Session 15. (10/7/09)

It is Summer in the Year of the Monkey (1464). The Shikabe villagers, including the former Wajin warriors, are living in temporary accomodation in Sawara, having been driven out of Shikabe by their former people, the Matsumae from the south. Discontent abounds among the Ainu-by-birth and the Ainu-by-adoption. Some talk of revenge; some talk of driving the Matsumae back, but this is discouraged by the headmen of Shikabe and Sawara - "We will need all our people just to find enough food for all of our Ainu".

One day Koshamain visits from Mori. He says it is time for all his tribe of Ainu (that is, those from Shikabe, Sawara and Mori) to move on. He asks for volunteers to travel up the coast to Yakumo to plead with the headman there for some land for the tribe.

He adds that any of the former Wajin that don't want to go will be sent to hunt squirrels.

The former Wajin had indeed been discussing how to hit back at the Matsumae, or at least halt their advance, but they have come to the same conclusion as the headmen - they just don't have the troops. Fearing another summer where their most dangerous opponent would get them 0.25 budo, Miyoshi, Mineo, Kachamaru, Kokuma and Haku prepare for a trip up to Yakumo. Yoshi decides to take his chances with the squirrels.

The intrepid five prepare for the one day's journey up to Yakumo and the important meeting with the headman. They reason that they will need some gifts, so Mineo gathers some plants to make herbal cigarettes, which Miyoshi's wife rolls on her thighs and places in a box that Kokuma's wife crafts, while Haku gets some plum brandy from the village stores and Kachamaru polishes up an inferior captured tanto until it appears to be of normal quality.

Arriving in Yakumo, the villagers are friendly and direct the southerners to the headman. Miyoshi greets the headman using the Ainu tongue, then hands over negotiations to Haku, who has more experience in these matters and has mastered the language. The gifts evidently smooth the way and the headman, Menkakush, is very welcoming. However, he defers any serious discussions until after a ceremony of greeting (and smoking and drinking the gifts) later that evening. The visitors retire to a guest hut to rest and make themselves more presentable.

At the greeting party, after the ceremonies are over, Haku tells the story (with occasional sound effects provided by Kachamaru) of how they came to be living with the Ainu, having left their Wajin families behind after witnessing the cruel behaviour of the Wajin towards the Ainu, and even now resist the encroachment of the Matsumae. When Haku raises the issue of the loss of Shikabe, the sacred forest, and the need to find a place to live, Menkakush is sympathetic and keen to help, but warns that they are already short of land, having taken in refugees from Usujiri. He needs to be sure that the new residents will bring useful skills and be hard working, not a drain on their stretched resources. The visitors confer and work out an impressive list of skills they have: Mineo's herbalism and wood working; Kachamaru's iron working and entertainment; Haku's magic; Miyoshi's battle strategy and tattooing; Kokuma's hunting and his wife's carpentry; and from all, a knowledge of the language and ways of the Wajin. Menkakush is impressed and says there is a narrow valley west of the village that is yet uninhabited. But first he asks if they would perform a task for him, to help win over the other Ainu villagers. He asks them to investigate a small lake that is good for hunting game birds, but from which hunters sometimes fail to return, especially at night. His hunters are afraid to approach it, and it is hurting the villagers' meat rations. The visitors agree to go the next day, but first they will entertain the Yakumo inhabitants. Kachamaru puts on a short kabuki play, which goes down well, then Mineo entrances them with a virtuoso performance on the flute. Haku narrates a story very well, Miyoshi fluffs a poetry reading but no-one seems to mind, and Kokuma impresses the villagers by getting the village bear to do tricks. The villagers reciprocate with singing and dancing and everyone goes to bed happy.

In the morning the famous five prepare for their lake adventure. They ready their weapons and armour, and set off in the afternoon, aiming to get to the lake two hours before sunset. However, the terrain is difficult, there is no path and the directions were vague. Kokuma tries to follow animal trails, but even he gets a bit lost, and soon they are all very lost. Mineo suggests an aerial reconnaissance, so Haku converts to a hawk and flies high. From his vantage point he spies a small lake, notes the direction and returns to the others. The party moves on and soon Kokuma finds a faint path taking them up to the lake, where they arrive shortly before sunset. Kachamaru and Haku immediately set about building a campfire, while the others scout round to see what they can see while it is still light. Mineo manages to find evidence that hunters have been here, though not too recently. As night falls, Miyoshi assigns the watches: Mineo first, Kokuma midnight watch, Kachamaru graveyard shift and Haku gets dawn to greet the sun.

The first two watches are uneventful. Kachamaru improves his chances on his watch by casting Stage Lantern so he can see in the dark. However, it is not needed because in the second hour of his watch he is shocked to see the surface of the lake tremble and waves roll across it, and then amazed when a luminous mass rises out of the lake and flies at great speed towards him. He gives a cry of horror, but no-one else wakes up. He draws his sword as the glow comes right up to him and within it he sees the grinning face of an old woman. Before Kachamaru can move, the creature grabs him and starts pulling him towards the lake, ten yards away. Kachamaru resists with all his might, but is pulled two yards by its inhuman strength. Unable to swing his sword, Kachamaru tries to cast Breath of the Dragon, but it fizzles. The apparition pulls him again, but he manages to hold his ground. Kachamaru's grunting wakes Haku and Mineo and they sit up, bleary-eyed then wide-eyed. Before they can react, the creature pulls again, but this time Kachamaru manages to regain his ground. Kachamaru tries his Escapology spell, but this also fails. Mineo now whirls into the fight, striking Kachamaru's attacker with his sword, narrowly missing Kachamaru himself. The creature tries once more to pull Kachamaru into the lake but again is resisted. Kachamaru abandons sword and sorcery and just hits out with all his free limbs, and scores a critical hit, disabling his tormentor's leg. Mineo swings his sword into the melee and connects with the creature. The whole luminous mass collapses and goes out. Haku's spell dies on his lips, unsaid.

In the light of his Stage Lantern eyes, Kachamaru sees a motionless form on the ground where the luminosity had been. It is a dead badger, with a badly broken leg. Haku identifies it as a tenuki, a magical form of badger, much as the kitsune are a magical form of fox, but tenuki are usually more malevolent. This certainly seems to be true in this case. Mineo's reward for his efforts are to reach Level 4. The rest of the night passes peacefully, and in the morning the party strikes camp and returns to Yakumo with the body of the badger. Menkakush is delighted, and chortles in his joy. The way is now open for Koshamain and the tribe to occupy the narrow valley. Kachamaru sings:

My grand-ma and your grand-ma were
Sittin' by the fire.
My grand-ma told your grand-ma
"I'm gonna set your flag on fire".

Talkin' 'bout Haku! Haku!
I'll be Ainu one day.
Yakumo'll be home any day
Yakumo'll save the day.

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