Podcast of the Five Rings (Podcast of the Five Rings, Nick Burdine, Zachariah Sierra, Logan Jensen, Heath Zwiefler)

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi meet important representatives of their respective clans before attending the first day of Winter Court. Will the samurai make a good first impression among the lords and ladies of Otosan Uchi?

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new exclusive content!

---SHOW NOTES---

The party woke up the next day in the Scorpion Embassy, still shaken by the horrific events of the previous night. Curious about what Yasushi’s final words may have been to Tsubasa, Buro and Kenshi asked to see the letter which Yasushi wrote to Tsubasa before his death. Tsubasa, understanding that the samurai wanted closure after their friend’s death, showed them the letter. It read: To Tsubasa, Duty above all. And it was signed One who understands, Otomo Yasushi.

Meanwhile, Tomo had an audience with Hida Riko, the representative of the Hida family living in Otosan Uchi. Tomo recounted his suspicions of Yasuki Taka, and warned Riko against using the wood from the Shinomen Forest.

Riko told Tomo that she had already heard of his confrontation with Taka, and that speaking out against him is a politically risky move. Taka is an extremely powerful man who provides a great deal of wealth and raw materials to the Crab Clan. She advised using better discretion when speaking to him or else he may gain a fearsome enemy, or worse yet, people will begin to see divisions within their clan and use it against them at court.

However, she admitted that she too has concerns about Taka. He increasingly seems to be acting of his own accord, independently from Crab leadership. More and more he seems to be pursuing his own interests without support from his clan. Riko advised investigating the Karada District Government Office, and speaking with the governess, Hiruma Miroke.

Miroke and Taka have recently become close working partners in the district government office.  If anyone were to have detailed knowledge of Taka’s business dealings within the capital and beyond, it would be Miroke.     

Moreover, Riko explained that Taka and Miroke’s close working relationship is doubly suspicious as the district government office has recently been closed, and attempts to request a formal audience with any representative of the office has been stifled. If anything strange is happening at the district government office or with Miroke, it seems possible that Taka would be involved.

Later, the party met with leadership from their respective clans and organized themselves within the Parade of Clans-- the formal start of Winter Court. The parade traveled through the Ekohikei, Otosan Uchi’s upper districts, until ending at an open field in the Forbidden City. Here, the Emperor sat on a riser above the field, his most trusted attendants at his sides, and the green and gold banners of the Hantei flapping proudly in the cold wind. One by one, every samurai attending this year’s winter court was announced and called before the Emperor, where they said a few words and offered a gift to the Son of Heaven.

Caught up in the stress of the moment, both Tomo and Buro tripped over their words, stumbled over the intricacies of custom, and failed to hold themselves with poise in front of the Emperor. Kenshi, on the other hand, had been preparing for this moment his entire life. Sanshin in hand, Kenshi played a song for the Emperor so beautiful that he caught the attention of every person in attendance. In this moment, Kenshi fulfilled his life’s ambition of playing for the Emperor.

The party sat for hours as more than 500 samurai were called before the Emperor to pay their respects. When it was finally over, tables and cushions were brought out to the field, and servants carried out a feast for the court attendants. The commencement banquet was now underway, and the field came alive as court attendants began to ingratiate themselves with the people they’ll be working with-- and against-- in the coming weeks.

As this happened, Tsubasa introduced the party to Bayushi Togai-- a high-ranking and esteemed general in the Scorpion army, and important figure in the clan’s leadership at court. Togai, Tsubasa explained, was his father.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Concentration" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Ishikari Lore" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Koromogo-e" by Kunai-sho Gakubu at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kunai-sho_Gakubu

"Ancient Winds" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

After a heartfelt goodbye, Kenshi, Buro, Tomo, and Akari parted ways in the Ekohikei, with Kenshi and Buro traveling toward the Unicorn embassy to speak with Ide Makujin, and Tomo and Akari heading toward the Scorpion embassy to take Yoshi’s armor.

Once in the Unicorn embassy, Kenshi and Buro demanded that they speak with the Emerald Champion immediately. After a confused greeting from the servants of the embassy, it wasn’t long until the two samurai were seated face to face with Makujin himself. Buro and Kenshi pleaded their case, presenting all the evidence they had in order to convince the Emerald champion of the Scorpion clan’s transgressions againt the empire, their threat to the stability of Otosan Uchi, and their scheme to hold Yoshi’s armor in their possession.

Makujin— who himself harbored suspiscions against the Scorpion clan after Kachiko’s proclamtion to guard Otosan Uchi— listened to their story with great anticipation. He admitted that their story was indeed compelling, but there was one flaw with it: why would Kachiko and the Scorpion clan go to such great lengths to secure Yoshi’s armor?  It was the one thing which Buro and Kenshi’s entire story hinged upon, and yet he did not understand the motivation.

Buro weighed his options carefully, and gave great consideration to the next words which would fall from his mouth. He told Makujin that the spirit of Togashi Yoshi still lives on in his armor; that after the events of Daylight Castle, the samurai conducted a ritual to pull the Martyr Monk’s spirit from Jigoku and place it within the Topaz Champion’s ceremonial plate mail. Buro did not, however, include the fact that as a result of this ritual, the armor is now tainted and that wards had been put in place to make that taint undetectable.

Makujin was astonished at this development. He had no idea that the spirit of the Martyr Monk had been residing in Otosan Uchi this entire time. As miraculous as it may be, he still was not certain that this would be enough to explain the treachery that the Scorpion clan now stands accused of. Choosing not to divulge any additional information, Buro and Kenshi convinced the Emerald Champion that having possession of Yoshi’s spirit would give the Scorpion a huge advantage in the political realm. The Martyr Monk is a spiritual figurehead who could be used to manipulate people into doing the Scorpion clan’s bidding, the samurai reasoned.

This was enough for Makujin. He admitted that to cross Bayushi Kachiko was to commit political suicide, but he was convinced that her deeds and the deeds of her clan must be brought to justice. He ordered Kenshi to take a small retinue of Emerald Magistrates to Shosuro Izuki’s hovel in order to investigate further, while he and Buro find Kachiko. 

Meanwhile, Tomo and Akari found Yoshi’s chamber abandoned. Akari’s prediction had proven correct. The two worked quickly to don Yoshi’s armor and steel away into the tunnels beneath the embassy. Knowing that the Scorpion would be hot on their heels, the samurai tried to put as much distance between them and the embassy as possible. As they traveled, the tunnels expanded into a labyrinthine network of natural caverns and excavated passages— a sprawling system beneath Otosan Uchi. Combining a Kaiu’s knowledge of engineering and a Crab’s knack for subterannean life, Tomo led the way through the tunnels, clad in Yoshi’s armor, and equipped only with his yumi, his daisho, and his wits.

Making a break for the exit, Tomo and Akari ran at full speed through these tunnels. In their haste, they failed to notice a tripwire lain across the cavern floor. Breaking it, they sounded an alarm, and what followed was the din of footsteps on stone, and steel against steel.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Clearwater Harbor by Podcast of the Five Rings

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Tomo's Dilemma by Podcast of the Five Rings

Cold Truths by Podcast of the Five Rings

Veiled Contempt by Podcast of the Five Rings

Conniving and Mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Togashi Yoshi, Soshi no Burezu, Kaiu Tomo, Hida Nagahide, Hiruma Yuto, and Kaiu Daisoto stood face to face against the centuries-old demon, Atsumari, the wicked maho-tsukai, Kitsu Sokori, and her retinue of undead warriors. Sprawling out beneath them from atop the ghostly castle tower were the fallen Hiruma, an army of unholy samurai, newly resurrected by Atsumari’s vile power.

Atsumari thanked Sokori for her help in acquiring this army, an arrangement made between an unspeakably powerful lord and his faithful servant. Sokori agreed to help undo the ritual which bound the souls of the Hiruma to Yume-do, bringing them back to the realm of mortals where Atsumari could enslave them and tether them to their decrepit remains, creating an army of zombies with unwavering loyalty. In exchange, Sokori would be awarded land and a position of power within Atsumari’s newly forged kingdom—the conquered empire of Rokugan.

Without wasting any time, Atsumari immediately slayed the sorceress, crushing her head like a grape in his massive claw-like hands. He then reanimated the decapitated corpse like a marionette pulling on the strings of his puppet. The 20-foot tall demon then turned his attention to the weak and wounded samurai, now the only thing standing between him and his plans for domination. 

The party fought for their lives against the oni and his corpse abomination, but it was soon clear that they were no match for this unholy duo of dark magic. Recalling the words of Hiruma Masami and reflecting on how she defeated the beast 400 years ago, Togashi Yoshi came to terms with what must be done. Summoning an invocation taught to him by the sacred monks of his order, Yoshi focused his mind, body, and soul into one final attack. His eyes shone with a brilliant light and his hands glowed with a magnificent green energy. Attempting to distract Atsumari, Kaiu Daisoto threw himself at the monster, becoming instantly disemboweled with one stroke of the beast’s claw. With the demon’s attention now turned on the eviscerated Crab, Yoshi struck at the nightmare creature in a fit of maniacal laughter, rending its soul and banishing the both of them to the realm of Jigoku—a land of eternal torment and misery. Yoshi paid the ultimate price, sacrificing himself in order save the lives of countless innocents and delaying a full-scale assault from the Shadowlands for perhaps another few centuries.

As the tower began to collapse around the remaining samurai, Kaiu Tomo swiftly investigated Kitsu Sokori’s body, revealing his uncle’s stolen map. Once outside, the samurai were greeted with the image of countless Crab souls exiting the mortal realm and moving on toward the afterlife. A final vision of Hiruma Masami graced their senses, as she said goodbye and thanked them for all they have done. As a token of their gratitude, the departing souls swept the vile taint from the lost valley, clearing a path to the River of Last Stand where the samurai could return to the Spear of Dawn Watchtower.

Atsumari was slain, Kitsu Sokori was brought to justice, the stolen map were recovered, and the souls of the Hiruma were finally allowed to rest, however, all was still not well. Haunted by messages from evil kansen, Soshi Buro convinced his companions that they should investigate the caverns beneath the castle. Following the subterranean streams which cut through the castle grounds, the party found a cavern where a pair of tainted creatures called The Sisters were conducting a ritual using a stone cauldron filled with a dark, oozing liquid. Upon killing The Sisters, the evil spirits haunting Buro became even louder, enticing him to look into the cauldron. “Join us,” they said, “uncover a secret to shatter an empire.” But following the advice of the Crab samurai and with some help from his friends, Buro resisted the temptation of these dark spirits. Tomo then destroyed the cauldron with a single shot from his sacred crossbow, immediately ending the dark voices plaguing Buro.

With the spirits of Daylight Castle resolved, the remaining samurai crossed the now at-peace Plain of Last Stand toward the river which would take them home. After drifting on the River of Last Stand for an unknown period of time, the samurai were eventually discovered by a Crab ranging party and promptly taken to Spear of Dawn Watchtower. There, they had an audience with Hida Hachiro where they relayed every detail of their grim story…

During a moment of respite at the Spear of Dawn Watchtower, after their meeting with Hida Hachiro, Kuni Akari found Soshi Burezu praying to the armor of Togashi Yoshi. “Come with me,” she said, “study with my family. We may have a way to bring your friend back...”

 In the weeks following, news spread throughout Rokugan of their mission. In some places, especially among the Crab lands, the survivors came to be known as folk heroes, and Togashi Yoshi’s selfless act will be remembered for generations, catapulting him to the status of religious martyr. In other places, however, many Rokugani do not believe the farcical story the survivors relayed, passing it off as a tall tale and nothing more. Some believing their story was exaggerated, others going so far as to claim the thing was made up entirely.

 For returning the ancestral wakizashi to the Hiruma, the reigning daimyo indebted his family to the lives of the survivors. He proclaimed that the Hiruma family will forever be the vigilant eyes watching over them, protecting them from the horrors of the night.

 Hida Hachiro was eternally grateful for the notes found in Daylight Castle chronicling its slow defeat to Shadowlands forces. He said these journals will prove invaluable in future sieges against the demonic forces. “My castle and all of its might are yours to command if you ever are in need.”

Buro’s journal detailing the place of shadows, including its lands, its monsters, and the effects of its foul taint was published and distributed throughout the empire. Among many circles, it became a must-read for anyone studying the lands beyond the wall. For undergoing an extremely dangerous mission into the heart of evil and bringing the sorceress Kitsu Sokori to justice, Buro was promoted to the rank of Captain among the Emerald Magistrates.

Tomo brought the blueprints of the Defender found at Daylight Castle to the engineers of the Kaiu School. The technology was thought to have been lost along with the castle, so the engineers were overjoyed to have the schematics returned to them. Tomo’s uncle, Yasuki Keiji, was proud of his nephew for returning the family map. As a gift for proving himself a worthy samurai, Keiji pulled some strings, to allow Tomo to become the new governor of Clear Water Village. “A worthy position for a worthy samurai.”

Hida Nagahide was promoted to the position of personal bodyguard to Hida Hachiro for her part in the mission. At her coronation ceremony, she presented Kaiu Tomo with the sacred naginata found on the Defender in Daylight Castle. “For exemplifying courage beyond measure, and inspiring a new generation of young samurai to continue the fight against the forces of evil.”

Finally, during the festivities celebrating Nagahide’s promotion and the successful completion of their mission, Soshi Buro was approached by Bayushi Tsubasa. Tsubasa was expecting Buro to follow up on his end of the deal by finding him a new position away from the Carpenter Wall. Buro named Tsubasa one of his personal retainers and invited him to join the magistrate in the castle of the Emerald Champion where Buro was already plotting his next assignment. Since returning from their mission, Togashi Yoshi had quickly become a symbol of selflessness and courage against the evils that threaten to consume Rokugan. Some came to see him as a hero of the empire, others a testament to the ascetic life of a monk, others still seeing him as a religious figure, a man sent by the kami to defend the righteous. Political factions across Rokugan were quickly mounting pressure to claim Yoshi’s armor which had come to be known as the spiritual embodiment of the Martyr Monk. Buro, seeing himself as the executor of the armor, knew he was going to need help sorting through the mountain of bureaucracy that lie before him, and in help determining where the armor should call its final resting place. “At your command, my lord,” Tsubasa said, a razor-edged smirk on his lips, “I may already have plans for the armor myself…”

--Thus concludes season 1 of Podcast of the Five Rings--

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The Fox clan sets Ikoma Kenshi on a covert mission. The spirit of Togashi Yoshi is reunited with his long lost lover. The samurai have an audience with the new Emerald champion.

Featuring our friend and fellow L5R podcaster Evan Strite (Crimson Gold  Agonies, Secondhand Strife) as Otomo Yasushi!

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new exclusive content!

---SHOW NOTES---

Previously on Podcast of the Five Rings… Ikoma Kenshi stood face to face with Fox clan champion, Kitsune Ryosei. She told him that in order for her to help him get his revenge against the Lion clan, he would have to prove his allegiance to her by spying on the Lion.

Ryosei informed Kenshi that in two days, on the night of the first day of Winter Court, the heads of the Lion clan were planning to convene and talk strategy. She explained that she wants someone on the inside to hear their plans—that someone would be Kenshi. In particular, Ryosei wanted to know if Matsu Tsuko, daimyo of the Matsu family, was planning to raid the Fox clan again. If so, when and where?

Meanwhile, Otomo Yasushi hatched a plan of his own. Wanting to follow up on information he overheard from the party, Yasushi procured a special kind of meditative incense favored by the Togashi monks. He lit this incense and began polishing the armor of Togashi Yoshi, all the while chanting prayers favored by the Dragon clan. Smelling the incense and hearing the prayers, Yoshi began speaking to Yasushi from his armor.

The two spoke openly with each other. Yoshi revealed to Yasushi what happened at Shiro Hiruma, and the circumstances that lead up to his spirit being bound to his armor. However, the Martyr Monk omitted the troubling Taint which now plagues his armor. Yasushi eagerly listened to everything Yoshi had to say while catering to his every whim, and arranging his armor in a handsome and thoughtful display.

Later, the rest of the party arrived back at the Otomo Guest House, where they found Yasushi had arranged a beautiful dinner and massages for the entire crew. Bayushi Tsubasa seemed uncomfortable at finding Yoshi’s armor on display in the Otomo Guest House.

Soon, a servant declared that a monk by the name of Togashi Kaiae had arrvied and was seeking an audience. Kaiae spoke evenly and diplomatically, though everyone could tell she seemed on edge about something. She mentioned a note which had been left for her that day informing her that she could speak with Togashi Yoshi. The party lead the monk into a private room to speak with Yoshi.

 She started by apologizing to him for the way she abruptly ended their relationship, then explained it was because she had been selected to become the personal aide to the Dragon clan champion, Togashi Yokuni. Next, she told Yoshi that the reason she was attending Winter Court was to formally reclaim Yoshi’s armor in the name of the Togashi Order. Her lord, Togashi Yokuni, believes their order would be the most well suited for properly caring for Yoshi’s armor, and that Yoshi’s counsel would greatly benefit their clan.

 Finally, she revealed to Yoshi that she knew his spirit had rejoined the mortal realm. She sensed it when his party reached Otosan Uchi. She also revealed that she sensed a dark, hideous anger emanating from Yoshi. She believes this was a result of the way she had hurt Yoshi in life. However, when Yoshi speaks, she quickly intuits that there is more to the story… something that Yoshi is not telling her. Worried that the dark power she senses from him may be a result of his time spent in Jigoku, she assures him that their master, Yokuni, would probably know of a way to cure his malady. She also pleads to him that he leaves Otosan Uchi at once, for he may be introducing threat that no one can foresee.

The next morning, a messenger came to the Otomo Guest House on behalf of the Emerald Champion. The new Emerald Champion, Ide Makujin, urgently requested an audience with the Heroes of Rokugan and their crew. In a short, direct message, he demanded that they meet him that night at the Unicorn embassy.

 Before meeting Makujin, Buro wrote a formal letter to the Scorpion Embassy, asking them what the official plans for court were. Buro also noticed that Kuni Akari had been uneasy and quiet since arriving in the capital, and asked her about her discomfort. Akari simply wrote a note saying that they should speak soon, but not in the Otomo Guest House.

Meanwhile, Tomo traveled to the Crab embassy and scheduled an audience with a representative of the Hida family for the next day, and Kenshi used his charm to score an invitation to play at the Lion Guest House the first night of court.

 Later that night, the party traveled to the Unicorn embassy for their audience with Ide Makujin. Makujin welcomed them sincerely into his chamber, admitting that he had been eagerly waiting to meet  them since he heard they would be attending the Emperor’s Winter Court. He graciously thanked them all for their service to the empire, and remarked that they had each individually proven their worth and their honor as samurai. He did seem slightly put-off by the presence of Yasushi, however, he decided that what he was about to say should probably be heard by him as well.

Makujin admitted that he was in need of the party’s help. He began by saying that Rokugan has thrived for over a thousand years because they were blessed by the wisdom of the Kami. That their way of life could only continue to flourish if each samurai did their duty by following their lord’s command, and by protecting the vassals who served beneath them. That a samurai’s life is servitude and could be measured by their adherence to the code of Bushido. 

Makujin’s face then turned dark. He confessed that he believes there are individuals within Rokugan who are working to upend their way of life and who have turned their backs on Bushido. Makujin fears there is a conspiracy against the Emerald Champion, and perhaps against Rokugan as a whole.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The merchant scoffed at Tsume. “Very well,” he said. “If you want a duel, you can face my bodyguard, Boa. If you defeat him, I will consider your debt repaid.”

But that wasn’t what Tsume had in mind. This wasn’t a test of honor. He didn’t want his fate decided by the kami. He wanted Naoki dead. “No,” Tsume said, “I’ll face you.” Naoki suddenly recognized the danger he was in, and turned to run, but Tsume was quicker. The rogue drew his sword and attacked Naoki. Trying desperately to defend himself, the merchant spotted a sword resting in the ashes of the waystation. He grabbed it and unsheathed it. It was an exquisite blade, carried in an ornately decorated scabbard. Naoki tried to fight, but Tsume easily outclassed him. 

Incapacitated, Naoki pleaded for his life. He promised that Tsume’s debt would be forgiven if he simply let him live. Tsume considered the groveling man. He was a poor, down-on-his luck merchant, trying his best to get by and atone for a life of crime. But he was also dangerous and unpredictable. Tsume decided he couldn’t allow this threat to go unchecked. He killed Naoki, and buried him with the rest of the corpses from the waystation.

Tsume took the wakizashi Naoki found in the ashes. “Spoils,” he told himself. Looking at it more closely, he recognized the mon of the Miya family on the finely crafted blade. What was it doing here in Twin Blessings Village?

Afterward, he told Kaizoku and Boa what happened. Boa was apprehensive at the news, feeling like he should have been there to defend Naoki. But after hearing more about the merchant’s past life, he realized how little he actually knew about Naoki, and decided that maybe it was for the best that he was dead.

The three ronin took Naoki’s cart of wares and headed to the bandit encampment, where the raiders quickly pilfered through the items like locust through a field of wheat. Ichiro thanked the ronin for their generous contribution to his cause, but he seemed sad about something. He told them about his meeting with his father, Setsuo. His father was ashamed of his decision to run away from the village and turn to a life of banditry, despite the holy rhetoric that Ichiro used to describe his beliefs. It seemed that the two had irreconcilable differences, and would not be speaking to each other anymore.

That night, Tsume was haunted by nightmares and unable to get any sleep. He had dreams of his family slipping away from him and turning to ash in his very hands. All the money he worked so hard to provide for them melted away into nothingness. It was as if all the hopes and dreams and motivations that kept him grounded were leaving him. He woke up feeling extremely unsettled.

The next morning, the ronin took off from the bandit camp in search of the missing child, Kai. They followed the tracks through the woods until they made a surprising discovery. The tracks seemed to link up with another pair of tracks of roughly equal size. Continuing deeper into the forest, the two sets of tracks lead to a strange hut atop a treeless hill. A woman greeted the ronin as they approached. “I am Aguri,” she said. “Welcome to my home.”

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The door of the shack slid open and Kenshi stood face to face with the man described at the sake house. A large, hairy man with an eyepatch over his left eye. Kenshi pretended to be a relative of one of the dead arsonists, Yuki, who was connected to the Otomo Guest House attack. Meanwhile, Buro hid behind the shack as backup.

The large man quickly ushered Kenshi inside his meager hovel and offered him tea. While the two talked, Kenshi noticed the large man slip something into his tea before handing it to him. Feeling that he was in danger, Kenshi gave the word, and Buro launched a boulder at the man, destroying his home, and starting a brawl.

The three drew their weapons and fought on the cold hillside outside of Otosan Uchi, the sun setting and winter drawing near. Kenshi interrogated the man and tried to goad him into giving away his secrets. The man drew his knife and fought back, cutting Kenshi deep on his left arm. Buro countered, swinging ferociously at the man, swords in both hands. The man seemed incensed at the sight of Buro, and turned his attention to him. As the three fought, Kenshi’s words stung the man, and his enmity toward Buro became too much to bear. The man unmasked, and said something that injured Buro more deeply than any knife could.

“You’re a disappointment to our clan,” the man said. With those few words, Buro’s world was turned upside down. The man he was fighting was an agent of his own clan. Within moments, the implications behind this man’s identity spread like wildfire. It meant The Scorpion agitated those dockworkers into attacking the Otomo Guest House. The Scorpion used it to get Yoshi’s armor into their embassy. And the Scorpion used the investigation to further their grasp on the capital. It was all planned. His suspicions which had been mounting over the last few weeks, finally erupted from him. He cursed The Scorpion, and denounced them for their wicked machinations.

This only seemed to anger the man further. He lunged at Buro with a terrible strike, thrusting his knife deep into Buro’s thigh, and leaving a grave wound. The man now seemed hellbent on ending Buro’s life.

The three desperately striked, parried, and dodged, each one knowing their life was at stake, until finally the man felt he was at his limit. Attempting an escape, he threw a metsubushi. With a bright flash and a bang, he tried to disorient Buro and Kenshi, and hide in the cloud of smoke now rising from the ground.

Seeing through his pathetic ruse, Buro summoned a stone tetsubo and struck the man down, incapacitating him. Kenshi then slew the man, finishing him off.

The two investigated the man’s body and found a notebook filled with observations. He was taking detailed notes on the patrons of the sake house, the commoners working the docks, the interactions they have, the gossip he picks up from them, and ways he may be able to influence or manipulate them. They then searched his home and found a trapdoor hidden beneath his bed, and a small vial of poison stashed away with his cooking materials. Searching his belongings, they also found a name: Shosuro Izuki.

Kenshi and Buro stood on the hill in the cold night, looking at the twinkling lights of Otosan Uchi, the sprawling giant on the bay. They were unsure of their next move, but of one thing they agreed-- after tonight, nothing will be the same.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"RRMX WOOD METAL GLASS EXPLODE" by skyklan47 at https://freesound.org/people/skyklan47/sounds/193478/

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Interloper" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari decided they needed to warn the great clans of what was coming.

Kenshi traveled to the Lion Embassy, and using his new powers as a Kitsune shapeshifter, transformed into a bird and flew to Akodo Toturi’s private chamber. Appearing in the windowsill, he came to him. At first, Toturi was shocked and afraid of Kenshi’s transformative powers, but once Kenshi explained the reason for his visit and the grave warning which came with it, Toturi understood. Kenshi explained that Shoju’s army was on the move, and that the Scorpion champion is likely equipped with one of the legendary Bloodswords. Despite the horror of this realization, both Kenshi and Toturi understood something deeper. This was the impetus Toturi needed to finally end the war. With this knowledge, the Lion and Crane could end their fighting and focus on a common enemy. Toturi made arrangements immediately to speak with the Emperor and the Crane champion, Doji Hoturi.

While Kenshi played music to soothe the nerves of the young champion, someone heard Kenshi’s familiar voice and came investigating. It was Matsu Tsuko. Toturi explained to her what was happening. She protested, explaining that this was clearly some ruse to move the Lion forces into a disadvantageous position, away from a defensible position. She believed it was a trap to weaken their position on the frontline against the Crane. Toturi, wanting to prove himself as a leader, silenced Tsuko.      She then turned to Kenshi. Tsuko was sick of seeing this imposter masquerade as a Lion. He murdered one of their own, he spied on them, he sympathizes with the Fox, and now he poisons the mind of her lord with lies. “Publicly renounce your loyalty to the Lion and reveal your ties with the Fox, or face me in a duel.” Kenshi accepted those terms and agreed to make a public statement in the morning. Toturi said nothing. Though he was grateful for Kenshi’s warning, he knew this needed to happen in order to have peace within his clan.

Meanwhile, Buro followed up on his invitation to meet Doji Shizue. Upon arriving at the Crane embassy, a servant told him that she was away on private business. As the servant bowed and turned to leave, a small scroll fell from his robes. It was an invitation to The House of Many Faces, an arts venue for Otosan Uchi’s lower classes. Taking the hint, Buro traveled to the Ekohikei and watched a show at The House of Many Faces. The performer, Kimiko, took the stage and told the story of a ronin who disobeys his family’s wishes in order to follow his heart. Afterward, Buro was invited to meet Kimiko in her private quarters behind the stage.

 After a couple of coy introductions, Kimiko revealed herself to be Doji Shizue in disguise. She had taken up an alter ego to perform at The House of Many Faces, enjoying the freedom to tell stories which would be frowned upon in Otosan Uchi’s high places.

  She explained to Buro that Rokugan was a stage, and every person had been given a role. For most, these roles are determined by the necessities of family and clan, but some are lucky enough to choose their own role. She asked Buro what role he wanted to play. Buro told Shizue that he wanted to redeem the Yogo, Soshi, and Shosuro for being wrapped up in the machinations of the Bayushi, and that he wanted to undo the damage which his former clan had done. As Buro spoke, Shizue seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the machinations and damage which he spoke of-- a deeper knowledge than even Buro had.

 “What about revenge?” Shizue asked Buro. She revealed to Buro that, if he should choose it, she could help him get revenge on the Bayushi family. The Crane said that she had information which would crippled the Bayushi name for generations. Intrigued, Buro spoke carefully, choosing not to accept anything, but also not to deny anything either. Shizue explained that a ronin would never be allowed inside of the Forbidden Palace, but if Buro appeared at Kachiko’s trial tomorrow evening, she would make sure he would have a seat inside, and that his voice would be heard. This promise also came with a grave warning, however: Shizue made it clear to Buro that this would be suicide.

 Shizue departed, leaving Buro with much to think about. Soon, the ronin noticed something: a small bag was left behind right where Shizue was seated. Inside the bag were numerous origami cranes.  Confused, Buro investigated. He found that, when exposed to heat, the cranes revealed secret messages written in transluscent ink between a “Hota” and a “Lady K”. They appeared to be love letters.

 It suddenly became apparent to Buro what he had in his possession. He was holding dozens of love letters between Bayushi Kachiko, wife of Scorpion Champion Bayushi Shoju, and Doji Hoturi, Champion of the Crane clan. Buro knew immediately that he had seen something he was never meant to see. He hurried back to Hollow Hill where he showed the letters to Ryosei, Yugoki, and Tsuruchi. Looking through the letters, they made another startling discovery. Kachiko was pregnant-- and the child belonged to Hoturi. They were speechless. 

 Slowly, the four of them began to pick apart the implications of what they had. They had proof of Kachiko’s infidelity to Shoju, and they now knew the heir to the Scorpion clan was actually a Doji. It was obvious how this would hurt the Scorpion clan immensely, but this could also do a lot of damage to the Crane’s reputation at court. They were left with a puzzle: why would Shizue show this to Buro? Why would she expose her own brother like this?

Elsewhere, Tomo and Akari went to speak with the Crab leadership at court. Outside of the Crab embassy, Tomo noticed a commotion brewing outside of an inn. It appeared that a group of Mantis samurai were entangled with some Lion. One Mantis by the name of Iashi was accusing the Lion of launching a sneak attack on a convoy of Mantis ships. Iashi claimed to have investigated the attack and found a paper trail of commands between Lion captains ordering the attack. The Mantis wanted revenge. Weapons were drawn by both sides, which is when Tomo and Akari decided to leave the scene.

The two samurai brought news of what the Scorpion were planning to Hiruma Kage, Hida Riko, and Kuni Fujiko. A quiet fury rose in the audience chamber at the great treachery which was unfolding around them. The Crab then discussed their next move. Tomo suggested reaching out to other clans, especially the Three-Headed Alliance, in order to find common allies to stand against the Scorpion. Fujiko seconded this idea, explaining that there may never be another opportunity like this for quite a long time. Riko did not approve of this plan. She explained that the Crab simply did not have the resources to send forces to the capital. Their primary concern will always be to defend the wall, and they cannot afford spreading themselves too thin. Kage agreed, adding that Hida Kisada, Crab champion, had plans to retake Shiro Hiruma while the Shadowlands hordes were weakened. Sending forces to Otosan Uchi might make the Hiruma family miss their one opportunity to retake their ancestral homeland. Tomo made a final appeal for unity with the other clans, but it fell on deaf ears as the Crab decided their best strategy would be to leave the city at once and regroup from a fortified position.

Discouraged, Tomo and Akari went to conftont the Merchant King, Yasuki Taka. They told him about their hunch that he somehow sold out the Hare clan to profit off their land, and that if he had any honor, he would be standing to defend the emperor against the Scorpion. Insulted, Taka reminded Tomo that he’s done more for their clan than Tomo ever will, and that he didn’t get to where he was by making bad investments.

At the end of the night, the four samurai reconvened at Hollow Hill to share what they’ve learned. As the samurai discussed strategy, an urgent message came to them: the Mantis had declared war on the Lion.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Fall of the Hare by Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo's Dilemma by Podcast of the Five Rings

Fight Dojo 1 by Brandon Spain

Coal Stone by Podcast of the Five Rings

Treehouse by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Royal Baths by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Return by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kaizoku stood in the dungeons speaking with his former crewmate, Zagra. He had a deal for him. If Kaizoku helped free him from the castle, Zagra would supply Kaizoku with Liquid Void. With just a few words, Kaizoku was immediately transported to another place. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Waves of euphoria washed over him. He had to have a taste. When Kaizoku asked him if he had any on him, Zagra declined but explained that he had connections up and down the coast, and for him, a supplier would not be hard to find. The offer was too enticing for Kaizoku to decline. He promised to spring Zagra when the time was right.

The next week, Masaru decided Kaizoku had finished his training and proved himself worthy of employment by the castle. Noting Kaizoku’s skill with a bow and independent nature, Masaru decided he would be a perfect fit for guard duty along the castle wall—especially shifts at night where Kaizoku would have less supervision than normal. The gears immediately began to turn in Kaizoku’s head.

That same week, Tsume decided to seek out the rightful owner of the cursed wakizashi, Miya Shinkako. He found her practicing calligraphy by lantern light in the castle’s garden-viewing room. The  garden, once verdant, was now dried and withered. Presumably due to the same blight which was affecting the whole countryside. Speaking with the woman, Tsume discovered that she was a poet of middling success and a guest of Reju Jikai’s. She seemed to spend all her time in the garden room writing poetry and drinking sake.

Tsume returned the sword to her. After hearing Tsume’s story of how he acquired the sword, she knew at once that it had been a gift from her uncle who mysteriously disappeared outside of Twin Blessings Village on the way to visit her. Shinkako simultaneously felt an immense feeling of sadness and relief after finally uncovering what happened to her beloved uncle. Feeling she could trust Tsume, she invited him to sit with her for a while. 

Knowing very little about the mysterious lord of Closed Shell Castle, Tsume had many questions about him. Shinkako told him that Jikai once was a poet as well. The two had found moderate success as poets in Otosan Uchi, and they had formed a kind of friendly rivalry. But deep down, she knew he was considered the superior poet and she was jealous. After the coup, Jikai had found employment in the Crane lands as a tutor for Daidoji Gombei’s son. One day, an accident involving a horse left Gombei’s son unable to use his right hand. Gombei held Jikai responsible for the accident and challenged him to a duel. Jikai’s wife, Seppun Azusa, was an extremely talented duelist and took the challenge in her husband’s stead. In the duel, Gombei deliberately disabled Azusa’s right hand as a stroke of irony. Dishonored and humiliated, Jikai was given the lordship of Closed Shell Castle—a hideous, poverty-stricken castle— as an insult. Since taking control of the castle, Jikai had become reclusive and his wife had become despondent, spending all of her time meditating in the castle shrine.

As Tsume was preparing to leave, Shinkako revealed the whole truth: she was responsible for the accident which crippled Gombei’s son. She was responsible for Jikai’s downfall. The horse was meant for Jikai himself, just to slow him down so she could steal some of his limelight as a poet. Guilt brought her to Closed Shell Castle. Now, she bides her time working up the nerve to admit responsibility to Jikai. Something she has not had the courage to do for many weeks.

Meanwhile, Boa spent some time in the castle tea room. Seated, he noticed a pair of unusual characters. The first was an opulently dressed man with an affable demeanor studying a Go board. The second was a strange man with piercing, hungry, yellowish eyes and silvery-gray hair and beard. His stare made Boa uncomfortable.

Boa approached the opulently dressed man, clad in shades of purple and pink. He introduced himself as Ide Toshio, the nephew of Ide Tadaji, daimyo of the Ide family of the Unicorn clan. He spoke openly and courteously with Boa, graciously accepting his challenge to a game of Go. Boa learned that he’s been sent as an envoy of the Ide family to welcome Reju Jikai as the new lord of Closed Shell Castle. Since then, he has been a guest of Jikai’s, staying as long as the lord will have him.

After a time, Boa noticed Dzudh—the wandering monk who meditates with Azusa in the shrine—walk into the tea room. Boa immediately struck up a conversation with him. He learned that Dzudh was helping Azusa find peace in the midst of her anger. She blames herself for the terrible fate which had befallen her and her husband. Boa asked about the thick, black incense which caked the shrine walls, and Dzudh admitted that they seemed counterproductive. Almost like they were meant to cloud Azusa’s mind and prevent her from finding peace. Dzudh observed that something strange was happening in Closed Shell Castle and its surrounding countryside. A spiritual discontent. 

At the mention of this, the man with the yellowish eyes crossed the room and sat with Boa and Dzudh. He was Mamoru Nakama. His family, he explained, had lived in the region for generations and supplied the ruling families of Closed Shell Castle with knowledge of the fields, forests, and waterways surrounding the castle. Something was off, he agreed. And he believed Ide Tadaji was a part of it.

Reju Jikai has been overhunting the forest and selling pelts to Tadaji. It seemed his true mission was to expand the Ide trade network into areas that had been devastated during the coup while also making friends with the new lords rebuilding their lands in the wake of the Scorpion war. It seemed as though Nakama had been watching Tadaji and taking notes. While they spoke, Boa couldn’t help but notice the odd, stiff way Nakama moved. It was as if he had been wounded under his arms. When asked about it, Nakama shrugged it off, saying it was merely old age. Further deepening the mystery, as Nakama appeared young, no older than his mid-20’s. Studying Nakama’s wounds, Boa made a startling revelation: his wounds matched the ones Kaizoku gave the wolf on the road to Closed Shell Castle.

Credits

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo ended their third day in the Shadowlands with a staredown between Yaskui Hidekawa and Hida Nagahide. Hidekawa insisted that their mission was a deathtrap and refused to move forward, prompting Nagahide to order Hidekawa to his death. In response, Hidekawa challenged Nagahide to a duel to the death, insisting that if he was to die that day, he wants to die an honorable death against a worthy opponent. After tense negotiations, and carefully weighing her options, Hida Nagahide eventually ordered Hidekawa to commit seppuku for his insolence and rejected his challenge to a duel. The next morning, the party burned his body in remembrance of the man he once was.

The next day, the party discovered the Hiruma Valley, completing their trek through the Twilight Mountains—the first time in nearly four centuries for Rokugani samurai to lay eyes upon the forgotten place.

While travelling toward Daylight Castle on Last Stand Plain, the party encountered an old man wandering the field. This man explained that he travels the world, studying battles and meeting new people, playing games with them from the collection of games he keeps in a large sack. He then offered a challenge to the party: if they could defeat him in a game of their choice, he would tell them a secret about Daylight Castle. But if he wins, someone from the party must give him their name.

Bravely accepting those terms, Kaiu Tomo challenged him to a one-on-one game of Rokugani Hold Em’. His skills were no match for The Stranger, however, and this mysterious man easily defeated him. In a last ditch effort, to trick the The Stranger, Tomo wrote a fake name on the old man’s ledger—the name of the recently departed Yasuki Hidekawa. Recognizing the ruse, the old man called Tomo out for his deception. Tomo quickly responded by drawing a weapon on the man attempting to attack him.

His attack missed and angered The Stranger. He then assumed his true form—an oni with the body of a spider, human-like appendages, and covered in pale flesh with a long serpentine neck and rows of sharp, obsidian teeth contained within the snout of a dog.

In the ensuing battle, most of the party avoided serious injury, deflecting the ferocious blows of the oni’s snapping maw. All except for Hiruma Takana, who had his left arm completely bitten off by the demon, and now has a black, festering wound on his shoulder where the oni attacked him.

After slaying The Stranger, the party tended to Takana’s wounds and attempted to clean their weapons of the oni’s vile blood, which left some of their equipment permanently damaged. Desperately trying to regroup themselves after the devastating battle with the oni, and as Takana fades in and out of consciousness, the party decided to make camp on Last Stand Plain. 

That night, in their dreams, the party was brought to a simple, yet immaculate temple where they were greeted by an unknown woman wearing the colors and mon of an unfamiliar clan. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she says…

Character & Locations Glossary

Champion- A stand-in for another person in a duel. Considered and honorable position.

Duel- A highly revered part of Rokugani samurai culture. Considered not just a martial contest, but a spiritual one as well. To deny a duel is seen as a shameful act.

Invocation- Prayers to powerful spirits in exchange for earthly gifts. Techniques which allow one to communicate with the kami and ask for their assistance.

Kiho- Spiritual techniques for aligning one’s inner power—ki—to the wider cosmos. Techniques for tapping into the limitless power of the natural world.

Obsidian- Black stone considered to have malicious power. Often used by Maho-Tsukai or Oni for dark rituals.

Plain of the Last Stand- The field surrounding Daylight Castle. The site of a massive battle where Shadowlands forces defeated the Crab and took the castle.

Sake- Rice wine.

Seppuku- Ritualistic suicide. Considered an honorable death for samurai who have shamed themselves.

Shuji- Social techniques which allow the user to communicate clearly, avoid social pitfalls, motivate their allies, and manipulate their rivals.

The Stranger- Mysterious wanderer who the party encounters in Hiruma Valley.

Credits

Art:

Album Art by Dylan Munoz

Music:

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Shadowlands Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Seppuku" by Brandon Spain

"Bardic Inspiration" by Brandon Spain

"Ethereal Presence" by Brandon Spain

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Bali Cremation Ceremony" by RTB45 @ https://freesound.org/people/RTB45/sounds/149186/ -https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound Effects:

"keys rattling" by hdrck16 @ https://freesound.org/people/hdrck16/sounds/135004/ - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Chaos erupted in the Emperor’s audience chamber. No one in attendance could believe the news they had just heard. Bayushi Kachiko and Doji Hoturi had been having a secret love affair— and she was pregnant with his child. 

Hantei 38th had heard all he could stomach. The order which he and his forebears had carefully crafted in this city of peace had slowly descended into pandemonium. The Forbidden Palace, the epicenter of prosperity within the Empire, had been made a mockery of. His heavenly rule reduced to a joke. And Kachiko, the Imperial Advisor, one of his closest friends: a traitor. 

The Son of Heaven could no longer deny what was happening. The evidence was overwhelming and Kachiko’s reputation was destroyed, as well as the reputation of her staunchest defender. The Scorpion were planning a coup, and Kachiko was orchestrating it. But how deep did the treachery go? Was Hoturi in on the scheme? Was the Lion-Crane war just another smokescreen by the Scorpion? The emperor’s head began to pound as he thought of all the possibilities, his body sweating profusely as the weight of duty took its toll on his body.

For their treachery, their infidelity, their abandonment of Bushido, the shame they’ve brought to their families, and the embarrassment they’ve brought to the imperial court, Kachiko and Hoturi were ordered to commit seppuku. Kachiko, normally so eloquent and clever, was speechless. Wanting redemption, Buro appealed to the emperor, asking his permission to deliver Kachiko’s final blow when she conducted her ritual. An unorthodox request, but Hantei granted him permission.

As Kachiko’s trial came to a close, the imperial court had to avert their focus onto an even bigger issue. Shoju was camped outside Otosan Uchi with an army and had sent an open invitation to the emperor and his court to parlay outside the city walls. The court deliberated on who to send and how to handle the situation. Representatives from the great clans as well as members of the imperial families volunteered to meet with Shoju alongside the emperor. As preparations were being made, a messenger from the Wasp clan delivered Tomo a small dose of poison. “A gift from Tsuruchi,” he called it. Tomo applied the poison to three arrows, wondering if he’d need to use them.

The emperor’s envoy traveled through the scared and confused streets of Otosan Uchi, passed beneath its crumbling exterior walls, and out onto the plain where Shoju and his advisors were waiting. The situation weighed heavily on Hantei 38th. His skin had become milk-white and clammy, and his robes were soaked through with sweat. Hantei, 38th of his name, the Son of Heaven, emperor of Rokugan—brought low by one of his own loyal subjects. How could he have been so naive? The situation was dire, and he knew it.

As the sun was setting over the bay and a cold winter wind blew through the air, the emperor’s envoy sat face to face with The Lord of Whispers and his retinue. “What is the meaning of this? What are you doing here?” The emperor asked.

“I’m here to kill you, take your city, claim your throne, and take your court hostage,” Shoju said.

He explained that he’d been having horrible nightmares, strange visions which he could not explain. He decided to investigate the caves beneath Kyuden Bayushi, believing this was the source of his dreams. There, he found something. Shoju then produced a scroll. “This is the last prophecy of Uikku,” he said.

Uikku was a revered prophet from the first century. His writings are considered sacred by the religious leaders of Rokugan. Shoju explained that the scroll he had found foretold the Hantei line bringing about the end of Rokugan. At first, Shoju could not believe what he had discovered. How could it be possible?

After deep meditation, the answers dawned on him. The imperial family keeps Rokugan weak, afraid, and ignorant of the outside world. Their order keeps the empire embroiled in endless petty squabbles between the clans while vast empires grow beyond their borders. Rokugan will be consumed by its own pride and traditions if it cannot adapt and be allowed to grow. The empire will forever be stuck looking to a detached, feeble old man who can’t even keep order in his own court.

Shoju knew he couldn’t just share this revelation with the great clans of Rokugan. He would be ostracized for his heresy and no one would take him seriously. It was on him and his clan alone to do what was needed. He also knew that simply killing the emperor would not be good enough. All that would do would create a power vacuum. He needed to end the Hantei line, appoint himself emperor, and convince the clans of Rokugan to accept his wisdom.

Shoju explained that the throne means nothing. The title means nothing. What matters is the faith people put into them. He implored the leaders of the clans to put their faith in him now. He promised to start a new age for Rokugan. An age of unity and expansion. No longer fated to be the hermit kingdom,  Rokugan will grow beyond its borders and claim wealth and power beyond their comprehension. 

“And if I can’t unite you under my banner,” he said, “I can at least unite you against my banner.” The Lord of Whispers admitted that if they were to unite, they could defeat him, but at what cost? As winter approaches, countless lives will be lost to the elements alone. While they are forced to make their encampments in the snow, he will be shoring up his provisions in the city. Accept his rule now, and they will be spared the needless suffering. “Even if I am defeated, I will at least unite the clans of Rokugan against a common enemy, and that’s more than our useless emperor could ever do,” he added. “Surrender Kachiko, the city, and accept me as your ruler, and you will prevent needless bloodshed,” Shoju commanded.

“We will not stand for your treachery,” Akodo Toturi said, “Rokugan will never accept you as our ruler. We will defend the emperor until the bitter end.”

“That’s because you’re too blind to see that he’s already dead,” Shoju retorted.

At that moment all eyes turned to the emperor. His skin had turned white and his robes had become drenched in sweat as he shivered and choked on the words in his throat. Delirious, the emperor slouched over in his camp chair and fell to the ground. Hantei, 38th of his name, the Son of Heaven, emperor of Rokugan—dead before he even left his palace.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Sake House" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Gives You Anxiety" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kachiko's Waltz" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"After the Court" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Veiled Contempt" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Royal Baths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Buro sat at breakfast with Miya Okirido, Imperial Page Counter. He was an elderly samurai, who would speak long-windily about the most innocuous subjects. His slow demeanor and roundabout way of conversing incensed Buro, who felt there must be some purpose for their meeting. Frustrated, Buro pushed Okirido about Agasha Sumiko, and what he knew about the death of Doji Satsume. Okirido did not appreciate Buro’s hasty approach and did not wish to get involved with an investigation, so he left their meeting, offended and disrespected. Buro was not sure what Kachiko’s purpose for the meeting was, but could not help feeling like he somehow missed an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Kenshi and Tomo met with Tsubasa, noting his absence from the party over the last few days. Tsubasa said that he had been investigating the arson which took place at the Otomo Guest House, and the death of Otomo Yasushi. He mentioned that he was coming to an end of his investigation when Kenshi and Tomo asked if they could aid him in his mission. Tsubasa accepted, so the three samurai went to the docks in the Outer City to follow up on the last remaining lead.

There, they learned the names of the people responsible for the arson, that they had been dockworkers responsible for loading and unloading cargo on ships, and that they had recently come into conflict with an Otomo samurai who had roughed them up while investigating their business. Knowing that he now had the names of the criminals and a motive for their crime, Tsubasa declared the matter settled, but Tomo and Kenshi felt there was more to the story.

While investigating the dockworkers, Kenshi and Tomo learned of a popular sake house that the criminals would frequent. Going undercover as a distressed family member, Kenshi learned that one of the dockworkers involved in the arson had been acting strange ever since he began talking with another one of the regulars at the sake house. He didn’t know his name, but said he was a large, burly man, with an eyepatch over his left eye, and that he lived in a shack on a hill just outside of the city. Unsure of whether or not they could trust Tsubasa, Kenshi and Tomo withheld this information from the Scorpion, and decided they should look into it another time. 

Later, Kenshi, Tomo, and Buro reconvened and shared their stories discreetly, away from the eyes and ears of the Scorpion Embassy. The three decided they would investigate the strange man from the sake house immediately. As they were preparing to go, they got word that Kachiko was holding an important meeting, and that everyone at court was invited. Tomo attended the meeting along with a couple Emerald Magistrates, while Buro and Kenshi went to investigate the strange man.

At her meeting, Kachiko declared that the mystery surrounding the Otomo arson had been solved. She announced the names of the criminals-- the three arsonists and the murderer who killed Otomo Yasushi-- and explained that they had motivated by revenge against the Otomo family. Kachiko said that the samurai of the court should use this as a warning to be careful around the servants and lower classes of Otosan Uchi. She then announced that until more city guards can be mustered, she will sacrifice a portion of her clan samurai to bolster their ranks and protect the city.

As this happened, Buro and Kenshi went to investigate the strange man’s shack. Buro slunk around behind the shack while Kenshi pretended to be a family member of one of the deceased criminals. 

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ekohikei Afternoon" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Loss" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Silk Kimono" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kachiko's Waltz" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Treehouse" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi had just departed Bright Spring Fort when Akari came galloping up the road behind them. “Hurry”, she said, “we have to go!” A couple miles down the road, the party spotted six figures on horses charging toward them.

They turned to run from their pursuers, but soon realized that escape was futile while carrying the additional weight of all their equipment. The party decided to face their opponents head on—no tricks, no gimmicks.

Kuni Chiyagi raced forward to meet them, along with five other samurai from his fort. The two parties dismounted and confronted each other. Chiyagi explained that he had no qualms with Buro, Tomo, or Kenshi—he said they were free to leave his fort and he meant it—but he would not go home without Akari.

Akari defied her father, telling him that she wants to be a free woman, capable of choosing her own life, and deciding her own fate. Chiyagi would not back down though, telling his daughter that everything he does, he does to protect her and their family. He could not allow her to run off with a man who would betray her.

Standing up for the honor of Akari, and realizing that there was no other way to settle this dispute, Buro challenged Chiyagi to an iaijutsu duel— katanas to first blood. Chiyagi accepted his challenge. The two would let the kami—and their blades—decide Akari’s fate.

The duel began with the two competitors staring each other down, focusing their minds, and anticipating when and where their foe would strike. Buro suddenly broke the silence, rushing like the wind toward his enemy, drawing his sword and feinting left, while landing a strike to Chiyagi’s right side. The aging shugneja was caught off guard by Buro’s swift movements, but parried the attack. Moving like the katana was an extension of his very soul, Chiyagi countered with an overhead strike to Buro’s shoulder. Buro parried the attack, and in that instant was overcome with a wave of emotion. His temper rising, the young Scorpion suddenly remembered his own father: the way he constantly undermines Buro’s wishes, the way he refuses to acknowledge Buro’s achievements, the way he tries to control Buro’s life. His face hot and his head filled with rage, Buro counter-attacked. He struck low, outpacing the Crab, and cutting deep into his ankle. A hot streak of bright red blood fell across the grey wasteland. Buro had won.

Chiyagi was hurriedly taken back to Bright Spring Fort by the samurai of his retinue. The battle had ended, but the war was just beginning…

Bright Spring Fort was now behind them, and the road to Otosan Uchi now lay ahead, however, a crucial decision was to be made: which route should they take? With winter coming, a war on the horizon, and enemies slowly growing around them, no path was safe. The party decided to travel north toward Beiden Pass and The Spine of the World, hoping the lands of the Scorpion and Lion would protect them on their journey.

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Battle Storm" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Interloper" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"Kuni Waste Jam" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark truths are uncovered by the samurai as they travel through the Scorpion lands on their way to Otosan Uchi. Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the after-show and a bunch of other cool new content!

---SHOW NOTES---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari continued north on their journey to Otosan Uchi. The party noticed that Yoshi had been very sullen lately. Talking to him, he seemed to be unhappy that he is trapped in his armor in some kind of strange purgatory. One night, while camping on the side of the road, Buro decided to wear Yoshi’s armor and go for a walk in order to lift Yoshi’s spirits and keep him company.

While walking with Yoshi, Buro felt a strange warmth emanating from his mask. After investigating his mask more thoroughly, Buro discovered something troubling. The heat from his mask was coming from the jade he had imbued it with while in Clear Water Village. The jade grew hot, almost burning his hands the closer it came to Yoshi’s armor. This could mean one thing… Yoshi’s armor was tainted. 

Speaking with Akari, the two samurai concluded that something must have gone wrong during the ritual to bind Yoshi’s spirit. Perhaps Akari’s father, Chiyagi, bound more than one spirit to the armor. Perhaps another foul spirit of Jigoku resided in the armor with Yoshi. Maybe this could have something to do with Yoshi’s melancholy. Regardless of what exactly the problem was, the two soon realized that it was extremely dangerous to bring Yoshi’s tainted armor to the emperor. Something must be done, so Buro and Akari broke the news to Tomo and Kenshi. No one having a clear idea of what to do, the party decided to bide their time.

After a few days of traveling, the party soon found themselves passing into Scorpion territory, and before long, they were walking the streets of Ginasutra, a bustling city known for its many shrines and temples. Here, the samurai had an idea to meet with a priest in order to learn more about the curse afflicting Yoshi’s armor, and potentially gain insight into how they could fix it.

Standing at the steps of the Temple of Shosuro, a familiar voice called out to them. Turning around to the dark streets behind them, the samurai were shocked to see the face of Bayushi Tsubasa staring back at them. Tomo demanded an explanation from him about his disappearance from Bright Spring Fort and the missing boy-courier, Tadashi, and about the fate of Kuni Chiyagi’s letters which he was sent to steal. Tsubasa recounted the night, explaining that he had intercepted the boy and tried to take the letters from him, but the boy was brave and quick. Tsubasa revealed his hand to the party, showing them where the boy’s knife cut into his palm. Nonetheless, Tsubasa overpowered the boy, took the letters, and destroyed them, leaving only minor wounds on the boy which would certainly heal in time.

Relieved by this news, the party decided to move forward with their plan. Buro donned Yoshi’s armor and cloaked himself in a large robe and cowl, masking Yoshi’s armor underneath. Together, Buro, Kenshi, and Tsubasa ascended the stone steps to Shosuro’s temple. Inside, a priest offered the blessing of Shosuro to the three samurai which they sheepishly accepted. Tsubasa recognized this priest, and began speaking with him as if he were an old friend. Finally, Tsubasa asked this priest if they could have a private room for their blessing, which the priest obliged.

Once inside their private room, the priest began giving his blessing to each samurai in turn. Tsubasa and Kenshi received the priest’s prayers without problem, but when it came to Buro and Yoshi’s turn, something horrible unfolded. The jade beads wrapped around the priest’s hand began to burn, searing the flesh of the holy man. He began to scream in agony as the beads grew hotter and hotter. Suddenly, as if by instinct, Tsubasa stood up, drew his katana, and decapitated the priest with a single blow. The Scorpion then immediately drew a knife from his robes and placed it in the hands of the dead priest. “Help! This priest tried to attack us!” he screamed, then turned quickly to Kenshi and Buro and whispered, “we need to get out of here.”

Credits

Art:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dreamlike" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Sepuku" by Brandon Spain

"Kenshi's Lament" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Dark Reckoning" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Well Wishes" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Return" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Yoshi's Lament" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Conniving & Mysterious" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"male_Thijs_loud_scream" by thanvannispen by Attribution 3.0 License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Buro and Akari recounted the vision they had just had in the ruins of Shiro Usagi to Kenshi, Buro, and their samurai retinue from Kuda Mura. While discussing what it may have meant and what should be done about it, a terrible sound broke out across the logging encampment—the sound of snapping wood, grinding stones, and human cries. Rushing to meet this threat, the party was hit with the sight of numerous forest kami attacking the loggers’ camp. Pandemonium spread as the woodcutters and their samurai protectors put up a meager resistance to defend the camp.

Deciding that time was short, Buro and Akari chose to investigate the castle grounds, searching it for answers to their questions about the Hare Clan and their awful fate. At the same time, Tomo and Kenshi leapt into action, trying their best to lead the woodcutters to safety and draw the rampaging spirits away from them. It was a noble, but utterly futile effort.

Soon, the camp was completely overrun as men and women ran for their lives, fleeing across the river to the south and up the dark road to the north. As a last ditch effort, Tomo ordered the samurai of Kuda Mura to rescue the sick and injured workers of the infirmary and lead them to safety. 

Meanwhile, Buro and Akari reached out to the spirits of the castle once more. A voice lead them through the ruined keep and up to its highest floor, where Buro uncovered an empty sword stand hid behind a loose stone in the wall. It was the same stand that he saw in his vision with the Hare Clan. The stand was made in a simple, yet elegant design with red gemstones cut in the shape of teardrops embedded in its sides. Believing the stand had something to do with the marauding spirits, Buro cut his palm and spilled his blood over its wood. Nothing happened. In his stressed and fearful state, Buro smashed the stand out of pure frustration.

As the forest spirits turned their attention toward Kenshi and Tomo, the two samurai fled to the burned remains of Shiro Usagi and its accompanying town, where they found the spirits refused to enter. While fleeing from a pursuing spirit, Kenshi suffered a staggering blow, knocking him from his horse and forcing him to the ground. With the help of Tomo, the two found shelter in the burnt remains of Shiro Usagi.

Buro and Akari picked up the remains of the sword stand and exited the castle, just as the angry kami began to retreat back to the darkness of Shinomen Forest. In their wake laid an utterly devastated encampment. Mangled corpses littered the clearing, shining in the moonlight with fresh, dark blood. Tents were struck and laid in heaps, many burning from wayward torches. Ships were destroyed, the wood of their hulls and masts lapping up on the river shore. 

The party turned their backs to the massacre before them, and headed north toward Otosan Uchi where the emperor sits waiting for them.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Black Waste Theme by Brandon Spain

Seppuku by Brandon Spain

Background Harp by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sake House  by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kuni Waste Jam by Podcast of the Five Rings

Battlestorm by Podcast of the Five Rings

In the Dojo by Brandon Spain

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi pursue leads and loose ends all over Otosan Uchi with the help of their new friend and guide Otomo Yasushi as they wait for the winter court to officially begin.

Featuring our friend and fellow L5R podcaster Evan Strite (Crimson Gold Agonies, Secondhand Strife) as Otomo Yasushi!

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new exclusive content!

--- SHOW NOTES ---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa set out into Otosan Uchi with their guide, Otomo Yasushi. They started their day in the Chisei district, shopping for  the proper clothes for court.

While there, they found a lone monk sitting on a hill, answering questions and offering advice to the people of the Ekohikei. Yasushi explained to them that this monk was a member of the Togashi order named Kaiae, and had recently taken residence on this hill, offering sage counsel to the people of Otosan Uchi. Togashi Kaiae was a name Tomo and Buro recognized. In life, Yoshi had mentioned this woman many times. Before becoming Topaz Champion and taking his assignment as an Emerald Magistrate, Yoshi and Kaiae had been lovers. Apparently, the two did not end their relationship on the best of terms—an incident which Yoshi had never elaborated on...

Kenshi suggested bringing Yoshi’s armor to Kaiae to have them speak to each other one last time, but decided it was a bad idea to reveal the armor publicly. Overhearing this, Yasushi asked how exactly Yoshi would speak to Kaiae. To his knowledge, Yoshi had died in the Shadowlands. It was then the heroes realized that they had never told Yasushi that Yoshi’s spirit was occupying the armor, or of the dark secret which came with it. Thinking quickly, the party scrambled to come up with a cover story, but Yasushi’s curiosity had already been piqued, and he saw through their excuses.

The party concocted a plan to lure Togashi Kaiae from her hill. Kenshi began playing a song on his sanshin while Tomo distracted the crowd with feats of athleticism. Meanwhile, Buro climbed the hill to Kaiae and slipped her a note, telling her to meet them at the Otomo Guest House at night if she wanted to speak with Togashi Yoshi.

Later, the party made their way to the Karada District, the Ekohikei’s district for commerce and economics. Here, the party decided to split. Tomo, Buro, Akari, Tsubasa, and Yasushi decided to go looking for Yasuki Taka, daimyo of the Yasuki family, in order to confront him about his operations in the Shinomen Forest and the Yasuki Lumber Company. Meanwhile, Kenshi decided he would go on his own to find a representative of the Fox clan and inquire about his past. 
 

While traveling through the Chisei and Karada districts, Buro was using his skills for information gathering to collect gossip from people. A few rumors piqued his interest. For one, it seems the district government office of the Karada district has been mysteriously closed for a while. Every time someone tries to enter it or seek audience with someone who works there, another excuse was given as to why it had been shut. Secondly, he learned that Yasuki Taka had quite a reputation for himself. It seemed as though everyone owes him something, and no one wanted to speak to him directly. The whole city appears to be afraid of him (including their guide, Yasushi, who was excused from the party before meeting with Taka). Finally, while traveling, Buro couldn’t help but notice a cat that seemed to be following them everywhere they went. It was an orange cat with brown stripes. Buro couldn’t help but notice that the cat was conspicuously absent when the party entered the Crab embassy while looking for Yasuki Taka.

Kenshi went to the embassy of minor clans and found Kitsune Ryosei, champion of the Fox clan, in an office dedicated to the Fox. She seemed heavily invested in a book when Kenshi entered, quickly closing it and throwing it to her side when the bard addressed himself. Kenshi brusquely took off his necklace and slammed it in front of Ryosei, demanding answers about what it was and where he was from. Ryosei seemed curious, and told Kenshi to meet her tonight at a secluded place in the Toshisoto, but to say nothing else in the mean time.

On his way out of the embassy of minor clans, Kenshi decided to visit the Mantis office, in order to create a cover that he was merely collecting information to write songs for court. While there, he learned that merely a week ago, a Mantis envoy had been attacked by Lion raiders. The captain of one of the attacked ships was a Mantis sailor named Yasunori, who died in the attack. The attendant Kenshi was speaking to believed that a song about brave Yasunori could raise the spirits of the Mantis samurai at court. He warned him though, a song praising the departed Mantis captain could raise the ire of the Lion clan. Before leaving, Kenshi learned that Yasunori was the brother of Hasagawa, lead Mantis ambassador living in Otosan Uchi. Apparently, Hasagawa seems hellbent on revenge against the Lion for the sneak attack which killed his brother. 

Meanwhile, Tomo and crew tracked Yasuki Taka to The Trading Grounds, a massive open air bazaar where it seemed all the goods of the world could be found. Approaching Taka, the party was taken aback by the shear number of samurai Taka had at his disposal. A virtual army seemed to be protecting him at all times. Many of the samurai proudly wore the Carp mon of the Yasuki family, while just as many others appeared to merely be ronin hired by the Merchant King. Tomo came in hot with Yasuki Daimyo. He warned him that Taka was making a mistake by harvesting the wood of the Shinomen Forest. That his operations were angering the spirits of the forest, causing great damage throughout the region, and forcing many to lose their lives. Tomo also warned him that the wood itself was faulty, and potentially tainted, after relaying the story to Taka about how his yumi refused to fire while defending himself in Maemikake.

Taka fired back, assuring Tomo that the issue with forest spirits was under control—a mere nuisance, and nothing more. Taka then pointed out how fabulously wealthy his operations were making Tomo and his family, and that Tomo should make a trip back to Clear Water Village to see how much his town had grown in such a short amount of time. Taka ended by declaring his actions benefited the Crab clan as a whole, reminding Tomo that he was the main supplier of timber for their clan. That this wood allows the Crab to build their fortifications, construct their siege engines, and supply their armies.

Refusing to hear it, Tomo promised Taka that this issue would be brought up in court, and then stormed off.

That night, Kenshi met Kitsune Ryosei at the agreed upon location in the outer city. It was a quiet, heavily wooded section of a large park in the Hayasu district. Kenshi enlisted the aid of Bayushi Tsubasa before arriving. He wanted the Scorpion to tail him, and watch his back in case the meeting went south.

Kenshi revealed all that he knew about his heritage to Ryosei, who listened with great interest. His story lined up perfectly with what she knew about the last time the Lion had decided to attack her clan. Kenshi then explained that above all, what he wants is revenge against the Lion clan for destroying his home and his family. Ryosei told him that in order for them to work together, Kenshi would have to prove his allegiance to her. She told him that he would have to spy on the Lion clan.

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ohayashi" by PeriTune | http://peritune.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Koto and Shamisen Loop" by zagi2 at freesound.org https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

"Crab Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ishikari Lore" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Ueno Shamisen - Japan" by RTB45 at freesound.org https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Our samurai have their audience with the Scorpion champion Lord Bayushi Shoju. Yoshi's armor gets another serious spiritual treatment. Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other cool new content!                

---SHOW NOTES---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa sat before the Scorpion champion himself, Bayushi Shoju. He greeted the samurai with hospitality, and told them that Tsubasa requested his help on a grave issue. Tomo explained their predicament to Shoju and asked for his assistance. Shoju admitted that the Taint is a serious problem in Rokugan, and that there is no known cure for it. The best they can do is speak with the Kuni family and hope they may know of a way to reverse its effect. In reality, becoming tainted usually spells the end of a samurai’s career, either living on in forced exile, becoming a patient of the Kuni Purifiers, or in some cases, execution.

Shoju told the party that he did have a short term solution for their problem though, until they can finish their mission and seek help from the Kuni family. He explained that he had in his retainership the greatest scholars of the Yogo Wardmaster school. They will be able to mask the taint, preventing anyone from detecting it, and slowing its spread so it does not corrupt the armor any further. The party was hesitant about accepting this treatment, but eventually relented. Shoju explained to the party that it was his great pleasure to aid them in their mission, as they are true heroes of Rokugan, and that his support should be seen as a thank you on behalf of the empire.

With that settled, the samurai asked Shoju about the Hare clan and the Yasuki Logging Company. Shoju admitted that the Emperor ordered him to execute the Hare for conducting Maho, and as a sign of admiration for the Crab clan and token of support for the Yasuki family, agreed to give Shiro Usagi to the Yasuki family. When questioned about the sword stand Buro found in the remains of the Hare castle, Shoju said it probably belonged to some precious family heirloom, the whereabouts of which he knows nothing of.

When asked about the Lion-Crane War, Shoju told the story of the war so far, and its slow escalation into the brutal conflict that it has become. Shoju identified what he believes is the root cause of the war: incompetent leadership on both sides. The Crane is lead by the inexperienced boy Doji Hoturi, who many  believe is nothing more than a young boy waging war to prove himself a man. On the other side, the Lion clan is lead by an equally untested young man, Akodo Toturi. Rumor has it that he is eager to make peace with Hoturi, which has incensed many of the other Lion daimyos who see that as a sign of weakness. Shoju revealed that the Scorpion clan has not chosen a side in the war, and that their top priority will always be to protect and serve the emperor, above all else.

Immediately after their audience with Shoju, the party delivered Yoshi’s armor the high priests of the Yogo Wardmasters. The samurai sat in awe as these masters performed the ritual. Before long, the taint ofarmor was undetectable by jade, and Yoshi admitted that discomforting presence had been abated-- not expelled, but certainly slowed. After the ritual, the wardmasters reminded the party what was at stake. Their secret needed to be kept under wraps at all costs. If it was discovered that Yoshi’s armor was tainted and that they willingly masked it in order to sneak it into the emperor’s court, the consequences would indeed be dire. The priests explained that they should consider themselves lucky that Lord Bayushi Shoju is so sympathetic to their cause.

The next day, the party set out from Kyuden Bayushi, a heavy rain bearing down upon them. The road sprawled out to the north east, toward the Spine of the World, where its lowest peaks were already covered in snow. Behind them sat Kyuden Bayushi, watching their every step toward Otosan Uchi.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Kenshi's Lament" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Yoshi's Lament" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Well Wishes" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Crab Theme" by Brandon Spain

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi, Tomo, and Akari broke free of their imprisonment with the help of Tsuruchi and his Wasp samurai. As they escaped through the tunnels  beneath Otosan Uchi, they found that the recent tremor had closed off several key passages. In their confusion and haste to find the surface, the samurai ventured into an unknown cave, following a strange noise. Curled up in the fetal position, they discovered Buro sleeping in the cold, wet cave, the sound of his snores reverberating off the cavern walls.

With the party reunited and Kenshi’s map to help guide the way, the samurai found their way out of the caves, and once again breathed in the cold autumn air, just in time to see the sun begin to set over the Bay of Amaterasu. They revealed to each other everything they knew. Tsuruchi listened to every word— a grim expression playing across his face.

When they were finished, Tsuruchi told them they had people they urgently needed to meet with. He lead them to a large estate located in Otosan Uchi’s outer city. After a few words with the guards, they were quickly brought into a sprawling courtyard, where samurai of different clans could be seen hurrying to and fro. “Welcome to Hollow Hill,” Tsuruchi said.

The samurai were brought up to a seating room and told to wait as Tsuruchi made preperations for an audience of some sort. As he was leaving, Tsuruchi noticed a birthmark on Tomo’s shoulder which had previously been covered. “A sign of luck,” he told Tomo. “The mark of one who has been kissed by the kami.”

As they waited, they found the estate’s infirmary and were treated for the wounds they had accumulated over the past 24 hours. Here, Buro noticed a scroll tucked away in his robe. It was an invitation to the House of Many Faces—a performance venue where artisits of the lower classes were given space to practice their craft.

After a time, Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari were brought into a large audience chamber. Seated before them were Tsuruchi, Kitsune Ryosei, and Suzume Yugoki—the heads of the Wasp, Fox, and Sparrow clans. The party repeated everything they knew about the Scorpion clan, Kachiko, Shoju and Yoshi’s armor... but included one important detail which they had guarded closely up to this point: they revealed the truth that Yoshi’s armor was tainted, and that they knowingly brought it to Otosan Uchi to be taken to the emperor.

A look of horror spread across the room as the magnitude of the situation began to set in. The heads of the clans whispered amongst themselves for a moment until Ryosei spoke up. “You have done a terrible deed,” she said, “but we understand you were put into a difficult situation. We have bigger problems now. How do we know you are not agents of the Scorpion sent to infiltrate us?” she asked.

Tsuruchi spoke first, vouching for Tomo’s honor. He told the court of Tomo’s valor at the Tournament of Four Winds, of his refusal to do business which he knew would injure innocent people, of the good reputation which he held among prominment members of his clan. He felt Tomo was someone he could trust, and someone he could be a powerful ally.

Ryosei spoke up on Kenshi’s behalf, telling the court that he was, by blood, a true Fox. She told them about how he provided valuable intelligence on the Lion clan, and about he trains now in the ancient techniques of the Fox. She knows where his loyalties lie, and it was not with the Scorpion.

Yugoki revealed how Akari came to him with questions about the Hare clan, and their use of maho. At first, he thought she may have been a Scorpion agent trying to lure him into a trap, but he realizes now that she was actually a potential ally all along.

Finally, Buro talked about his confrontation with Kachiko and how it resulted in his loss of status by the emperor. He explained that he has lost his very name trying to stop the Scorpion and their wicked machinations. He, least of all, was someone they should worry about.

The three daimyos were convinced, and with that, Ryosei announced the alliance of their three clans. As a response to the increased aggression of the major clans, the Fox, Wasp, and Sparrow clans had banded together to create the Three-Headed Alliance.

Ryosei rescinded that their biggest concern was the Lion clan. But after Kenshi infiltrated the clan’s leadership and revealed their plans, she decided that they were fractured, and wouldn’t pose a true threat for more many months. The Crane had been extremely aggressive in their war with the Lion, but did not seem to be plotting against them in any way.

The Scorpion, too, had raised some eyebrows, but it wasn’t until that moment that they realized they should have been paying closer attention to them all along. After the Scorpion eradicated the Hare, Ryosei did some investigation. With the help of Niao, she had procured books from the Imperial Library on the histories and lineages of the clans.

The Hare had allegedly been guilty of conducting maho, but she knew that sounded odd. Through her investigation, she confirmed that the Hare clan were created to combat Bloodspeaker cults  throughout Rokugan. Why would a clan sworn to fight the minions of Iuchiban practice maho themselves?

Digging further, she found that some time in the 750s, the Scorpion gifted the Hare something called “The Gift of Otomo Jama,” after the Hare defeated an army of Bloodspeakers. Ryosei could not find any record of an Otomo Jama existing in the imperial lineages. The name had been wiped from history… except in one other location.

In the forbidden section of the Imperial Library, Niao found a book entitled, “Otomo Jama: The Second Son.” The black, leatherbound tome, however, had been locked shut and was unable to be opened. An enscription on the back read, “I only open for blood.”

The three heads of the alliance and their four new allies discussed what this all meant, and speculated their best course of action for combating the Scorpion. Frustrated and feeling powerless, Akari boldly stood up and tried to rip open the black book, but her anger was useless. The book would not open.

Curious, Tomo picked up the book. It unlatched.

The audience chamber froze as everyone stared in disbelief. The pages within told the story of Otomo Jama, born the second son to Hantei X. Growing up, Jama was envious of his older brother’s inheritance. He felt he was the more deserving brother, and as he grew older, this envy turned to hate. Jama became fascinated with the experiments of Kuni Nakanu. In particular, his work on reanimating dead flesh.

Jama traveled outside of Rokugan and studied with gaijin sorcerers, trading secrets, and learning their arts. Through his travels, Jama learned the secret of imortality. The dark sorceres began calling him by a new name: Iuchiban.

He returned to Rokugan, and began to plot against his brother’s throne. At this time he created four swords, and gifted them to the heads of four clans-- The Crane, the Lion, The Crab, and The Scorpion. Each sword was crafted with maho and imbued with a portion of Iuchiban’s soul, designed to sow unrest across the empire. These swords drove their wielder’s mad as they began to take on parts of Iuchiban’s personality. The Crane were given his passion, The Lion his vengance, The Crab his judgement, and The Scorpion his ambition.Only the Scorpion were wise enough to not use the sword, which lead to Iuchiban’s defeat.

These swords were scattered, and their locations kept secret. Today, they are lost, save for those who have sworn to procect them and prevent them from ever falling into the hands of the Bloodspeakers.

As Tomo read the book, a grave silence broke out across the hall. It slowly dawned on everyone in attendance that they were now fighting in a war for Rokugan.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Veiled Contempt" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Silk Kimono" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Royal Baths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Squee's Lullaby" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Dark & Airy" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Blessings of the Water Kami" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Soshi No Burezu, Kaiu Tomo, Kuni Akari, Bayushi Tsubasa, and the newly recruited bard, Ikoma Kenshi, traveled north west toward the Kuni Wastes, in search of Akari’s father, Kuni Chiyagi. 

While traveling across the Crab lands, the party encountered the peasants Riku and Sho at a sake house in a small farming community. The peasants, drunk on sake and filled with songs of our heroes’ greatest deeds, graciously invited the samurai to stay with them in their lowly hovel. There, the peasants asked Kenshi to tell them all he knows about the escalating conflict between the Lion and the Crane. The peasants, as well as the rest of the party, learned that the Lion and Crane have been competing with each other for generations over the thriving market city of Toshi Ranbo. Tensions escalated into a bloody conflict when the Crane broke an armistice, seizing the city and claiming it as their own. The Lion launched a counter-attack, but were unable to take the city. The two clans are now in open war against each other, growing into numerous battles, and claiming many lives as the fighting escalates into the bloodiest conflict in recent memory.

Upon setting off the next day, the party encountered a high-ranking samurai leading a small host of ashigaru toward the Kaiu Wall. Speaking with him, the party learned that the Crab clan are mustering their own forces and planning a lengthy campaign into the Shadowlands, hoping to reclaim Shiro Hiruma and redeem their lost honor.

After traveling for three days across the heart of the Crab lands, the party reached the Kuni Wastes— a bleak, barren landscape devoid of all life and untouched by the blessings of the kami. Disturbed by the desolate landscape, Buro asked Akari how they could hope to find Yoshi in a place such as this. To which she explained that the Kuni shugenja are masters of Binding Magic, and she believes that her father will know of a way to permanently bind the spirit of the Martyr Monk to his armor… though a ritual of this scale has never been accomplished before, and she is not sure if it can be done.

Deep in the wastes, the party found Bright Spring Fort—the ancestral home of Akari’s family. Here, multiple generations work together to harvest vast gardens of fruits and vegetables, protected from bandits and raiders by tall stone walls and a watchtower. Inside the fort, the party was met with a warm welcome from Akari’s mother, Mariko, who thanked the samurai for all they had done to protect Rokugan from the forces of the Shadowlands, and for protecting her daughter from danger.

Mariko lead them into the fort’s central keep, into a dark, candlelit study filled with racks of leatherbound tomes and musty scrolls. Sitting at a table in the dim light was the colossal man himself, Kuni Chiyagai…

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Sleepy Little Fishing Town" by Podcast of the Five Rings  

"Sake House" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Conniving and Mysterious" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Dark & Airy" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Crab Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dreamlike" by Kevin McLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

With map in hand, Kenshi and his retinue of Emerald Magistrates began to explore the tunnels beneath Otosan Uchi. They spent hours carefully navigating its passages and caverns, learning its secrets, and making sure to not draw unwanted attention. 

The bard and his magistrates found a lone sentry—equipped in the same manner as the warriors who captured Tomo and Akari—seemingly guarding a corridor. Kenshi, with the help of Kitsuki Mayumi, apprehended the guard and began to question him. Who was he, and what was he doing there? At first, the sentry would not give up any information, only dispensing vague threats and telling the samurai that they should flee the city. But even the stoutest of warriors has a tipping point. Mayumi drew her katana and slid the blade slowly across their captive’s neck, promising death if the sentry truly had no purpose for living.

The guard broke. He professed that he was an agent of the Scorpion clan, and that he and his unit had orders to lie in wait beneath the city until the command was given to strike. Then, they were to secure the Forbidden City and hold it until they were relieved of their station. It was then that the sabateour made the most startling announcement: Shoju and his army were headed toward the capitol that very moment. He was due to arrive tomorrow. Shocked by this information and realizing just how little time there was, Kenshi decided to leave the tunnels and take his captive directly to Ide Makujin.

Elsewhere in the caverns, Kaiu Tomo awoke from an unconscious stupor. He found himself in a makeshift cage, chained at the ankle to a nearby rock. Beyond his enclosure, he saw that he was being kept in a cavern chamber which had been turned into some kind of holding room. Across a short walkway, he saw Kuni Akari, unconscious and locked up just as he was. As he tried to move, pain shot through his body. His head and back ached from being beaten unconscious, but more importantly, his hand reeled in agony from the fingers which had been cut unceremonsiouly from his body just hours ago. The bleeding had been stopped, but the reality set in as Tomo realized that his hand would never be whole again.

As his head swam and his body reeled in pain, he studied his surroundings. He determined from the rock formations around him that he must be somewhere directly beneath the Imperial Palace. As he came to and his senses started to adjust, he began to hear faint voices coming from a nearby corridor. With a stubborness that only a Crab could muster, Tomo began to taunt the voices. Soon, armed guards like the ones he had seen before entered his holding chamber. Tomo used what little he had to try and leverage information out of the guards, but it was to no avail.

Feeling he had exhausted his options, Tomo began to meditate. His pain and his desperation washed away as he entered the flow state, feeling only the life force of the world around him. Communicating with senses that he could not quite identify, he put out a message for help. As he fell into a restful trance, he had a premonition of freedom, and his mind resonated with the sound of buzzing wasps.
 

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

The Royal Banquet by Podcast of the Five Rings

Blessings of the Water Kami by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sultry Silence by Podcast of the Five Rings

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Cave Drips by Everythingsounds https://freesound.org/people/everythingsounds/sounds/199515/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari rode north toward Beiden Pass, and away from the Crab lands. One night while camping out on the Kuni Wastes, Akari confessed that she was feeling conflicted about the events which transpired with her father. She relented that the life of a samurai was full of contradictions, that a life of servitude to her family, her clan, and her emperor was wrought with complications and hypocrisies. After being comforted by the party, she vowed that she would follow her own path—not one ordained by a higher authority. She now wants to be free to decide her own fate.

A couple days later, the party arrived in the town of Kuda Mura, which they found had been attacked multiple times by angry spirits from the north inhabiting the bodies of living stone and wood. When they attack, these spirits only repeat the same phrase, “you have broken the oath, now you must suffer.” After speaking with the kami for guidance, the party learned that these spirits are most likely referring to some oath made between the Hare Clan—a minor clan tasked with protecting a portion of the mystical Shinomen Forest—and the spirits of the forest.

With this information, the party sought out the town governess, Kaiu Fumiko. Fumiko admitted that she hadn’t heard anything from the Hare Clan in nearly a month, but she didn’t know how that would have anything to do with the Crab Clan or why these spirits are now attacking Kuda Mura. The party insisted that they would need aid uncovering this mystery, and convinced Fumiko to send a few samurai with them to investigate Hare territory and the Shinomen Forest to the north.

At that moment, the town was attacked by another one of these angry forest spirits, destroying a watchtower and an inn, and injuring numerous bystanders. While taking aim at the creature, Kaiu Tomo’s yumi snapped completely straight, breaking his bowstring, and refusing to bend against the marauding spirit. When this happened, Tomo noticed that the wood of his yumi and the bark skin of the creature appeared to be one in the same…

With help from the samurai now guarding the town, the party eventually defeated the angry spirit, its stone and wood body returning to the earth. However, questions of how this supernatural wood came to port in Clear Water Village, what happened to the Hare Clan protecting the forest, and what does Tomo’s family have to do with it all still lingered...

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Sultry silence by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dragon theme by Brandon Spain

Gives you anxiety by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy little fishing town by Podcast of the Five Rings

Conniving and mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

Shadowlands 1 by Brandon Spain

Shadowlands 2 by Brandon Spain

Battle storm by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kuni waste jam by Podcast of the Five Rings

Fight_dojo 1 by Brandon Spain

Drum music by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The monks dropped their ruse and revealed themselves for what they truly were: murderous assassins. In a haze, the ronin drew their weapons to defend themselves, but the damage was already done. Poison was coursing through their veins, making them feel lightheaded and fatigued, while the powder of the sokutoshi blinded and choked them. 

The assassins attacked, attempting to dispatch their targets while they had the advantage. Hoping to bide some time and distract the assassins, Kaizoku challenged the assassin with the ninjato to a one on one fight. The assassin proudly accepted. The two clashed while the others fought to gain an upperhand. The assassin with the blowgun flute dropped his weapon and unleashed a kusarigama concealed beneath his robes, immobilizing Boa while making a flurry of attacks against Tsume.

Kaizoku and the assassin faced each other, and it soon became clear that Kaizoku was outmatched. He was fighting a true professional. He bowed out of the challenge winded and exhausted. The assassin, attempting to finish what he started, knocked Kaizoku unconscious while he was trying to catch his breath, deforming his face and scarring his rugged features.

Fighting with their ally bleeding and out of commission, Tsume and Boa fought for their lives. The assassins fought with a determination and skill which the ronin had never faced before. They shrugged off attacks which would kill lesser enemies and refused to retreat.

With a force of sheer willpower, Kaizoku woke himself up from his unconsciousness and stabbed the assassin with the kusarigama through the gut with his magari yari, killing him. Undaunted, the other assassin continued the fight, beating Tsume within an inch of his life before eventually succumbing to his wounds and being finished off by Boa. 

The ronin tended to their wounds and searched the bodies of the assassins. They found a contract to eliminate them. It had details of where they were headed, the road they’d be taking and physical descriptions of each of them. It was signed by Otomo Nobu.

The next morning, the three finished their journey at a small village on the outskirts of Otosan Uchi. Filled with questions about the mounting tensions surrounding Closed Shell Castle and the schemes of Otomo Nobu, they searched for the shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. Dressed in the monk’s robes taken from one of the assassins, Tsume asked around town until he located Tetsuya at a local stable. 

The three descended on the stable, wearing armor adorned with the Reju family crest. Tetsuya was laying on a pile of hay, stinking of sake. He awoke and saw the three standing over him. “Damn,” was all he said.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi faces someone from his turbulent past. The party FINALLY makes it to Otosan Uchi!

Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new bonus content!

---SHOW NOTES---

Kenshi, Buro, Tomo, Akari, Tsubasa, and Ryudo were met face to face with half a dozen Matsu samurai. They were lightly armored guerrilla fighters positioned in the forest, making hit-and-run attacks on Crane camps and supply centers. The Matsu samurai demanded that the party hand over their food, in order to feed the samurai fighting a war against their sworn enemy. The leader introduced himself as Matsu Toshiro, and asked Kenshi about the necklace he wore around his neck. Recognizing its significance, he asked if Kenshi was related to the Fox clan in any way.

Toshiro then explained that long ago, the Fox clan vowed an oath to the Lion clan. In exchange for their protection, the Fox would offer conscripts to the Matsu family. However, since being given their own land and becoming formally recognized as a minor clan, they began to neglect this oath. 

Toshiro went on to explain that he lead a detachment of soldiers to the Fox lands about 15 years ago to demand tribute, and remind the Fox of their oath to the Lion. The Fox refused, so the Lion destroyed one of their settlements and rounded up the survivors as conscripts. Toshiro remembered there was a boy there, who even at his young age, was a talented singer and musician. He took this boy and gave him to the Ikoma family, where he could learn to become a bard, and use his talents to sing the praise of their clan. This boy was Ikoma Kenshi.

Enraged by the realization that the man he was speaking to was responsible for killing his family and destroying his home, Kenshi attacked.

A bloody battle broke out between the two parties, leaving Kuni Akari and Bayushi Tsubasa severely wounded, and three of the Matsu samurai dead, including Matsu Toshiro. In the wake of the battle, Kenshi reflected on his past, and began feeling very despondent from the Lion, the clan which raised him, taught him everything he knows, and gave him the title of samurai. From then on, he began wearing his kimono inside-out, so the mons of the Lion and Ikoma families would not be visible.

The party traveled east, and saw first-hand the devastated countryside which lay on the border between Lion and Crane territories. Burned villages, ravaged farmlands, and the unburied dead littered the landscape.

Finally, on their third day of travel after being confronted by the Matsu samurai, the party reached their destination. On the 26th day of the Dog, after 16 days of traveling on horseback across Rokugan, the party reached Otosan Uchi. A road full of mystery and adventure behind them, and a city brimming with some of the empire’s most powerful people ahead of them.

Credits

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

In the Dojo by Brandon Spain

Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Battlestorm by Podcast of the Five Rings

Better Days by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

It suddenly made sense. Buro put the pieces together. The vacant stare, the quiet disposition, the resigned attitude. The woman threatening to kill him was not Kachiko— someone who looked remarkably like her, but not her. “What’s the meaning of this?” Buro asked.

The mystery woman introduced herself as Yogo Asami, Kachiko’s body double. She explained that her and Kachiko swapped places once Kachiko believed her arrest was imminent. Asami explained that Kachiko wants out of her life. She’s sick of the terrible things she’s done for the sake of her clan and her husband’s vision. Kachiko has fled the city and seeks a quiet life to raise her child. No one knows except her, Kachiko, and now Buro. “Kill me, never say a word to another person, and Kachiko won’t hurt another person,” Asami pleaded.

“I will not allow an innocent life to be taken,” Buro said. 

“The only innocent life you’ll be taking is that of Kachiko’s unborn child. Kill me, and let her and her child live,” Asami countered.

Buro was conflicted. He didn’t want innocent blood to be spilled, but at the same time, he couldn’t allow Kachiko to get away without punishment for the things that she’s done. “I can’t allow that,” Buro resolved. “Kachiko must pay.” And with that, Buro called for the guards.

Asami struck at Buro, cutting him deep, but Buro managed to restrain her until the guards arrived. He explained the whole story to them. Tired of the Scorpion’s treachery, one of the guards slew Asami on the spot. Word spread, and messengers were sent out to find the real Kachiko.

Angry, tired, and wounded, Buro retired to his quarters to tend to his injuries.

Meanwhile, Tomo and Kenshi sought counsel with Isawa Ujina. They asked him what he had learned about the prophecy of Uikku which Shoju had produced as justification for his coup. Ujina was not certain, but as of yet, the scroll seemed legitimate. He believed there was a good chance this was in fact Uikku’s final prophecy.

As they spoke, Tomo was summoned to meet with the Crab leadership, and Kenshi was summoned for an audience with Kitsune Ryosei.

Seated before Kuni Fujiko, Hida Riko, and Hiruma Kage, Tomo was given an important mission. They wanted him to travel south and speak to Crab champion, Hida Kisada, as their clan’s sole envoy from Otosan Uchi. They believed he had proven himself a capable diplomat when he helped to negotiate a truce between the Crab and the Three Headed Alliance, and a good judge of character as he warned his clan about the treacherous Yasuki Taka as well as the machinations of the Scorpion. They also believed he was in a unique position to explain the events of Shoju’s coup due to his close personal ties with The Martyr Monk, Tsuruchi, Ryosei, his role as governor of Clearwater Village, and his experience being captured by Scorpion samurai. His mission would be to rally troops for the defense of Otosan Uchi, warn Kisada about Taka, and solidify an alliance with the Fox, Wasp, and Sparrow clans.

Tomo thought about Buro, Kenshi, Yoshi, and Akari. His friends who he traveled with all the way from the depths of the Shadowlands to the heights of Rokugani society. He would be leaving them in the face of an overwhelming enemy. But as a proper samurai, he chose to honor his duty to his clan. He accepted his mission. After an emotional goodbye, he left Otosan Uchi, traveling south to the Crab lands.

Elsewhere, Kenshi sat in audience with Ryosei and a handful of high ranking Fox samurai, including his sister Niao. “If we die tonight, I want you to die a true Fox. Not just in blood, but in name as well,” Ryosei said. In a makeshift but charming ceremony, Ryosei officially inducted Kenshi as a member of the Fox. He bowed his head as Kenshi, a wayward bard who had never known his home or his family, but rose as Kitsune Kenshi, samurai of the Fox clan.

Later that night, as Buro rested and healed, he was visited by Akari. She came to him and helped in whatever ways she could, changing his bandages and bringing him clean water. She told Buro that it’s a samurai’s fate to live so close to death. She lamented that so many times, if things had just gone a little bit differently, either one of them could have died. And for what? She wondered. Your lord’s honor? The code of Bushido? The duty of your clan? “Tonight,” she told Buro. “I want to live life.” Buro and Akari spent the night in each other’s arms.

Down on the streets of Otosan Uchi, in the cold, cold night, Kenshi entertained commoners as they fled the outer city and into the safety of the Ekohikei. The city was alive with commotion as refugees sought shelter and troops organized themselves into defensive positions.

All of a sudden, there was shouting. Incomprehensible commands were being issued from the Ekohikei’s gate house. Something seemed wrong. And before Kenshi had time to investigate, a terrible sound came over the city and the Earth trembled. An explosion of fire and smoke rose from the gate house which had been immediately turned to rubble.

As people looked on in horror, cries of anguish filled the air. The command was given, and  everyone took their positions. It was starting.

Looking out over the city walls, illuminated by starlight and the faint flickering of torches, Kenshi saw Shoju’s army advance into the outer city. It was a surprise attack. The Lord of Whispers believed he could take the city while it was in a state of disorder. With no defenses set up for the outer city, the Scorpion easily took it. The army quickly secured critical infrastructure such as gates, bridges, towers, armories, and stables. Rank upon rank of archers deployed within the city, positioning themselves within buildings and on rooftops. The fate of those outside of the Ekohikei were now in the hands of the kami. 

Volley after volley were exchanged between the defenders and the advancing army. Buro and a small retinue of shugenja rushed to the now destroyed gate. Through their prayers to the kami, they created a threshold barrier large enough to halt the Scorpion army from breaching the walls. Panicked by the assault, Buro unmasked. He withdrew beneath the walls, where he hid from the attackers. Meanwhile, upon the parapets, Kenshi directed the defender’s attacks toward key targets.

After an hour of intense ranged fighting, columns of Scorpion spearmen marched down the Road of the Most High, carrying large mats of wicker and straw, meant to protect them from volleys of arrows. Their goal was to secure the bridge separating the Ekohikei from the outer city and storm the destroyed gate. They were halted, however, by the threshold barrier which Buro helped to create. Confused, the ashigaru spearmen were sitting ducks on the bridge, exposed to archers on the walls.

Unable to retreat without breaking rank, the Scorpion held the bridge for another hour until reinforcements could be brought to the front. Thunder rolled through the city. Smoke clouds rose from the blood and rubble. The Scorpion wielded a new weapon. A weapon forbidden in Rokugan. Arquebuses. Evil weapons which belched fire and thunder, piercing the armor of even the fiercest samurai.

Standing tall on the wall, leading his samurai in the defense of their capital, Tsuruchi suffered a terrible wound. One of these vile weapons broke through his armor, lodging a bullet in his stomach. Connected by the supernatural powers of their yumi, Tomo felt the blow from this attack, and hurled forward on his horse. He knew Tsuruchi was in danger. Which meant Buro and Kenshi as well. He told his retainers to ride forward, but he had to turn around. Tomo reeled his horse around, and rode north as fast as he could.

Sensing the devastation which was unfolding in the city, the Miwaku Kabe, the walls of the inner city, came to life. The spirits of all the samurai who gave their lives protecting Otosan Uchi in centuries past were risen. They took positions along the walls and within the city, ready to protect the living, and die once again, as their duty commands.

Seeing a weakness in their attack, Kenshi called down to Buro hiding beneath the wall. He commanded him to strike the bridge. Without that, Shoju’s attack would be stymied. The attackers would be forced to retreat, and the Ekohikei would be saved.

Hearing Kenshi’s words, Buro came to his senses and made his way toward the bridge. Running past a quiet alley between two buildings at the edge of the city, he found a scorpion lying in wait. A shuriken came flying out from the darkness, barely missing Buro. Emerging from the shadows was Tsubasa. “How could you have sold out your clan?” He asked.

“What our clan is doing is wrong,” Buro replied. “But we could have been friends.”

“For you, that was never an option. You’ll pay for what you’ve done.”

Tsubasa struck at Buro with a sudden attack, glancing off of Buro’s armor. Buro countered with his own, which Tsubasa handily sidestepped. 

“You’ve failed to live up to your name, you’re a failure Buro. And to align yourself with Shizue. Don’t you know that she’s the one who destroyed the investigation into her father. The Doji family have their own secrets.” Tsubasa said, trying to get under Buro’s skin. Enraged, he attacked Buro with a powerful stroke.

Buro used what remained of his energy to evade the attack, but he had had enough. He couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Defeated, he looked up at his attacker, noticing the ancestral blade with which he was armed. “What would your father think of the person you’ve become?” Buro asked.

“You can ask him. He’s the one leading the siege on the city.” Tsubasa replied. “But for you, no one will weep for another dead dog in the road.” 

Those were the last words Buro ever heard...

Riding north, Tomo came upon the Scorpion encampment positioned outside the city. He saw the destruction rampaging in the city. The young samurai knew he had one option. He quickly rode straight to Shoju’s pavilion. Guards tried to seize him, but he rode too fast. Archers fired at him, but their arrows glanced off his armor. Once inside Shoju’s pavilion, samurai drew their swords and struck at him, but he pushed through their attacks to stand a mere stone’s throw away from the Lord of Whispers. His yumi drawn, he knocked one of his poison arrows. “You’ve got this,” he could hear Tsuruchi saying, and his posture corrected into a perfect stance. He fired his arrow at The Great Deceiver, the one who killed the emperor, the one who brought destruction to Rokugan.

And he missed…

Knowing time was short, Kenshi ordered fire and pitch upon the bridge. Within minutes, it was ablaze, and the Scorpion were forced to give up their position. They had suffered heavy casualties and their only way into the city was destroyed. The Scorpion retreated from the city to regroup and form a new plan. 

Soon, the sun began to rise over the bay. The day was won. Otosan Uchi stood with the defenders.

As the defenders sorted out their dead and wounded, Kenshi made a prayer to the kami, suddenly feeling so small being surrounded by so much death. Before him stood Buro, now a spirit of the void. The two said their goodbyes, and as a parting gift, Buro gave Kenshi the location of Tsubasa’s hiding place.  Within moments, samurai were dragging Tsubasa out into the streets. Without words, Kenshi slew Tsubasa with his own father’s sword. As Buro’s spirit departed, he rejoined the spirits of the samurai who fought and died to protect Otosan Uchi. He became one of the guardians of the Miwaku Kabe.

Buro’s body was recovered. Before his burial, Akari caressed the wounds which she had helped him mend just the night before. A breeze passed by, and she could feel the knot of her blindfold tighten just a little bit.

Back in the Scorpion camp, Shoju held an audience with his closest advisors. Beside him were Hiruma Miroke and the newly captured Kaiu Tomo. Across from him, set up on display was the armor of Togashi Yoshi. “It’s good to speak with you again,” Shoju starts. “I can make you a God.”

The Crab revere Yoshi as an icon. Shoju explains that if Yoshi agrees to ride south to the Crab lands and tell Hida Kisada that he supports Shoju’s claim as emperor, then Shoju will declare him the Fortune of Martyrdom. If he refuses or speaks ill of Shoju, Shoju has something which he assured will fall into Kisada’s hands. The Lord of Whispers then produced a letter. 

The letter is addressed to Kuni Yori and describes the ritual which was used to put Yoshi’s spirit back into his armor. The ritual is described as a major breakthrough in their understanding of the relationship between spirits and the material world. The writer believed this could lead to ways of communicating with kansen without the need for blood sacrifice which might prevent spreading the taint. The letter is signed by Akari’s father, Kuni Chiyagi.

It then dawns on Yoshi and Tomo that this is the letter Tsubasa intercepted from Bright Spring Fort. He must have read it and brought it directly to Shoju. If this were to fall into the hands of Kisada, it would implicate the Kuni family in intentionally trying to communicate with kansen, a deeply heretical act.

Shoju then reveals that Hiruma Miroke’s real name is Yogo Kanbaru. She was an agent of the Scorpion living undercover in Otosan Uchi, manipulating the politics at court from behind the scenes. Kanbaru, Shoju said, will travel with Yoshi and put the letter into Kisada’s possession if Yoshi refuses to support Shoju’s claim.

“And if that isn’t enough, we also have your friend Tomo,” Shoju reminded Yoshi.

“If I do what you want, can you let my spirit rest?”

Shoju admitted that he doesn’t know of a way to remove the taint from his armor or to split his spirit from his armor. Shoju believed his best bet would be to return to The High House of Light, Togashi Monastery. Shoju promised that if Yoshi supports his claim to Hida Kisada, then he will ensure his passage to the Dragon lands.

Needing to think things over, Yoshi decided to meditate. In a deep, trance-like state, he sees a light shining from the north. Like a beacon calling home. Yoshi then heard the voice of Togashi Kaiae beckoning him. “We’ve been waiting for you, Yoshi. Come home.”

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain and Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Ide Makujin and Buro arrived in the emperor’s audience chamber to arrest Bayushi Kachiko, who was in the middle of her morning briefing with the Son of Heaven. Courtiers, servants, and bodyguards looked on as Makujin and Buro put forth their case to have Kachiko arrested for conspiring against the empire.

Kachiko called into question Buro’s honor and reputation. She felt it was ludicrous that someone of such low honor and renown would make such wild accusations against her. She reminded the emperor of Buro’s many faux pas at court, his disdain for custom and culture, and informed Hantei of Buro’s embarrasing reputation within the Scorpion clan. When Kachiko spoke, she filled the room with a simultaneously inspiring and intimidating presence, stirring the heart of every single person in the audience chamber.

Annoyed with Kachiko’s obvious attempt to divert attention away from herself, Makujin told Kachiko to leave Buro’s reputation out of this, and proceeded to present the evidence he had found against her to the emperor. 

Hantei 38th, realizing that he did not know Buro very well, began to question and scrutinize Buro’s actions and reputation. The emperor was clearly intrigued by what Makujin had to say, but he could not ignore the counsel of Kachiko-- his single most trusted retainer.

Enraged, Buro retaliated against Kachiko. In that moment, she ceased to exist as an individual, and became a symbol of the strict, rigid confines which Buro had been rebelling against since his youth.  She was the Scorpion Clan, she was his father, she was the Soshi name, she was bushido. Buro’s words, however, rang hollow as the Lady Scorpion cast her shadow upon the hall. 

Kachiko then began to cast doubt onto Makujin’s intentions, claiming that his recllusivity, and unwillingness to join the the Emperor’s court combined with his fervent demands to increase the size of the Imperial Legions has lead to a widespread rumor that he himself is plotting against the Emperor. Kachiko mocked the Emerald Champion that he chose the most inauspicious of circumstances to finally step foot into Hantei’s audience chamber.

Makujin tried his best to ignore Kachiko’s insults, and stuck to what he believed was right: convincing Hantei of Kachiko’s crimes and bringing her to justice. Despite his wisened, stoic demeanor, it was apparent that Kachiko’s venom was beginning to spread. 

Hantei 38th continued questioning Buro in order to find the source of his motivation. Buro continually put out arguments to justify his actions and discredit Kachiko. However, at each turn, Kachiko was there to refute and outmanuever Buro’s words.

In a last ditch effort to impress the Emperor, Buro told him the true fate of the Martyr Monk, Togashi Yoshi. He told him that his spirit lives on in his armor. To Buro’s dismay, this offended the Emperor.

Hantei informed Buro that he has interrupted the Wheel of Judgement—that it is not the place of mortals to be deciding the fate of the deceased. It was Yoshi’s fate to have his karma judged by the kami and reincarnated as they saw fit. Buro interferred with the celestial order. 

The Emperor then passed his judgement not on Kachiko, but on Buro. The Son of Heaven had heard enough. It was clear to him that Buro’s loyalty did not lie with his clan, or with his family, but with his friends, and because of this, he had forsaken the code of Bushido. His commitment to his friends over his family and his clan lead him onto a new path-- the path of waves.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"The Gaijin's Journey" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

A terrible storm rolled in from the bay, wreaking havoc upon the land. Wind and rain battered the landscape while distant thunder warned wayward travelers. 

Upon some forgotten road in some distant valley walked two figures, each baring vestiges of a former life. There was Naoki, once a reputable merchant of decent wealth living in the capital city, now a peddler of mundane wares traveling from shrine to shrine. And there was his bodyguard, Boa, a castaway from the Crane clan. Once a student in the arts of sword and brush, now a master in the arts of plow and ox. 

The two followed the muddy bank of a raging river when suddenly a small boat lost control in the rapids and crashed into an outcrop of jagged rocks. The boat’s two passengers were flung from the boat and into the rocks below. Steering the ship was the deckhand-turned-pirate, Kaizoku. A man whose ambitions are only outnumbered by his enemies. His passenger was the rogue, Shiroi Tsume. Born a hinin butcher, Tsume turned to a life grave robbing and treasure hunting in order to support his family after the death of his father.

Seeing the incident unfold before them, Naoki and Boa jumped into action, helping to pull Kaizoku and Tsume to shore, as well salvaging as much of their equipment as possible. Assessing the damage, Kaizoku realized that his ship was in need of considerable repair. A couple of items had gone missing too: his father’s fishing net, and a vial of Liquid Void-- a substance to which he had become fiercely addicted.

Once on shore, Tsume got a closer look at his rescuers. His heart sank when he made a startling revelation. The peddler, Naoki, was a man to whom he owed a great deal of money, and who has blackmail on Tsume, knowing all about his criminal lifestyle. Luckily for him though, it had been years since they last saw each other, and Naoki did not seem to recognize him.

Naoki recommended they all travel downriver to the nearby town of Twin Blessings Village. He and Boa were traveling there already, and he suspected that Kaizoku and Tsume could find their lost equipment there as well.

Upon walking into town, they the noticed the crops of the village had all seemed to either wither and die, or become flooded by the rain and river. Then they heard shouting and the hoof beats of horses. It sounded like the village was under attack.

They found two drunk samurai clad in teal and purple, wearing the mon of a family they did not recognize. These two samurai were demanding a tribute of sake from the villagers. When the villagers insisted that they did not have any more sake to give, the samurai grew belligerent and began assaulting the peasants. When Kaizoku tried to intervene, he was intimidated and told to step down. Once the samurai got tired of berating the villagers, they rode off.

Afterward, the party was greeted by the head of the village, an elderly man named Setsuo. He thanked the party for trying to stand up for them, but insisted that confronting the samurai would only anger them, and make them come back in force. Setuso welcomed the party as guests in his home and showed them what meager hospitality he could afford: a fire and a warm bowl of rice.

Setsuo explained that those samurai were in the service of a new lord who had recently taken power in the region. His name was Reju Jikai. He was cruel and abusive, and has been hiring large numbers of ronin to bolster his ranks—a resource which there was no short supply of these days after two consecutive wars and a huge shift in power.

Setsuo asked the party to stay as long as they need. He felt they have much to talk about.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain and Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

With the news of Setsuo's arrest, Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku decided to travel to Closed Shell Castle. Traveling north, the ronin discovered just how pervasive the elemental blight was upon the region. It seemed that the very land itself was protesting against something. 

Camping out beside the road, they encountered a strange, grey wolf, staring at them with yellow eyes in the darkness. After letting out an otherworldly howl, the ronin were surrounded by a pack of wolves. The wolf pack seemed to yield to the strange alpha which was significantly larger than the rest. With razor sharp fangs, the alpha attacked the ronin, but delivered no serious wounds. Tsume struck at the wolf, but noticed his blade seemed to be swayed by the hands of misfortune, turning even a sure strike into a miss. Kaizoku thrust at the wolf in retaliation and dealt a flesh wound, shaving off fur from the wolf's flanks and bruising its thick hide. That was enough for the wolf. With another howl, the wolves dispersed back into the forest.

That night, Kaizoku reached his limit. Reeling from withdrawals, Kaizoku told Tsume and Boa about his addiction. It had been days since he last drank Liquid Void and his body was now screaming in agony. Between the pirate's startling revelation, the dissatisfied spirits of the land, and the fear of what lurks in the forest, no one slept that night.

Exhausted, the ronin continued their journey the next day. Sitting beside the road, the ronin encountered a jovial monk dressed in the robes of the Dragon clan. The monk introduced himself as Dzhud. He was headed to Closed Shell Castle to help the inhabitants on their path toward spiritual enlightenment. Skeptical of the monk and in no mood to entertain outsiders, the ronin quickly parted ways with him.

Before long, Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku finished their trek to the castle. It was a remarkably unimpressive place. Very little thought had been put into its aesthetic beauty, and the land surrounding it had been cleared. Once at the gate, the ronin tried to convince the guard to let them through, saying they had important information for Lord Reju Jikai. But the guard was unmoved. They tried a second approach by telling the guard that they wanted to fight for Jikai. The guard sized them up and saw they had serious weapons and could tell they knew how to use them. Within moments, the gate was open.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tsume and Boa infiltrated the camp by pretending to be bandits. After speaking to a group of the thugs, they discovered that Setsuo’s son, Ichiro, had not been kidnapped at all, but had willingly joined the bandits and is now their leader. They decided to speak with Ichiro-- but not before waking up Kaizoku and bringing him along.

Ichiro was a charismatic and passionate young man who believed wholeheartedly in the teachings of Shinsei and the Perfect Land Sect. He took great pleasure in teaching Tsume, Boa, and Kaizoku about his beliefs. The Perfect Land Sect was a branch of Shinseism which taught that an individual could reach heaven through a strict interpretation of Shinsei’s writings. This school of thought taught that there was no karma, no wheel of judgment, and no reincarnation. The people who subscribe to this philosophy do not recognize the authority of samurai or the emperor, as their divine rule over the lower classes is traditionally viewed as a result of their superior karma. The Perfect Land Sect is a heretical interpretation of Shinsei’s teachings, and is outlawed in most of Rokugan.

Ichiro explained that he and his “order” were plotting to attack Closed Shell Castle, and overthrow the oppressors ruling from there. With Reju Jikai and his warriors defeated, he plans to build a new society based on equality without the oppressive rule of samurai, and he wants to inspire neighboring regions to do the same.

When the ronin pointed out the hypocrisy of stealing from the very people he was claiming to liberate, Ichiro justified his actions by stating that he was answering to higher calling, and that the people of the villages will join him once they see the light.

While Ichiro was talking, Kaizoku noticed his father’s fishing net and his lost Liquid Void sitting beside the bandit leader-- they must have washed up here when his ship crashed. Kaizoku pointed out that the items belonged to him, so Ichiro suggested a trade. He’d happily give Kaizoku his possessions back if the three ronin could retrieve a young boy who recently went missing from their ranks.

The young boy was named Kai, a runaway from Nestled Village. He was a stubborn boy of 12 with a need for adventure, who claimed he would grow up one day to be a samurai. Ichiro wanted him back because he has reason to believe that he is the bastard child of Otomo Nobu, the steward of Closed Shell Castle. He wants to blackmail Reju Jikai, and force him to bend to his demands. Tsume, Boa, and Kaizoku agreed to retrieve the child, though they were apprehensive of Ichiro’s plans and motives. They decided it was best to be in the bandit leader’s favor for now. Before turning in for the night, Ichiro promised the ronin that he would pay a visit to his father to settle his concerns.

The next day, the ronin returned to Twin Blessings Village. Kaizoku informed Setsuo that his son was alive and that he’ll be paying a visit soon. Setsuo deduced that he was living with the bandits and was deeply ashamed. Upholding his side of the deal, Setsuo promised that members of his village would help repair Kaizoku’s ship.

Tsume traveled to the way station on the edge of town to bury the bodies as a favor to Shinichi. Appearing from the trees lining the way station was Naoki. “I remember you,” he said. He demanded Tsume pay him the money he was owed, 50 koku. He then threatened Tsume by reminding him that he still has some very powerful contacts in the area. Tsume refused. He remembered his family at home and thought about how 50 koku would change their lives forever. He remembered where his debts lie-- and they weren’t with this bottom-feeding trinket salesman.

“I challenge you to a duel,” Tsume declared.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The survivors of the hunting party sat with Otomo Nobu to debrief the events of the attack. Nobu revealed that he knew Nakama was a shapeshifter. The Otomo family had long traded secrets with Nakama in order to learn about the land surrounding Closed Shell Castle. Nobu claimed, however, that he did not know that Nakama was planning an attack on Reju Jikai.

Jikai, severely wounded from the attack, listened as Nobu spoke, slipping in and out of sleep as his exhausted body succumbed to the medicine that was treating him. It dawned on him for the first time that perhaps Nobu wasn’t as capable a leader as he once thought. Though he was beginning to have his doubts, he did not believe he was in the right state to make any final decisions regarding the governance of his castle.

Boa had known men like Nobu before. During his time in the courts of the Crane clan, Boa had seen many upstart nobles and ambitious samurai trying to make names for themselves. Boa knew that Nobu aspired to take the castle for his own. Tired of Nobu’s smoke and mirrors, Boa asked him bluntly what his plans for Closed Shell Castle were. The steward stated simply that he wanted the castle to live up to its true potential. That he was tired of it being a laughing stock and a stain on the land.

After the meeting, the three ronin agreed that Nobu was planning to seize control of the castle, though they did not know how. They remembered the escaped shugenja, Tetsuya, and wondered what he knew. He may be the missing piece of the puzzle that links everything together. They vowed to find him and speak with him to see what he knows. In the meantime, the ronin decided to pay a visit to Setsuo, the village elder. They convinced him to write a letter to his son, Ichiro, telling him to call off any attack on the castle for at least another week. The ronin wanted more time to figure out what Nobu’s plans were and thought the villagers could be marching into danger.

The next morning, Reju Masaru had a mission for the ronin. They were to find Tetsuya and bring him back to the castle alive. It seemed fate had steered them onto the proper course. After rummaging through the castle armory for supplies, the ronin decided to first set off for Twin Blessings Village so they could drop off Setsuo’s letter. Upon reaching the village, they discover that Natsumi had assumed the role of village leader in Setsuo’s absence. She told the ronin that after Setsuo’s imprisonment, most of the villagers from both Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village have either joined with the bandits or fled. They feel that Jikai’s government has become so tyrannical that nothing can change without serious action. The ronin explain their position on the matter and hand Natsumi Setsuo’s letter to give to Ichiro. She says that Setsuo can try to hold the bandits off as long as he wants, but something terrible is brewing.

With that settled, the ronin traveled in the direction of Otosan Uchi to find Tetsuya. Rain clouds began to gather, and before long a wicked storm began to flood the fields, soaking everyone to the bone. With the sun beginning to set, the three decided to stop for the night at a temple-shelter for travelers. As the ronin settled in and dried themselves beside the fire, they heard a knock at the door. The shoji cracked open to reveal a pair of wandering monks. The ronin let them in and they quickly moved beside the fire. Gracious for letting them share the space with them, one monk began to play music on his flute while the other made tea. Not entirely sure what to make of the monks, Tsume talked to them to learn more about them and their mission. They were monks of Shinsei. They wandered Rokugan, enlightening people with Shinsei’s teachings, offering peace of mind and spiritual fulfillment. Boa inspected the tea which they were handing out, but could not detect anything out of the ordinary. The ronin soon let their guard down and enjoyed their new found company.

One of the monks offered to light some incense, and pulled out a beautiful, ornate box. While the ronin leaned in to smell the incense, the monk blew into the box, causing perfumed powder to momentarily blind and choke the ronin. As they coughed, the monk drew a hidden ninjato sheathed in his staff, while the other loaded his flute like a blowgun and took aim.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

This session zero includes the ronin-adapted Game of Twenty Questions from Path of Waves and gives an inside look into the choices made by the players when creating their new ronin characters: Shiroi Tsume, the "treasure hunter"; Kaizoku, the pirate with many enemies; and Boa, the corn-fed farmer.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain and Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The Emerald Magistrates, Soshi no Burezu and Togashi Yoshi, have been ordered to track down and kill the evil sorceress Kitsu Sokori and her servant Gaku, who have been known to conduct blasphemous magic with live captives, and who, more recently, have been implicated in a string of disappearances and murders along Rokugan’s coast.

The trail of clues brought the magistrates to the house of Yasuki Keiji, a Crab Clan samurai living in Clear Water Village. There, they discovered that a woman matching Kitsu Sokori’s description had stolen a precious family heirloom from Yaskui Keiji—a centuries old map detailing the lands of the Hiruma family, and the blueprints of a fallen castle now lost to the dark powers of the Shadowlands, Daylight Castle. Keiji explained that he believes Sokori is planning to use this map to infiltrate Daylight Castle for an unknown reason. He then asked the magistrates to travel beyond the wall separating Rokugan from the Shadowlands, go to Daylight Castle, and retrieve the map. Keiji also asked the magistrates to take his nephew, Kaiu Tomo, with them on their mission as part of a coming-of-age ritual, and as an opportunity for Tomo to prove his courage to his family and honor the memory of his ancestors.

Kaiu Tomo, Togashi Yoshi, and Soshi no Burezu then traveled to the Spear of the Dawn Watchtower on the Kaiu Wall—the closest entrance to The Shadowlands from Clear Water Village. There, they had an audience with Hida Hachiro, commander of the castle watchtower on the wall. After tense negotiations, Hachiro begrudgingly granted permission for the party to move beyond the wall on the condition that if the party finds any historical texts relating to Crab history or culture at Daylight Castle, these texts must be returned to him upon the party’s return. Hachiro also ordered a small retinue of samurai led by one of his most seasoned retainers, Hida Nagahide, to travel with the party in order to guide them safely through the Shadowlands.

While on the wall, the party heard reports from scouts returning from the field of an oni named Atsumari—a powerful demon partially responsible for the defeat of Daylight Castle—raising an army of the dead deep in the Shadowlands.

After training, studying, and living with the Crab at the watchtower for a week, the party was finally allowed passage into the Shadowlands, an escort of brave warriors at their side, and a myriad of dark rumors filling their heads…

Characters and Locations/ Glossary

Ashigaru- Conscripted peasants forced to serve as light infantry in times of war.

Atsumari no Oni- Demon general who served in the Maw, the Shadowlands army which conquered Daylight Castle.

Bayushi Tsubasa- Scorpion samurai. Personal retainer of Hida Hachiro.

Bishamon- Fortune of strength.

Bushi- “Warrior.” Samurai who serve their lords using martial arts.

Bushido- “The way of the warrior.” The code of conduct by which all Rokugani samurai strive to live.

Castle of the Emerald Champion- Emerald Champion’s seat of power. Permanent station of the Emerald Magistrates.

Clear Water Village- Small community deep within Crab territory. Location of Yasuki Keiji’s estate.

Daimyo- A great lord appointed to the head of a family. Answers directly to the Emperor.

Daisho- A set of swords, the Katana and the Wakizashi. It is a symbol of a samurai’s status within society.

Daylight Castle- (see “About Daylight Castle” in Episode 1 show notes).

Emerald Champion- Commander of the Imperial Legions and enforcer of Imperial law.

Emerald Magistrates- Agents of the Emerald Champion tasked with upholding Imperial law in places where local jurisdiction is uncertain.

Fortune- A god.

Fukurokujin- Fortune of mercy and wisdom.

Fu Leng- The Dark Kami. His fall from the heavens made a bridge between Ningen-do and Jigoku, resulting in the creation of the Shadowlands.

Gaku- Servant of Kitsu Sokori. Kidnapped Otomo Hiroshige. Thought to have been killed in Slow Tide Harbor.

Gempukku- A coming-of-age test for young samurai. Upon its completion, the samurai will be considered an adult.

Gunsō- A sergeant.

Hida Hachiro- Crab samurai. Taisa of Spear of Dawn Watchtower.

Hida Nagahide- Crab samurai. Gunsō of Crab ranging party.

Jigoku- The realm of evil.

Kaiu Wall- (see “About the Wall” in Episode 1 show notes).

Kami- Elemental spirits of nature.

Kansen- Malevolent spirits.

Katana- A long sword about three and a half feet in length.

Kitsu Sokori- Maho-Tsukai. Connected to string of crimes along Rokugan’s coast. Ordered dead by the Emerald Champion.

Maho- Magic evoking dark spirits.

Maho-Tsukai- Practitioners of Maho rituals.

Ningen-do- The realm of mortals.

Oni- Native inhabitants of Jigoku. Powerful demons with magical powers.

Otomo Hiroshige- Son of an imperial noble. Rescued from Slow Tide Harbor by Emerald Magistrates.

Otosan Uchi- Political capital of Rokugan. The Emperor’s formal seat of power.

Oyumi- A crossbow.

Rokugan- (see “About Rokugan” in Episode 1 show notes).

Ronin- “Wave man” or “wanderer.” Masterless samurai who often become bandits or mercenaries.

Samurai- “One who serves.” Land-owning Rokugani nobles whose lives are sworn to serve a lord.

The Shadowlands- (see “About the Shadowlands” in Episode 1 show notes).

Shiro Hiruma- (see “About Daylight Castle” in Episode 1 show notes).

Shugenja- Priests capable of communicating with the kami.

Slow Tide Harbor- Major trade hub of Rokugan. Reputation for illicit activities.

Spear of Dawn Watchtower- One of twelve castle watchtowers built along the Wall. Watchtower closest to Clear Water Village.

Taisa- A colonel.

Wakizashi- A short sword about two and a half feet in length. The symbol of a samurai’s soul.

Yasuki Keiji- Crab samurai. Uncle of Kaiu Tomo.

Yasuki Ippei- Crab samurai. Quartermaster of Spear of Dawn Watchtower.

Additional Info (Links)

About Rokugan

About Daylight Castle

About the Great Clans

About the Shadowlands

About the Wall

Art:

Album Art by Dylan Munoz

Music:

"Ethereal Presence" by Brandon Spain

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Shadowlands Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Crab Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Sexy" by https://www.bensound.com

"Better Days" by https://www.bensound.com

"Instinct" by https://www.bensound.com\

"Relaxing" by https://www.bensound.com

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi were brought in to see Kuni Chiyagi as they were preparing to depart Bright Spring Fort. The air in his study was thick and uncomfortable as the colossal man searched for the correct words to express his complicated emotions. It was clear he had many things to say to the party before they left.

He started by apologizing for his earlier outburst, saying that his show of disrespect was not befitting of a samurai. He then begrudgingly promised Yoshi that he would undo the binding ritual after their mission was over— a display of courtesy to the monk who sacrificed his very soul for the protection of Rokugan.

Next, he asked if Tomo could promise Clear Water Village’s support through the winter. Winters are harsh in Rokugan, and places like Bright Spring Fort struggle for resources even in the tamest of weather. Tomo pledged his honor on it, both men looking for a prosperous future between their families.

Finally, Chiygagi confronted Buro about his Yogo heritage. Buro admitted that he has the blood of the Yogo within him, and is haunted by the curse of that family—a curse which dooms Buro to betray the person he most loves. This was the news Chiyagi most feared. Worrying for his daughter’s life—he forbade Akari from continuing her journey with the party.

At that moment, one of the women from the fort interrupted the samurai’s meeting with the shugenja. She informed Chiyagi that the boy-courier, Tadashi, did not return home last night—and the letters he was carrying unaccounted for.

Chiyagi turned his suspicion to the party, interrogating them, while the woman demanded they be imprisoned until Tadashi was found. Fed up with the baseless allegations and fearing potential imprisonment, Tomo pointed out that there was no evidence connecting them to the disappearance of the boy, and reminding Chiyagi that a boy of ten could have easily gotten lost in the wastes or delayed on his route without their interference. Coming to his senses and remembering the heroes he was speaking to, Chiyagi allowed the party to leave—but promised that if Tadashi was found injured, they would surely pay for it.

Before departing, Buro sought out Akari, finding her locked away in her room with guards preventing him from seeing her.

The party left Bright Spring Fort with no fanfare and no affection. Suspicious eyes and dirty looks were their only farewell. 

A couple miles down the road from the fort, the party heard hooves approaching them from behind. They turned to see Akari on a galloping steed, warning them that they needed to hurry.

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Burezu's Theme" by Brandon Spain

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"Sultry Silence" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Battle Storm" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Conniving and Mysterious" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kuni Waste Jam" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kaiu Tomo, Soshi no Burezu, and Kuni Akari have spent the past month recuperating in Clear Water Village from their adventure into the Shadowlands. Along with them is Bayushi Tsubasa, who has been recruited to help the party—a favor owed to him for helping them prepare for their previous mission.

While there, Soshi Buro spent his time helping Kuni Akari with the wound she sustained at Daylight Castle as well as forging a mask—a rite of passage for all Scorpion samurai. Kaiu Tomo started his duties as governor of Clear Water Village and crafted himself a yumi made of an enigmatic dark wood that his uncle had begun selling at port.

One late summer day, the party received a letter inviting them all to the Emperor’s winter court in the capital city, Otosan Uchi. Their purpose at court is threefold: first, to tell their story so the emperor may hear it firsthand; second, to show Togashi Yoshi’s armor to the emperor; and third, to head a council which will determine the final resting place of the armor.

Upon hearing this invitation, Kuni Akari suggested they seek out her father, Kuni Chiyagi, who lives in the Kuni Wastes. She says that he may know a way to open a permanent link between themselves, and Togashi Yoshi. Their time is short though, as Yoshi’s armor will be a necessary component in her father’s work, and they may never have access to it again. 

While preparing to leave and enjoying their last night in town, they met a boisterous Lion bard named, Ikoma Kenshi. He had heard the tale of the party’s journey beyond the wall, and wished to meet the folk heroes for himself. Kenshi, recognizing Tomo, Buro, and Akari’s fame as a stepping stone for his own personal glory, asked to join them on the road in exchange for music and entertainment.

That same night, Buro received a letter from his father, daimyo Soshi Bantaro. In his letter, Bantaro dismissed his son’s accomplishments and demanded that Buro return home for his own winter court. Conflicted and angry, Buro wrote a letter back to his father, ignoring the daimyo’s request and insulting his honor.

Kaiu Tomo, Soshi no Burezu, Kuni Akari, Bayushi Tsubasa, and the newly recruited Ikoma Kenshi now travel deeper into the Crab lands, to the Kuni Wastes, in search of a way to bring the Martyr Monk, Togashi Yoshi, back to the realm of the living… unsure of whatever that may entail.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music:

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Timpani" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Tsubasa's Theme" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Sake House" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Background Harp" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi and the Emerald Magistrates traveled through the tunnels beneath Otosan Uchi with their captive in tow. Little did they know, their prisoner had been putting out secret messages to the saboteurs lying in wait in the caves. When Kenshi and his crew came to an especially narrow corridor, the saboteurs attacked, coming at them from both sides. A battle ensued, taking lives from both sides, including the life of Kitsuki Mayumi. Having failed multiple attempts at routing his attackers, and realizing that he was outclassed, Kenshi surrendered. 

Meanwhile, exiled from the Emperor’s court, Buro decided to return to the Scorpion embassy to gather his things. Upon arriving, he found that a group of Crane courtiers had come to the embassy the night before to present gifts to the heroes of Rokugan: Buro, Tomo, Akari, and Kenshi. The gifts were sent by Doji Shizue, a powerful member of the Crane clan who seemed eager to speak with the party. Buro collected these gifts along with his other belongings and hopped into the tunnels beneath the embassy, hoping to find his friends.

Below his room, Buro found a man seemingly guarding the entrance into the caves. The man would not let Buro pass, so the shugenja melded into the stone of the cavern walls and reappeared in an empty chamber. Here, he asked for assistance from the Earth kami, hoping they could lend clues which would help him reunite with his allies.

Buro was shocked to discover that the kami who dwelt here were extremely unhappy. They told him that treachery of the highest caliber was being bred in these caves, and that a weapon to destroy the kami was being housed within. A tremor then ran through the caverns, collapsing many tunnels which had fallen into disrepair.

Worried about Kenshi, Tomo, Yoshi, and Akari, Buro rushed to find his friends in the labyrinth of stone. He used everything he could think of to search for them, only to eventually collapse from exhaustion. In one of the many darkened chambers, Buro laid down to rest.

Somewhere deep in the caves, Tomo awoke from his sleep to see Kenshi and the magistrates being put into stockades beside him. The two friends reunited, and shared what they knew about what was going on. At that time, Akari revealed that she had been listening to the saboteurs go over their plans down the hall.

The saboteurs were to lie in wait beneath the city until the command was given to strike. Then they would infiltrate the Forbidden City; one group would secure the perimeter, and a second group would gather hostages. Together, they would hold the city until relieved by Shoju and his forces. The saboteurs were being led by two men. One named Aramoro, and another named Sairento.

At that moment, a commotion broke out, and scouts informed the one named Aramoro that a large group of armed samurai have attacked their patrols. Aramoro took a contingent warriors and went off to quell these attacks, leaving Sairento behind to hold down their operations.

After Aramoro and his forces departed, the saboteurs guarding the captives were ambushed. Appearing out of the shadows was Tsuruchi and his Wasp samurai. Key in hand, he rescued Tomo, Kenshi, Akari, and the Emerald Magistrates, and armed them with their confiscated equipment. Tsuruchi explained that it was merely a diversion, and that they lacked the manpower to withstand an all out assault. They had to leave now.

Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari were left with an impossible decision: Yoshi’s armor was still unaccounted for. Do they face the saboteurs and reclaim the spirit of the Martyr Monk, or do they escape now while the enemy is distracted? With heavy hearts, the samurai decided to abandon the caves, and leave the armor to its fate.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

The Gaijin's Journey by Podcast of the Five Rings

Nighttime Antics by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kitsune Spirit by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Treehouse by Podcast of the Five Rings

Fight Dojo 1 by Brandon Spain

Cave Drips by Everythingsounds https://freesound.org/people/everythingsounds/sounds/199515/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi were introduced to Tsubasa’s father, the Scorpion general Bayushi Togai. Togai commended the party for their mission into the Shadowlands and expressed his gratitude for their heroism. He told the party that he wished their courage could be a good example for his son. A deep tension could be felt between Tsubasa and his father-- the only time Tsubasa ever seemed outwardly anxious.

After his father left, Buro asked Tsubasa about the tension he felt between the two of them. Tsubasa admitted that it has been difficult living in the shadow of his father, the esteemed general. His father exudes greatness, and everything Tsubasa does seems to be the wrong thing. Buro could relate to Tsubasa’s difficult relationship with his father, and offered him words of encouragement. It is a struggle Tsubasa has dealt with all his life, but he now seems ready to atone for his wayward youth and accept responsibility for the life he has been thrust into. Nonetheless, he appreciated Buro’s sentiments and was happy to have bonded with him.

Wanting to make an impression on his clan’s leadership at Winter Court, Tomo moved to apologize for his clumsy behavior in front of the Emperor. Here, Tomo was introduced to Hiruma Kage, the son of the Hiruma daimyo. Kage began pouring sake and asking Tomo questions about his time in the Shadowlands, and thanked him for rescuing his ancestral homeland from the clutches of Atsumari no Oni. Kage mentioned that Clan Champion, Hida Kisada, is rallying the Crab armies to retake Shiro Hiruma and forge a new front against the hordes of the Shadowlands. The two talked late into the night, when Kage finally revealed that he had been sent to retrieve the armor of The Martyr Monk on behalf of the Hiruma family.

Meanwhile, Kenshi went to speak with his own clan’s leadership. He sat before Akodo Toturi, Matsu Tsuko, and Ikoma Ujiaki. Even from his brief interaction with them, Kenshi sensed a deep divide between the three leaders, especially from Tsuko, who claimed that court was a misuse of her skills and a waste of her time.            

While at the banquet, Buro noticed Akari move to speak with the minor clans of Rokugan. Curious, Buro decided to eavesdrop on her conversation. He overheard her speaking with Suzume Yugoki, champion of the Sparrow Clan. Akari began with quaint small talk, but soon began asking Yugoki about the Hare Clan, and their association with maho. Uncomfortable by the line of questioning, Yugoki quickly left the conversation.

After the banquet, Buro decided to confront Akari about the growing distance he had sensed from her, and the cause of her discomfort at court. Akari expressed her mounting concern about bringing Yoshi’s armor to Otosan Uchi, and the growing web of intrigue which they have been caught in since arriving at the capital. She questioned if bringing Yoshi to court was a good idea after all. Buro admitted that a lot of suspicious things have been happening since arriving in the capital, but he expressed fear that if disaster were coming their way, they may already be in too deep to get themselves out of it. The two agreed to speak things over with the rest of the party before making a decision.

Kenshi followed the Lion delegate back to their guest house for a private meeting. He was brought in to play music for Toturi, Tsuko, and Ujiaki while they discussed their plans for the future of their clan. The three lions expressed very different strategies for the war: Toturi made it clear that he wants to sue for peace with the Crane Clan and end things as soon as possible. He felt the war had gone on long enough, and that more bloodshed would be pointless. Ujiaki, on the other hand, felt the Lion could still win the war. He laid out a plan to portray the Crane as belligerents in order to garner public support for the Lion war effort, and build alliances in the courts. Finally, Tsuko demanded that the Lion start throwing their full weight into the war. Up to this point, the Lion had been leery of escalating the war, but Tsuko believed such caution was foolish. If they were going to be dragged into this conflict, they needed to start fighting to win. Part of her strategy was to levy more troops, including conscripting soldiers from the Fox Clan. She described her plan to attack the Fox if Kitsune Ryosei does not respond to her negotiations. 

Their meeting was interrupted when a courier broke into the room with a message for Matsu Tsuko from the front line. Commander Matsu Toshiro had been killed while deployed near Brittle Flower Village, the courier explained. As Tsuko began to open the letter, Kenshi declared that he was the one who killed Toshiro. With defiance in his voice, Kenshi proudly announced his Fox heritage before the heads of the Lion, and told them that Toshiro was a poor excuse for a samurai. All should strive to live a more honorable life than he.

“You killed my cousin,” were Tsuko’s last words.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

**To be added**

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa sat in the castle tea room speaking with Mamoru Nakama, the shapeshifting wolf, and Dzudh Khan, the wandering monk. Nakama seemed to have marked Ide Toshio, a diplomat from the Unicorn clan, as his prey, worried that he was the cause of the over-hunting in the forest. Boa tried to get Nakama to understand that larger factors were at play, but Nakama would not hear it. It appeared Nakama had a plan to stop Reju Jikai’s hunting in the forest and it had something to do with Ide Toshio, but Nakama wouldn’t speak of the details. Before Boa could ask any deeper questions, Nakama prowled away. Dzudh suggested finding a way to gain Nakama’s trust, maybe then he would elaborate on his plans.

The next couple weeks at Closed Shell Castle fell into a comfortable routine. Kaizoku began his assignment guarding the castle wall at night. During his shifts, he began to subtly plot Zagra’s escape. He studied every nook and cranny of the castle wall’s and took careful inventory of the personnel who had direct contact with the prisoners as well as their routines and schedules. One night, after being urged by Setsuo, the village elder, Kaizoku wrote a letter to Twin Blessings Village to inform the village that Setsuo was alive and well. 

Boa and Tsume both completed their training with Reju Masaru and were given permanent assignments. Boa would work in the keep, overseeing day to day life and keeping the servants in line, while Tsume would become a member of the ranging parties which make frequent trips outside the castle. 

One night, Tsume decided to confront the lady of the castle, Seppun Azusa, about the information he had on Miya Shinkako. He told Azusa that he required an audience with her and her husband, Reju Jikai, so that he could tell them the secret which Shinkako had been hiding from them. Azusa was intrigued and promised to arrange a meeting.

As Kaizoku was settling into his guard duties one evening, he received two letters, both from Natsumi of Twin Blessings Village. The first was addressed to him. It was thanking him for helping to support the village and writing on Setsuo’s behalf, as well as updating the pirate on the status of his ship: the repairs were finished and it was waiting to set sail at Twin Blessings Village. The second letter was addressed to Setsuo. Kaizoku read it greedily. He was shocked at what it had to say. Apparently the people of Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village had had enough of Reju Jikai’s tyranny and, along with the bandits of the forest, they were planning a revolt. 

Kaizoku laughed to himself, reflecting on the naivety of the villagers. The fact that they thought they stood a chance against the castle was bad enough, but to put the information so bluntly into a letter and not believe anyone would read it… Utterly astounding. Despite that, he was a little moved by the courage and sincerity of the villagers.

“Can’t have anyone know about this,” he thought to himself as he burned the letter.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshi, Tomo, Buro, and their retinue of Crab samurai stood face to face with an oni in the former daimyo’s quarters of Daylight Castle. The oni wore a pale kimono of woven human eyes, and where normally there would be eyes on the face of the monster, there were only two giant gaping mouths. After discovering the beast was afraid of fire, Buro and Yoshi attempted to draw the beast out from its hiding place in the darkness of the ruined castle. Seeing Buro put in harm’s way, Kuni Akari abandoned her position with the other Crab samurai and ran to protect Buro. Lashing out in defense, the oni attacked Akari, latching its mouths to her face and sucking her eyes right from their sockets. Her eyes became yet another pair in the oni’s collection. With their combined abilities, the party eventually defeated the oni and reclaimed the ancestral blade of the Hiruma from the daimyo’s quarters, the third and final key described by Hiruma Masami.

The party then returned the ancestral wakizashi to the Hiruma daimyo, Hiruma Tomoharu, caged in obsidian on the floor beneath them. As his final wish, he asked that the party return this precious heirloom to the Hiruma family, so it may be with its rightful owners. With this blade, Tomoharu then committed seppuku, allowing his soul to move on to the afterlife, and releasing his body of its hideous cage.

Shortly after his death, a large tremor shook the castle like an earthquake. Investigating its source, the party discovered that one of the towers which had previously been completely destroyed had now been resurrected as a ghostly visage of its former self. Upon entering this tower, they found it crawling with the resurrected dead, intent on killing them as they made their way up the tower. At the top, the party found the maho-tsukai, Kitsu Sokori performing some kind of dark ritual with the revived corpse of her loyal bodyguard, Gaku.

Wading through a horde of the undead, the party were not able to reach Sokori before she completed her ritual. Upon its completion, the souls of the fallen Hiruma returned to Daylight Castle and the Plain of Last Stand, tearing them from their sleep in Yume-do. With the ritual complete, a shadow stirred in the corner of the tower, revealing itself to be the ancient demon, Atsumari no Oni. Looking over the castle and the distant plain, Atsumari used his demonic powers to return the fallen samurai to life, creating an army of undead warriors.

Yoshi, Tomo, Buro and what remains of their Crab retinue now stand in the ghostly remains of the destroyed tower, being overwhelmed by an onslaught of skeletal minions. Opposite them, are the evil sorceress, Kitsu Sokori, and her dark lord, Atsumari no Oni, the soul rending demon responsible for the fall of Daylight Castle. Before them, the newly resurrected remains of the fallen Hiruma, an unholy horde of profane warriors hungry for one thing… the death of all life.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The ronin were brought into the castle and taken to the training yard. After an hour, the castle taisa appeared. Reju Masaru welcomed the ronin into his ranks and explained the regimen at Closed Shell Castle. They would be brought in as new recruits, trained and mentored, and eventually given an assignment as a permanent member of the castle garrison. In exchange for their service, they would be given a place to sleep, three meals a day, and once they completed their training, they would be paid 1 koku a week. It would seem that Closed Shell Castle was serious about raising an army of well trained soldiers. The ronin convinced Masaru to let them begin their training the following day, so they could spend the rest of the day settling in and getting a feel for the castle.

Kaizoku staged himself in the mess hall, playing games with the other hired ronin and getting to know them. He discovered that Masaru’s promise of gainful employment was legit. The other ronin seemed quite content with life at Closed Shell Castle. For many, it felt good to wake up every morning with a purpose, and it was the only opportunity for reliable pay in the region.

Meanwhile, Tsume and Boa spoke with the castle shugenja, an eccentric young man named Reju Tetsuya. Tsume told the priest about his affliction as well as the circumstances that lead to it. Tetsuya performed a Cleansing Rite, dispelling Tsume’s affliction, but was sure to take careful note of the fight with Naoki. He didn’t quite seem to believe that the merchant’s death was in self defense. Tetsuya then recommended that Tsume bring the cursed wakizashi to Miya Shinkako, a guest of Lord Reju Jikai who had been staying at Closed Shell Castle for a couple weeks.

Boa asked the priest about the wolves they encountered on the road the previous night. Tetsuya claimed he didn’t know anything about it, but Boa felt like he was hiding something. He pressed the shugenja, commanding him that something needs to be done about the balance in the forest. Tetsuya seemed ashamed of himself, stating that he had done things which he could never be forgiven for. He then fled the room.

Tsume trailed him to see where he was going. The priest fled the keep, traveled across the bailey to the exterior wall where a derelict tower stood. He climbed through a half-hidden hole in the tower, and traversed the dry moat surrounding the castle. He then rested at a rock outcropping, shaded by the only tree visible near the castle. It appeared the place was a common meeting place. Tetsuya sat there, clearly troubled by inner turmoil. As the sun set, the priest began to meditate.

As Tsume trailed Tetsuya, Boa searched the priest’s private quarters. Hidden away behind a pile of books and scrolls, Boa found a small leather pouch. It contained a series of cryptic messages on folded and crumpled pieces of paper. Each one had a date and time written on it. Boa was a thorough and methodical investigator, but he was not a sneaky one. As he was going through the hidden notes, he knocked over a glass case, alerting the servants outside. They ran to investigate the sound and immediately called for the guards.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa make their way to Beidan Pass - their last major obstacle to overcome before they get to Otosan Uchi. Kenshi's friends help him learn more about his mysterious past. Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new bonus content! 

---SHOW NOTES---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa sat before the Scorpion champion himself, Bayushi Shoju. He greeted the samurai with hospitality, and told them that Tsubasa requested his help on a grave issue. Tomo explained their predicament to Shoju and asked for his assistance. Shoju admitted that the Taint is a serious problem in Rokugan, and that there is no known cure for it. The best they can do is speak with the Kuni family and hope they may know of a way to reverse its effect. In reality, becoming tainted usually spells the end of a samurai’s career, either living on in forced exile, becoming a patient of the Kuni Purifiers, or in some cases, execution.

Shoju told the party that he did have a short term solution for their problem though, until they can finish their mission and seek help from the Kuni family. He explained that he had in his retainership the greatest scholars of the Yogo Wardmaster school. They will be able to mask the taint, preventing anyone from detecting it, and slowing its spread so it does not corrupt the armor any further. The party was hesitant about accepting this treatment, but eventually relented. Shoju explained to the party that it was his great pleasure to aid them in their mission, as they are true heroes of Rokugan, and that his support should be seen as a thank you on behalf of the empire.

With that settled, the samurai asked Shoju about the Hare clan and the Yasuki Logging Company. Shoju admitted that the Emperor ordered him to execute the Hare for conducting Maho, and as a sign of admiration for the Crab clan and token of support for the Yasuki family, agreed to give Shiro Usagi to the Yasuki family. When questioned about the sword stand Buro found in the remains of the Hare castle, Shoju said it probably belonged to some precious family heirloom, the whereabouts of which he knows nothing of.

When asked about the Lion-Crane War, Shoju told the story of the war so far, and its slow escalation into the brutal conflict that it has become. Shoju identified what he believes is the root cause of the war: incompetent leadership on both sides. The Crane is lead by the inexperienced boy Doji Hoturi, who many  believe is nothing more than a young boy waging war to prove himself a man. On the other side, the Lion clan is lead by an equally untested young man, Akodo Toturi. Rumor has it that he is eager to make peace with Hoturi, which has incensed many of the other Lion daimyos who see that as a sign of weakness. Shoju revealed that the Scorpion clan has not chosen a side in the war, and that their top priority will always be to protect and serve the emperor, above all else.

Immediately after their audience with Shoju, the party delivered Yoshi’s armor the high priests of the Yogo Wardmasters. The samurai sat in awe as these masters performed the ritual. Before long, the taint ofarmor was undetectable by jade, and Yoshi admitted that discomforting presence had been abated-- not expelled, but certainly slowed. After the ritual, the wardmasters reminded the party what was at stake. Their secret needed to be kept under wraps at all costs. If it was discovered that Yoshi’s armor was tainted and that they willingly masked it in order to sneak it into the emperor’s court, the consequences would indeed be dire. The priests explained that they should consider themselves lucky that Lord Bayushi Shoju is so sympathetic to their cause.

The next day, the party set out from Kyuden Bayushi, a heavy rain bearing down upon them. The road sprawled out to the north east, toward the Spine of the World, where its lowest peaks were already covered in snow. Behind them sat Kyuden Bayushi, watching their every step toward Otosan Uchi.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Dragon Theme by Brandon Spain

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kuni Waste Jam by Podcast of the Five Rings

Battle Storm by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Previously on Podcast of the Five Rings… The three ronin sat in audience with Otomo Nobu, the castle steward. The lord, Reju Jikai, it seemed could not be bothered with such matters at that hour. Boa stood accused of attempting to steal from Reju Tetsuya’s private quarters. With some quick thinking, he was able to hide the note he found arranging a time and date for a meeting with Tetsuya. 

Nobu seemed unaffected by the accusation now facing the three. It seemed he was quite used to dealing with unruly ronin. He said all they needed was a bit of discipline. Their punishment was thus: they would spend each night of the first two weeks of their training helping the servants tend to the castle; cooking and serving meals, cleaning the floors, caring for the animals. An embarrassing sentence, but Nobu made it quite clear that it would be much more severe if they ever acted out again. 

After their audience, they were shown to their quarters in the barracks where they would be living during their stay at Closed Shell Castle. On their way to the barracks, they were confronted by the ronin, Rin. She was the same person who was brutalizing the villagers when the three arrived at Twin Blessings Village, and the same one who was responsible for burning down the waystation, killing many innocents. She said that she’d be watching them, and if they ever slipped again, she’d make sure Nobu knew about it.

The next day, their training with Reju Masaru began. His regimen was challenging, but measured. He knew what he was doing when it came to organizing and leading the soldiers under his command. For the next two weeks, he trained the ronin, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and pushing them. At night, the ronin would work with the servants. The work was exhausting and made the training with Masaru even more difficult. However, working with the servants allowed them to gain knowledge of the castle and a convenient reason to explore its grounds. 

Boa befriended the head servant, Anzu. He had a natural talent for hard labor, and the two bonded over an appreciation for simple living. Anzu ran a tight ship, but lightened up a bit after becoming friends with the former samurai. With Anzu distracted, the ronin could navigate the castle a little more easily.

One night, Boa decided to investigate the shrine to Shinsei, working with the servants to scrape off the strange black chalk that caked the hall. He discovered that Tetsuya had left the castle. One night, without saying anything to anyone, he packed his belongings and left and now Masaru had a small party of soldiers searching for him. Following the shugenja’s exodus, the strange black substance had been all but cleaned from the shrine. It appeared he was responsible for supplying the shrine with a pungent incense which clouded the shrine with black smoke and clung to the walls. Working in the shrine, Boa noticed the monk, Dzudh, and a strongly built woman meditating there. There was nothing supernatural about the woman, but Boa sensed an extreme feeling of anger and resentment radiating from the woman.

While working with the servants, Tsume considered investigating the meeting which had been arranged with Tetsuya. He knew the time and place of the meeting, and a curiosity burned in him to uncover the mystery behind it, but he decided it was too risky. He couldn’t afford being caught sneaking around the castle grounds and intruding upon a secret meeting. Especially not after Boa’s accusation. Instead, he decided to lay low, focus on the work at hand. Anzu, the lead servant, tended to his wound as well.

Always on the search for trouble, Kaizoku spent his time picking up rumors around the castle—paying particular attention to any potential criminal activity which could be occurring on the grounds. Speaking with one of the servants, Kaizoku learned that an eccentric gaijin was being held in the dungeon below the castle. Some kind of pirate being prepped for transfer to Toshi Ranbo, supposedly. Deciding to follow up on this lead, Kaizoku made a trip down to the dungeons to serve the prisoners their meal one evening. 

The first prisoner was a familiar face and an expected one as well. It was Setsuo, the leader of Twin Blessings Village. He was surprised to see Kaizoku there and asked what he was doing. Deflecting the question entirely, he feigned his surprise and asked the old man the same thing. Setsuo told him he lied to the magistrate about the village’s crop yields and had been arrested for tax evasion. He was clearly ashamed of himself, but stood his ground, saying that lord Jikai’s taxes were outrageous, and that he had to do what he did so he could support the village. 

The second prisoner Kaizoku saw down in the dungeons was also a familiar face, though one far less expected. His torch slowly illuminated the gaijin. He was quick and lithe, prowling his cell like a caged panther with sharp, piercing eyes. His skin the color of cinnamon. His name was Zagra. In a previous life, he and Kaizoku had been crewmates.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshi, Tomo, Buro, and their retinue of Crab samurai were brought to Yume-do—the realm of dreams—by a mysterious woman bearing the mon of the Moth clan. This woman identified herself as having been a shugenja stationed at Daylight Castle when the castle fell to the Shadowlands. She further explained that as a last ditch effort to protect the souls of the Hiruma from being consumed by the demon Atsumari, she completed a ritual which took the souls to Yume-do where they have been hiding for the last 400 years. The woman asked the party for their help undoing the ritual so that the souls of the fallen Hiruma may finally rest in peace. In order to do so, the party would have to find three keys which could be found in Daylight Castle. First, they would have to find the last verse of the Moth shugenja’s ritual which could be found in the castle’s temple. Secondly, they would have to find the ancestral blade of the Hiruma, a wakizashi which belonged to the Hiruma daimyo. Finally, the last key was to identify the Moth shugenja’s name which the shugenja had forgotten as part of the ritual.

The audience with the strange woman was rushed to an end, as the party came under attack by the Crimson Moon Tribe in their camp on the Plain of Last Stand. The Nezumi attempted to overwhelm the party in the dark of the night with superior numbers and advantageous positioning. At the site of these attackers, Togashi Yoshi, overcome by his fear of rats, fled from combat, leaving the rest of the party to fend for themselves against overwhelming numbers. After a grave battle which left most of the party wounded and in poor condition (including Kuni Akari who barely managed to survive thanks to a selfless act of courage by Soshi Burezu), the party fended off the Nezumi attackers and proceeded on their mission to Daylight Castle.

That day, the party scoured the Plain of Last Stand for a subterranean entrance into the castle in order to avoid the potential traps which might still be active on the walls of Shiro Hiruma. After hours of searching, they eventually found an abandoned tunnel which would lead directly to the central keep. There, the party made camp for the night.

While camped out in the vacant tunnel, the party made a few startling discoveries. First, their food supply was running low. Realizing they only had about three days worth of food left, they decided to ration their remaining supplies, hoping to make it last for twice as long. Next, they discovered that Hiruma Takana was not recovering from his wound suffered by the oni which claimed his arm on the Plain of Last Stand. If he was not given immediate medical attention, he was not likely to survive much longer. Finally, they discovered that Kaiu Daisoto was deeply offended by Togashi Yoshi’s cowardice in the face of the Crimson Moon Tribe, damaging the trust which Yoshi worked hard to earn from him.

On the morning of the sixth day in the Shadowlands, the party ventured deeper into the tunnels until they eventually found their way beneath the interior castle walls. There they found a hidden courtyard which held evidence of once having been a garden with a deep well and shrine to the Fortunes in the castle interior. The plants were long dead and the Fortunes twisted into hideous and profane gestures. 

There, Buro spoke with the kami, revealing some secrets of the castle. The kami told him to speak with the sisters, mentioning that they have an unknown knowledge which he seeks. They also said that there had been another person communing with the spirits, seeking far greater power than Buro could understand. Finally, they told him that he should seek the daimyo’s quarters for an ancestral gift.

Moving forward, the party found a trap door leading away from the hidden courtyard. On the other side, they discovered the ruined remains of Daylight. They were now in the heart of the complex, in the great keep of the ancient castle, Shiro Hiruma.

Credits

Album Art by Dylan Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ethereal Presence" by Brandon Spain

"Dangerous" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Satiate" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and the samurai in their caravan have finally arrived at Otosan Uchi and have a hard time finding their way around. The party meets an incredibly helpful imperial nobleman who serves as their guide.

Featuring our friend and fellow L5R podcaster Evan Strite (Crimson Gold Agonies, Secondhand Strife) as Otomo Yasushi!

Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new bonus content!

--- SHOW NOTES ---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, Tsubasa, and Ryudo arrived in Otosan Uchi. Shortly after passing through the dilapidated walls of the outer city, Ryudo parted ways. He said he was leaving, but that he had a strong sense that they would all meet again.

The party then navigated through the confusing city streets until they reached the Road of the Most High, which took them directly to the inner city-- Otosan Uchi’s center for culture and politics. Here, they were met with zealous city guards who thoroughly investigated their paperwork and their belongings. In turn, each person was asked if they were carrying anything which could bring harm to the Emperor. Remembering Yoshi’s tainted armor, each person lied, and said they were harmless. Kuni Akari seemed outwardly uncomfortable about lying to the guards, but followed suit like everyone else. They then passed through the jade torii gate which seperated the outer from the inner city. The wards concealing the taint on Yoshi’s armor worked, and there was no indication of the affliction.

While searching for Agasha Sumiko, the samurai who the party was instructed to report to once they arrived in the city, the party was overwhelmed by the highly regimented and extremely formal way of life in the capitol. Everything seemed to have its own proper procedure, and courtly formalities were an art as much as they were necessary for survival.

After finding Sumiko’s quarters in the Chisei District, the party was forced to wait while she was summoned. While waiting, the party noticed that Akari’s discomfort had grown substantially. When Sumiko finally arrived, she introduced the party to Otomo Yasushi, who would act as the party’s guide to Otosan Uchi while they attended court. Additionally, Yasushi’s lord, Otomo Sanada, owed a great favor to Togashi Yoshi and Soshi Buro, so he invited the party to stay at the Otomo Guest House in the Forbidden City where Yasushi had been ordered to host them.

Yasushi then took the party to the Otomo Guest House so they could settle in. On their way into the Forbidden City, they noticed another jade torii gate guarding the walls of the city, and before entering, they were forced to take all their disarm their swords. Guards informed the party that due to mounting political tensions across the capital, weapons were not permitted here, unless proper authorization had been given.

Once inside the Otomo Guest House, Yasushi welcomed the party graciously, giving them a tour, and then cooking a sumptuous banquet. Tsubasa inspected the house thoroughly before recommending a location he thought would best suit storing Yoshi’s armor.

Over dinner, the party asked Yasushi’s advice on how to navigate the Imperial court, who to trust, who not to trust, and how to avoid the pitfalls of life in Otosan Uchi.  Yasushi’s advice was candid, but wise: “Trust no one,” he said, reminding the samurai that nothing is ever as it seems, and everything is about appearance. A simple error in judgment could spell the end of a courtier’s career, and scandals could ruin a clan’s reputation for generations.

After dinner, Tsubasa suggested that they all play a game. A game of coordination and reflexes that could serve as an icebreaker between host and guests. Being an expert on courtly life and all manner of games which samurai play, Yasushi won the game, but noticed that Tsubasa was watching him intently as they played. It was clear to Yasushi that Tsubasa was sizing him up, watching his footwork, studying his movements, judging his reflexes, and estimating his effectiveness in combat.

Yasushi coyly whispered to Tsubasa that he should be more subtle with his assessments, to which Tsubasa replied that he was merely doing his duty.

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Ancient Winds" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Our Story Begins" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Concentration" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Mysterious Stranger" by Brandon Spain

"Kuni Waste Jam" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

To celebrate breaking 10,000 downloads and one full year of podding, we recorded a bonus episode! Introducing the "Rokugani Cocktail Hour", where we try a few of the alcoholic beverages crafted for our clans created with recipes by Alex Jacobs and the "Rokugan...Drunken Style " supplement from Gencon 2004.

Join us as we make and taste the following beverages as we reminisce about the show so far!

• Deceptive Offer
• Ready for Battle
• Restoration of Balance
• Fight On

You can check out these recipes and more at https://craneclan.weebly.com/rokugan-mixology.html

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi is put on an impromptu trial at the Lion embassy. Buro, Tomo, Akari, and Tsubasa are graced with a visit by Lady Kachiko. Kenshi meets someone from his past.

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" and "Yoshi's Tales" bonus shows and more!

---SHOW NOTES---

Kenshi sat in audience with Akodo Toturi, Ikoma Ujiaki, and Matsu Tsuko. He admitted to having murdered Tsuko’s cousin, Matsu Toshiro. 

Tsuko launched into a rage, demanding Kenshi be executed for his crimes against the Lion clan. Taking advantage of the situation, Ujiaki dug into Tsuko’s wound, joking about her brash nature, and quickly turned  the room against her. 

Overwhelmed by the scene unfolding before him, Toturi questioned Kenshi, wishing to understand more about his motives and his character. Kenshi explained that he was acting out of self-defense, and that Toshiro was behaving in a dishonorable manner unbefitting of a samurai. Listening to his story, Toturi decided that perhaps Toshiro was in the wrong, and that Kenshi has honor in his heart after all.

Pressing Tsuko’s anger, Ujiaki claimed this could be an opportunity to stand for a new vision for the Lion clan. One that doesn’t bend to the barbaric nature of the Matsu family. Enraged by these comments, Tsuko unmasked. She told Ujiaki his words were nothing but a thinly veiled excuse to discredit her and her family, and that he will not have heard the last from her. She then turned to Kenshi and promised that one way or another, she will get justice for the death of Toshiro. She then stormed out of the room.

Wishing to regain control of the room and assert his authority as clan champion, Toturi proclaimed the fate of Kenshi should be his to decide, and that an investigation should be opened immediately.

Ujiaki then made an impassioned plea to allow him to decide Kenshi’s fate. Kenshi does, after all, bare the Ikoma name. Besides, Toturi is much too busy mediating the war with the Crane to devote himself to this as well. Toturi relented, and promised he would respect whatever decision Ujiaki came to regarding the Kenshi’s punishment.

Afterwards, Ujiaki spoke with Kenshi in private. He told him that his crime is extremely serious, but that he may be forgiven if he were willing to serve his clan. He explained that in two days, he will be hosting a party celebrating the betrothal of Akodo Toturi and Isawa Kaede. The heads of the Pheonix clan will be in attendance. If Kenshi were to tell his story of Stepping Stone Village, and highlight the destruction and devastation the Crane brought to the battlefield by using illicit gaijin weapons, then Ujiaki may be able to forgive Kenshi of his crime. If he’s unwilling to portray the Crane as honorless and bloodthirsty to the leaders of the Pheonix clan, then Ujiaki will be forced to punish Kenshi for his actions.

Meanwhile, Bayushi Kachiko showed up at the Scorpion embassy completely unannounced and requested an immediate audience with Buro, Tomo, Akari, and Tsubasa. She formally welcomed them to Otosan Uchi and to the Scorpion embassy. As a wise and gracious host, she imparted some wisdom to the samurai. Commenting on Buro and Tomo’s poor introduction before the Emperor, she remarked that “injury is more quickly forgotten than insult.” The lords and ladies of court are not quick to forgive such blatant affronts to their honor.

Next, she reminded the samurai that court this year is being held in dangerous times. Most prevalent among these dangers is the practice of maho throughout Rokugan. Her attention turned to Akari when she warned the party that to many, asking questions about maho is a short road to actually practicing it, and that one would not want to give the wrong impression about oneself. 

Before leaving, she left the party with some parting words: “Secrets and porcelain have one thing in common. Drop either of them, and the whole world hears it.”

Later, Kenshi returned to his quarters in the Lion embassy to find an origami fox with a hidden message inside. The message instructed him to meet at a park on the outskirts of town. Once there, he met Kitsune Ryosei and briefed her on all the information he had just acquired on the Lion clan.

Upon giving this information, an orange and brown cat revealed itself from a nearby tree and jumped to the grass beside Ryosei. The cat transformed to reveal its true self-- an attractive young woman slightly older than Kenshi. She introduced herself as Niao, and confirmed everything Kenshi had said as being true. Niao had been sent to follow Kenshi and make sure his loyalty truly stands with the Fox.

Niao revealed something else as well. She was in attendance at the Emperor’s commencement banquet when Kenshi sang his song before the court. Though she did not recognize Kenshi, his voice was unmistakable to her. It was a voice she had not heard since she was very, very young. She is certain that Kenshi is her estranged brother, separated when the Lion raided their village.

Niao then volunteered to teach Kenshi the techniques of the Fox and unlock the latent power he has within. Coursing through his veins is the blood of the Kitsune and their shapechanging ways.

With that, Ryosei had been given a lot to consider. She bid Kenshi a good night and told him that she may have a new mission for him very soon.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Cold Truths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Ekohikei Afternoon" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kachiko's Waltz" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Master of the Feast" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa had just heard the news that Mamoru Nakama was planning an attack on Jikai’s hunting party. Thinking quickly, he notified Tsume and used his contacts in the castle to get an anonymous letter to Jikai warning him of the ambush. The next morning, everyone in the castle stood at the gates to see the hunting party off. Excitement was in the air, mixed with a hint of unease. The lightweight and flexible clothes normally worn on such an expedition were replaced with lacquered armor. It appeared that Boa’s note had made an impact on the lord.

As the hunting party left the castle, Boa tried to follow them, unnoticed. He was caught by none other than Otomo Nobu, who ordered him to get back to work. Disregarding his order, Boa fled the castle, trailing Jikai’s hunting party across the countryside. The last thing he heard was Nobu gathering ronin to chase after him.

On the trail, Tsume chatted with the other members of the hunt. He spoke with Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir. Tsume got a sense that Ume hated Closed Shell Castle and quietly resented her uncle for bringing her to that place. Noticing the general unease among the party, Tsume talked to Jikai’s yojimbo, Jinzaburo. Speaking candidly, he revealed that Jikai received a letter warning him of an ambush. Uncertain of the letter’s validity, the lord decided not to call off the hunt, but being cautious, he ordered that everyone be armed and armored.

Camped out in a clearing upon a hill, the party began their hunt. For the first time in months, Jikai fully seemed himself, finally able to enjoy one of his favorite artforms: falconry. The lord brought his entire collection of birds, each one personally trained by him. He happily mentored Tsume on the proper technique before letting the bird loose and catching a plump rabbit. Tsume skinned and dressed the rabbit as only the son of a butcher could do, and then put the meat in a stew.

Spirits were high as the party sat down to enjoy some rabbit stew. As everyone laughed and ate, the fear that pervaded them washed away. Just as everyone was beginning to relax, the horses began to whinny. Looking up, the party realized they were surrounded. A pack of wolves encircled them, slowly creeping forward from the forest. Chief among them was an enormous wolf, twice the size of the others with silver fur and yellow eyes: Nakama.

The wolves fell on them, creating a mass of swirling, snarling jaws. They were everywhere. Overwhelmed and unable to retreat, the party was forced to stand their ground. The samurai drew their weapons and fought against the wolves bearing down on them. Nakama went straight for Reju Jikai— his mission was clear. However the bodyguard, Jinzaburo, bravely defended his lord against the tide of claws and fangs. 

Out from the forest yelled Boa, having crept behind the hunting party all day. He tried to reconcile with the beasts, but it was clear they were past that point. He drew his weapon and entered the fray. Hearing the sounds of battle from a not-too-distant-trail, Kaizoku came running through the forest. Upon seeing his friends in combat, he too joined the melee.

Before long, it was apparent that the crashing waves of wolves were too much for Jinzaburo to handle. He fell in battle, and the wolves were soon upon him, finishing him without remorse. Nakama now attacked Jikai directly.

Having lost half their number to samurai steel, the pack began to flee, but Nakama remained. With a final attack, he lunged at Jikai, ripping his right hand from his wrist. Jikai bled and cried in agony as the samurai struck at the giant wolf. With a final blow, Boa ended Nakama’s life. The spirit he failed to console became the beast he had to slay.

As the dust settled and the warriors caught their breath, the ronin Nobu ordered to find Boa discovered the party. They immediately tended to Jikai’s wounds and brought the party back to the castle. That morning, they departed the castle excited and shining in resplendent armor, but they returned beaten, bloody, and exhausted. Jinzaburo was dead, and Jikai was permanently wounded. Nobu accepted the party into the castle. Among them he found Kaizoku, the pirate he believed had released a prisoner and murdered a guard, and Boa, the trouble-making ronin defector. Nobu’s face contorted and a torrent of punishments and citations began to well up in his throat, but before a word could be uttered, Jikai spoke. He said, “these men saved my life.” 

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshi, Buro, Tomo, and their Crab clan escort set off from the Spear of Dawn Watchtower into the desolate world of the Shadowlands. After departing from the wall, Hida Nagahide explained to the party that Atsumari has enlisted the aid of the Crimson Moon tribe, a mercenary tribe of the ratlike Nezumi living in the Shadowlands. After careful deliberation, the party decided to make toward the Weeping Bog. Their hopes were to cross the River of the Last Stand at a less conspicuous place that wouldn’t be watched by Atsumari’s scouts.

While crossing the river, the party was attacked by a group of drowned corpses, resurrected by the malevolent powers of the Shadowlands. There were no casualties, but it was the party’s first glimpse at the horrifying magic in store for them, and an unsettling sign that tainted creatures are beginning to amass close to the Carpenter Wall.

That night, the party camped on the Black Waste. It was an opportunity for Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo to build new friendships with their protectors and partake in Crab traditions beyond the wall. 

The next day, the party chose to take a rarely traveled high road through the Twilight Mountains—a place known for its shifting cliffs, and eerie, smoke-like peaks. On a particularly dangerous pass, one of the Crab samurai lost his footing and almost fell to the valley below, however, Togashi Yoshi saved his life with a well-placed throw of his grappling hook. 

While camped out in the Twilight Mountains, the party got a sight of the skulking Crimson Moon tribe traveling through the forest beneath them—a haunting reminder that the twisted forces of the Shadowlands are hunting them in their sleep.

On their third day beyond the wall, the party began to hear dark whispers in their minds, as if the mountains were speaking to them telepathically. Distracted by the voices in their heads, the party veered off course into an unknown part of the mountains and away from the road leading them to Hiruma valley.

Lost, confused, and tormented by the mountain’s dark whispers, one of the Crab escort, a samurai named Yasuki Hidekawa, unmasked and proclaimed that they were being lead to certain death. Renouncing Hida Nagahide’s authority and refusing his orders to carry on, Yasuki Hidekawa demanded to turn around. The punishment for insubordination beyond the wall is death, so Hida Nagahide, being left with no other choice, drew her sword, ready to cut Yasuki Hidekawa down on the spot.

Character and Locations Glossary

The Black Waste- Barren field at the base of The Twilight Mountains in the Shadowlands.

Bo- Humble wooden staff, roughly six feet long.

Bokken- Wooden practice sword used for sparring.

Crimson Moon Tribe- Mercenary tribe of Nezumi outriders hired by Atsumari no Oni.

Hiruma Takana- Crab samurai. Member of the ranging party sent to protect Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo.

Hiruma Yuto- Crab samurai. Member of the ranging party sent to protect Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo.

Jade- Green stone known for warding off evil spirits, oni, and the Taint of Jigoku. Vital for traveling in the Shadowlands.

Kaiu Daisoto- Crab samurai. Member of the ranging party sent to protect Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo.

Kuni Akari- Crab samurai. Member of the ranging party sent to protect Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo.

The Nezumi- (see “About the Nezumi” in episode 2 shownotes).

River of the Last Stand- River in the Shadowlands. Runs parallel to the Kaiu Wall. Site of historic battle between Shadowlands forces and the Crab clan.

Setting Sun Bridge- Bridge on the River of the Last Stand. Crab clan outpost.

Tetsubo- Long, narrow wooden club about the height of a person covered in metal studs or spikes.

The Twilight Mountains- Mountain range in The Shadowlands. Known for driving people to madness.

Unmasking- Outpouring of raw emotion. Considered highly dishonorable in Rokugani society. 

The Weeping Bog- Broad delta of the River of the Last Stand. Named for its dead willow trees.

Yasuki Hidekawa- Crab samurai. Member of the ranging party sent to protect Yoshi, Buro, and Tomo.

Additional Info (Links)

• About the Nezumi

Credits

Album Art by Dylan Munoz

"Shadowlands Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ethereal Presence" by Brandon Spain

"Camp Jam" by Brandon Spain

"Elegant Fight" by Brandon Spain

"Crab Wrestling Song" by Brandon Spain

"Black Wastes" by Brandon Spain

"Bog Rock" by Brandon Spain

"Crimson Moon Tribe" by Brandon Spain

"Katana" by Taira Komori @ http://taira-komori.jpn.org/freesounden.html

"swamp" by dobroide @ https://freesound.org/s/16771/

"flesh rip" by alvarojmarquez @ https://freesound.org/s/58611/

"puking" by gerogisound @ https://freesound.org/s/469888/

"train_passing_mountains" by lorenzosu @ https://freesound.org/s/65986/

"howling wind" by inchadney @ https://freesound.org/s/157204/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Join the Pot5R crew in discussing the crazy events of each new episode in the new Patreon exclusive after show, Behind the Shoji! Huge thanks to our Samurai and Damiyo listeners for your continued support and we hope you enjoy the new bonus content. Don't forget to post your questions in the #behind-the-shoji channel in the Pot5R Discord to have them answered in one of the next episodes of Behind the Shoji!

*This episode is a free preview of Patreon content. Subscribe at patreon.com/pot5r for all new episodes as they release.* 

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music by  Brandon Spain

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and their traveling companions met face to face with Akari’s father, Kuni Chiyagi. Akari told her father that she had hoped he could help bring back the spirit of Togashi Yoshi using his armor in a binding ritual. Considering everything that the heroes had done to save Rokugan and protect his daughter, Chiyagi agreed to help them, however, the secrets of his order cannot be given away freely, and he would need something from each of them in exchange for this knowledge. He went on to explain that the only people who could complete this ritual would be those who knew Yoshi in life. These brave individuals would have to project themselves into Jigoku, find Yoshi, and bring him back to his armor where he could be bound.

Tomo offered food and supplies from Clear Water Village to aid Bright Spring Fort in exchange for these lessons, which Chiyagi graciously accepted.

Unable to think of a way to pay for his training, Chiyagi reminded Buro that the Kuni Purifiers and the Yogo Wardmasters have long traded secrets together. He explained that binding magic and warding magic were two sides of the same coin. Buro, being a student of the Wardmasters, agreed to share the knowledge of his school in order to find Yoshi.

Not wanting to appear as ungracious guests, Kenshi and Tsubasa both offered gifts as thanks for being allowed to stay at Bright Spring Fort. Kenshi agreed to give music lessons to Chiyagi and his family, while Tsubasa presented the man with a small vial of kyro-kei. This fine grey powder is often used in embalming and preserving human flesh—a doubtlessly useful thing for Chiyagi—but in large doses is known to be used as a poison which can cause a slow, agonizing death.

Tomo and Buro studied day and night with Kuni Chiyagi for a month, learning the subtleties and intricacies of Binding Magic while also becoming ingratiated into daily life in the fort. During their time at Bright Spring Fort, Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi each heard suspicious rumors about Kuni Yori, the Kuni family daimyo, making frequent trips into the Shadowlands by himself. When confronted with these rumors, Chiyagi did not deny them, but admitted that he does not know his leader’s true intentions. Worried about how these rumors could affect his family’s reputation and political standing, Chiyagi asked the samurai to endorse the Kuni name at court, so his family may prosper.

At the end of their month of training, Chiyagi declared that Tomo and Buro were ready… That night, Chiyagi lead the samurai into the wastes. By the dim light encircling them in their ring of candles, Tomo and Buro recited the incantations which they had memorized over the past month, the armor of Togashi Yoshi shimmering faintly before them. The two samurai projected their spirits into the realm of darkness, but were unharmed by its foul taint thanks to their instructor’s thorough preparation. Like a moth guided to a flame, or like a river flowing to the sea, Tomo and Buro instinctively found the spirit of their departed friend. Grabbing him and pulling him with all their might, the two suddenly found themselves back in the Kuni Wastes, wreathed in candlelight, with the spirit of the Martyr Monk bound to his hollow armor.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Ethereal Presence" by Brandon Spain

"Tsubasa's Theme" by Podcast of the Rings

"Wind Down" by Brandon Spain

"Dark and Airy" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Gives You Anxiety" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi attended the Tournament of Four Winds, an archery tournament held just outside of Otosan Uchi’s walls. Dozens of samurai came to prove their skill with a bow in front of spectators from all walks of life. As they approached the pitch, Tomo felt a strange yearning that he could not explain.

Tomo quickly rose through the ranks of the tournament, making it all the way to the final round. As the day progressed, he could his body having strange reactions. Round after round, these reactions would feel stronger. A twitch in his fingers, his back muscles tightening and relaxing, and an odd sensation of success of defeat. 

Finally at the end of the tournament, Tomo met his final competitor. He was Tsuruchi, champion of the Wasp clan. A legendary archer, and infamous samurai. Tsuruchi revealed to Tomo that he has been using a bow made from the enigmatic trees of Shinomen Forest. The very wood that Tomo has sworn shall not be sold in his ports.

Tsuruchi recognized Tomo as the governor of Clear Water Village and asked if he would be willing to place a wager on their competition. If Tsuruchi won, he wanted a dozen more bows of the exact same material as the one he has been using. The Wasp explained that this wood is lightweight, durable, and flexible-- the best wood he’s ever found for crafting bows. 

Tomo, knowing that this was an opportunity to capitalize on his family’s trade empire, decided against making the wager. He remembered the devastation he saw while traveling across Rokugan, witnessing first hand the destruction which harvesting the Shinomen forest has brought. Tomo remembered the blood which has been spilled for that wood, and could not agree to Tsuruchi’s terms.

The two competitors fired their last shots of the tournament. As Tsuruchi drew his final arrow, Tomo felt his fingers twitch, and as he drew and fired the arrow, Tomo could feel the muscles on his back tighten and then release. He realized that Tsuruchi and his bow were the source of the strange sensations he had been feeling all day.

After firing their last arrows, the points of the contest were tallied. Tomo had put on a great show, but he was no match for the unparalleled skill of the Wasp Champion. Tsuruchi won the tournament, and Tomo took second place. Nonetheless, Tsuruchi was impressed with Tomo’s talent and offered to practice together some time… Perhaps he also sensed a strange connection to Tomo and wanted to investigate this as well.

After the fanfare died down, Tomo and Kuni Fujiko had a quiet, one on one conversation. Tomo asked Fujiko about the whispers surrounding her father, Kuni Yori, daimyo of the Kuni family. Rumor has it that he has been making trips into the Shadowlands by himself, and many fear that he is in league with dark powers. Fujiko admitted that it’s true that her father makes frequent trips into the Shadowlands by himself, but insisted that the rumors about him being involved with dark magic is not true. Nothing more than falsehoods crafted by their enemies at court to harm their reputation and question their honor. Fujiko explained that her main objective at court this year is to improve the reputation of the Crab clab, and undo the harm caused by these scandalous rumors. Fujiko claimed proudly that she believes Tomo is a brave and virtuous samurai who could help shape public perception of their clan.

After the tournament, Buro went to celebrate the Kakita festival on his own. While wandering around Otosan Uchi, he fell into a trap set by a group of ronin to try and steal Squee. Buro noticed the trap being set before him, and just as the ronin were about to attack him, he grabbed Squee and jumped into the nearby bay. After pulling himself from the water, he realized that all the scrolls and notes in his scroll pouch had been ruined—including a book of poems he was writing for Kuni Akari. He frantically tried to salvage the book of poems, but a malicious force deep in his spirit was preventing him. In that moment, Buro came to a dark revelation about Akari and the curse of the Yogo which plagued his family.

Meanwhile, Kenshi sought out his sister, Niao, to learn more about what it means to be a samurai of the Fox clan. Niao explained that a true Fox must use a wide range of skills to master the complicated social arena in which they operate. She pointed him in the direction of a busy street vendor, and told him he must procure whatever item the merchant was selling. Wading through the sea of people, Kenshi realized that the vendor was selling Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. His most popular piece was a scene depicting Kenshi himself being physically humiliated by a woman baring a humorous resemblance to Matsu Tsuko.

Afterward, Niao apologized to Kenshi, admitting that it was too good of a prank to pass up.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo's Dilemma by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Ekohikei Afternoon by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Royal Baths by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kaiu Tomo stood there shocked at the words he had just heard from Isawa Ujina: “A coal stone with veins of fire sits in a wall of cerulean steel. Find the false stone and pluck it out, or the whole wall shall fall.” Tomo tried to ask Ujina about this message, but he seemed to have no recollection of it. Tomo then turned to his daughter, Isawa Kaede, for answers. She explained that her father is a medium for the void kami, and is prone to visions. Some he remembers, others he does not. This prompted Tomo to try and gain a private audience with Isawa Kaede, so they could speak about this-- and other pressing issues-- more discreetly.

As Ujina took his place at the betrothal party, Ikoma Ujiaki swooped in on the master shugenja. The two spoke a long time with one another, Ujiaki treating with the Pheonix in his characteristic grandiose, evocative style. The Lion daimyo was clearing spinning his web, and with the help of Kenshi’s song, seemed to be gaining traction with Ujina.

When the two finished talking, Ujina stood up and made a toast to the betrothed couple. “Let it mark the beginning of a prosperous relationship between the two clans,” Ujina said, “and may they work together to bring peace to Rokugan.”

Sensing a strange presence from the aging shugenja, Buro decided to commune with the void kami to learn more about Ujina. When he did so, he was met with a terrible vision. He was in the water gardens of the Forbidden City. Snow was falling from a midnight sky, and screams could be heard from all around. Distant fires burned and the smell of smoke permeated the air. Buro knew he was witnessing something horrible.

Equally intrigued by The Dark Pheonix, Kuni Akari decided to speak with Ujina. She learned that Ujina has been having premonitions of death and destruction across Rokugan. He believes something truly terrible is coming, and that the Lion-Crane War is the source of this evil. He has come to court to try and end this conflict before it consumes the empire.

After the betrothal party, Kenshi, Buro, Tomo, and Akari decided to share what they’ve learned with each other at an unassuming tea house, far from the public eye. They dissected the words Ujina spoke to Tomo. They determined that the message was telling Tomo that there was an imposter in the Crab Clan, and that he must find them and reveal them, or the entire clan may fall. Who this may be, they were not sure, but they speculated it could either be the Merchant King, Yasuki Taka, or Kuni daimyo, Kuni Yori. The suggestion of Yori being a false Crab made Akari uncomfortable. “If it’s true, then what does that say of my family? And if he’s revealed, then what may become of us?” Akari asked.

Next, Buro and Akari shared what they learned about Ujina. Reflecting on Ujina’s mission at court, they wondered if Yoshi could somehow be the source of the Dark Pheonix’s visions. The four samurai began to hatch a plot which would allow Ujina to speak with Yoshi one-on-one.

After returning to the Scorpion embassy, Buro was taken to an urgent meeting with Bayushi Kachiko. She explained that she had a grave mission for Buro. One which she believed only he could fulfill. She needed him to have breakfast with an old acquaintance of hers...

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Day two of Winter Court begins. Buro and Kenshi discover something concerning while checking in on Yoshi's armor. The samurai attend the Greeting of the Spirits ceremony and mingle with Otosan Uchi's elite.

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" and "Yoshi's Tales" bonus shows and more!

---SHOW NOTES---

The party woke up in the Scorpion embassy on the second day of court. Buro and Kenshi decided to pay Yoshi a visit. To their surprise, they learned that attendants have been permanently stationed to the antechamber housing Yoshi’s armor.

They created a ruse which allowed them to be left alone with Yoshi. Once the attendants were gone, Buro searched the room and found a hidden crawlspace beneath the chamber. Exploring this crawlspace, he discovered an elaborate tunnel network that runs throughout the Scorpion embassy. Every room of the embassy seemed to be connected to this tunnel system, and throughout it, a cool breeze could be felt.

After investigating the crawlspace, Buro forged Bayushi Shoju’s personal mark on the armor of the Martyr Monk, and left him with some parting words of support.

Buro then informed the rest of the party what he had seen. Despite his best efforts to remain secretive, Buro’s words still managed to reach Tsubasa’s ears.

Later, the party attended The Greeting of the Spirits, a ritualistic ceremony where the emperor is bestowed with the blessings of the kami, and prays for a productive winter.

After the ceremony, the lords and ladies of court spoke with one another. Here, Buro decided he wanted to look into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Doji Satsume, and the rumors tying Agasha Sumiko to his death. Kenshi introduced Buro to Ikoma Ujiaki who was speaking with a high ranking Unicorn samurai. Buro asked Ujiaki about Satsume’s death.

Ujiaki repeated the same suspicions that Ide Makujin had about the former Emerald Champion’s passing: that Satsume’s son, Doji Hoturi, may have played a role in his father’s death so that he could gain control of his clan and wage a war against the Lion. Ujiaki made this bold suggestion in front of Ide Tadaji, Ide family daimyo, who Ujiaki then introduced to Buro and Kenshi.

Meanwhile, Tomo spoke with Kuni Fujiko. He requested an audience with the courtier, but in a place more discreet. The first week of court coincided with the Kakita Festival, a week long celebration of the life and death of the legendary swordsman Kakita. Martial arts contests will be held all week to honor the late samurai. Fujiko suggested that they meet later that day at an archery tournament being held just outside the city.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dragon Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dark Passage" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Royal Baths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Cold Truths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"First Fantasy" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Rokugani Daydream" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"Sleepy Little Fishing Town" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Bardic Song" by Brandon Spain

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kuni Waste Jam" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Background Harp" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"New Hero in Town" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 /

"Movement Proposition" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 /S

"Dangerous" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 /

"Full On" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 /

"The Descent" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 /

"Nighttime Antics" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sound Effects:

"musket-battle" by aaronsiler (freesound.org) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"In the Dojo" by Brandon Spain

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Akari, and Yoshi sounded an alarm as they ran through the tunnels deep beneath Otosan Uchi. The cavern quickly filled with lightly armored soldiers clad entirely in black with swords strapped to their backs. “Stop right there,” the leader said, blocking the path. In the dim lantern light, Tomo saw countless warriors appear before him, each one wearing a steel mask covering the lower half of their face. 

Tomo drew his yumi to attack, but the shadowy figures descended on him, cutting two fingers from his right hand. With the blood flowing from his hand, he nocked an arrow and pointed it at the leader, insisting he be brought to Kachiko. The leader was unphased, and simply reminded the boy governor that if he didn’t yield, he would be killed. Tomo dropped his weapon.  He and Akari were suddenly surrounded, and beaten unconscious. Even a Crab must recognize the difference between an honorable last stand, and mere suicide.

Meanwhile, Kenshi lead a group of Emerald Magistrates to Shosuro Izuki’s hovel. Izuki’s body lay there unmoved, and his shack undisturbed. Dropping down into the tunnel beneath, Kenshi realized that the entrance to the caves had collapsed. It looked to have happened naturally, and he wondered if he had simply overlooked this detail before.   

Asking Kitsuki Mayumi-- a Captain of the Emerlad Magistrates—about the tunnels, Kenshi learned that they had been excavated centuries ago in order to defend the city from invasion. Since then, the tunnels have fallen into disrepair, and many corridors have collapsed from the passage of time. These tunnels are not common knowledge, but they are not exactly a secret either. Just one of the many things in Otosan Uchi which everyone knows about, but which is tabboo to speak of publicly.

Kenshi sent an Emerald Magistrate to retreive a map of the tunnels so they could be investigated more thoroughly, and ordered him to meet Kenshi and his retinue of magistrates at the nearest known tunnel entrance.

In the Ekohikei, Buro and Makujin arrived at the Scorpion Embassy and demanded to see Kachiko. The servants and courtiers who resided there acted as if nothing was out of place. They simply informed Buro and the Makujin that Lady Kachiko was in the middle of her daily briefing with the Emperor.

Hearing this, they stormed into the Imperial Palace, brushing off requests by guards of the Forbidden City to disarm themselves. Samurai and servants alike looked on in total disbelief as they saw the Emerald Champion—Executor of Imperial Law, Chief General of the Imperial Legions, and second in command only to the Emperor himself—armed, armored, and casting aside the customs of Hantei’s heavenly home.

Buro and Makujin slammed open the door to the Emperor’s audience chamber. There they saw the Emperor seated on his gilded throne, surrounded by advisors, bureaucrats, bodyguards, and servants of all kinds. And there was Kachiko.

“I have come to arrest Bayushi Kachiko,” Makujin proclaimed.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Dark Passage" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Loss" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The woman, Aguri, beckoned the ronin to have rice and tea with her. Suspicious of her, the ronin began to question Aguri. All of her answers seemed strangely convenient. Kaizoku pretended to eat the rice and Tsume flat out refused. Boa on the other hand graciously accepted the food, and hungrily bit into one of the rice balls. He immediately began to feel exhausted and his limbs grew heavy. Ignoring the old woman’s pleas, Tsume peeked inside her hut. Against the distant wall, he saw two figures, a boy and a girl roughly 12 years old, bound and knocked out. 

Aguri shrieked in anger and unwrapped the towel she had wrapped around her head, revealing a large second mouth on her forehead with rows of snake-like fangs. She ran to Tsume and bit him, wounding him. Kaizoku unslung his yumi, but couldn’t line up a shot due to Aguri’s surprising agility. Meanwhile, Boa struck her, forcing her onto the defensive. Tsume drew his katana and struck her, cutting through layers of thick robes to reveal a hardened carapace of scales growing across Aguri’s body. Tsume’s sword bounced off her monstrous hide, chipping the blade.

The old snake woman withdrew into her shack with Kaizoku, Tsume, and Boa in pursuit. Their assault overtook Aguri when one of Kaizoku’s arrows sliced off a section of her scaly hide, opening her up to attacks. She lashed out one final time, striking Boa and wounding him, but the three ronin soon defeated her.

Coming to the aid of the two children, the boy was quick to claim that he would have easily beaten the monster if he just had his bokken. Stubborn and bullheaded, it was definitely the missing child, Kai. The ronin discovered the girl’s name was Sora. She was Kai’s best friend and the two children, unhappy with life in the village, decided to run away together to live in the forest. 

As Kaizoku, Tsume, and Boa were talking to the children, a small mob of peasants led by a willful ronin congregated outside Aguri’s hut. The ronin, a woman named Ryoko, explained that she was hired by the leader of Nestled Village to return Sora. Ryoko was not expecting to find Kai, a latchkey kid who ran away some time ago to live with bandits, but she figured she should return him too, saying that his mother, Hina, would be happy to see him.

Suddenly, everything clicked. Hina. It was a name Boa hadn’t heard in a very long time. But when he did hear it, it confirmed his every suspicion. The boy looked just like him. Bullheaded and strong like him too. With rumors of his father being a samurai? A half-truth. Because it wasn’t Otomo Nobu who was the father-- it was him.

Never turning down the promise of an even greater reward, Kaizoku suggested taking the children home, abandoning his commitment to Ichiro. Upon returning to Nestled Village, the village leader, Sayaka, graciously paid each of the ronin for the danger they faced rescuing the children. The parents of the children were soon brought in. Sora embraced her parents, crying, while Kai refused to speak to his mother, Hina. “I don’t want to be here, there’s nothing for me here,” Kai protested.

Seeing an opportunity, Boa suggested that Kai could come with them. Hina’s face went ghost-white as she recognized the man she was looking at. They made eye contact, neither one saying a word. Finally, Hina spoke, “I will not allow my child to run off with strange men from the forest.”

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The ronin stood in horror as the creature wailed from beneath the well. Seppun Azusa called a meeting to discuss their next steps.

As Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku thought of a plan, they noticed the ronin hired to protect the castle beginning to gather their things and leave. Their work had been steady and well paying, but with Masaru and Nobu imprisoned and with a new threat lingering beneath the castle, the ronin didn't want to risk their lives for a lord who might not have the means to pay them. Surprised by their shortsightedness, Boa reasoned with the ronin, reminding them that their strength was in numbers, and that Lord Jikai would surely reward them handsomely for their service to his castle. In total, 9 ronin decided to stay while the rest fled.

The ronin sat in audience with Seppun Azusa and Lord Jikai's court. Dzudh, the wandering monk from the north, gave advice on how to defeat the kyokotsu. He said that attacks which would kill a human would merely stun it. He advised wearing the creature down with an assault of attacks, and then when it's vulnerable, conduct a cleansing ritual to destroy it once and for all. With Tetsuya dead, they needed to find a different shugenja to perform the ritual. They suggested sending Setsuo back to Twin Blessings Village and asking if Daizo would be able to conduct the ritual instead. They also decided that while he was there, he should convince the rebels to back down and see if any of them would be willing to help defeat the monster. With these things in motion, the ronin concocted a plan...

Kaizoku and Tsume searched the hillside for an entrance into the underground water system which the well was connected to. They found a wide opening with high ridges on either side of the waterway: a perfect location to set a trap. Tsume then followed the cave system and carefully mapped a course to the well beneath the castle. Meanwhile, Boa led a team of servants cutting wood. Dzudh marked an inscription into these wood panels, and then with help from Boa and the servants, placed the wood panels in the stream bed, blessing the water.

The next day Kaizoku and Tsume stocked up on supplies while Boa butchered meat to use as bait for the monster. That night, Setsuo arrived from Twin Blessings Village with the priest, Daizo. He had agreed to perform the Cleansing Rite, but they were unable to persuade anyone else to join the cause. It appeared the rebels were still planning to attack the castle. There was no going back then. The ronin had to defeat the kyokotsu, or else a terrible battle would needlessly claim the lives of dozens.

The following day, they unleashed their trap. Tsume, Azusa, and Ume planted the meat on a course to lure the creature into the open. Boa stood at the mouth of the cave with a team of ronin and Kaizoku stood on the ridge with a team of archers. Slowly, the kyokotsu came shambling into the open.

With the monster disoriented, they attacked. A barrage of attacks from all sides wore the creature down, and they outnumbered it 14 to 1, but it was a terrible foe nonetheless. Its aura radiated hatred and its wail splintered the soul. But with teamwork and tenacity, they defeated the monster. Soon, it collapsed from exhaustion. While in this vulnerable state, Daizo rushed out and performed the cleansing rite. The kyokotsu's remains turned to dust and it was vanquished for eternity.

With the Kyokotsu defeated and Otomo Yuki's spirit finally laid to rest, peace was restored to the land. The water kami were pleased and blessed the people of Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village with a plentiful harvest.

Satisfied with the water kami's blessing, the rebels ended their plotting against Closed Shell Castle and returned to their homes.

Setsuo reclaimed his position as village head and repaired his relationship with his son, Ichiro.

Reju Jikai recovered from his wounds and restored peace with the villagers with the brave and loyal Seppun Azusa at his side.

Daizo was given a permanent position at Closed Shell Castle as well as all the ronin who decided to stay and defeat the monster-- not as swords for hire, but as noble samurai.

Otomo Nobu and Reju Masaru were exposed for their treachery and executed with no chance for seppuku.

Tsume became a sworn samurai in service of Lord Reju Jikai and moved his family into Closed Shell Castle. He gave up his life of grave robbing and treasure hunting in order to provide safety and security for his mom and siblings.

Boa settled on a plot of land in Twin Blessings Village with his estranged son and his son's mother, intent on patching up that relationship and being the father he always should have been.

Kaizoku was reunited with his ship, newly renovated by the people of Twin Blessings Village as thanks for all that he did. He set sail, continuing toward the horizon and letting the river take him wherever it pleased.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Our samurai have to figure their way out of a sticky situation in Ginasutra. Details about their loyal retainer Tsubasa's past finally come to light. Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the after-show and a bunch of other cool new content!

---SHOW NOTES---

Kenshi and Buro (wearing the armor of Togashi Yoshi) sat in the temple of Shosuro, where a priest lay decapitated, Tsubasa’s sword still dripping with blood. Stepping out of their private chamber, the samurai saw the temple full of confused bystanders speaking in frightened tones to one another, and a handful of priests rushing down the hall to investigate the incident.

Tsubasa immediately claimed that the priest had tried to attack them, and pointed to the knife he had planted in the hands of the dead monk. Following the Scorpion’s lead, Buro and Kenshi stuck to the alibi which Tsubasa had crafted. With their stories straight, the three samurai convinced the commoners in the temple to leave, and allow them and the priests to work out what happened. Leveraging their status over the lowly monks, the party also managed to evade the ire of the angry priests living in the temple.

Once outside the temple, the samurai told the story to Tomo and Akari, and explained that they needed to leave Ginasutra immediately, as their cover up will not protect them forever. On the road outside of town, Tsubasa revealed that he knew someone, or something, among them was tainted. Thinking quickly, he knew their best bet at escaping the temple without anyone finding out would be to swiftly execute the only person with testimony against them, and create an alibi to protect them. The party then decided to share the dark secret of Yoshi’s armor with Tsubasa.

The samurai tried to think of a way to expel the Taint from the armor, but they came up short. Tsubasa finally resigned that he might know someone who could help them, and that this person was not out of their way.

The party rode east to Kyuden Bayushi, the Scorpion clan seat of power. Here, Tsubasa spoke with the guards stationed at the wall protecting the castle town, and took the samurai to a nearby inn to await for their invitation to the palace. Along the way, the party noticed people recognizing Tsubasa. Some would see him and walk the other way, others would see him and begin laughing. Inside the inn, Tsubasa explained that he was raised in this castle and its adjoining town, and that he had an unsavory reputation from his youth. He partook in all manner of illicit activities when he was younger, but his father sent him away to the Kaiu wall to learn discipline and become a true Samurai. Tsubasa has spent the last five years trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his father.

 After waiting at the inn for a while, dignitaries from the castle invited them up to the palace. The party marveled at the splendor and mystery surrounding the castle, and were shook by its dichotomous nature: both unendingly hospitable, and deeply intimidating at the same time. Before long, the party was seated in an opulent audience chamber, face-to-face with the Lord Bayushi himself, champion of the Scorpion clan.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz (@dylonmunoztattoo)

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Conniving & Mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark & Airy by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshsi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Nighttime Antics by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sultry Silence by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The day had come. Bayushi Shoju and his army were here. Confusion ran through the city as samurai and commoners alike tried to make sense of what was happening. Waves of people tried to flee Otosan Uchi, only to be turned around by the Scorpion army which had taken control of the roads exiting the city. 

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari deliberated at Hollow Hill. They decided to attack Shoju with the one weapon they had against him. It was decided that the samurai would split up the love letters sent between Doji Hoturi and Bayushi Kachiko. Buro would take half the letters to Kachiko’s trial, as evidence of her infidelity and to dishonor her in the eyes of the Imperial Court, while Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari would take the other half of the letters directly to Shoju.

Traveling to the Forbidden Palace, Buro was stopped by samurai guarding the entrance to the Ekohikei. They claimed that ronin had no business outside of the Toshisoto, especially not in a time such as this. Buro was unable to sway the guards into letting him pass, but luckily a servant wearing the mon of the Doji family overheard the conversation and intervened. The servant reminded the guards of an obscure precedent in Rokugani law that allows ronin to speak as witnesses in trials held in the Forbidden Palace. Failure to abide by imperial law could have the samurai stripped of their titles. Annoyed, the samurai let Buro pass into the Forbidden Palace. The Crane servant bowed, and wished Buro luck.

The quiet reverence and respectful humility that once filled the Emperor’s Palace was replaced with fully armed samurai and a sense of urgency. Suspicion weighed heavily in the air. The Lion clan had transformed the most holy place in all of Rokugan into what looked like a military fortification. Where Kachiko once sat at the Emperor’s right hand, Akodo Toturi now sat in brilliant lacquered armor. As Buro took his seat, he surveyed the room. Distinguished courtiers of every great clan and revered members of the imperial families were in attendance. There were, however, a few noted absences. Not a single representative of the Dragon clan was in attendance, Ide Makujin was still missing, and, most suspiciously, Doji Shizue was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari rode toward the Scorpion camp. When stopped by the ashigaru controlling traffic out of the city, the three samurai told them they wanted an audience with Shoju. They said Shoju would know who they were. The guards scoffed at the three, but sent word up the chain of command anyway. Before long, they were being escorted to the Scorpion Champion’s private pavilion. Resting on a hill was a small maze of red and black screens, guarded by Shoju’s personal guard and tended to by a host of servants. Inside, seated upon a camp throne, wearing his red demon mask, was the Lord of Whispers. He welcomed the three into his presence.

Kenshi presented him with a ninjato taken off the body of one of the Scorpion saboteurs positioned beneath Otosan Uchi. This was a warning to Shoju. To tell him that his plot had been uncovered. He was unphased.

Next, Tomo presented the love letters. One by one, Shoju read the letters and neatly set them to the side. Once again, he was unphased.

“Kachiko has been unfaithful to you, and you do nothing? How can samurai follow a man who accepts such disloyalty?” The boy governor asked.

Shoju replied with a question of his own: “What did you see coming to my pavilion? You saw the true strength of the Scorpion clan: loyalty. Are these letters proof against my wife’s loyalty, or proof of it?”

Bewildered, the samurai asked if Shoju knew about Kachiko’s affair with the Crane champion. They were presented with yet another puzzle. '`Do you know the beautiful irony of the Scorpion’s mask?” he asked. “Take it off, and no one recognizes the face beneath. Tell only lies, and no one will trust the truth.” And with that, he dismissed the samurai. He told them to bring him the emperor. They will hold a parlay on neutral ground outside of the city. Anyone who would hear what he has to say is invited as well. No one will be armed. The three left the Scorpion camp, Shoju’s words swirling about their minds like thick bands of smoke.

In the Forbidden Palace, Kachiko’s trial was underway. Witnesses took turns offering testimony to the events surrounding Kachiko’s alleged misdeeds. Emerald Magistrates provided evidence of the Scorpion clan’s involvement in some sort of coup d’etat. They spoke of Shosuro Izuki, his journal, the saboteurs beneath the city, and their connection to the army now camped outside Otosan Uchi. It would seem that Kachiko was pulling strings from within the city and offering ill-counsel to the emperor in order to weaken the city’s defenses and supplant her own agents in positions of authority. Other prominent members of the court supported this allegation, including Isawa Ujina, Kuni Fujiko, Akodo Toturi, Matsu Tsuko, and the leaders of the Three-Headed Alliance, as well as a cast of voices with lower status.

Kachiko’s defense did not refute these claims, but they did cast doubt on the honor of those accusing. The reputations of Buro, Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari were scrutinized. Every one of their misdeeds at court were examined. Kachiko’s most notable defender was Doji Hoturi, the passionate, young, and undeniably handsome champion of the Crane clan. He pointed out that these four samurai tainted the armor of the Martyr Monk and planned to bring it before the Emperor. They were Maho-Tsukai and were not to be trusted. He claimed that all of this was part of an elaborate scheme to help the Lion stage a coup within the capital, and everyone who supports them is in on it. Noticing the Lion samurai clad in full wargear and forcing a military trial, it was hard to deny that it looked like an overthrow of the imperial order. Hoturi was backed by an array of voices, both weak and powerful, including Iashi, the Mantis samurai who produced documentation of the Lion clan’s planned surprise attack against the Mantis.

Through it all, Kachiko was unmoved. She sat back straight, head held high, not saying a word, but accepting testimonies as they came. It was not clear which side was holding more sway over the emperor. Feeling uncertain, Buro decided to hold his tongue.

Suddenly, Tomo. Kenshi, and Akari appeared in the audience chamber unannounced. They claimed they had a message from Shoju. That he requests an audience with the emperor, and all who would hear what he has to say.

Shoju’s words kept repeating in Tomo’s head. They frustrated him. Like a voice he could almost hear, but was too quiet to discern, or words he could almost read, but were too faint to decipher. Until he had an epiphany.

Tomo presented Kachiko and Hoturi’s love letters to the emperor. He announced that they have been having an affair, and that Kachiko was now pregnant with Hoturi’s child. Seeing this opportunity, Buro presented his half of the letters as well. The chamber erupted as the lords and ladies of the court began whispering to each other in disconcerted tones. The emperor sat, mouth agape, unable to bring order to his chamber.

Then, Hoturi did the unimaginable. He stood up and confessed. “I love Kachiko, and I’m tired of hiding it” he proclaimed. “It’s true. She bears my child.”

For the first time, Kachiko looked uncomfortable.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

"After the Court" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Dark Passage" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Trial" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Alliance" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

News came poring in throughout the night. Developments unfolded one after another, as the samurai of Hollow Hill waited with bated breath. The careful ettiquette and polite beureacracy of court began to fall apart.

The Mantis declared war on the Lion, citing evidence which proved leaders in the Lion military ordered the surprise attack which claimed dozens of innocent lives. They would no longer support the Crane only with trade, but in military power as well.

After his meeting with Kenshi, Akodo Toturi called for an immediate audience with the emperor and Doji Hoturi. Toturi presented everything he knew about Shoju and the Scorpion clan. He pleaded for a truce between his clan and the Crane, imploring Hoturi to march his army away from the Lion lands and toward Otosan Uchi where they could defeat Shoju together. Hoturi was cautious, thinking that it could be a trap—he needed time to think and to discuss the matter with his advisors. After Hoturi left the emperor’s audience chamber, fighting broke out between Lion and Scorpion samurai in the Forbidden Palace. The Lion won, and expelled the Scorpion from the palace. Akodo Toturi and his retainers now held the Forbidden Palace, and had the Emperor and Bayushi Kachiko in their control.

The Emperor announced that Kachiko’s trial would carry on as scheduled. He proclaimed that now, more than ever, Rokugan needed to stand for order. 

As a response, the Pheonix announced a formal alliance with the Lion. They believed the Lion represented justice and righteousness amidst the chaos brewing within Rokugan. Isawa Ujina placed his faith in the Lion, believing that standing with them in these dark times would be the remedy to the visions of destruction which have plagued him for months.

As tensions mounted and news spread, many prominent members of court began to go missing. Perhaps they fled the city, perhaps they were captured. Most notable of the samurai unaccounted for were Ide Makujin and the imperial heir, Hantei Sotorii, along with his bodyguards, Kakita Toshimoko and Kakita Kumi.

With Ide Makujin gone, control of the Imperial Legion garrisoned in the city fell to the captain of the City Guard, Seppun Ishikawa. Preparing for a potential siege, Ishikawa orderd the legion to defend the walls of the city.

Tomo and Kenshi could not sleep as the news rolled in. Tomo took it as an opportunity to speak one on one with Tsuruchi. He asked Tsuruchi about the use of dishonorable tactics on the battlefield—especially assassination and poisoing. The Wasp Champion told him there was a time and place for all things, and that such tactics should be used carefully. Victory through such means, he warned, is often short-lived. And a samurai who’s known for using such tactics will have their reputation used against them. Tomo offered his skill with a yumi anytime Tsuruchi may need it if he could procure some poison for the boy-governor. The Wasp obliged.

Meanwhile, Kenshi sat with Kitsune Ryosei, learning all he could about the conflict between the Lion and the Mantis. Kenshi, knowing that Ryosei was mistrusting of the Lion because of their ongoing feud with the Fox Clan, tried to convince her of their honor. He advised her that they may need to work together in order to defeat a more dire threat. She seemed to heed his wisdom.

By the time the sun began to rise, even the lower classess living in the city could sense the unease brewing throughout the city. People scrambled to make sense of what was happening. Some chose to flee the city, some stayed in place and prepared for the worst, while others still denied anything was out of the ordinary.

Upon waking, Buro made a prayer to the Earth kami. He sensed them stirring, restless, and uneasy, their power being focused toward the walls of the city. They sent him a message, it was the sound of footsteps growing louder and louder until they became an unbearable cacophony. Then he saw something in the corner of his eye. Where the wall of the outer city was crumbling and disrepaired, a few boulders shifted and a tree branch fell, revealing a way out of the city which had never existed before. 

In the morning, Tomo received a message. He was being asked to arrange an immediate audience between the leaders of the Crab delegation at court and the leaders of the Three Headed Alliance. Before long, the two parties sat face to face with each other. The Crab conceded that they should have listened to Tomo’s advice sooner. After the events of the previous night, they knew the time to start brokering alliances was now.

It was immediately apparent that the two parties had a common goal. Not to champion a cause for one side or another in the war, or to send an army against the Scorpion, but to fortify their homelands against whatever threat may come after them in the rapidly escalating conflict. Both parties concluded that they did not have the resources to spare on a deadly power struggle, but both would benefit from closer ties with one another. They devised a defensive pact which prioritzed the sharing of information, millitary forces, and trade resources.

Tomo was pleased as he listened, but he could not shake a deeper sense of urgency. An army was marching to the capital as they spoke, lead by a man who wielded one of the legendary bloodswords. Countless lives would be lost, the city could be destroyed, and the emperor could be killed. What would be done about that? What would be done right now?

Tomo pleaded with the samurai to stand their ground against the coming enemy. He recalled how, in previous attacks on Otosan Uchi, it required the unity of all the great clans to defeat a common foe. They needed that unity now. They needed to put aside their differences and mount a defensive against an enemy which needs chaos to thrive. Moved, the leaders of the two parties agreed to stand their ground against Shoju.

With a newfound sense of cooperation, the parties ironed out the remaining terms of their alliance. Ryosei demanded an end to the harvesting and sale of wood from the Shinomen Forest. Her lands are close to the Yasuki Lumber Company’s operations, and she’s seen the angered spirits which rampage across the country. She needs this to end. Finally, she wanted a more concrete promise from the Crab that they are committed to their alliance. As a symbolic gesture of unity between their clans, she proposed a marriage between the young boy-governor, Kaiu Tomo, and the Fox informant, Kitsune Niao. Surprised, Tomo vowed to speak of this in more detail in the future.

Meanwhile, Kenshi traveled to the Ekohikei to meet Matsu Tsuko and confess his crimes. Despite the turmoil brewing in the city, a large crowd of samurai from many different clans were gathered there. Kenshi stood before them and revealed all which he had done: the murder of Matsu Toshiro, spying on the Lion, giving information to the Fox… but despite all of this, he still supports the Lion in his heart, as he knows they are doing what’s right.

Tsuko formally renounced Kenshi as a Lion, and urged the crowd that just as he had been an imposter among their ranks, there are samurai now who are imposters within Otosan Uchi. She denounced the Scorpion clan for their treachery, and commanded all the true samurai of the empire to make a stand against them as they march toward the capital.

Around midday, as the remaining samurai of the court made preperations for Kachiko’s trial, something horrible appeared on the horizon, beyond the walls of the city. It was a beast of red and black, carried by thousands upon thousands of feet. It crawled from the south, and fanned out to the west, and then to the north, encircling the city. The beast bristled with steel-- armor, and swords, and spears, and arrows. The beast had a master, and his name was Bayushi Shoju.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Coal Stone by Podcast of the Five Rings

Iuchiban Risen by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Alliance by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Royal Banquet by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Trial by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa have some trouble crossing the border at Beidan Pass. The samurai make a new friend. Kenshi's past comes back to bite him.

Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new bonus content! 

--- SHOW NOTES ---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa were stopped at the border into Lion territory and were being searched by soldiers. Being a member of the Lion clan, Kenshi was barely questioned before being let through, however Buro, Tomo, Akari, and Tsubasa were met with much harsher scrutiny.

Fearful of being caught smuggling an illicit poison into Lion territory, Tomo hid the ketsu which Tsubasa had found for him in a location he was sure no one would check…

Unfortunately, Tomo was not as subtle as he had hoped. The Lion soldiers searching him forced him to disrobe, and found the hidden ketsu tucked away in his under garments. The soldiers confiscated the ketsu and asked Tomo why he had it, and to give a reason why he shouldn’t be detained. Tomo explained that he was one of the samurai who traveled to Shiro Hiruma, and was now on a very important mission to see the emperor. The guards thought better of detaining someone who had a personal invitation from the Emperor, so they let him go. 

The guards continued to search the samurai’s cart as well as their new guest, Ryudo, and his traveling pack. Ryudo did not seem to have his travel documents on him, and any attempts to communicate with him were fruitless. Upon inspecting his pack, guards found an exquisite pair of swords. They believed it was impossible that such a lowly vagrant could possibly own those swords, so they moved to confiscate them as well, and arrest Ryudo as a thief. Wanting to avoid any unnecessary conflict, Buro bribed the guards, and convinced them that Ryudo and his swords should travel with them. 

Further down the road, the party stopped at an inn to rest for the night. Here, they nursed Ryudo back to health and heard his story. Ryudo was once a samurai of the Dragon clan, but now is a traveling ronin in search of a new teacher. For years, he has been plagued by the vision of a dark portal shrouded in fire and smoke. His master understood this vision to mean that he was ready to seek out a new teacher. On her death bed, his master excused him from her service so he may search Rokugan for this new teacher, and gifted him the matching blades which he now carries. In exchange for saving his life, he asked that he may accompany the party to Otosan Uchi, so that he could cook for them along the way. The party gladly obliged.

 Striking out the next day, the party eventually came to the end of Beiden Pass. The road came out of the mountains and down into the foothills where the party passed Shiro Matsu, one of the Lion clan’s most imposing fortresses. The samurai traveled across the rolling wheat fields of the Lion-- Rokugan’s heartland if there was one. Traveling through these lands, the party witnessed the entire countryside stirring and galvanizing into a well-ordered war machine. 

The road turned east and so the party followed, finding themselves in a dark and quiet forest on the fringes of Lion territory. While making camp for the night, the party was come upon by half dozen armed Lion samurai, each baring the mon of the Matsu family. Upon closer inspection, Kenshi recognized the face of one of the men. It was a face that had been burned into his memory from a very young age. This man was responsible for the destruction of his village and the death of his family.

 As Kenshi emerged from the firelight, the man recognized the trinket around Kenshi’s neck. He knew it was a symbol of the Fox clan. The air grew suddenly tense between Kenshi and the unknown Matsu samurai, and the threat of violence permeated the campground.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Conniving & Mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Gives You Anxiety by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Buro, Tomo, Kenshi, and their tutor, Kuni Chiyagi, sat in front of the spirit of Togashi Yoshi, now bound to his Topaz Armor. The Martyr Monk recounted the horrible darkness of Jigoku, the endless torment and misery, the boundless strife and turmoil, and a pain so deep no mortal could bear to imagine. Yoshi tried to stand, but quickly found that he had not the strength to move his limbs. He remarked that he had simply been removed from one prison and placed in another.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, Chiyagi immediately had the party help him move the animated spirit into his study. While helping to load Yoshi into a cart, Buro noticed that his newly forged mask grew warmer the closer he moved to Yoshi’s armor.

Once inside his study, Chiyagi asked for as much time as possible with Yoshi and the armor. This was an unprecedented ritual that had just been completed and he wanted time to ask Yoshi questions, conduct experiments, and take notes. The party agreed to spend another three days at Bright Spring Fort, but decided they could not offer any more time than that, as they have an appointment to make for the imperial winter court. Chiyagi was deeply offended by this proposal and stormed out of the room, complaining that the emperor always finds a way to steal the glory of his clan.

On the last day before departing, Kenshi decided to try and make amends with Chiyagi. This only worked to enrage him further. While being berated by Chiyagi, Kenshi noticed that the man’s work table was covered in letters and intuited that he was writing to the other shugenja of his order—breaking part of the agreement the party had made with Chiyagi.

Alarmed by the unwanted attention this might bring them, the party decided to enlist the help of Bayushi Tsubasa. That night, they ordered Tsubasa to sneak into Chiyagi’s study to steal the letters so they could not be sent off. After Tsubasa missed the rendezvous time with the party, they got worried. Kenshi investigated the study and found it empty of any letters. Yoshi explained that Chiyagi had already sent them off long before Tusbasa arrived to take them.

While investigating the perimeter of the fort, Buro found two tracks of footprints leading away from the fort and toward the main road across the Kuni Wastes. One trail he identified as Tsubasa’s, the other most likely belonging to the courier tasked with distributing the letters.

The next morning while preparing to depart Bright Spring Fort, the party was encountered by a worried mother. They then discovered that a 10 year old boy who likes to deliver mail to nearby settlements did not return home last night.

Credits:

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"Sultry Silence" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Tsubasa's Theme" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Nighttime Antics" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Conniving & Mysterious" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The leaders of the clans sat awestruck, staring at the lifeless body of Hantei 38th. The head of their celestial order was dead. “You have until tomorrow morning to lay down your arms, yield the city, and return Kachiko to me,” Shoju ordered. “I will allow one messenger from each clan to ride home and inform their leadership of what has happened,” he declared. Tomo, Buro, and Kenshi tried in vain to make Shoju’s advisors see the error of their ways, but it was too late. Their loyalty to their lord was resolute, and their faith in his leadership had already been cemented. In a last ditch effort, Buro mentioned Kachiko’s infidelity. “How can you accept Shoju’s authority when he allows such faithlessness in his own home?” Buro asked. Acknowledging that at this point everyone at the imperial court must be in on the secret, Shoju admitted that Kachiko had always loved Hoturi. 

Shoju had known from the beginning about their affair, but he also knew that his and Kachiko’s marriage was about more than love-- it was about their shared duty to the Scorpion clan and to the Bayushi name. Shoju promised to keep her secret safe so long as she vowed to always keep the interests of their clan as her top priority. In exchange, Shoju would accept Kachiko’s child as his own, raise him, and eventually train him as his successor. 

“You are a demon,” Toturi proclaimed. “We will defeat your army and clean your stain from the history of Rokugan,” and with that, the parlay came to an end. The delegation of clans carried the emperor’s body through the streets of Otosan Uchi as people looked on in horror. The unimaginable had happened. What words exist to prepare a person to look upon the face of a fallen God? They brought the body to the Forbidden Palace where a host of servants tended to the corpse, and nobility planned the imperial succession. It seems the imperial heir, a 12 year-old-boy named Sotorii, had fled the city just before Shoju’s army arrived. It was one of the emperor’s last orders. Though the exact whereabouts of the boy are unknown, he is known to be in good hands, protected by his bodyguard and legendary swordsman, Kakita Toshimoko, and his protege Kakita Kumi.

Reaching his limit, Kenshi gave an emotional outburst. Unable to reconcile the death of Hantei 38th and the events of the last few hours, he stormed out of the deliberation chamber. Leaving a sense of discomfort in the hall, the leaders of the clans met with Seppun Ishikawa, Head of the City Guard and the man tasked with the protection of Otosan Uchi, to discuss their next steps and plan the defense of the city.

The Scorpion army stood at an estimated 100,000 combatants, made up primarily of ashigaru, but bolstered by a significant number of samurai, some mounted, some unmounted. Ishikawa noted that Shoju does not seem to have brought any siege weapons, leading him to believe that it is not his goal to attack the city at all, but merely to starve it into compliance.

At their command, the defenders had the 7th legion—an imperial legion ordered by Ide Makujin to garrison the city—the city guard along with the city’s emergency responders, as well as a smattering of samurai living in the city and serving at court who had offered to fight. Their number totaled nearly 17,000. Being vastly outnumbered, everyone agreed that it would be foolish to try and meet Shoju’s army on the field. The better option would be to fortify their defenses in the city and shore up their provisions, preparing for a potentially months-long battle of attrition. It is known that the walls of the Ekohikei are blessed with supernatural powers. Ishikawa believed that they should use these walls as their greatest weapon. 

Ishikawa pointed out two flaws with this plan, however. Firstly, there was the issue of the saboteurs deployed beneath the city. Buro suggested that the shugenja of the city barricade the tunnels beneath the Ekohikei to prevent infiltration. Ishikiawa agreed to this plan, but it does complicate matters. Aside from the main gate, those tunnels are the only way into or out of the Ekohikei. If they are shut, they could easily become trapped within their own walls.

Secondly, the walls of the outer city had fallen into disrepair and would be practically impossible to defend. That would require them to deploy their forces along the walls of the Ekohikei, in effect, yielding the outer city to the enemy. Otosan Uchi is home to about 200,000 residents and the overwhelming majority of them live in the outer city. These people have no military training and would most likely be killed or forced into servitude while their homes are ransacked. The defenders had two options: evacuate the residents of the outer city into the Ekohikei, or force the residents to fight against the invading army. Buro and Tomo advocated for the civilians to be armed and forced to defend their homes. This was met with vocal support from members of the Crab and Mantis clans as well as reluctant support from the Lion and Wasp. Kitsune Ryosei vehemently disagreed, speaking out against this plan of action, stating that the values of the Rokugan she believed in would never allow the innocent to throw their lives away. It should be the duty of the samurai to defend those who are unable to fight. The Fox, Unicorn, and Pheonix clans strongly agreed with this sentiment, while representatives of the Crane and Sparrow reluctantly agreed as well. Ishikawa pondered the issue, but ultimately decided that the residents of the outer city should be brought into the Ekohikei for protection. Everyone agreed to the plan, but it was clear there were philosophical divisions between the clans.

The air in the audience chamber was heavy with uncertainty. “We need allies,” Tomo admitted. Messengers from each of the clans were assembled and sent home to tell the story of what had happened and rally support for the defense of Otosan Uchi. “No clan in Rokugan will stand for the Scorpion’s treachery, I am sure of it,” Toturi declared. Though everyone knew it would take weeks, if not months, for clans to mobilize and send aid. At that time, Ishikawa revealed a secret to the defenders: Makujin rode west to rally the Unicorn. He fled the city the night before Shoju’s arrival. Reinforcements should arrive within a week. The Unicorn are the wind, and one cannot capture the wind.

With morale in the chamber improved, Buro and Tomo concocted a plan which would put pressure on both the Scorpion and Crane clans. Their plan was to send Kachiko and Hoturi to Shoju. Now that their infidelity was public, it was Buro and Tomo’s hope that they could spread dissent among Shoju’s advisors. By refusing to address Kachiko’s disloyalty, it will display Shoju’s abandonment of his own clan’s beliefs. And if Shoju has Hoturi in his presence and refuses to seek retribution, it will prove that Shoju is willing to sully the Bayushi name in order to protect the enemies of their clan. 

As preparations commenced for the siege of the city, a messenger summoned Buro to Kachiko’s chamber. It was time for her seppuku. Buro came to Kachiko. She was dressed in the ceremonial clothes of her ritual, and her wakizashi rested on the floor in front of her. Buro took the sword resting by her side, cut her mask in half, and told her that her day to die was not today. She was coming with him. She was confused. Kachiko said she had accepted her fate. That she abandoned the code of Bushido, and was ready to accept death. Buro pulled her up by her arm, insisting that she was coming with him. Indignant, Kachiko held her ground. She said that she wanted to die, but that if it wasn’t her day, then it was his. She then drew the sword from the sheath in Buro’s hands.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The three ronin had found their man: the runaway shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. They were ordered to bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle, but the shugenja refused. He vowed to never return. 

Tetsuya felt tremendous regret for what he had done. He had been used as a pawn in a plot hatched by the steward, Otomo Nobu, to kill Reju Jikai, defeat the bandits, and wrest control of the castle for himself. Nobu’s plan was to upset the region’s water kami, forcing a famine while simultaneously increasing taxation in order to send the peasants into a state of upheaval. All the while hunting the forests for its wildlife and selling the meat and pelts to pay for a small army of ronin which he would train and use to garrison the castle. When the peasants revolt, the ronin would destroy them, and in the maelstrom, Nobu would slink off and kill Jikai, his wife, and his niece, making it appear as though they had died in combat. As defender of the castle, he would be promoted from steward to lord. His first act would be to end the forced famine and lower the taxes, blaming those catastrophes on the policies of his predecessor. In the end, he would have ownership of the castle, the respect of his superiors, the love of the common people, and a small army at his disposal. 

Tetsuya’s role in all of this was to keep the water kami agitated. When Jikai took power, Nobu threw the remains of the previous lord, Otomo Yuki, into the castle’s well creating a kyokotsu, a malignant abomination which infects the water and angers the kami. Tetsuya fed the creature, appeasing it and making its power grow. He was promised wealth and power by Nobu when his plan was completed, and Tetsuya realized too late what he had done. The dishonored shugenja felt nothing but shame now, wasting away, drinking himself to death in a stable.

Hearing this story, the ronin concocted a plan. They would bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle and force him to repeat his story to Jikai and Reju Masaru, exposing Nobu for the snake that he is.

Upon arriving at the castle, the ronin were met by Masaru. He seemed surprised by their presence, and his usual adherence to decorum had waned a bit. It appeared as if he didn’t expect that they would return from their mission. Masaru immediately sent a messenger off to inform Nobu of their arrival. The ronin protested, but he insisted. He then ushered them into his quarters so they could speak in more detail. Suspecting that Masaru was in on Nobu’s plan, the ronin played along. They said nothing of Tetsuya’s indictment or of Nobu’s scheme. In celebration of their completed mission, the ronin convinced Masaru to have a round of sake. They spiked his drink with the night milk pilfered from the dead assassins, not once, but twice. Soon, Masaru was knocked unconscious. The ronin quickly searched his quarters and found evidence of his involvement in Nobu’s scheme. Masaru, the one who welcomed the ronin into the castle, trained them, and guided them had been working with Nobu from the very beginning. The ronin swallowed the betrayal and moved forward with renewed vigor. Something about Nobu’s plan felt personal now.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi and Buro stood in the remains of Shosuro Izuki’s hovel. They concocted a plan to get a message to Tomo inside the city. Using a technique he learned from his Fox training, Kenshi imparted a message to Squee to find Tomo and bring him to them. Buro opened his cage, and with a blessing from the air kami, Squee flew to the Scorpion embassy on a cloud.

After the announcement from Bayushi Kachiko, Tomo decided to catch up with Wasp clan champion, Tsuruchi. Tsuruchi was eager to train with Tomo after the tournament of Four Winds, where he noticed an uncanny bond between the two samurai centered around their yumi which were both carved from the wood of the Shinomen Forest. The two trained with each other late into the night, where they honed their bond into a supernatural connection, sensing each other on a spiritual level. Tsuruchi asked once again for more yumi cut of the same wood, but Tomo declined the offer, knowing the suffering this wood causes.

Tomo arrived back at the Scorpion embassy to see Squee by himself in the common room. Squee tried frantically to convey his message to Tomo. Seeing Squee by himself in the embassy and noticing that Kenshi and Buro had not returned yet from investigating the shack, Tomo began to wonder if something was wrong. He gathered Kuni Akari, and together the two went to investigate the mysterious shack.

Tomo and Akari arrived at the shack to find Kenshi and Buro wounded, and the large eye-patched man dead. The four shared their stories and decided their next course of action. Paranoid and afraid, Buro and Kenshi discussed hiding Izuki’s body, burning down his hovel, and running away in the tunnels beneath. They believed that once Kachiko discovered what happened here, they’d be hunted and killed.

Calm and patient, Tomo spoke up as the voice of reason. He reminded the samurai that Buro was a captain of the Emerald Magistrates, and was here investigating the Otomo Guest House arson. Izuki attacked the two, and they killed him in self defense. Furthermore, they have evidence linking Izuki to the arsonists who attacked the guest house, and the poison he tried using on Kenshi. If Kachiko were to retaliate, it would only draw suspicion to her. Tomo recommended that they immediately report what happened here to the Emerald Champion, Ide Makujin.

Heading back to Otosan Uchi, Akari decided she had had enough. She declared that the Scorpion clan is obviously planning to use Yoshi’s armor in their schemes, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. As the rest of the party traveled toward the Unicorn embassy where Makujin was staying, Akari turned toward the Scorpion embassy. She said she was going to take the armor right now and head into the tunnels. Akari did not know what fate waited for here there, but she decided it was her only option.

Buro objected, and pleaded that their plan was the most reasonable. Akari calmed down, stopping in her tracks. She revealed that she’s been paying close attention to Yoshi’s armor, and that every night at about this time, there’s about a 5 minute gap where no one is looking after the armor. If they were going to take the armor, now would be the time. Hearing this, Tomo volunteered to take the armor and follow Akari into the tunnels beneath while Buro and Kenshi went to Ide Makujin to report what happened that night.

As the parties split, a horrible urge took hold of Buro. A darkness crept over him and terrible thoughts filled his mind. The curse running through his veins was calling his name. He was being summoned to betray the person he cares most about. Through shear willpower, Buro expelled these thoughts, and soon the darkness subsided. Buro defeated the curse when it came calling for him, and he carried on as a new man. One no longer burdened by the blood of his family...

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

The Loss by Podcast of the Five Rings

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Yoshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Veiled Contempt by Podcast of the Five Rings

Nighttime Antics by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

First Fantasy by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Rin was dead, Zagra’s cell was empty, and Kaizoku was nowhere to be found. The castle immediately went into high alert and Tsume and Boa were brought before Nobu to answer for what happened. 

The pair could not speak for the disappearance of their friend and merely insisted that a further investigation would need to be held before any conclusions could be made. Nobu, already suspicious of the ronin due to the incident involving the shugenja, Tetsuya, expelled Tsume and Boa from the castle. He did not know exactly how they were involved or what they knew, but he knew they were somehow connected.

Jikai heard this dismissal and intervened. He was inclined to believe Tsume because of the information he gave him about the poet, Miya Shinkako. Jikai was not convinced Tsume and Boa were connected in any way to the incident which occurred the night before and ordered that they stay in the castle. The ronin asked to be responsible for the investigation and Jikai happily obliged. Nobu begrudgingly accepted that his rule had been vetoed and his will overridden by the true lord of the castle.

Tsume and Boa knew Kaizoku had been plotting Zagra’s escape, so they thought of a cover to protect their friend. After investigating the murder, the escape, and the castle grounds, the pair concocted a story: It appeared to them that Zagra had broken out of his cell and made his way to the wall where he was discovered by Rin. In order to silence her, Zagra attacked Rin, killing her. He then fled the castle. A short time later, Kaizoku discovered what had happened and took off in pursuit of the captive. Jikai and Masaru were satisfied with this explanation, but Nobu silently dissented. However, without concrete evidence disproving their story, Nobu resigned himself to say nothing.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku and Zagra traveled to a secret pirate safehouse along the coast. Three days travel on foot staying off the main roads and hiding from sight. During that time, reality hit Kaizoku: he was a murderer and a criminal running away from the most stable life he’d ever had. And for what? For no other reason than to feed his addiction. Kaizoku decided it was not the life he had wanted. He had had enough.

The two finally made it to the safehouse where they were reunited with yet another familiar face. A pirate named Sho. He was astounded by Zagra’s return, but could not ignore Kaizoku’s sudden appearance. Sho explained that he had heard rumors of a rebellion brewing near Closed Shell Castle. Their company would have a lot to gain by sowing disorder in the region and wanted a man on the inside to help work toward this end. Sho believed Kaizoku could be this man. However, it was clear that Kaizoku was not interested. Sho tried to intimidate Kaizoku by threatening retaliation against him for abandoning his crew, but Kaizoku would not budge. 

Sho finally caught a glimpse at what Kaizoku had been staring at during their meeting: liquid void. He immediately ordered a bottle and offered Kaizoku a glass. Finally confronted by the thing he had been chasing all this time, the former pirate felt nothing but contempt. The horrible things he had done just to get a taste of that which was currently staring him right in the eyes suddenly felt so visceral. The danger he put himself in and the pain he had caused to others were the only things he could think about. It was not an ocean sitting between him and the life he wanted, but a bottle. Kaizoku rejected the liquid void.

Seeing he was not going to make any progress, Sho dismissed Kaizoku. As a courtesy for bringing Zagra back, he would allow Kaizoku to leave unharmed, but if they ever crossed paths again, he promised there would be hell to pay. Kaizoku started heading back toward the direction of Closed Shell Castle.

The night before Reju Jikai’s hunt, Boa was approaced by Nakama. He asked if Boa had made any progress getting Toshiro to join the lord’s hunting expedition. When Boa admitted that he hadn’t, Nakama expressed frustration that he hadn’t made more progress fixing the spiritual imbalance. Nakama was acting feral and unruly. He was restless from inactivity and tired of how slow things were moving. He needed action. Nakama lamented that his best course of action may be to go for Jikai directly. Boa tried to convince him that perhaps Jikai is not the problem, but once again, Nakama would not listen. Nakama vowed that there would indeed be a hunt.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Buro, Tomo, Yoshi, and their Crab clan retinue discovered the ruined keep of Daylight Castle. While exploring the first floor of the castle, they found the castle temple, untouched by the Shadowlands foul taint. Inside this temple, they found the first of three keys to undo the ritual which brought the souls of the Hiruma to Yume-do—the final verse of the Moth shugenja’s ritual which sealed the Hiruma away.

On the second floor of the keep, they encountered a small group of goblins guarding a wooden bridge between the central keep and one of its towers. The samurai slew a handful of the goblins, forcing the others to retreat across the bridge. While pursuing these monsters, Kaiu Tomo discovered that the bridge was covered in pitch and rigged to be set ablaze. The rest of the samurai covered Tomo from the goblins amassing in front of the castle tower as he quickly turned around to exit the bridge. Being firmly positioned in the keep and having routed the goblins, the samurai decided to burn the bridge, preventing any goblins from crossing it.

Climbing the castle keep, the samurai found a disheveled Crab samurai imprisoned in an obsidian cage slick with blood. The Crab identified himself as Hiruma Tomoharu—daimyo of the Hiruma family and witness to Daylight Castle’s defeat. He explained that he had been imprisoned there to look over the castle, and vaguely reported that “the demon” saw through his eyes. Weighed down by the shame of his defeat, he asked the samurai to retrieve the ancestral wakizashi of the Hiruma so he may commit seppuku with it. He warned the samurai, however, that this blade was now being watched by a foul demon in his former quarters. When asked about the strange woman in the Moth robes, he identified her as Hiruma Masami, the savior of Daylight castle and woman responsible for ending Atsumari’s war against the Crab. This unlocked the second key for the samurai to use in undoing the ritual that binded the souls of the Hiruma.

Next, while investigating the castle library, the samurai found a detailed chronicle of the final days of Shiro Hiruma before it fell to the Shadowlands. Remembering the promise they made to Hida Hachiro on the Spear of Dawn Watchtower, the samurai took these scrolls and safely stored them away to be handed over upon their return.

Deciding to investigate the castle further before facing the demon guarding the Hiruma wakizashi, the samurai traveled to the castle’s armory. There they found an experimental suit of wargear—half Kaiu engineering, half Kuni ritual. A ten foot tall suit of animated armor wielding a sacred Naginata, built to defend the armory against the forces of the Shadowlands. Kansen had since corrupted it, preventing it from distinguishing friend from foe, simply killing everything in its path. Tearing it apart limb by limb, the samurai eventually defeated it, claiming the sacred blade as their own.

Before ascending to the daimyo’s quarters, the samurai decided to rest in the castle temple, calming themselves before battle. Here, Tomo discovered that Buro had been repeatedly contacted by kansen, trying to convince him to join them in the waters flowing through the fissures now cutting across Daylight castle. These voices had gotten progressively stronger as the samurai moved across the Shadowlands and throughout Daylight Castle. Before moving on to retrieve the ancestral wakizashi, Hiruma Takana finally breathed his last breath, a result of his wounds not finding the attention they needed.

On the top floor of the keep, the samurai found an unnatural darkness. Blood dripped from the ceiling and walls, forming pools on the staircase leading to the daimyo’s quarters. Lighting this room with torches, the samurai caught a glimpse of a strange creature hunched over a dead goblin. The creature turned to face the samurai and stood up, revealing a pale kimono stretched across a gaunt human body, its face mouthless with shut eyes.

The creature’s kimono blinked, revealing dozens upon dozens of eyes stitched into the fabric. Then the creature opened its eyes, showing nothing more than rows of sharp teeth, like two gaping mouths upon its face.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku dropped the issue of the child in front of the rest of the village, but Boa suggested speaking more about it in private with Kai’s mother, Hina.

After their audience with the village elder, Boa and Tsume sought aid for the wounds. Their search brought them to the priest, Akira. Concerned about the troubling dreams he’s been having, Tsume asked what they meant. Akira communed with the kami and attuned himself to Tsume. He was troubled with what he found. Tsume was afflicted, haunted by a vengeful ghost. When someone dies a violent, needless death and their body is not properly cared for, their spirit can become angry and terrorize the living. Akira concluded that it was the sword he found in the ashes of the waystation that was disturbing him. The owner of the sword must be living on through the sword, haunting whoever wields it. Akira recommended Tsume complete the ghost’s final mission: deliver the sword to its recipient. Then the spirit may rest. He warned Tsume though, if gone too long without treatment, his affliction can turn into the taint of Jigoku.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku searched Nestled Village for a fishing net to replace his lost one. He came to terms with the fact that with Kai staying with his mother, he’ll probably never get to see his father’s net again.

The next morning, Boa confronted Hina. He told her that Kai should be able to follow his hopes and dreams of becoming a samurai, and that he had no future in Nestled Village. Hina replied that following their hopes and dreams didn’t help them at all. Following their passions only lead to shame and isolation. They both had to give up their homes and their lives because of how they shamed themselves. They lost everything trying to pursue what they wanted. She believed it was best that Kai stayed in Nestled Village, learned discipline, and understood that it was where he belonged. His dreams of becoming a samurai were naive and silly. Boa wouldn’t hear it. He saw the trouble his son was getting into, and he wanted to be there to help him. He suggested that if he had some strong role models, maybe he could change his ways. Hina became angry, replying that she hardly believed Boa would be a good role model for Kai. Boa lost his temper and unmasked, storming out of Hina’s house, and giving up on convincing her to let the boy come with him.

On the outskirts of town, Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku discussed what had just happened and considered their next steps. They were interrupted when a messenger came running into town with an urgent message: Setsuo had been arrested and is being held at Closed Shell Castle.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari attended a party celebrating the betrothal of Lion Champion, Akodo Toturi, and Isawa Kaede. The party was full of samurai from across Rokugan wishing to pay their respects to the Lion and Pheonix clans.

Before arriving, Ikoma Ujiaki spoke with Kenshi in private. He reminded Kenshi of the task put before him. Ujiaki wanted Kenshi to highlight the destruction and devastation which the Crane brought to Rokugan at the Battle of Stepping Stone Village. The Crane had brought Gaijin Pepper weapons to battle: muskets armed with blackpowder. These weapons are forbidden in Rokugan, and are said to destroy the kami. Ujiaki wanted to use Kenshi’s account of the battle as propaganda against the Crane, and rally support for the Lion cause.

When it was Kenshi’s time to perform, he took the stage and sang a heart-wrenching ballad about the battle, condemning the Crane, and bringing light to their misdeeds. It was a moving piece, and many attending the party were swayed by its emotional lyrics.

Afterwards, Ujiaki seemed very pleased with Kenshi’s performance. So pleased, that Ujiaki told Kenshi that he could consider his crime against the Lion clan repaid… But that he should be weary, for Matsu Tsuko will not let his transgression slide so easily.

Meanwhile, Buro took the betrothal party as an opportunity to learn more about the death of Doji Satsume, and what role Agasha Sumiko may have played in it. He spoke with Kitsuki Yaruma, ambassador of the Dragon Clan. Yaruma said that if someone murdered Satsume, there would be no short supply of suspects. Satsume was a cruel man, and made enemies everywhere he went. Yaruma himself had even come into conflict with the late Emerald Champion on multiple occasions. Satsume had so many enemies, Yaruma explained, that even his own family barely seemed upset when he passed-- all except for Doji Shizue, Satsume’s daughter. She was heartbroken when her father died. Luckily for Shizue, her lifelong best friend took over as interim Emerald Champion after Satsume’s passing-- Agasha Sumiko. Shizue made frequent trips to the Emerald Champion’s palace to manage her late father’s estate, and Sumiko was there to make that process smooth, and offer moral support. Come to think of it, Yaruma said, he still sees Shizue and Sumiko talking frequently in the capital.

After finishing speaking to Yaruma, Buro was approached by a courtier of the Pheonix Clan, Asako Yurameshi. He gifted Buro with a leatherbound tome of Shinsei’s teachings and told Buro that he came representing a museum in the Pheonix lands. His organization are part temple priests, part museum curators, whose mission is to preserve the cultural, historical, and religious artifacts of Rokugan, and make them available to be seen by the public. Yurameshi told Buro that he has been sent to court to claim Yoshi’s armor on behalf of this museum. Buro graciously accepted his gift, but did not seem interested in his proposal.

While at the betrothal party, Tomo made an effort to speak with Toturi one on one. Seeing how young Toturi was, Tomo was hoping to relate to the Lion Champion on a personal level. Toturi found Tomo’s youth and lack of experience at court somewhat endearing, despite the boy-governor’s rough edges. The two began talking potential trade deals between The Lion Clan and Clear Water Village. Kuni Fujiko looked pleased as Tomo built relations between the two clans. 

As Tomo stood to leave Toturi’s company, he felt a cold touch upon his shoulder. A shiver went down his spine as a rasping voice filled his ear with these words: “A coal stone with veins of fire sits in a wall of cerulean steel. Find the false stone, and pluck it out, or the whole wall shall fall.” Tomo turned to see an elderly man wearing robes of the Pheonix clan standing right behind him. Half his body was withered and covered in dark scars, as if he had been severely burned. This was Kaede’s father, Isawa Ujina, Elemental Master of the Void.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"The Royal Baths" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"The Emperor's March" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kachiko's Waltz" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Dark & Airy" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tsume, Kaizoku, and Boa were held as guests in Setsuo, the village elder’s house. The townsfolk crowded into Setsuo’s house to catch a glimpse of the ronin as they ate their evening meal. The party was introduced to the other community leaders. There was Natsumi, an outspoken and strong young woman, who seemed to act as Setsuo’s second in command. Next was Shinichi, a wiry and lithe man, stablemaster and previous owner of the waystation which operated on the outskirts of town. After him was Daizo, the enlightened spiritual head of the village. Finally, there was Hiroto, the large and boisterous sake brewer-- his sake was the pride of the village.

During their introductions to the village leaders, Naoki remembered where he knew Tsume from. And he remembered just how much he owed him. The shrewd man said nothing, but you could see the gears begin to work in his head.

The village leaders began to explain the many problems which had befallen their village in recent months. Foremost was the new lord who took up residence in Closed Shell Castle, Reju Jikai. Aside from being a callous and cruel man, his rice tax had become astronomical, and the village was struggling to keep up with it. He went so far as to even forbid the villagers from brewing sake. To him, the sake was a waste of the rice which was rightfully his. To make matters worse, the new lord had started over hunting the forest, making food and resources even scarcer in the region. It had also become apparent that Jikai had begun hiring a small army of ronin to serve him in the castle, and now these thugs terrorize the local villages.

Worst of all though-- the water kami seemed to be very upset with the village. Daizo had done all he could to subdue the river’s unceasing anger, but to no avail. The river slows to a trickle so the crops may wither and die, and when it comes time to harvest what remains, the river bursts with energy, flooding the village and destroying what’s salvageable. 

As a result of the villages being thrown into poverty and the forests becoming overhunted, bandits had started robbing people on the roads, and packs of wolves had started becoming more aggressive in their search for food. The bandits have become so bold, they’ve even kidnapped Setsuo’s son, Ichiro. Never letting an opportunity go to waste, Kaizoku pledged to find and return Ichiro in exchange for the village’s help in repairing his boat.

The village asked another favor of the ronin. Just a few days ago, Jikai’s thugs burned down the village way station, burning many alive, including Shinichi’s late wife. Being too afraid to sully themselves with the flesh of those who died such grizzly deaths, they asked the ronin to help.

Feeling he had heard enough, Kaizoku went for a walk by the river. Dying for a sip of his Liquid Void, the pirate began searching the banks of the river for his lost vial. Desperate, he waded into the river, searching every snag and stone for the precious substance. But the water kami had other plans for this intrepid fool. The storm surged and the river swelled. Kaizoku lost his footing and was swept away by a torrent of water.

After some time, Tsume and Boa began to look for their new friend. Following his tracks in the fresh mud, they found where he walked into the river. Tracks went in, but none came out. Anxious, they followed the river downstream, onto the outskirts of town, the darkened forest looming ahead of them. Then they heard a deafening yell. The sound of a man teetering on the precipice and clinging onto dear life.

Following the sound, Tsume and Boa found an imprint of where Kaizoku’s body must have been, and tracks leading deeper into the forest, as if he had been dragged. Following the tracks, they began to see the orange flicker of fire, and the sound of raucous voices. Peering through the bushes, Tsume and Boa found an old, ruined monastery which had become an encampment for a large gang of bandits. Laying beside the fire was Kaizoku-- as his body and belongings were pilfered by thieves.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain and Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The samurai learn a lot from a discussion with the current Emerald Champion, Ide Makujin. Unfortunate events disturb the peace at the Otomo Guest House.

Featuring our friend and fellow L5R podcaster Evan Strite (Crimson Gold  Agonies, Secondhand Strife) as Otomo Yasushi!

Become a supporter of the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the "Behind the Shoji" after-show and a bunch of other new exclusive content!

---SHOW NOTES---

The party sat in audience with the Emerald Champion, Ide Makujin. He admitted his fear that there is a conspiracy in Rokugan against the office of the Emerald Champion, and possibly against the empire as a whole. He has no concrete evidence, but he believes the myriad events which have taken place in Rokugan over the past few months are just too suspicious to be purely coincidental.

He started by pointing to the death of the former Emerald Champion and Crane Clan Champion, Doji Satsume. He was found dead in the Emerald Champion’s castle, at the foot of the stairs leading up to his private rooms at the top of the palace's main tower. Healers were called in to attend to him, but his body was already cold. They were unable to detect any wound or poison and thus determined the death was due to natural causes. If poison was used, it was undetectable and therefore extremely rare. It is also possible that Satsume simply died of an untimely heart attack. Regardless, Satsume’s body was ceremonially cremated soon after his death.

Ruby Champion and acting interim Emerald Champion at the time, Agasha Sumiko, launched her own investigation into Satusme’s death. She ruled the cause of his death “inconclusive.” Shortly after Makujin became Emerald Champion, he ordered that Sumiko give her the notes on Satusme’s death, only to find that those notes had accidentally been destroyed in a fire.

Since Satsume’s passing, lots of big things have been happening in Rokugan, especially the Lion-Crane War, and no one has brought up the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. Makujin believes there is more to this. The material evidence may be long gone by now, but he wants the party to now investigate the people who would have motive to kill him.

He primarily suspects the Crane Clan. The current reigning Crane Champion is Satsume’s son, Doji Hoturi. Satsume and Hoturi had a famously unhealthy relationship as Satsume was known for being a cruel, callous man, and Hoturi was remarkably unmoved by his father’s death. Mere weeks after ascending to the top of Crane leadership, Hoturi became embroiled in the bloodiest war Rokugan had seen in generations. Under his leadership, the Crane has gone on to claim large swaths of land from their mortal enemies, the Lion Clan.

Makujin also suspects Hoturi’s uncle and Satsume’s brother-in-law, Kakita Yoshi, of somehow being involved. Yoshi is the daimyo of the Kakita family, and until shortly before Satsume’s death, was the personal aide to the emperor himself. Yoshi is an expert diplomat, a brilliant strategist, and one of the most powerful men in the courts of Rokugan. However, his skill as a leader and politician was overshadowed time and time again by his brother-in-law, the renowned master of court, Doji Satsume. Yoshi is also well known for keeping grudges and using his power to dishonor those who would cross him.

Makujin believes one, or both of these men—Hoturi and Yoshi—worked with a potential host of accomplices to murder Satsume. Both men were known to be very unhappy with Satsume, and since his death, have gained a great deal of power.

He also believes that Agasha Sumiko may have played a role in Satsume’s death. Makujin finds it suspicious that she would express such curiosity into the case and undergo a thorough investigation, only to declare the case “inconclusive”, have all the notes destroyed, and then never bring it up again.

The Emerald Champion also expressed his suspicions of the Mantis Clan. Since the outbreak of the war, the Mantis have become tight trading partners with the Crane and have profited a great deal from the conflict. The Mantis ambassador at court, Hasagawa, has deep contacts across Otosan Uchi and seems to have a hatred for the Lion Clan as well. Makujin believes he could somehow be involved too.

However, Makujin’s fears do not end there. The Crane Clan has been calling for the disbandment of the Tortoise Clan after news broke that they were involved in a massive drug operation with gaijin smugglers. The Crane also call for the Tortoise’s lands—most notably the strategically located city of Slow Tide Harbor—be handed over to them. If the Crane were to gain control of Slow Tide Harbor, combined with the territory they’ve conquered through the war with the Lion, the Crane would control almost all of the land surrounding Otosan Uchi. Makujin believes Crane ambitions may be larger than simply defeating their ancient enemy.

As a response to mounting tensions across Rokugan, Makujin has proposed the expansion of the Imperial Legions, only to have the proposal shot down, and rumors begin to circulate that he himself is planning to stage a coup. Also, much to his chagrin, funding for the city guard within Otosan Uchi has been cut, forcing Makujin to deploy troops from the Imperial Legions in the capital just to keep order and counter any potential threats. This of course, only adds fuel to the rumors that he is plotting to take over the city.

Afraid that whoever killed Satsume might also be plotting against him as well, Makujin has moved out of the Emerald Champion’s quarters in the Imperial Palace and moved into the Unicorn embassy, where he trusts in his own clan samurai to protect him, and vet everyone who seeks an audience.

He confided that he now seeks the help of the party, as they have already proven themselves as loyal warriors who put the survival of Rokugan above their own, and as samurai capable of persevering against impossible odds.

Hearing all of this, Tomo challenged the Emerald Champion. He bluntly asked Makujin what was in it for him, and reminded the aging Unicorn that he was not his lord. Tomo stated that he believed Makujin’s concerns were not his own.

Astounded and offended by the Crab’s audacity and lack of respect, Makujin promptly reminded Tomo that he was Emerald Champion: arbiter of imperial law, head of the imperial legions, and second in command only to the emperor himself. An order from him was as good as law, and any samurai who adhered to Bushido should be honored to carry out his commands.

Tomo incited Makujin by telling him that if were as courageous and powerful as he claims to be, then he wouldn’t need their help. And after all, what has he done for them to trust him?

Makujin fired back by informing Tomo of the rumors surrounding his own clan. That Kuni Yori is making suspect pilgrimages into the Shadowlands, whispers abound that Crab Champion Hida Kisada is mustering an army to march against Otosan Uchi. Insulted, Makujin excused the party from his audience.

Outside of the Unicorn embassy, a visibly angry Kuni Akari chastised Tomo for his cowardice. She believed this was an opportunity for them to do some genuine good and stand for something bigger than themselves. Tomo would not hear it. Jaded and cynical, he declared that he would not be used as a pawn by some politician.

 Later, the party decided to unwind after the tense confrontation with the Emerald Champion by playing games at the Otomo Guest House. They played late into the night, enjoying a game which Yasushi designed. Something he called a role-playing game.

That night, while everyone was asleep, disaster struck the Otomo Guest House. The party woke up to the smell of smoke, and cries from servants in the guest house courtyard. Investigating the commotion, the party found three figures cloaked in black, laying fire to the exterior of the Otomo Guest House, focusing on what appeared to be the room where Yoshi’s armor was kept. 

Springing into action, the party noticed that both Yasushi and Tsubasa were conspicuously absent. Investigating the guest house, Tomo found Yasushi laying in his bed, his throat slit and his bed covered in blood. At the far end of the room, another cloaked figure sat dead, blood flowing from the knife wound in his chest. Standing in the center of the room was Bayushi Tsubasa. He explained that he heard a suspicious noise coming from Yasushi’s room, and when he came to investigate, found the ninja who ended Yasushi’s life. The ninja attacked Tsubasa, but Tsubasa managed to take the ninja’s knife and kill him in self-defense.

Meanwhile, the samurai guarding the Forbidden City bore down on the ninja laying fire to the guest house and killed them handily. In combat, they were no match for the highly trained Imperial Guard.

Once the ninja were killed, Tsubasa lead the party away from the guest house, claiming that he had urgent news. He presented the party a letter written by Yasushi. In it, Yasushi chronicled everything he learned about the party since their arrival into the Otomo guest house, in particular he recounted the story Yoshi told him about Shiro Hiruma, Jigoku, and the Kuni ritual which bound him to his armor. Yasushi also noted a mysterious darkness in the armor, and declared his intention to look into this.
   

The Scorpion also revealed that Yasushi had written a heartfelt letter to each member of the party. Seemingly as a farewell.

Tsubasa said that since moving into the guest house, Yasushi had been spying on them, taking detailed notes, and then sending these notes to someone. Who he may have been sending these notes to, or who else may have intercepted this information, he was not sure, but concluded that the Otomo family were not to be trusted. 

For the time being, Tsubasa proposed that the party gather their things and the armor, and move into the Scorpion embassy. He assured that the Scorpion would never let something like this happen on their own grounds, and that Yogo Wardmasters would be able to keep the armor safe. Finally, he promised that the Scorpion would make it their personal mission to get to the bottom of whoever coordinated this heinous act.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

"Rokugan Theme" by Brandon Spain

"The Staredown" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Background Harp"  by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Kenshis Lament" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Nighttime Antics" by Podcast of the Five Rings

"Sultry Silence" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tsume was brought before the lord of Closed Shell Castle, Reju Jikai, and his wife, Seppun Azusa. The lord and his lady listened intently as Tsume divulged the secret which banished them to the castle. He revealed that it was Miya Shinkako who was behind the fateful incident which injured the Daidoji child and cost Jikai his status as a revered and well respected tutor.

Jikai immediately summoned Shinkako to his audience chamber. She admitted to what she had done despite her fear and embarrassment. Visibly upset, the lord wrestled with what to do with his old rival. He could’ve had her killed. Instead, he kept his composure and ordered her to speak before his lord, Otomo Itsuki, to confess her misdeed and claim responsibility for Jikai’s dishonor.

Jikai thanked Tsume for his help and invited him on a hunt he was planning for next week, which Tsume graciously accepted. Falconry had always been a favorite hobby of the dishonored lord. Being reminded of the spiritual imbalance he had witnessed in the region, Tsume broached the topic of over hunting in the forest and spoke of how the wolves had become aggressive. Jikai referred Tsume to Otomo Nobu for these concerns. Since taking command of the castle, Jikai had relied on Nobu to manage the day-to-day operations of the castle. 

That week, while scouting the land beyond the castle, Tsume made a startling discovery. Against all odds, he found tracks belonging to the missing shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. The tracks lead him on a two day’s trail to the ruined Otosan Uchi. Tsume reported the information to Masaru, who now awaits his next orders. The rogue suddenly built a reputation for himself as a remarkable tracker.

While on duty, Boa was confronted by Mamoru Nakama, the shapeshifter. Nakama noted Boa’s concern for the forest and revealed to him his plan: Reju Jikai has been planning a hunting party, and Nakama wants Ide Toshio on that hunt. With Toshio outside the castle, Nakama would be able to ambush the samurai and remove his demand for meats, pelts, and furs from the animals of the forest. Boa was not satisfied with Nakama’s plan. He once again tried to get the shapeshifter to see reason and understand that the problem was much deeper than just Toshio. But Nakama still would not listen. Nakama had been living in peace with the lords of Closed Shell Castle for the entirety of his supernatural life and refused to see fault in them. He refused to harm a member of his own pack. The castle was his territory, and Toshio was an outsider.

Boa reluctantly agreed to help, feeling sympathy for the distraught spirit. Boa asked about Nakama’s relationship with the Otomo family and the former rulers of the castle, and Nakama briefed the ronin on a brief history of the castle and the legend surrounding it. The castle was built by Otomo Nahoko, who later in life became paranoid that she was being surrounded by enemies, so she built elaborate defenses to protect herself against an enemy that never existed. She died of old age, barricaded inside a castle that never saw a siege. Since then, legend has it that whoever controls the castle goes insane with paranoia. The most recent lord before Jikai was Otomo Yuki. He had ruled the castle for about 40 years when the Scorpion War began. He had become paranoid that the Scorpion were going to attack the castle, and took extreme measures to fortify the castle. Tired of living and working under such austere conditions, the servants rose up and poisoned Yuki, and the steward, Otomo Nobu, became lord until Reju Jikai was named Yuki’s predecessor.

Later, Boa spoke with Toshio about the hunt. Toshio recognized that it would be a wonderful opportunity to get in the good graces of the lord of the castle, but pointed out that he would need an invitation from Jikai. To show up uninvited would be downright shameful. Toshio asked if Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir, was going to be there. When he learned that she was going, Toshio became flustered. He had been in love with her since he laid eyes on her, and would be far too anxious to go on the hunt with her there.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku continued plotting Zagra’s escape. He had surveyed the walls, learning exactly where the best entrances and exits would be; he memorized the patrol routes of the other guards; he had been placing items and equipment in the right spots in case he needed to use them; and he had noted the shift changes in the dungeons. He calculated a ten minute window when everything should line up just perfectly.

That night, he spoke with Tsume and Boa about what they had learned in the castle and the forces that were at work. The three reasoned it would be best to wait before releasing Zagra. The peasants were planning a revolt and perhaps they could use that as a cover. The three turned in for the night, but Kaizoku’s mind was racing. The plans had been set, all he had to was go through the motions. A final push to the finish line, and on the other side waiting for him was the sweet kiss of liquid void. He could wait no longer. Tonight was the night.

Kaizoku skulked down to the dungeons with a copy of the key used to lock up the prisoners. Zagra sprang to his feet, knowing his time had come. The two snuck out of the dungeons, through the keep, past the courtyard, and onto the walls toward a crenelation where Kaizoku had prepared a knotted rope and grappling hook to let them down. The two pirates turned a corner out of one of the watchtowers to find a surprise: standing between them and the rope was Rin—the belligerent ronin who vowed to turn Kaizoku and his friends in if she ever caught them acting out of line. She turns to lock eyes with Kaizoku, but she doesn’t seem to spot Zagra. “What are you doing here?” She asks.

She wasn’t supposed to be there. This wasn’t part of the plan. Kaizoku had come this far and worked so hard for this. He couldn’t let it fall apart now. Thinking quickly, he lunged at the ronin with a heavy rock, deciding to knock her out before she can call for backup. His careful planning, the stress of being caught, the fear of what lie ahead, and the liquid void waiting for him— all of these things ran through his mind as the pirate unmasked. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Kaizoku lost control of his strength. With a crack, Rin’s body fell motionless to the ground. Without looking back, Kaizoku and Zagra climbed down the wall, retrieved the grappling hook, and ran off into the night. Meanwhile, Rin’s cold, lifeless body bled out atop the castle wall.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari set out from Kuda Mura with an entourage of Crab samurai to investigate the angry spirits which were attacking the town. On the road, the samurai had numerous questions about the party’s expedition to Shiro Hiruma, Togashi Yoshi, and the Lion-Crane War which now rages in northern Rokugan. Apparently, these are the only things which anyone seems to talk about lately.

After passing through the wall which guards the border between the Crab lands and the unaligned lands to the north, the party soon came to Maemikake, a small city on a lake near the southern edge of Shinomen Forest. Here, they learned that ever since the Yasuki Lumber Company started logging up river, vengeful spirits from the forest would occasionally raid the city, damaging its buildings and injuring its residents.

The party also learned that the Yasuki Lumber Company has set up their basecamp near the ruins of a destroyed castle—Shiro Usagi—the Hare Clan’s seat of power. Rumor has it that the Usagi family of the Hare Clan were found to be conducting forbidden maho rituals, and by decree of the Emperor himself, ordered the eternally loyal Scorpion clan to eradicate the Hare Clan for their blasphemy—once again earning their reputation as the underhand of the emperor.

The party, especially the samurai from Kuda Mura, were utterly shocked to hear this. An entire clan, their castle, and their lands had been wiped out without a single word of it reaching the outside world.

Upon reaching the logging company’s basecamp, the party was met with a terrible sight. Where Shiro Usagi and its accompanying town once stood, only blackened and burned husks remained, and at the foot of the castle, the Shinomen Forest lay clear cut, devastated. Spiritual malignance radiated from the forest like heat from a roaring fire.

Kaiu Tomo spoke with Boss Kazuya, the man in charge of the logging company. Tomo revealed to him the damage he was causing, and the lives he was risking by continuing the operation. As governor of Clear Water Village, he commanded Kazuya to immediately halt all shipments to his ports. The man only laughed at Tomo, and explained that he takes orders directly from Yasuki Taka, the Yasuki family daimyo, and that he would never cross Taka unless he had a death wish. In order to settle the dispute, it seemed that Tomo would have to speak with Yasuki Taka directly at his residence in Otosan Uchi.

Meanwhile, Ikoma Kenshi ingratiated himself with the workers of the camp, learning that these men were unskilled laborers belonging to the unaligned lands, and despite the danger, were more than happy to have their jobs as the Yasuki family paid them handsomely for their work. These workers also warned Kenshi to stay far away from the ruins of Shiro Usagi. Multiple workers have claimed to see ghosts haunting the burned remains…

Unaware of this counsel, Soshi Buro and Kuni Akari decided to investigate the castle ruins. While communing with the fallen spirits, the two were presented with a terrible vision. They were suddenly surrounded by the charred and mutilated Hare Clan. Before them was a woman seated in front of an empty sword stand. “Blood is the price of ambition,” is all she said before blood poured from the eyes and mouths of the departed, and they vanished in a brilliant flame.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Sultry Silence by Podcast of the Five Rings

Shadowlands 4 by Brandon Spain

Tsubasa's Theme by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark & Airy by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dreamlike by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Interloper by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Crab Wrestling Song by Brandon Spain

Background Harp by Podcast of the Five Rings

Shadowlands 3 by Brandon Spain

Ethereal Presence by Brandon Spain

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings