Desert Wind Chapter #1: Playing Samurai and Indians

[Glory Sieg]

The monk thought about it, taking both the letter and the kimono. "Hmm. Very well," she said after a moment. Holding onto the letter, she neatly unfurled the kimono, taking a few moment to wrap it about her to protect her modesty. Or at least that's what she would assume; it was never much of what she thought about.

"Thank you, Brother. I'll go deliver this to Ide Goro right away." With a bow, she turned started away towards the south gates.  

[Plainsfox]

@Togashi Seijun
The old monk would return Seijun's bow and walk off into the crowd. If Seijun so much as blinked as she turned away, he would seem to disappear into the crowd.

At the south gate, Seijun would be informed that Ide Goro would not be there until it was time to start preparing his caravan to leave and that he likely retired for the evening. If Seijun wished, she could find accommodations and retire for the evening.

@Yoritomo Misaki

Ide Goro would nod and go over and talk to a manager. Tampopo would then be released to your care! Treat her well. Ide Goro would then state "If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of our partnership." With that, Ide Goro would retire.

@EVERYONE

I have a request for all players. Seeing as they all have a week before the caravan leaves, I want


One Action they are performing while they are waiting and one void roll .  

[Rain Yupa]

If we're skipping the whole week..... probably honeymoon things. Check with Aneksi for confirmation.

Void 2k2 = 16  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Honeymoon things are a given, but the "One Action" would have to be that check-in with Ide Goro on day 2.


[Void 2k2 vs. TN ? = 13]  

[Plainsfox]

@How you spent your week.

@Seijun

Seijun spent her week waiting for Ide Goro at the gates! During that week, she's seen many sets of racks and even has managed to examine several under the guise of "spiritual" reasons! These were low rank peasants and servants who couldn't really question you, though.

You meet with Ide Goro and notice he is surrounded by Utaku battlemaidens who each have a rack of their own! You manage to present him his letter while enraptured by the sea of purple clad bosoms. Ide Goro exhales a deep sigh. "Apparently a Magistrate wishes you to join us. It's a bit unwise to refuse them. If you don't mind, please wait here."

@Aneksi, Jinyu-Zhe, and Asura

You all meet with Ide Goro in the following day. You can meet each other if you like and you all learn that you will be outriders and forward scouts for the caravan. It will be your duty to find threats and determine their danger. You would then either eliminate the threat or return to the caravan and help determine a course of action. If you do not converse to each other at that point, then Asura goes off to slum while Aneksi and Jinyu-Zhe proceed to live it up as much as they can.

@Asura

For some reason, the seedy portions of the city seem to be too rich for your wallet lately, so you wind up hanging around in the merely lower class sections of town and get basically the same amount of fun.

Aneksi and Jinyu-Zhe

You take in several plays , make sure the horses are healthy, and do newly wed things. You take tea with Otomo Kentaro and his children, and a monk that looks like he could be anyone's grandfather. Jinyu-Zhe and Kentaro talk shop being fellow shugenja, while Aneksi learns a little news. Apparently Kitsuki Himura recently won a brilliant battle against a legion of Spider warriors that tried to rebel.

@Misaki
You learn that Second City is not just a Unicorn city, but a multi-cultuiral enclave under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Governor. You learn that "proper" things from Rokugan bring in a premium here, while certain exotic novelties bring in a premium when sold in Rokugan.

Your loaner servant thinks you is very boringly.

@All

When the day comes Ide Goro gathers the group around a Togashi monk and state the following. "We've all met, so we'll dispense with the pleasantries and I'll get to the point. I'm choosing you all to act as my forward scouts. I'm sure I told most of you this before, but for those who have forgotten, in about a month's travel, this caravan will pass out of lands regularly patrolled by the empire and entering wilderness. When that happens, this happy group will range ahead to ascertain the dangers and opportunities that may lie ahead. If you see something you think your group can handle, by all means handle it. However, I need information more than you need glory. I would rather you report back to the caravan when you run across something you cannot easily take care of. Are their any questions?  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Yoritomo Misaki, having just had a very enlightening week, would just look at the Ide. He was a talker, a lover, not a fighter (unless he really needed to). That wasn't quite what he thought he was here for. Still, he could handle it.

He idly wondered if Tampopo got the gift he sent her way this morning. A fine kimono, costing a koku. That would pay for her having to deal with his whims for the week.  

[Mongooseh]

Dabbing a cloth at his weeping black eye, Asura stepped forward and asked in a militaristic and serious tone.

"Ide-sama sir, what are the rules of engagement on things we that we can 'handle'? Engage with intent to kill or capture for interrogation?"

Then after taking a glance around the room at the rest of the "forward scouting party" Asura decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Also Ide-sama sir, not to question your judgement but why are civilians joining the scouting party? Wouldn't they best utilised in the main caravan?"  

[Rain Yupa]

Listening to Ide Goro brief them on the intended mission, he would then note a fellow Unicorn's voiced concern. Taking the long wheat stalk he had been chewing on out of his mouth, he would gesture towards the Mantis with it. "Well, that's a Yoritomo mon, isn't it? He could be scrappy, I wouldn't put it past him."

Fiddling with the stalk of wheat for a moment, he would look briefly to Seijun in turn. "I have to admit, it's an odd choice for a Dragon to travel with us. I doubt you'd have been asked to come here if they wanted you to merely guide us on the path to enlightenment, and during a reconnaissance mission no less, eh?"

He would return the wheat stalk to his mouth once more and flash Seijun a polite smile, with just the slightest hint of smarm.  

[Glory Sieg]

Seijun simply nodded at the comment from Ide Goro, looking at the group. If there was anything to worry about the scrutinizing gaze from the Shinjo Bushi, she didn't show it, instead studying the more important members in their presence.

"Travel is the simplest way to progress on a path, whether physically or mentally," the woman replied, not looking at the man who spoke, but acknowledging his presence with a nod. "Enlightenment during reconnaissance is just doubly as rewarding, I think."  

[Plainsfox]

Answering Asura, Ide Goro would state the following. "Interrogation is preferred. Lady Utaku would want to learn of the peoples and terrain that surrounds her domain, but she understands fully should communications be too hazardous to be undertaken. As to your other question, this is much a prospecting mission as a reconnaissance mission. Other clans are literally blundering into treasures they may be squandering just because they don't have the eyes for it. Lady Utaku wishes this not to be the case. Togashi-san is with the scouting element by the order of the office of the Jade Champion. Should anything you find be hazardous to the health and well being of Rokugan or of Jigoku, Togashi-san is to use the gifts granted to her to return to Rokugan. As neither can ride, they will follow along in this supply cart, which will also contain food and water for your extended ranging. Are there any other questions?"  

[Raganui Minamoto]

The Mantis just smiles and waves lightly as the 'prospecting' part is mentioned. Misaki then heads for the carts, rolling his eyes. He can ride a horse... sure not as well as a trained cavalry man nor as well as he stands boats, but he knows the basics. Oh well, it'd give him more time to observe since he wouldn't have to worry about guiding his ride himself. Customers were everywhere, you just needed the right eye.

Once his stuff is rightly packed, he carefully takes out a bolt of silk, softly patterned in lazy swirls of purple and white, and begins to study it while looking at the various other members.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

The week passed by... well... about as fast as she'd expected. Now geared and saddled up, it was time to go do some actual work! Though she was a bit stern-faced and cross-armed as she regarded the gathered group. A scouting party. Five was a bit large for one, but manageable. She couldn’t help but agree with the Shinjo’s discomfort at so many outsiders, but it sounded like there were higher powers involved. Couldn’t be helped. Nor could she help quirking a bemused brow at her husband’s defense of the outsiders.

"All understood. No questions from me. Ready to move out.”  

[Rain Yupa]

"I guess no questions either," he would respond to Goro, turning his head to look at Aneksi. He'd give her a warm smile if she were to look his way, but otherwise, he had nothing more to add.  

[Glory Sieg]

The explanation told nothing to Seijun that she didn't already know, simply studying the group before moving to head to the supply cart. She wasn't overly sure how the Jade Champion took such an interest in her personally when she had arrived unannounced, but that wasn't really an issue to her.

"No questions from me."  

[Plainsfox]

Assuming no further questions from Asura, the caravan master would speak. "As you all are new to each other. It would be best if you all spent this time learning how to work with each other. Therefore, I am commanding you to range out forward, under Utaku Aneksi-san's command and scout the terrain ahead of us. In doing so you shall develop techniques that will serve us all well when the terrain is more challenging." With that, Ide Goro would give a map to Utaku Aneksi. "Attend to your duties. Good luck and Kamispeed."

OOC
Mechanics :
Utaku Aneksi gains one status point to reflect the fact she is the "leader" of the expedition.

Time will be spent in three day blocks while ranging forward. During each block, I will ask one roll from each player to determine what they are looking for. All will use perception as a trait. Examples include Investigation and Battle to look for enemies, Herbalism and Hunting to look for food. Animal handling to look for unique beasts, Commerce and Lore skills to look for unique commodities. If you have it, it doesn't hurt to try it.