Session I - Arrival in Naishou province

-7th of Hare, 1157-

The trip takes 2 months. A month and a half in, staying at a way station, about 2 weeks out. Ansho-sama summons us after dinner, including Toritaka Kano (new Emerald magistrate of Naishou province), his yoriki Toku Masashi, and Ansho's daughter (Iaimiko). Asks us to learn local customs, state of settlements, important peasants and samurai, and current lodging available for the samurai, current samurai in Toshi no Nashou. He also wants to know the disposition of the Crane, Scorpion, and Lion army and what damage has been done, if any. He is giving us magistrate status to do this investigation, and sending us ahead to check on these things. Konomi will continue on with him; in 10 days, we'll meet up at Panchu Mura. Lastly, Iamiko-san will give this proclamation to each settlement and the armies in person if posisble; troops will be sent to the settlements we don't make it to. Chiyoko, Sou, Kazue, and Genjiro each get jitte as a sign of our deputy status, as well as copies proclamation (saying Ansho's current status as governor ruling in the emperor's name, and all must present themselves to him to make a case).



Yoriki are samurai that has all the rights and privileges of a magistrate, but can only report crimes they witness.
Doshin are deputies, have no authority to do anything on their own.





-8th of Hare, 1157-

Head out. Iaimiko is wearing Ansho's mon on a back banner as we head out.





-10th of Hare, 1157-

The river is a rushing torrent; usually supposed to be wide and slow. Must have been a bad winter up in the mountains for that kind of flooding. With investigation, we catch a whiff of something dead / (hunting) see buzzards circling overhead. Spot the disturbance much closer to the river, a few hundred feet up. Sou, Yukika, and Masashi go check it out. It's the remains of a person; greasy hair, bits of kimono, body is a slurry. Hounda and Genjiro also go to investigate. The corpse has daisho, Phoenix and Shiba mons on the blades. Evidence of both stabbing and slicing in the skin and on some of the bones. Probably a man, average build, long hair. Masashi retrieves an arrow head from the remains; looks Crane to Genjiro. Masashi believes he's been dead for 4 to 5 months. Crane arrived about 8 months ago. The daisho are good quality, about average; decent shape for having been in the muck for months. Looks like the body was buried here. Sou communes with Earth - was the violence committed here, how many people buried the body, and how strong the victim was in earth? Violence was within a couple of hundred yards on the road; half a dozen dug the whole; guy was an Earth ring 2. Kazue also communes with the Void after we look it over; it replies the individual had strong elemental connections, most of the victim's connections were to Naishou province, and a strong sense of duty (both to the Phoenix and the entire event, which probably means the others as well). Decide to go check the road, just to see if there is anything left after several months. We do find a number of signs of large groups, maybe armies, passing along the road. Discarded equipment, etc. We put the body at rest (Masashi puts the body in) before moving on.





-12th of Hare, 1157-

Arrive in Naishou, and arrive in Panchu Mura in the afternoon (supposed to be a day from Tosho no Naishou). Very few of these fields have been cultivated, and quite a few of the farm houses look to be abandoned. Even the ones near the cultivated fields look in poor shape. As we approach the village proper, the rate of cultivated farms and houses increases. However, even in the center, several fields uncultivated and houses abandoned. Town center seems larger than makes sense for a farming village, and several two story buildings in the center. They look fairly new, and in reasonable repair. A lot of activity in the village center; sake brewing, and Crane and Mantis colors evident in the village, as well as carousing. Hear drunk voices, cat calls, wolf whistles, propositions. Approach; Toku Masashi looks angry. Half dozen Crane samurai heckling 3 peasants, one brawny who has stripped Two sneering Daidoji are bracketing a peasant girl, and another is forcing a peasant girl to drink. On the ground around the peasants are several bundles and parcels, like they dropped them.



Genjiro approaches, addresses the Daidoji. He's the corporal in charge of this squad. Daidoji Hirofumi. He reports to Doji Ayumi's legion. It's encamped north of here. Arrived last fall to claim it. Ask him to send a runner to Doji Ayumi to report to Toshi no Naishou for the emperial edict. Let the peasants leave; notice they have a book. Mantis are here as mercenaries; currently not employed by the Crane as far as he knows. Plenty of carousing on the way. Offers to take us to the Phoenix Nest; ask he take us to the head man's house. Sou thanks the Crane, dismisses them.



Chiyoko notes the headman's house is not overly prosperous. The headman shows us the inns, Dry Lotus and Blessed Waters, both associated with the Sake breweries. Village has become more prosperous with the samurai that have arrived. Previously, they just farmed. Started producing sake last year, 5 months ago. Food production is still sufficient, and the koku can be used to pay taxes. He has seen the Lion army as well; hasn't seen them come through here. Has seen the Scorpion, but never the same time as the Crane. Never more than a squad or two at the time. Village does not seem overly prosperous. No Phoenix have passed through since the armies started coming; not that he can recall. Village is about 250 people; how much rice they normally account for; were notified when he passed away, but nothing since then. Taxes were collected in the fall by a Phoenix, just before the armies started coming. There is a ronin who lives here; hasn't signed on with any of the armies -- Takamuri. Tells us where he lives. Inns have loud and obnoxious common rooms. Some of us will stay in the headman's house; some in the abandoned houses. The brewery and geisha houses have taken jobs, and some people want a quieter life and have relocated to other villages. Get some names of families and villages that they left to.



Offer tea with the headmaster; Sou, Yukika, Iaimiko, Genjiro, Taka, and Chiyoko go for tea; Hounda stands outside. The rest go to find an abandoned farm house to setup lodging for the night. Sou asks about culture and custom in the region, confirm the shrines, etc.. Headman does so, Panchu Mura is descended from the Takanobu tribe, the dominant tribe. The village has been here for hundreds of years, he's been headman for a decade; his father before him. Always been a farming village. Temple of Kinro-ji-jin, kami of soil. Spring of 1156 is the last time they were trained by the Phoenix in spear usage (headman coordinates the practices with staves after). Sou asks about the Phoenix' rule; how were they as stewards of the land? He thinks it seemed fine - taxes were reasonable, the farm land was good, and the Phoenix trusted everyone to do their duty; appeared when they needed to, stayed out when they didn't. He supposes that the samurai have been that rowdy since they've been coming here. It was quieter under the Phoenix. He tells the story of Taimon (evil north wind) and the maiden. Says they experienced average winter here. Festival on the first day of Autumn where Taimon and the maiden are celebrated.



Evening, ring the bell, wait for peasants to gather for the proclamation. Chiyoko sees the 3 peasants that were being harassed earlier, as far as from the other samurai as possible. Iaimiko reads out the proclamation. The Crane don't seem pleased, and the Mantis seem indifferent. Chiyoko and Genjiro, Junko follow the peasants. We introduce ourselves. He invites us in. They try not to go into the village anymore. Since the sake breweries and inns have opened, there are more samurai in the village regularly. Better if they can keep to themselves. Clean house, small hut, two books in the house (one of poetry, one on the fortunes), family shrine. He agrees that is the reason for the families leaving; has been happening since the sake breweries started. Doesn't know who taught them how to brew. Says many peasants in the village have learned to read; something that is passed down here. They would relocate if they could. Young man is Kaku, and the two sisters are Anzu, Makiko. Says all of the samurai coming through seem to be making life more difficult for the samurai. Genjiro offers them some payment to keep Miya-sama's agents up to date on the treatment on the peasants. He says that Takamuri largely constrains himself to theft.



Gather Sou, Taka, Hounda and head to the common room of the Dry Lotus. There is a raucous good time happening at the inn - mostly peasants, a couple of Mantis. Not the cleanest place. Order food, sake; conversation on the new governor coming, what that will mean, happy that they have the sake houses in place. The two Mantis belong to Junko's Arrows, been here since just before the winter. Mantis dispatched them to see what they could do here. The unit is between contracts right now, but have worked for both the Crane and Scorpion. THe last they heard, the Lion are up in the north of the province. The Scorpion and Crane have been maneuvering around each other to the north since they got here. They've been trying not to destroy the place; the armies, that is. 50 Mantis. Only know of skirmishes with the armies. Lion have largely been removed; crane and scorpion have been at it since last fall. They each are about a legion in size, 750 give or take. Phoenix have a few squads up in Toshi no Naishou. Also in Koso Mura, which has a proper castle. Toshi no Naishou isn't really defensible. Innkeeper says, they import the dry lotus seeds from Moko Mura. The Mantis are also interested in gossip. Gambling house, two of them. Roll out, and on to the Blessed Waters.



A lot like the other. 3 Mantis in here! Here same gossip, though murmurs from the "new" sake house that it might be bad for them. Masashi goes on to the Phoenix Nest.



Kazue goes to the Kinro-ji-jin temple that night. Talks with the monk there; the shrine has been there for 900 years. She talks with him some, contributes a bu to the temple. He believes the village is in need of good and active governance. Hopes the new governor stations a magistrate here to ensure order. Asks to let the other temples of Kinro-ji-jin to know that he is the only monk left in Panchu Mura as we are about.





-13th of Hare, 1157-

Get up in the morning; head back to the shrine. Iaimiko asks what happened to the other monks? The previous abbot died of old age last summer; two died of fever during the winter, and the other monk was killed by drunk peasants who didn't like his sermonizing about their laziness and neglect of the shrine. We have also seen very few small children.
Head on down the road.



Reach the outskirts of Toshi no Naishou by early afternoon. This town is well run; tidy, well cultivated. Up ahead of us, muscular samurai steps off the road, has a brown kimono with no mon or markings on it. Bows respectfully as we reach him. He offers his service as a local guide, introduces himself as Junzo. Sou agrees; hires him. Guides us from the heiman district to the merchant district, then the samurai district. Each district wrapped around each other, all up against the river, with the governor's palace in the center. Fisherman live along both sides of the river as well as in boats. Walks through the merchant districts, talks about rivers having had large flooding every few years, though it has been awhile. Junzo has been here for a little over 5 years. Phoenix are governing here in the city, but not far beyond. As we proceed, here sounds of fist fighting. North port handles all province traffic coming this direction, and south handles all traffic coming into the province from outside. This has been a long fued between the doc workers for as long as he's lived here. The Seven fortunes temple is raised, protected from flooding, proper monastery with students. Recommends the tea (Hotei's favorite) at the Three Winds. Dutiful Daughter allows multiple castes to visit at the same time. As we approach the samurai district, tells that their is a custom to loudly announce yourself before you enter. Some decent housing; the other armies have steered clear of the town so far. Very few of the houses are currently inhabited. Possibly 100 to 200 samurai and families could live in the Samurai district.



Arrive at the governor's palace; palace is large for a remote province, but the grounds are cramped. Junzo takes his leave, saying if we ever need him we can contact him at his place; offer him a bu.