Almost two months have passed since you put a stop to the machinations of Kikaku.

Your summer was a hectic one. Every day was a source of tribulation, no matter whether you had to deal with thieves, swindlers or ornery travellers. The sweltering heat had a habit of making even the most level-headed samurai become irritable. During those hot and humid days, you learned to avoid troubling Yogo Orinosuke and simply got on with your duties as his deputy, as one of the samurai that enforces the law in the town of Beiden.

For better or worse, the season has changed all too suddenly. Only a few weeks ago, the sky was beautifully clear and blue, occupied by nothing but the scorching radiance of Amaterasu. These days, the sky is full of ominous grey clouds and the downpour of the monsoon. Autumn has arrived. It is the season of harvest, it is the season of preparation and most importantly, it is the season of taxes.

It is the second day of the month of Bayushi. Shuddering in the cold as you clamber out of your futon, you prepare yourself for the day ahead. Your morning rituals take the best part of an hour as you clean and dress yourself, ensure that the swords of your daishō are polished to perfection and finally don your mask, allowing the blackened wood to hide the upper half of your face. As the first light of dawn shines into your quarters through the window, a servant slides the door open to deliver your breakfast, without a word. Rice, miso soup and dried fish. It is not a luxurious affair, but as you eat it, you remind yourself that you have had to endure far worse.

Once you have eaten your fill, you depart from your chambers and make your way through the station's dimly lit corridors. Like every morning, you make your way towards the gathering hall, the place where the Chief Magistrate briefs you and assigns each of his deputies a particular district to patrol. This time however, there are far more people to be found in the great hall than just your superior and your colleagues. You step into the chamber to see it filled with at least twenty samurai of the Scorpion Clan, all wearing distinct masks while sharing the same uniform. You even recognise some of them, such as Soshi Tetsunori, the bitter old magistrate that you used to serve, and Yogo Yasotaro, his irate underling.

Though you are tempted to speak with them, you consider it more appropriate to fall in line with your fellow yoriki, the other deputies who serve Yogo Orinosuke. The Chief Magistrate has yet to arrive so the hall is filled with the buzz of murmured discussion, as the various magistrates and deputies speak among themselves. Your arrival earns a faint nod from Shosuro Kinnosuke, one of your colleagues. His slim figure wears the same uniform of black and red as you, but his features are concealed by an eerily blank porcelain mask. All you can see of his face are two dark eyes, peering out of the holes in his mask.

“Kimiko-san,” he says, using your personal name like always. It irritates you and he knows it – it is inappropriate for him to speak to you in such an informal fashion. “Welcome to the most exciting time of year. I cannot wait to see how your immeasurable talents are tested by the formidable tasks that await us.” As always, Kinnosuke speaks with a rather dull and deadpan tone. It is almost impossible to tell whether he is being sincere, or if you are being subjected to his sarcasm.

>Show him the same scorn and slyness that he treats you with. If your fellow yoriki doesn't show you any respect, then why should you give him any?
>You are not going to stoop to his level. Offer him a respectful bow and a polite greeting, the sort that he refuses to give you and patiently wait for the Chief Magistrate to arrive and explain the situation.
>As unpleasant as Kinnosuke can be, perhaps he can share his perspective on the situation. Do your best to remain cordial and ask him about what is happening.
>You are Yogo Orinosuke's favourite, you are the one that is being groomed as his successor. Kinnosuke is worth less than the dirt beneath your feet. Ignore him and wait for your superior to arrive.

>>4079447
>>As unpleasant as Kinnosuke can be, perhaps he can share his perspective on the situation. Do your best to remain cordial and ask him about what is happening.

>>4079447
>As unpleasant as Kinnosuke can be, perhaps he can share his perspective on the situation. Do your best to remain cordial and ask him about what is happening.

>>4079447
>>You are not going to stoop to his level. Offer him a respectful bow and a polite greeting, the sort that he refuses to give you and patiently wait for the Chief Magistrate to arrive and explain the situation.

>>4079447
>As unpleasant as Kinnosuke can be, perhaps he can share his perspective on the situation. Do your best to remain cordial and ask him about what is happening.

>>4079447
>As unpleasant as Kinnosuke can be, perhaps he can share his perspective on the situation. Do your best to remain cordial and ask him about what is happening.

Stomaching your pride, you try to provide a polite smile as you bow before Shosuro Kinnosuke. Just because the yoriki that you work beside are the dregs of the clan with no understanding of courtesy, doesn't mean that you should stoop to their level. “Forgive me Shosuro-san, but I am not familiar with the duties that we must perform during autumn. Perhaps you might be able to enlighten me?”

“You mean to tell me that Yogo-sama has not told you, despite all of the little talks you have with him? That leaves me wondering what the two of you spend so much time discussing.” There it is, another cynical and scathing remark from Kinnosuke. He speaks of the occasions in which you remain behind after debriefings in the evening or arrive before briefings in the morning, to speak with the Chief Magistrate about your investigations. A deputy of as little value as Kinnosuke would never understand that importance of such discussions.

“We speak of my work, Shosuro-san. Nothing more than that. I still wish to know about our duties in the coming days, and what I should expect. Is there anything that you are able to tell me?” It takes some effort, but you resist the urge to make a venomous retort.

“You worked as one of the village yoriki for a time, did you not? That must have involved a great deal of checking travel papers.” You nod. “Prepare yourself for a great deal of that, Kimiko-san. With the rest of the magistrates leaving to collect taxes throughout the province, we are the poor fools that must take their place at the gates of Beiden.” Ah. You had hoped that you had left all of those stamps and expiration dates in your past. How unfortunate.

Along with the rest of the samurai in the room, Kinnosuke suddenly falls quiet. The imposing figure of Yogo Orinosuke strides into the room, his armour and mask both gleaming like the black carapace of a beetle. Every magistrate and yoriki that he passes lowers themselves in a respectful bow and you join them, humbling yourself before the Chief Magistrate of Beiden. Without much ceremony, your superior seats himself on the zabuton at the head of the hall and mirroring him, the rest of you seat yourselves on your own cushion.

What follows is a long and droning explanation of what you have just learned from Shosuro Kinnosuke: Each of the magistrates and their yoriki are to collect taxes from the parts of the province that they have jurisdiction over. This duty will take the best part of the month and they cannot afford to be distracted from this task. For this reason, the Chief Magistrate and his yoriki will be solely responsible for maintaining order in the town of Beiden. Once that has been stated, Orinosuke lists the villages found throughout the province, and which magistrate will be collecting from each of these regions.

It takes some time but eventually, Orinosuke's droning comes to an end and the many magistrates are dismissed, along with their yokiri. They stand and bow as etiquette requires and they file out of the chamber. The hall was previously crowded but after their departure, it feels almost empty, with no one left behind but you and Orinosuke's other deputies. The Chief Magistrate only needs to make a gesture and you stand, along with the rest of his yoriki. You move to stand before your superior and bow in rough synchronicity, presenting yourselves to him.

“So then,” he begins, hands folded in his lap. “Your duties are suspended for the duration of the month of Bayushi. In your place, dōshin will be patrolling the streets of Beiden and keeping order.” Dōshin – lowly peasants and rōnin who serve the magistrates and their deputies, who assist them in enforcing the laws of Rokugan. You have little faith in their abilities. “Each of you will be assigned to a particular gate. You are to ensure that anyone leaving or entering the town has the right to travel. You are not to abandon this post for any reason, not with acquiring my permission and arranging for someone to take your place guarding the gate. The security of Beiden is of paramount importance – am I understood?”

There is no need for words. Along with the rest of the yoriki, you bow your head in acknowledgement. You know better than to disappoint Yogo Orinosuke, after all of the times that he has threatened and lambasted you.

“Excellent. Yogo Hosuzu – you are assigned to the Lion's Gate, the route that leads to Beiden Pass and the territory of the Lion Clan that lies on the other side of the Seikitsu Mountains.” A severe-looking woman bows before Orinosuke, the lower half of her face covered by a shining red menpō. “Yogo Tomiichi – you are assigned to the Silk Gate, the road to the Bayushi provinces and Kyuden Bayushi, the Silk and Shadow Palace itself.” A round-faced fellow steps forward to bow next, his features barely concealed by a sheer black veil. Like Kinnosuke, he is a rather caustic man. You are not fond of speaking with him. “Bayushi Kimiko – you are assigned to the Traitor's Gate, the path to the Fukitsu province and the Castle of Learning, the seat of the Yogo family.”

Of all of the posts that you could have been given, that is one of the least prestigious. Nothing of value comes from the marshy Fukitsu province – almost all of the Yogo family's wealth can be found in the Beiden province. What makes it worse is that the town's enclave of hinin can be found by the Traitor's Gate. While heimin are half-people, lowly farmers, merchants and craftsmen who serve the samurai, hinin are even more pitiful. They are non-people, spiritually unclean wretches who perform Rokugan's dirtiest work. They tan the empire's leathers, they cremate the empire's dead, they torture and punish the empire's criminals. By being ordered to look over the Traitor's Gate, you are being ordered to watch over Beiden's hinin. There is no doubt, it is an unpleasant burden to bear.

>Less than two months ago, Yogo Orinosuke said that he was grooming you to be his successor. Now he is saddling you with a duty as degrading as this? Object to this and insist that you are deserving of a more prestigious post. Why aren't you watching over the Lion's Gate or the Silk Gate instead?
>Take this opportunity to jab at the inadequacies of your colleagues. Surely someone like Yogo Tomiichi or Shosuro Kinnosuke would be better suited to watch over the Traitor's Gate? They are almost as foul as hinin, so it would be a fitting post for either of them.
>It is best if you do not shame yourself by admitting your distaste for your position in front of your colleagues... But the least that you can do is admit your reluctance to the Chief Magistrate once the other yoriki have departed. You don't want to give Kinnosuke more ammunition to insult you with.
>Follow the example of the other yoriki. Even if it isn't a prestigious post, you must accept it. Bow before the Chief Magistrate and keep your displeasure to yourself. For the time being, you serve. (By choosing this option, you will increase your strife to 3 / 8 for going against your Delusions of Grandeur, but you will gain a void point.)

>>4079734
>Follow the example of the other yoriki. Even if it isn't a prestigious post, you must accept it. Bow before the Chief Magistrate and keep your displeasure to yourself. For the time being, you serve. (By choosing this option, you will increase your strife to 3 / 8 for going against your Delusions of Grandeur, but you will gain a void point.)
For the time being

>>4079734
>>Follow the example of the other yoriki. Even if it isn't a prestigious post, you must accept it. Bow before the Chief Magistrate and keep your displeasure to yourself. For the time being, you serve. (By choosing this option, you will increase your strife to 3 / 8 for going against your Delusions of Grandeur, but you will gain a void point.)

>>4079734
>Follow the example of the other yoriki. Even if it isn't a prestigious post, you must accept it. Bow before the Chief Magistrate and keep your displeasure to yourself. For the time being, you serve. (By choosing this option, you will increase your strife to 3 / 8 for going against your Delusions of Grandeur, but you will gain a void point.)

Strife

>You suffer points of strife whenever you fail a roll, whenever you act in a way that goes against your delusions of grandeur, and whenever you arrive at a dramatic and stressful point in the story. You also regularly gain strife during the heat of combat, unless you adopt the Void stance.
>Should your strife meet or exceed its maximum capacity, which is currently 8, your ability to succeed will be greatly impaired. Only your rolls of 6 will contribute to a roll's success.
>However, you can reduce your strife back down to 0 by surrendering to your emotions, something known as Unmasking. By bursting into tears or giving into your rage, you are able to rid yourself of your strife at the cost of damaging your reputation or escalating a situation.
>You have other methods of reducing your strife as well. You get to subtract a point whenever you engage in your love of Wordplay and whenever you arrive at a positive and uplifting point in the story.

Void Points

>Void points are a resource you can spend to change fate's course.
>You have a maximum number of void points equal to your Void ring, which is currently 2.
>Right now, the only use of void points is to turn a marginal failure into a success. By spending a void point after you have failed at a roll, you may add an additional kept success to the roll.
>If you fail at a roll, I will ask whether you want to spend a void point or not. You may wish to not spend it – sometimes it's better to fail on an insignificant roll and save the void point for a more important roll.
>You gain void points when you suffer strife for going against your Delusions of Grandeur and when you fail at reasoning with your Sworn Enemy.
>You also gain void points when you choose an option where I hide the number of successes required to succeed, and during dramatic points in the story.
>I will introduce other uses of void points as the story progresses.

>You suffer three points of strife. Your strife is currently at 3 / 8.

>You now have 2 void points.

You offer no complaint. Instead, you bow before your superior like the others and straighten yourself. The only sign of your reluctance is your clenched fists and thankfully, neither Orinosuke nor your fellow deputies seem to have noticed your frustration.

“Shosuro Kinnosuke,” the Chief Magistrate continues. “You are assigned to the Rice Gate, which leads to Jamihoro, Kagoki and other nearby settlements.” The porcelain-masked samurai pauses for a moment, earning a sharp glare from Orinosuke. Much like you, he seems to take issue with the post that he has been given. After a moment's pause however, Kinnosuke submits and lowers himself in a respectful, almost humbling bow. “And Bayushi Nariakira,” Orinosuke says, looking towards a broad-shouldered man with a full face mask resembling some sort of horrific oni. “You are assigned to the Artist's Gate, the road to the Shosuro provinces and the Castle of Pretending.”

Without hesitation, Nariakira bows before the Chief Magistrate. Silence reigns as Yogo Orinosuke pushes himself to his feet, his gaze sweeping over each of you. “To watch over the gates of Beiden is a duty usually reserved for magistrates. This responsibility is not a burden, it is an honour and you should consider it such. Any inadequacy shall be punished, and I believe each of you knows what awaits you, should I discover any trace of corruption.” One of his gauntleted hands lifts in a dismissive gesture. “With that in mind, you may take your leave.”

Once more, the rest of the yoriki bow and you lower yourself with them, showing the Chief Magistrate the reverence that he deserves. Turning about, they turn to make their way out of the hall, to meet with their dōshin and leave for their respective gates. You have no doubt that your own dōshin is waiting for you – although sometimes Atsushi seems more like a partner than someone strictly inferior to you. Though you briefly consider remaining with Yogo Orinosuke to speak about your duty, you push that thought to the back of your mind and depart. You have been told everything that you need to know.

As always, you meet your rōnin assistant by the entrance to the station, though he doesn't dare linger in the downpour outside. Instead he leans against the wall, his kimono drab and washed-out, having lost any colour that it once held long ago. His oily hair is tied back in a crude topknot and his face seems to be unkempt, peppered with uneven stubble. It's almost like he purposefully cultivates the appearance of an unwashed wave man, inferior to all other samurai and loyal to nothing but coin. Nonetheless, you have come to rely on him – he is more competent than he first appears.

“Hope that all's well, Bayushi-sama,” he says, lowering his head deeply before you. Informal but still respectful – at least he has more manners than Orinosuke's other yoriki. “From what I understand, we have a gate to tend to? Which one are we stationed at then?”

“The Traitor's Gate,” you say. That's enough to make the rōnin flinch.

“We're looking after the hinin road? Pah, here I thought that the magistrate would reward us after everything we did to catch Kikaku.” He pauses, considering you for a moment. “Though uh, how do you feel about them? If I recall the days we spent in the village of Kagoki, you sided with them when that one fellow tried to pin his crime on the village's hinin. Do you have a soft spot for them or something?”

>That isn't the sort of question that Atsushi should be asking his superior. It's none of his business and he should be more respectful.
>You do not feel anything or think anything about the non-people. You refused to let that heimin pin his crimes on them out of a sense of justice, that is all.
>They deserve pity. Their lives are destined to be miserable and you see no reason to make them worse than they already are.
>Hinin are useful. They are valuable tools of the Scorpion Clan that shouldn't be discarded or mistreated. They serve their purpose.
>If it was something that the hinin were actually responsible for, you would have gladly had them punished. They're filth who deserve such horrid existences, as a punishment for the crimes they committed in their previous lives. Death is a mercy for their ilk.

>>4079867
>>Hinin are useful. They are valuable tools of the Scorpion Clan that shouldn't be discarded or mistreated. They serve their purpose.

>>4079867
>>Hinin are useful. They are valuable tools of the Scorpion Clan that shouldn't be discarded or mistreated. They serve their purpose.
>This is either a test against me of some sort, or Orinsuke expects trouble there. Perhaps both.

>>4079906
Supporting

“They have their uses,” you say. “They are tools, used to turn the hide of animals into leather or to torture confessions out of the guilty. Mabumasa used them as a tool as well, yet he tried to have them punished for his own crime. But would you blame a sword for the actions of the wielder, who used it to kill? Of course not. For that very reason, I did not blame the hinin of Kagoki. It would have been pointless and self-destructive.”

“You sound more like a Scorpion with each day that passes, Bayushi-sama.”

“I shall take that as a compliment.” Reluctantly you step outside into the downpour, wearing a winter coat once more. The thick, quilted fabric of the jacket protects you from the rain somewhat, but even that will eventually soak through. “As for this particular post, I believe that it is a test rather than a punishment. There is even the chance that trouble is brewing there, and that Yogo-sama wishes for me to resolve it.”

“Pah. I hope that isn't the case,” Atsushi replies. “I'm more used to the rhythm of handling travel papers. I'd be happy if that was all we had to do for the duration of this post. By the Fortunes, if Kikaku's conspiracy rears its ugly head again...”

You pay no heed to the rōnin's grumblings. Instead you proceed through the city streets, ducking underneath shelter when you can and avoiding the muddier sections of Beiden's roads. Before too long, you arrive at the Traitor's Gate, the route that leads out of town from the Heimin Ward and towards the neighbouring Fukitsu province, which lies three or four days away. Between here and the provincial border, there is nothing along that road but the occasional farm. As for the gate itself, it is a sturdy and ancient thing, made of gnarled wood and with hinges that have become red with rust.

Though it takes some effort, you are able to unbar the gate and force it open. The corroded iron of the hinges creaks and groans as you force the doors open. Already, it seems that there are travellers queueing to both enter and depart from the town, even at this early hour. Despite the fact that summer has passed, the travellers that seek to pass through are still quite varied. Some are rural heimin who seek to return to their villages after selling their produce in the town, others are merchants who came to Beiden to peddle their wares. There is even the occasional samurai, grim scions of the Yogo family making their way to Yogo Shiro, the Castle of Learning. It takes some time for you to acquaint yourself with the various stamps you need to check but before too long, you are back in the rhythm of checking travel papers.

As the day goes on, the wanderers who seek to enter or leave Beiden become more and more numerous. There is rarely a dull moment where you are left without papers to inspect and for the most part, they all seem to be in order. On occasion, you come across expired papers or a lack of the appropriate stamps, forcing you to charge a fee – and deny access to the unfortunate few who are either unwilling or unable to pay. It doesn't take long for you to realise that there is a way to exploit this, an opportunity to make coin.

>No one will notice or care if you elevate the fees a little, just by a few zeni. You will keep the little extra that you charge and accumulate a tidy sum. Yogo Orinosuke warned you not to be corrupt but this hardly counts, does it? Profiting off of the desperation of others does not necessarily equal corruption. (By choosing this option, you will gain 0.4 koku and lose honour.)
>If this is a test, then you do not want to be caught out. You're going to do this by the books and demand the appropriate fees, no more and no less. Sometimes the duty of a yoriki can be dull and tedious and there is little wealth to be gained from it, but it is your duty to serve, not to care about such material things.
>Some of the stories told by the travellers who lack the right stamps and papers are actually quite touching. They speak of sick relatives, of having nowhere else to go, of losing everything and being left destitute due to circumstances that they could not control. There is nothing wrong with showing a little compassion and supporting them with your own finances. (By choosing this option, you will lose 0.4 koku and gain honour.)

>>4080118
>>If this is a test, then you do not want to be caught out. You're going to do this by the books and demand the appropriate fees, no more and no less. Sometimes the duty of a yoriki can be dull and tedious and there is little wealth to be gained from it, but it is your duty to serve, not to care about such material things.

>>4080118
>If this is a test, then you do not want to be caught out. You're going to do this by the books and demand the appropriate fees, no more and no less. Sometimes the duty of a yoriki can be dull and tedious and there is little wealth to be gained from it, but it is your duty to serve, not to care about such material things

>>4080118
>>If this is a test, then you do not want to be caught out. You're going to do this by the books and demand the appropriate fees, no more and no less. Sometimes the duty of a yoriki can be dull and tedious and there is little wealth to be gained from it, but it is your duty to serve, not to care about such material things.
Come now Atsushi, you should be able to see through our girl enough by now to know that though she does have practical pretexts for (most) of her acts of Compassion or Courtesy... sometimes they really do seem an awful lot like just pretexts.

>>4080118
>Show compassion and support them with your own finances.

We're getting too robot scorpion

>>4080463
You're not wrong, and admittedly despite my earlier protest this has been noted by several characters (even if some of her acts of honor have been secret) but I think that this is ultimately something of an odd and inconsequential thing for her to suddenly reflect on this on. I'd like to see a more major choice for Kimiko to stop and wonder on.

>>4080118
>>Some of the stories told by the travellers who lack the right stamps and papers are actually quite touching. They speak of sick relatives, of having nowhere else to go, of losing everything and being left destitute due to circumstances that they could not control. There is nothing wrong with showing a little compassion and supporting them with your own finances. (By choosing this option, you will lose 0.4 koku and gain honour.)

>>4080118
>>If this is a test, then you do not want to be caught out. You're going to do this by the books and demand the appropriate fees, no more and no less. Sometimes the duty of a yoriki can be dull and tedious and there is little wealth to be gained from it, but it is your duty to serve, not to care about such material things.

>>4080118
>Show compassion, support with own finances

>>4080463
>>4080488
IMO with Orinosuke as our boss it would make sense for now that Kimiko acts more Scorpion-like. Need to let him hear what he wants to hear.

Some of the tales that are woven by the heimin pull at your heartstrings. One of them speaks of a sickly daughter who has no chance of surviving the coming winter if they do not get medicine. Another mentions how their fields were flooded by the monsoon, spoiling this year's harvest before they managed to reap it. These travellers plead for your mercy and for understanding but at the same time, there is always a chance that these stories are fabrications. There is always a chance that this is Yogo Orinosuke's doing, that all of this is just a test. What if he has one of his dōshin watching you right now?

So rather than surrender to your compassion, you steel your heart and pay no heed to those who cannot afford the correct stamps for their papers. Many of the travellers that you deny are crestfallen, but none of them dare to disagree with the decision of a samurai. Your duty comes before your desire to help the half-people of Rokugan.

And so the next few days continue like this – you awaken in your quarters at the magistrates' station and depart for the Traitor's Gate. After opening the gate, you spend the whole day standing in the pouring raining, processing the scores of travellers that seek access to the town or wish to depart from it. Once the sun has set and the darkness of night has covered the land, you force the gate shut and bar it, so that you may rest at the station for the evening. It is hard to imagine that this is what Yogo Orinosuke has his magistrates do, day after day.

The most unpleasant part of this duty is when you are forced to interact with hinin, who seek to travel from their enclave to the interior of the town. While their papers always seem to be in order, their presence is almost intolerable. Their skin gleams with some sort of foul grease and the stench of meat and blood lingers about them at all times. It's almost as though their spiritual filthiness is reflected in the physical world. Even the heimin sneer at them and give them a wide berth, showing no compassion for the non-people. The hinin know better than to expect any kindness – they have accepted their place in Rokugan. Sometimes they cart corpses out of the town to cremate at their enclave. At other times, they deliver goods such as leather and bone meal to Beiden's craftsmen. No matter what reasons they have for coming in and out of the town, you feel unclean every time you are forced to deal with one.

The monotony of your duty is inevitably disrupted on the fifth day of overseeing the Traitor's Gate. Though the sun cannot be seen in the dreary, overcast sky, you suspect that the morning is soon to end. Your interest is first piqued by a pair of heimin men who are leaving Beiden together, professing a desire to visit the hinin compound. Judging from the hammers that they carry, they are both craftsmen. It is strange for anyone to wish to visit the non-people but as their papers are in order, you allow them to leave the town. Offering their thanks, they stride through the gate with purpose and make their way towards where the road diverges, where a path through the mud leads towards the hinin enclave.

They barely manage to walk a few dozen yards before they come across one of the filthy non-people travelling in the other direction, seeking to hurry past them. One of the two craftsmen grabs the hinin by the arm and before your very eyes, the other launches a vicious punch at her face. From this distance the sounds of commotion are faint, but you can see it very clearly. The two of them are laying into the poor hinin, pummelling her with their fists and then kicking at her when she's on the floor. One of them even removes his hammer from the loop in his belt, striking at the filth with the heavy instrument. You can hear the sharp cry of pain that follows, even from where you stand.

>The life of a hinin is almost worthless compared to that of a heimin. While it is still a crime for a half-person to harm a non-person, the punishment is rather minor even if the assault ends in the hinin's death. Wait for the two craftsmen to finish beating her before you interfere.
>A brawl between these two lesser castes is beneath your attention. You will remain at the gate to process the travellers, Atsushi can go and put a stop to the brawling in your place. You do not wish to be seen protecting one of the hinin.
>It is your duty to keep the peace in this town, so you will interfere. Atsushi will tend to the gate while you command these two craftsmen to stop beating the hinin. Hopefully they will have a good explanation for their actions, otherwise they will be spending some time in a cell at the station.
>This is hardly fair. Two men armed with hammers, pummelling a woman who has nothing to defend herself with? Even if she is hinin, this is unacceptable. You will intervene on her behalf and threaten them with violence, should they dare to strike at her again. (By choosing this option, you will lose glory and gain honour.)

>>4080770
>>It is your duty to keep the peace in this town, so you will interfere. Atsushi will tend to the gate while you command these two craftsmen to stop beating the hinin. Hopefully they will have a good explanation for their actions, otherwise they will be spending some time in a cell at the station.
This doesn't count as abandoning our post right?

>>4080772
No, this doesn't - your dōshin remains there to guard the gate. It would be more of an issue if the gate was left completely unguarded.

>>4080770
>>A brawl between these two lesser castes is beneath your attention. You will remain at the gate to process the travellers, Atsushi can go and put a stop to the brawling in your place. You do not wish to be seen protecting one of the hinin.

Only because I think we should stay at the station and I'm not sure Yogo Orinosuke will accept Atsushi manning the station in our place

>>4080770
Thans to info from>>4080788 I'm changing my vote >>4080790 to >It is your duty to keep the peace in this town, so you will interfere. Atsushi will tend to the gate while you command these two craftsmen to stop beating the hinin. Hopefully they will have a good explanation for their actions, otherwise they will be spending some time in a cell at the station.

>>4080770
>It is your duty to keep the peace in this town, so you will interfere. Atsushi will tend to the gate while you command these two craftsmen to stop beating the hinin. Hopefully they will have a good explanation for their actions, otherwise they will be spending some time in a cell at the station.

>>4080770
>It is your duty to keep the peace in this town, so you will interfere. Atsushi will tend to the gate while you command these two craftsmen to stop beating the hinin. Hopefully they will have a good explanation for their actions, otherwise they will be spending some time in a cell at the station.

“Atsushi-san, remain here. I should put a stop to this.”

That is all you say as you step away from the Traitor's Gate, approaching the two heimin as they lay into the hinin woman. She folds into herself, as though she might be able to hide in the mud if she makes herself small enough. Her efforts fail as the two craftsmen lash out again, kicking her and barking slurs at her. One of the commoners glances over his shoulder as you make your approach and pauses in his assault, while the other continues to lash out at the hinin.

“As pitiful as they are, hinin still serve the Emperor in their own way.” Your hand rests against your jitte, your badge of authority. “You are not samurai, therefore you have no right to harm her. So you will stop this at once, unless you want to spend the rest of the day suffering in a cell.” The severity of your voice manages to capture the attention of the other artisan, who delivers one last kick to the hinin woman before he turns around to face you, frustration and anger apparent on his face.

“They're lying filth, samurai-sama! Vile corpse-snatchers, the lot of them! My sister, she died in childbirth only a few weeks ago. Do you know what these filthy vagabonds gave me to bury after she was cremated? Wood ash! They stole her body and they tried to fool everyone, even her husband!”

“We even went to the magistrates and they did nothing about it!” The second of the two craftsmen speaks, the one who noticed you first. His expression is a determined one, his square jaw locked in a frown. “What were we supposed to do, if not take this into our own hands?”

“And what do you have to prove this?” The word of a heimin is worth more than the word of a hinin. If these commoners say that the non-people are stealing corpses, then you should put your faith in their testimony. However, you find it difficult to believe such an outlandish claim and this wouldn't be the first time that someone has tried to exploit their superiority over hinin.

“I've still got the ashes they gave me,” says the second of the two men, most likely the husband of the departed. “The wretched filth even mixed in a few animal bones to make it look real, but I know what wood ash looks like. I'm not going to rest until her body is burned and buried beneath the earth, where it belongs.”

“And if we can prove that to you, then do we have the right to get our vengeance against the hinin filth?” The brother speaks again, gesturing to the hinin woman who remains huddled in the mud, battered and shivering in the autumnal chill.

>Provided that they are telling the truth, their actions are justified. The life of a hinin means almost nothing and if they seek catharsis through beating one to the brink of death, why stop them? It's adequate punishment considering the crime that the hinin are responsible for. Samurai are allowed to slaughter non-people with impunity, so what difference does it make when a heimin does it?
>Unless they can prove that this specific woman is connected to the corpse-stealing, you will not allow them to harm her any longer. But once you find the true culprit, you will allow the brother and husband of the departed woman to punish them however they see fit. It is the least that they deserve, after being denied something that is so important to them.
>Though it is strange that the magistrates did nothing about this particular incident, that is still no excuse for them to take justice into their own hands. You will not punish them for their crime, but they have no right to lynch a hinin, not even the one that is responsible for stealing corpses. Their fate is yours to decide, and you will not allow mob justice to prevail.
>It was wrong of them to take matters into their own hands and they should be punished for daring to strike at this poor woman, no matter how justified they thought that they were. For succumbing to their rage and going against the decision of the magistrates, both of these men should be punished. However, you doubt that th heimin of Beiden will appreciate a samurai standing up for hinin. (By choosing this option, you will lose glory and gain honour.)

>>4080870
>Though it is strange that the magistrates did nothing about this particular incident, that is still no excuse for them to take justice into their own hands. You will not punish them for their crime, but they have no right to lynch a hinin, not even the one that is responsible for stealing corpses. Their fate is yours to decide, and you will not allow mob justice to prevail.
Also find out from this woman who's in charge of cremation amongst the hinin

>>4080870
>Though it is strange that the magistrates did nothing about this particular incident, that is still no excuse for them to take justice into their own hands. You will not punish them for their crime, but they have no right to lynch a hinin, not even the one that is responsible for stealing corpses. Their fate is yours to decide, and you will not allow mob justice to prevail.

>>4080870
>>Though it is strange that the magistrates did nothing about this particular incident, that is still no excuse for them to take justice into their own hands. You will not punish them for their crime, but they have no right to lynch a hinin, not even the one that is responsible for stealing corpses. Their fate is yours to decide, and you will not allow mob justice to prevail.

>>4080869
>and what proof do you have this hinin in particular is responsible for your sister’s desecration? She could be a leather worker, torturer or something else. Attacking them wholesale is unacceptable.

>>4080870
>If they're correct then yes, they can punish the true culprit

“Know your place, both of you. If the magistrates did nothing about it, then you should respect their decision. You have no right to take justice into your own hands like this, and you should consider yourselves fortunate that I will not punish you for beating an innocent hinin. Can you prove that she is responsible for anything?” They don't seem particular pleased with your verdict. The brother tightens his grip around the hammer he clutches, but he's smart enough to not strike a samurai.

“She's a hinin,” the husband insists. “They're all the same, all filth with no respect for their betters. She's not worthy of your mercy, samurai-sama.”

“If she is involved in stealing corpses then I assure you that she will be punished. If she is not, then there is no point in making her suffer. Now give your names and tell me where you live, where you are keeping the ashes you were given.” Reluctantly, the pair introduce themselves to you. The brother of the deceased woman is Oba, and her husband is Nagao. They own a workshop in the Craftsman's District, which is where they are keeping these ashes. With all of this information noted in your ledger, you dismiss the pair. “That is all that I need from you at this moment. If there is anything else that I require from you, you will find me at your door – but I do not wish to see either of you harming hinin again.”

Murmuring bitterly, the two craftsmen depart for Beiden, leaving the wretched hinin woman huddling in the mud. If she was of any other caste, you might have offered to help her to her feet – but you will not dare touch her. You refuse to risk any spiritual contamination, to sully yourself with her filthiness. Instead you keep your distance and watch as the groaning woman slowly pushes herself back to her feet, barely able to stand upright after the abuse that she endured. You have no doubt that a few bones were broken when she was struck by that hammer. “Thank you, samurai-sama, they would have--”

“I do not need your gratitude,” you reply, your tone cold and abrupt. Despite your intervention, you harbour no kindness for Rokugan's lowest caste. “All I need is the name of the hinin who cremates the town's dead. All of their names, if there's more than one of them.” It's the only way that you will be able to find out the truth for yourself. The beaten woman is hesitant and for a moment, you consider if the two heimin were right. Perhaps hinin only care for themselves.

She eventually gives you the names of the cremation workers. Kado, Sawao, Manzo and Sozui. As for her profession, she is unconnected to the burning of corpses. She is responsible for waste disposal, for the emptying and cleaning of chamber pots. With nothing else of value to learn from the hinin, you dismiss her and allow her to return to the compound, to tend to her injuries.

Before too long, you return to Atsushi's side to discover your findings with him. He wrinkles his nose, finding the whole affair to be distasteful. “I was hoping that this would be a peaceful month, Bayushi-sama. Do you really think that this is important? If the magistrates didn't waste any effort investigating this, then why should we?”

The handling of corpses is an important matter in Rokugan. The dead must be cremated. For centuries, it has been illegal for corpses to be treated in any other way. The punishment for burying the dead is severe indeed, even for samurai. But why? You struggle to remember.

Rolling Dice

>Whenever I ask for a roll, you roll a number of dice equal to the appropriate ring for the roll – Earth, Fire, Air, Water or Void – and you roll twice the number of dice equal to the appropriate skill.
>However, only a number of these dice equal to the ring you're using can be kept, and contribute to whether you succeed or not. The rest must be discarded.
>Every 4, 5 or 6 that you keep counts as a “success,” and contributes to your roll succeeding. For every 6 that you keep, you may keep an additional die that you rolled.
>I will always announce what ring and skill a roll will use, and the number of successes that you will need to succeed, so that you will know how difficult the roll will be.
>If enough successes are kept, the roll is successful. And if you keep more successes than you need in order to succeed, these bonus successes will grant you additional benefits.

>In this instance, I require a roll of 4d6 using your Earth ring of 2 and your Culture skill of 1. You will need to keep two successes (4s, 5s or 6s) to succeed at this roll.

>I will accept the best of three.

Rolled 5, 4, 1, 4 = 14 (4d6)

>>4081003

Rolled 2, 2, 5, 6 = 15 (4d6)

>>4081003
lessee

Rolled 3, 6, 1, 2 = 12 (4d6)

>>4081003

>Going with >>4081020, two successes.

It happened in the sixth century. While it is said that the past thousand years have been peaceful and prosperous, that is anything but the truth. History is full of traumatic events that threatened to destabilise the Emerald Empire and this is one of them. Operating in the shadows of civilised society, a coterie of blasphemers practised mahō, blood magic that stems from the corruption of Jigoku and that is forbidden by Imperial edict. While sorcerers who wielded mahō were not unknown to Rokugan, this was the first time that they ever cooperated and organised themselves. Known today as the Bloodspeaker Cult, they were bound together in service to a dark master known only as Iuchiban.

Iuchiban's true identity is unknown. No one knows what clan or family he came from, or if he was even Rokugani at all. All that is known is that he was an enemy of the empire. Using the dark power of mahō, he reanimated the buried dead and assembled a vast army of the undead. Together with his vile followers, he led his horde of corpses to the gates of Otosan Uchi, the Imperial capitol. When he arrived, the Imperial Legions were ready for him – his schemes had been discovered by the Scorpion Clan, which had warned the Emperor of the invasion.

After a long and gruelling battle, the undead forces were defeated and Iuchiban's servants were slain. It is said that his spirit was sealed inside of a tomb, so that it would never reincarnate and so that his evil would never return to the world. To prevent the evil of mahō from ever threatening his nation again, the Emperor decreed that all corpses were to be cremated before burial, so these blood sorcerers might never despoil Rokugan's dead ever again.

Of course, it wasn't a particularly popular edict. Many thought that the burning of the dead weakened the bond between the living and their ancestors and buried their dead regardless. Some people still perform burials to this day, seeking to preserve the bodies of their forefathers rather than destroy them. There are other potential uses for the dead as well, though you dare not think about such profane things. While you doubt that the stealing of these corpses is related to mahō-wielding sorcerers, it is still important that you put a stop to it.

>Yes, it is important. This takes priority above all else. Once you return to the station tonight, you will ask Orinosuke to station dōshin at the gate while you investigate the hinin compound with Atsushi. Though if you are seen entering that place, you will become known for sullying yourself by walking among hinin. (By choosing this option, you will lose glory.)
>You will remain at the gate. You trust Atsushi with investigating this on his own. He will enter the compound, question the cremation workers and find out what has happened to the dead. He might not be particularly happy with you, but this way you don't get into any trouble for leaving your post for a prolonged period of time, nor do you need to request dōshin to cover your absence.
>Neither of you need to despoil yourselves by entering the hinin compound. The cremation workers can be summoned to meet with you while Atsushi looks after the gate once more. Everything there is to learn can be learned from them, surely. While you won't get to see the interior of the enclave for yourself and personally investigate the crematorium, testimony comes before physical evidence in Rokugan.
>Perhaps there is a reason why the magistrates didn't investigate this? You will return to the station when nightfall comes to speak with Yogo Orinosuke but rather than request the aid of dōshin, you will ask whether you should look into this at all. Then again, the Chief Magistrate doesn't like it when you turn to him for advice too frequently...

>>4081069
>>Neither of you need to despoil yourselves by entering the hinin compound. The cremation workers can be summoned to meet with you while Atsushi looks after the gate once more. Everything there is to learn can be learned from them, surely. While you won't get to see the interior of the enclave for yourself and personally investigate the crematorium, testimony comes before physical evidence in Rokugan.
While I don't doubt that Kimiko does want to investigate this, given how thorough she is about investigating all manner of fuckery, I doubt she can really bring herself to go into the hinin enclave and take that slap to her reputation. Don't think she'd force Atsushi to, either.

>>4081069
>Neither of you need to despoil yourselves by entering the hinin compound. The cremation workers can be summoned to meet with you while Atsushi looks after the gate once more. Everything there is to learn can be learned from them, surely. While you won't get to see the interior of the enclave for yourself and personally investigate the crematorium, testimony comes before physical evidence in Rokuga

>>4081069
>>Neither of you need to despoil yourselves by entering the hinin compound. The cremation workers can be summoned to meet with you while Atsushi looks after the gate once more. Everything there is to learn can be learned from them, surely. While you won't get to see the interior of the enclave for yourself and personally investigate the crematorium, testimony comes before physical evidence in Rokugan.

>>4081069
>Neither of you need to despoil yourselves by entering the hinin compound. The cremation workers can be summoned to meet with you while Atsushi looks after the gate once more. Everything there is to learn can be learned from them, surely. While you won't get to see the interior of the enclave for yourself and personally investigate the crematorium, testimony comes before physical evidence in Rokugan.
Physical evidence? What are we, a bunch of Kitsuki weirdos?

>>4081069
>Summon them to you.

>>4081110
Yes? We preferred it to the lying merchant who killed his sick bull. It's just that now we'd have to go somewhere unpleasant so it isn't worth it.

>>4081184
I was trying to make a joke but it's alright. More seriously with us stuck to watch the gate the entire day it's not like we have the time to run a proper investigation either.

>>4081184
This makes me think... what I think is ultimately the most interesting about Kimiko’s character isn’t what her character creation states is supposed to be (that is, the conflict between her duty and her ambition), since she’s more or less accepted that being the best at her duty to the scorpion clan as a whole is her path to greatness (although it does serve as a major source of stress for her). What I think is ultimately the most interesting about her is how frankly tortured her morals are — there are certain aspects of compassion and courtesy that she really does seem to want to follow more than even most samurai would, but the Scorpion way AND her ambition AND her temper all seem to muddle this and make it hard to pursue... the ultimate tension in Kimiko’s character really seems to be how she justifies —and when she DOESN’T justify— these aspects of her morality in pursuit of both her ninjo and giri.

In this case, she’s generally much, much more compassionate to hinin than almost any samurai would be, and never really is brought to just letting them be trod over as she’s kind of supposed to, but even then she’s not willing to go into some place so unpleasant and both look bad and feel very base when she feels like she deserves much more.

>>4081212
Well more cynically you could say that she's relatively kind to you regardless of your social status as long as it doesn't really cost her anything/interfere with her ambitions.
Honestly just my opinion but sometimes I think Kimiko would be a better Crane than Scorpion considering her morals.

>>4081236
That’s probably been Orinosuke’s view at times too, haha. I suppose it’s what she herself is trying not to look like.

“You do not need to worry about being involved in this, Atsushi-san. I will speak with the hinin who are responsible for cremating Beiden's dead, while you keep watch over the gate. You will get the peace that you hope for, while I uncover the truth behind this. I hope that you consider this reasonable..?”

Though Atsushi frowns, he eventually manages a little nod, conceding defeat. “If that's how you want to handle this, Bayushi-sama. I mightn't agree with how you work, but everything you seems to end in success. I know better than to question you these days.” With that said, he turns back to focus on the various travellers that seek to come through the Traitor's Gate. Your mind has been made up and you stride away from the gate to make your way down the road. Once you arrive at the fork, you follow the dirt path through the rain-soaked mud that leads towards the compound.

You almost smell the hamlet before you see it. It's a ten minute walk away from the Traitor's Gate and carefully hidden behind a copse of trees, possibly planted them for the purpose of obscuring the ugly settlement. Much like the hinin enclave at Kagoki, it is surrounded by a crude palisade fence that hides the interior from civilised eyes but does nothing to mask the hamlet's stench. Even as you stop outside of the compound's entrance, you can smell the odour of blood, smoke and waste in the air. You feel dirty simply for being near the compound, you can't even imagine what it would be like going inside of it.

Your presence draws the attention of a watchman who stands duty at the entrance, a leather-clad hinin with a cudgel at his side. Knowing his place, he bows so deeply before you that he might as well be grovelling. “Samurai-sama, you honour our home with your presence. How may we serve?” His soaked hair sticks to his face in an unpleasant fashion, and you aren't sure if it is saturated with rain, grease, blood or something even more vile.

You keep your distance. Just like with the hinin woman, you have no interest in tainting yourself by coming close to the wretched non-person. “I wish to speak with the cremation workers – all of them. Sawao, Manzo, Kado and Sozui, I believe those were their names.” As you speak of them, the hinin watchman flinches and looks a little uncertain. “And I wish to speak with them now, hinin. Do not tarry. I do not care how important their work is, fulfilling the wishes of a samurai comes first.”

He disappears through a small doorway built into the palisade. There is a larger gate, no doubt used for carts and the like, but that remains sealed. You are thankful, as you have no desire to glimpse what their awful little hamlet looks like behind the ugly wooden wall. You are forced to wait for longer than you like, long enough that your mind begins to wander. What if these corpse collectors do not cooperate, what if they truly are hoarding the dead for some nefarious purpose? Perhaps coming here to summon them was not such a wise plan after all. Your hand slides down to grasp at the handle of your jitte, as you use the presence of the bludgeon to try and reassure yourself.

Your fears are unfounded. Eventually that smaller of the two entrances opens again and five men stumble out – the watchman and the four corpse burners, all four of them looking rather nervous and unsure of themselves. It is rare that a samurai ever has interest in one of the hinin, after all. They come in various shapes and sizes but the one thing that they all have in common is that the fabric they wear is black with smoke and their hands are stained with all manner of unspeakable things.

“You summoned us, samurai-sama?” These words come from the tallest of the hinin, a rather broad and muscular man with the misfortune of possessing a cleft lip. With a physique like that, he might have made an excellent ashigaru or dōshin – if only he wasn't hinin.

>You will speak to them here, in front of the compound. This is likely where they feel safest and where they will be most comfortable sharing the truth with you. Not only that, but you will not need to waste time leading them somewhere else. Besides, there is very little chance of them turning this into a fight.
>Perhaps you should take them back to the Traitor's Gate, where Atsushi will be able to assist you with questioning them. It's only a short distance and you would feel more comfortable if you have your dōshin to support you. Should they become combative, you do not want to be out-numbered four to one.
>Make this official. You are bringing them back to the magistrates' station where they will be detained for questioning. The interrogation can wait until you are finished watching over Traitor's Gate for the day, but this way you don't need to worry about them putting up a fight. They won't dare offer any sort of resistance when they're in a cell.

>>4081252
>>You will speak to them here, in front of the compound. This is likely where they feel safest and where they will be most comfortable sharing the truth with you. Not only that, but you will not need to waste time leading them somewhere else. Besides, there is very little chance of them turning this into a fight.

>>4081252
>Perhaps you should take them back to the Traitor's Gate, where Atsushi will be able to assist you with questioning them. It's only a short distance and you would feel more comfortable if you have your dōshin to support you. Should they become combative, you do not want to be out-numbered four to one.
Even if they’re a bit more reticent there, it’s not like Kimiko isn’t supremely skilled at basically cracking people like walnuts for their info.

>>4081252
>Perhaps you should take them back to the Traitor's Gate, where Atsushi will be able to assist you with questioning them. It's only a short distance and you would feel more comfortable if you have your dōshin to support you. Should they become combative, you do not want to be out-numbered four to one.

>>4081252
>Perhaps you should take them back to the Traitor's Gate, where Atsushi will be able to assist you with questioning them. It's only a short distance and you would feel more comfortable if you have your dōshin to support you. Should they become combative, you do not want to be out-numbered four to one.

Honestly it's times like these where having more doshin would be incredibly useful. Too bad Rinji and Sosa had to have their greed blind them into thinking they could threaten a samurai and get away with it.

>>4081252
>Make this official.

>>4081252
>You will speak to them here, in front of the compound. This is likely where they feel safest and where they will be most comfortable sharing the truth with you. Not only that, but you will not need to waste time leading them somewhere else. Besides, there is very little chance of them turning this into a fight.
>>4081212
>she’s more or less accepted that being the best at her duty to the scorpion clan as a whole is her path to greatness
Eh, Kimiko hasn't really had the chance to do much besides gripe about her current situation. If she found another way to propel herself forward she'd probably take it.

>>4081374
Haha, note my specific wording — to the clan as a whole. In this circumstance this is serving in her current role, but I’m sure she’s plenty capable of justifying climbing the ladder as the clear best path both for herself and the clan! I just think she’s not at a point of being willing to betray the clan.

“There is a matter that I wish to discuss with you, though perhaps it is best if we do not speak of the matter here. I am stationed at the Traitor's Gate – we shall return there and then we shall discuss the accusations that have been made about Beiden's hinin.” A concerned look is shared between the four men but as you turn to lead the way, they reluctantly follow.

You aren't surprised by the sight of a grimace on Atsushi's face when you return with the hinin in tow. Despite the honour he tries to carry himself with, he has no love for the lowest caste – it seems as though he has inherited the hypocrisy of the Lion Clan. When the rōnin's hand drops to rest on the handle of his jitte, you gesture for him to be at ease. These hinin are not a threat, at least they haven't proven themselves to be one yet. For the time being, there are no travellers passing through, granting you the peace required to question the cremation workers.

“So,” you begin. “I have spoken with a pair of men who received the ashes of a loved one. They say that these were not her remains, that they were given nothing more than a pile of wood ash and animal bones.”

“We mean no disrespect, samurai-sama,” says the burly fellow with the cleft lip, bowing deeply. The other hinin keep their heads lowered – it seems as though they have agreed upon letting this man speak for them. “Yet I don't believe that these men knew much about the remains of the dead. Heimin don't deal in such things, they have no reason to know what the ashes of a corpse looks like, or what the bones of a human body looks like. They'd just lost a women that they loved and they wished to lash out, samurai-sama.” His head is bowed and he doesn't dare to look upon you. His voice is calm yet firm, and he speaks with like a man with conviction... Or perhaps like a man who has carefully rehearsed a lie. It is difficult for you to tell.

>I require a roll of 5d6 using your Air ring of 3 and your Sentiment skill of 1. You will need to keep three successes to succeed at this roll.

>I will accept the best of three.

Rolled 4, 3, 6, 3, 1 = 17 (5d6)

>>4081399
Well I definitely agree with that. At this point any betrayal would likey be caused by her delusions causing her to believe otherwise rather than actual intent.
>>4081407

Rolled 3, 3, 2, 3, 1 = 12 (5d6)

>>4081407

Rolled 2, 6, 3, 2, 1 = 14 (5d6)

>>4081407
Bullshit lmao, I believe that heimin when he says he knows what wood ash looks like.

What garbage rolls. At least we have two void points to use — I, for one, want to use one here so as to slice right through the heart of the matter and figure out what’s going on, as we usually do sooner or later.

Rolled 6, 4, 5, 2, 6 = 23 (5d6)

>>4081407

>Going with >>4081436, two successes.

You cannot know for certain whether the hinin is telling the truth or not – you will be forced to decide his sincerity for yourself, without knowing for sure. You will also suffer a point of strife, as a consequence of failing a roll.

However, you only failed by a narrow margin. You may spend a void point to change the course of fate and nudge this failure into being a success. If you do, you will know for certain whether the hinin is telling the truth to you or not.

You currently have 2 void points, out of a maximum of 2. You may wish to save your void points for a roll you consider more important, or you may choose to spend a void point to alter the outcome.

>Spend the void point.
>Save the void point.

>>4081462
>Spend that sumbitch

>>4081462
>Spend the void point.

>>4081462
>>Spend the void point.

>>4081462
>Spend the void point.

>You now have 1 void point.

The hinin speaks too quickly, his words are clipped. The way that he talks is mechanical, as though he is repeating a tale that he has told many times before. Without a shadow of a doubt, this hinin is lying to you. Your hand falls to your sash, resting against the handle of your jitte as a sign of your displeasure. All of the corpse-burners cringe except for the one that they chose to speak from them. He remains still, not daring to move.

“Are you trying to tell me that these men did not know what wood ash looks like? You insult the intelligence of those who are superior to you, hinin.”

“Sometimes the cremated remains of the dead can look a lot like wood ash, samurai-sama. Forgive me, I don't mean to insult anyone with my words. I only speak the truth – we're given the bodies of the dead, we burn them and we give what remains back to their friends and families, to be buried or kept in an urn.” Perhaps that is what the corpse-burners do normally, but once more the hinin is lying to you. His posture is too rigid and it is almost as though he is reciting these words from a script.

“There is no use in trying to deceive me, hinin. Which one of the four are you? Tell me your name. Are you Kado, or perhaps Manzo?”

“Manzo, samurai-sama.” The man still refuses to look upon your face. Perhaps he believes that his eyes might give away his insincerity.

“I do not know what you hope to accomplish by lying to me Manzo-san, but attempting to deceive a samurai is a crime that is worthy of punishment. I will give you one last opportunity to admit the truth to me. If you do so, then your crime will be forgotten and you will be spared from my wrath. So tell me, Manzo-san. What have you done with the corpse of this woman, this heimin who died during childbirth? If you gave her relatives nothing but animal remains and wood ash, what did you do with her body?”

“... I promise, samurai-sama. All we did was return her remains. Whatever you've been told, it must have been false.” Still he sticks to the lie. The others remain silent.

>So be it. If he refuses to give a truthful testimony willingly, it can always be forced out of them. Besides, there's irony to be found having the station's torturer force the truth out of another hinin.
>Attempt to reason with Manzo. He must realise that he is getting nowhere with his deception, so why lie? What is so important about this missing corpse that he is willing to suffer rather than admit the truth about it? (This will require a roll using your Earth ring of 2 and your Courtesy skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)
>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)

>>4081602
>>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)

>>4081602
>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)

>>4081602
>>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)
its time for, once again, "Kimiko scares the shit out of someone in the lower castes"

>>4081602
>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)
They always choose the hard way.

Going with:
>Try to identify the weakest link among them. Threaten them all with the punishment that comes with deceiving a samurai – perhaps that will be enough to make one of them break. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.)
I require a roll of 7d6 using your Fire ring of 3 and your Command skill of 2. You will need to keep two successes to succeed.

I will accept the best of three.

Rolled 1, 4, 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 = 23 (7d6)

>>4081654

Rolled 2, 2, 6, 4, 4, 1, 5 = 24 (7d6)

>>4081654

Rolled 6, 5, 3, 1, 3, 5, 1 = 24 (7d6)

>>4081654

>Going with >>4081656, four successes.

“Very well. Allow me to explain what fate awaits you – all of you.” Those three words cause the other hinin to flinch, though Manzo remains stoic. “As Manzo-san speaks for all of you, you are as guilty of his deception as he is. In accordance with the Ritsuryō, the Rokugani book of law, the punishment for a heimin attempting to deceive a samurai is eighty lashes. Such pain is enough to cripple even the strongest men for weeks, and the weakest for life. This is the punishment that awaits deceitful heimin, but you are even less than they are. You are lowly hinin. Dare I open the Ritsuryō and discover what fate awaits you, for attempting to lie to me?”

You are wise enough to not share the fact that you have always been merciful when it comes to punishing heimin. Such truths would only hinder your intimidation of these corpse-burners. Manzo grits his teeth and digs his fingers into his palms, while the other cremation workers share worried looks with each other. Finally, one of them steps forward. He is as filthy as the rest of the hinin, but the grease and ash smeared across his skin does little to conceal his many blotchy birthmarks.

“Forgive us, samurai-sama, we had no choice! It all happened a couple of months back, these thugs came to the hamlet and--”

“Shut your mouth, Sozui!” Manzo glares over his shoulder, barking the command at the weakest link of the bunch. Judging from the authority in Manzo's tone, he is more than just the elected speaker of the corpse-burners. He serves as their leader, as someone with authority among the hinin. “We can't expect any aid from anyone but our own, now don't you say another word!” But it's too late. Sozui is already blabbering, the truth gushing from him as he seeks to avoid punishment.

“--they took some of our children, samurai-sama! We had no way to fight against 'em, they stole 'em in the middle of the night! The next day, they came around and made demands. Either we did what they wanted, or they'd kill the children. We had no choice, samurai-sama, you've got to understand!”

“You have not told me what their demands were,” you say, though you are able to take a guess. “What did they ask for? Why did you not bring news of this kidnapping and blackmail to the magistrates' station?”

“What would you have done?” Manzo speaks once more, his voice bitter. He looks up from the ground to meet your gaze, his cleft lip twisted into an uncomfortable expression as he scowls. “No one cares for hinin. You all make demands of us without giving anything in return, you've proven that just now, samurai-sama. We wouldn't have gotten any aid from the likes of you. As for what they wanted, they were after the bodies of the dead. We supply them with corpses, they keep the stolen children alive.”

“Anything you can tell us about them? What do they look like?” For the first time, Atsushi has interjected. “If they were after bodies, then you must deal with them more than any other hinin in the hamlet. Tell us what they look like, their names. It's the only way you're going to get your young ones back.” At times like this, you're glad to have the rōnin as a partner.

“Why would you care about hinin children? If you value my people as much as she does,” he says, gesturing to you, “then I expect you will just put them to the sword.” It seems like your threatening of the other hinin caused any respect that Manzo had for you to evaporate. Even though you have every right to make him suffer for each insulting word he utters, he shows no sign of stopping. He's as brave as he is foolish. “I can't tell you what they looked like. They've got no uniform. Only thing that they had in common is that they all carried hatchets and most of them were missing parts, in one way or another. Fingers, ears, noses, that sort of thing. If they didn't have our young ones as captives, I'd make them lose their heads as well.”

A thoughtful frown appears on Atsushi's face as he ponders that description. In the silence that follows, you glare across at Manzo and the other corpse-burners. While they are guilty of stealing not just one dead body but many of them, they have been forced to do it. Are they guilty if they have been coerced? Even if they are not, there is still the matter of Manzo and his disrespectful, cleft-lipped mouth. You need to decide what to do with them.

>All of the cremation workers are guilty. They should have turned to the magistrates rather than surrender to the demands of these child-snatchers. For their involvement in the stealing of corpses, you are going to punish all of them. Perhaps this will ensure their loyalty to the Emperor and their cooperation with samurai in the future.
>The burden of responsibility lies with Manzo. If he is going to act like their leader and dare to speak to you in such a contemptuous fashion, then he should suffer. You should break him, as a lesson that no hinin should ever insult a samurai as he has. By the time you are done with him, hopefully he will be humbled and subservient, as his caste should be.
>You see no reason to punish these hinin, not even Manzo. They have been entrapped, forced in a situation where they had no choice but to follow the demands of these thugs that stole their children. Even Manzo's frustration comes from how helpless this predicament makes him feel, he cannot help it. So you will show him the mercy that samurai are capable of.

>>4081754
>You see no reason to punish these hinin, not even Manzo. They have been entrapped, forced in a situation where they had no choice but to follow the demands of these thugs that stole their children. Even Manzo's frustration comes from how helpless this predicament makes him feel, he cannot help it. So you will show him the mercy that samurai are capable of.

>>4081754
>>You see no reason to punish these hinin, not even Manzo. They have been entrapped, forced in a situation where they had no choice but to follow the demands of these thugs that stole their children. Even Manzo's frustration comes from how helpless this predicament makes him feel, he cannot help it. So you will show him the mercy that samurai are capable of.
>This mercy is of course contigent on them helping us catch these thugs, and hopefully their master, but as long as they keep the faith with us, we will do what we can to get their children back and they will not be harmed for what was forced on them.

>>4081754
Supporting >>4081773
The magistrates may not care if a bunch of hinin children get kidnapped true, but corpse-snatching definitely is a cause for alarm.

>>4081776
YUp, and I am MORE than happy giving the Hinin a pass if we can catch the likely Maho-tsukai gathering them up.
Also I think there are at least TWO plots in play in Beiden.

First is the one we just clipped the bookmaster out of, something akin to the kolat or Dragon philosophy of equality.

The other is likely a blood magic plot involving that ruby mine we dealt with earlier.

>>4081754
>>All of the cremation workers are guilty. They should have turned to the magistrates rather than surrender to the demands of these child-snatchers. For their involvement in the stealing of corpses, you are going to punish all of them. Perhaps this will ensure their loyalty to the Emperor and their cooperation with samurai in the future.
I think that, even with the duress figured in, this and the lying is probably a crime serious enough to warrant punishment -- but with the extenuating circumstances, I think a light one.

>>4081790
normally you'd be correct, BUT there is now a suspicion of Maho involved. I would rather forego them lying and keeping them on our side, than having them bitter and letting it slip.

>>4081773
Supporting. Don't mind being merciful but we have a reputation as a magistrate to maintain so let's try not to make them think it's that easy to be let off.
Also what ruby mine?

>>4081798
Remember in that town we oversaw, and that merchant moving hinin who gave us a huge bribe? He was working for a samurai who ran a Ruby mine. Tried to bribe us with a stonking huge ruby?

>>4081806
Oh that guy. Well not sure that necessarily involved any maho but anyway in this case all we need to prove here is there's maho involved and then we can escalate things to our superiors. No way Orinosuke can not intervene in that situation

>>4081773
This, but remind Manzo who he's speaking to. Even with how merciful Kimiko is willing to be I'm sure she'd make it known that such disrespect isn't something he should try to get away with again.

>>4081853
Agreed with this. Kimiko can be pretty damn kind/merciful for a Scorpion but we need to make sure people don't take our kindness as a sign of weakness.

>>4081754
>The burden of responsibility lies with Manzo. If he is going to act like their leader and dare to speak to you in such a contemptuous fashion, then he should suffer. You should break him, as a lesson that no hinin should ever insult a samurai as he has. By the time you are done with him, hopefully he will be humbled and subservient, as his caste should be.

“Though you have broken the Emperor's law, you have not done so of your own free will. You have been coerced and forced into this by criminals who seek to exploit the lowliest and most down-trodden people of Rokugan.” These filthy cretins should feel honoured that you even call them 'people.' “For that reason, I see no reason to punish you. Not even you, Manzo-san, despite the deceit you have woven and the contempt that you have shown me.”

Atsushi shoots an astonished look in your direction. Manzo is equally bewildered though his expression quickly transforms into a combination of bewilderment and suspicion. “Forgive me, samurai-sama – I only wanted to defend my people from injustice. Only a moment ago, you were threatening to lash all of us until we were crippled. Now you say that you won't lay a finger on us. I don't know what I am supposed to think of you, samurai-sama.”

“You are hinin,” you reply. “You are not supposed to think, you are simply supposed to serve and handle substances that are too foul for the rest of Rokugan to touch. However, even my mercy has a condition. You are to assist me in the capture of these thieves, who are responsible for stealing both children and corpses. If you aid me, I will see to it that your hamlet's children are returned, alive and well, and I promise you that the brutes responsible for stealing them will be punished. Do I have your cooperation, Manzo-san?”

There's a short silence as Manzo stares across at you, only to bow his head in reluctant subservience. Why is it that you seem to attract only the most wilful hinin and heimin that the empire has to offer? Life would be so much easier if these serfs and peons were obedient, as they are supposed to be.

“If I may, Bayushi-sama...” You look across to Atsushi, who seems to have something to say. “I've an idea about where these child-snatchers might've come from. The mentioning of hatchets make me think of forestry, and all of those missing parts that the hinin spoke of? Good chance that they're criminals who've been caught and punished in the past, mutilated after they were caught stealing and the like.”

“That much was obvious to me, Atsushi-san. What else do you have to offer?”

“Well, once you carry the mark of a thief, that's a stain that can't be removed. There's not many people that are willing to give criminals a roof over their head, or the chance to do a decent day's work again. But I know one of them, a merchant called Gonshiro. He supplies a good deal of Beiden's lumber and has a small army of woodsmen. The man has a fondness for employing lost causes, thieves and other lowlives who don't have anywhere else to go. They've got no choice but to accept the meagre pay that he has to offer, they've got no better prospects. There's a good chance that these child thieves are some of Gonshiro's lost causes.”

“Do you mean to tell me that we are dealing with yet another mastermind merchant, Atsushi-san?” Is there not a single merchant in this province that isn't malicious or corrupt in some form? Thankfully, Atsushi shakes his head in response to your question.

“Don't think so, Bayushi-sama. I'm familiar with him, even worked for him myself at a low point in my life, when I had nowhere else to go. Served as an enforcer of his, kept the scum that worked for him in line. He's not a pleasant man but I don't think he's the sort that would have any interest in corpses. All I'm saying is that there's a good chance that these men might work for Gonshiro, based on their mutilation and the axes that they carry. If I have to guess, the merchant mightn't even know what they're up to.”

“Manzo-san, how frequently do you get visited these thugs?” Your attention then shifts towards the other hinin who linger nearby, uncomfortable and ill at ease while you speak with the cleft-lipped man that leads them. “The rest of you, begone. I have no need for you any longer.” All it takes is a dismissive gesture and the three of them hurriedly bow before you, practically grovelling before they depart from the Traitor's Gate to return to their hamlet.

“Once every ten days or so, samurai-sama. Usually at night, after the gates have been sealed. They come with a cart and load it full of the dead, then they leave with it. I ask about the children every time, but they still refuse to give them back.”

It seems as though you've been left with a choice. Is it wiser to visit Gonshiro's domain and see what you can find out there, or is it more sensible to intercept their next visit?

>You are going to place your faith in Atsushi's hunch. You'll need to request permission from Yogo Orinosuke to depart from Beiden, so that you might visit this Gonshiro and his many woodsmen. If you are clever about it, you might even be able to discover and locate where the children are being kept, before the scum even know that a samurai is aware of their schemes.
>It's better if you wait for these corpse-snatching thugs to visit the hinin enclave again. If you're able to question them, you might be able to intercept them and learn more about what they do with the carcasses that they collect. You might need to move quickly however – once you caught them, it's only a matter of time until the rest of them become suspicious about their missing comrades.

>>4082016
>>4082016
>>It's better if you wait for these corpse-snatching thugs to visit the hinin enclave again. If you're able to question them, you might be able to intercept them and learn more about what they do with the carcasses that they collect. You might need to move quickly however – once you caught them, it's only a matter of time until the rest of them become suspicious about their missing comrades.
We're absolutely going to need to get Orinosuke involved if it turns out to be maho, and he doesn't like us overutilizing him... and if it IS maho, which does seem likely, charging in unprepared to deal with them is a good way for us to meet Emma-O firsthand, if we're likely. I think we'll want to intercept them, interrogate them, off them, and then book it over after then informing Orinosuke.

>>4082016
Fuck, they're dead. The children are totally dead. No way a bunch of thugs would go through the effort of keeping them alive.

>>4082016

I reckon rather than intercept them, we can tail them to see where they're bringing the bodies to. Get the Intel without tipping them off that they've been uncovered.

>>4082117
Depends on if the cart is animal-drawn or not. I don't think we'll be able to do much sneaking on horseback, and I don't trust us to follow a trail in the dead of night.
It'll be easy as cake if it's a hand-drawn cart, though.

>>4082016
>It's better if you wait for these corpse-snatching thugs to visit the hinin enclave again. If you're able to question them, you might be able to intercept them and learn more about what they do with the carcasses that they collect. You might need to move quickly however – once you caught them, it's only a matter of time until the rest of them become suspicious about their missing comrades.

>>4082057
Yeah, especially if they're involved with maho, it's hard to imagine they would actually *keep* any hostages.

>>4082016
>>It's better if you wait for these corpse-snatching thugs to visit the hinin enclave again. If you're able to question them, you might be able to intercept them and learn more about what they do with the carcasses that they collect. You might need to move quickly however – once you caught them, it's only a matter of time until the rest of them become suspicious about their missing comrades.
I just want to say Fudo, that this quest as brief as it is, has been an absolute treat to read. I love the character and I love the world you've presented here. Despite knowing about L5R somewhat before hand this has been a very interesting dive into it I haven't really gotten the chance to have.

Also because I've finally caught up I wanna share my thoughts on Kimiko, I feel like the only position that could really satisfy her, or the image that we saw at character creation of her death is at the very top. So what I'm saying is, either chief Yojimbo or Concubine/Wife of the Emperor (or the emperor's heir). Our imperial connection should make that slightly easier, and even if the very very very top isn't available, maybe some other spot in that court would work.

>>4082260
>Cheers, that sort of praise is the stuff that a QM lives for.

“When are they next due to arrive, Manzo-san?”

“In four days, samurai-sama. The cart that they have, it isn't a large one. They can only take four or five of the dead at a time. The first time they came around, there were nearly a dozen of them but since then, they've only come to our hamlet in twos. No later or earlier than the hour of the Dog.” There's a brief pause as the hinin squints at you. “You want me to assist with this investigation of yours, samurai-sama. If you're planning on catching these scum, then I ask you put a weapon in my hands and let me aid you.”

A hinin, fighting by your side? The thought is laughable. Still, the man is built like an ashigaru – there is a chance that he might be of use in combat. “I will consider it, Manzo-san. What I know for certain is that we shall wait for their visit. Once they are here, then I shall act.”

“There's still the question of the children, samurai-sama,” Manzo remarks. “If we catch these brutes here, then the others will be wondering where they are. They'll realise that us hinin aren't playing along with their scheme any longer, and they'll kill the young ones.” You're not sure whether it would be merciful or cruel for you to suggest that the hinin youths are likely dead already. Even if blood magic isn't involved, why would these thugs waste resources feeding children that aren't their own? There's a good chance that they were slain as soon as they were stolen away, and that the hinin have been fooled ever since.

“... I suppose that I could have them followed, find where they are taking these corpses to. There is a good chance that they might keep the dead wherever they keep the children. Atsushi-san, you believe that they work for this... Gonshiro, as foresters and woodsmen. What woodland does he harvest, and how far away from Beiden is it?”

“Half a day's march to the West, Bayushi-sama. Though I'll say again, I don't think Gonshiro is the sort to be involved in something as unsavoury is corpse-stealing. If they do work for him, then they're likely doing this behind his back and taking the bodies to Fortunes know where.” The rōnin offers you a helpless shrug. “As for stalking these corpse-thieves, you know how I feel about skulking through the shadows, samurai-sama. Not like I'm much good at it either.”

“Besides,” Atsushi continues, “if we are going to leaving the town for that length of time, you're going to need to talk to Orinosuke about this. The simplest way of going about this would be to catch them when they come to fetch the carcasses.”

“Didn't you hear what I said?” Frustration can be heard in Manzo's voice as he glares towards the rōnin. “If you catch them here, they'll kill the children.”

“Face it, hinin – they're already dead. If they're hoarding cadavers, there's no reason for them to not add the bodies of your young ones to the pile.”

Manzo doesn't react well to such Atsushi's scathing honesty. His hands ball into fists and you almost expect him to lash out at your dōshin. “She-- They can't be. They wouldn't do that. They made a deal with us, they said that they'd give us our children back if we gave them the bodies of the dead. They wouldn't go back on that deal, rōnin. They can't have.” Manzo's expression is mixed. It is a fusion of frustration, helplessness and growing desperation.

What is the chance, you wonder, that he is the father of one of the missing youths?

>Atsushi is right. There's almost no chance that these children are still alive and Manzo needs to realise that. There's no point worrying about them or planning around them. If the hinin is going to cooperate with you, then he needs to accept that these children are gone, never to be recovered.
>There is always hope. Even if it makes this investigation much more difficult and even if it's unlikely that they are alive, you need to plan around rescuing these children from the clutches of their captors. All life is precious, even hinin, and you can't afford to put these young ones at risk. (By choosing this option, you will gain honour.)
>Manzo needs to face the reality of the situation – he is hinin. These children are hinin. They are worthless and undeserving of your time. You don't care if they live or die, all that matters is that these scum are caught and punished for their crimes. The fate of these non-people is inconsequential.

>It's best if you intercept them and capture them. That way, you'll learn everything that you need to know through interrogation – including the identity of the other corpse-thieves. Once you have that knowledge, their capture will be inevitable. It doesn't matter if they're alerted to your investigation or not by that point.
>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.
>While the best approach is to follow them, you can't afford to be seen or to go after them alone – it's too risky. You'll need to follow their tracks through the wilderness and keep your distance from them. While you won't be able to catch them in the act, this method will still lead you to wherever they're taking the dead.

>>4082710
>Atsushi is right. There's almost no chance that these children are still alive and Manzo needs to realise that. There's no point worrying about them or planning around them. If the hinin is going to cooperate with you, then he needs to accept that these children are gone, never to be recovered.

>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.

Oof this is hard but if it's really a maho cult involved they're really not going to be keeping potential sacrifices alive.

>>4082710
>There is always hope. Even if it makes this investigation much more difficult and even if it's unlikely that they are alive, you need to plan around rescuing these children from the clutches of their captors. All life is precious, even hinin, and you can't afford to put these young ones at risk. (By choosing this option, you will gain honour.)

>”While there is always hope that they are going to hold to thier word, I must admit it is unlikely. Still I made a promise and I don’t intend on making myself a liar.
>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.

>>4082795
I'll change to this. Basically if we're planning to tail them anyways we can at least confirm whether the kids are being held captive or not even if most of us agree it's unlikely

>>4082710
>>4082795
Support

>>4082710
>There is always hope. Even if it makes this investigation much more difficult and even if it's unlikely that they are alive, you need to plan around rescuing these children from the clutches of their captors. All life is precious, even hinin, and you can't afford to put these young ones at risk. (By choosing this option, you will gain honour.)
>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.
They're fucking dead, but there is no utility in telling Manzo that.
Blood magic fights when?

>>4082710
>>Atsushi is right. There's almost no chance that these children are still alive and Manzo needs to realise that. There's no point worrying about them or planning around them. If the hinin is going to cooperate with you, then he needs to accept that these children are gone, never to be recovered.

He has to accept this, if we are wrong and we can save them great if we're right and he is still in denial the shock could endanger both himself and us.

>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.

I want to pick the third option but we can't be overly cautious and risk the maho getting more corpses too work with.

>>4082710
>There is always hope. Even if it makes this investigation much more difficult and even if it's unlikely that they are alive, you need to plan around rescuing these children from the clutches of their captors. All life is precious, even hinin, and you can't afford to put these young ones at risk. (By choosing this option, you will gain honour.)

>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.

>>4082710
>There is always hope. Even if it makes this investigation much more difficult and even if it's unlikely that they are alive, you need to plan around rescuing these children from the clutches of their captors. All life is precious, even hinin, and you can't afford to put these young ones at risk. (By choosing this option, you will gain honour.)

>Subtlety is the best approach. You'll need to requisition dōshin to guard the gate in your absence while you shadow the corpse-stealers. Your eyes will be on them at all times. This way, you'll discover the truth without alerting anyone to your investigation. They'll never get the chance to try and cover up their misdeeds.

>You gain three points of honour for your Compassion. Your honour is now 41.

“There is always hope that they are still alive, Manzo-san. I swear that I will do everything that I can to bring these children back to your hamlet, safe and sound.” Atsushi's lips form a thin line at this show of compassion, of kindness towards non-people. He hardly seems impressed. On the other hand, Manzo's growing anger is quenched. Hands that were bunched up into fists suddenly loosen and he seems to deflate. “Yet I ask that you realise how unlikely it is that they remained true to their word. They are brigands, without honour – I will not do anything that might endanger any children that still live, but you must accept that these men might have been lying to you, from the start.”

“I suppose this means that we're not going with the simple approach then,” Atsushi says, almost muttering to himself. “So how are we dealing with these brutes? Sneaking after them through the shadows, back to whatever lair they call their home?”

“I know you are in favour of a direct confrontation Atsushi-san but this way, they will not be aware of the investigation until it is too late for them. I will be there to witness their wrongdoing for myself and when the time finally comes to capture them, they will have no excuse to defend themselves with. I will know their guilt without even needing to question them, and they will either surrender themselves or die.”

“As clever as that sounds, I'm not suited for skulking through the bushes at night. The hinin's not any better, look at the size of him.” Though Manzo frowns, he doesn't disagree with Atsushi. “If we come with you, there's no doubt that we're going to be seen, Bayushi-sama. If you insist on doing things this way, then you'll need to do this on your own. Neither of us will be of any use to you out there.”

>Manzo mentioned almost a dozen of these corpse-thieves, all of whom are apparently armed with axes. Even if mahō isn't involved, you don't think you have a chance against these numbers. Even if the chance of Atsushi and Manzo being seen is high, you'd rather have them both with you than go alone. You're as good as dead if you're caught alone.
>You were trained in the ways of the Bayushi Deathdealer. Though you're not a true shinobi, you're no stranger to the shadows. You should be able to stalk these thugs without being seen, and perhaps even dispatch them if necessary. Atsushi can remain to guard the Traitor's Gate and Manzo will just have to trust you to uphold your promise.

>If you have any other suggestions, you are welcome to make them in a write-in, as always. Also, please state if there is anything else you wish to discuss with Manzo and Atsushi. If not, time shall move forward to the evening and a conversation with Yogo Orinosuke, as you requisition dōshin to watch over the Traitor's Gate in your absence.

>>4082913
>>You were trained in the ways of the Bayushi Deathdealer. Though you're not a true shinobi, you're no stranger to the shadows. You should be able to stalk these thugs without being seen, and perhaps even dispatch them if necessary. Atsushi can remain to guard the Traitor's Gate and Manzo will just have to trust you to uphold your promise.

>>4082913
>You were trained in the ways of the Bayushi Deathdealer. Though you're not a true shinobi, you're no stranger to the shadows. You should be able to stalk these thugs without being seen, and perhaps even dispatch them if necessary. Atsushi can remain to guard the Traitor's Gate and Manzo will just have to trust you to uphold your promise.

Maybe requisition a couple of doshin so that Atsushi isn't handling the gate alone? We should update Orinosuke as well, just so he's in the loop.

>>4082913
>We can be the sneaki breeki

Do we need to request doshin, if leaving Atshushi behind wins? Can't he just watch the gate?

>>4082913
>>You were trained in the ways of the Bayushi Deathdealer. Though you're not a true shinobi, you're no stranger to the shadows. You should be able to stalk these thugs without being seen, and perhaps even dispatch them if necessary. Atsushi can remain to guard the Traitor's Gate and Manzo will just have to trust you to uphold your promise.

It’s kind of impressive just how thoroughly Atsushi about-faces between heimin and hinin, lol. But to tell the truth, that’s not even all that uncommon for samurai — in fact, Kimiko is definitely the weird one here, haha. I bet she catches shit from Orinosuke if he figures out exactly how things went down.

That’d honestly be cool though, I would love to see how Kimiko handles having the vice put on her for her compassion like that.

>>4082943
We're already doing both in the next update
>>4082944
Probably need multiple people to watch the gate so they can cover for each other. Guards still need to eat/rest after all

>>4082966
Well her only close samurai friend is a Unicorn after all so I guess you can say some of that Compassion must have rubbed off on her.

Also, hmmmm... I wonder WHY Kimiko leans so heavily into Compassion, especially if we consider her character sheet. It could definitely be a mentality that the lower classes are subjects and tools that must be used and maintained well, and this is definitely what she says, but I find that a little suspect, given just how compassionate she is. She could just be a bit less hardcore and dishonorable than she thinks she is, pushed by both her mother and the dream youkai to be extremely ambitious (and being such) but with a soft side of her that was supposed to get taught out of her as well but didn’t. Could be both.

>>4082979
That’s a pretty damn good point.

>>4082980
I suspect eventually she's going to have to pick between compassion and her ambition and that's when the real mental breaks are going to show.

Or maybe she can prove it was all a lie and go straight ice queen.

>>4082980
>>4082998
I mean from a OOC perspective I think most anons are going to lean towards the merciful options because no one really wants to be your stereotypical Scorpion samurai like say Orinosuke is.
IC wise you can make any number of justifications about Kimiko's Compassion.

>>4083004
Hahaha, that’s EXACTLY why I’m wondering about this, actually. Anon often has a hard time pulling the trigger on things like this, but as a simple OOC incongruity it would be more jarring than thinking through the IC reasons. Plus there are the opportunities for later moments that are pointed out by >>4082998

>>4083005
DESU it makes we wonder why anons picked Scorpion for the chargen in the first place.

Anyway from a IC perspective if it comes to a conflict between Compassion and ambition I'd say Kimiko would probably pick the latter unless its a really serious breach of Compassion. She can be nice to her lessers if it's only her involved but it's not like she's going to particularly stick her neck out for you either especially if things are above her pay grade.

>>4083013
Having read all this very recently, I'm just gonna say the moment she lost her mask in the village snow was pretty... Well revealing.
She took sadistic joy in cutting down the people who DARED waste her time and stand against her.

>>4083013
Also I think Kimiko is actually an excellent scorpion, she just hasn't had her soft parts sharpened all the way.

>>4083033
I agree here — Kimiko is without a doubt a natural at scheming and investigation and interrogation, and especially seems to enjoy the former; she’s brilliant at these aspects of being a Scorpion Clan samurai, on occasion too much so for her own good.

“Then I will go on my own.” You look towards Manzo. “All I need from you is for you to do what the corpse-snatchers want, Manzo-san. Give them the bodies that they want and do everything that they ask. That is all that I ask.” Then your attention shifts towards the rōnin. “As for you Atsushi-san, Traitor's Gate will be yours to look after. I will see to it that you are given support – you wished for a peaceful month, and you will have it.”

Neither of them are particularly happy with the decision. Manzo hoped for the opportunity for vengeance and as always, Atsushi is frustrated that he is unable to stand by your side and support you, like he is supposed to. In the end though, both of them respect your decision. The hinin is sent back to join the other cremation workers back at the hamlet and the rest of the day is spent performing your duty, checking the papers of the travellers that seek passage through the Traitor's Gate. Occasionally you share a few theories with your dōshin, but otherwise you use it as an opportunity to take your mind off of this new discovery, of children and corpses alike being stolen away by brigands.

Eventually the evening comes and as always, you seal the gate and ensure that it is barred, to allow no travellers in or out of the city. You return to the station to be debriefed by the Chief Magistrate and like so many times before, you choose to remain behind after the other deputies have departed. This is one of the only chances you will get to speak with your superior without having to worry about interruption. Once the two of you are alone, you explain everything that you have discovered in a hushed tone. How a band of brigands stole children from the hinin compound, and how the hinin have been forced to give the bodies of Beiden's dead to these thugs.

“I trust that the ones responsible for this have been punished,” is Orinosuke's first comment. Though he speaks to you, his attention is focused on the copy of the Ritsuryō that lies open in his lap. Occasionally, he turns the page.

“... The corpse-thieves, Yogo-sama? No, I plan to follow them when they next visit the hinin compound to collect the dead.”

“And what of the hinin that cooperated with them, that gave them the carcasses to begin with? I pray that they have been slain for their part in this vile theft of flesh.”

“No, Yogo-sama,” you say, somewhat hesitantly. “I chose to spare them. They were coerced into this, they had no choice in the matter. It would not be right to punish them for something that they were forced to do. Not only that, but I have earned their cooperation – they might be valuable in this investigation, or perhaps in a future one.”

Yogo Orinosuke's eyes flick up from the pages of the Ritsuryō to stare at you. He remains silent for quite some time, watching you with a glare so intense that you expect it could make a mighty tree wither and die. You wilt and lower your eyes to the floor, knowing that the Chief Magistrate is not pleased by your decision.

“Hinin are human,” he begins. “They have arms and legs, fingers and toes, hair and skin. They can speak, they can think and they can feel. All of these are traits that they share with us, so it is easy to make the mistake of thinking that they are like us. Yet they are not, Bayushi-san. Though they are human, hinin are not people. They are condemned by their rotten spirits, they are incapable of understanding honour, loyalty, respect or gratitude. They are self-serving, and all of their thoughts and feelings resolve around their instincts and their lusts. Even heimin are not as wretched and vile as the likes of hinin.”

“These brigands stole the children of the hinin, they made them feel fear. That is why they did as they were told and supplied the kidnappers with cadavers – because they feared them.” The Chief Magistrate closes the book and steeples his fingers, his eyes still fixed on you. “These creatures serve whoever they fear the most. You say that it would not have been right to punish them? Such words are foolish, Bayushi-san. The only right thing to do was to punish them, to make them dread you more than they dread the corpse-thieves.”

“By showing them mercy, you do nothing but embolden them,” he continues. “Know that the next time that they rebel or break the Emperor's law, you are responsible for their actions. They will view your treatment of them as a sign of weakness in the Scorpion Clan, something that can be exploited. We cannot afford to show them such kindness, Bayushi-san.”

>Defend your actions. While the hinin are not people, they are a valuable resource that shouldn't be squandered. They feel resentment just as strongly as they feel fear and if you did punish them for a crime that they were coerced into, this would have made them bitter and hateful, not fearful and obedient.
>If you gain a reputation for mercy towards hinin, that is something that can be used to your advantage. In their position at the bottom of Rokugani society, they see and hear many things that a samurai might miss. By earning their favour, you might be able to exploit them as a source of information and turn them into a tool of the Scorpion Clan.
>Beg for the Chief Magistrate's forgiveness. He is entirely in the right and this is a mistake that you will not repeat – in the future, you will not disappoint him again with such displays of compassion towards hinin, you swear. (By choosing this option, you will increase your strife to 6 / 8 for going against your Delusions of Grandeur, but you will gain a void point.)

>>4083076
>>If you gain a reputation for mercy towards hinin, that is something that can be used to your advantage. In their position at the bottom of Rokugani society, they see and hear many things that a samurai might miss. By earning their favour, you might be able to exploit them as a source of information and turn them into a tool of the Scorpion Clan.

>>4083076
>>If you gain a reputation for mercy towards hinin, that is something that can be used to your advantage. In their position at the bottom of Rokugani society, they see and hear many things that a samurai might miss. By earning their favour, you might be able to exploit them as a source of information and turn them into a tool of the Scorpion Clan.

Also add that if we punished them those bandits would know that something's up and we might lose their trail.

>>4083076

Supporting >>4083089

>>4083076
>If you gain a reputation for mercy towards hinin, that is something that can be used to your advantage. In their position at the bottom of Rokugani society, they see and hear many things that a samurai might miss. By earning their favour, you might be able to exploit them as a source of information and turn them into a tool of the Scorpion Clan.
>They feared the men and what we would do to them more than they trusted or respected our rule. That is a gaping hole in our defense and it was by merest Chance I was even alerted to this at all. If the hinin believe we are fair and even handed no matter the truth, they will be more likely to come to us when actual trouble occurs. Because we might not be so lucky next time. In addition if I did punish them the thugs might go to ground. If that happens they might disappear or accelerate whatever plans they have. That’s a poor result for us.

Not going to lie Orinosuke's mentality is pretty stupid. Ruling entirely through fear alone only gets you so far until people's hate for you overcomes their fear and then we've got a rebellion on our hands. Not to mention a fertile breeding ground for groups like the Kolat or Perfect Land Sect.

>>4083076
>If you gain a reputation for mercy towards hinin, that is something that can be used to your advantage. In their position at the bottom of Rokugani society, they see and hear many things that a samurai might miss. By earning their favour, you might be able to exploit them as a source of information and turn them into a tool of the Scorpion Clan.

>>4083076
>>4083089
supportan

>>4083076
>"I feared that killing them so soon might alert the corpse thieves. I know their names and faces. They can be dealt with after the most dangerous criminals are apprehended. For now it is best to let them believe they will not be punished, so they willingly assist my efforts."

“I do not show them kindness because I have a soft heart, Yogo-sama.” You are not sure who you're trying to convince at this point – your superior or yourself. “At the very bottom of Rokugani society, they see things that other castes might miss.”

“While it might be true that a servant in a castle might see many things that samurai overlook, there is nothing that a hinin sees that is of any value.” The Chief Magistrate speaks with firmness. “There is nothing of importance to be found in the waste, the dead and the other vile things that they handle.”

“That is not the case, Yogo-sama,” you reply. “They are able to handle and inspect the dead in a way that we cannot. They are the last people who witness the dead before they are cremated, such knowledge can be of exceptional value, in the right circumstance. Not only that, but think of these brigands. If I punished the hinin who delivered the cadavers to them, surely they would realise that their plot had been discovered. I would lose their trail. This way, they shall remain unaware of my knowledge until the last moment.”

“You could have accomplished the same thing by delaying their punishment. Mercy was not necessary, Bayushi-san.”

“They did not come to the magistrates because they did not believe that samurai would help them or care about the kidnapping of hinin children. They did not trust us, Yogo-sama. The Scorpion Clan needs to have the trust and the loyalty of its servants, even the hinin. If it does not, then their dissatisfaction shall become a weakness of our clan that our enemies can exploit. It is already being exploited, by these corpse-snatchers – it is only by chance that I discovered this scheme at all. What is even worse is that the heimin who had the corpse of their loved one replaced with wood ash and animal bones, they went to the magistrates and their plea went unanswered. It is of little surprise that we lack the trust of the lesser castes, Yogo-sama.”

“Their plea went unanswered because I willed it, Bayushi-san.” You are left puzzled by the Chief Magistrate's words, especially when he doesn't say anything else. Then, slowly but surely, the pieces begin to fall into place.

Orinosuke knew that if the heimin were denied justice, then they would take matters into their own hands and seek to punish the hinin themselves. It would be the responsibility of the magistrate stationed at the Traitor's Gate to investigate any violence that they committed against hinin – except during this time of year, all of the magistrates are occupied with tax collection. This left only one samurai in a position to do anything the corpse-stealing. You.

“... Was this meant to be a test of some kind?”

“Of course. I wished to see how you would handle yourself in matters involving hinin. Though I admit that I am not impressed, I suppose that I can understand your actions considering the circumstances. You are right about one thing – punishing the hinin would eventually alert the true corpse-thieves to your investigation. They are a factor that I was not aware of, and I commend your discovery of their involvement.”

>Did he really delay this investigation, just for the purpose of testing you? A hinin woman was almost beaten to death because of his actions. What if more corpses were stolen since the magistrates were first informed about this? It is wrong for a samurai to speak ill of their superior, especially to their face – but he deserves to hear how demented he is.
>You will not speak ill about your superior, nor will you praise him for concocting this scheme. Instead, focus on the investigation at hand. It does not matter that this is a test, what is most important is that you put a stop to the stealing of corpses, before these brigands manage to snatch even more.
>Manipulation is a skill that is valued highly by the Scorpion Clan and you have to admit, you admire how the Chief Magistrate manoeuvred you into this position, without you even realising until now. Offer Orinosuke your praise and swear that you will prove yourself worthy of becoming his successor.

>>4083217
>>You will not speak ill about your superior, nor will you praise him for concocting this scheme. Instead, focus on the investigation at hand. It does not matter that this is a test, what is most important is that you put a stop to the stealing of corpses, before these brigands manage to snatch even more.

>>4083217
>You will not speak ill about your superior, nor will you praise him for concocting this scheme. Instead, focus on the investigation at hand. It does not matter that this is a test, what is most important is that you put a stop to the stealing of corpses, before these brigands manage to snatch even more.

>>4083216
>You will not speak ill about your superior, nor will you praise him for concocting this scheme. Instead, focus on the investigation at hand. It does not matter that this is a test, what is most important is that you put a stop to the stealing of corpses, before these brigands manage to snatch even more.
Kimiko isn’t exactly a big fan of Sincerity, and she loves her schemes, so I imagine she really is impressed on some level... but I also imagine that both her soft heart and the fact that it’s HER being manipulated make her not so much a fan of the whole thing, lol.

>>4083237
Also the whole, might have abetted a Maho-tsukai’s scheme by delaying bit.

>>4083242
That’s true! But Kimiko is probably self-centered enough that that, though important, comes in behind the other concerns.

>>4083244
I was thinking more “great this test is going to get me killed by a blood magic user cause my boss fell prey to the scheming he was bashing a few months ago.” Because I am fairly sure one is well outside her ability to handle right now.

>>4083247
I mean if this maho shit goes out of control Orinosuke's going to be in deep shit himself.

>>4083247
You know, while I definitely agree that she can’t handle a maho-tsukai on her own, and voted on that grounds previously... I wouldn’t actually be shocked if Kimiko herself doesn’t think so, since she always has this tendency to leap in on her own feeing that she’s best equipped to handle a situation (even though she usually in fact is). Perhaps that’s where the Courage preference on her sheet comes in and a bit negatively, haha.

>>4083217
>>You will not speak ill about your superior, nor will you praise him for concocting this scheme. Instead, focus on the investigation at hand. It does not matter that this is a test, what is most important is that you put a stop to the stealing of corpses, before these brigands manage to snatch even more.

>>4083232
>>4083217
Adding on
>I suspected my posting was a test, but until I was certain I needed to act how I normally would. You even said it most Scorpion posted here take the expeditious route over the correct one.

“Thank you, Yogo-sama. Yet it does not matter if this investigation was intended as a test or not. What is important is that these corpses are recovered and given the cremation and burial that they deserve. After all, there is the chance that might have been stolen for the purpose of mahō.”

“Indeed,” says Orinosuke. “When it comes to matters of mahō, even magistrates are ill-equipped to handle such blasphemers. There are only three organisations that exist in Rokugan that are suited to battling these vile sorcerers. The Asako Inquisitors of the Phoenix and the Kuni Witch Hunters of the Crab. They hunt down these wielders of blood magic, these mahō-tsukai, wherever they find them.”

“Yogo-sama, you spoke of three yet you only mentioned two.” For the first time, you see uncertainty flash across the Chief Magistrate's face. With everything below the bridge of his nose hidden by his menpō, you cannot know for certain – but you swear that he seemed fearful for a briefest moment.

“So I did. There is a third, one that belongs to our clan. Its greatest strength lies in its secrecy, so I shall not even tell you their name. Should you discover that these corpses are being stolen for the purpose of mahō, you are not to intervene. You are to report back to me immediately, so that I might call upon the aid of this sect. They shall apprehend any sorcerers involved in this incident and see to it that they are punished. Before I can request their involvement however, you must be absolutely certain that a mahō-tsukai is behind the stealing of these corpses. I will not be responsible for wasting the time of these heretic hunters. Do you understand, Bayushi-san?”

“Of course, Yogo-sama.” This investigation becomes more complicated by the moment – follow the corpse-thieves back to wherever they keep the cadavers, apprehend and punish them, uphold your promise to not endanger the lives of hinin children, keep an eye out for any potential signs of a mahō-tsukai and report back to Orinosuke as soon as you find any sign of blood magic. This will not be simple. “How will I be able to identify if someone is using mahō?”

“You will know, Bayushi-san. Signs of human sacrifice, the dead walking as though they were living, unspoken whispers assailing your mind. Though I cannot claim any expertise when it comes to the subject, blood magic is not a subtle thing.” For a few seconds, your superior closes his eyes and takes in a breath, to centre himself. By the time that his eyes open again, his usual confidence and control seems to have returned. “Now, I will arrange for dōshin to assist Atsushi in guarding the Traitor's Gate. Unless there is anything else that you require from me, then we are done here.”

>Unless there is any other matter that you wish to discuss with Yogo Orinosuke, time shall move forward.

>>4083349
>Skip

>>4083349
I can't think of anything, let's skip forward

>>4083349
skip

>>4083349
>Skip

>>4083349
If this is not Maho related, what am I to do?

“What am I to do if mahō is not involved?”

“Your duty, Bayushi-san. Apprehend those responsible for stealing Beiden's dead and punish them as you see fit – though I pray that you shall not show them the same mercy that you gave to the hinin.” You do not reply to the taunt. Instead you stand and bow before your superior, and thank him for his time. With little else to say, you are dismissed from the hall and you depart for your quarters, where you rest for the night.

The next few days are spent performing your usual duty at the Traitor's Gate. You lose count of the number of papers you have to check and how many travellers pass through, but thankfully most of them are cooperative and have everything in order. There are a few of them who you must deny passage due to their lack of papers and payment, and there are even one or two who try to force their way past. You have little difficulty when it comes to detaining them and sending to the station, to enjoy a little magistrate hospitality.

The fateful day arrives. Tonight, the corpse-thieves will arrive to collect the latest load of cadavers, for whatever nefarious purposes they have in mind for them. Though your day is spent examining the stamps and dates displayed on travel papers, your thoughts linger on the task that lies ahead of you. The wait is excruciating. When the evening finally comes, you take the opportunity to prepare yourself after the debriefing. You change into a darker set of clothes and allow yourself the luxury of tea, something that you prepare yourself. You lack the expertise to perform an elaborate tea ceremony, but over the past few months, you have come to appreciate the taste and aroma of even the most mundane brews. It gives you something to focus on, to clear your mind of all doubt and concern.

>You lose three points of strife. Your strife is currently at 0 / 8.

Considering the covert nature of the task that lies ahead, you choose to bring your shinobigatana over your katana. The shorter blade allows you to draw it more swiftly, to silence a foe before they are able to alert their comrades. That matters more than the superior killing power of the traditional katana. With your daishō hanging by your side, you depart from your chambers to meet with Atsushi and a few other dōshin who accompany you to the Traitor's Gate. Night has fallen and the monsoon rain continues to pour down from the heavens. At this hour, the streets are completely empty – no one is willing to endure the awful weather.

Once you arrive, the dōshin set about unbarring the great door and opening it, so that you might depart from the city. This is one of the rare times that the gates are opened after nightfall. Atsushi sucks in a breath and turns to face you, with a mixed expression on his face. You have no doubt that the rōnin is worried.

“So,” he says, “how long do you want me to wait this time, before I think about coming after you?”

>You're certain that you'll be back by tomorrow night. Wherever the corpse-thieves take the dead, it can't be far from Beiden. After all, Atsushi thinks they work for Gonshiro and his lumber yard is only half a day's travel away.
>Three days. If they dwell somewhere near the town, this gives you the chance to discover more about them. If they don't, you can't imagine that their lair is more than a few days away from the city.
>A week. This will give you plenty of time to watch them and follow them. You hope that this mission won't take the full seven days since you're not certainly not prepared for a journey of that length, but there's a chance that it might and Atsushi should be ready for that.
>At times Atsushi acts like a worried parent, setting a curfew for his child. You command him to wait for your return so he will wait, no matter how long that takes. His inability to trust you is insulting.

>>4083514
>>Three days. If they dwell somewhere near the town, this gives you the chance to discover more about them. If they don't, you can't imagine that their lair is more than a few days away from the city.

>>4083514
>>You're certain that you'll be back by tomorrow night. Wherever the corpse-thieves take the dead, it can't be far from Beiden. After all, Atsushi thinks they work for Gonshiro and his lumber yard is only half a day's travel away.

>>4083514
>You're certain that you'll be back by tomorrow night. Wherever the corpse-thieves take the dead, it can't be far from Beiden. After all, Atsushi thinks they work for Gonshiro and his lumber yard is only half a day's travel away.

>>4083514
>>You're certain that you'll be back by tomorrow night. Wherever the corpse-thieves take the dead, it can't be far from Beiden. After all, Atsushi thinks they work for Gonshiro and his lumber yard is only half a day's travel away.

No offense to anon, but I really wish you hadn't added in a question that had an incredibly obvious answer that no one but one guy voted for Fudo. Like it made Kimiko sound like a moron.

“I do not plan on being gone for long, Atsushi-san. I should be back by tomorrow night by the latest. After all, you believe that these brigands come from Gonshiro's lumber yard, do you not? You said it was left than half a day's march away. If you're right, then I should return before you have anything to worry about.”

“Well, I hope that you are right. If you aren't back by this time tomorrow, then I'll be heading in that direction. Going after a dozen armed men on your own... Are you certain that this is wise, Bayushi-sama?”

“I promise you that they will not see me. If they do, it will be on my terms, I assure you.” A small smile curves your lips. It has been years since someone last worried about you, since someone showed concern or care about your actions. It's as pleasant as it is frustrating, it is a sign that you are important, that you matter. Even as a child, your father eventually stopped worrying about you. Even though your youth was full of fights with other children, he wasn't around frequently enough to teach you any better. He gave up on you and allowed your mother to shape you, to mould you into the cunning woman that you are today. She never showed much concern either – to her, you would either swim like the Scorpion or you would drown like the Frog. Atsushi isn't necessarily a parental figure to you, but his apprehension is still comforting.

You step through the Traitor's Gate and begin the slow walk down the road towards the hinin enclave, carrying a dim lantern to light the way. The sky is full of clouds so you cannot rely on the stars or the moon and once you have left the town behind, there is no other source of light. Though the lantern might give you away, it is a choice between that and blindness – and you doubt that the brigands are paranoid enough to have a lookout on the road of Beiden.

Walking through the downpour and the cloying mud, you eventually arrive at the outskirts of the compound. Dimming your lantern, you take your time finding an appropriate spot to hide, a location where you will be both difficult to see and have shelter from the biting rain. You don't take too long to eventually settle on a maple tree, its base surrounded with long and wild grass. While it still isn't dry beneath the shelter of its boughs, at least it's somewhat better than standing in the open. You hunker down in the soil and begin your long wait for the hour of the Dog to arrive, waiting for any sort of change in scenery.

There's nothing, at least not to begin. Not even any sound from the hinin enclave. Everyone in there must be asleep at this hour – except for the cremation workers. You have no doubt that they're waiting for the captors of their children to arrive, to make their usual demands.

And eventually, after what feels like an eternity, they arrive. Through the darkness and the pouring rain, you can see the distant light of a lamp drift down the path towards the compound. It doesn't bob up and down naturally, like it would if it was held by a person. As it comes closer, you can see that it's hanging from a small wagon, which is being hauled through the mud by a pair of rather sodden men, their ragged clothes drenched by the rain. One of them is clearly missing a nose, while the other's face is surprisingly untouched. The one thing that they have in common is the axes hanging by their sides, rather mundane hatchets – the sort used for forestry rather than combat.

They come to a halt by the primary gate of the compound, rather than the smaller door, abandoning the cart to rest it in the mud for the time being. The noseless one thuds his fist against the wooden surface and after a few seconds, the gate swings open. You recognise Manzo as he steps out to speak with them but from this distance and in the pouring rain, you're not able to hear much of their conversation.

>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)
>You're happy remaining beneath this shelter. You trust Manzo enough that you know he won't betray you, not after the promise you made to him and the kindness that you showed the hinin. There's no need for you to hear what they have to say – it's likely inconsequential. So you shall remain in the darkness, completely still, out of sight and out of sound with no risk of being seen.

>>4083777
>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)

>>4083777
>>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)

>>4083777
>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed

>>4083777
>>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)
No wonder Kimiko is such a conflicted person, huh? It's not anything new we've strictly learned, but hearing her ruminate it on that it kinda hammers in how screwed up her upbringing was. Father doesn't care, Mother is a possibly crazy woman who encouraged her to beat the shit out of other kids with questionable affection, and also the whole youkai twisting her fucking mind through her fucking dreams lmao

Going with:
>With the weather being this bad, you'll need to get uncomfortably close if you want to hear what they're saying, perhaps in range of their lantern's light. It's worth the risk – you want to make sure that the hinin isn't double-crossing you. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)
I require a roll of 7d6 using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.

I will accept the best of three.

>>4083816
Dunno sounds like a lot of samurai families to me. It's common only one parent around to raise the kids especially if the other has duties that require them to travel and her mom seems pretty Scorpion.
The more screwed up thing IMO is her relationship with her parents is probably the only relatively positive one Kimiko has in the clan so far; her sensei hates her, her peers envy her and Orinosuke's Orinosuke.Oh and her only friend in the clan tried to poison her to death.

Rolled 4, 1, 3, 6, 5, 1, 5 = 25 (7d6)

>>4083827

Rolled 2, 3, 5, 1, 5, 5, 4 = 25 (7d6)

>>4083827

Rolled 6, 4, 3, 1, 3, 3, 6 = 26 (7d6)

>>4083827

>>4083832
Dispite his faults Atushi has been reliable kind and wise. As the only good relationiship she has other then the unicorn samurai we should probably try and drag him with us wherever we go.

>>4084487
He's definitely the Loyal Lieutenant we need, He's like a cross between a caring older brother/uncle and a morality pet

I have a theory why Kimiko's best friend tried to poison her. The Yogo are cursed to betray who they love most in some way, so she tried to get rid of her curse so it wouldn't poke it's head later by poisoning her closest friend.

>>4084487
>>4084495
Atsushi is indeed quite based.

>>4084487
Tells you a lot though when Kimiko's best relationships are with a Unicorn and a ronin

>Going with >>4083833, four successes.

The soft, wet sound of your sandals stepping through the mud can't be heard over the rain. Like a shadow you creep through the night, navigating your way closer towards the gate to the compound, where Manzo speaks with the thugs. You make sure to keep to the long grasses and stay away from the path, taking advantage of the undergrowth that the hinin have allowed to grow out of control through neglect. Finally, you stop before you get too close, to ensure that the light of their lantern does nothing to illuminate you. With a little focus, you're able to decipher what they're saying.

“... You still haven't said when you're giving them back to us. It's been almost two months now – how much longer do we need to do this for?” That is the voice of Manzo, speaking to the corpse-thief with an intact face. Meanwhile, the other cremation workers are dragging heavy bundles wrapped in linen out of the compound – you don't need to guess at what is hidden beneath the fabric. One by one they're loaded on the cart, to be taken to whatever destination the rogues have in mind.

“Hey, we're not planning on doing this forever. As soon as we've got as many as we need, you'll have your brats back, you've got my word.” The brigand makes a placating gesture and in the lantern light, you're able to see that some of his fingers are missing. There's no doubt that he has been punished in the past for theft, yet still he resorts to crime of the most vile variety.

“Your word? What worth does your word have? You're vile, you steal children and corpses alike – you have no honour and your word means nothing.”

“You give us any more lip, and you'll won't be getting your boy back in one piece,” says the noseless one. The sound of his voice is raspy, distorted and downright unpleasant to hear. “Know your place, eta.” Eta, a slur for hinin – one that quite literally means 'abundance of filth.' It is not something that is said in polite company.

“Show the man a little respect, Maro-san. He's worried about his child, wouldn't you be if you were in his place?” The thug with the missing fingers flashes a toothy grin at Manzo. “You've got nothing to fear, hinin. Just do as we ask and we'll reunite you with him before long.”

By the time the hinin are done, six bodies have been loaded on the cart. In the pouring rain, the linen has become almost translucent. It clings to the corpses and through the fabric, some of their features are becoming distinct – arms, legs and even faces. As the corpse-burners skulk back into the compound, the noseless one grasps the handles of the cart and lifts them, turning the small wagon around and hauling it away from the compound. The fingerless one follows after them and as they retreat into the night, you follow.

The journey is long and unpleasant, lasting for hours and taking you down the long and lonely road Northwest, away from the city of Beiden. Neither of the corpse-thieves have anything of value to say to each other – the topics that they discuss are banal to say the least, revolving around coin and base desires. Once or twice they speak about how much they hate this job – but apparently it pays well enough that they won't even consider abandoning it.

You can't afford to lose focus for a moment. If you slip up, if a single footfall lands too heavily in the mud, you will be discovered. You keep enough distance that they have no chance of seeing you, but you remain close enough that anything they have to say is audible. Such a long and arduous journey reminds of the days when you had to patrol back and forth between Beiden and the town of Kagoki – hardly a pleasant memory. You try not to let such thoughts distract you and devote all of your attention to remaining unseen and unheard. You must remain diligent.

After what feels like an eternity, they finally swerve off of the beaten path to take a much less travelled road. There's still signs of carts being drawn down this road and plenty of footsteps all mingling with each other in the mud, but far less than you find on the main road that leads to the Fukitsu province. The dull illumination of the wagon's lantern bounces off of nearby trees, their density increasing the further down this road you travel. Rolling hills transform into dense woodland, with no sign of civilisation anywhere except beneath your feet, in the tracks left by those who came before you.

It mustn't be long until dawn's arrival. You are as cold, sodden and miserable as the brigands that you stalk, slogging through the forest's undergrowth behind them. Though your mind is as exhausted as your body, you force yourself to tread carefully, to remain alert and aware of every move the brigands make. You have no wish to be caught after tailing them for so long.

At last, the forest thins as you arrive in a clearing of sorts – there are lights here, sources of illumination other than that dangling lamp that you have been following for most of the night. A dim glow comes from the doorways of crude huts scattered throughout the glade, the dying embers of hearths and lamps. Between these buildings, lumber has been arranged in stacks – there must be logs from hundreds, if not thousands of trees placed in piles throughout this clearing. The two thieves that you have been stalking for so long begin to move more cautiously, putting out the light of their lantern and ever so slowly wheeling the cart closer towards one of the structures at the outskirts of the encampment.

They escape your sight when they leave the cart of carcasses by the entrance of the hut and step inside of it. You'll need to decide what your priority is, now that they have led you to Gonshiro's lumber yard.

>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.
>There's no chance that you're willing to let them exploit their corpses. While the cart is unattended, this is an opportunity for you to either relocate or destroy the cadavers, so that these brigands can't use them for whatever foul purposes that they have in mind.
>It's unlikely that these corpse-thieves are operating on their own. Someone must lead them and it must be none other than their employer, Gonshiro. Search the lumber yard for any sign of a larger structure, a location that the merchant might oversee his woodsmen from.
>You're going to find out whatever they're up to inside of that hut. Get close enough that you can eavesdrop and listen to any conversation that they're having in there. It might even be worth risking a peek inside, to see what's contained within.
>This is a chance for you to explore the lumber yard and get a grip of its layout, to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. If you're going to investigate this place, you would rather not do so blindly.

>>4085087
>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.
Whether or not the hinin sprats are alive does determine some of the limitations around what exactly we can do — it’s best to get that out of the way, I think.

>>4085087
>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.

>>4085087
>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.

>>4085087
>>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.

>>4085087
>Look for the kids

>>4085087
>>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.
What >>4085108 says

>>4085087
>You promised to Manzo that you would put the safety of his children first. You should search for any sign of youths being held in captivity in this encampment. Doing anything else would dishonour the oath that you made to the hinin.

There's more to finding these children that just fulfilling your oath to the hinin. If you're able to find where they're being kept and if they're being watched, then you'll be able to determine what sort of action you are able to take, how far you can go without endangering them. You might even have the chance to liberate them.

Children are rarely silent, especially kidnapped ones. You listen for the sound of crying or complaining, but nothing of the sort comes from the inside of that hut. You can barely even hear the sound of the corpse-thieves murmuring to each other. While you are tempted to draw nearer and listen, finding the stolen hinin is your priority. You even go as far as peering inside of the hut through the open doorway, though you make an effort to keep your distance – you have no desire to be seen, not yet. The brief glimpse that you get reveals only the silhouettes of men against the hearth's embers within, nothing more. No children.

There is a chance that others in the lumber yard are involved in this scheme. Skulking through the darkness before the dawn, you explore the fringes of the huts and even peer inside, once you are certain that their occupants are sleeping. They contain nothing but workmen sleeping on coarse mats, enjoying the last couple of hours of sleep before they must awaken and work. There is even an animal pen and perhaps against your better judgement, you inspect it – it contains nothing but the sleeping forms of two thin and ragged hounds. Again, no sign of children.

There is a chance that they might hold them within that hut, bound and silenced, and that you simply didn't get the opportunity to see them. You can't help but feel that the chance of this is low, but the promise that you made to Manzo weighs heavily on you. A samurai's word is supposed to have great value and if you fail to uphold it...

You shake your head, dispelling those thoughts from your mind. Now is not the time for rumination. By the time you return to the structure that the corpse-thieves left their cart by, they seem to already be hard at work with shovels, digging up a patch of waterlogged earth next to their hut. There are four of them now, seeking to dig a pit – or perhaps unearth something.

>Now is not the time to take unnecessary risks. You will remain and you will watch them, listen to what they have to say. You might even discover where they're keeping the hinin through by eavesdropping.
>This is your chance. While they're distracted, take the opportunity to get closer to the hut and slip inside. You'll need to time this perfectly however, to avoid being seen. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)
>You could attack them now and catch them off-guard – four unready heimin stand no chance against a samurai. You should be able to dispatch them before they alert anyone. (This will start a conflict.)

>>4085445
>>Now is not the time to take unnecessary risks. You will remain and you will watch them, listen to what they have to say. You might even discover where they're keeping the hinin through by eavesdropping.

>>4085445
>>You could attack them now and catch them off-guard – four unready heimin stand no chance against a samurai. You should be able to dispatch them before they alert anyone. (This will start a conflict.)

>>4085445
>Now is not the time to take unnecessary risks. You will remain and you will watch them, listen to what they have to say. You might even discover where they're keeping the hinin through by eavesdropping.

>>4085445
>Now is not the time to take unnecessary risks. You will remain and you will watch them, listen to what they have to say. You might even discover where they're keeping the hinin through by eavesdropping.

They’re probably gonezo. But I also imagine Kimiko is really not going to go to either of these lengths just for the sake of Sincerity. If the kids aren’t there, then they’re not there. We checked to see if they were present, and if we stumble on something about them, great, but otherwise it’s now time to investigate.

>>4085445
>>This is your chance. While they're distracted, take the opportunity to get closer to the hut and slip inside. You'll need to time this perfectly however, to avoid being seen. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)

Remember we have to start taking some more risks or this'll take a lot time, like the book investigation

>>4085445
>This is your chance. While they're distracted, take the opportunity to get closer to the hut and slip inside. You'll need to time this perfectly however, to avoid being seen. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)

>>4085445


> This is your chance to search the hut

High risk high reward?

>>4085480
I'll switch to
>This is your chance. While they're distracted, take the opportunity to get closer to the hut and slip inside. You'll need to time this perfectly however, to avoid being seen. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)
To break the tie

Going with:
>This is your chance. While they're distracted, take the opportunity to get closer to the hut and slip inside. You'll need to time this perfectly however, to avoid being seen. (This will require a roll using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)
I require a roll of 7d6 using your Air ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.

I will accept the best of three.

Rolled 3, 3, 1, 3, 3, 6, 2 = 21 (7d6)

>>4085595
Here we go.

Rolled 2, 1, 3, 1, 5, 5, 6 = 23 (7d6)

>>4085595

Rolled 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 5, 6 = 28 (7d6)

>>4085595

>>4085601
Saved us

>>4085603
We still have a void point but yeah best if we can hold it for longer

>Going with >>4085603, four successes.

You wait until their backs are turned, until they are too focused on the task at hand to notice you enter their shelter. You are fortunate that Maro, the noseless one, makes the decision to strike up a conversation with one of the other diggers.

“So, who are the sorry pair that'll take this lot to Naofumi? It's been some time since your last delivery, Kuma-san.”

“Yeah, don't remind me. I'm in no hurry to meet him again.” The one known as Kuma grimaces at the thought. He's a brute almost as brawny as Manzo, with a rather asymmetrical face thanks to the lack of an ear. “I'm thinking of taking Iori with me, maybe Doi. It's about time that lazy wretch carried his own weight. You'll cover for me, won't you Maro-san?”

“I'll say you got a letter saying that your dear mother's sick, something like that.” Maro sneers. “Say that you had to run off, look after the poor old woman. You know Gonshiro though, he's not going to have any sympathy – the miser might even see through the lie...”

While they dig and chatter to each other, you take advantage of their distraction. Your footfalls are careful and precise, your sandals hardly making a sound even as you step inside of the hut. It is a squalid and unpleasant hovel, to be sure – it's filled with sleeping mats, three of which are occupied with men still sleeping and four of which are empty, no doubt belonging to the diggers outside. The stench of their sweat fills the air and their belongings are scattered around their den, in travel packs and the pockets of dishevelled clothes scattered over the floor.

The walls of the hut muffles the conversation of the corpse-thieves, leaving you unable to hear anything else that they are saying. Instead, you take this opportunity to search the hovel, rummaging through their bags and clothes. Occasionally you freeze when one of the men stirs but thankfully, they aren't roused from their slumber – you're far too subtle to awaken them by accident. There's almost nothing of value for you to find in here, and certainly no sign of the children.

There is one thing that you recover that is of some use however. Picking open one of the travel packs, you recover a tattered scrap of paper, directions messily written on it in charcoal:

Follow Fukitsu road.
Only travel at night. Cannot risk being seen with cargo.
First day, rest in barn at Abe homestead. We can trust them.
Second day, rest in copse off of road. Don't get seen.
Leave road when you start seeing marshland, go North.
Seek estate with shrine to Kenro-ji-jin.
Don't ask the priest questions.
Don't let the priest get in your head.
Get the coin and get out.

You weren't able to find any sign of the young ones, but this is certainly useful – you know where they take the dead, although you do not know for what purpose they're being hoarded yet. You'll need to decide what to do with this note, and with the brigands sleeping in the hut.

>It's best if you leave the note here. Commit its contents to memory and put it back in the pack where you found it. They might realise that someone has been rifling through their belongings if it's taken, and you can't afford that.
>This is valuable. If anyone doubts you when you say that a priest is the culprit, you can show them this. Someone else at Beiden might even be able to give you more precise directions if you take the note back. You can't leave it behind.

>Leave the hut and don't disturb the sleeping men. You don't want to leave behind any sign that you were ever in this hovel at all. Subtlety is the best weapon that you have, and you have no wish to reveal your presence just yet.
>The less of these thugs you have to deal with, the better. Slit their throats as they sleep. The rest of the corpse-thieves will undoubtedly realise that someone is on to them, but you have already learned everything that you need. (This will require a roll using your Fire ring of 3 and your Skulduggery skill of 2. You will need to keep four successes to succeed.)
>Perhaps it might be wise to arrange an accident – tamper with the embers of the hearth, scatter some of the burning coals on the hut's floor. Flames will inevitably spread and the hovel will either be damaged or destroyed by the fire. Hopefully it'll take the lives of a few of the brigands in the process, but you can't be sure.

>>4085717
>>It's best if you leave the note here. Commit its contents to memory and put it back in the pack where you found it. They might realise that someone has been rifling through their belongings if it's taken, and you can't afford that.
>Leave the hut and don't disturb the sleeping men. You don't want to leave behind any sign that you were ever in this hovel at all. Subtlety is the best weapon that you have, and you have no wish to reveal your presence just yet.
These guys are small fry, we can get Orinosuke to send people and hunt them down later.

>>4085717
>>It's best if you leave the note here. Commit its contents to memory and put it back in the pack where you found it. They might realise that someone has been rifling through their belongings if it's taken, and you can't afford that.
>Leave the hut and don't disturb the sleeping men. You don't want to leave behind any sign that you were ever in this hovel at all. Subtlety is the best weapon that you have, and you have no wish to reveal your presence just yet.

>>4085717
>>It's best if you leave the note here. Commit its contents to memory and put it back in the pack where you found it. They might realise that someone has been rifling through their belongings if it's taken, and you can't afford that.
>>Leave the hut and don't disturb the sleeping men. You don't want to leave behind any sign that you were ever in this hovel at all. Subtlety is the best weapon that you have, and you have no wish to reveal your presence just yet.

>>4085717
>This is valuable. If anyone doubts you when you say that a priest is the culprit, you can show them this. Someone else at Beiden might even be able to give you more precise directions if you take the note back. You can't leave it behind.
I know that this is a risk, but given that it’s just the one note, it would take a good few leaps of logic to realize that it was a Scorpion yoriki following them out to camp and finding it, instead of it just being misplaced or found by Gonshiro.

>Leave the hut and don't disturb the sleeping men. You don't want to leave behind any sign that you were ever in this hovel at all. Subtlety is the best weapon that you have, and you have no wish to reveal your presence just yet.

>>4085717
>Take the note and burn the hut down

They'll assume it was lost in the fire.

>>4085770
This. They'd have to be hyper paranoid to someone stealing it.

>>4085722
Switching to taking the note

You decide that it's best if you take the note – how paranoid would they have to be to think that it was stolen? It's more likely that they'll believe it was just misplaced, especially since they haven't been made aware of your investigation. However, there isn't any reason for you to do anything about the sleeping rogues – yet. They will receive justice eventually, but not right now. Treading lightly, you make your way out of the hovel without making a sound.

After waiting until you are certain that the corpse-thieves are still focused on their task and not looking your way, you skulk out of the hut and into the undergrowth once more, stepping as quietly as you can throw the mud. The rain has lightened and it seems as though the sky is brightening. Dawn is surely on its way. As for the thugs, they don't seem to have dug a hole. Instead, they have uncovered a large crate buried beneath the ground, hidden under a foot of mud. You observe as they haul all six of the corpses from the cart into the box and set about sealing it and covering it once more, likely a method of storing the cadaver until they're ready to move them.

“I'll get as much rest as I can before the day starts,” says the fingerless one. “Nothing exhausts you like spending the night dragging a cart full of corpses through freezing rain.”

“I was the one that had to pull the cart along, you whining lowlife,” grumbles Maro, the noseless brute. “If you think you're tired when all you had to do was talking to some filthy eta, how do you think I feel?”

The bickering and bantering continues as they cover up the chest full of carcasses, concealing their vile cargo from the sight of others. You have no doubt that they'll uncover it when night falls, to cart off the cadavers to this priest, this 'Naofumi.' Where do you go from here?

>You have uncovered the rough location of where the priest lives, the mastermind behind the corpse-theft. It would be best if you put a stop to him before he is able to expand his collection of carcasses with this latest edition. Begin the journey towards the Fukitsu border and seek out this estate where he dwells.
>It might be best to speak with Gonshiro. He seems to be unaware of the sort of scum that serve him. You should speak with him and see if you can exchange information with the merchant – he might be willing to tell you more about them.
>You should remain here, watching from the shadows. You have no idea who you can trust in this lumber yard. Watch the thugs who have already incriminated themselves and see who they interact with, learn the identity of everyone who belongs to this group. So far you have seen only seven, yet Manzo said that there were almost a dozen of them.
>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.

>>4086002
>>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.

>>4086002
>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.
We're not getting any infiltration done during the day and we told Atsushi we'd be back by nightfall

>>4086002
>were done here

We need to go back tell Atsushi and out boss we are gonna out for a few days

>>4086002
>>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.
We can't fuck our dude Atsushi like this (again)

Sorry for the low activity today - a combination of work and feeling under the weather. That's likely going to be the last update for at least twelve hours. I'll try and pick up the pace tomorrow.

>>4086060
No problem man RL comes first. See ya tomorrow

>>4086002

>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.

Otherwise Atshushi is gonna wrangle dudes and come after us.

>>4086002
>You're done here. It's not smart for you to go chasing after the priest either, not yet – it's too far away and you should report to your superior first. It's time for you to make your way back to Beiden to decide what your next move should be.
Should we report to Orinosuke at this point? I remember it being said that he doesn't like when we report back to him so frequently.
>>4086060
>not quitting your job to please faceless shitposters the internet
Shit QM desu

>>4086819
We should considering we need to travel even further from town now. Also logically if anything happened to Kimiko at least the magistrates know where to send reinforcements

There is nothing more for you to learn here. It took most of the night for you to travel here – it will likely take you just as long to return to Beiden and you can't afford to tarry. Perhaps if you had told Atsushi to wait for longer, then you might have the time to explore the lumber yard or perhaps even speak with its owner, if this Gonshiro has anything relevant to say at all. From the sound of it, the corpses-thieves are operating behind his back – Atsushi was right about his lack of involvement. Part of you wonders what his history with the merchant might be, but you waste no time in dismissing those thoughts. The rōnin's past is irrelevant. What matters is that you find out whether this is the scheme of a mahō-tsukai, or if it is something more mundane.

After skulking away from the lumber yard, you follow the dirt path back to the main road, the one that leads between the town of Beiden and the border with the Fukitsu province. Though the rains have grown softer, trudging through the sodden countryside and the muddy mire that that the earth has been transformed into is a miserable experience. The exhaustion of having tailed after those scoundrels for an entire night is beginning to weigh down on, combined with the chill and the damp. If you were a lesser being, you might have already become ill after exposing yourself to the elements for so long, but you are greater than that. You are of Imperial lineage, you are blessed by Jurōjin and you are destined for greatness. No simple sickness shall ail you.

You pay no heed to peasants or other travellers coming the way, nor do they feel any desire to pester a tired, rain-soaked samurai. The sky brightens as Amaterasu rises behind the cover of clouds and by the time that the town's walls finally become visible, you suspect that it is midday, if not later. One foot is forced in front of the other until at long last, you arrive at the Traitor's Gate where Atsushi is standing guard with other dōshin. At the sight of you, he barks a command at the enforcers to keep a look out while he rushes over.

“Bayushi-sama,” he says, stopping in front of you. Relief is apparent on his face as he looks you up and down, for any sign of harm or combat. Though he doesn't find any, he still isn't pleased. “With respect, you look like someone tried to drown you in a muddy stream. What happened?”

You explain everything, from the conversation between Manzo and the scoundrels at the compound, to the conversation that you overheard, to the note that you discovered in their hut. While you didn't discover much with that visit, what you did find out was important. You know the name and the profession of the person who is acquiring these corpses, and you know roughly where they dwell.

“It seems as though I will need to travel even further from Beiden,” you explain. “Even though they only travelled at night, visiting the estate where this priest dwells and returning from it should still take a few days. You might need to watch over this gate with these dōshin for longer than expected, Atsushi-san.”

“I don't mean to question your wisdom, but shouldn't you at least speak to the Chief about this?” Atsushi's relief has evaporated and is replaced with a frown. “Yogo Orinosuke might know more about 'Naofumi.' At the very least, you should rest before you depart for this place. Even you're descended from Hantei himself, you're still human.” He has a point. You're drenched, you're tired and you're starving. You could push yourself further if you wanted to, but is there any value in that?

>There's no time to spare. You must deal with this corpse collector before they're able to make their hoard of bodies even larger, with this next delivery. You'll fetch some supplies and then you'll be on your way – you can't afford to rest. You will not let the fragility of your physical form impair you. (This will require a roll using your Void ring of 2 and your Fitness skill of 1. You will only need to keep two successes to succeed, thanks to Jurōjin's Blessing.)
>Yogo Orinosuke doesn't like it when you're reliant on him. It's best that you don't pester him. You'll make your way to the station to eat and rest and when tomorrow arrives, you'll set out for the estate. It would be foolish for you to set out without any preparation whatsoever.
>You have made enough progress that you can justify bothering the Chief Magistrate with your discoveries. He might be able to tell you more about this priest or this estate, and with his aid, you might be able to arrange the detainment of the scum responsible for stealing corpses from the hinin. This time, he will have no reason to be disappointed in you.

>>4086944
>There's no time to spare. You must deal with this corpse collector before they're able to make their hoard of bodies even larger, with this next delivery. You'll fetch some supplies and then you'll be on your way – you can't afford to rest. You will not let the fragility of your physical form impair you. (This will require a roll using your Void ring of 2 and your Fitness skill of 1. You will only need to keep two successes to succeed, thanks to Jurōjin's Blessing.)

Let's give Atsushi some standing instructions to let Orinosuke know if we don't return in a week.

>>4086944
>>You have made enough progress that you can justify bothering the Chief Magistrate with your discoveries. He might be able to tell you more about this priest or this estate, and with his aid, you might be able to arrange the detainment of the scum responsible for stealing corpses from the hinin. This time, he will have no reason to be disappointed in you.
This isn't the time for Orinosuke to be messing around with us given the stakes IMO.

>>4086944
>>You have made enough progress that you can justify bothering the Chief Magistrate with your discoveries. He might be able to tell you more about this priest or this estate, and with his aid, you might be able to arrange the detainment of the scum responsible for stealing corpses from the hinin. This time, he will have no reason to be disappointed in you.

>>4086944
>There's no time to spare. You must deal with this corpse collector before they're able to make their hoard of bodies even larger, with this next delivery. You'll fetch some supplies and then you'll be on your way – you can't afford to rest. You will not let the fragility of your physical form impair you. (This will require a roll using your Void ring of 2 and your Fitness skill of 1. You will only need to keep two successes to succeed, thanks to Jurōjin's Blessing.)

>>4086944
>Bother Orinosuke

Honestly the way I see this going is he loans us 6-12 men and we go warpath over the labor camp, the Abe homestead, and finally the temple.

“Very well,” you admit with a heavy heart. “I will speak with the Chief Magistrate.” You aren't looking forward towards another conversation full of condescension and disappointment but hopefully, Orinosuke will be a little more pleased with the results that you bring him this time. You provide a small nod to the rōnin and receiving a bow in return, you force yourself forward into the city and towards the station.

Once you arrive, you clean yourself as much as you are able before you speak with the Chief Magistrate. Changing your clothes and drying your hair is more than necessary – you have no desire to present yourself to your superior looking like a drowned animal. Once you're dressed in your usual attire and have made yourself somewhat presentable, you speak to one of the dōshin and request a meeting with Yogo Orinosuke. This will be the second time that you have spoken to him during the day and in his personal quarters, rather than in the meeting hall of the station.

You are led to the lavish room and step inside, after the dōshin announces your arrival. Orange light fills the chamber, illuminating the eclectic art found in the walls. The delicate bonsai that had previously sat in a corner of the room has been replaced by another, a far less elaborate shrub. A work-in-progress, a project that the Chief Magistrate must still be tending to. As for Orinosuke himself, you see a rare glimpse of him outside of his armour, though the lower half of his face is still hidden by that dark, gleaming menpō. Clad in a featureless black kimono and sat on a cushion before a tidy desk, your superior gestures for you to come before him. You bow respectfully before him.

“It has been less than a week since the last time we spoke about your investigation. I pray that you have brought a stop to this corpse-theft.”

“Not yet, Yogo-sama. I wish to discuss the progress that I have made.”

“There is little need for you to inform me of every step that you take, Bayushi-san. I am interested in results, not in the minutia of your work.” Your jaw tightens and you force yourself to endure his disparaging remarks. “You must at least have something of value to tell me if you wish to disrupt my day with such a visit. So, tell me. What have you found out?”

Everything that you shared with Atsushi, you share with Orinosuke – though you do your best to remain concise and to the point. You even produce the note that you took and offer it to the Chief Magistrate. He peers down at the paper, his dark eyes lingering on every word. While he does so, you conclude your explanation. “What I seek is more information about this Naofumi and the estate that he dwells on, Yogo-sama. I hoped that you might either know more about the priest, or be able to acquire more information about him. I wish to know more about the man that I hunt.”

“It is not a name that I am familiar with,” Orinosuke admits. “However, a priest is not a typical peasant. There is a chance that his name might be found in certain document – perhaps he has presided over certain festivals or funerals. I will send a dōshin to the governor's estate to see if they have any record of him. Yet I remain concerned about the corpse-thieves. Even though they steal cadavers on the behalf of this priest, they remain guilty of involvement. They are to be punished, not to be given the same mercy that you offered to the hinin.”

“Of course, Yogo-sama. However, I have not been able to identify all of them yet and even if I did, there are almost a dozen of them.”

“At this time of year, my resources are stretched thin. My magistrates are scattered throughout the province, my yoriki guard the gates and most of my dōshin are occupied keeping order in the city. Sending enforcers to guard the Traitor's Gate in your absence meant that I had to take them off of the streets, Bayushi-san. I cannot spare more than that – not until the tax collection is complete, and that will take weeks.”

>So be it. You'll have to dispense justice either on your own or with only Atsushi to help you. If the Chief Magistrate refuses to spare any other resources, you'll need to make do with what you have. It'll be difficult but you have no choice.
>You might be a samurai, but even you stand little chance of besting a dozen criminals that are armed and dangerous. Do what you can to explain to Orinosuke that your chances will be greatly increased if he can provide even a handful of dōshin to help you. (This will require a roll using your Earth ring of 2 and your Courtesy skill of 2. You will need to keep three successes to succeed.)
>You're above dealing with such lowly scum. The Chief Magistrate has to understand that. This is a task that should be handled exclusively by dōshin, you shouldn't have to dirty your own hands bringing justice to these corpse-thieves. (This will require a roll using your Earth ring of 2 and your Courtesy skill of 2. You will need to keep five successes to succeed.)
>The threat that they pose isn't an urgent one. Surely you can wait until the tax collection is done and the station's resources are spread so thinly? That way, Yogo Orinosuke will have no excuse to not spare men to assist you, once the month of Bayushi is over.

>You should take care of the priest first. If you put a stop to the corpse-thieves first, Naofumi will become suspicious when the deliveries stop arriving. He'll find some excuse to defend himself, or he'll do something to cover up his involvement in the corpse-theft.
>You should take care of the corpse-thieves first. They're criminal scum who threaten stability in this province. If you stop the priest before they're dealt with, they'll no doubt figure out that their scheme has been discovered and go underground, to cause trouble in some other way.

>>4087049
>>So be it. You'll have to dispense justice either on your own or with only Atsushi to help you. If the Chief Magistrate refuses to spare any other resources, you'll need to make do with what you have. It'll be difficult but you have no choice.

>You should take care of the priest first. If you put a stop to the corpse-thieves first, Naofumi will become suspicious when the deliveries stop arriving. He'll find some excuse to defend himself, or he'll do something to cover up his involvement in the corpse-theft.

I'd say determining whether maho is involved still takes priority.

Anyway for this journey I say we should take Haru along and see if we can maybe requisition/rent a pony for Atsushi. We should be able to travel much faster than the thieves that way even if we leave later. Also we can report back to Orinosuke faster and then switch our attention to hunting the thieves.

>>4087073
>>4087049
agreed on all counts

>>4087049
>You may be a samurai but you're vastly outnumbered. A dozen grave robbers plus the priest and the Abe Homestead and any co conspirators the priest has at his temple. Also that don't let the priest in your head line was pretty ominous.

>Corpse thieves first

>>4087049
Supporting >>4087073

>>4087073
I'll pour onto the pile supporting this (we're stretching our superior's patience thin), but we will probably have to avoid reporting to Orinosuke again if maho's not involved (though this is admittedly unlikely).

>>4087157
Honestly if he gets this annoyed about us seeing him in person I wonder if we can find some way of sending messages back to the station in the future.

>>4087165
We could just take initiative like her desperately wants us too. Guys there was like 0 reason to bother him.

>>4087049

Backing >>4087073. After all the corpse thieves getting suspicious might result in some low level henchmen getting away, the priest meanwhile could actually be important. Getting both the thieves and the priest should be our goal regardless

>>4087178
We were going to pay a visit anyway regardless of whether we informed him or not. It's not like last time where we weren't sure how to proceed.
Anyway hopefully the governor's office has useful information on this Naofumi

“Of course, Yogo-sama.” You aren't about to argue with the Chief Magistrate. Orinosuke planned for this investigation to be a test of your skills and you are most certainly going to be tested, facing ten or eleven armed thugs either alone or with Atsushi at your side. That comes later though – first of all, you'll need to handle Naofumi. “I will depart to apprehend the priest as soon as I know more about him.”

“My hope is that I have any records about him by tomorrow morning. Once the briefing is finished, I will speak to you about what the dōshin have uncovered. Unless there is anything else, you may take your leave Bayushi-san, though I will grant you one small mercy – you need not attend tonight's debriefing. Get some rest.”

There is little to discuss, so after you bow one last time before the Chief Magistrate and offer him your gratitude, you depart from his quarters. Suddenly, all of the exhaustion that you have been struggling to hold at bay comes crashing down on you. How many miles have you marched through the pouring rain and bitter cold, throughout the night and day? You haven't had any sleep since yesterday, before the sun even rose. Retiring to your quarters, you take the opportunity to lay out your futon and collapse into its warm embrace. You awaken only to satiate your almost painful hunger when the servants bring food, and then you settle back into your deep and much-needed slumber.

For the first time in years, you dream.

When you rise, you don't awaken in your humble quarters. Instead, you are surrounded by luxury. Your bed is massive and magnificent, almost as vast as your chambers in the station. Everything in sight is opulent, gilded and gleaming in the warm lamplight. You rise from the sheets and take the opportunity to explore this extravagant room. Vast shelves full of books line the walls – there is more knowledge here than you could find in even Kikaku's library. Upon reading the titles, you recognise them as the banned texts that you had confiscated. The Cost of Grace, Of Lies and Leadership and so on.

The path to success lies in that which is forbidden.

You can't identify the source of the voice. It seems to reverberate all around you, bouncing off of the walls. As you observe your surroundings in an effort to spot whoever spoke, you notice a few details about the decadent chamber, about the clothes that you wear. The lamps that light the room seem to be a foreign design, unlike anything that you have seen in Rokugan. Most of the furniture is made from unfamiliar substances that you can't recognise. Even the sleepwear that is draped around your figure is alien and strange, crafted in a peculiar gaijin fashion.

“Yashin?” It has been so long since he visited you while you slept, that you almost believed that he was a figment of your imagination. Is this his doing?

Tradition, etiquette, law. These are nothing but shackles.

You spin around in an effort to catch a glimpse of the speaker, but you see nothing. Only a book lying on a small table next to your expansive bed. Something about it seems strange. For some unexplainable reason, it captures your eye even from this distance. You can't bring yourself to look away from it. Your feet almost seem to move on their own, bringing you closer towards this enrapturing text.

“This is not amusing, Yashin. What do you want?”

I want you to break free. Shatter the chains placed upon you by those who fear being usurped.

You can't tear your eyes away. It's as though nothing in the room existed but that book. With your focus completely consumed by it, you pick up the tome and turn it over in your hands. Its cover seems to have been stitched together out of a supple, peculiar substance. Perhaps leather? Try as you might, you can't seem to find a title written anywhere, nothing that gives away the subject of the text.

“... What is this?”

The road to supremacy. You cannot rise without displacing those already above you, without breaking the rules that they have made to keep themselves in power.

Revulsion hits you. The book is not bound in leather, but in human skin. You want to drop the vile object but your fingers only tighten around it, grasping at the cover. All you need to do is open it and all of the secrets contained within will be yours, all of the black knowledge held in that text will be etched into your mind forever more. Everything that is forbidden will be yours to explore and exploit.

Make your choice. Will you remain a pawn of others, damned to lose again and again at a game of their design, or will you do whatever it takes to overthrow them, to achieve greatness?

>Open the book. You will not let anything keep you from your destiny.
>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.

>>4087300
>>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.
Say no to Jigoku

>>4087300
>>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.

>>4087300
>Open it

UNLIMITED POWER

>>4087300
>>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.

>>4087300
>Open the book. You will not let anything keep you from your destiny

>>4087300
Holy crap this is a hard vote, but I think.... I think Kimiko would rather win in-spite of the rules rather than discarding them entirely.
>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.

>>4087300
>>Discard the book. You will not sacrifice your soul in the pursuit of power.
We are already destined for greatness, no need for shortcuts

>>4087362
Could go either way.
On one hand, she could see herself as having the right to.
On the other, she may see needing it as an insult and in opposition to the idea that she's destined for greatness.

>>4087362
>>4087410
IMO based on her reactions to her mother's letter and Orinosuke we've established that Kimiko doesn't want to simply follow the path people put in front of her even if it's the 'easier' road.

Overcome with horror, you discard the book. You throw it back down on the table and stumble back, away from the table and away from that horrific tome that you held only moments ago. You stagger as you do so and end up falling – and you do not hit the floor. You keep tumbling through the air, away from the extravagance and the light and the warmth of that room. Nothing but blackness surrounds, and there is nothing to hear or fill but the cold, shrieking wind, lashing at your body.

Your eyes open. You are not clad in opulent sleepwear any longer but a ragged, tattered kimono instead. All of its colour faded long ago. Your emaciated body huddles on the side of a street, your back pressed against the wall of a dilapidated structure. The bitter wind still howls and rakes at you, while those who walk down the road pay no heed to you. You do not even have a daishō – you get the sense that you must have sold it long ago, simply for the chance to survive. You have abandoned all of the hopes and dreams that once drove you, and you have lost everything.

This is what awaits you if you continue down this path. You will amount to nothing. You will die as nothing. But do not fear, Kimiko. This is not your last chance. You will learn and next time, you will not repeat this error.

You awaken soaked in cold sweat, breathing raggedly. The sky outside is pitch black, with no sign of dawn coming soon. Murmuring a prayer beneath your breath, you set about cleaning yourself and preparing yourself for the day regardless. Despite your best attempts to calm yourself through the repetition of your morning rituals, you remain unnerved. There is a chance that this nightmare was nothing more than the product of exhaustion and stress, but you can't help but feel like it was something more. Your uneasiness refuse to dissipate, no matter how vigorously you polish your daishō.

>You suffer a point of strife. Your strife is currently at 1 / 8.

Dawn comes at last. When a servant arrives with your morning meal, you devour it with little grace and depart from your quarters, to make your way to the meeting hall. You arrive long before anyone else, before the lamps are even lit by servants – but you can't stand the thought of remaining alone in your chambers any longer. You need some sort of distraction from the dream, anything.

Eventually, Orinosuke's other deputies start to arrive. For the first time in your life, you welcome their company although you don't dare admit it. You show them the usual etiquette and respect that they deny you and pay no heed to their petty squabbling and snide remarks. Instead, you wait for the Chief Magistrate to arrive and brief you as he always does, to discuss the performance of the dōshin throughout the night, the punishment that has been administered to criminals detained in the station and so on. Eventually, the other yoriki are dismissed.

Once you are alone with your superior, you approach Yogo Orinosuke and bow before him respectfully. He offers a nod in return and after a brief delay, he speaks. “... It seems that you were right to approach me for further information regarding this priest, Bayushi-san.”

“Have the dōshin been able to discover anything about Naofumi, Yogo-sama.”

“Yogo Naofumi,” he says, correcting you. “He is not a mere priest. He is a shugenja of my family, capable of communing with the elemental spirits of Rokugan and beseeching their aid. Perhaps most importantly, he is a samurai. Normally, this means that I would take you off of this investigation and give it to the appropriate magistrate, as only they have the authority to pass judgement on a samurai.”

“You said normally, Yogo-sama. Are you not going to do that in this instance?”

“No. All of my magistrates are occupied with tax collection, and I want this dealt with as soon as possible. As my yoriki, you have the authority to investigate samurai. Not to detain them, pass judgement on them or punish them. You may investigate them. You are to go to Yogo Naofumi's estate and discover why he is stealing these corpses, without taking any sort of action against him. You will gather any knowledge that you can about his actions and you will return to me.”

“Am I allowed to infiltrate his estate, or would that break any of these rules?” Breaking rules. Your own words remind you of your dream and your stomach suddenly turns.

“You may do so, if you believe that is the wisest approach. On the other hand you may investigate Yogo Naofumi's estate in a more official and open capacity – he will have no choice but to cooperate. A refusal to do so may as well be an admission of guilt.”

>It would be for the best if you went about this stealthily. There's no need for Yogo Naofumi to know that he is being scrutinised for possible involvement in a mahō plot. If he did know, that would just give the opportunity to hide his wrongdoings.
>You don't want to imagine what Yogo Naofumi would do for you, if he does turn out to be a mahō-tsukai and he catches you skulking around in his estate. It's best if this is done officially and openly. You are the Chief Magistrate's deputy – he will have no choice but to cooperate with you.

>It would be for the best if you handled this on your own. You can't afford someone like Atsushi holding you back. He's a rōnin, and a little too attached to honour for his own good. This is a task for a Scorpion.
>You want Atsushi with you for this. You don't want to get caught off-guard by a mahō-tsukai with no one to aid you. Even if you're doing this stealthily, you'd rather have the rōnin around to help you if everything goes wrong.

>>4087421
>It would be for the best if you went about this stealthily. There's no need for Yogo Naofumi to know that he is being scrutinised for possible involvement in a mahō plot. If he did know, that would just give the opportunity to hide his wrongdoings.
>You want Atsushi with you for this. You don't want to get caught off-guard by a mahō-tsukai with no one to aid you. Even if you're doing this stealthily, you'd rather have the rōnin around to help you if everything goes wrong.

>>4087421
>>It would be for the best if you went about this stealthily. There's no need for Yogo Naofumi to know that he is being scrutinised for possible involvement in a mahō plot. If he did know, that would just give the opportunity to hide his wrongdoings.
>You want Atsushi with you for this. You don't want to get caught off-guard by a mahō-tsukai with no one to aid you. Even if you're doing this stealthily, you'd rather have the rōnin around to help you if everything goes wrong.

>>4087421
>>It would be for the best if you went about this stealthily. There's no need for Yogo Naofumi to know that he is being scrutinised for possible involvement in a mahō plot. If he did know, that would just give the opportunity to hide his wrongdoings.
>>You want Atsushi with you for this. You don't want to get caught off-guard by a mahō-tsukai with no one to aid you. Even if you're doing this stealthily, you'd rather have the rōnin around to help you if everything goes wrong.
Telling the suspected maho-tsukai he's under investigation for maho I'm sure that will go well