S25 - Return to Iwasaki Report

General Summary

The party tearfully reunites with Akira, who was clueless about what transpired. They tell him of what happened and apologize anew, and the baffled boy freely forgives them. Yamami then starts to set off to find Yukio’s favorite flower, a snow chrysanthemum, and the rest of the party offered to tag along. Jiko finds one and Yamami hands it over to an increasingly confused Akira. She is then overwhelmed by grief and party try their best to comfort her.

Back at the camp, the party are dissatisfied with the gruel they received for dinner and decide to hunt for game. As dusk started to fall, they were able to track and slay 7 boars. They return back to camp and offer it up to the Jito, who orders to hold an impromptu feast. Jiko assists with the cooking while the rest of the party relax with some sake. Kyo then had a private word with the Jito wherein she asked about Kanihama-shi. The Jito ultimately wished for its safety, and Kyo leaves as the Jito started to question her motives.

With the feast in full swing, Yamami and Kyo start dancing. A couple of soldiers challenged them into a dance battle, which they decisively won, with some help from Mizuki covertly casting spells. As the night wore on, people started retiring to their tents.

Once Yamami was in her tent, she was met by her ancestor, who gifts her ancestral bow back, but with some “improvements.” He also introduces Ryoma, an antagonistic spirit, who he tasked with guarding her.

Kyo falls into a deep sleep but wakes up in a lavish room. She is fussed over by doctors and white-haired woman named Emiko, and is addressed by a similarly white-haired man as ‘Yukio’. Kyo tried to feign ignorance but the man stared into her eyes, determined she was ‘dreaming,’ and put her back to sleep. Meanwhile, Yamami notices Kyo walking around outside. She confronts Kyo but he introduces himself as Yukimura. Jiko also wakes up and immediately grapples the man. They let him go and they wake Mizuki, but by then Kyo returned to normal. After being told about their switch, Mizuki thinks they’re being connected by Musubi, or fate.

Akira also wakes up, but in a dark place within his mind. Across him is a tori gate, and behind it was the Kokoraiju in all its menace. Akira asks him how he came to reside within him and the Kokoraiju answers that he unwillingly entered a pact with his ancestors. As long as the Kokoraiju lives within the host body, the host’s progeny will be gifted with magic powers, and that the host should always be the head of the clan. It muses that it can now get out since the pact was fraying because Akira wasn’t anointed properly as clan head. Akira asks what it knew about the Fujioka clan and the Kokoraiju answers it cannot remember, however, it felt “purity” when her and the rest of the party was within Akira’s mind. Akira asked what that meant and the Kokoraiju answers that it was the first time in millenia that it felt something that wasn’t rage. Akira then proposes a deal, he will free the Kokoraiju but in return, the Kokoraiju will lend Akira control over its powers. The Kokoraiju responds that Akira will have to prove himself first by becoming worthy of being called the head of the Kokuen clan.

The next morning, Akira details his experience to the whole party. Yamami remarks that his pact must be renewed and Mizuki regards her with increasing suspicion.

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Campaign

JottO: Shadows over Otorii

Protagonists