Search Posts
The rate of fire for shuriken is 4! Go for it!
Takeshi aims and fires off two shots, adjusting the angle slightly to compensate for various conditions on his second attempt. He believes he sees a satisfying jerk from his target, but is it enough for a kill? Already, the Ranger is reaching into his quiver for another arrow...
Takeshi is going to figure out the patrol pattern by 1) asking Bengoshi (he's been watching the camp the longest and was ready to assault it, maybe he already figured out a pattern) and 2) watching the patrols himself. He specifically tries to see if there is any isolated guards that he can pick out with his arrows. If there is, he will proceed to assassinate the long guard, hopefully with Bengoshi and Akemi ready to spring into action in case he misses. Once the guard is down, they will quickly drag the body back into cover. "If we are successful in getting that loner, do you want to wear the disguise?" The ranger asks Akemi as they lay on their stomachs near the ambush site, watching the patrols, "I figured if Kouji's sleep spell fails to subdue all the guards, I could follow up with arrows to nail whoever is still standing."
Takeshi gives Bengoshi a pat on the back and hands some of his cooked grain and fruits. He then gathers Kouji and Akemi to discuss the farmer's recommendation.
"I don't believe our friend here can hear." Says Takeshi, who turns toward the new comer to make sure that he can see his lips for the next part, "But you're with us now. We'll take care of you like you're one of our own. Won't we fellas?" The Ranger picks up a stick, hands it to the young man, and gestures to a patch of soft mud, "Can you write? Maybe you can tell us your name? What do you think of our plan? Any information that could help us overcome our common enemy would be much appreciated!" Regarding toward the dam, "It seems that a bit more force would topple this cobble of rocks. Is there a way to force more water into the river?" Takeshi looks at the new comer as he poses this question, expecting the farmer to have concrete answers about local geography.
"Young man," Takeshi addresses the new comer, "there are at least 5 enemies guarding the dam, as well as an unknown number of oni-akas and perhaps the mastermind behind this evil scheme. If we do not work as a team, we'll be walking into a slaughter." Takeshi gathers everyone around, "I propose the following plan. Instead of going to the enemy, I say we make them come to us. Through observation, we can figure out the enemy's patrol pattern around the dam (if there is one). I'll stealthily climb to the top and act as bait by raining arrows down on the patrolmen. They will try to climb the ladder to get to me, and that's where the rest of you can ambush them." The Ranger turns to the Kouji, "Did you see any good hiding places near the ladders during your flight? Can we all get there w/out being noticed?" "Most importantly, we need to find a way to destroy that dam. Unleash the river water and it's fury make take a few demons along with it."
Hey guys, I will be on vacation starting tomorrow till next TUES, so I won't be posting till after. Have a good labor day weekend!
"Agreed, and we can always save Tetsuya for another adventure." Takeshi looks towards the sky where Kouji has taken off, "hope he comes back soon with some good info."
Takeshi looks around to see if there is any cover to support a stealthy approach to the dam. If it can be done with minimal risk, the Ranger will ask Kouji to scout the eastern campfire and western tent in bird form to get an accurate count of enemy numbers. "Akemi, any suggestions?"
"I am willing to hear any advice that would make this endeavor easier," Takeshi says, "what do you have in mind?"
"Gear up guys, we got oni to kill!" Takeshi takes the opportunity to pick up the wicker (backpack) from his haven. He also offers his supplies to any who needs them.
Takeshi also takes the time to figure out how long it'll take to get to the river dam. If it's a significant distance, then he'll make sure the party regularly stop to rest and stay hydrated. Once there, he'll see if there's a way to survey the oni-camp to take stock of his preys.
I think we should take the time to address something that we have glossed over so far: how to divide loot. In an easy scenario, no one wants to keep any of the spoils. We sell them and divide the profits by 3. It gets more complicated when someone does want to keep something. In my current D&D group, what we do is figure out how much the item would have sold for (say, 5 ryo). If I want that item, I would put 5 ryo into the profit pot. I get the item, and everyone still get the same amount of $ when the profits are divided. By the way, I did a quick math and find that we have on average 3.8 posts per day, which means the four of us have pretty much post consistently once per day! We rock!
Alright, this is how the hideout is equipped: - Wicker: 10 ryo
- Hat, straw: 2 mon
- Quiver (Holds 20 arrows): 1 ryo
This total to around 31 ryo. I would like to use the rest of the my funds (29 ryo) to dig a small well and a secret entrance/exit (in addition to the main entrance, which is kinda camouflaged). I envision that this haven is a little cave.
"Yes that would be most prudent." Agrees Takeshi, "Take the pups and shelter them while we take care of this oni business. When this is over, you can have the older pup to keep you company, but I shall keep the younger one to raise until he is old enough to take care of himself." The ranger then tries to stop Kouji before he fully transforms/flies away. "I think Aeikhi can warn your master about the poison food as well as keep an eye on Hitomi. Our top priority should be the oni-akas and their rat brethren. I recommend we travel to where they dammed the river, rest till dark, then hit them at night. What say you Akemi?"
"So there are rat-goblins..." says the Ranger, "what are they like?"
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Takeshi acts quickly. He removes the arrows from the mother wolf's corpse and moves it out of the camp, covering it up with some vegetation. He then gathered the wolf pups and leads the party to his nearby safe haven. He also takes some time to cover their tracks so the enemy, when they realize they had uninvited guests, won't be able to find the heroes. Once everyone is settled at the haven, Takeshi asks everyone, "Do you guys have idea how to counteract this poison? The easiest way is to wait till your bodies purge it. Or maybe we can go back and pay Hitomi a visit? I don't think he would expect that we will be back so soon. I imagine he'll have the antidote and answers to some interesting questions. Aeikhi, you're from the Kagami, what do you know about Hitomi?"
"Gomennasai, little one," says Takeshi, "but your mother has passed on. But in her place, I shall care for you. The ranger lets the pup nuzzle his dead mother for a little longer, then gently picks him up. "So, Akemi, what's our next step? Normally, we would normally head toward here." Takeshi points to where the rat is on the map, simultaneous pivoting to prevent the curious pup from licking the parchment, "that's where our enemies are most visible. But..." Takeshi trails off as he looks at Kouji, Aeikhi, and the pups. "Our friends are wounded and frail. Our immediate priority should be to rest and then regroup. At the very least, we need to drop off Aeikhi and the pups at a safe place. I know a secluded hideout not to far from here. Unless there is something you really need to do at this camp, I say we head there as soon as possible." "Another thing that concerns me is what happened to Aeikhi, Kouji, and me. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as well, but was able to overcome it. Maybe the oni-akas had a way to poison us...but I highly doubt it..." Takeshi thinks pensively, "To affect all three of us, there must be a common source. We can speculate that the oni-akas poisoned Kagami's water, but if that's true, then everyone in town would be sick...Also, that means I wouldn't have been affected since I only got into town today..." "Which means whatever happened must have taken place today, when all three of us are together." Deduces Takeshi, "There's the fight at the tea house, the interrogation, and the feast...but you were there during all these events, weren't you?" Takeshi's eyes suddenly widened as he remembers something, "Akemi, did you eat any of Hitmoi's food?"
"Oh, may Takitsu-hime forgives me..." "I'll be right back, hang in there." Says Takeshi to Kouji, as he heads toward the young wolves in a slow pace, trying not to scare them off. Kneeling down, the Ranger presents the elder of the wolf pup with a dead bird. He then reaches out to the wolves with his hands, hoping that they would accept him. "If the wilds, it's a dog eat dog world." Explains Takeshi to his companions. "These pups do not have a chance on their own. If they would have me, I will have to take care of them temporarily..."
"Damn it, I was gonna try to calm the animal!" Resigned, the Ranger quickly snaps off two shots at the wolf. (rolled 17 and 13, if successfully hit, rolled dmg 5 and 3) "Hold on boy! We're coming!"
Takeshi takes stock of the oni-camp. His first priority is find out where the enemy has gone. There must be clues (the leather parchment, tracks indicative of a large group of people leaving camp in a certain direction) that can tell him where his prey has gone. Most importantly, he will make sure that the camp itself is not a big ambush. 1. I am under the impression that we killed the oni-aka prisoners. No point leaving those trouble-makers behind. 2. I got a 16 + 2 = 18 on my saving throw, boya! Takeshi suddenly feels a sharp pain in his stomach. He quickly sits down and goes through a meditative chant that his half-ogre family has taught him. By the time he is finished, the ranger no longer feels the pain. "That's strange," he thought, "I don't usually get pain like this..." Takeshi then notices that Aeikhi is sitting on the rock holding his gut and Kouji's face has changed color. "Akemi, we got a problem..."
"Let's go now, and take the fight to our foes! The place is not far, so we can get there before the sun goes down." Takeshi also sent word to the merchants to inquire if anyone carries workable porcelain or know anyone who does. He has an idea on a crafting project...
"It seems to me," says Takeshi, "that our course is clear. We will find the rest of the oni-akas in their cave hideout and exterminate them. Aeikhi, does a cave hideout matches where you saw the monsters' camp?" Turning to Akemi, "I beseech your wisdom on how best to take care of the three oni-akas at hand. Left on their own devices, these creatures will surely cause the village trouble. Should we kill them mercifully?" To Ichimura, "Master, I thank you for your assistance in the interrogation. To tell you the truth, I was not entirely comfortable with the interrogation, even though our prisoners are oni-akas. I am glad that you are here to provide me an alternate means to loosen their tongues." To everyone, "It is clear that the oni-akas were sent to avenge their fallen kin as well as intimidate the village into obedience. Regardless, the failure of this small striking party will soon alert the main group, which will send a larger party to pacify Kagami. I recommend that we leave today for their cave hideout and make a decisive strike against these monsters while we still have the element of surprise. Aeikhi, how far is this hideout? Kouji, you and your master seem to have the best understanding of the oni-akas, so anything you guys can share before the battle would be helpful (like can they see in the dark, etc)."
Takeshi hands the beer over to Ichimura, "Such a display of magic power, you grace us with your presence." Pertaining to the coins, Takeshi recommends to Akemi and Kouji that one copy of the strange Mon and Ichibu be kept. The rest can be melted and donated to the tea house. Using makeshift helmet, cook pots, and some rope, the ranger tries his best to rob the oni-akas of their sight. He plans to find a secluded hut for the interrogation and discusses how he wants the whole thing to go down with Akemi, Kouji, Ichimura, and Aeikhi. "The oni-akas shall be awaken rudely in the hut, blinded." Explains Takeshi. "I shall direct the questions to the oni-akas in the common tongue, which either Kouji or Ichimura will translate. After going through questions the first time, I will sound impatient, and have Akemi or Aeikhi drag one of the monsters out. We must convince the remaining two oni-akas that not answering the questions/answering falsely results in death (when in reality the oni-aka that is dragged out might simply be knocked out or something). I shall repeat the same questions to see if any of the answers change. Another oni-aka will be dragged out, and the questions asked a third time to the remaining monster. Hopefully, fear will cause it to speak the truth."
"Monster, where did you come from?" "How did you get here in Kagami?" "Where does your group camp?" "How big is your group?" "Who/what is the leader of your group? Describe him/her/it." "Is he/she/it the one who gave you money?" (if yes) "What were you told to do with the money?" (if no) "Then where did you get the money?" "Why are you here? What is the purpose?"
"Let's tie these little buggers up and stow them away somewhere safe for interrogation later." Takeshi suggests as he pulls out his hemp rope. "If there are hoods/bags to spare, I recommend blinding them. Losing their sense of sight will make them uncomfortable, and letting them see their kins' corpses after might loosen a few lips or two. With the clues they offer, maybe Kouji'll get a better picture of the future." Takeshi then spends some time eating lunch, during which he chats with Aeikhi on the fine arts of crafting. He also asks around (the yamabushi, the traveling merchants, and the village elder) to see whether or not anyone recognize the oni-aka's coins. Around early afternoon, the ranger will, with the help of Kouji, interrogates the three remaining monsters.
Takeshi goes to console the leader of the remaining warrior monks, "The sacrifices of your comrades will not be forgotten. Take heart that 8 oni-akas are dead and none of the villagers, even the little boy that they were trying to kidnap, are hurt. Please convey to the daiymo that we will find the master behind these minions and make him pay! In our absence, please have someone protect the village." The ranger then looks through the bodies the oni-akas. Maybe there will be clues as to their origin. If not, maybe there is at least be some pocket change :) (does oni-akas even carry cash?). Lastly, Takeshi goes to the metal smith and gave the man a little bow, "I welcome you to our little band and look forward to seeing your hammer crushing the skulls of Kagami's enemies. I only have around 2 ryos on me, but I would like to purchase an axe and a small carving knife. I will pay you back what I owe as soon as I am able." "You were saying something about a tea set before we were rudely interrupted?" Asks Takeshi to Kouji.
Takeshi nudges Kouji and says, "You hear that? There is wisdom in his words. A man can talk his mouth off, but he can never match a woman in yelling. If you ever get into an argument with a girl, u should run like the oni-aka did, but faster."
Takeshi is an optimistic man. His half-ogre family had taught him that within every disaster, there is always an opportunity. You just need to reach out and seize it. "People of Kagami! Take a close look at your enemies and the misfortune they bring!" Takeshi waves at the broken furniture as well as the death monks, "This is the face of evil, an evil that is trying to take away your cherished land and love ones!" "Together," He moves to stand besides his new comrades, "my companions and I will purge this vile threat from Kagami, but we cannot do it alone! Behind every great hero are valiant braves who support our undertakings. Anyone who is willing to help, either by carrying a torch or a spear, is welcome! We would also be appreciative of any supplies that you folks can offer." "This is our land, and I'll be damned if we let a bunch of munchkin goblins take it from us! Are you with me!"
Year of living by his bow has integrated the weapon to Takeshi as if its his own appendage. Without hesitation, the headhunter draws an arrow and, with the bow that just appears in his hand, fires a shot at one of the escaping oni-akas (rolled an 18 + 1 = 19). "Akemi, with me!" Yells Takeshi as he moves after the monsters. "Kouji, they got a child, do something to slow them down!"
1. According to the official rules, initiative (d6) is rolled for each side, not each individual character. Does one of us roll for our side? 2. Spoiler:: Can you clarify the position of the oni-akas? From what I can tell, there are 2 groups: one to my right and another making off with the small boy. There are a few tables and chairs between me and the group on my right and only an elderly lady between me and the group with the boy. There are no more oni-akas on the roof. Is that correct?
Satisfied that the village is taking proper action, Takeshi turns to the young woman beside him and extends his hand, "Well met, Akemi! Kagami will be served well by a student well-versed in the wisdom and martial arts of the Fox Gateway Temple. I look forward to fighting beside you in the battle to come." He then addresses Kouji, "Every talent has its uses, even if one coming from a lad. I am counting on your magic to defeat the foes that my bow cannot fall." Takeshi talks to the monks last, "So you defeated the oni-akas in a cave along the river way. Are there other oni-akas there? Do you have (or know someone who does) knowledge of the whereabouts of these monsters?"
Takeshi kneels down to the young boy. "When I was little, I had no family. Although the half-ogres who raised me loved me like their own son, I was resentful and bitter; why was I abandoned? If it weren't for Kagami, its villagers accepting me like one of their own, I would be a very different man today. This place is my home, boy, and I will be there when it needs me, just like when it was there for me. Now run along, don't be worrying your parents!" Takeshi stands up and faces the leader of the yamabushi. "I thank you for bringing this dire circumstance into light. I understand the Oni-akas are wily and dangerous, but they can be defeated, just like that one." "A good hunter knows its prey better than the prey itself. I would appreciate any concrete facts that you can share about these Oni-akas as well as any hints on hunting them."
"I shall drink from the cup." Says a man in green, outdoors garb. He nods to a few of his acquaintances as he makes his way to the front of the crowd. "Name's Takeshi, Takeshih Kaneshiro. Some of you might know me as a ranger, hunter, and a killer of deers." Takeshi lets the chuckles die down before continuing in a more serious tone, "I live in the forests, and let me tell you, things there are just as bad. People of Kagami, we have enjoyed a period of peace, but I see creeping signs of trouble. So we must not shrink from our responsibilities to protect our land, a land that our ancestors have passed down to us!" With that, he takes the cup of honor and drinks from it. "Kagami has my bow!"
Let the adventure begin! Nippon Bonzai! I googled some basic Japanese phrases that I thought we can use in our dialogue. What do you guys think?
Hey, sorry if I appear to be unhappy about the dietary restrictions (I actually don't mind it that much, I just wanted to get all the details, still trying to get use to "less rules, more rulings"). But I really like the craftsman perk. I think it's cool to be able to make items, even though they have to be non-metal. Crafting items, though, brings up another question that I have on the back of my head. There are always craft feats, but they are rarely taken because in most adventures, there is usually a time element. The DM don't always allow players to sit around and craft stuff, since after they save the children, they have to save the village, and after the village, go on another quest. Some of the more hardcore stuff also takes days if not weeks to craft... The crux of my question is, will there be a good chunk of time, in between quests, to concentrate on crafting? Can crafting time be split to a couple of hours a day, like at night before I retire to bed? Sorry, I seem to be asking a lot of questions. I must emphasize that I like this perk a lot. Just want to be on the same page as the Ref.
As an aside, I thought I should point out how it astounds me that a wicker, the equivalent of a backpack, costs 10 ryo. With that money, you can buy a chest (large, wooden) or a tent (large, 4 person). I wonder if that's a typo, or there is some kind of explanation as to why, in Japan, a wicker cost twice the amount vs. a western backpack. I place my bet on expensive labor... Is a western sack (15 lb capacity) open for purchase?
|