The Mystery of the Missing Geisha

Zhustin was having the most wonderful dream. He was floating among clouds, surrounded by brilliantly glowing beings with broad, white wings. He felt immense peace, and all-encompassing love. And he tasted dirt. And blood. And his head was pounding and now the light wasn’t nearly so bright anymore, although it was still far too bright for his pounding head. But there was still a beautiful woman bending over him, her white wings shading him from the burning sun. Her lips were moving, and he struggled to hear what message of peace and love she was trying to impart.

“Get the hell out of here and fry his ass!” Marie screamed at the newly-revived Zhustin as she cast Fly on him. Then she flapped her own wings and rose into the air, away (she hoped) from the deadly assassin’s reach. Zhustin felt himself rise an inch off the ground; not sure what was going on, he continued floating up, then turned over to see what was happening on the ground below.

Below him, the mysterious assassin was a blur of motion, dodging attacks and landing more of his own with his deadly dragon-headed nunchucks. He moved with inhuman speed. He wasn’t Hasted – they’d seen that plenty of times before – but somehow he seemed to be able to attack and respond more quickly than anything they’d ever imagined. Sandoval hoped to eliminate his advantage by magically Slowing him, but the spell washed over the assassin with no effect. Nicki cast a Ray of Exhaustion, hoping to tire him out, but that spell, too, seemed to do nothing to the deadly ninja. Bella fired another volley of arrows; the assassin batted one from the air and bent backwards to avoid the next. The third found its mark, but did little to slow him. Shinjiro unleashed a furious Flurry of Blows, but the ninja dodged all but one of his attacks.

The ninja’s eyes seemed to smile beneath his mask at Shinjiro’s frustration. Then he spun and whirled his nunchucks at Sawyer, trying to wrap them around Suishen’s hilt and wrest the sword from Sawyer’s grasp. Sawyer had been down that road before, and only by the barest luck did he manage to avoid being disarmed again. Without hesitation, the ninja continued spinning, and slammed his weapons into Shinjiro’s ribs. Sawyer breathed a sigh of relief and began to gather himself for his own attack. But to his astonishment, the assassin kept spinning, and the iron-headed nunchuck struck Sawyer right between his eyes. His eyes glazed, and he seemed to lose track of his surroundings. “I’ll have the fried fish and some nails,” he babbled.

Zhustin had no idea who this masked figure was; the last he remembered, they’d been talking to some peasants they’d met on the road. But he was clearly a menace to his friends, and he seemed to be particularly hard to kill, so he pulled out the big guns. Pushing down the splitting pain in his skull, he cast a Disintegrate spell at the figure below. Somehow, the ninja sensed the spell coming, and danced out of the way of the worst of its effects. Sandoval cast Grease on his nunchucks, but he managed to retain his grip.

Nicki had seen the assassin shake off almost every spell thrown at him, and dodge almost every attack. Rather than continuing to try to fry him, as was his usual approach, Nicki went with a different strategy. Focusing all his will, he cast Dominate Person on the spinning ninja. As he felt the telepathic bond begin to form, he shouted to the others, “Don’t hit him! I think I’ve got him under control!” Then, concentrating on the link he’d forged into the ninja’s mind, he silently commanded, “Stand still and meditate!”

Shinjiro was just winding up another roundhouse kick, but he stopped his foot in mid-air when he heard Nicki’s warning. To everyone’s surprise, the ninja folded his arms across his chest, became perfectly motionless, and closed his eyes. Nicki focused on his controlling bond to the ninja, but something wasn’t right. It was almost as if he could hear another voice whispering on the channel. Then, with a sudden pop, the assassin simply vanished. Nicki reached out with his mind, but found no trace of his telepathic link.

The ninja had vanished once before, only to reappear to launch a surprise attack, and everyone tensed. Sawyer regained his senses; wiping blood from his eyes, he activated Suishen’s See Invisible power and scanned the area, while Marie cast Invisibility Purge and flew in expanding spirals around the party, but nothing appeared. After several minutes, the group slowly began to relax. It appeared that the assassin’s threat was past – for now.

They turned their attention to the other peasants, who were cowering and weeping in the weeds, expecting to be beheaded at any moment. After finally convinced them the party didn’t intend to kill them, Marie asked about the ”farmer” who had attacked them. “We don’t know who he was,” one man blubbered, still too frightened to raise his eyes from the dirt. “He just joined us on the road a few hours ago. He said his village had been wiped out, too, and asked to travel with us for safety.” The others confirmed his story. Convinced they were telling the truth, the party sent them on their way, and continued warily on their journey.

The next few days passed without incident, and at last the party reached the port city of Sakakabe. Sakakabe was quite a metropolis, easily as large as Kalsgard, the last city of any size they’d seen. It was built in a series of concentric terraces that climbed the hills overlooking the narrow shoreline. The lowest terraces leaned on the ruins of a stone fortress built millennia ago, now almost completely hidden by modern structures. The waterfront, with its wharves and warehouses, occupied the lowest terrace, and as the city climbed it progressed from slums and factories, to shops and markets, to temples, and finally to the homes of the richest citizens.

The city was known for its entertainment district, said to be second only to that of the capital of Kasai. It was in one of the highest terraces, and was home to the Kiniro Kyomai Teahouse, run by the geisha O-Kahaku. She was the one that Hirabashi Jiro had advised them to seek out, to try to enlist her support for Ameiko’s cause and to help recruit the merchant class of the province of Enganoka.

From what Jiro had told them, they knew it was important to make a good impression on the geisha, and meeting her with the dust of several days travel on their clothes would probably not do that. So they made their way to one of the merchant terraces, and found rooms in a reputable-looking inn, The Smiling Koi. It had a large bathhouse attached to it; in earlier times they would have been scandalized at the thought of a communal bath (and some at the thought of a bath, period), but after their experience in the palace of Ordu-Aganhei they thought nothing of it. After bathing, they all dressed in their best clothes; Nicki, in the finery he’d purchased for the Prince’s court. They dusted off the delicate blown-glass mobile they’d brought on Jiro’s recommendation as an introductory gift for O-Kahaku and set off for the teahouse.

The entertainment district was centered on a broad street called the Way of the Songbirds. Elaborate gates stood at either end of the street, manned by guards in well-polished armor. They were checking everyone who entered, to ensure that no beggars (or worse, ronin, who tended to be rowdy as well as penniless) entered the district.

Nicki felt at home for the first time in months. He strode confidently up to the captain of the guard. “My good man – I am Lord Roderick Genterre, traveled here from distant Varisia. I have been told that the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse offers the finest entertainment in Minkai, and wish to visit there.” As he spoke, he slipped a few gold pieces into the man’s hand with a well-practiced motion. The guard counted the coins with his fingers then gave a low bow. “You will not be disappointed my lord. The Kiniro Kyomai is just down the street – you will know it by its ornate roof and brightly polished brass gutters. You and your servants will be made welcome there.” He bowed again, holding his palm discreetly open, and Nicki dropped in a few more coins as he brushed past.

Inside the gates, the entertainment district was a pleasant area of nice shops, small gardens, a few shrines, and upscale teahouses, including the famous Kiniro Kyomai. The party knocked on the door of the teahouse, and it was opened by a young woman in a flowery, long-sleeved kimono. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun, and her face powdered white. She bowed to them. “Welcome to the Kiniro Kyomai Teahouse. I am O-Hakami – how may I be of service?”

Once again, Nicki took the lead, turning on his charm. “Your teahouse was recommended to us by our friend, Hirabashi Jiro. We would very much like to meet with your mistress, O-Kahaku. As a token of our respect, we have brought her a small gift.” He handed over the glass mobile, which O-Hakami accepted with a bow. “This is most beautiful,” she said respectfully. “It will be a most pleasing addition to our décor. My mistress will be honored to meet with you this evening, at the Hour of the First Star.” Bowing again, she closed the door.

That left the party with a couple of hours to kill, so they found another teahouse (this one a place that actually served tea, not a geisha house), and had a small (far too small, for Sawyer’s taste) snack. At the appointed time, they returned to Kiniro Kyomai and were met again by O-Hakami. She ushered them into an inner garden, and offered them seats on low cushions on the floor. The area was only semi-private; no other guests passed through, but there were several guards discreetly stationed around the perimeter, out of earshot but within easy striking distance should trouble arise.

Sawyer had been in lots of whorehouses in his time, and this wasn’t like any of them. The women he’d seen were far more clothed than he was used to, for one thing, wearing embroidered floor-length kimonos with some sort of big bun-like thing on the back, and their hair done up in elaborate styles. It looked like it would take forever to get one undressed. And all the girls’ faces were done up with so much makeup – it would be a complete mess after the first tumble. On top of that, it was so quiet. He could hear soft music from some of the rooms they’d passed, or odd singing, but none of the grunting, squealing, or raucous laughter that was the signature of the typical brothel. O-Hakami knelt demurely in one corner, eyes cast downward; she sure didn’t look like she was angling for business to him. “How much do you think you have to pay for one of these girls, anyway?” he asked in a loud whisper.

Shinjiro scowled at him. “Geisha are not prostitutes!” he said sternly. “They are highly trained entertainers, and companions. They offer a man a respite from the burdens of his responsibilities. They might sing, or dance for him, or recite poetry. Or simply serve him tea with grace and elegance. A geisha might flirt with a guest, to flatter him, but he may not buy her.” He scowled at Sawyer while the fighter tried to wrap his mind around the notion of paying for a girl to recite poetry to you. A fully clothed girl. He just didn’t get it.

As Sawyer struggled mentally, a woman swept into the room. She was middle aged, but still beautiful, dressed in an especially fine kimono. She bowed, and the motion seemed as fluid as a breeze across a flower petal. “I am O-Kahaku,” she said in a low voice. “Welcome to my teahouse.” Once everyone had introduced themselves, she ordered O-Hakami to bring tea for the guests. The girl did as requested, then returned to her corner, where she began quietly picking out a tune on a samisen.

O-Kahaku turned her attention to the party. “We seldom get visitors from such distant lands. What has brought you to our humble house?” All eyes turned to Nicki, who continued in his role as gracious guest. “We are friends of Hirabashi Jiro, and he told us there was no finer teahouse in all of Minkai.” O-Kahaku smiled. “I remember Hirabashi Jiro as a faithful samurai in my late uncle’s service. I also recall that a year ago, he and his unruly swords-for-hire were ejected from this district. They apparently did not meet our guards’ standards for deportment.” She smiled wider, clearly amused by the memory.

Nicki continued, skirting around the real reason for their visit. “Hirabashi Jiro has sworn allegiance to a comrade of ours. He suggested we approach you, to see if you would also join this person’s cause.”

O-Kahaku looked surprised. “Has Jiro now become a samurai in the service of a new lord? Which one?” Nicki swallowed, and looked around the room. “How certain are you of the loyalty of your guards? What I am about to tell you is for few ears.” O-Kahaku grew solemn. “These men would not be my personal bodyguard if they did not know the meaning of absolute discretion.”

Nicki took a deep breath. “The Princess of the Jade Empire has returned, and Jiro has sworn himself to her.” O-Kahaku looked confused. “I’m not sure what you mean. There is no Princess of the Jade Empire. Perhaps your Minkaian is not as good as you think it is.” She turned to Shinjiro “Could you translate for your friend?”

Shinjiro was taken aback, uncomfortable to be thrust into the role of spokesperson for the group, and feeling awkward talking to the elegant geisha. But he decided to trust her with the complete truth. “The princess he speaks of is Amatatsu Ameiko, granddaughter of Amatatsu Rokuro, the last surviving scion of the Five Imperial Families of Minkai and rightful heir to the Jade Throne. She has returned to Minkai to depose the Jade Regent and reclaim her birthright.” He then launched into a description of how Ameiko had come to learn of her heritage and their journey to Minkai, ending with Ameiko’s opening of the hidden vault and Hirabashi Jiro’s acceptance of her as the legitimate heir. Sandoval listened to it all with a critical ear; in the end, although it was entirely lacking in style, he had to grudgingly admit he’d told the tale accurately and persuasively.

After he finished, O-Kahaku sat in thoughtful silence for some moments. At last she looked up. “I am no friend of the Jade Regent, but my hopes of seeing Emperor Shigure back on the throne have faded. I fear that if nothing is done, the Jade Regent will soon become the legitimate ruler of Minkai. If Hirabashi Jiro believes your princess is the rightful heir, then I bow to his judgment. But know this: even here in Sakakabe, far from the imperial capital, everyone is too afraid of the provincial governor, Sikutsu Sennaka, to do anything that might disrupt the status quo.”

Nicki took up the cause again. “Jiro thought you might be able to help us persuade the leading merchants and some of the nobility to join Ameiko’s cause.” O-Kahaku nodded. “That sounds like a plan that Jiro would advise, and it would be a good one. But I have a problem right now. My leading geisha, who is the favorite of all those you would recruit, has gone missing.”

“Why isn’t anything ever easy?” Nicki groaned to himself. Out loud, he said bravely “What if we were to find your missing geisha for you?”

O-Hakami suddenly stopped playing her samisen. “Please rescue O-Sayumi!” she begged, tears coming to her eyes. “She’s like my older sister here at the teahouse, and I miss her terribly!” O-Kahaku gave her a stern look, and she dropped her eyes and immediately returned to her place, playing as before. But O-Kahaku took up the same refrain, if in a more reserved manner. “If you could find her and return her to us, I would reward you, and do all that I could to arrange meetings with many powerful individuals would could be invaluable to your rebellion.”

And so the game was afoot. Everyone readily agreed to take up the search, and asked O-Kahaku for any information about the missing girl. “Her name is O-Sayumi,” she explained. "She’s been with us for many years, and is our most popular and accomplished geisha. Recently, she agreed to entertain a pearl merchant named Yugureda Shosaito. He has long been a regular client of our teahouse, and O-Sayumi was his particular favorite. He’d often requested that he travel to his home, Shinju-no-Ie on a private island northwest of here, but she’d always refused. Then, about a month ago, she suddenly changed her mind and accepted his offer. She said she’d be gone for a week, and left on his private barge, but she hasn’t returned. We sent word asking after her, and he insists she never arrived. I have no evidence he is lying, but I fear she is being held against her will.”

“Does O-Sayumi have rooms here?” Bella asked. O-Kahaku nodded, and ordered O-Hakami to show the party to her rooms. The apprentice geisha led them through the teahouse, to a warren of small rooms. One belonged to O-Sayumi. It was sparsely but tastefully furnished, with rice-paper paintings on the walls and everything arranged with elegant precision.

Bella began to search the room for clues, while Marie cast Detect Magic. O-Hakami watched with interest, and asked Marie what she was doing. “I’m looking to see if there is anything magical here that might belong to O-Sayumi, or have somehow influenced her decision to leave.” O-Hakami brightened. “O-Sayumi has a magical samisen!” she said excitedly. “She’s the best player in the house – maybe the best in Minkai. She used to play for hours by herself here in her room. Once I peeked in on her while she was playing. She seemed to be in some kind of a trance. I was frightened though, and left immediately. I thought I saw the shadow of a tiger prowling on the wall.” Her mood darkened again. “But she took her samisen with her.”

She continued. “I can’t believe she would go with that horrible man. He was so cold – like a dead fish. When he first started asking her to go to his island, she was amused, but when he was so persistent she became concerned. She made some inquiries with the monks at the orphanage where she was raised – it’s not far from Shinju-no-Ie. After that, she was almost too disgusted by Yugureda to even entertain him – but she was too professional not to. She didn’t tell me why she finally accepted his offer, but she seemed very sad, and worried.”

Her eyes suddenly widened. “Oh! She gave me this – it must be for you!” She reached into a pocket of her kimono and pulled out a small paper packet. “She said to give this to an honorable person who would come looking for her if she didn’t return.” She handed it over to Shinjiro. He carefully opened the packet. Inside were two items. The first was a piece of rice paper with a short poem written in flawless calligraphy. Shinjiro recognized its form as the classical tanka of Minkai, and translated for the others:

I must discover

what lies within myself

to enter your place

through dark and shadowed gates, but

the reflection is not me.

The other was an inro, a small ivory box with three compartments, held together with a silk cord. The people of Minkai frequently used such inros to hold small keepsakes. This one was engraved with the image of a geisha playing a samisen. At the end of the cord was a netsuke, a decorative toggle used to hang it from a sash. This netsuke was carved in the likeness of a strange, turtle-like humanoid, holding a vase in its webbed hands, and its bottom was carved with a six-petaled magnolia flower. Shinjiro recognized it as a kappa, a creature of Minkai lore.

“She had this made just days before she left,” O-Hakami explained as they unfastened the cord to open the inro. “Saburo made it for her – he has a shop just down the street. Here – you can see his mark.” She pointed to a marking inside the lid. The contents of the inro were inscrutable. The first compartment contained an empty silkworm cocoon; the middle one held two interlocking stone rings, one of yellow calcite and one of blue lapis lazuli; and the top compartment contained three camphorwood beads on a simple cord.

As the group examined the inro, O-Hakami continued talking about her missing friend. “If there was any danger, O-Sayumi would never have gone. She always seemed to know everything – past, present future. Just like she knew you would be coming to look for her. That’s why she was so popular – powerful nobles or merchants would ask her advice on things far beyond a geisha’s expertise. Even the governor’s younger brother, Sikutsu Itsuru came to her for advice. He’s an honorable man, you know,” she continued in a lower voice. “And kind. Not like his brother.”

Nicki picked up on something O-Hakami had said earlier. “Did you say that O-Sayumi was raised by monks?” The geisha nodded. “She was an orphan, and grew up in an orphanage run by the monks of Irori, just up the coast. Even after she came here, she would return often to visit them, and her uncle.” She laughed. “She used to joke that her uncle was a kappa, like the one on her inro. She called him Numataro-sama, and she was quite fond of him.”

Bella had completed her search, and neither she nor Marie had found anything. The inro’s contents had them stumped, and they resolved to visit its maker in the morning, to see if he could tell them anything. Thanking O-Hakami for her help, they prepared to return to the inn. Before the did, however, Zhustin sought out O-Kahaku. “I’m hoping you can help us with some information. We were attacked on the road by a ninja with super-human powers. Have you heard of anything like that?” O-Kahaku shook her head. “If we have entertained any ninja, they hid their identity from us. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

First thing the next morning they sought out Saburo’s shop. It was a small building offering finely crafted carvings in ivory, jade, or exotic woods. The owner was a short, balding man with a pronounced paunch who greeted them with a broad smile. His smile disappeared when they showed him the inro. “Ah yes, O-Sayumi. When I heard she was missing, I started making offerings to the gods every day for her safe return. We all loved her. How can I help you?” They asked for information about the inro, but the craftsman could offer little. “She came in a week before she left, and asked me to make this as quickly as possible. I already had the basic inro, so it didn’t take long. She asked me to engrave it with a portrait of her. I could have done much better if I’d just had more time,” he added apologetically. “She said it must have a magnolia blossom on it, and the netsuke should be a kappa holding a vase like the one I’d made for her.”

“Whoa! Back up there!” Bella interrupted. “You made her a vase?”

“Yes, I did.” Saburo’s eyes grew wide. “Wait – it must be for you!” He rushed to a cupboard and returned with a bulbous vase carved from soapstone, with a stopper in its neck. The shape of the vase matched that on the inro’s netsuke, and the vase itself was painted with the image of a smiling kappa. “She said I should keep this for an honorable person who would come looking for her.” As O-Hakami had, he handed it over to Shinjiro.

Nicki was looking at the turtle creature on the vase. “What do you know about kappas?” he asked. Saburo seemed perplexed, but tried to be helpful. “Well … they live in riverlands, or marshes. They’re supposed to be tricksters. And great wrestlers. They love to laugh, and a good meal. The folktales say they love cucumbers, which is probably why O-Sayumi instructed me to fill the vase with cucumber-scented bath salts.” Shinjiro removed the stopper, and sure enough, the aroma of cucumbers wafted out.

They thanked Saburo and left his shop with the vase. Once again, O-Sayumi had apparently left them a clue, and once again they had no idea what it meant. It was clear that a discussion with Yugureda was in order, but they had to decide how to get there. The most direct route would be to hire a ship to take them directly to his island home. But that would mean that at least someone would know their plans, with the chance that someone could warn him in advance. O-Kahaku had said his island was in a lagoon off the mouth of the Jikko river, not too far up the coast from Sakakabe. And the monastery where O-Sayumi had been raised was also that direction; perhaps the monks there could provide some information.

So the group set off overland for the Jikko delta. Early on the second day they arrived at a small village, with a large stone monastery overlooking it from a nearby hill. As they approached, they could hear the sound of children’s laughter, and when they entered the courtyard they could see children playing, or at studies, or engaging in graceful exercises.

One of the monks approached them and asked their business. “We’re looking for O-Sayumi,” Sawyer explained. The monk smiled fondly. “Ah, I’m afraid O-Sayumi is not here. She lives in Sakakabe now.” Sawyer shook his head. “No she doesn’t – she’s gone missing.”

The monk took them immediately to the master, a very old man with a wispy white beard. He was very concerned to hear of O-Sayumi’s plight. When they said that she was said to have gone to visit Yugureda Shosaito, he began to pace the room. “This is not good,” he said almost to himself, then explained to the group. “Yugureda has lived on his island near here all his life. In his youth, he was a simple scholar, living off the income from his family’s pearl beds, but after his first wife died, he married a daughter of the Sikutsu family, and the governor became his patron in the pearl trade. It is said his studies turned to … darker matters, and the local fisherman and sailors began to shun the Namidakame Lagoon. Part of it was that Yugureda forbade outsiders from sailing its waters, to prevent poaching his pearl beds. But the darker whispers were that it was a cursed and haunted place.

“A  year ago, Yugureda came to this monastery, inquiring about O-Sayumi and what we knew of her parents. By then, she was a well-known geisha in Sakakabe, and I assumed he was just an infatuated client. But now, hearing that she has disappeared and that he might be involved, I fear that his motives were dishonorable.”

“What do you know of her parents?” Nicki asked. The master hesitated before answering. “Nothing, I’m afraid. She was brought to us as a young child by the wise kappa, Numataro-sama. He had raised her from infancy, but knew that she needed more than he could provide. He loved her, and she him, and whenever she came to visit us, she would always go to visit her beloved ‘uncle’ as well. Perhaps you should speak to him.” He told them that the wise kappa frequented an area of the Jikko river near a large magnolia tree, and gave them directions. “When you find the tree, you will need to summon him somehow. Perhaps an offering of food?”

The party had figured out part of O-Sayumi’s clues by now, and they thanked the master. They picked up some fresh cucumbers from the monastery’s kitchens on their way out, and then followed the directions they’d been given. They had no trouble finding the magnolia tree, its branches, heavy with blooms overhanging the slow-moving water of the river. They poured the bath salts into the water, and the smell of cucumbers filled the air. They sliced the fresh cucumbers and waited.

Soon enough, a small wake appeared in the river’s surface, signaling the approach of something underwater. An odd figure surfaced; it was like a humanoid turtle with a wrinkled, ape-like face. It had a ring of thin white hair surrounding its bowl-shaped head; the depression on the top of its skull was filled with clear water. Its shell was decorated with symbol of Irori, a blue hand in a circle. As it climbed out of the water, it leaned on a walking stick, but despite that and its obvious venerable age, its movements seemed youthful and energetic.

It nodded to the party, one eye on the plate of cucumbers. “You look to be far from home. Having a little picnic? Those cucumbers smell awfully good.” It smacked its lips (quite a feat for a creature that technically didn’t have lips).

Marie offered the plate. “Perhaps you’d like some?” The plate was in his hands before she’d finished the sentence. “We’re looking for O-Sayumi, and would like to talk to you about her. We understand you raised her.”

“Then you’ll know she doesn’t live here anymore,” the kappa said between bites of cucumber. “Yes, we know that,” Marie continued, “but she’s disappeared, and we think she may be in danger.”

She related O-Sayumi’s story, as the kappa continued eating. When she finished, he said “Please come back to my home, and I’ll tell you all I can there.” He led them off through the knee-deep marsh, to a small hillock hidden in the reeds and trees. There was a half-submerged cave in the hillside, and inside was the kappa’s home. The floor was dry, and a large shogi-ban was carved into the rock floor. Numataro-sama picked up an oversized shogi piece and began toying with it absently as he spoke.

“Many years ago, I was in the delta at night, and I heard a scream. I followed the sound, and saw a woman splashing through the marsh, bloody and terrified. Before I could do anything, a creature pounced out of the darkness. It was a nue, a monstrous tiger with the head of a fanged monkey and a viper for a tail. It tore the poor woman to pieces.

“I would have intervened, although I doubt I could have helped, but just then I heard a whimpering from behind me. I looked, and beneath a flowering honeysuckle bush I found a baby in a basket. Her mother must have hidden her before the beast caught her. Knowing I could not save the mother, I brought the baby back here so the nue wouldn’t kill it, too. I called her Momo-chan – ‘little butterfly’, and I raised her. I loved my little Momo-chan, but I knew she needed to grow up with other humans, so I took her to my friends at the monastery of Irori. When she was a woman, she moved to Sakakabe, became a geisha, and took the professional name O-Sayumi.

“I didn’t know that Yugureda Shosaito knew of her, or I would have warned her away from him. He is a powerful wizard, and I suspect that the nue that killed her mother was his. Nue are not natural creatures, and usually serve the ends of more powerful masters. I told the monks as much when I left her with them, and I fear they may have let the secret slip.”

Zhustin spoke up. “Do you think O-Sayumi’s mother might have been Yugureda’s first wife?” The kappa shrugged. “I didn’t know he had one wife, let alone more than one. I suppose it’s possible. That would make Yugureda O-Sayumi’s father, and that thought sickens me.”

“We need to go to Yugureda’s island, to look for O-Sayumi,” Shinjiro said. “How would you advise we get there?” The kappa shrugged again (apparently a favorite gesture). “You could swim, but in my experience you humans aren’t very good swimmers. There’s a ferry dock at the lagoon, with a boat that people used to use to go to the island. Of course, no one uses it anymore.”

As they stood to leave, Bella looked down at the shogi-ban on the floor and remembered Habesuta Hatsue. “You know, we have a friend who loves shogi,” she said to the kappa. His whole manner brightened. “She does? Oh, I’d love to play her. I love nothing better than playing shogi. Of course, I can’t play anymore – not enough pieces left.”

“Did you lose them?” Bella asked, but the kappa shook his head. “Not exactly.” He held up the oversized piece in his hand, easily double the size of a normal piece. “See, these are magical shogi pieces. If you break one during a game, you can channel the greatest shogi player in Minkai. I’m afraid I’m not nearly as good as most of my opponents, and I’ve often resorted to breaking a piece in order to win a game.” He tossed the piece in his hand to Bella. “Here – this is an angle-mover. Keep it as a good luck charm, and give it to your friend when you see her. And tell her she’s always welcome to visit me and play some shogi – as long as she brings her own pieces!”

Saying farewell to the kappa, the party set out for Namidakame Lagoon. The sun was getting low when they came in sight of the sea. A broad lagoon stretched out in front of them. The air was strangely heavy, and a stifling cloak of silence seemed to hang oppressively over the land and water. Half-shrouded by mist, a dark island rose from the water amid coral reefs. The colors of the landscape seemed washed out around the island, their hues drained by an unnatural gloominess. The island rose steeply out of the water, and a low building could be seen atop its central height. A cluster of small buildings, little more than shacks, rose near the southern end of the island, and a dock with a large barge tied up beside it extended from near the center of the island. Except for these two points, the rest of the shoreline they could see consisted of rocky bluffs. A much smaller island rose just to the south of the main island, little more than a pile of rocks covered with scrub brush and a handful of stunted trees.

A few hundred yards down the slope from them, a ramshackle dock extended out into the lagoon. A small boat was moored to it. It was hard to tell the boat’s condition from this distance, but it was floating. They started forming a plan for reaching the island. No one was especially keen on taking the ferry boat, even if it was seaworthy; that seemed like exactly what the island’s defenders would be expecting (assuming of course that there were defenders, and that Yugureda wouldn’t turn out to just be some rich old guy with a crush on a pretty young girl, and the money to convince her to stay with him – I mean, it was possible, right?).

And so, surprisingly quickly, the group settled on a plan. They would way for full darkness – the moon was waning, and wouldn’t rise until near dawn. Then, courtesy of Marie’s Water Walking they would simply stroll over to the cursed island of Shinju-no-Ie.

The PCs didn’t earn any additional XP for tonight, since you let that one little ninja slip through your fingers. We’ll be at Leo’s next week, although Brian not be able to make it.