Session 7.

This episode, based on a classic Nipponese story from the 1980's, opens at the beginning of the Year of the Ox, just as Winter is starting to recede. The four trouble-shooters are called to see Lord Chozo, who is quite open with them by now. He explained that he had been "asked" by the Daimyo to lend him their services for a special task. Evidently the Daimyo was impressed by news of their exploits. They went immediately to the Citadel in Matsuyama. There they were shown into the Daimyo’s audience chamber. The Daimyo, Lord Keji, would not speak or even acknowledge their presence. A courtier explained that reports from Osumi province said that many of the people had mysteriously disappeared, and the Daimyo there had asked for help from his friends, the Daimyo of Iyo and Hyuga Provinces. Lord Keji will send a troubleshooting team to assist, so they are told to travel to Osumi Province via Miyazaki, the capital of Hyuga Province. They were given a letter of introduction, some maps and travelling expenses. The journey to Miyazaki takes about 3½ weeks.

The four adventurers returned to Masaki to prepare for the journey. While there, Lord Chozo warned them, "Don't trust the Daimyo's words - he is devious. You will meet danger; take this." and handed them a small wooden box containing a chess set. Puzzled by this, Mariko and Koei examined the set, which was plain and quite old. Koei determined that it was magical, and that each piece was enchanted. She was unable to work out what the enchantments were.

The following day the party set off for the island of Kyushu. The first overnight stop was in the tiny village of Kami-Nada where they stayed at the only inn, the Inn of Restful Sleep. As is customary, all large weapons were left in racks by the door. The party members were shown to the Important Guest Room. After they had bathed, they were served a good meal in a large communal dining room, with separate tables for samurai and non-samurai.

The trouble first started after Koei noticed that sitting at another table was Nagara, the Shugenja she had beaten to get the job with Lord Chozo. The others then noticed that at the other samurai table were two Bushi from the same contest, Sobei Nari and Naro Kuyu. They were watching the party in a strange way, and passing derogatory comments. Sobei Nari then got up and came over to the trouble-shooters' table in an aggressive manner, while Naro Kuyu started throwing food and insults. Sugiyama stood up and met Sobei Nari, dodging his punch and throwing him to the floor. Kimori returned Naro Kuyu's insults, Mariko tried to reason with him, and Koei tried to work out what was going on. Sobei Nari tried to kick Sugiyama from the floor and was kicked for his pains. Kimori blew his cool and jumped onto the table and off the other side onto Sobei Nari. Naro Kuyu also jumped on his table and jumped on Sugiyama's back. Meanwhile, two Budoka leapt up from Nagara's table and plunged into the fray. Koei hit both with darts of wood. One shook it off, but the other collapsed, stunned, though not before hitting Koei with a Nunchaku. The other tried to get to Sugiyama, but was knifed by Mariko and hit by Koei with a Wooden Sphere. Sugiyama tried to throw Naro Kuyu at Sobei Nari, but missed. Kimori tried to throw the table at Sobei Nari, but couldn't pick it up. Koei was hit by a Dart of Water from Nagara and replied with two Darts of Wood, which quickly sent the Shugenja to sleep (just like the first time). Mariko stabbed the remaining Budoka again, then Kimori hit him. Sugiyama used his trademark "head-bashido" technique on Naro Kuyu and Sobei Nari. Mariko stabbed the remaining Budoka again. Then at last Koei worked out what was going on. The meal had been drugged with something that was causing paranoid delusions, and nearly everyone had succumbed. She yelled for attention and miraculously managed to convince everyone of the truth of what she said. The combatants disengaged and took stock.

After tending to the injured, the two parties compared notes. The other party, comprising the two Bushi, two Budoka and the Shugenja, had all gone to work for the Lord of Imabari a friend of Lord Chozo. They had been sent to the inn to meet a contact and escort him to Matsuyama, but the contact never showed up. Mariko found the innkeeper, who was clearly upset at the events, and asked him what had been in the food. He replied that the cook controlled the ingredients. Mariko, Koei and Nagara went to the kitchen to find the cook. Sugiyama and Kimori checked their belongings and then went out to the stable. The others stood guard on all the exits from the inn.

In the kitchen, Mariko, Koei and Nagara found the cook on the floor, dead. They searched the room, but only found the cook's beaker containing a lethal poison. Then they searched his room. They found and removed a sprinkling of caltrops, then as Mariko was opening a cupboard, the inn's serving maid sprung out and attacked her with a Tanto. The two traded blows until the maid surrendered. Mariko started feeling unwell as the maid's dagger had been poisoned. Koei cast Fetters of Truth and questioned the maid. She was a Ninja, taken on at the inn just tonight to replace the regular maid whom she had poisoned (mildly) and whose sister she claimed to be. She had been hired to poison the food with a hallucinogenic drug which causes paranoid delusions to provoke a lethal fight between the two parties. She did not know who had hired her, except that he was an educated Heimin, possibly a cleric. Sugiyama arrived to bind her up and search her for lethal weapons. He found a bottle of the hallucinogen and two darts laced with a fast lethal poison. The maid was handed over to the Imabari party to be taken to Matsuyama to receive justice. Mariko quickly recovered from the poison.

During the evening the trouble-shooters heard a few rumours about Osumi Province: that a cult had formed in Osumi Province which was giving tribute to a spirit; that bandit activity had increased in Osumi Province recently; and that a magician has turned to evil and the people of Osumi Province had fled from his power. However, they missed three key clues - who the other party was on the mission for; where the Ninja met her contact, and where she would collect the money.

The following day the four adventurers continued their journey, and six days later arrived at Shono, a village near Cape Sadamisaki, where there is a ferry to the island of Kyushu. During the journey all the travellers managed to make slight improvements in their bajutsu, and Koei worked out the enchantments on the following chess pieces: Pawns (heal wounds); Knights (give extra speed on forced marches); Silvers (restore lost mental power); and Rooks (heal critical damage). They also heard rumours about Osumi Province from travellers heading the other way, but they had heard all of them before.

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