That accent, Lion? He will be handy in our inevitable combat, but I'll have to work away from his lest his roar drown out my thoughts.
Katsurou begins to speak and suddenly a small eta man enters the inn, bowing appropriately and making sure to step out of the way of any incoming samurai.
Douzo yoroshiku, Hideyoshi-San. I am Kitsuki Katsurou. We are emboldened and honored by your presence and assistance. Ah! My ears tell me that my assistant Watchful is here. He will serve as my eyes as we work.
Katsurou stays quiet as he is pulled by rickshaw.
=20.
Katsuyoshi will respectfully bow to the new arrival, interested to see how he would add to the new group dynamic. Then again, he was not at all sure what the group dynamic as of yet.
Pushing through the crowd, Katsuyoshi marvels at the horse's ability to push through the people with such ease. Surely a concerted charge by a whole detachment of these would be a truly terrible sight. Truly he did not wish to be on the receiving end of such an engagement.
Hard pressed annoyance gleamed in the man's eyes as they made there way to the den of the Crane.
For every costumed peasant that sensibly parts before the encroaching shiotome and steed, it seems there's another that's struck dumfounded with awe at Geigeki-ki's sheer size that prevents you from simply plowing a path for your comrades.
A particularly egregious impediment to the party's progress is that some enterprising merchant set up a stall to sell noisemakers and streamers right in front of the Gate of Condescension. Doji Oruku holds his temper while the merchant breaks down his illegal stall, but he promises to escort that offender directly to prison should he ever again catch him vending without a proper permit.
Traveling 2 blocks from the Inn through the Gate only took about 10 minutes, but it seemed like it took much longer since it would have only taken 2 or 3 without congestion.
Once the party snakes its way into the Nobles' Quarter, the roads are wide, clean, and mostly empty- Only a few elite squads of the Thunder Guard patrol these avenues and most revelers here are inside their fine estates and up on balconies, overlooking the city.
After finally passing through the gate you travel Law Street until it terminates at the Lion Street loop encircling the Ryoko Owari Prison (L7). Taking a right onto West Lion Street, the journey to the Crane residence is only a quarter of an orbit around the imposing fortress to the Scorpion Street intersection.
As you follow Doji Oruku through the outer portal and onto the estate grounds, you can't help but stifle a yawn that yearns to stretch across your face. Have you drunk too much sake and sochu this evening? Perhaps the earlier physical exertions are catching up with you? Looking around at your companions, they all look equally weary as you feel.
The courtyard inside the outer walls is well manicured and lovely, complete with a winding stream spanned by a small footbridge with a meandering cobblestone path. The house itself is a sprawling complex with painted rice paper walls and sliding doors. There are no ostentatious silk banners proclaiming the residents to be members of the Crane clan. The estate blends in with its neighborhood and stands out only in that its gables lack upturned scorpion tail motifs.
When you reach the front door, it is clear that it is slightly ajar. Scuffling sounds can be heard from inside. Doji Oruku shakes his head as if to clear the cobwebs from his mind and calls out:
"Tsumetsu-sama? Guards? Who goes there!"
When the only answer forthcoming is a sudden cessation of the scuffling, Oruku throws the door open and reveals a Daidoji bodyguard prone and unresponsive on the ground of the foyer.
Shaking her head that the wretched criminals would pick the busiest night of the year for their nefarious scheme, the Unicorn tries to remain patient on horseback as the crown moves too slowly out of the way. She is glad to pick up the pace once in the Noble quarter and feel some space around her again.
As the group approaches the residence she rubs her head in response to the sensation she is feeling, noting Uruku-sama's actions too. She is about to say something about how quiet the place is when the Crane magistrate calls out and throws open the door.
We may be too late! exclaims Xiaoxing on seeing the fallen Doji, drawing her katana and moving towards the unconscious Crane.
She steps inside the doorway brandishing her blade and and looking inside the room to see what was causing the scuffling.
Seeing the situation, and deciding it is dire, Katsuyoshi holds on to his prayer scroll and calls forth the kami in to a blade of fire... just as whatever presence washes over his mind and drowns out his thoughts.
Himeko walks through the Crane magistrate slowly, as if in a daze. The air was stiff and unnaturally quiet. When she sees the prone guard, she stifles a gasp and moves forward to see if he is alive.
Watchful leans in and explains what he sees to Katsurou, who nods in agreement and draws his wakizashi. He whispers for Watchful to stay close and rises from his rickshaw.
Oruku-sama. Is it possible they withdrew into the embassy for security reasons? Do you know if there are any escape routes someone might have taken if there was an attack?
Upon "seeing" the unresponsive Daidoji, he has Watchful check to see if they are alive.
The Daidoji guard proves to not be dead; his chest is rising and falling with his deep but slow breathing. He appears to be deeply asleep and completely unresponsive to stimulus, Watchful's examination didn't rouse him and neither does Doji Oruku's barely-gentle nudge with his foot.
The interior of the house is warmly lit by oil lanterns. Beautiful works created by Kakita artists lavishly decorate the interior of the estate. Nothing appears disturbed but something certainly feels inherently wrong, especially when additional prone forms of household servants are discovered in the hallway.. all soundly asleep just like the guard at the door. Noone responds to Doji Oruku's increasingly alarmed calls.
The scuffling sounds you heard moments ago came from the parlor just beyond the foyer. They sounded like rice paper partitions sliding in their tracks...
"It is about time someone took control back from those flighty Air Kami.. LET'S DESTROY THINGS!"
Despite your alarm that things are definitely amiss, you keep feeling yourself thinking that perhaps you should just take a nap. The house looks peaceful enough; you'll look into things nice and refreshed after you get a little shuteye.
Chinatsu and Doji Himeko are the first to just curl up on the tatami mats in the Foyer, and this doesn't strike any of the rest of you as odd. In fact, it seems like a GREAT IDEA, since you're so tired, too!
One by one, each of you yawn, stretch, and pick out a comfortable looking spot to take a nap. Shinjo Xiaoxing and Mirumoto Katsuyoshi are the last to succumb to sleep. As they settle down for some shuteye, the parlor partition slides open slowly and an athletic, bald man tiptoes out, sandal-less and naked from the waist up. The last thing you see before closing your eyes is his thoroughly tattooed form quietly and quickly skulking up the stairs to the second story of the house.
Some time later:
Something crashed.
There it was again; it sounds like porcelain dropping to the floor. You groan at being rousted from your deep sleep, and then your wits fully return. You fell asleep!
You look at each other in shock and alarm as you realize everyone had passed out. The Cranes you saw asleep earlier are still unresponsive as you wipe the sleep from your eyes and regain your feet.
The house is no longer calm and quiet. It sounds like a pack of terribly misbehaved and unsupervised children are running rampant. Something else just broke in a nearby room; it was doubtlessly expensive! Many of the paper partitions are now ripped and any furniture that has drawers has had them pulled out and contents spread across the floor.
Then you see them.
Disgusting podlings are ransacking the house. Three beady, orange eyes burn intensely atop each mouth full of needle-like teeth. They spring around the house from room to room on their spiderlike legs. They do indeed look just like the vile monsters you encountered at the Inn of the Orange Blossom!
One leaps into the hallway and lifts the still-unresponsive maid from the floor to look under her for something. Its claws rend her kimono. Still not finding what it's apparently looking for, it rips the maid open to look inside her.
Two other podlings are shredding pillows and pulling up tatami mats as they also search for something. Yet another comes into view dragging an unsheathed wakizashi, and it is the first to realize that you are awake. It shrieks and bounds up the stairway, careening clumsily before it disappears upstairs.. the wakizashi's weight apparently unbalances it.
Additional podlings can be heard conducting similar activities upstairs. Chillingly, feminine screams begin to filter down to your ears. Kitsuki Katsurou, one of them sounds an awful lot like Yukari.. and you know she was brought here after the attack at the Inn! Doji Himeko, if you're not mistaken another effete scream sounds very much like Teju!
The three podlings abandon their destructive searches and hiss at you, crouching to attack.
8
19
17
11
13
18
31
11
14
13
The three podlings still downstairs bound into the foyer after noticing you on your feet... the first snaps at Chinatsu as it leaps past, clinging to the ceiling above the monk.
Another podling skitters along the floor, briefly getting under Doji Himeko's kimono and attempting to bite her ankle as she hotfoots away from it.
The third lands directly on Akodo Hideyoshi, attempting to bite his neck but is reflexively brushed to the floor before its foul teeth find their mark.
Round one is on the clock!
Reflexively yawning as she regains consciousness, Xiaoxing suddenly snaps awake as she takes in the scene and how wrong everything suddenly is. As she spots the podlings and hears the screams from upstairs she snatches up her katana and automatically holds it ready.
As the podling attempts to snap at Himeko's ankles, she takes the opportunity to dart around it, trusting to the other samurai to take care of the podlings as she sprints up the stairs to protect the women in peril.
Hideyoshi stood next to his grandfather, surveyng the scene. Before them were the decimated ranks of Tokugawa's forces, destroyed before they could enter the valley. The screams of the women echoed in his ears...
'wait. the women?'
Hideyoshi snapped awake to take in the scene of madness in the Crane household. Leaping to his feet, he snapped his katana out and struck a battle stance.
28 16
He slashes at the podling, hirano no kaze slicing the abomination nearly in two.
Oruku-sama. Is it possible they withdrew into the embassy for security reasons? Do you know if there are any escape routes someone might have taken if there was an attack?
"Ie, Katsurou-san. There are no secret tunnels constructed in this estate; it is assumed they could not exist without the Scorpions discovering them and thus rendering them more of a liability due to the threat of being used to secretly invade the grounds than an asset for escape.
Security here is consists solely of protection by the Daidoji bushi... but someone or something has incapacitated them! Now that you mention it, however, it does look like many of the guard positions are completely vacant..."
]Move a little more to the left... no he takes my throat with a slash after he parries my blade. Duck down and pull with an.... no there goes my head instead of my arm. I have to take him the way I did, no way to save the arm. I must pay the cost, over, and over... over......over.........
Katauyoshi bolts from his dream. His reserves of fire ki expended, katsuyoshi must pull from the stillness in his heart the raging flames.
29
Chinatsu awakes with a start as the sounds around him banish the images of a large wall and friends no longer friends that still linger from his, hopefully, brief sleep.
He sees the little creatures moving about. His face disgusted, he says, "These things again? That must mean the creature is here." Chinatsu, seeing Shinjo run up stairs, decides to stay down and deal with the current threat, hoping the rest can deal with the potential other threats.
Himeko wakes with a start. She quickly takes stock of the situation and decides that she would be of better assistance upstairs. Xiaoxing-san couldn't go alone and Teju was up there.
"Protect Oruku-sama." she demands, before following the Unicorn bushi up the stairs. She feels a tug on the hem of her kimono as one of the tiny oni grabs at her, but she pulls free with a rip.
Shinjo Xiaoxing and Doji Himeko: You dash upstairs after the poding dragging the wakizashi. You get the notion you've seen that wakizashi before somewhere.
At the top of the stairs the podling careens to the right. It clumsily gets the blade stuck in a wooden timber, and has to struggle to pull it back out before it can leap back out of your line of sight into a room at the end of the right hallway. Doji Himeko recognizes that doorway as leading into the hatamoto's personal chambers.
The screaming is coming from guest bedrooms at the end of the left hallway. There is a podling crouching at an open doorframe. Every time it starts to enter the room, the screams become more intense and it is driven back by a barrage of bottles of perfume or vases full of flowers.
Akodo Hideyoshi carves a deadly arc with his katana; unfortunately the Matsu Dojo never focused on training to deal with opponents the size of children with the speed of a mongoose. Your muscle memory made the arc a bit too high and although you cleaved a substantial portion of the podlings abdomen right off, if your aim had been a little more perfect you probably would have killed the creature rather than mortally wounding it. It won't require much more damage at all to finish off this podling.
Mirumoto Katsuyoshi communes once again with the fire kami, bringing a brilliant blade of pure flame into existence.. its heat is so intense that the air for several feet around the blade visibly shimmers. The capricious fire kami mock you for falling asleep earlier, but then express their eagerness to finally get to burn things. The downstairs trio of podlings look at your vengeful blade with what has to be fear.
Chinatsu throws punches and circle kicks but the podling keeps a step ahead.. perhaps it has an unfair advantage in doing so with six legs...
Doji Oruku is making groaning sounds; he appears to be coming out from under his sleep.. but how long will it take for him to fully awaken?
18+15+8=41 vs TN 20 (base of 15 -10 for Full attack, +15 for wounds) HIT
9+8+4=21 vs TN 20 HIT
9+9=18 vs TN 20 miss
12+6=18 vs TN 20 miss
9+8=17 vs TN 18 miss
9+9=18 vs TN 18 HIT
I'm picking the 1...no fun disembowling the new guy in the first round of his first combat
9+8=17 vs base TN20, miss
Downstairs action:
The podling Hideyoshi sliced almost in half lunges suicidally towards him. It doesn't concern itself with survival; it just tries to bring the Lion samurai down before it is destroyed itself. It catches his left forearm in its mouth and bites down, drawing blood through his kimono. Its legs scrabble at his stomach, dealing superficial scrapes.
Chinatsu's podling keeps leaping and pouncing around him, narrowly missing with its bite and claws at every pass.
The last podling watched Doji Himeko dash upstairs, but Katsuyoshi's flaming katana draws its attention and an alarmed squawk. It pounces at the Dragon, trying to kill him before he can put the sword to any use. Its bite is fended off by the narrowest of margins, but its sharp claws repeatedly rend the shugenja's legs and arm.
Upstairs:
The podling to the left gives up on trying to get into the bedroom there and bounds off the floor, walls, and ceiling to come at the samurai at the top of the stairs. It goes after the samurai in blue, failing to get through Himeko's defensive juijitsu blocks.
Whatever is going on in the hatamoto's chambers is for now out of view.
Round 2, over to the heroes!
Without hesitation, Xiaoxing steps in to the podling's way, opening herself up to attack in order to deliver a killing blow in one stroke, or at least distract the wretched thing away from Himeko...
Her katana flashes out...
Her blade cuts deeply in to the podling, spattering foul ichor over the Crane's fine tatami mats.
Hideyoshi grimaces as the podling tears into his flesh. Nothing in his training prepared him for the ferocity that was this oni. The flaw in his approach was apparent. It was the same mistake the oni had made.
'the gull always moves with the changing winds'
Time to ponder that later...
Hideyoshi flicks his elbow out, throwing the oni into the air. Hirano no kaze is a blur, cutting a wide downward arc that splatters the oni's blood across the walls. Hideyoshi stands slowly from where he finished his strike. When the Lion looks up, his eyes burn with a cool fury.
Shinjo Xiaoxing ends the podling at the top of the stairway, clearing the way with nothing remaining in the hallway more odious than a faintly bubbling pool of black goo on the floor.
Downstairs, Akodo Hideyoshi proves that the Matsu don't train fools. His next stroke incorporates what he learned moments before. He so perfectly removes the oni podling's head that it doesn't even realize it was killed until that moment its body turns to sludge with its head falling intact... just long enough to display the primal emotion of fear and despair before joining its body as a puddle of black slime.
Breathe through the pain, don't give them an opening to work with.
Katsuyoshi moves through his first step, bringing the kami to bare against his foe. Trying to end this conflict early, Katsuyoshi swings with a strong stroke, leaving an opening a child could notice in his guard.
=62
Hot blade connects with podling flesh in an outpour of sparks and soot.
=38
Himeko recognizes the wakizashi and points at the podling. "Xiaoxing-san, that's Usija-san's blade. He must be in trouble." The courtier moves beside her bushi companion, hoping to protect her after the violence of the Unicorn's attack.
Mirumoto Katsuyoshi grimaces through the distraction of his fresh wounds and smites the podling with his katana of flame; the creature is immolated by the vengeful fire kami and it is reduced to a scorched smear rather than a pool of tar.
Doji Himeko and Shinjo Xiaoxing hear some deeper grumbling coming from the hatamoto's chambers.. nothing as small as a podling could possibly have made those sounds. The ominous voice elicits a fresh round of screams from the guest bedrooms all the way down the other hallway to the left.
Chinatsu calls to Akodo Hideyoshi and Mirumoto Katsuyoshi:
"I will be the anvil; one of you be the hammer!"
With that, he adopts a fully defensive stance and challenges the podling to come at him.
Doji Oruku still moans as if in the throes of a nightmare and struggling to awaken. The other Crane NPCs are still deeply snoozing.
The podling downstairs proves to be not very clever and/or saddled with a one-track mind. It continues to try to get through Chinatsu's blocks and dodges.
Upstairs, there are no podlings in view but there is certainly something in the hatamoto's chambers with that podling dragging Doji Usija's wakizashi. It sounds like there are 3 or 4 hysterical people in the guest bedrooms down the other hallway; when one of them starts screaming it gets the rest going as well.
From what you see of the condition of the house, the upstairs has been as thoroughly ransacked as the downstairs.
Round 3, over to you!
"Katsuyoshi-san! Help them upstairs! Your kami are needed there!"
now for you...
With Chinatsu as the anvil, Hideyoshi continues his assault.
The podling proves to be elusive, evading Hideyoshi's blade for the moment.
Katsuyoshi begins to run for the upstairs, trusting that the two could hold the beast without trouble. The beast was his true target, not its spawn. A hard push for the top of the stares leaves the Dragon ready to charge in to danger.
Xiaoxing nods in thanks to Himeko as she covers the Battle Maiden's exposed flank. As the roaring and the screaming pours forth from the bedrooms, she hesitates briefly, before realising they've just removed the immediate threat to the women in the bedroom down the hall, the only thing left was to remove the bigger threat, with the little beasts here, that could only mean one thing, the Oni was back.
As she sees Katsuyoshi sprint up the stairs, blade of dancing fire clutched in his hand, she is reassured Himeko will be safe. Images of the Inn of Orange Blossom earlier in the evening flicker across her mind but prove no distraction to the single-minded samurai-ko. For now the continued threat must be dealt with before anyone else got hurt.
Xiaoxing runs down the corridor to the bedroom where the roaring was coming from, katana raised at an angle suited to deflecting the blows from the horrible bouncing podling creatures as she rounds the doorway.
Akodo Hideyoshi: Perhaps the podling isn't that simpleminded afterall; its bouncing and pouncing is keeping it a challenging target to hit!
Mirumoto Katsuyoshi: Your bleeding legs churn powerfully as you ascend the stairwell several steps at a time. You get into the hallway beyond Doji Himeko, and follow Shinjo Xiaoxing towards the hatamoto's chambers and the creatures therein.
Shinjo Xiaoxing: When you enter the hatamoto's private chambers, you're presented with a spectacle. The podling dragging the wakizashi is now held in the large fist of a terrible beast.. one you recognize as the terror from the Inn of the Orange Blossom! The hatamoto's private parlor is a disaster as it has been ransacked by the powerful creature. At its feet is a smashed wooden box of party favors, including numerous porcelain festival masks that are now shattered and ruined. The large Oni appears to have been going through that very box when the podling's arrival interrupted it. It is holding the wakizashi in another clawed hand, running its dripping red tongue along the naked blade.
Chinatsu, weaving around the creatures attacks, says to Hideyoshi "I think I can handle this one. These things seem to be just stalling us. The real danger is up above, I think. Go forth, samurai and protect those who need it."
Chinatsu moves to the front of the stairs and assumes a defensive stance, hoping to allow the Lion up the stairs while keeping this podling from going up.
Doji Himeko follows behind Shinjo Xiaoxing into the hatamoto's chambers, continuing to flank the Unicorn bushi
The big Oni roars with frustration after tasting the wakizashi, snapping the blade effortlessly with two hands while beginning to crush the podling with a third. The little Oni shrieks with fear and dismay until the great Oni notices Shinjo Xiaoxing's and Doji Himeko's intrusion. Growling like thunder, the huge Oni flings the podling at the more dangerous-looking samurai-ko as a living projectile then retreats from the hatamoto's waiting room into the private bedchamber. There the Oni heads out onto an open balcony and leaps up onto the roof of the estate.
Doji Himeko, you know there are normally bodyguards posted in these chambers at all times. You don't see any.. neither living nor dead nor sleeping... there's also no sign of the hatamoto himself, for that matter.
The big Oni's furious roars elicit a fresh round of cascading screams from the terrified inhabitants of the guest bedrooms down the hallway.
18+17+8=43 vs TN 39, HIT
MISS
MISS
The flung podling impacts Shinjo Xiaoxing high on the torso, and the momentum of its "parent's" throw allows it to get a bite on the Unicorn's shoulder through her kimono, mixing her blood with the vile black smudge from its mouth on the fine silk.
Downstairs, the podling going after Chinatsu continues snapping with its needle teeth and slashing with its sharp claws at the ends of its spindly legs, but the monk proves up to the task of herding the beast away from the foot of the stairs and still avoiding getting hit.
Round 3 complete; Round 4 back to you!
Xiaoxing remains steadfast as the podling lands on her, tearing a small gash in her kimono as well as her flesh. Trusting to Himeko Xiaoxing ignores the pain, concentrating only on the path of the shadowlands beast as it drops to the floor. As it falls she grips tightly with her left hands and wrenches her katana sideways along its path.
Her blade passes through the creature as if it were water.
Himeko grimaces with the snapping of Usija's wakizashi, but there was little use in despairing over broken honor. Holding herself in a position to cover Xiaoxing's exposed flank, she stares balefully at the oni. "There are others in need further down the hall. They might be in danger. We should help them before dealing with this." She mutters to the Unicorn.
Katsuyoshi stares at the fight in progress, the beast lay before him. He would strike now as if he would only get one blow. The art of the duel, make the first slice so deep there is no need for a second. Fire gleams in the young man's eyes as he races to his destiny. Rage burned deep in the Dragon.
[B]"You are the reason I have to smell this place.
nope.
Katsuyoshi stares at the fight in progress, the beast lay before him. He would strike now as if he would only get one blow. The art of the duel, make the first slice so deep there is no need for a second. Fire gleams in the young man's eyes as he races to his destiny. Rage burned deep in the Dragon.
[B]"You are the reason I have to smell this place.
[Dice=8k4-3raises damage]8d10 nope.
The young Dragon, seeing the podling burst in to sludge, runs in to the room of screaming crane functionaries. Flaming sword ready for any creature he should meet.
"As you say, Chinatsu." Hideyoshi disengages from the combat with the podling, rushing up the steps to find Xiaoxing.
Upstairs, Shinjo Xiaoxing artfully splits the podling lengthwise; both halves instantly turn to black, sticky goo atop what may have been the last un-ruined tatami mat in the estate.
Mirumoto Katsuyoshi makes the left turn at the top of the stairs and checks in on the screaming Cranes.
He sees no podlings inside but the floor of the guest bedroom is littered with broken crockery, half painted masks, spilled paint and glue, shreds of costume, and even the remains of a paper-mache dragon head.
Huddled inside a guest bedroom are several young adults shielded by a matronly older woman who is also panicked with fear. None of them recognize the Dragon shugenja with the flaming katana, and in their shaky mental states assume the worst: they heave whatever projectiles they can manage at Katsuyoshi.
He ducks under a particularly large vase, which is immediately followed by a pot of blue paint exploding in the hallway behind him. As he stands up, a sailing silk kimono hits him squarely in the face and drapes itself around his head.
Chinatsu, now left alone with the podling, uses a balanced attack stance knowing the podling's frantic attacks are not disciplined.
5+4+4=no light speed
Doji Oruku finally pulls himself from the magically induced deep sleep. He sees Chinatsu duelling with the podling and leaps to his feet, readies his katana with a flawless iai draw, and helps defend the monk by fending away the podling.
That concludes Round 4. Round 5 begins!
17+9=26 MISS, thanks to Oruku's Guard
MISS
The podling downstairs considers full attacking in its tiny little brain, but even it knows 2 on 1 is a bad time for full attacking. It keeps bouncing and evading between darting in for failed attempts to injure Chinatsu.
Round 5, over to the Heroes!
Quickly glancing over Himeko-san to ensure she was not wounded, Xiaoxing runs after Katsuyoshi, expecting to find more podlings. She cannot help but grin at the dragon's current predicament, fetching blue kimono wrapped around his head, though she of course politely pays it no attention.
The Oni has fled to the roof, there do not appear to be any beasts left up here!
she shouts loudly
"How do we get up there?" Hideyoshi shouts. "We must stop its rampage!"
Hai Akodo-san! Join me on the balcony and we can pursue the foul beast!
Xiaoxing calls out, already moving off down the corridor to follow the Oni with Hideyoshi.
Katsuyoshi is stuck with a dilemma, drop the kami that make up his blade and lose his command over them or continue to be blinded by the garment that currently drapes around his face. Thankfully the Shinjo woman followed behind giving him an out.
"Shinjo-san, if I drop my hold on the kami they will disperse and we will lose our best weapon against the beast." Not mentioning the kimono, or the lack of arm, Katsuyoshi avoids the dishonor of admitting his infirmity and possibly admitting that he faces retirement so early in life.
Hideyoshi sprints past the 'blinded' man, well aware of his dilemma. As he goes by, he 'accidentally' catches the kimono's hem with his free hand, tearing the garment from his head. "Many apologies, Kastuyoshi-san!" Hideyoshi calls over his shoulder. "Do not not dismiss your kami! Follow us!"
Then Hideyoshi runs hard to catch up to Xiaoxing.
Once a few moments have gone by without any sign of the Oni or its podlings, the Cranes in the guest bedroom settle down and thank you for dispatching the beasts.
The matron who was shielding the young adults introduces herself as Doji Ochiba and is already dressed for the festival. Joining with her are Katsuyoshi's wife Kitsuki (nee Kakita) Yukari, the hatamoto's impressionable teenaged daughter Tsukimi who is wearing a tight kimono in Scorpion fashion, the household retainer Kakita Yaruko, and the source of much of the screaming proves to have been no samurai at all but Doji Himeko's missing hairdresser, Teju.
It becomes apparent that they were able to defend the room from podling invasion by virtue of their prolific missile throwing, although they pretty much did as much damage as the podlings would have done anyway in the process.
In the hatamoto's chambers, you're able to head out to the balcony and take a look around at the city skyline.. once you can see Lord Moon's position in the sky you get your chronological bearings and realize you slept for about 30 minutes. The balcony has a commanding view of most of the city, and in the nearby temple district you can see that teams of dragon dancers are "fighting" each other in their splendid costumes. Several other nobles' estates have balconies in view, and there are a few parties visible watching the dancing below; none appear to be holding any interest in the goings on at the Crane Estate.
Doji Oruku sweeps the estate as the guards begin to awaken. He disregards them for now and alerts you all:
"The Hatamoto and most of the guards are missing!"
Xiaoxing bows to Doji Uruku as he makes his presence known once more
Hai Uruku-sama, I have not seen where any Crane samurai have gone, but I saw the Oni has fled to the River of Gold. Perhaps also of note, I believe I saw a tattooed man in a nearby alley. He had a sword with him, it had a gold tsuba and a blue saya, do we know if this matches the description of your clanmate's sword?
Once she has reported this pertinent information, Xiaoxing is quick to check and ensure the other samurai are present and uninjured, or at least not bleeding too profusely. She offers a smile to Katsuyoshi and Hideyoshi that they had all made it through.
She then turns to Himeko and bows at a friend's depth
Domo Himeko-san, the graceful protection of your Mizu-do stance was greatly appreciated during the battle.
Hideyoshi's knuckles turn white as he grips his katana, watching the Oni disappear into the river. He secures the blade of his family, then offers a bow to acknowledge Xiaoxing. He waits in silence for Oruku-sama to provide the next direction.
The Crane estate is coming back to life as the inhabitants come to grips with the enormity of what has occurred. In particular, Kakita Yaruko, the graduate of the Kakita Artisan Academy, is bemoaning the sad fate of so many fine works of art.
Doji Oruku is questioning Daidoji Naigotai, the Tai-sa of the household guards, about the absence of the hatamoto and so many of the yojimbo. The explanation he gets is that the hatamoto received an urgent visit from the Thunder Guard, who were in turn looking for none other than Oruku himself. Since Oruku-sama was away investigating the murders, the hatamoto responded to the matter personally, taking most of the guard with him for his safety outside the estate.
Everyone in the Crane estate knows he's something of a figurehead.. unwittingly serving in the role of distraction for any spies looking into the Crane Clan's doings in the City of Lies. Unfortunately he wields just enough power to get himself (or his servants) into trouble...
"I believe I saw a tattooed man in a nearby alley. He had a sword with him, it had a gold tsuba and a blue saya, do we know if this matches the description of your clanmate's sword?"
Doji Oruku explains:
"Daidoji Anitano-san's sword was most peculiar and quite unique. Not only was the tsuba golden, but so is the unwrapped tsuka itself! The hilt is shaped as the neck and head of a duck with onyx eyes. Last but not least, the blade was impossibly formed into a serrated edge..."
Shinjo Xiaoxing: You didn't get THAT good a look at the sword, but it certainly sounds like the sword you saw could have met that description. A search of the premises does confirm that the the display stand honoring the slain Cranes' swords is lacking a katana to go with Anitano-san's wakizashi.
As the Shinjo brings up the tattooed man, Katsuyoshi remembers the same figure from before.
"I did witness a tattooed man walk through the entrance area as we all were succumbing to the song of the air kami. The slumber they weaved was unfortunate for our circumstances."
Oruku-sama, I confess to not having seen the sword in that much detail, however it does sound like it was the one.
Xiaoxing bites her lip for a moment
It seems this sword is in great demand, that's an Oni, a group of thieves, and now a tattooed man. Whatever does this sword mean that it is so sought after!?
As Katsuyoshi indicates he saw the man before the samurai succumbed to magical sleep, Xiaoxing nods
So he was unaffected by whatever caused the household to slumber, curious indeed.
she shakes her head to clear it of questions as she refocuses on the matter at hand, the embassy is still a complete mess.
Should we send for the Thunder Guard Oruku-sama? Are there any Crane dignitaries that should be advised of what has happened here?
"So and so." Hideyoshi begins, "we have a tattoo'd man who can resist the air kamis and is - potentially - in possession of the sword the Oni is after. Did you not say to me earlier Xiaoxing-san, that someone of power would have to summon an Oni? Someone who could then summon air-kami? Perhaps powerful enough to command the influence of a rogue band? It seems to me we have found the source behind the problem - the man with the tatoos."
Hideyoshi steps back, hands clasped behind his back as he speaks. "Perhaps we should find out exactly who from the Thunder Guard was seeking Oruku-sama, and what they needed him for."