Session IX - I'd be Lion if I said it was an ambush

-9th of Dragon, 1157-
More interviews for the magistrate positions.
 
Doji Miro. Crane Clan magistrate. For the last year, being military police with the legion. Served in different cities. Nothing she specifically has done that she feels is a proud accomplishment yet. Text book answer on the balance on politics and law. Cannot ride in combat. She's prefer something in a city, large town, or village personally (but doesn't understand commerce). No issues with working with a partner. Verdict - in, likely a samurai quarter.
 
Bayushi Kenzo. Magistrate since his gempukku, over 4 years ago. Been with the legion over a year, but cities before that. Fair bit of experience with working with samurai of other clans. Prefers working in cities to the country side; no particular skills as a tracker or outdoorsman; no combat riding. He uncovered a smuggling ring where he was stationed, involving a number of peasants and the mantis clan. He had to learn more than he knew about commerce; understands ways people go about successfully smuggling things. Seems observant. Never had to deal with the Shoshi opium movements. Between law and politics, one must always be careful - sometimes they are the same, sometimes are not. Verdict - in!
 
Inigo recommends we setup a stronger trade agreement between Ichinori Mura and Inari Seido with the sending of Usagi Yoshihiko, to make sure that spiritual supplies are easily flowing between them with a day market (that also means folks don't have to worry about spending the night in the village and be concerned about the curse). Kazue brings up a potential conflict between the farmers clan and the forest clan in this.
 
Recommendation to Ansho-sama:
 
Magistrates:
Toshi no Naishou

Southern docks Kitsuki Umeji

Northern docks Bayushi Kenzo

Samurai Quarter (Shiba Ogai)

Koso Mura

Samurai Quarter Toku Mie

Panchu Mura

1st (Legion)

2nd -

Sujuku Mura

1st Hiruma Miori

2nd -

Sujuu Mura

1st Akodo Jun

2nd -

Shizu Mura Soshi Itaru
Moku Mura Doji Miro
Ichinori Mura Usagi Yoshihiko
 
Roaming

Solitary Isawa Suzuhiho

1st Pair Tsuruchi Goro

1st Pair Shinjo Shinako

He approves the list as is, and proclomations are sent out. Akodo Konomi also agrees to keep a Legion presence in Panchu Mura, as well as sending a small squad with Hiruma Miori to Sujuku Mura. Kazue informs him of Suzuhiho's goal of hunting the murderer, and he approves of keeping her on task, and is for asking for another magistrate from the Phoenix for the Samurai quarter of Toshi no Naishou. We also are willing to assign her two legionaires to help her report in or have backup if she needs.
 
 
-10th of Dragon-
Ansho-sama wants us to escort Iaimiko to Inari Seido to have a conversation with the abbot, Goichi, and see what the pulse of the peasants is, any problems the abbot needs the governor to recognize, etc.
 
We warn Tsuruchi Goro and Shinjo Shinako of the ronin we spotted in the forest before sending them out on patrol.
 
 
-11th of Dragon-
Genjiro stays in the palace and works on documents, general state of the province info.
 
Inigo goes to the Lonely Pearl; becomes enamored with Kikuko.
 
Kazue goes to talk with the Phoenix about the magistrate; goes to Asako Izuna. She thanks Kazue for the honor; will have names within the day. The name she submits is Shiba Ogai; he was responsible for helping keep peace in the city at another point, seems good. Kazue also wanders the city, and does notice some of the strain that all the various samurai have brought to the city.
 
 
-12th of Dragon-
Head to Inari Seido; ride most of the day. Mid day, Kazue notices a horse in the distance, far away - just grazing, no person nearby. Near a small grove of trees. Take a side trip to check it out. Smears of blood on the horse's hindquarters, as well as on the reigns. See buzzards circling overhead; Genjiro can hear them squabbling over something. Sou and Yukika go to get the horse; the rest head towards the likely corpse. See multiple bodies at the clearing of the edge of the lake. Tametomo shots a whistling arrow to scatter the vultures. 5 corpses; all wearing Lion colors, all armed and armored, all died violently. Another dead horse with a gold fletched arrow sticking out of its throat. We investigate. The arrow in the horse's throat is from the Lion, and the horse is not theirs; it's on the old side, frequently repaired gear. Most likely a ronin or poor clan samurai horse. Saddle bags are empty. Looks like this happened 24 hours ago. 3 of the dead have arrows stuck in then, as well as sword wounds. Two of the arrows look to be of Crane make; the third looks like a lower quality than the Crane arrows. Around the site, can also find two more arrows of Scorpion make. Tametomo believes one archer fired the arrows in the Lion; not in the horse. There is also a nice quality yumi nearby, looks like it was dropped by one of the Lions. The live horse has good quality tack and harness, and clearly belongs to the Lion. Also finds the patrol log of Akodo Kazushi who was leading the patrol. Patrol was to head along the bank to Toshi no Naishou, then west to the forest, then along the forest edge back to Sujuu Mura. Left three days ago; all were on horse back. Nothing unusual reported in his log. Some small villages mention a small band of ronin protecting villages from wildlife, bandits, and bullies. Ikoma Matsu (archer), Matsu Kichibei (private), Matsu Yuriko (private), Akodo Mine (private) were the others. Some off the bodies were dragged from where they fell; Kichibei and Kazuchi's fell at the water, and were drug away. Signs of multiple horses on the far side of the clearning that were gathered, easy to loose. Tracks (both from tracking and Sou's spells) show a group of 5 people sneaking from where the horses were tied to the clearing; the yumi started it, then the other 4 ran in to fight; seems the Lion started the fight. Someone went back to the horses to loose them. A party of 3 adults, a child, a fourth on one of the Lion's horses (after finding it), and headed to the north; one possibly wounded. Two more showed up, investigated the clearing, then left back to the south. Also a fishing pole dropped at the water's edge.
 
Kazue casts on the fishing rod; gets an image of a young man with a top knot, multiple arrows in a quiver, a pretty good fixed image of him. She tries one of the Scorpion arrows; gets the same image of the young man, this time with an assortment of fletchings in his quiver and a bow drawn, also a yumi. Looks at the quality yumi; see Ikoma Matsu firing repeatedly at a pretty massive man in the clearing wearing no armor, weilding a tetsubo, and an image of a woman in a kimono with a sword drawn rushing the archer. She is also plainly dressed; looks furious. Kazue draws images of the three; they do not look like ronin that Sou has seen before.
 
Sou talks with the horse. Who freed it was an angry woman with a sword, tore the reigns free, then slapped the others to get them to run off; she led the fifth back into the forest. As to the blood, she had blood on her hands when she hit him on the rump. This was a regular patrol; every few days it would go on patrol, though not always with this man, but frequently on this route. First time it was tied up here. Before being tied up, had heard some boisterous voices, calls on the other side of the clearing. Said the patrol seemed excited when they tied them up. He then asks the water kami about the fight. Shows the archer with the top-knot fishing; seated next to him was the woman. The giant man and 10 year old boy were performing kata (could be his son?). Another man with just a katana, plainly dressed, and stitching up a tent. The scene is interrupted when the giant man sprouts an arrow with gold fletching from his chest. Woman engages two, man with the sword engages one; big man pushes kid behind him. Woman kills one (Sou doesn't think its a common clan school), the ronin archer shoots into the lion charging the big guy. Ronin also shoots the male ronin with the sword's opponent. Woman kills another lion, then goes after Lion archer. Big ronin crushes his opponent's skull. Woman is clearly in charge of this group. They pull the bodies out of the water. Gather up their stuff, woman comes back with one of the horses, then load the big man up and head north. The second scene of the two that come after looks maybe an hour, hour and half after. Two bare foot peasants with axes come up, calling, then they go from body to body rummaging the bodies, then they haul ass back to the south.
 
Kazue tries to commune with the void to find answers to the connection of the ronin to the people, and the Lion to the ronin. As to the Lion and the ronin, there was no connection; the leading Lion felt a connection, but he was the only one, and had particularly strong feelings about the ronin in general. The ronin has strong feelings about this grove, clearing, and this lake; have spent significant time here. Been here for several seasons. They have links to several villages, as well as Inari Seido.
 
We continue north to follow the ronin. They skirt several villages, and head straight to Inari Seido. It's late; monks are out lighting lanters. Sou notices a Lion horse, as well as a monk hauling ass into the temple. We are greeted by two monks. Welcomed, taken into the guest quarters. A monk comes and collects us, takes us to see the abbot within the temple. Met the abbot; says he sent a runner at dawn. There was an unfortunate incident with the Lion clan. A group of ronin say they had been set upon by a Lion patrol; they defended themselves, and lost one during the night. He has used their services before, they are known by the villages, and that is how they make their living. He has known them to be thoroughly honorable. We agree to tend them first, will speak with him on further business tomorrow.
 
Go to meet the ronin in the guest quarters. Ome, the woman. Yugiro, her husband, the archer. Sakutaro, the tent man, her brother. The boy, Hoshi. Ome tells their story. They were spending the day in a grove they frequent. Had been between jobs for a time, travelling from village to village seeing if anyone was in need of ronin services. They subsisted on hunting and fishing; have some money. Nobuntsu was shot, then the others charged out of the woods screaming death to bandits. They didn't seem interested in talking, or answering their protestations. She describes a fight that tracks with what we saw. After the fight, Yugoro saw to Nobuntsu as best they could; they found the horses, and took one, scattered the rest. They were aware of the Lion patrols; avoided them, and had never been pursued before. She says they have been in the province a little more than two years. They have not encountered any other ronin in this part of the valley; they've heard stories of ronin living in the forest, but they have not encountered them. She is aware of some in the eastern part; they are more comfortable with the larger settlements there. They wish to avoid interactions with clan samurai as much as they can. None of them look particularly wounded. She's had no jobs and no hiring against bandits for the last three months. Genjiro gives them 20 koku in recompense for their horse; she's both grateful for the money and ashamed that she has to be.
 
Kazue sends a message to Ansho-sama about the current situation. The monks will get the local eta to assist in cleaning up the Lion corpses, but we still need to track down. We'll leave Iaimiko to discuss with the abbot while we head south to track the peasants that may have stole from the Lion corpses.
 
Inigo talks with Sakutaro; Hoshi's been with them for over 4 years now, so they intend to look after him. Also interested in hiring them for protecting trade routes? They aren't particularly interested in that.
 
 
-13th of Dragon-
In the morning, Ome says they talked it over, and are interested in employment on the governor's behalf. They'll wait here with Iaimiko while we head out.
 
We track to the grove. 2 of the 5 Lions were missing knives; a couple of the Lion are missing mess kits. All 5 have small purses; none of them have any zeni. Then track the villagers back to their village. This village is relatively small, but has a large store house and a surprisingly large shrine to the 1,000 fortunes. In the center of the village, meet the headman - Aratomo - Heion'na Kokoro Mura. Asks if we are here because of their message? Their two woodcutters went to the grove to get wood for a damaged house; when they got to the clearing, they found a bunch of dead samurai. They called out, no answer, so came back and sent out a runner. He gets them - Shuko, Josuke. Shuko talks, tells the same story as the headmaster. Genjiro tries to get them to own up; they do not. Josuke breaks; says he has his knife, the mess kits he says Shuko gave to Uki. Shuko breaks after. The headman also steps forward for punishment in response to this. Uki had no idea at all that's where it came from. No punishment for Aratomo or Uki; just ask them to use this as an example going forward to maintain the order. Whole village is called out; Sou pronounces the sentence, speaks, then executes the two men (38 damage needed!!). The eta dispose of the bodies.