Session 14. (17/10/01)

This filler episode, sitting between the first and second halves of The Stone III, begins with a scene from Mariko's household sometime after the events of episode four but well before Mariko's hunt for the missing map. Mariko is complaining of dreadful boredom, and her husband, Narihiro, suggests that they go to visit some of his relatives. She agrees and so we next see them in Niyodo in Kochi province, which borders the south of Iyo province. Being only a few days' ride from Matsuyama, Mariko sends an invitation to the troubleshooters to visit her here. And so, a week later, they arrive.

In the intervening time, Mariko and Narihiro have been hearing about an unsolved mystery regarding the disappearance of trade convoys in the mountains of central Shikoku. The convoys carry textiles from Matsuyama to Nakamura in the south, and return with exotic (and expensive) foodstuffs. The normal route along the coast was blocked by a landslide a month ago, so the normally little-used route through the mountains has become much busier. Rumours as to the cause range from bandits to bakemono and even tengu, the half man, half crow of legend. When the troubleshooters arrive they immediately want to solve the mystery. Here in Kochi province they have no jurisdiction, so have to investigate carefully. Sugiyama investigates whether the convoys might be running contraband, but the results are negative. Emiko questions the local shrine priest, but hears only the same rumours. Kimori suggests that they form a convoy that looks like a prime target for bandits, but eventually they decide simply to accompany the convoy that is due to head south the following day. This they do, after Emiko has "searched" it (using prana yoga) and found nothing unusual. There are no incidents, and by evening they arrive in Yusuhara, a small mountain town half way from Niyodo to Nakamura.

In the evening, Mariko learns that all the missing convoys, five so far, have disappeared between Niyodo and Nakamura, and both northbound and southbound convoys have been affected. Emiko asks about shrines in the town and learns there is one near the main road about a mile south of the town, on the side of the big mountain. During the night, Sugiyama prowls around. The town is very quiet, and Sugiyama senses a vague unease about the townsfolk. He explores further afield, and on the flank of the big mountain comes across the shrine, but it is deserted.

The following day, Emiko sets out before the convoy to reconnoitre the shrine. She notes its dedication to mountain kami, and is surprised to see bird motifs in the decoration. She attempts to placate the kami, starting with a rather clumsy sacred dance, but fails to achieve anything. Disappointed, she leaves 1 SP and rejoins the convoy as it passes.

As the convoy rounds the back of the big mountain, the troubleshooters see a pack of large dogs feeding on a large carcass on the road ahead. Mariko uses her knowledge of strategy to work out the best approach and decides they will have to kill or drive off the dogs. Kimori fires an arrow and kills one dog, but the others take no notice. So Kimori and Sugiyama fir humming bulb arrows into the dogs, injuring two and startling the rest. Three of the dogs slink away, three remain with the carcass and three charge at the convoy. Kimori and Sugiyama injure two of them with arrows, then draw swords and, with Mariko, dispatch the other two, though not before Sugiyama and Mariko get bitten. Kimori and Sugiyama then charge the other dogs, driving one away and killing the other two. Emiko examines the carcass, but it is too badly mauled and too disgusting to identify. Also she is a city girl and knows little about animals (the previous evening she tried to see if the horses were nervous but failed her bajutsu, having a BCS of 1). The convoy moves on and reaches Nakamura by sunset without further incident.

Disappointed by the lack of success, but keen to continue, the troubleshooters decide to return with a northbound convoy the next day. This time they get through to Yusuhara without any incidents. Emiko stops at the shrine on the way past because the priest is there. He tells her that stories of tengu are very common here; in fact this location, tengumoriyama (tengu-forest-mountain) is the centre of the tengu legend. The shrine acknowledges the existence of tengu, but the priest is non-committal. He says that virtually everyone you meet here knows someone who has seen tengu, but you never find anyone who claims to have seen them themselves. Emiko thanks the priest and leaves ten CP.

In the town, the troubleshooters are surprised and frustrated to hear that another convoy has gone missing. Word has arrived from Niyodo that a northbound convoy has disappeared, on the very day the troubleshooters were heading south. The convoy that brought the news also reports seeing lots of large dogs near the road. This convoy is heading for Nakamura with textiles and the daughter of the riches merchant in Nakamura, returning home from finishing school in Matsuyama. With one convoy heading south with such bait and another heading north on the route most recently affected, the troubleshooters are torn. They decide to tackle it in the time-honoured fashion and split into two unbalanced groups. In group 1, Kimori and Sugiyama would head north with the exotic foods convoy. In group 2, Mariko and Emiko would accompany the merchant's daughter.

Find out what happens in next week's exciting instalment of The Stone III.

Session 16. (24/10/01)

We start with a flashback which explains what happened to Komako, who was absent from last week's adventure. We see him meeting Lord Chozo and being asked, as the Troubleshooters' only budoka, to evaluate an interesting weapon that was found in the Bear Yakuzas' warehouse. It is essentially an ordinary jo staff, but a blade has been embedded for most of the length of one side (as Komako discovers when he picks it up, cutting his hand). It is called a hajo ("bladed jo"). Komako's task is to find out how the weapon can be used and if it is worth Lord Chozo ordering some more made to equip his budoka troops. Komako realises that he will need to improve his jojutsu skills to be able to evaluate the weapon and so enrols at the School of the Blade for a few weeks until he reaches professional level (60 score). Just as he finishes his training the other troubleshooters receive the message from Mariko to meet her in Niyoda in Kochi province. But duty comes first, and Komako has to stay until his report on the evaluation of the hajo is delivered to Lord Chozo. He arranges to catch up with Mariko and the others in Niyodo a week later. The he goes to work on the hajo. He finds that it functions as a normal jo, i.e. medium range, one-handed weapon using Jojutsu skill. It weighs 5 pounds. The user can choose whether to hit with the bladed side or another face. The bladed side does d6-1 lethal damage. The non-bladed sides do d6+1 subdual damage, more than a normal jo because it is heavier. The minimum strength to use it is 7. Komako has limited knowledge of kenjutsu, but nevertheless determines that it is unusual in having a straight blade; the bladed damage could be increased by using better quality blades; this example has an inferior blade. Komako presents his report to Lord Chozo, aided by notes he has written as he lacks a rhetoric skill (he decided against miming the report using extemporaneous dance), suitably impresses Lord Chozo, and leaves immediately for his rendezvous with Mariko and the other troubleshooters.

On the way to Niyodo, Komako is riding (slowly!) through the forests and mountains near the border of Iyo and Kochi province when he sees movement in the trees. He tries to see what it is but can't see the wood for the trees. Just then a Karasu-Tengu, part man, part crow, flaps down immediately in front of Komako. "I see you have a nice shiny jo staff - I will fight you for it," he says, and draws a pair of jo staffs himself. A dozen more tengu flap down or shuffle out of the trees, forming a wide ring around the pair. Komako dismounts and the fight begins. The tengu makes a double attack and lands blows with both staffs, but leaves himself open to counter-attack, which Komako exploits successfully with his new jojutsu skill. The tengu then attacks again and hits and Komako replies with another hit. This pattern is repeated for another round, neither duelist missing a single blow. But the tengu is evidently less well built than Komako and, heavily bruised, has to concede the fight. "Okay," he says, to the accompaniment of catcalls, laughter and bird-like mirth from the other tengu, "You can keep the jo. Congratulations on your lucky hits." Then, realising how he can save face, the tengu adds, "Now if you want to learn how to really use that staff, or two of them, I, Horo, will train you myself."^* Komako accepts, and the tengu is an excellent teacher. Komako spend six days with him and gains a score of 30 in ni-jojutsu before the tengu gets bored. Komako continues on to Niyodo.

Meanwhile, some of the other troubleshooters are themselves in trouble, and if Komako had known maybe he wouldn't have stayed with Horo. Mariko and Emiko are travelling south from Yusuhara with a convoy of textiles and the daughter of a rich merchant. After only a few miles, Emiko finds she is falling behind. She puts this down to her lack of experience riding horses, but when the rest of the caravan has to stop to wait for her she decides to check the horse. She finds that it has been poisoned, and attempts to exorcise the poison. She succeeds at the second attempt, but during this time the caravan is stopped, and nobody notices that several other horses are weakening. However, it becomes immediately apparent when they try to move on. Evidently this is the cue for action and a large group of bandits rides up and attacks the caravan. The porters and convoy leader are quickly slaughtered while Mariko and Emiko are surrounded. Mariko takes on the bandit leader and kills him while ducking blows from at least six others. Emiko lands two weak hits but is quickly knocked out. Mariko is fighting well, parrying virtually all attacks by her opponents, but a critical hit from behind by a bo staff knocks her instantly unconscious.

Switching to the remaining troubleshooters, Sugiyama and Kimori are accompanying a convoy north out of Yusuhara. On the way Kimori spots some wild dogs, but they are upwind (as Sugiyama points out) and do not spot the convoy. The caravan reaches Niyodo without incident. The following day they returned alone as there wasn't a convoy heading south that day. Again they spot wild dogs, this time they are downwind and start running to attack. Sugiyama and Kimori open up with arrows and each kills one dog (of four) before switching to swords. They each kill one more dog and get bitten once. Sugiyama follows the dog tracks back for quite a distance, belying his limited knowledge of the skill, and they find occasional scraps of bone and hide. There is no sign of leather, metal or textiles though. Most of the bones are horse, but Kimori spots some that are definitely human. Returning to the road, the pair head down to Yusuhara and arrive as night falls. Here they expect to find Emiko and Mariko, but they are not there, although a caravan has arrived from Nakamura that day. Fearing the worst, they set off as soon as it is light to look for them.

Mariko and Emiko wake to find themselves chained up in a very dark hut, along with the merchant's daughter. After a while one of the bandits opens the door and puts some bowls of food on the floor. While the three women struggle to eat, hampered by their chains, the bandit cheerfully tells them that they are to be ransomed. Mariko asks for some soap^*, but he just laughs. Then he goes out again, shutting the door and leaving them in the dark.

A few miles south of the village they find signs of an incident - horse tracks, dog tracks and bloodstained earth. Sugiyama again succeeds in following the horse tracks. They lead away from the road to the west and curve round Tengumoriyama into the hills west of Yusuhara. Here they come across a small wooded hollow in which are built a number of wooden buildings. One is obviously a large dwelling and another is a primitive stable. There are two outbuildings, one very large and the other much smaller. Leaving Kimori on the edge of the forest, Sugiyama scouts round the buildings. There are many horses in the stable (though none is familiar). There are a few people moving around between the buildings, and from what they are carrying Sugiyama deduces that the large outbuilding is used for storage, probably of goods stolen from convoys. The small outbuilding is visited only once by someone carrying food. Sugiyama sneaks round the back and peeps through a gap in the roughly cut plank walls. He sees Mariko, Emiko and the merchant's daughter inside. Taking a chance, he sneaks round the front and in the door. He releases the womens' bindings then they plan what to do. The women decide to stay there while Sugiyama returns to Kimori to wait for nightfall. Then they will attack. With this, Sugiyama sneaks out. When it gets dark, Sugiyama and Kimori start the action. Sugiyama intercepts a bandit heading for the small outhouse and kills him with one stroke using Silent Kill. Then he goes to the hut and releases the prisoners. Emiko takes the merchant's daughter to safety while Mariko goes to the store building and finds her possessions. Kimori goes to the stable and kills another bandit using Precision Strike. Then he releases the horses and shoos them into the middle of the buildings to create some chaos. What will happen next?

Session 17. (31/10/01)

This was surely the most bizarre episode in terms of casting so far. Of course there is a long tradition of men playing female roles in Japanese theatre, but this reporter has never heard of a tradition in which one actor plays the character of another actor without even the excuse of disguise! But that's what happened in this episode of The Stone, with Dave absent and Jim taking on the Sugiyama role. And Sugiyama he appeared to be: Sugiyama sneaked, Sugiyama hit people with his sword, and Sugiyama got fairly well beaten up by the opposition. The fact that he looked completely different didn't seem to bother the others.

The episode began just as the troubleshooters are about to attack the bandit base. Mariko has retrieved her armour and arms, Emiko has taken the merchant's daughter to a place of safety and Kimori has released the bandits' horses. Sugiyama sneaks round the back of the main house and listens; it seems very quiet - too quiet! (In fact, the bandits inside had just begun to realise something was wrong and were listening for anything going on outside.) At this point, Mariko and Kimori burst through the door and find themselves in a large room being looked at by over 20 bandits. The fighting begins immediately, as two bandits attack each troubleshooter and more join in at regular intervals. Kimori gets a kill with his first strike. Sugiyama hears the commotion and sneaks in through the back door. He finds himself in a room with the bandits' senior commanders (though he didn't know this at the time) and another fight breaks out. Sugiyama, not having the "trained from birth" sword skills of the true bushi, is more easily hit and is struck a minor injury, but he exacts revenge by killing his first assailant, an unfortunate novice bandit who was serving saki to the commanders. The two fights progress with Kimori getting his second kill (second female kill!), Sugiyama receiving another setback, being stunned for a few seconds, and Mariko getting her first kill. Kimori gets his third kill and is managing to keep pace as new assailants arrive, but Mariko and Sugiyama are getting hard-pressed by three or four bandits each. Sugiyama manages to stun one of the commanders, but is taking hits from the others. Mariko kills a bandit but receives a hit from a bo. Kimori gets another kill and Sugiyama finally dispatches one of the commanders. Mariko stuns the attacker that hit her, Sugiyama is hit again and Kimori receives his first hit - but kills the bandit that gave it to him. Sugiyama and Mariko follow with kills, then their next two opponents stun themselves through incompetence. Kimori has a major fight with the bandit leader and dispatches him and Mariko kills a bandit with a massive critical hit.

During this time Emiko has retrieved her bo staff, healed herself, blessed Mariko and Kimori and is nerving herself to enter the fight, trying but failing to focus her ki. Giving up, she enters the building and hits the nearest bandit with her bo (probably the best hit of her life!). Unfortunately it turns out to be one of the commanders, and he is not impressed. By now the bandits have stopped joining the fights, so the troubleshooters have to look for opponents. Sugiyama kills another of the commanders, Mariko kills a bandit, Kimori gets one, Mariko gets another and Sugiyama gets his fifth. As Kimori looks round for the next target he spies Emiko in a tough fight and goes to her aid. Between them they kill the bandit. Mariko gets a kill then Kimori gets another. Emiko's and Kimori's next opponents both stun themselves, then Kimori kills hiss opponent and Sugiyama kills his third commander. He celebrates with a critical hit to another bandit, then dispatches her. Mariko and Kimori kill one apiece then, with four remaining, Kimori kills one with a single blow , Sugiyama uses Silent Kill and kills another with one blow, Mariko dispatches one and Kimori mops up the last one.

The team tidies up and puts some of the loot on the horses and returns to Yusuhara. Here they arrest the innkeeper, having finally worked out that all the caravans were lost after leaving the town. Emiko used prana-yoga to find money and poison at the inn. (Though it never arose in the episode, the credits show the innkeeper's name was Wakiya). They decide to take Wakiya to Nakamura for trial.

Next: Sideline XIII. The Missing Money