Jade Legacy [L5R 3eR] - Act 2 Chapter 2: Shuuki/Cycle

[Paidi tou Selini]

Her face steeled with morbid concern rather quickly, but there was a bit of relief when she found that the man was indeed still alive, if barely.

"Mm" she responded with a nod of agreement as she began doing just that. One at a time so as not to start a bleed she couldn't handle, she removed each gruesome canvas bandage, cleaned the wound, applied her own herbal remedy, and re-bandaged it with her own supplies. Judging by the man's condition it would take quite the miracle to save him, but she was a miracle worker.

[Intelligence/Medicine (Wound Treatment) 6k2 +4 (first 8 ) vs. TN 15 = 18]
[Treatment 2k1 if successful = 18]  

[Plainsfox]

Being a paranoid little Scorpion, Kojiro decided that maybe he shouldn't return immediately and headed off to the edge of town. This time, the Scorpion would be more observant of his surroundings.

OOC:
Perception/ Investigation to see who trails him. 4k2 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions
Results: 15  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Masuyo & Kagae:

Masuyo tends to the man's wounds as best as she is able. Which, considering his condition, is a stretch of her abilities.

She IS able to adequately treat his wounds, replacing pieces of cloth with actual bandages, cleaning the wounds as she goes. Fubuki sits not too far away, panting and swaying his tail back and forth on occasion as he watches his mistress work.

All in all, Masuyo, you are sure your treatment helped; you think this young man will probably survive now, boosting his chances from remote to certain - though not guaranteed. However, he is still unconscious, and long from being able to talk. Only time (with regular treatment) or magic will help with that.

Kagae, you can remove 'Tent' from your inventory.

Kagae, Masuyo, you each gain 3 points of honor for aiding a wounded enemy.

Masuyo, you haven't heard so much as a peep out of your other prisoner! : D

--------------------

@ Kojiro:

Bayushi Kojiro heads around, making it a point to avoid the traps. He keeps his eyes on his 6, constantly on the look out for whomever is tailing him. Who ever is out there, they seem to be giving him the slip, as he never catches any definite glances of who's there. Only shadows.

You get to the edge of the village, about the hour of the Serpent by your estimate. The wall here has come down from nature's course ages ago, and you are easily able to slip past the rubble for a view outside. Only about a hundred feet away is a fairly steep drop - a hill, not a sheer fall - which plateaus out in several locations. Wild shrubs grow here and there, and you can even make out a goat a bit of the ways away, doing goat things.

To your left, eastward, you can see large rock outcroppings and an occasional wilted tree here and there. The place seems somewhat barren - not inhospitable, but nowhere people could live on their own unassisted for an extended period of time.

To your right, southward, you see the edge of the hill wrap around the entire southern face of Shiro Heichi, making it nigh impossible to attack from this face. With the large mountainous incline to the north side, it leaves offensive maneuvers only viable from the east or west (where your group had approached from originally).

All in all, it's quite the view.  

[Plainsfox]

"Huh." With that, the bushi decided to make an investigation of the west section of the village. An approach that Kojiro doubted they had explored yet. Better now than never. So, off the Scorpion went, making some attempt to be stealthy at it, but you never know with armor.

OOC:
Agility/Stealth 4k3 -5 (Armor) w/2 dice to handle explosions
Results: 13  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Kojiro:

The village as a whole is thoroughly abandoned, and seemingly forsaken. A few remnants of travelers still linger here and there, but they are few and far between. The west part of the city surrounding the castle of Shiro Heichi is much like the rest of it. Here is a few landmarks you do find, though:

The western gate into the city.
What appears to have been a massive storehouse, now empty save for a few unidentifiable remnants.
A cartographer's shop in moderate condition, though every last parchment is faded and fall apart at a touch.
A snare trap that is several years old, never triggered.
This peculiar, smooth rock outcropping that the Boar clan built around rather than cleared it away.
The ruins of a watchtower that still stands.

Other than that, your search is uneventful. You tried to be sneaky about it, and you no longer see the tiniest hints of motion behind you. Whatever you did, it must have worked!  

[Plainsfox]

The Scorpion searched the map store as best he could. Hopefully, there was some ink to be had here so that he could enact his plan. If Kojiro could find nothing, he would grunt and return to the group.

If he could, however, the Scorpion would go about attempting to obscure the map the Crab had made detailing the traps and their positions, with the intent of directing the cultists into them.

If that were successful, Kojiro would then place the map into the snare trap and head back to the party.

OOC:
Perception/ Investigation (Search) 4k2 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions First six
Results: 19
Intelligence/ Forgery 3k3 w/ no explosions next three
Results: 22  

[Rain Yupa]

Kojiro would be sure that if he DID have the materials available to edit the map accordingly, he could create a rather convincing fabrication of it. Alas, the mapmaking shop was bereft of anything useful - anything resembling ink must have dried out in the many centuries that had passed between when they were first brought here, and now.

Kojiro returns to the group, empty handed - he comes in as Masuyo finishes bandaging up a badly hurt cultist - Kojiro's friend he made last night still was where he left him.  

[Plainsfox]

"So, tell me. What have you learned while I was away?"
Kojiro says as he finally returns to camp. "For my own part, I've not been able to find much of anything. South and North are more or less blocked off and I haven't explored too far past the gate to the west. "  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Satisfied at a job well done, the little Dragon cleans herself up and stands just in time for their final party member to return. She cast the Scorpion a measuring look before responding curtly and formally, "Nothing more. I've treated our second guest, but in his condition he won't be waking for a while, much less talking. We still need to move, but I think if we take cover nearby we may not need to question him after all. Not in ambush, of course. They'll be expecting an attack. But if we follow them as they take their wounded allies back to camp... well, with luck they shall lead us right to our missing companions."

She motioned for them to leave the two here. The self-condemned soul of a man had made a very good point about their position (and therefore practical usefulness) in this hierarchy. As bait they might learn far more than if the pair spilled their deepest secrets. Still, it was not an absolute strategy (and considering her skill in stealth perhaps not even a good one), so she waited for input from the Bushi before taking any real action. Occupying her time instead by gathering and packing her things for travel.  

[Plainsfox]

"If I had a better idea right now, I'd share it."

With that, Kojiro gathered up his and Miyako's stuff. "I'm not carrying Ujina-san's stuff as well." Following that, Kojiro would look for a place that he would be able to hide in and observe from.

OOC:
Agility/Stealth 4k3 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions
Results: 35  

[Mongooseh]

"Kojiro-san you're forgetting to give my map back. I'll grab the hare's pack so you two go ahead I'll be right with you some of my stuff still needs packing anyway." After eyeing up the room a bit Kagae comes to some sort of decision, "I'll trap this room in case they come to get them but to do that I need some supplies do any of you have some to spare? I used all of mine on the traps scattered in the city and only have some wooden poles left. Once that's done I'll need both of you to leave the room lest you set off the trap."  

[Plainsfox]

Kojiro hands the unblemished and undefiled map back to Kagae. "As for supplies, I have a few arrows I can give. I'm running out of them though...or at least Willowleaf arrows." The Scorpion pulled three out of his quiver. "At anyrate, Kitsuki-san, we should let Kaiu-san make his traps. Perhaps one will snare someone with both knowledge and the desire to share it."  

[Rain Yupa]

Whomever would open the door to leave first would find an arrow jutting out of the wooden beam of the doorway.

A note would be wrapped around the shaft.  

[Plainsfox]

Kojiro sighs as he carefully unwraps the note from the arrow. "I'm fairly certain that this is not a declaration of love for Kitsuki-san nor a note of admiration for Fubuki-chan." He says as he reads the letter, ducking back into cover to do so.  

[Rain Yupa]

To my dearest friends and visitors, the honorable samurai who are currently occupying Shiro Heichi:

It has come to my attention that you have persisted in your continued existence, much to my disappointment.

Rather than waste the lives of perfectly loyal servants in a battle of shadows with the lot of you, I will instead attempt a different tact, one that would be recited time and again by my traveling companion:

Diplomacy.

In one hour, I will meet you at the eastern gate to the city. I will arrive with the intention to talk, not to engage. I want to negotiate with your crew what it will take to get you off of this mountain immediately.

I will arrive unarmed, as a show of good will. You would do me a great honor by extending that same courtesy. I will have armed servants with me until I have determined that your intentions are as pure as my own, after which, they will be dismissed.

One is already waiting at the gate to watch for any more of those traps that Crab keeps infesting the city with. He is not me, and I expect his safety to be guaranteed.

Any perceived aggression on your parts will be interpreted as a uniform consensus that you wish only to perish in battle, an end which I am more than happy to oblige you in. An absence will also suggest an identical desire.

I look forward to our meeting. I pray that Fukurokujin does not forsake you this day.

-Matsusuke of the Lost.