The group heads east from the village after not too much time; the villagers would begin work the fields at a more furious pace until they're out of your eyesight, you think wanting to leave you with a good impression.
East of the village you pick back up on the road, the signs of open farmland (even if in poor condition) begin to fall away, and soon, you are finding yourselves on a well-traveled path through a densely wooded area.
You are greeted with the sounds of nature, but otherwise, no immediate signs of anything to worry about.
Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:12 am
Her lips pursed and a ponderous expression crossed her features at this news. She didn't expect it, certainly, and might not have believed it had Tsuyoshi not spoken up. If two Crane seemed to accept this practice, then who was she to question it. She didn't need to do much beyond nod, smile, and look regal after that as her companions took the lead. A little part of her cried out in protest at the suggestion that they would be leaving this place without mapping it, but she kept it stifled, reassuring herself that they would be back and she could map out the area more thoroughly then. It was a matter of efficiency, since they had arrived in an area that broke her desired pattern. Perhaps she wouldn't map this village for a while still, until it was its turn on her little internal parsing.
So off to the east they went, still with plenty of day ahead of them, which was good considering she was fully intent on being thorough. She didn't seem to care about the road at all when they progressed, frequently leaving it to make her little grid of the region and memorize every little bit they saw.
"Eyes sharp, dear yojimbo. It is essential I remain free of distractions to absorb every little detail."
To Tsuyoshi, the Imperial's very particular method of mapping were making it seem quite the esoteric skill at the moment, so rather than try to question how it worked he thought it best he just do whatever she said was going to best enable her to work.
"Of course, Miya-sama," he said, focusing a bit more on keeping his ears and eyes open to any signs of motion or sound in the forest that might be more than small wildlife trying not to be too near them. Of course, any disturbance he spotted while standing nearby her would hardly keep it from causing her problems with the mapping- it'd simply give them a few moments head notice to draw weapons and get between her and the threat.
"I might be better able to prevent that by scouting a short distance around us, if you like, Miya-sama," he reasoned, as she would still have the Daidoji immediately at hand if anything came upon them without his spotting it first.
Tsuyoshi, you head off to go scout! As you move and scan your surroundings, you find nothing wrong, nor do you find any sign of danger.
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GustyFox
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Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:15 pm
The shy shugenja have been quietly following the group. The farmers seem to catch her attention for a while but she quickly leaves them behind for the nature that unveils ahead.
Doji Chiharu has long black hair, it is tied in a large bun for the travel, under a kerchief on top of her head. She walks with a shakujo in hands. And once she finds herself alone with the Miya, as Tsuyoshi scout ahead, she bows deep, in service of the imperial woman.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:53 am
"I- um. Yes, alright. Just... stay close enough that you can still hear us." she responded a bit nervously, feeling as if something had comically changed as she suddenly remembered that her Daidoji had stayed behind in the village and her Doji had come along instead. She wasn't entirely sure how safe she should feel under the hands of a traditionally pacifist discipline; though a shugenja was a shugenja, and that much was comforting.
She gave a little nodding bow of her own in acknowledgement as they continued on evidently unmolested, making good use of the peace to continue her thorough memorization of the landscape. "I've always found Crane lands quite gorgeous. Even after such devastation."
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Psychofish
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 1:33 pm
Well, that was an uneventful search. Shame he didn't find anything interesting or useful he could show off to assist the mission and give him something more to do, but at least the coast was clear it seemed. Tsuyoshi went to return to the group, not reporting in as he returned (lest he himself disturb the concentration the Miya had stressed the importance of) but walked quietly over to the group, standing and watching with interest as she worked... or looked around...
It was something to do to not get bored, and he was curious how her craft worked. Besides- he could help her better if he knew something about the requirements beyond just looking for big things and doodling them on a page ral small, couldn't he?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:49 pm
Tsuyoshi would finish his sweep of the road ahead and would start his return to Ayame and Chiharu. As he neared his them, the two women would see someone step out of the bushes where the magistrate had just searched onto the road. Someone wearing makeshift ashigaru armor and a bandana covering the lower half of his face, his charcoal-colored hair cropped incredibly short.
Ayame would recognize this man as the bandit who tried to rob her earlier.
Only this time, he had a bow drawn. Loosing an arrow, it would whistle through the air, impaling it near the shoulder, whinnying in pain and rearing up.
Miya Ayame! Give me a TN 20 Agility/Horsemanship roll to avoid being thrown from your horse!
Everyone! Roll me initiative!
The bandit is approximately 100 feet from Ayame and Chiharu, and 90' from Tsuyoshi!
Ayame, Rakurai rears up when struck with an arrow, his legs kicking in panic. You find yourself unable to get him in control in time before gravity does its thing and you fall to the dirt road unceremoniously.
Ayame, if you wish to try and get ahold of Rakurai, it will take a TN 20 Awareness/Horsemanship roll. He's not fleeing yet, but he's definitely upset.
Everyone, you have initiative. As a reminder, at the beginning of the next round, you may change or retain your current stance.
Current placement: Rakurai, Ayame, and Chiharu are all within 5' of one another. Tsuyoshi, you are 10' away from them, 90' from the bandit (a 100' total range between both extremes).
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:43 am
He was just trying to think of an exciting way to report nothing, approaching the imperial when something flew in from out of his line of vision, and the horse reared, screaming. The Crane turned his head back the path of the arrow, struck by how the small ambush felt so different from everything he'd been taught about battle- no roar, no tension, other than the horse's cry things might have seemed peaceful enough to make it unreal.
He was moving on reflex before his reasoning finished computing- he had to guard the imperial, but he couldn't protect both her and the vulnerable shugenja, and here he was staring at a bandit attacking her- be it the same one from before or not, a bandit attacking an imperial on Crane lands? It could not be allowed to stand- the criminal had to be killed or captured, on his honor, and part of the reason he was selected.
Lifting his sasumata up in front of himself, and angling it more like a bow to maximize any chance of catching an incoming arrow with it, the bushi gave a cry and charged full speed toward the masked stranger.
[Moving 60 feet (20xwater) toward bandit as two simple actions]
She moves a few steps preventing the bandit from aiming at the Imperial, putting herself on the shotting line.
The Shugenja speaks out loud to the bandit, yet keeping a polite manner:
—Please, repent from your crimes, surrender your bow, and the Fortunes shall be merciful on you. Consider my words and you might still find a path in the Celestial Order to follow in this life.
Tsuyoshi rushes forward, ready to engage the bandit, and begins closing the distance. Chiharu sticks close to the imperial, who seems dazed from her fall.
The bandit lifts the bow once more, pulling out a second arrow from his quiver and nocking it. He struggles to get a good shot on Ayame, and finally looses his arrow. It whistles through the air but fails to hit anyone. It's difficult to tell who his target was.
Next round! At the beginning of your turn, you may now choose to maintain or change your stance (if you state nothing, I'll assume you maintain your stance). Tsuyoshi, you are 35 feet from the bandit. Ayame, Chiharu, you are 100 feet away.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:46 pm
Chiharu watches the arrow wondering what the bandit was aiming for. She maintains her position, offering some cover to the Imperial until the Miya get on her feet again.
The shugenja seems confident that her clan mate is more than enough to deal with an outlaw. She seems focused at the coming combat but still find a moment to glance at the Imperial behind her:
—Is Miya-sama fine?
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:10 am
The arrow flies by- Tsuyoshi winces, but can't stop to look back. Instead he gives another battle cry, dropping the pole from the guarding stance to his side, and charges right into the criminal's face, making a wild thrust of the staff as he closes to try and get his attention even before he gets his footing set- determined to prevent him from firing another arrow at the shugenja or imperial if he can help it.
[Switching to attack stance to make himself a more tempting/imposing target.] [Moving 35 feet, adjacent to the bandit as a simple and free action]
Ayame still seems a bit dazed by her fall; she's conscious but not taking any actions.
Tsuyoshi closes with the bandit, bringing his weapon to bear... when the bandit suddenly throws his bow to one side, using his arms to try and shield himself as he rushes past Tsuyoshi, towards his charges! Apparently, he is not at all interested in the Magistrate!
