Session 32. (7/9/12)

The late snows of spring in the Year of the Serpent (1485) are melting and Hidasue waits a few more days in case they have delayed the caravan taking the Mutsu tax monies south to Utsunomiya, capital of Shimotsuke province. His assistants, the one-time Ainu and now fledgling tax collectors, are bored. They have heard many (but not all) of Emishi's tales of heroism and all of Sahpo's Ainu Sagas, but there is little to do here at the Shirakawa Barrier, where the Tōsandō road crosses the provincial border. The guard post itself lies where the road narrows between high valley sides that hem it in, and old, tumbledown buildings line the way over the top of a tree-lined hill. Hidasue tries to relieve the boredom with a story. "Hundreds of years ago, this used to be the frontier between the civilised lands of Kyōto and the South, and the northern barbarian lands of the Emishi. But now it is just a border post between Mutsu and Shimotsuke. I'm surprised it's even manned. By the way, Mutsu province used to be called Michinoku, a contraction of Michi no oku, or end of the road. That's because the toffs from Kyōto really thought it was. The poet Nōin wrote about this place on his travels to the north. He said, 'Though I left the capital with the spring mists, autumn winds are blowing at the Shirakawa Barrier'. That's how far he thought it was from Kyōto." This does little to raise spirits, so, a few days later, Hidasue announces that they are setting off for Utsunomiya, to carry the tax revenue themselves. He instructs the clerk that was travelling with them to return to Sannohe with news of his decision, and also instructions to send his household to Utsunomiya. This greatly surprises the six adventurers, and Yoshi Yeesu voices the group's many and far-reaching questions to Hidasue.

"Huh?!"

"Well, actually, I was going to tell you nearer the time, but I opened my sealed orders the other day and it seems that the daimyo of Shimotsuke, Utsunomiya Tadatsuna, has arranged with Nanbu Masayasu to take on my services - and by that I mean our services - and make me jito (Land Steward) of Shimotsuke province. They have a bandit problem and I seem to have a reputation for dealing with outlaws. Is everyone all right with promotions and pay increases?" The heroes are stunned, but no-one raises any objections. "Okay, let's head south!" concludes Hidasue.

"But this is getting us further away from our families, and the neem tree," confides Sahpo in a whisper to the others.

"No, it's getting us nearer to where neem trees grow," points out Ishan Ashte.

"Anyway, Koshamain has surely died by now," adds Emishi.

"It sure doesn't seem like we're in control of our own destiny," opines Yoshi Yeesu.

"Darned historical imperative," chorus Emishi and Sahpo.

Hidasue, the ex-Ainu adventurers and an entourage of porters and spare horses are heading for a new life in Shimotsuke province where he is to be the new Jito, or Land Steward. Their hiatus at the Shirakawa Barrier has given them enough time to heal from the wounds inflicted by the bear. Now they head south along the main Tohoku road, descending from the hills on the border to a vast marshy plain that covers most of south and eastern Shimotsuke. To their right is a long line of mountains, bordering the marshes for many miles. High up in these mountains is the sacred - and beautiful - town on Nikko, home to some of Nippon's most revered shrines. The road tiptoes the border between the marshes and the mountains.

All of a sudden, four horsemen gallop straight into the party from behind a spur, barrelling down the hillside at full speed. The horsemen come slashing at the surprised party members with wakizashi and grabbing at items from the horses and pack horses as they pass through, then ride straight down a narrow path into the marshes, scarcely slowing down. Ishan Ashte is cursing, partly because one of the horsemen has given him a minor wound, partly because the horseman also grabbed his bow, though he dropped it again a few yards away. One of the porters has been lightly wounded and a sack of food taken from his back. Hidasue was hit and his prized sword was taken. The other horseman missed with his sword but grabbed a bedroll from a packhorse. No-one went for the tax money on the mules.

"Get them!" cries Emishi and sets off after them with Yoshi Yeesu close behind. Ishan Ashte gets off his horse and picks up his bow. Emishi concentrates on getting the best out of Park'n'Ride and starts catching the fleeing bandits. Yoshi Yeesu readies his bow, stands up in his stirrups and lets fly an arrow. It scores a direct hit, killing the bandit that had the sack of food. Sahpo fires three Arrows of Wood at the remaining bandits and hits all three, but two resist the poison and the other throws its effects off immediately. The bandits make a sudden left turn and disappear into the high marsh reeds. Emishi follows, about forty yards behind, but the path is indistinct and he is soon lost in a maze of mud and meres. Yoshi Yeesu tries to follow by sound alone, but Effy, his horse ("Effing Horse!") gets mired in the morass.

The rest of the party looks on, hoping Emishi and Yoshi Yeesu can get Hidasue's sword back, but suddenly, another 10 bandits ride up to the travelling party. The porters scurry away while Hidasue, Yoshi Yeesu and Sahpo defend the mules, pack horses and dropped packs. Ishan Ashte cries, "Ambush!!" and hacks at a bandit. And misses. However, Hidasue manages to his a bandit with his wakizashi. Sahpo fires four Arrows of Wood and scores four hits, felling one bandit and weakening two others. Ishan Ashte takes a second swing and nearly kills a bandit, while Hidasue scores a critical hit and does kill one. The bandits in their turn score minor hits on two porters, Hidasue and three hits on poor Ishan Ashte. Two bandits grab goods from the horses and one tries but misses.

Out in the swamp, Emishi starts retreating from the thick black waters, but Yoshi Yeesu takes advantage of his horse halting, orients on the sound of the bandits and fires an arrow. It is a critical hit, killing the bandit. The other bandits fall silent.

The melee round the caravan intensifies. Ishan Ashte finishes one opponent then kills a second with one critical blow. Hidasue swings and misses. Sahpo fires another volley of Arrows of Wood, and although one fizzles, the other three hit home, felling one already-weakened bandit while two others fight off the effects quickly. The bandits land hits on Ishan Ashte (again!) and Hidasue while three others grab goods from the horses and one starts to ride away, empty handed.

Emishi emerges from the swamp and rides back to the melee, wielding his spear like a lance. Yoshi Yeesu emerges seconds later and prepares to fire his bow.

Most of the bandits are now running or riding away with their ill-gotten gains. Ishan Ashte has a couple of hacks at one and scores both times, killing the bandit. Hidasue also has two hacks but misses with both. As the bandits ride off towards their compadres (and Emishi and Yoshi Yeesu), Sahpo casts Traitor Ground in front of their horses, causing two to fall off. Emishi now arrives and spears one of the bandits, but the force of the blow and the Traitor Ground unseat him and he falls, only to be dragged along the ground as his foot catches in a stirrup. Yoshi Yeesu fires an arrow at a fleeing bandit and hits, but not quite well enough to kill him.

With the bandits now in full flight, only Yoshi Yeesu stands between them and freedom. He fires his bow and hits one for 20 critical damage - the same bandit as he hit earlier, that had only 1 hit point left. The bandits rush past and he fires again - the leader is hit, but survives. He fires again and hits again, but the leader is too tough to go down. The two bandits turn off into the marshes and disappear.

While Sahpo and Onuma tend to the wounds of the porters and Ishan Ashte, Hidasue checks the pack horses. "Well, they got away with a few items from our camp, some food and brandy, but they didn't touch the taxes. It's like they didn't know what they were." Meanwhile, Yoshi Yeesu follows the bandits into the swamp, hoping to follow their tracks, but it is a hopeless task. Even when he sees what looks like a sign of something passing through, the way is blocked by water and mud, and he can't see any distance because of the tall reeds. He returns to the others. Emishi, having finally freed his foot from his stirrup, goes to fetch Park'n'Ride.

A few days later the caravan pulls wearily into Utsunomiya, a small city and capital of the province. Hidasue goes to report to the daimyo while his assistants are shown to a house that will be their new home. Hidasue returns and reports that the daimyo is pleased with their success against the bandits and the gift of several horses.

Over the next few weeks our heroes go on patrol around the province looking for bandits and learning their way around. They also spend some time training, concentrating on sojutsu (spear) as Hidasue has hired a trainer for five weeks: Emishi masters sojutsu and also spends some time practising hawking; Yoshi Yeesu improves his sojutsu; Ishan Ashte improves sojutsu but concentrates on bajutsu. Sahpo continues working on his Saga of Critical Healing. Once the sojutsu training period is over, Emishi challenges Yoshi Yeesu to a lancing contest - Yoshi Yeesu's superior skill on horseback will make up for his lower skill with the spear. Ishan Ashte set up two lines of rings of decreasing size along a gallop - the first will be quite difficult, but the last nearly impossible. They set off. Yoshi Yeesu collects the first, large ring. Emishi misses. Yoshi Yeesu collects the second. Emishi misses. Now it gets hard. Both miss the third... and the fourth. Yoshi Yeesu misses the last, tiny ring, but Emishi penetrates the very centre of his ring with one final lunge. But Ishan Ashte declares Yoshi Yeesu the winner, by two rings to one.

"But I got the hardest ring!" moans Emishi.

"But you missed the two easiest," rejoins Yoshi Yeesu, getting the last word for once.

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