Session 16. (17/7/09)

A year has passed since the tribe moved to Yakumo - it is now the Year of the Cock (1465). Their new village is in a narrow valley in the foothills; it is poor for agriculture, and too far from the sea for regular fishing trips. In the year past the former Wajin (and Kokuma) have built a new village, provided for their families, trained and taken care of their domestic duties. Kokuma worked on developing the Smashing Blow okuden and got Kuchiki pregnant while their hut was still half built. Miyoshi mastered sojutsu and practised his tattooing, getting Acahcipo pregnant at the end of the year. Mineo studied woodworking, kyujutsu and iaijutsu, but was not blessed with a child. Kachamaru studied kyujutsu and Ainu magic and received good news from Tahkonanna at the end of the year. Yoshi studied Yadomejutsu and his wife fell pregnant early on.

In the new village, a suburb of Yakumo, hunting (with a bit of farming) is the main source of food. The hunting quality is quite good though the area is limited, so the prowess of the hunters is paramount. One memorable hunting trip started like many before it. Miyoshi, Mineo, Kokuma, Kachamaru and Yoshi set off into the wooded slopes of the valley looking for game, having ascertained early on that there are no badgers in the wood. After their encounter with the tenuki, they are wary of such creatures: "Badgers? We don't need no stinking badgers!"

On this particular day, Yoshi and Mineo were first to see some game, seven pigeons perched in a tree. They quickly readied their bows and let fly arrows, killing two birds. The remaining birds took flight, and everyone managed to get another round of arrows off except for Miyoshi who still couldn't see them. Yoshi got another kill, but Mineo frayed his bowstring and missed.

Kachamaru was next to spot the game - six squirrels. Nervously he drew an arrow back in his bow, then was reassured to see Kokuma and Yoshi doing likewise. Three arrows flew through the air, but only Yoshi's scored. The five remaining squirrels charged but were cut down by the next volley from Kachamaru, Mineo, Miyoshi and Yoshi. Only one squirrel survived to pass on the feud to the next generation.

Next up was Kokuma, spotting six grouse in the undergrowth. He crept forward and into range of his spiked tetsubo. Yoshi, Mineo and Kachamaru readied their bows, having also spotted the fowl. Miyoshi stared at a tree, pondering the availability of eye-glasses. Kokuma swung and pow! - one grouse stuffed and mounted. Three more fell to arrows. The remaining two took flight and Yoshi and Kachamaru hit - the same one, just as Kokuma's club connected with it. The final bird evaded Mineo's and Miyoshi's arrows.

Further into the woods Mineo spied seven fat pigeons. However, Kachamaru beat him to the draw and put an arrow through one. As the other pigeons scattered, Mineo, Yoshi, Miyoshi and Kachamaru each downed one and Kokuma swung his club as one flashed past and splattered pigeon pate over the nearby trees. Again one of the prey escaped to harbour a grudge until next time.

Approaching midday, Miyoshi led the party down to the river. Mineo spotted three otters and hit one with an arrow, but due to his frayed bowstring he didn't manage to kill it. However, as the otters swam away, Mineo scored a second time and killed it. The others fired arrows, but again all hit the same one resulting in just one more kill. The third otter evaded Kokuma's club and retreated into the forest to hatch a plot with the surviving pigeon, grouse and squirrel.

After a pleasant lunch of assorted cooked meats, Yoshi and Kachamaru picked up the tracks of some wild boar. Kokuma and Yoshi kept the party on their trail and soon they found five large wild boars rootling in the leaf litter. Kokuma sneaked into bo range while Yoshi settled for bow range. Kachamaru cast The Hand Is Faster Than The Eye, then led the others as they charged into their various preferred weapon ranges. Kachamaru surprised one boar with his speed and landed a good blow with his katana. The boar tried to slash him but missed, and Kachamaru got in a second hit, killing the boar. Miyoshi prodded at another boar with his yari, giving it two minor, enraging wounds. It scrabbled past Miyoshi's guard and slashed him for 10 damage. Yoshi fired an arrow at another boar, hitting it, then charged into the fray, drawing his sword as he ran. Kokuma swung his mighty pole and connected with a boar, then let the momentum launch another swing that didn't just connect but stunned the boar into oblivion. Mineo had good luck against the final and strongest boar, landing a critical hit that stunned it, allowing an easy second hit.

Kachamaru and Kokuma checked their kills for signs of life, but they were dead and staying that way. Miyoshi prodded two more hits into his boar while keeping it out of tusk range. Yoshi arrived at a run and landed three hits from two swings of each of his two swords. The boar took advantage of the attacking stance to slash Yoshi for 10 damage before expiring. Mineo landed two blows on his boar, killing it, but it was feeling pig-headed and fought on despite being stunned.

Miyoshi continued the good spear work, killing his boar but not extinguishing its fighting spark. Another hit did more damage, and while it didn't deter it, it did keep it out of range. Mineo also continued to rain blows in on a dead-but-don't-know-it boar and almost invented the doner kebab.

The boars struck back, one slashing Mineo for 6 damage, the other savaging Miyoshi for 8. At this point Mineo's nemesis finally collapsed, leaving Miyoshi to proc away at the last boar for another round before it, too, gave up the ghost.

Kokuma collected up the growing haul of protein meals while Mineo applied bandages to Miyoshi and Yoshi and Kachamaru used magical healing on Miyoshi, Yoshi and Mineo. Then he spotted some more boar tracks - big ones. Kokuma used his tracking skill to follow them until they found their quarry: a boar the size of a dump truck. Only the party's failure to visit Africa and see rhinos caused them to fail to find anything to compare its size and temperament to. Miyoshi didn't hesitate and launched into the attack, getting a good hit. Kachamaru tried to cast Stage Smoke to confuse the boar, but it failed. Yoshi swung both swords and connected with one. Mineo failed to get through the boar's thick hide and Kokuma just missed. Miyoshi went for the boar again but missed so attempted a butt stroke, but when this missed also it left him standing uncomfortably close to a ton of angry meat. The boar slashed at Miyoshi and critically injured him for 20 damage. Miyoshi reeled away, clutching at his vitals. Kachamaru and Yoshi stepped in to help, each getting a good hit. Mineo missed but Kokuma landed a killing blow, incidentally stunning the boar for the next round. This proved crucial as the boar had no intention of letting death stopping it fighting. Kachamaru, Mineo and Kokuma harried it with hits as Miyoshi and Yoshi missed, then Miyoshi joined Mineo and Kokuma in hitting it while Yoshi missed (twice) and Kachamaru stunned himself. Miyoshi, Yoshi and Kokuma continued to lay about the boar, but as it was recovering from its stun and showing no signs of wanting to give up, Mineo scored a critical hit and outright kill, which works even against recalcitrant pigs.

Mineo spent a while building a sled to drag the boar's carcase home as Kachamaru tended to Miyoshi's wounds. Kokuma and Yoshi had a boaring conversation and agreed that the giant boar had in fact been leading them away from an entire family of giant boars. However, with Miyoshi's condition, the danger of tangling with giant boars and the difficulty of getting the meat home, they decided to call it quits and head home.

Although this tale is remarkable (and recounted many times over the years in subtly different ways by each of the participants), it is broadly typical of the many hunting trips our heroes undertake as another year passes in Yakumo village.

< Previous  |  Home  |  Bushido  |  The Wood 2  |  Next >