The ancestral house of the Soichiro stands behind him. Once vibrant, its features are now faded by the work of neglect. A dark reign, a fall from favour, is all it took to sweep away the Soichiro's legacy. But Mitsui saw none of that. For years, he has spent his time secluded, drinking knowledge like the desert drinks a lake.
Immobile, Mitsui wonders whether he can summon the will to turn and look at the house. In front of him, Minkai's capital spreads, darker, meaner than he remembers.
Mitsui is quiet for a moment, mind whirling. So much had happened so fast. His arrival at the surface, meeting his family, learning there troubles, setting himself this quest...His entire quiet world thrown into confusion and doubt.
With a deep breathe calms himself and puts a hand on the cool, glass exterior of the golem. For the first time he wonders how others will react to his creation. He shrugs, he would find out. He needed passage to the mainland. While Minkai was not an island, it would be a long walk up the peninsula. A ship would be faster.
He looks to Shi, the small green ioun wyrd always at his side. "Let us go to the docks. We need to find a ship."
The city of Kasai is composed of numerous straight canals cutting the metropolis into neat districts. The Soichiro House lies in the Higohashi district, where many merchants are to be found. The Soichiros always had very low status, given their forwned upon trade, but their success had nevertheless allowed them to carve a defiant foothold in the district.
It is dawn as Mitsui sets forth for the docks, which lie north from where he lives. The fastest way there however is to get to the river and get a boat which will bring him to the main docks, where seafaring ships lay anchor.
Around him, the buildings lay quiet, mostly, as one by one, they stir into activity. In the narrow street, some servants are dashing, head bowed, running errands for their masters. As he steps into the street, a few servants stop, eyes filled with fear, mouth distorted by terror, as they take in the sight of the golem walking before Mitsui.
Five of them, those closest, suddenly kneel and wail, begging for mercy. It seems like the others will soon follow suit.
'Inconvenient." Mitsui mutters, looking at the prostrate servants. A lifetime of reading books seemed rather useless now.
'Um, nothing to be concerned about." he says, awkwardly, to the crowd. Turning to the golem he add, 'Try not to crush any."
With that he tries to ignore the servants and heads north. He ponders the canal boats and weather they can hold the golem. It slowly dawns on the young wizard, his finest creation may be more trouble then it is worth.
Not necessarily, but you have to keep in mind that a golem will attract attention, lead to questions, sometimes problems with officials, and require some tricks to help, especially in urban settings, and even more in the jade regent's dominion. Mitsui is one of the most powerful wizards in the realm, though he might not be aware of that just yet. I'm fine with the golem, but it will make your life harder until you find workarounds. I'm happy to roleplay Mitsui's discoveries.
Through a crowd of prostrate servants, the trio walks awkwardly. As they reach the corner of the smaller street and come into view of the broader street that leads to the river, Mitsui can make a denser crowd already forming through the morning mist. The golem will make an impression, that is for certain.
From the darkness of a recess near the corner of the alley, laughter springs. Two voices, discordant in unison, burst in laughter. Through the darkness, he can barely make a tiny noodle stall operated by an elderly couple. "You are sticking out like a yellow mushroom in the forest, young one!" laughs the old man, while the old woman collects wood and throws it in the fire under a big boiling pot of water.
I forgot...my prepared spells today. the '/' marks show flexible wizardry slots. So I can use a full round to pick which one I cast to use that slot. Also added stuff to his profile and stat bar.
Spells!:
5th—Cone of Cold, Major Creation/Cloudkill, Major Creation/Cone of Cold, Telekinesis DC 21
4th— Shout/ Black Tentacles, Stone Shape, Stone Shape, Greater Make Whole, Greater Make Whole DC 20
3rd—Diamond Spray/Fireball, Fly/Invisibility, Fly, Invisibility, DC 19
2nd—Alter Self, Alter Self, Darkness, Glitterdust, Resist Energy, Resist Energy, Ice Slick 7/day DC 18
1st—Grease, Unseen Servant, Monkey Fish, Mage Armor, Endure Elements, Animate Rope/Magic Missle, Unseen Servant 7/day DC 17
0 (at will)— Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Open/Close, Drench 4/day
Mitsui coughs uncomfortably and agrees, saying, "Yes, it appears so." Another cough as he glances at the looming and expressionless golem.
The wizard turns back to the shadowy older couple,'Would..would you know the least traveled way to the docks?"
Diplomacy:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Also, he always has Detect Magic up, does he detect anything? I think it might be a good way for him to realize just how little magic there is on a daily basis
The woman turns to you, her smile is filled with compassion: "The least traveled road? A good question! Isn't the least traveled road also the hardest?"
The man frowns at her, his hair is still black, though laced with silver strands, and with an authoritative voice, he clarifies: "He means the road avoided by others, the quiet road, the subtle road..."
The woman laughs and replies to her husband: "Oh dear, I know what he means. Nevertheless, the least traveled road is the hardest!"
The man shrugs and turns back to you: "My sister... Tell us then, which is it that you seek? The subtle, or the hardest?"
In spite of himself Mitsui smiles to himself. The young wizard had always enjoyed riddles and the play of words with each other. He pauses to consider her question and as he does so uses Prestidigitation to fill the air around them with the subtle smell of old books and burning incense (a close approximation of his basement home).
'Should not one simply pursue the wisest road?" Mitsui retorts, adding, "Then the question becomes, what is the wise road? An rare road may be wise simply due to the lack of wisdom among travelers. The common road, may be unwise and difficult."
"PFFF! He's dodging the question!" blurts the old man, dismissive.
But his sister replies: "Or he's just a little more clever than the usual noodle guzzlers we serve..?" appraising Mitsui with peevish eyes.
"My brother wants to know if you prefer to remain unseen, and I say that instead, you should not hide from view. You may choose the wisest path, but wisdom is within you, not within us... So, Yellow Mushroom, what path do you want to take?"
Mitsui purses his lips as he ponders the question, deeper then it appears. After considering it he says, "You say, not hidden from view. As to go openly....what route would a Lord take? One who made his own paths and not followed the ruts of others? Perhaps all known roads are unwise."
The older man smiles and mumbles to his sister: "All right, he's clever enough, for a noodle guzzler... Yes, the road makes the man, and it makes the lord! You want to be a lord?" he asks, and both brother and sister stop and watch you intently. It is as if time has stopped in the narrow alley.
"I wish to act as one who makes the world serve him, not the obverse. Is that not, in a sense, being a lord?" Mitsui asks adding, "What is the most direct way to the docks, save the canal boats."
The woman smiles at her brother and says to Mitsui: "The most direct way is to grab a boat at the end of this road. Take a left here and you'll get to the docks within five minutes. If you don't want to take a canal boat, then you'll have to walk through the city, almost all of it, really, to get where the sea ships lay down their anchors. Don't you want some soup before you head out. You look like you don't eat too well..."
The wizard looks at the bubbling noodle soup and then smiles, "I would be glad to have some, honored elder. But be quick, fate and nation's wait for no man, even a Lord."
"Pffff! His head won't fit in the Great Tori..." coughs the elder, referring to a great portal just south of Kasai.
He's visibly not impressed, but his sister ignores him and offers a bowl of warm noodle soup to Mitsui, all smile: "Best of luck, Lord, may your steps guide you safely to the harbour."
You eat your soup with good enough manners, bowing deeply to the two, but when you raise your head, they are nowhere to be found. It is as if they have just vanished...
And I detected nothing with my casual Detect Magic?
The wizard is a bit startled and concentrates on the area, looking for traces of magic. Mitsui is glad he was polite and proper but wondered if they worked for the regent or against him...or had ineffable plans of their own. Shaking his head the wizard heads for the closest canal boat to get passage.
As much as Mitsui tries, he finds no lingering magic. Either he's dreamed the whole thing, or something else is going on.
Btw, a great stealth skill could do the trick, though the cart would complicate things immensely. Please roll a general knowledge roll (d20). I'll add the relevant modifier.
Mitsui ponders for a heartbeat what has just happened, but can't come up with a plausible explanation. There is just no way a powerful arcanist or a sly spy could have pulled this off, leaving only the impossible as explanation. Could this have been an illusion? An hallucination? A mind-controlling spell? Divine agents?
With a shake of the head, Mitsui turns to the street, followed by his two aids. The street is busy, though it will get far worse in less than an hour. He takes a deep breath as he steps forward, but strangely enough, nobody seems to notice him, nor his tiny and giant animated companions.
They follow the street, passersby ignoring them and moving aside to let them through. All seems too good to be true.
And perhaps it is, for as the street reaches its end, it opens to the left not only to the harbour, but also to a palanquin guarded by at least fifty men heavily armed and wearing the crest of the regent.
The palanquin is small, narrow, and exquisitely refined, its green frame decorated with silver and gold ornaments representing dragons and sparrows. Inside, a pair of eyes looks over a fan in your direction. Eyes one could waste a lifetime staring at. Eyes you could gaze at for the rest of your life. Eyes under which one basks, filled with bliss, for an eternity...
But all those thoughts are cut short anyway, for a great stallion crosses in front of the palanquin. On top of it sits a great warrior, clad in an armour of red and gold.
The eyes in the palaquin and those of the warrior are the only ones that seem to acknowledge your presence, and that of your two companions.
You have the initiative. You can roll knowledge nobility to know more about the palanquin and the warrior.
The rider is none other than Kawame Murumon, adviser to the imperial throne. Murumon is an older man, well respected, but also greatly feared for his pragmatic ruthlessness. It is rumoured that Murumon moved to power as an advisor in the wake of the Regent's rise to the throne.
Mitsui also recognizes the palanquin as likely belonging to Renshii Meida, the regent's favourite mistress; her beauty only surpassed by her cruelty.
Finally, he identifies the fifty or so guards surrounding them as members of the Typhoon Guard, an elite group of samurais devoted to the safety of the Imperial throne.
They seem to have been in the middle of a 'discussion' when Mitsui took them by surprise. About a dozen people, boat owners from the look of them, are kneeling, head bowed, in front of Murumon, with several guards around them, swords drawn. The guards look more threatening than ready to strike.
Mitsui feels a burn of rage int he back of his mind. These are the Regent's toadies....mistresses and 'advisers'. Usurpers, destroyers...
Still, although a small aprt of him wished to simply blast these people, he knew that was foolish.
Carefully the wizard bows and says, 'My apologizes, honored ones. I was merely seeking a vessel myself. I did not mean to interrupt, Please excuse me." With that he takes a few steps back, hoping to seem small and inoffensive.
Mitsui feels strong magic emanating in front of him, but there is little time to analyze dweomers.
"SCUM! WHO TOLD YOU TO SPEAK!" roars one of the Typhoon guards, advancing menacingly to Mitsui's face, visibly offended or seeing an opportunity to score points with management.
Otherwise, the rider moves his gaze away, for a moment, until he notices the golem. He looks at it, fascinated, then says: "Why do you seek passage? This is a strange creature... Do you own it?" His voice is slippery and airy. There is a tension behind every word, like they are traps ready to snare the careless.
I had a feeling that would happen but I couldn't help it!
Mitsui carefully ponders the words, being sure they do not carry magic themselves. Being charmed or enchanted would not do....
'I am exploring the world, I hear strange stories of distant lands. As for the construct, I built it myself so yes I own it. It was a large project, but I am satisfied with it."
Oh man, if he tries to 'buy' things are going to get nasty quick
The wizard bows low (and instructs the golem to do the same). 'Thank you, superior sir." And he turns to the boatman, trying to find whoever looks the most scared and hire them.
A small man with a strong back nods at you, then at the lords on shore, and finally hurries, his whole body bent in a submissive stance and hurries you to his barge. He wears a yellow yakata (cotton vest crossed in front) with blue shorts. He walks barefoot. His long hair are pulled back by a white band of white cotton stained with sweat. His eyes are deeply set under a bushy brow. Some rare beard hair poke through his chin.
It takes some time and effort, along with a lot of jury-rigging, but the golem makes it on the barge. After a few loud grunts from the man and louder creakings from the barge, you leave the shore behind.
After about two minutes, when the lords are no longer within sight, the boatman exhales relief and says: "You probably saved my life! You have my thanks!!"
Mitsui smiles at the boatman and says, "You are welcome. I do not know if I saved your life, but at least I am a more generous passenger then those Lords and Ladies. That said, my cargo is a bit unusual." The wizard pats the hefting golem alongside.
'My name is Mitsui, of house Soichrio." he adds, in a friendly fashion.
The boatman pushes on his oar, which is located at the back of a ship, working like a fish tail: "Pleased to meet you! I am Akimoto. Yes, the Lady Meida often travels to the Imperial Shrine, but her boatman is never seen again. So yes, you saved me from today's lottery..."
'Well met Akimoto. If you speak the truth, I am glad to have saved you from such an unknown fate. Honest men should not have to live under such shadows..."
A pause then, "I seek passage north, to the Forest of Spirits."
"North!? Do you have a pass?! Those a harder to come by nowadays. So many people trying to- Well, to flee." replies Akimoto with wide eyes, his whole body straining against the paddle.
Mitusi frowns, "A pass?" Then he adds, carefully, 'I have...not gone aboard in some time. What do you mean by a pass? Are the borders closed, is there war or some pestilence?" As far as he could recall from his books, the borders were for those who wished to enter or leave the country.
"Aye! No, this is recent. The Jade Regent fears for emperor Shigure's life and has imposed very strict controls on travel, in and out of Kasai. You'll need a pass to board a ship. I can get you to the Port Authorities if you wish. They're the ones responsible for the passes."
The wizard considers this for a long moment. While naturally inclined to follow the law, he doubted he could get a legal pass and besides, the bribes required....
He takes a long look at the boatman, wondering if he could ask about....less legitimate ways of getting north.
Sense Motive:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
Does he seem 'safe' to ask about smugglers and such?
Mitsui ponders this and then ventures, "Keeping track of everyone and uses passes must be difficult. Has there been problem with smugglers and the like? I imagine the Port Authority must be very busy trying to track such criminals? "
"The more control, the better for smugglers. Of course, more of them get caught, but the business is so lucrative, it attracts more and more... It's a losing game I guess. There will always be smugglers..." Akimoto's tone indicates he knows people...
"Ahahah! I'm just a humble boatman, but my cousin, she would know. She serves sake near the harbour. She always has the craziest of stories! If you wish, I could bring you there."
The wizard nods, "I always enjoy stories. If it pleases you, yes, let us visit your crazy cousin. I think we could both use a laugh after our close brush with royalty at the docks, eh?"
"Ahahah! Yes, my lord, we could use a change of pace!" says Akimoto cheerfully. He maneuvers his barge nearer the shore and chooses one of the first landings available, very far from the activity of the harbour.
"This is a quieter place to land. We won't draw so much attention..." he pauses and takes a long look at the golem, now visibly uncomfortable, "My lord, your... Your servant... I'm not sure... I mean, I do not recommend it- he, joins us..."
