke will head to Mujitsu Mura to talk with Doji Takozawa.



Genjiro and Obaasan interview more servants, also continues working logistics for the party. Genjuro is requested to meet Bayushi Itaru for dinner, so he recommends a local wine, produced in a village half-day ride from Inari Seido. Knows we haven't gotten as much chance to see around as he has on the west; says Moko Mura is pretty. Also says Shizu Mura is interesting; a lot of fascinating superstitions. He does say he will provide a license to cultivate opium from the Shoshi cartel for the province. Also offers a Scorpion ko escort for the party.





-24th of Hare, 1157-

Haundo and Taka make it Sujuku Mura. Very rough mountain pass to get there. Head of the village, Takahiko, greets them with appropriate ceremony and welcomes them to the village. He says he does know of Suzu, takes them to the Happy Traveler inn. Haundo says she is invited to represent them, will give them a chop for tax breaks in her absence. The village is happy that she is recognized outside the village. Haundo also gives her the supply list to review and correct if needed. Haundo also asks the headman if they've had any issues; he mentions the lack of a magistrate visit since the tax collection. He does say the winter was more snow than usual, no major rock falls in the pass, aside from the Scorpion army that came through, no real traffic. Leaves a pair of imperial soldiers to bring Suzu when she's ready.



Kazue and Daisuke get to Mujitsu Mura. Very tiny farming village, along with Doji Takozawa's estate. Go to his estate, check in with a servant, and are greeted by Doji Takozawa. Kazue compliments his landscape painting; he says the area was the reason he decided to settle here. Kazue estimates his skill around 9k4. He could make some paintings available; the prior governor was a great patron of the arts, and he hopes Ansho-sama will be as well. Kazue picks up that he would like the governor's patronage to display arts during the ball (maybe commissioning him to paint a mural in the palace, or fund it traveling, etc). He notes a painting of his is hanging in Kyuden Doji. Kazue talks to him about what drew him here, what he likes about this place. Talk to him about Kakita Maliko, the one who painted the mural in Naisho, but he believes that is the only piece of hers in Naishou. There are pieces elsewhere; one in the Kakita academy of fantastical creatures and spirits of the air, one in Yasuki lands in the Black Crane Castle of forest spirits and creatures that she saw in the Shinomen forest. She was said to have seen the spirits themselves. Were Asahina in her family, but she herself was not a Shugenja. Meet his wife, Doji Natsuki, and Doji Urashii, his son. Kazue thinks they can make an arrangement.