Desert Wind Chapter #1: Playing Samurai and Indians

[Plainsfox]

The 12th Century was a time for growth for the clans of Rokugan. There were opportunities in the New Colonies and many people did their best to exploit them. With their knowledge of gaijin lands, the Unicorn did their best to lead the way in settling the new territories. Among the newly colonized territories the Unicorn have claimed a territory near a mountain where the flowers are so white they are known as Candra's Kimono. It is a lightly forested high desert area that is adjacent to Mantis and Crab territories and is along the route to Second City.

It is also a territory given to a newly minted minor daimyo to foster the area into a strong, productive holding for the Unicorn clan. The area is wild and untamed, however. Many challenges lurk in the vastness, if the Unicorn can tame them they will reap significant rewards.

Currently, you have just arrived at Second City. If you arrive in Second City in the morning, you will find the people of the city happily and hurriedly working to get their businesses ready for the day to come. The rough hewn nature of Second City makes anywhere you care to look alive and growing as the city basks in spring weather.

If you've arrived in the afternoon, then the bright city is overwhelmed with people! Although it is not nearly as bad as the great cities of Rokugan, there's always something going on! Vendors hawk their wares. Performers try to entice you into watching their shows and urchins attempt to use this distraction to make off with unattended purses.

Arrivals who enter the Second City in the evening will see a whole different world than the first. Street walkers, gamblers, dealers and others all try to entice you into illicit pleasures while a patrols from the constabulary try, seemingly in vain, to catch these people.

If you belong to the Unicorn, you have orders to report to the Caravan Master Ide Goro. You have been transferred to the service of his Daimyo, Utaku Kettu , to help protect her lands as she gets established in the Ivory Colonies.

If you are here as a merchant, then your clan has paid in capital and koku to position you along this route. It could prove lucrative and Ide Goro has already benefited at your expense. All before you have even met the man!

Regardless of why you are here in Second City, you have one week to rest from your travels. You should make your introduction to Ide Goro who is staying at the Dandelion Inn before you leave, but your time is your own until his caravan leaves.  

[Mongooseh]

Shinjo Asura trotted into Second City just as dusk hit, subtly glad to have arrived before the day was done, he knew his first task should be to meet with Ide Goro but Asura assumed he would not be pleased to meet with Asura at this hour.

Asura decided to re-prioritise and decided on trying to find somewhere to stay the night before he is probably invited to stay on the Ide estate. He spurred his horse on, stopping only to inspect a property to verify if it was an inn or to dab at his weeping black eye.

He was looking to find a certain kind of inn that suited his kind of style as he wondered about he had no issue staring down low lifes and vagabonds.

[3k3 Commerce/Perception to find an inn of Asura's liking. Void spent for +1k1. Result:16 ]  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Misaki smiled as he took in the new city, arriving in the afternoon. He could almost smell the profits he could make. Adjusting his pack, he grinned in thought at how these poor horse herders would take to his lovely silk, even if he only had a few different bolts to demonstrate to potential buyers. But they had good horses and he'd even find a carrier bird to get some messages sent back once he had some hooked.

The man's first objective was to assess the markets, then get some tea, and schedule a meeting with Ide Goro, the man in charge. From there, it was just a matter of poking through who would be the best customers.

4k2 Commerce to Evaluate the Market
12 (Damnit Dice)  

[Glory Sieg]

The monk couldn't remember why she'd crossed the waters from Rokugan. Her steps weren't metered by reason normally, simply wherever the thirst for knowledge carried her. Enlightenment was her cause and her direction all at once.

As she followed the path of travelers funneling into the city, she tried to remember what brought her here. The effort didn't last long as throng of courtiers walked by, immediately distracting the pensive monk. They were lovely, as was true to their station, but it wasn't just their looks that caught her attention. At the same time, she recalled what she had followed to get here.

It was their bosoms.

The topless, tattooed woman had a pair her own, but while most would consider average, and a handful, Togashi Seijun was simply smitten by their existence. And not just hers, but all females. The sizes, the shapes... the weight eve in the rare times she'd been able to actually inspect them. It was no secret that the Kami made no Rokugani truly equal, but was there a mystery to be had by these variations? Was there some divine formula that correlated with status amongst the divinity?

She simply had to know. As such, the monk simply followed the courtiers without a word, eyes silently adding more to her mind's research log.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

"Ah civilization, how I dislike you." the bold Utaku scout declared as she and her husband rode in through the city gates. It was nearing evening by the time they arrived, a very long journey finally come to an end. She knew she would have to report to the caravan master eventually, but with a whole week left before the caravan's departure, she was in no particular hurry. She was, however, in a hurry to settle down in an inn. The sun had barely begun to set and already the night life here was repulsive.

Her husband had suggested that they stay at the same inn as the caravan master, but in the end she had overruled the idea. They would be spending Kami knew how long with that Ide and his people. At least for this week she wanted to be alone with the man she had only recently married. With no risk of interruption. Beyond that she wasn't very fussed about the quality of their accommodations, except on one point. Her dear Chishiyo had worked hard on this long journey to Second City, and would work hard still as they moved on into the desert. For this week at least, she deserved the best of accommodations. Only the inn with the finest stables in the city would do. And that was where her search would begin.


[Agility/Horsemanship 4k2 + 6 to find the best stables in town = 22]  

[Plainsfox]

Shinjo Asura

It wasn't hard to find this Inn, the Seppun's Secrets. It was located near the warehouse district, not too far off the beaten path. The air around it smells of incense battling with cooked meat and ...other odors. Odors that would get this place shut down if the City Magistrates cared to. Something told you that the City Magistrates were payed well enough not to care.

Once inside, the proprietor shows you to your room and assures you that any wish regarding your comfort you have can be fufilled, for a price. The room itself is decent sized. It has a futon, a table, a couple stools,and a closet.

Utaku Aneksi and Jinyu-Zhe

UTAKU HORSE STABLE POWERS GO! Aneksi's keen eyes and other senses draw them to the heart of the city and to the Royal Chrysanthemum Inn and Stables. Notably this Inn is heavily favored by the Royal Governor's family and getting stables here may not be easy, let alone rooms.

Yoritomo Misaki
Second City operates much as the hub it should be. Raw goods head towards Second City and are either sent on further down the line back into Rokugan or made into finished goods here, depending on the merchant. Finished goods flow out further into the territories where they are bought at a premium. Then sugar, molasses and rum enter the picture and your head starts hurting. Kami, you could use a drink.

So, you go to the Dandelion Inn and are directed to the tavern portion. You see several different Unicorns there, but only one wears the mon of the Ide family. He's a heavyset man with greying brown hair and is wearing a typical plain purple kimono. "Yoritomo-san! I did not expect you so early. Please, please join me. Is there anything you wish to eat?"

Togashi Seijun

You go about your desires and follow your prey. They in turn do the Rokugani thing of ignoring you until you go away. You spend most of your day doing this until you hear a grizzled old voice cry out to you. "Togashi-san! Over here, please. Just fresh out of the monastery are you?"  

[Rain Yupa]

Jinyu-Zhe would ride beside, but slightly behind, his esteemed and beautiful wife Aneksi, gazing at the city. He had been here once before, as a small child; it had seemed huge to him then, and now that he was an adult, it had grown exponentially in size, so it was still remarkably huge. Still, he was no stranger to cities.

"They both have their charms, my love. I know you prefer your remote hot springs, but I'll always be a diehard fan of bathhouses. Whenever I go to the springs, every critter in the immediate area feels the need to join me," Jinyu-Zhe would muse aloud.

Having been born into an Ide vassal family, he spent more time in civilization than not, though there always seemed to be a greater abundance of kami in the wild than in cities. A soul bound to two worlds indeed.

There were two places one would almost guarantee to find stables; near a city's gates, for ease of access to the outside, or in the wealthiest parts of town, where richer samurai had their own and looked to bolster their estates by charging a higher price. However, they were bound to be of higher quality, so he would not dissuade his wife's search for the very best. She deserved the very best.

When they arrived at the Royal Chrysanthemum, Jinyu-Zhe would finally speak up. "Would you prefer I wait here with the horses, dearest wife, while you make the necessary arrangements?"  

[Raganui Minamoto]

The Mantis would approach the man, smiling. "Ide-san, a pleasure. I just arrived a bit ago." He takes a place across from the man. "A light snack for the moment and some tea."

Settling in a bit, he'd continue. "I was hoping to discuss silk with you, when you have time. Who's wearing what type, in what fashion. How they have it cut. The usual. I also have some bolts I have brought with me from our own stocks, for further comparing between the designs."

Courtier/Awareness to present it as friendly talk.
6k3 - 33  

[Mongooseh]

Checking his closet out of paranoia Asura then laid down the majority of his kit, keeping the clothes he was wearing, his kiseru pipe, armour, wakizashi and his bow and arrows on his person.

He then went out onto the tiny balcony attached to his room, leant against the railing and smoked his kiseru while he watched the city pass him by.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Aneksi could only laugh and shake her head at her husband's plight. He did have a way with animals. "Fair point. But if it's between having to share your company with people or animals, I'd rather take the animals. Still, we're here anyway. I shall endure for your sake."

Well... look and you shall perceive. An Imperial-run inn may have been a bit much, but there was no harm going in and seeing if they had room available for 2 more. There was nothing particularly busy about this time of year after all. If not she wasn't above settling for the second best. She nodded to Jinyu's suggestion, "Yes, wait here a moment. Don't bother unpacking, we might have to move on to another place, but I may as well check what they have."

Whereupon she dismounted, handed the reins off to her companion, and went inside in search of the innkeeper to ask if they had a room and two stalls available.  

[Glory Sieg]

Seijun stopped at the call of her name, losing track of her current targets. "Hm?" She looked back to try to find the voice.  

[Plainsfox]

Utaku Jinyu-Zhe and Utaku Aneksi

As Utaku Aneksi came in and requested her lodgings, she would notice that the host seemed to be looking down dismissively at Aneksi and was seemingly waiting for a moment to deliver a scathing refusal. Before he could do so, a voice would pipe up. "There is a room and stables available for Utaku-san, Shinji. Please prepare them for her." Just then, an Otomo man with graying hair walked out of the seeming shadows and bowed politely to Aneksi. " My name is Otomo Kentaro, Astrologer to the court of Otomo Suikihime. You are?"

Shinjo Asura

After a while, Asura would hear a knock at the door. Without any input on Asura's part, the door would open to reveal a petite, slender woman of thirtyish years. Nothing about this woman could be taken as "soft." She looked to be sculpted of ebony and marble. She then stepped aside to let two ronin into the room. One, a slender one put a tablecloth on the table and mats for two. The second ronin, a big, hulking type placed several dishes with what seemed to contain food. Asura could smell rice, soy sauce, and other things from the boxes. The slender one then brought in a tea service and set places for two. The meal is a stir fry consisting of chicken and vegetables normally only found back in Rokugan proper. The tea is spicy, pungent, and worth a small fortune to the right Unicorn lords. The woman then sat down, with her two ronin flanking her.

"Good evening, Shinjo Asura-san. My name is Tomoya. I am a merchant of some influence here in Second City." She gestured to herself with her fan. "I'm a woman who measures profit by time and thus, I'll not mince words. The Ide and Utaku both think that they are increasing the flow of trade from the Mantis and Crab holdings with their plans for their new territory. They are, in fact, stoppering it. It may be beyond my lowly place to say, but those houses tend to have a rather...naive view of things, unlike the Shinjo family." Tomoya stopped to let her words sink in a bit and to gauge Asura's reaction thus far. After taking a drink of her tea, she would then continue. "What trade needs is someone with the flexibility to help it along. Someone who is willing aid Daikoku's enterprises when well meaning lords and ladies accidently hinder Daikoku's efforts. Naturally, kharma gained in doing work on Daikoku's behalf often manifests itself materially." Tomoya would then look into your eyes, hers being cold, obsidian discs that seemed to scrutinize everything about your soul. "Your reputation suggest you might be such man. Are you?"


Yoritomo Misaki
"Ahha! Immediately" Ide Goro would clap and a serving girl would appear. The portly merchant would whisper into her ear and she would nod and seemingly disappear. A few moments later, she would return with a kettle of green tea and sweet bean dumplings. "Ahha, yes. you wish to play the tailor, Yoritomo-san. That should make you popular with most of the Utaku we're riding with. Goro would frown and take a drink of his tea and eat a dumpling. "The fact of the matter is that there are two matters I wish to talk to you about. The first and simplest is to ask if you are willing to work with cloth, leather, and fur, Yoritomo-san? The first is because we will be traveling with a substantial group of commoners. The latter two because Unicorns often like to embellish their outfits with such things and normally..." Goro gives a shrug.

After a while and after Misaki's response to that, Goro would continue. "The second matter is that as a part of this caravan, I will be sending a vanguard of scouts along our path to guide our way. Such men and women have excellent eyes for danger, but unlike us, they have poor eyes for opportunity. Should you travel with them and find opportunities, I'm sure we both find a way to take advantage of them for the mutual benefit of our clans. I'm sure I've left you with much to think about, Yoritomo-san. Please, take your time. I wouldn't want to rush you on anything. If you will excuse me, I will arrange a guide for you for your silk observations."

Togashi Seijun

Togashi Seijun would see a monk behind her fanning himself, stooped over with age. His hair was freshly shaved and his bright brown eyes quickly drifted to Seijun's feet. "If you'll allow me advice on how life outside of the monastery is, would you give me advice on how life inside the monastery?"  

[Mongooseh]

Asura on the knock of the door turned and leant back against the balconly as his 'guests' let themselves in. He watched them intensely, pensively smoking his kiseru pipe as they made themselves at home. He listened to Tomoya's spiel wordlessly and grave faced throughout till she questioned his reputation.

Carefully and deliberately Asura tapped the ashes from his pipe out over the balcony before responding, "That depends, what is my reputation nowadays?"

Asura would place his pipe back in his mouth clamping down on it examing Tomoya's response with a steely eyed stare.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He'd withhold his frown from showing as he listened to the man. He was a silk merchant and worked with the soft cloth... still...

Responding, with smile still on his lips at least, he'd be careful with his words. "I will admit to having not much experience with lesser cloth, or use of fur and leather, but I will not shy away from dealing in such if the price is right." And then there was the real catch. This Ide wanted a business partner to help him keep his wallet well stocked and his girth robust. And who better than a Yoritomo, one of the master schools of the trade. "Of course, of course. Arigatou, Ide-san."