Session 29. (17/8/12)

It is Winter in the Year of the Dragon (1484-5). Emishi has vowed to plan the best wedding possible since Hana accepted his suit. He sets about arranging a venue, guest lists, flowers, presents for the guests, envelopes for the guests to give him gifts of money, food, entertainments and so on. Though in reality he concentrates on his training and lets Hidasue book - and pay for - the arrangements. Onuma and Ishan Ashte return from Iwaizumi and spend the rest of the winter training: Ishan Ashte developing his Kyujutsu Precision Strike okuden to 14 and Onuma studying kabuki for 3 weeks then learning the Hand is Faster then the Brain spell by adapting it from a shinten spell with the help of a local shugenja. Emishi asks Sahpo to marry him (perform the ceremony, stupid!). Sahpo agrees and asks whether he wants an Ainu wedding or a Wajin one. Emishi says he doesn't mind and Sahpo should decide. Sahpo wants them to have an Ainu wedding, but seeing as how the Ainu are persona non grata, devises a hybrid of the two. He spends some of his time devising and learning it at the nearby Shinto shrine.

Conscious of the scale of the upcoming event, everyone except Emishi is worrying about what to give him as a present. Sahpo manages to get a traditional Ainu gift of dried cuttlefish and dried bonito (tuna, not a monkey), but feels that it isn't enough. Then one morning, a week before the wedding, everyone except Emishi wakes to find a folded paper note lying on top of their clothes. Each carries a message about a wedding present, an admonition to keep it secret, and Hidasue's seal. Yoshi Yeesu's message reads: "I have an idea for a wedding present for Emishi and Hana. It is traditional to give something practical, and they would benefit greatly from gloves to keep them warm in these cold months. I know a merchant in the market selling fur ones. Keep this secret from Emishi and the others! Hidasue."

Onuma's message reads: "I have an idea for a wedding present yada yada. It is traditional to give jewellery to ensure a wealthy future, so in reference to your recent adventures you should buy them a pearl necklace - he said he wanted to give her one. I know a merchant in the market selling good value pearls. Keep this secret from Emishi yada yada. Hidasue."

Sahpo's message reads: "I have an idea yada yada traditional to give 1000 paper cranes to ensure long life. I know someone who teaches origami. You are excused duties for the week it will take to make them. Keep this secret yada yada. Hidasue."

Tomtare's message reads: "Yada yada E & H. There is a merchant in the market selling a rare fruit that symbolises love. It is called merron. They are fantastically expensive, but a gift of one each will be greatly appreciated. Yada yada. H."

Ishan Ashte's message reads: "Yada yada clothing - a hakama skirt for him, an obi for her. I know a merchant in the market selling good value kilts and belts yada yada."

Onuma goes to the market in Sannohe and looks for the pearl trader. While she is looking she is surprised to bump into, quite independently, Tomtare, Ishan Ashte and Yoshi Yeesu. Eventually she finds the pearl vendor and buys some fine pearls for 18 silver, trading in two of her cave pearls and adding some cash. Elsewhere in the market, Yoshi Yeesu finds the trader in fur and leather goods. He asks what kind of furs they have for gloves.

"Fox and squirrel, honoured sir," replies the vendor. Yoshi Yeesu shivers at the names. "What size?" the vendor inquires. Yoshi Yeesu holds up his hands.

"This size," he growls.

"And for the bride?"

"Uh, ..." He thinks for a moment, then yells, "Onuma!" Moments later Onuma appears, her recent purchase hidden in a fold of her robe.

"Yes?"

"Hold up your hands." Onuma does so. "That size," he rumbles, with satisfaction. He pays the trader two silver for each pair.

"That was odd," thinks Onuma, but she already has an inkling of what is going on.

In another place in the market, Ishan Ashte has found the recommended clothing merchant. "I need a hakama and an obi for a wedding," he says brusquely.

"Certainly, revered sir. For a wedding you say? You know the hakama is a symbol of fertility? I have a particularly fine one here. What size do you need?"

"About my size," replies Ishan Ashte, a little bemused by the vendor's style - and the information. The vendor shows him a black hakama with cross-hatch stitching.

Kilt of Abundance

"And the obi - a white one. What size please?"

Ishan Ashte considers, then yells, "Onuma!" Moments later Onuma appears, a little out of breath and with fox hairs on her kimono.

"Yes?"

"Stand still with your arms out." Onuma does so. "That size," he tells the trader. He pays three silver for each item.

At a different stall, Tomtare has found a fruit seller. "Have you got a fruit, I think it's called merron?"

"Yes, sir, I have some in my shop, on account of them being so rare and valuable. I'll send a runner to get them."

"Do they keep well?"

"Oh, for ages. I get them on a slow boat from China."

"I'll take two."

"Certainly sir. What size would you like?"

Tomtare ponders for a few seconds, then yells, "Onum- ... oh, never mind. The biggest you have."

"This big, please!"

"That will be twelve silvers each."

"Twelve silvers!? I'm a tax collector and know the value of everything." In fact Tomtare has no idea. "I'll give you four."

"Nine."

"Done!" Tomtare sells a couple of cave pearls to pay the fruit seller while the runner fetches the merrons. Tomtare is impressed by the size of the exotic fruit.

Meanwhile, Sahpo is learning the Shinto wedding ceremony, devising a hybrid with the Ainu ceremony (particularly the dancing), buying a large stock of paper from a dodgy dealer, which sets him back a whole silver piece, and learning how to fold the paper from a ju-fu master (who happens to be a foxy old lady). Then he sets about folding the paper cranes - he manages about a hundred a day, thought he'd rather be learning the Saga of Critical Healing. At one point he feels a strange sensation - he had heard that the masters of ju-fu, the kitsune, could imprison a kami in a fold of paper, and wonders if he has inadvertently managed it - or if the paper already had one. He realises it must be in one of the most recent folded cranes, and examines the last five he made, but cannot tell which of them has the kami. He stores them away and makes an extra five for the wedding.

On the day before the wedding, Ishan Ashte presents the hakama and obi to Emishi and Hana as they will need them for the ceremony. Hidasue organises a night at an inn in the town to celebrate Emishi's last night as a single man. Onuma has consulted with a marriage broker to see a wise old woman who can teach Hana about her wifely duties; Onuma hopes to learn a few things as well.

The bachelor party begins quietly with Emishi declaring he just wants a little drink, a game of maajan and an early night. Sahpo reminds him of his Ainu heritage, but no-one is sure what he is implying. Then Ishan Ashte orders a bottle of distilled sake. Before long, everyone is singing and trying to strip Emishi so they can wax him and get rid of his body hair. As the alcohol takes effect, Ishan Ashte, Tomtare and Yoshi Yeesu feel woozy, while Hidasue passes out! Only the priest and the groom are unaffected. Ishan Ashte insists that everyone performs an Ainu dance. Yoshi Yeesu refuses, but agrees to judge. Sahpo is terrible, Tomtare hampered by the sake, Ishan Ashte does really well, but Emishi is just a bit better, though when Yoshi Yeesu pronounces him the winner, Emishi squawks like a sumo grand champion. "I won! I'm the best! It's all in the legs!"

"You have the legs of a woman," sneers Yoshi Yeesu.

"But we haven't waxed him yet," objects Ishan Ashte.

"Come on then," says Emishi, taking up a fighting pose, "- one at a time or all at once!"

"Another round of drinks - on Hidasue!" calls Sahpo, to universal cheers. Then while everyone is imbibing, he pulls a pot of hot wax from the room's heater and a stack of paper strips (a few showing folds from unsuccessful cranes) which he has obviously prepared earlier. Unfortunately the drink affects everyone except Emishi, and Ishan Ashte and Yoshi Yeesu throw up out of the window. When they return they help the others hold Emishi down and cover him, and half the room in hot wax. Then they start peeling it off. Sahpo is careful and removes hair like a professional. Tomtare and Ishan Ashte are less in control and cause some pain, but Yoshi Yeesu yanks at his paper strips and removes half Emishi's chest hair in one go, along with the upper layer of skin and half a nipple. Emishi screams like a girl.

Elsewhere in the town, Onuma escorts Hana to the house of the wise old woman recommended by the marriage broker. The old lady tells Hana about serving her husband and doing the household chores. Having an Ainu and warrior's views on a woman's role, Onuma tuts loudly. The old lady scowls at her, notices the swords and decides to make allowances. The rest of the talk is more feminist in tone. As they walk back to Hana's lodgings, Hana asks Onuma if she thinks Emishi will be all right. "Yes, I'm sure he's having a good time - was that a scream? - with Hidasue looking after him (sounds of snoring) and polite conversation with his friends - look out!" she says, pushing Hana out of the way of some vomit launched from an upper window of an inn they were passing.

"That's where I'm getting married tomorrow," says Hana proudly.

In the morning the men get up late, except Emishi who rises clear-headed and sits outside smoking his kiseru and nursing his smarting body. Sahpo goes to the inn and prepares for the ceremony, scattering salt on the floor, invoking the nature spirits and calling on the ancestors to bless the union. He also gets a captive owl to watch over the proceedings. He performs an Ainu dance, somewhat self-consciously. Finally he readies the tea service and places the thousand cranes on all the flat surfaces. By this time it is mid-afternoon and time for the service to begin. Sahpo welcomes Emishi and Hana to the temporary shrine and begins his hybrid ceremony. Hana and Emishi share tea and exchange gifts. Soon the ceremony is over and time for the reception. A taiko drummer starts up, a young boy plays a flute and dancing girls dance for the entertainment of the guests. Firecrackers are let off, in accordance with Emishi's wishes. Emishi's friends come forward with their gifts, which are well received, especially the fox-fur gloves which Emishi promptly names "Mitsy", fervently hoping they aren't Ishan Ashte's daughter. Hidasue has a special gift for Hana: the horse that Emishi used to ride before he won Park'n'Ride and a promise of riding lessons from his stablehand. Emishi promises not to ride too hard for her. And the party gets into full swing. Hidasue sidles up to Emishi and asks him where the drummers and dancers came from. "I don't know. We thought you arranged for them," replies Emishi. At this point the older woman looking after the young dancers comes up to Emishi and presents him with a small branch covered in coppery leaves. As Emishi takes it, the leaves jangle as though they are metal, though they look exactly like leaves.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you anything better, but we would have been late if we'd stopped to buy anything," she says.

"What is this," asks Emishi, as the others gather round. "It's not from… a neem tree is it?"

"No, it's from a buna tree." Emishi looks at the twig and suddenly it turns into a wooden flute. Everyone notices that the flautist is no longer playing.

"Does it do anything else?" asks Emishi, rather underwhelmed by a magic flute. He looks down to find a wooden arrow in his hand. What powers might it have?

"Who are you," asks Onuma, politely.

"My name is Heppa," replies the woman, who is smoking a tiny silver pipe. Yoshi Yeesu's fox senses are tingling. Despite the proximity of fox-fur gloves, he is sure she is a kitsune. He looks at the dancers and suddenly sees some resemblances - that girl could be the offspring of Tomtare and Hannsha; that one of Ishan Ashte and Hata; that one of Sahpo and Happa; and the flautist looks like the son of Emishi and the fake Hana. Sahpo whispers a prayer of placation for kitsune spirits, then bows and leaves them to continue dancing.

Emishi decides he should give a speech. He says, "My wife and I are humbled by both your gifts and your presence." - here he pauses for a laugh, though there are just a few titters: someone has just seen the melons - "It is only a shame that my father couldn't be here... and Hana's father too.

"Sincerest thanks to Hidasue, a father to us all, and his new family - myself, my wife and our friends.

"Here's to him, to Hana, the spirits of the bear, the crane and to us all."

Then he hastily adds, "And thanks to the fantastic musicians and their leader."

"And now I have a gift for Hana," he announces. Ignoring a call of "Give her one" from the back of the room - in Tomtare's voice - he presents Hana with a beautifully wrapped box, containing a fine maajan set. Hana in turn presents Emishi with a model of a mushroom stalagmite, carved from limestone.

The surprises are not over as Hidasue announces that he has another present for Emishi and Hana. He says he is adopting Hana as his daughter, thus making her a member of a noble (though heretofore defunct) family and therefore a suitable match for Emishi and saving him from any loss of On or status. Emishi also realises there are some other advantages to having a wife (who will take an effective level two less than his): she can cause distractions to enemies in a fight by dancing in front of them (up to her level in distractions, with a Will saving throw), and slap bandages on Emishi and his allies after a fight - though Emishi can already see that in such cases, he will be last to receive attention.

As the party winds down and the guests head for their beds, Tomtare, Yoshi Yeesu, Ishan Ashte, Sahpo and Onuma are visited by willing young companions saying they have been sent by Hidasue, although none of them really believes this. Tomtare and Ishan Ashte accept readily. Yoshi Yeesu senses that the girl in his room is a kitsune, but accepts her offer anyway. Sahpo rationalises that it would be wrong to offend the fox spirits. Onuma politely declines the young man in her room - she doesn't want to be the one bearing fox cubs into the world. When they wake, the girls, young man, dancers, flautist, drummers and madam have disappeared like the morning mist.

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