[X]With Asako Tani-san, of the Phoenix, Ketsui-sama. We had intended to venture to Bishamon Seido, but were waylaid upon the way and had to return to the castle.
-[X] If pressed/asked as to what waylaid you, say truthfully that it was an Ice Kami.
-[X] Do we have a void left? If so, void it.
-[X] The Laurent is calling in his free raise. The Godfather approves.
You scarcely need your training to know that Matsu Ketsui is currently looking to kill something. Considering the Daimyo's reputation and her skill, if she decides that you had something to do with this whole business - and you have scarcely even begun to consider what it might mean or the implications of what has apparently happened - then she can and will cut you down and there is very little you could do to stop her.
With that in mind, you decide to answer honestly. Even if distorting the truth were to gain you something, it would probably be rather too dangerous to risk given the presence of a Magistrate less than three paces behind you.
"I was with Asako Tani-san of the Phoenix, Matsu-sama." You say as clearly as you can, not allowing any kind of doubt or hesitation to colour your tone. "We had intended to visit a shrine to Bishamon-no-Kami which she had discovered lay nearby, but were waylaid en route and forced to return to the castle."
Come to think of it, you'll have to apologize to the stable master for losing the two ponies, unless they have had the good fortune to return here by themselves. That is a matter you can deal with at a less sensitive time, however.
"Waylaid?" Matsu Ketsui asks, her expression revealing nothing of her thoughts. "By what? There are no bandits near Shiro Matsu."
"By an ice kami, Matsu-sama." You reply immediately. "I believe it to have been a yuki no onna."
Ketsui's eyes flick past you, and behind you Kitsu Ami answers the silent question. "Spirits of ice and snow, Matsu-dono. I have never heard of any traveling further south than Phoenix lands, but it is possible. They have been known to be hostile or benevolent by turns."
"I see." Matsu Ketsui says thoughtfully, and you know without anything more needing to be said that your life may very well hang in the balance.
"It would surprise you, then, to learn that you were seen exiting the guest quarters barely two hours ago, covered in blood." The daimyo says in that same level tone.
"I... very much so, Matsu-sama." You respond, barely controlling your astonishment. "I was miles away at the time. If I might ask... whose testimony places me there?"
"The testimony of an entire squad and their gunso, Soshi-san, who were practicing their drills in the courtyard at the time." Matsu Ketsui says with a humourless smile. "The story has likely filtered through the ranks by now, which may explain the greeting you received upon your return."
Well, that is troublesome... but at the very least Matsu Ketsui is not directly accusing you of the crime. True, she might very well be inclined to take the word of her own samurai over yours, but while the matter is officially in doubt you have a small degree of leeway. Now you must decide how best to use it.
What do you do?
[ ] Request a duel with the gunso to prove your innocence. It is one samurai's word against another. If you can defeat him, you are proven innocent, and can work on resolving this at your own pace. If you lose, however, you will be held as guilty... and murdering your own lord carries a sentence of death by incredibly painful execution.
[ ] Request leave to investigate the matter alongside Kitsu Ami. You do not technically have the authority to do so, but between your situation and your lord's achievements you might be able to persuade the daimyo to permit it. This would give you options, but Ketsui would be expecting results quickly and you would be under extremely close scrutiny for any attempts at deception or misdirection.
[ ] Leave this to the magistrates. You would be giving up a great deal of control, but your positive relations with the local law enforcement should keep you in the loop and enable you to handle your own affairs on the side. Keeping your distance will also help shield you from any further accusations.
[ ] Write in (Note that this requires an entirely new course of action, not merely a variation on an existing one, which can be incorporated into a vote for one of the above)
As you consider your response, you make a note of how relatively polite Matsu Ketsui is being. True, her samurai had you thrown to the ground and pinned like a common criminal at first glance, but that could easily have been the result of a miscommunication. It is easy enough to see how 'the Scorpion is wanted for questioning about a murder' could be interpreted as 'the Scorpion is our chief suspect for a murder', especially when one is dealing with members of the Matsu family, who have never exactly been great fans of your family or Clan.
Hmm. The chances are you can put this down to the ties that your lord has already established with the Lion during the span of this Court, and your own reputation as a relatively honourable warrior - for a Scorpion, at least. Add to that your ties with Otomo Kairyu and the positive impression you made on the magistrates themselves and you probably have a decent option for approach here.
True, trying this might not be the most logical course of action... but if what they say is true, if someone has murdered Kimoko-sama while disguised as you, then they have declared war against the Scorpion. You will not suffer such an insult lightly.
"I see." You say calmly, not allowing yourself to pause for too long, remembering with a faint stab of regret the conversation you shared with Mariko about the Matsu family and their insistence on acting with only the most perfunctory deliberations. "In that case, Matsu-sama, I should like to request that I be permitted to investigate this matter alongside Kitsu-sama. My family are magistrates, and I believe I would be able to assist in finding those responsible for such a vile crime."
Naoto's Courtier/Awareness 7k4 = 27 (-5 for fatigue)
"Permission denied." Matsu Ketsui says flatly. "This crime was committed in my lands, and against my guest. Whoever or whatever is responsible has levied mortal insult against me and my family, and it is for us to resolve. In the face of that, you would dare imply that we might need your assistance in resolving the matter, Scorpion?"
"My apologies, Matsu-sama." You say, bowing low. "I allowed my anger at this crime against my lord to cloud my judgement. No insult was intended."
Naoto's Sincerity/Awareness 6k4 = 32 (-5 for fatigue)
For a long moment you are kept waiting in trepidation, wondering if the Daimyo's frustrations will drive her to ignore your apology.
"There is nothing to apologize for, Soshi-san." Ketsui says at last, and you breath a silent sigh of relief. "Any true samurai would be equally outraged at such a transgression. I cannot allow you to investigate alongside Kitsu-san... but you can at least view the scene and recover any appropriate property. Kitsu-san? See to it."
"Of course, Matsu-dono." The magistrate says formally. "This way please, Soshi-san."
Keeping your head bowed, you back away and follow the Shugenja out of the building, shivering slightly as the cold air envelops you once again. Kitsu Ami doesn't wait for you, instead striding away across the courtyard, forcing you to hurry to catch up.
"We have not yet removed any of the bodies, though this will need to be done soon." She says curtly as you approach the guest tower. "I will need you to show me anything you intend to remove from the scene, after which I will have my yoriki escort you to your new quarters."
"Of course, Kitsu-sama." You say as politely as you can. "If I may ask... what happened to the other inhabitants of our quarters?"
"All of the Heimin present at the time were either killed or have fled. I will require an accurate count of their numbers from you later, Soshi-san." The Kitsu explains. "As for Yogo-san..."
Where were your companions during this attack?
Pale Oak:
[ ] Was present during the attack, survived, and has since gone into hiding.
[ ] Was present during the attack, was slain, but managed to leave a useful clue behind as to the culprit.
[ ] Was absent when the attack occured, and is waiting for you at your new quarters.
Yogo Hanzo:
[ ] Was present during the attack and was incapacitated by a wound laced with poison. He is unavailable until he recovers, but may have seen who was responsible for this.
[ ] Was absent during the attack, and is waiting for you at your new quarters.
QM's note: Again, this is a meta-decision, not one Naoto has any direct say in. And yes, due to fatigue penalties you failed to convince Ketsui to let you get involved. Fortunately a decent Sincerity roll prevented her from taking offense at your temerity.
QM Note - Wow, it took me way to long to get around to this. My apologies, and here is an update.
"Unfortunately, Yogo-san was also a victim of the assailant, whoever they might have been." Kitsu Ami explains, her voice a mask of calm professionalism. "He has been seriously wounded, and it appears the weapon used was laced with some kind of toxin. I have summoned Shugenja with medical expertise to attend to him, but we do not know how long it will take for him to recover."
You nod slowly. That is... unfortunate, for both personal and pragmatic reasons. You have not spoken very much to the priest, but he is a loyal and driven servant of the Scorpion Clan, and as such you regret any news of his injury. On a purely pragmatic level, that leaves you the only representative of the Scorpion Clan in Shiro Matsu. Ancestors, but the amount of work that implies, and the scale of the consequences if you should fail... having a Shugenja to assist would have been extremely useful.
As you contemplate what this might mean, you continue to follow the magistrate as she leads you up the tower allocated to the various guests of the court and towards your quarters. Here and there you can see samurai of the Lion clan standing guard, making sure that nobody attempts to disturb what might be an important clue or threaten those investigating the crime, and while their vigilance is appreciated you would have much preferred it if they had prevented this from occurring in the first place.
Not that you intend to say such a thing to any of them, of course. That would be at best useless and at worst actively suicidal.
The first signs of the attack come when you reach the door to your assigned wing. It is open, the wooden frame splintered as though thrown aside with great force, and there is one of your heimin servants lying on the ground just inside. The woman is clutching at a ragged wound in her neck, apparently delivered by some kind of knife, and the mats surrounding her are stained dark red with her blood.
"The attackers entered through here." Kitsu Ami says calmly, carefully stepping around the bloodstains so as not to dishonour herself by becoming so unclean.
"Attackers, Kitsu-sama? More than one?" You ask politely, following her. The dead servant is an affront to your Clan and a personal insult, but not something that overly discomforts you. A samurai lives three feet from death at all times, and such a comparatively clean murder is no worse than some of the things you saw growing up.
"Almost certainly, Soshi-san." Ami says curtly. "One attacker could not have achieved this, though there is some evidence to suggest that only one survived it. Having entered here, they first attacked what I believe to be your servant's quarters. It appears that this is where Yogo-san was located when the attack came."
She leads you along the corridor to the relevant room, where you can immediately see what lead her to such a belief. Two more of the heimin lie within, the placement of their wounds indicating that the enemy cut them down as they tried to flee. Beyond them there is a sharp line drawn across the floor where the tatami mats are charred and blackened, as though from exposure to intense heat or flames. Past that line the room seems halfway destroyed - sections of the walls have been torn apart or splintered under heavy impacts, desks have been knocked aside by great violence, and there are splatters of blood in many different locations.
Naoto's Investigation/Perception 5k2 = 24
You do not have time to do a full survey of the scene, but one thing immediately stands out to you - it was not just Yogo Hanzo who fought here. Someone else assisted the Shugenja against the attackers, which likely explains how he wound up merely incapacitated and poisoned rather than dead. Having done what they could, they then appear to have left at some speed, not staying to provide any kind of assistance or make any report - possibly through that window over there, which has been left open.
...you really need to ask Pale Oak a question or two the next time you see him.
"A sub-group of them then split off and made their way into the central chamber." The magistrate continues, sliding open the door to the next room. "They were met by Bayushi Kimoko coming the other way."
If the servants quarters looked like a battlefield, the main chamber is a warzone. It is as if a cyclone made of blades tore through the room, marking just about every surface with signs of severe violence. All of the doors have been torn down, the mats have been gouged or shoved aside, and there is enough blood staining the floor and walls to fill a small pond. Ancestors, some of it is even on the ceiling.
Curiously, for all the signs of violence you cannot see any bodies - or pieces thereof - left by your enemies. There are what appear to be three sets of loose black clothing abandoned and piled up in different sections of the room, which suggests that the wearers abandoned them for prepared disguises, but no actual corpses. Save, of course, for one.
There, slumped against the far wall, is the broken figure of your lord. Bayushi Kimoko looks... almost happy. Her teeth are bared in a vicious smile, and her katana is still clenched firmly in her hands. Her dark red and black clothing makes it hard to see how many wounds she bears, but judging by the sheer quantity of gore that surrounds her it must have been quite a few.
"A funeral will take place in four days." Kitsu Ami says softly, and you realize that you have stopped dead to stare. "I have already had an eta administer the last food and drink. As the only Scorpion samurai currently capable of fulfilling the task, I must check - will you be standing as part of her honour guard?"
Ah yes, the Honour Guard. Distantly, you recall hearing that the practice was started by the Crab Clan, due to the inherent dangers associated with corpses in their lands, but it easily spread to the rest of Rokugan. Kimoko deserves one, without a doubt, and observing the tradition would be the correct and respectful thing to do, but... it would still be four days where the majority of your time was spent watching over a corpse.
Do you stand as part of the honour guard for your fallen lord?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
You barely even pause to think about the answer, for in truth there is no real need to. True, there are all manner of logical arguments that one could make against spending the time standing guard, ranging from the personal to the pragmatic, but at the end of the day... Kimoko was your lord, and you are a Scorpion. The bonds of loyalty will not be severed by anything so petty as death, and she has earned the right to have you stand guard over her body while her soul finds its way to Meido.
"I will notify my lord and have a schedule drawn up." Kitsu Ami says, a note of subdued approval in her voice. "For now, if you could collect the appropriate effects?"
"Of course." You say quietly, your gaze lingering on your lord's ravaged body. If nothing else, she died fighting, and if you are correct about the empty piles of clothing (some kind of delayed enchantment meant for concealment, perhaps) she took more than one of the enemy down with her. The Scorpion do not have a reputation for caring overly much about the finer points of honour and proper culture, but you are not so different from the rest of Rokugan that you do not approve of a samurai meeting their end in such a way.
Shaking your head, you move through to the small side-chamber allocated for Kimoko's own quarters. A quick search uncovers a small chest that contains all of her letters, journals and documentation, most of which are likely encoded in one form or another. Such things will be of considerable use during the rest of the court and beyond, allowing you to pick up where she left off and continue to serve your Clan to the best of your abilities.
Surprisingly, there is nothing here in the way of personal effects. No tokens of esteem from friends and family, no souvenirs picked up along the way, no works of art or philosophy. Nothing at all to allow you to look below the mask and see your lord as she truly was.
Such is what it means to be Scorpion.
Sighing, you gather up the supplies and return to the main chamber, where the Lion wait to escort you to your new quarters. This is not at all what you expected or desired, but if there is one thing your life so far has taught you is that the Heavens rarely care for the wishes of mortal man when they set the course of the future. You will simply have to adapt as best you can and carry on.
-/-
Soshi Naoto-san
If you are reading this, then I am dead. In truth, this is not a surprise - I have made many enemies over the years, and the Way of the Scorpion is filled with many perils. It appears that one of them has caught up with me at last. As my sensei did before me I have grown into the habit of writing these letters on a regular basis, complete with all of the appropriate information necessary for my successor to take over from me with the minimum of disruption. I have never failed the Clan before, I will not start now.
The facts and figures can be found in the other notes, and I expect you to review them at length. This letter, then, will be restricted to business of a more personal nature. My last orders, as it were.
Firstly, let us make it official. In the event of my passing, I hereby appoint Soshi Naoto as my successor as Scorpion Clan ambassador to the Winter Court at Shiro Matsu. Congratulations, Soshi-san. Get used to it - mine are not the only pair of empty sandals you will step into in the years to come.
Secondly, you are to return my daisho to my family. They have all passed to Meido before me, but there is a small shrine outside Cherry Petal Village, about ten miles east of Shiro no Shosuro. Take my swords there.
Thirdly, continue my work within the court. Beiden Pass must remain open, and that is a duty I charge you with in its entirety. Any and all alliances or positive ties you can forge with the other Clans on top of this would be welcome bonuses.
Finally, obtain revenge. If you are reading this, chances are someone has struck against us and taken my life. The Scorpion Clan has not survived for so long by allowing such foolish decisions to go unpunished. Find out who it was, and kill them. If you can, make sure that others know what it is you have done and why. Our reputation has always turned aside as many threats as our armies.
Fare thee well, Soshi-san, and remember - always keep them guessing.
Naoto has suffered much and learned more during the past few tumultuous days. Just as the howling wind may cause the wild flame to roar ever higher, so too has he grown ever stronger in response.
Naoto is hereby awarded six experience points. Please discuss and then vote for how they are to be spent.
So yes, congratulations - Soshi Naoto is now the official recognized Scorpion Clan diplomat assigned to Winter Court in Shiro Matsu, by the will of his deceased predecessor. His Status has thereby risen to 2.0, and this has brought ten points of Glory with it - people are much more likely to know your name, now that you hold an official position.
This does, however, mean that you now have to take care of all of the various things that Kimoko was previously attending to, including trade agreements, budgetary concerns and basic diplomatic niceties. While you still officially answer to your lords back in the Scorpion territories, the combination of distance and the winter snow means that you cannot rely on them being able to make decisions for you. It's all in your hands now.
Fortunately, during the first month of court no actual formal agreements were struck - everybody was getting to know the court and their fellow delegates as well as laying the groundwork for the actual negotiations. Thus you still have some room to maneuver. Note that Rokugan does not generally rely on written contracts, though records are made of important deals and distributed to those such deals will affect. Instead, terms tend to be verbally agreed upon by the diplomats, and failure to uphold them is a shameful failure on them personally, no matter how far removed they are from the failure point.
Actually breaking a sworn agreement generally ends with death, either on a duelist's sword or through seppuku, commanded by lords who do not wish their Clan to acquire a reputation for faithless dealing.
Funds
Soshi Naoto has a stipend of 10 Koku available to him. This is all he has available for the entirety of the Winter Court, and all expenditures from now on will be tracked, including restaurant bills and other purchases.
There was also 30 Koku left in Bayushi Kimoko's personal funds, which you have access to. Technically this is not yours, and the Clan may expect it back when you return to Kyuden Bayushi after the Court is over. If you spend it, have your justifications ready.
Acquisition of any additional funds will be up to you, and may involve taking out a loan or two, or any number of disreputable activities.
Trade Goods
You have the following goods that you could potentially trade away to other Clans, either for goods, favours or general goodwill. Fortunately, this is a relatively minor court as such things go, and your only real primary objective is keeping Beiden Pass open and the fees charged to your caravans as low as possible. The Clan desires that you make decent deals with all of these, but there is no sharply defined success/failure criteria.
Note that these are defined as being in 'Units' for simplicity's sake. Commerce checks would be required to get an idea of their value in Koku, but oftentimes that value is highly contextual - Jade is much more valuable to the Crab than the Dragon, for example. You can also trade resources obtained from the other Clans if necessary.
(Please don't make your QM learn economic theory for a feudal civilisation by asking for intricate trade deals)
100 units of Lumber
250 units of Copper
100 units of Iron
500 units of rice
500 units of other food
100 units of paper
Note that these are all fixed quantities. More long-term trade deals stretching over years would be handled by other courtiers in smaller, more local courts, as would the details of how exactly this stuff gets to the destination.
Political Favours
Given your position you do not have the ability to negotiate military commitments or any really big treaties. What you do have is the ability to offer places at your Clan schools, and agree to send students to the schools of other Clans. This is an old tradition, and is generally universal - aside from the prestige of attending particularly famous schools, even those Clans which absolutely despise each other see the value in having Clan members with an understanding of how their enemy thinks and fights.
Of course, students who share too much with their parent Clans have a nasty habit of winding up dead, especially if they try teaching what they learned to others directly.
The positions you have available to offer are:
- 5 places at the Bayushi Bushi school.
- 5 places at the Bayushi Courtier school.
- 3 places at the Shosuro Acting school (note - not entirely comprised of ninjas)
- 3 places at the Soshi Shugenja school.
- 3 places at the Soshi Magistrate school.
Trade tariffs
Finally, you have the fees levied on caravans and other travelers passing through Scorpion lands on the way to or from Beiden Pass (fees for other destinations are the province of other courtiers). These will be represented as an abstract measure rated from 1-5, with 1 being low tariffs and 5 being high.
Currently, they are all set to '3', which is treated as the baseline. Again, lots of abstraction involved here.
These will need to be agreed with every Clan by the end of the court, and will shape much of the Empire's economic scene for the upcoming year. You can agree to charge more or less for particular types of trade, if you wish. The Scorpion Clan wants the money these tariffs provide, but also doesn't want to overly antagonize their neighbours or raise them so high that business is taken elsewhere. Balance is required.
Note that it technically is possible for you to charge no tariffs at all, or to deliberately set rates to '6' as a representation of raising them so high no one can afford passage. Both of these are potent tools and must not be employed lightly, for your lords in the Scorpion will be demanding explanation for either result.
With the original guest tower being declared off limits for the duration of the investigation and manifestly unsafe on top of that, you are not surprised to find that the various guests and dignitaries invited to Winter Court have been scattered throughout the castle. The Matsu are not in the habit of keeping entire wings of their primary stronghold both vacant and of a sufficient quality to receive guests, after all, so they are forced to resort to simply placing you all wherever you might fit.
As a result, your new quarters are on one of the upper levels of the main castle, surprisingly close to the area set aside for the Daimyo's own family. While such proximity could be seen as an honour, you are rather more mindful of the way that it places several dozen elite Lion soldiers within easy call of you at all times, though whether they are here for your protection or to eliminate you should it prove necessary has been left somewhat ambiguous. Knowing the Lion, the answer is probably 'both'. Your lord was slain in their lands, after all, and that is a slight on their honour they are not likely to soon forget... but nor are they going to overlook your apparent part in the crime.
You have no doubt that someone could use this kind of treatment as a deadly weapon in the court, but whether anyone is actually so bold or so foolish as to do so you can only guess. While you are not exactly under arrest, neither are the Matsu about to let you wander the castle unsupervised, and having a constant escort of samurai keeping a visible eye on you would tend to strain the delicate relations upon which a true court is built. Fortunately the tradition of the Vigil serves as an excellent excuse to avoid such an embarrassing scene, for you are required to stand guard over your lord's fallen body and as such cannot spare the time for other, less vital tasks.
The one exception you make is visiting the medical wing, where Yogo Hanzo is currently being tended to by the Shugenja of the Kitsu family. Your fellow Scorpion looks, quite frankly, like a man already dead - there are several ruinous wounds in his arms and torso, apparently inflicted by some kind of serrated blade, and the veins around each injury have turned black with poison. The priests have invoked the kami to do what they can in purging his body of the foulness and restoring his health, but they cannot give you anything certain in terms of when he might regain consciousness, or even if he will.
It is the twenty third day of the Boar; the shortest day in the year. Outside these halls, the Festival of Lights is currently underway, as the assembled men and women of Rokugan light torches to drive away the darkness and give thanks to the fortunes and their ancestors for seeing them through another year. Some might have suggested that an ongoing murder investigation would be cause to cancel the celebration, but samurai die all the time, and it is never appropriate (or safe) to disrespect the spirits over something so trivial.
For your part, you are spending the night kneeling in the middle of the small room alloted to you for this task, doing your best to remain focused and aware even as hours pass by in sequence without any noticeable change. Bayushi Kimoko lies on a bier behind you, her corpse carefully cleaned and dressed in a kimono of purest white, ready for the pyre once the traditional four days have passed and the investigation into her death concluded. You are rather grimly aware that if Kitsu Ami cannot uncover further evidence to support your innocence in this matter then things will default to accusing you of the crime, in which case your best hope might very well be to face whoever the Lion send against you in a duel to prove your own innocence. There is frustratingly little you can do about it, but that knowledge doesn't help very much when it comes to trying to keep your mind off of it.
You've never been all that good at meditation, preferring to occupy your mind with plans and ideas on how best to accomplish your goals and serve the Clan, but perhaps these four days will give you the chance to actually get some practice in. Heavens know you don't have much else to spend your time on, since the Lion haven't even assigned anyone else to stand guard in this room with you and it will be hours yet before the end of your current guard shift.
The first hint you have that something has changed is when something small and very sharp touches the back of your neck.
"A word of advice, Soshi-san; do not move." Pale Oak says in a calm, almost conversational fashion. "If my hand twitches you will die, swiftly and silently."
"That is an unusual skill set for a scribe, Pale Oak-san." You say politely, surprised at how calm your voice sounds. "I suppose you were the one fighting alongside Yogo-san during the attack?"
"A reasonable deduction." Your supposed servant says calmly. "But I am not here to indulge your theorizing, so let's cut to the chase, shall we? My name is Shosuro Hideki. My standing orders are to identify and eliminate enemies of the Scorpion Clan. You have precisely one chance to convince me that you do not qualify. Start talking."
There is a knife at your neck. It is likely poisoned, and judging by reputation and the most likely outcome of prior events the person wielding it is probably both able and willing to kill you if given even the slightest cause. If Pale Oak really is a member of the Shosuro, then he won't hesitate to eliminate a threat to the Clan, and probably won't even feel all that bad about it afterwards. That is the role that his family have fulfilled for a hundred generations, after all, and the fact that the Scorpion Clan still exists stands as mute testament to their success.
And yet... you are not afraid. No proper samurai would show fear in the face of death regardless, but this is no matter of bravado or honour, for you have only a limited use for either. You simply... do not feel afraid. Your breathing is steady, your heartbeat even, your body still and your mind clear. Even now, a hair's breadth from death, you find you can still consider the matter objectively and weigh up all the possible implications and consequences of your answers. It is actually rather surprising, but you don't really have the time to marvel over it, for the man holding you hostage might easily decide that a lack of an answer is close enough to an admission of guilt as to be worth executing you over.
And... already you are thinking of him as 'the man', not as 'Pale Oak' or 'Shosuro Hideki'. There is, after all, no guarantee that you are dealing with your servant, and even if this is the same person who rode with you to Shiro Matsu there is no guarantee that the name he has given you now is the correct one. If you can lie about your identity once you can do it again, after all. And considering what has been going on lately, taking someone at their word when it comes to matters of such import seems profoundly foolish. There is, therefore, only one answer you can reasonably give.
"Someone has stolen my face, Hideki-san." You say levelly, not so much as twitching. "Convince me that you are who you claim to be, then we can talk."
The pressure on the knife increases notably, and it's wielder's voice becomes sharper to match it. "I do not think you understand, Soshi-san. A man in your position is not the one who sets the terms here."
"It is because of my position that I must insist, Hideki-san." You reply, unruffled. "By command of Bayushi Kimoko-sama, I am now the Scorpion representative to Shiro Matsu. I will not fail that responsibility by blabbing my secrets at the first threat of physical violence."
For a long moment there is silence, as your life hangs in the balance... and then the knife is withdrawn.
You wait a few moments to see if anything more is forthcoming, and upon being met with silence you take a risk and turn around to look behind you. You half-expect Pale Oak to have vanished once again, but instead he remains, kneeling before you with his forehead pressed to the ground.
"My utmost apologies, Soshi-dono." He says, his voice rough. "I have failed one lord, and threatened another with death. Please, allow me to atone with the three cuts."
"Ask me again at winter's end." You say automatically, barely even having to think about it. You are in charge now, after all, and your delegation has suffered enough losses that you are reluctant to sacrifice more without excellent cause. "In the mean time, I still require some evidence of your identity."
"You spoke to me on the road to Shiro Matsu, Soshi-dono." Your repentant assailant offers. "You asked me what I could do, and I explained I had been assigned to keep track of all traffic through Beiden Pass, and that I had previously reported to a cousin of yours."
Hmm. Not an absolute guarantee of his identity, but probably the closest you are going to get in this sort of situation. You will simply have to remain aware of the possibility of treachery in the future. "Good enough for now. So... report. What happened?"
Your servant rises from his bow and adopts a more conventional seated posture, revealing that he is once again attired as a servant. Apparently even when aware of the possibility of infiltrators the Lion have difficulty keeping track of who is actually meant to be scurrying through their halls, a fact which you will have to remember for the future.
"The enemy numbered seven, Soshi-dono." Pale Oak reports, schooling his voice to professional detachment. "One appeared to be you in every respect, down to mask and clothes. The other six initially seemed to be servants, but upon attacking removed their faces as though they were masks, leaving nothing but smooth expanses of skin. Their hands became clawed and they carried no weapons, save for the one imitating you, which wielded a katana with some notable skill."
He pauses for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The enemy are Tainted in some fashion, but appear to have some strange resistance to the sacred touch of Jade. Yogo-sama was able to physically repel the faceless ones with a ward of some kind, which drove them back and scorched their flesh, but upon summoning the spirits of earth with which to smite them found this ineffective. In addition, they are stronger and faster than seems possible for mortal foes, and they seemed largely unaffected by grevious injuries."
Another pause. "Even so, Bayushi-sama was able to account for three of the faceless ones, and Yogo-sama and I were able to destroy another, before their injuries overwhelmed her and a poisoned blade incapacitated him. I fled, and they retreated."
You nod slowly, processing this information, but before you can reply there is a faint scratching sound on the wooden parts of one of the walls at the back of the room. Pale Oak glances over at it, then turns back to you.
"I apologise, Soshi-dono, but I cannot remain. Wren-san is covering for my presence here, but this will not work for much longer. I believe I can remain free and able to operate for the four days of your vigil, after which I will return to your side. What are my orders?"
Give Pale Oak/Shosuro Hideki his orders:
[ ] Track the perpetrators of this attack. The trail has not yet gone cold, and a Shosuro can go places and do things that more conventional magistrates cannot.
[ ] Work to convince the magistrates of your innocence, possibly by fabricating evidence and testimony to that effect. There is probably enough doubt existing thus far to force a duel to resolve matters, but you might well lose that, and if you do your Clan's work here will be ruined.
[ ] Find a cure for Yogo Hanzo. You need your Shugenja back on his feet promptly, if only to provide a samurai's testimony to what happened, and the Shosuro know more about poisons and antidotes that anyone else in the Empire.
[ ] Investigate your fellow delegates. If any of them seem to be benefiting from this or reacting faster than normal, you have your first suspect. Besides, your Clan's interests will be much easier to promote if you have accurate information on your rivals.
[ ] Write in.
Well, I think three months is enough of a hiatus, don't you? Welcome back to In Thunder's Echo, everyone, and may the Fortunes smile upon you all.
27th Day of the Boar
It is snowing when the time for the funeral arrives, as though the world itself has adopted mourning colours.
Born upon a palanquin of unpainted wood, shielded from view by heavy curtains of palest silk, Bayushi Kimoko is carried out of the castle on the backs of four eta. Her body has been cleaned and dressed in formal attire, and all the necessary prayers and rituals have been performed by the attending Shugenja. Now, the pyre is all that remains.
Clad in heavy robes to ward off the winter's chill, you follow along behind the palanquin at a steady, measured pace. Such a position should be occupied by your lord's family, who have many duties to perform as part of the funeral ceremony, but in the absence of anyone suitable the responsibility for filling that void has fallen to you. You should be nervous, given that this is the first time you have ever been called upon to fulfill such a role, but instead you simply feel... numb.
Kimoko is dead and gone. The rest of you are simply going through the motions necessary to formalize it.
Yogo Hanzo walks at your side, his skin pale and sallow in a way you have rarely seen in one still among the living. By all accounts it was a close run thing, the Kitsu Shugenja all but certain that he would be joining his lord in Meido, until quite suddenly he recovered - seemingly by an act of divine intervention. Personally you are more inclined to thank the skillful ministrations of your cousins among the Shosuro, but it never hurts to pay respect to the Fortunes regardless of circumstance and so you said nothing to contradict the official diagnosis. In truth the Yogo should probably not be awake at all, let alone mobile, but apparently stubbornness is a virtue in Shugenja and he was determined to attend the funeral at your side before allowing mortal weakness to impede him once more.
(That said priority was only decided upon after he flung all manner of anti-Taint spells in your direction for verification is a detail you have seen no reason to share with any others.)
Behind the two of you comes the rest of the funeral procession. Just about every samurai attending court is here, though whether out of respect or curiousity you do not know. It might even have something to do with the heavy presence of Lion samurai escorting the column to its destination, and the furious light that yet smolders in the eyes of their daimyo. You do not think that Ketsui would go so far as to threaten any of the attendees, but this is still her court and even the dullest of courtiers could likely tell how poorly she would take any show of disrespect towards your fallen lord.
The pyre has been constructed at the edge of one of the parade squares in the centre of the castle, surrounded by stone and made ready under the open sky. Monks and Shugenja of varying ranks and schools stand ready in their assigned positions all around it, and as the eta lift the body into position they are already beginning the ritual chants necessary to see your lord's soul safely to the afterlife.
Not that Kimoko needs such guidance of course, but as a general principle anything which discourages a warrior of her calibre from returning as a ravenously vengeful spirit is to be considered worthwhile.
Silent and motionless, you stand at the edge of the parade square and wait as the prayers are completed and the pyre ignited. The dry wood takes to the fire well, and you watch as the flickering flames rapidly overrun and consume both the palanquin and the corpse upon it. Once there was a time when samurai of Kimoko's status could expect to be buried in full finery, resting in elaborate tombs surrounded by mementos of a life well lived... but not today. Not since Iuchiban have Rokugani funerals allowed for the preservation of a useable corpse.
The cold wind howls, plucking at the kimonos of the gathering samurai with inquisitive fingers, and you do what you can to betray no emotion as the shifting wind assails you with the stench of burning flesh.
Eventually the fires are burned down, and all that remains of the pyre is a layer of ash and a collection of heavily charred bone. Now comes the next stage of the ritual, and as a Shugenja presents you with a set of elegantly engraved chopsticks you school your face to passive immobility once more. It should be family doing this, rather than just yourself and Yogo Hanzo, but there are no other Scorpions present to assist and so you must make do.
You have the oddest feeling that will become a familiar refrain in the days and weeks to come.
With careful solemnity you reach into the piles of smoldering ash and pick up the pieces of bone resting within. Strange to think that such charred fragments are all that remains of one of the greatest warriors you have ever known, but such is ever the way of things.
Legs, arms, hip, backbone, ribs... skull. One by one you lift the pieces of bone from the pyre and transfer them to the carefully prepared urn held by Hanzo, placing them within with absolute care. The urn will be carried with you back to Scorpion lands, there to be buried or otherwise stowed in a manner deemed acceptable by Kimoko's nearest living relative, along with her swords and what few personal effects she brought with her to Shiro Matsu. Only then, many months from now, will you whole involvement in this ritual come to an end.
For now, though, the preparation of the urn is sufficient to mark the end of the ritual proper, and as Yogo Hanzo seals the lid in place with careful finality you turn and bow to the assembled dignitaries once again.
"My thanks for attending, Samurai-samas." You say politely, addressing them as a group rather than as individuals. "As I am sure you have heard, by order of Bayushi Kimoko-dono I am to take over her duties as ambassador to this court for the remainder of the winter. I look forwards to speaking with all of you in the days to come."
"Perhaps you can speak to us now, Soshi-san." Yoritomo Harike, the burly representative from the Mantis Clan, replies in a surprisingly blunt tone. "While I am sure we could dance around the topic for many days of court, I think all deserve some answers. How, precisely, did Bayushi Kimoko die?"
There is a rustling at that, as each of the ambassadors glance at their neighbour and then at the glowering form of Matsu Ketsui. The Lion daimyo seems to be debating her response... but after a moment's consideration turns and looks to you. Potentially somewhat improper for someone of her exalted status, to defer to a lowly ji-samurai on such a matter, but if she has not yet provided an explanation for the court then it seems fitting that the surviving members of the Scorpion Clan be allowed to do so in her place.
The real question is... how do you respond?
-/-
What reply will you give to Yoritomo Harike, and by extension all of the assembled samurai in Shiro Matsu? Yogo Hanzo has corroborated the story that Pale Oak relayed to you, but he will not repeat that here unless you order him to do so.
Please note - it is permissible to give one answer in public and provide another to the Matsu Daimyo in private if you so wish. Feel free to specify any such deception in your vote.
Well. This is not precisely what you might call a surprise - the court was always going to need some kind of explanation for your lord's death - but even so you are a little surprised at the Mantis for pushing for an explanation so quickly. Perhaps they truly are as brash as their reputation suggests? Still, a question has been asked and an answer must be provided. Fortunately, you have spent some time considering how best to do just that.
"Bayushi-sama died doing her duty, Yoritomo-san." You say, quite calmly, and if there is a hint of frost in your tone surely such a thing is excusable under the circumstances. "As the Mantis guard the sea from those who would strike at the Empire, so do the Scorpion guard the shadows against those who would hide from the Empire. For most this means a quiet end, unseen and unmourned by any save the few who know of our secret sacrifices. But not Bayushi-sama."
You look around at the gathered dignitaries, all of whom are currently hanging on your every word, but where once such a sight would have caused you to smile beneath your mask, now... now, there is nothing. Just the cold touch of the falling snow, and the iron weight of duty.
"Bayushi Kimoko-sama was assassinated in broad daylight, in the middle of Shiro Matsu. She fell with her sword in hand, having laid low several of her assailants... but still she fell." You say sharply, and there is a slight gathering of tension from many of the watching Lion. It would be easy for you to turn this into a criticism of them, for the safety of one's guests is a key part of a host's duties... but you have no such thoughts in mind. Instead, you will use this event to unify the Clans against their enemy, and in so doing deny that for any gain they might have otherwise obtained. "The enemy must have grown truly desperate to hatch so brazen a plot, and to reveal themselves so openly."
You gesture towards Otomo Kairyu, who is watching the proceedings with an expression carved from granite.
"It was easy to dismiss the attack on Otomo-sama as the act of a single treacherous heimin." You say calmly, keeping your tone even as you link the two events in the public eye. "But this? This speaks of numbers, of extensive funds and the wit to employ them. It was organized. Something moves among the shadows of Shiro Matsu, and it seems displeased by our efforts thus far. I can only wonder what plot it is that we might have foiled, to draw such ire."
Your intent had been to fall silent there, to leave the question unaddressed in the minds of your peers as a rhetorical point... but it appears that not everyone is content with such ambiguity.
"War." Matsu Ketsui says, her tone one of boundless fury held in check by discipline alone. "You disrupted plans for a war, Soshi-san."
"Matsu-sama?" You ask, and there is no need to mask your surprise. If she intends to say what you think she might...
"Your lord came to me before her death, Soshi-san. She spoke of a discovery that she had made - that the instructions given to Doji Mariko by her Clan Champion had been replaced by forged copies." The Daimyo says bluntly. "There was little proof to be had, and so I did not act. Now, though, the enemy has added their own testimony to that of their victim - an entire delegation, assaulted under my own roof, samurai and heimin alike cut down to hide all record of what they might have uncovered."
You... really, truly doubt that Bayushi Kimoko did anything of the sort. More likely it was Ikoma Genji, fulfilling his duty to keep his lord appraised of your covert discussions. Still, Kimoko is unable to correct the story and none are likely to doubt Ketsui anywhere they might be overheard, so the truth of the matter is irrelevant.
"You are... saying that someone interfered with my Clan's correspondence, in an attempt to push us into war, Matsu-sama?" Daidoji Chen says slowly, a strange light in his eye as he glances between the Daimyo and you.
"I am." Matsu Ketsui responds, no hesitation in her tone as she decides the shape of Rokugani politics for a year or more. "Such an act infuriates me. War is a matter of honour and glory, the crucible of heroes throughout history. That someone would seek to use war, to use the Matsu, as their tool of political advantage... it is an insult of unimaginable scope. One that will be answered in full."
"Ah?" Yasuki Mia raises one eyebrow. "Then Doji-san's death was..."
"Insults given under false pretenses are still insults, and I would never ask my samurai to stand silent when confronted with them." Ketsui replies bluntly. "That said... Doji-san paid for the insult with her life, and so too did her champion. I am content to leave the matter at that. There will be no war between Lion and Crane, not this year."
The reactions of the assembled dignitaries remind you of a rippling pond, disturbed by the impact of a thrown stone. There is an opportunity there, and without a moment's hesitation you seize it.
"As you say, Matsu-sama." You bow to the Daimyo politely. "I would like to thank you for the services of the Kitsu shugenja in restoring Yogo-san to full health."
Matsu Ketsui turns a baleful gaze upon you... and then returns the bow, dipping considerably lower than entirely necessary. "And I should like to thank you, Soshi-san, for the aid of your Clan in this matter. It is a debt that will be long remembered."
-/-
Soshi Naoto has been publicly thanked by a Family Daimyo for his aid in uncovering an enemy of her Clan. Moreover, said thanks was delivered in such a way as to imply something close to an outright alliance between her Clan and yours.
Naoto gains five points of glory (most of it has gone posthumously to Bayushi Kimoko), bringing him up to 4.3.
-/-
28th Day of the Boar
The next day, you prepare yourself for Court.
In the past you could stay in the shadows, staying on the balcony with the Go tables or accomplishing other tasks in and around Shiro Matsu, but that is no longer possible. Your are now your Clan's officially appointed representative, and as such you need to involve yourself in the actual business of the courtiers, at least for the first half of the day. You must see and be seen, protecting and promoting the interests of your Clan and your allies with words and guile.
To that end, you take extra care to dress appropriately - in a kimono of slightly higher quality than you otherwise might favour - and turn up at court slightly earlier than you otherwise might. One of the servants at the entrance takes your sword to be cleaned (an offer not universally extended to all of the guests, you note in passing), and then you are permitted entry to the main hall once again.
Looking around, you can see that there are already two distinct groups of guests assembled, locked in fierce (though polite) debate with one another. You will need to decide if you wish to join a conversation - and who to support - or whether you want to stay uncommitted for the moment by admiring the artwork or otherwise stalling.
Nearby, you can see Yasuki Mia and Yoritomo Harike, both accompanied by their respective Yojimbo, squaring off against Mirumoto Masaru. On the other side of the room Asako Tani is discussing something with Iuchi Moshan, the two of them occasionally taking the effort to invite comment from their respective bodyguards. Both conversations are being watched by a number of the local Lion samurai, few of whom seem to be participating, while everyone else is scattered around the room in ones and twos.
How do you proceed?
[ ] Join the conversation between Mia, Harike and Masaru
- [ ] And support the Mantis and Crab
- [ ] And support the Dragon
[ ] Join the conversation between Tani and Moshan
- [ ] And support the Phoenix
- [ ] And support the Unicorn
[ ] Find something else to do (write in)
You might notice that I'm asking who you will support in any given conversation before you know what the topic of discussion is or what both sides are advocating.
This is entirely deliberate. Such conversations in a Rokugani court are much more about who you support and how well than they are about the substance of your opinion, and only very rarely is what you say actually considered in any depth. Fortunately, they are also very rarely taken as a sign of genuine feeling, and will not make much in the way of enemies - more than one pair of Rokugani courtiers have maintained a furious rivalry in public while enjoying a heartfelt friendship or even romance in private.
That said there will also be moments when you are expected to give your personal opinion on something, untainted by Clan politics, and I will make a point of highlighting these moments when they occur.
After a quick look around - one which cannot be prolonged too far lest you give the impression of being indecisive and weak - you settle on approaching the ongoing discussion between Iuchi Moshan and Asako Tani. The Unicorn is accompanied by one of the Utaku twins who seems to be serving as his delegation's yojimbo, though you cannot tell at a glance which one she is, while the quietly intense form of Shiba Danjuro stands behind his charge in turn.
"I speak merely on my family's traditions, Asako-san." The Iuchi is saying politely as you approach, the patterns on his rich blue-and-purple kimono catching the eye as he gestures with the fan he holds in one hand. "If the Iuchi were not adaptable to changing circumstances we would have failed in our duty long ago. Surely no course which condemns a samurai to such an end could be righteous."
"I make no claims about your history and the choices you have faced, Iuchi-san." Asako Tani replies evenly, the very picture of composed confidence. "Even so, to go so far as to say that there is no great difference between one technique and another is self-evidently foolish."
"Fortunate, then, that I said no such thing." The Unicorn replies, though his eyes narrow faintly. "There are a great many differences between the techniques of my family and that of, say, the Isawa... but to say that one is better than the other is insulting to them both. Each is best suited to a particular task or approach, perhaps, but nothing more."
Hmm. That seems like the best opportunity you are going to have to intervene, though you would have preferred a topic that you could actually argue in while believing your own words. Still, such is life and duty in Rokugan, and you have no intention of allowing your own doubts to interfere with what you know must be done.
"I am afraid I must respectfully disagree, Iuchi-san." You say in a deferential tone, moving to join the small gathering in the middle of the hall. "Even if what you say is true, surely an approach that can be successfully applied to many scenarios is superior to one that can only be applied to a few?"
"Matters of the spirit are concerned with more than mere practicality, Soshi-san." The Unicorn replies, perhaps a tad sharper than is entirely appropriate. "Air might be found useful in more situations than Fire, but I would hardly claim it to be the superior element as a result."
"Ah, but then we are returning to the pursuit of enlightenment." Tani returns, shooting you a grateful look in acknowledgement of your assistance. "Shinsei teaches us that there were many paths that one could walk to the same destination... but also to be wary of false paths that might lead us astray."
"By extension, therefore," you continue, picking up the thread of the conversation with a practiced ease that leaves the Unicorn momentarily disorientated, "one can clearly see that not all paths are equal. As the studies of a Shugenja are the pursuit of enlightenment through elemental communion, then by the wisdom of Shinsei some means of study are superior to others."
"Are you calling my techniques a false path?" Iuchi Moshan demands in a slightly louder tone, one which draws glances from many places across the hall. Behind him the Utaku shifts her stance, one hand coming to rest near but not on the hilt of her sword.
"I would never dream of doing such a thing." You reply, adding just the right amount of emphasis to your words in order to highlight the self-doubt such a question implies. "I merely acknowledge that such things exist, and one must be wary of encountering them. And since it is the duty of the Phoenix to guide and watch over all magical pursuits within the Empire..."
"It is our testimony which stands supreme in matters such as this." Tani finishes off, smiling pleasantly. "Can you fault our logic, Iuchi-san?"
The Unicorn tries to do so, that much you can credit him with, but between your gift with words and Tani's near-encyclopedic grasp of magical theory and theology, he finds himself outmaneuvered and out-argued again and again. In the eyes of all the court, you and Tani are clearly in the right, and eventually even Moshan is forced to concede and retreat.
In the aftermath, you find yourself moving around the hall at Tani's side, conversing in more detail about some of the points and arguments raised and then dismissed in the previous debate. It is an interesting discussion to be sure, but you are not so foolish as to believe that the Phoenix has nothing greater in mind... and after a moment or two, your instincts are proven right.
"Well, Soshi-san, I dare say these count as more comfortable surroundings." Tani says conversationally. Your course has carried the two of you away from the rest of the immediate gathering, at least temporarily, and aside from the silent form of Shiba Danjuro walking along behind you none can easily overhear the nature of your conversation. "Perhaps now you might tell me what it is that was meant by the spirit's words? Touched by the storm, I believe she called you?"
