Session 13.

This feature-length episode, consisting of a number of separate stories began with the four adventurers riding from Miyachi, the village being rebuilt by the former slave, to Obirano, where the evil magician was reputed to be. As they rode through the northern part of the Plain of Plenty, close to the Stone, a ghostly figure appeared. It was dressed in samurai armour, waved a sword and was quite see-through. The apparition was moaning and gesturing, insistently though not aggressively, but no-one could understand. The more the adventurers were puzzled, the more frantic and frustrated the ghost became. Mariko ventured the opinion that it must be a Yokai, the ghost of a person who died but had unfinished business, or whose body was not laid to rest. Then Koei had the idea that she might be able to communicate with the ghost on the Astral Plane. She entered the Astral Plane and found that she could understand the ghost. The ghost explained that his name was Yaji Yajabe and he had been a hermit and teacher of kenjutsu. His last pupil, Chojo Nozeri, had betrayed and murdered him, first torturing him and cutting out his tongue. Yajabe begged the adventurers to go to Sueyoshi and obtain his retribution by killing Nozeri. Koei accepted on behalf of the group.

The four decided to continue on to Obirano before going to Sueyoshi. They returned to the shrine there and listened again to the story of how the village had been levelled by the Magician ten or twelve years earlier, and how ever since it had been rebuilt the villagers left daily tributes of food to appease him. The party stayed overnight in the village. No-one could remember any malign actions in recent years, but they lived in fear just the same. They were glad that at last someone was going to try to solve their problem.

In the morning the trouble shooters headed up the mountain path to where the Magician was thought to live. They passed the offering table and left that day’s food, that continued on the path which twisted its way up the mountain. After a short while they came to an offering table, with the very food they had just left. Suspecting a trick, Kimori continued along the path on his own. Sure enough, a little further on he came to the offering table and the rest of the party. Now Sugiyama decided to leave the path and climb up the steep grassy slope. About fifty yards up he came across another path. He made a marker at the side of the path then called to the others to follow, and they joined him after the short climb, or in Koei’s case, flight. They progressed along the path, past a rocky outcrop, and on up the mountain. However, a short while later they passed Sugiyama’s marker and the rocky outcrop. While they investigated this phenomenon, Koei first detected the presence of magic, then identified it as a non-school illusion spell. Kimori spotted the join between the illusory path and the real one, and the four were able to find their way to the top of the first hill. All gained experience from this test of their wits.

At the top they found that the path continued up further slopes of the mountain. Before they could carry on, a large dragon swooped out of the sky and attacked Koei, who was still flying. Sugiyama’s nerve broke and fled. The dragon landed two rapid claw attacks on Koei, and she decided to land quickly. Kimori fired an arrow at it, but it dodged with ease. It attacked Kimori and clawed him, then turned on Mariko. Sugiyama overcame his fear and charged back into battle, but Mariko managed to score a hit on it with her tanto and to everyone’s surprise it vanished with a pop! Again, everyone gained experience from this test of courage and will.

The path now wound up a rock face, forcing the party into single file. A large boulder suddenly appeared, rolling towards them. Kimori, first in line, tried to climb the cliff to evade it, but fell back and was struck. Sugiyama also tried and failed to climb out of the way, was struck and because of his poor health was dazed. Koei managed to cast a quick Wings of Heaven spell and floated out of danger. Mariko, bringing up the rear, was hit also and because of poor health was knocked down and pinned by the stone. Kimori got up and removed the stone for her. This time only Koei gained experience from this test of health.

Next the path came to the base of a steep cascade of water. The only way on was up the waterfall. Kimori managed the climb easily, relying on speed and deftness, and Koei flew up. Mariko was washed back at the first attempt, but succeeded the second time. Only Sugiyama, the climbing expert had major difficulty. After three attempts, each of which resulted in his being washed away and badly bruised, he decided to climb the rock face instead and succeeded. His pride was badly injured, though. What he didn’t realise was that the waterfall was a magic spell which tested speed and deftness, not climbing skill. However, he, Kimori and Mariko all gained experience from having overcome the challenge.

Finally the path reached the top of the hill. Here there was a shack, with smoke coming out of the chimney, and a ten foot high barrier of thorns and bamboo all the way round. Koei thought this was probably a barrier spell, analysed it and removed it. The party entered the shack. Inside, Shojibo greeted the travellers warmly, saying "It is an honour to meet such brave, resourceful and persistent travellers as yourselves. I try to dissuade visitors, but is has been such a long time since I saw anyone your presence is most welcome. How can I help you? Would you like tea?" Sugiyama was extremely wary, but Mariko accepted his hospitality immediately (though spilling the tea) and asked about his story.

Shojibo explained that as a young Shugenja, powerful beyond his years, he had developed a new spell which he called Fire Storm, and created a magical focus to help him cast it. He wanted to use it against the traditional enemy, the acquisitive people of Hyuga province. However, in an accident he devastated his home village of Obirano, killing 120 people. Mortified, he destroyed the focus and swore never to use offensive spells again, and retreated to a shack in the hills. Now many years later, he still lives in the shack, avoids contact with others and ventures out only to collect or catch food. He believed that the local village people think he is a wise old hermit and offer him food. He uses magic only to avoid people and defend himself.

Mariko told him how the local villagers actually live in great fear of him. Shojibo asked if she would return to the village and tell them the whole story, which she promised to do. Mariko also told Shojibo about the devastation on the Plain of Plenty and the imminent invasion from Hyuga. Shojibo begged the adventurers to defend Osumi from the invaders and also find out what happened on the plain of plenty. He offered them whatever training or objects he could give if they would agree. They agreed, and Shojibo gave Koei a magical shuriken as a down payment.

Returning to the village, Koei had a thought concerning the devastation on the Plain of Plenty - the Old Pearl Diver, living on a hill in the middle of the plain, might have witnessed the event but been unaffected. The others discussed this and thought that they should track him down, and why not start in the village, the closest habitation to his old home? They asked at the village (while also telling the story of the magician), and learned that the Pearl Diver was living at near a rock called the Sea Snake. They immediately headed down there, and Sugiyama's tracking training finally paid off. The told the old man about the liberation of his home and asked if he knew about what had happened on the plain. He was overjoyed to hear about the destruction of the bandits, and offered the trouble shooters some of his retirement treasure (fine pearls) as recompense, but they declined. He also told them about the devastation of the Plain of Plenty.

One morning last Autumn, as the first light of dawn was in the sky, he had been waken by a strong earth quake. He looked out and saw the sea receding into the bay, then after a few minutes an enormous tidal wave, hundreds of feet high, rushed into the bay. It came straight across the plain, destroying everything in its path - trees, bushes, towns, villages, fields - washing right up the hills and valleys surrounding the plain. Now the adventurers understood what had looked odd about the tree line in the Valley of the Woodpecker - the trees only grew above the flood line. When the wave receded, nothing was left taller than grass except an enormous block of coral, picked up from the sea bed and dumped several miles inland. He had been down to look at it and recognised it as coral, having seen it many times while diving for pearls. What had appeared to some as writing and others as pictures was simply the remains of coral polyps. Finally enlightened, the party thanked the old man and rode off to Sueyoshi.

In Sueyoshi the four asked around about the treacherous pupil and learned that he was a level 3 Bushi, a master swordsman, and distrusted by everyone. It was rumoured that he had killed his teacher, but no-one dared challenge him. Until Sugiyama arrived. The trouble shooters went to the pupil's house and Sugiyama challenged him to a duel on behalf of his former teacher. Nozeri indicated acceptance by drawing his sword, a fine-looking katana. Both men attacked at the same instant, but Sugiyama got the first blow. Then the two simultaneously got critical hits. Sugiyama discovered just how good his opponent's sword was, taking 18 points of critical damage, while the pupil was knocked back and dazed. Sugiyama pressed home his advantage with two more hits, and the pupil stumbled and fell. Sugiyama administered the coup-de-grace. Mariko stepped forward and took the dead man's dai-sho (pair of swords) and presented them to the victor. Sugiyama examined them and saw that they were master quality and engraved with the name of the murdered teacher. As his lips formed the name, the ghost appeared. Koei entered the Astral Plane to communicate on behalf of the party. The ghost expressed his thanks for freeing him from his burden, and said that they could have all his remaining worldly goods, the swords and some items still in his old house in the town. Then he disappeared. The adventurers went to the house and found a book called The Art of War, which bestowed bonuses to learning senjo-jutsu and chikujo-jutsu and which Koei determined was also magical, giving bonuses to those skills when used in battle; there was a superior no-dachi (great sword), and a 3-man o-daikyu, a master quality bow. Sugiyama took the dai-sho, Mariko the book and Kimori the bow.

As Sugiyama was looking for means of healing his critical damage, a messenger from the Town Headman approached the trouble shooters and asked them to come to the aid of Sueyoshi Fort which defends Osumi Province from Hyuga as it was under attack from a large army from Hyuga. He offered them any reward they like in the name of the Daimyo of Osumi Province.

* Originally chapters 12, 9 and 13.

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