The North Rises

“Just hold still for a minute!” Marie shouted at Sawyer. The big fighter had just finished off the last of the samurai who had come around the north end of the lodge, but another group was charging from the south, and he was anxious to join the fray. But he was still weak from the Rays of Enfeeblement that Governor Sennaka’s Typhoon Guard had hit him with, and Marie wanted him back at full strength. Reluctantly, he paused long enough to let Marie jab him with her Wand of Lesser Restoration. With a sigh of relief, he felt his muscles flex again, and he turned to charge at the enemy to the south.

But as he turned, he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. He did a double-take as he saw a huge figure come lumbering into view from behind the building's north wing. It looked like an ogre mage, similar to the ones they’d fought beneath the House of Withered Blossoms, and it was making a beeline for the corral full of horses near the northeast wall of the compound. Spotting the oni, Suishen gave a growl of hatred, and Sawyer knew the sword would never let him hear the end of it if he let this one slip away. Skidding to a halt, he reversed direction and charged north, calling a warning over his shoulder as he ran. As he cleared the corner of the building, another figure came into view, dashing behind his immense bodyguard. This one looked human, clad in elaborate samurai armor. With a shout of glee, Sawyer realized that this must be their quarry, Governor Sikutsu Sennaka, and his oni bodyguard Kazuo the Yojimbo. He altered course yet again, heading for the governor and ignoring the oni – for now.

Overhead, two of the Tengu Typhoon Guard were battling Zhustin’s phalanx of Air Elementals, trading blow for blow. On the ground, the wizard had summoned a pair of Earth Elementals to slow the charge of the new group of samurai. The Earth Elementals had done their job, and the samurai were bunching up nicely behind them. As Zhustin took aim, a figure suddenly dashed past him. It was Bella, and she ignored Zhustin’s warning cry as she charged straight into the cluster of samurai. “OK, you asked for it,” the wizard muttered, and he unleashed his Fireball onto the group, Bella or no Bella. When the smoke cleared, three of the samurai were dead, along with both elementals, but Bella was unscathed. Shinjiro joined the party, and his flurry of blows put another samurai face down. Figuring they could mop up the rest, Zhustin turned and headed north to see what Sawyer was yelling about.

Two more of the Tengu were flying above the roof of the lodge, and they fired arrows at Nicki, flying high above them. Despite his Invisibility, they had no trouble sinking shaft after shaft into the sorcerer. For his part, he had limited means of retaliation; one of the Tengu had stolen his voice, and he had to use his Silent Metamagic Rod to cast any spells. Taking aim at the voice-thief, he fired off a trio of Scorching Rays augmented with another flask of Alchemist’s Fire, and was gratified to see the oni burst into flames. But the creature ignored its burning feathers, and took careful aim with its bow. A pair of arrows lofted into the sky. One pierced straight through Nicki’s lung, its head emerging from his back, while the second buried itself in his gut. Far below, Bella heard a sudden splat in the mud behind her, and turned to see a Nicki-shaped imprint in the muck.

There was still one more Tengu, this one in one of the courtyards of the lodge. He saw the governor and his bodyguard making a run for it, and decided to follow. He emerged from the lodge about the same time Sandoval came around the corner, following Sawyer’s shouted warnings. Sandoval quickly sized up the situation, and cast Slow on Sennaka and Kazuo. The oni seemed unfazed, but governor’s actions suddenly took on a slow-motion feel.

Kazuo shifted to block Sawyer’s route to his master, swinging his massive tetsubo at his head, but Sawyer easily ducked the blow. Marie Teleported across the yard, planting herself to block the gate to the corral, and their original route of escape. Sennaka, feeling himself slow down and realizing that he stood no chance of reaching the horses and making his escape, began hurling insults at the foreign fighter, challenging him to face him. Sawyer ignored him; Suishen was screaming for oni blood, and the fighter intended to give him some. Zhustin had cast Haste on the party when the first samurai had appeared, and now Sawyer launched a blinding flurry of slashes and jabs, with Suishen’s blade throwing flame with every strike. The first blow disemboweled the huge oni; the next caught him in the knee, hobbling him. A quick stab pierced his chest, and as the creature reeled, Sawyer swung a two-handed blow that took off his head. Before the yojimbo could even land a blow, he was a steaming heap of body parts in the mud.

Sandoval was hit by the spray of blood twenty feet away, but he wiped the blood from his eyes with the back of his hand and kept charging. He’d seen the Tengu hammer Sawyer with spells before, and another was running to the governor’s aid, so he let out a Shout that knocked the oni back with a wall of sonic power. Then, as his harmonizing sword continued to Inspire Courage, the bard switched his singing to a Dirge of Doom. All the enemies around him were overwhelmed with feelings of despair, and their will to fight waned. Nevertheless, the Tengu charged at Sandoval, but his swing was half-hearted, and easily evaded.

Having killed Nicki, the airborne Tengu refocused their attention on Sawyer. One fired arrows that stuck into the mud around the fighter’s feet. The other cast a spell; Sawyer was momentarily overcome by how ridiculous the slow-moving governor looked, but he managed to bite back the laughter and keep his focus. The air elementals reduced one of the oni facing them into a pile of Tengu nuggets, and Zhustin redirected one to go after the Typhoon Guard who’d just cast the spell at Sawyer.

On the other side of the building, Bella and Shinjiro were facing five samurai. One was still suffering the effects of Zhustin’s earlier Confusion spell, and stabbed one of his buddies in the back. Bella really didn’t need his help, and within moments all were bleeding out in the mud. Shinjiro had seen the splash when Nicki hit the ground, and now he could see the sorcerer lying in the muck, as his Invisibility spell faded for lack of a will to maintain it. Shinjiro rushed to his side, and forced a healing potion down his throat. For a long moment it seemed it would be to no avail, but then Nicki began to choke and cough, and drew a ragged, gasping breath.

The Tengu facing Sandoval stabbed him with its katana, just as Zhustin came around the corner and hit it with an Acid Arrow. The wizard followed up with a volley of Magic Missiles, even as the acid continued to corrode the oni’s flesh. On the roof, the Air Elementals finished off the last of their foes, and one flew down behind Sandoval’s opponent. The shock of the sudden appearance of the humongous elemental was apparently too much for the badly wounded Tengu; it dropped to the ground at the first breath of wind.

Governor Sennaka knew he was doomed. The Slow spell left him moving as if through water, while his foe, Sawyer, was supernaturally fast. But the governor was a man of pride, and he drew himself up to make one final Honorable Stand. He stepped forward to confront Sawyer, knowing the action would leave him open to attack. Sawyer dove in with superhuman speed, slicing apart the governor’s elaborate armor and the flesh beneath. Marie moved in behind the governor, but he ignored her, keeping his glare intensely focused on Sawyer. He managed one mighty swing of his katana, a blow that would have cut a lesser man in half, but Suishen parried the blow. The governor tried to recover, but his limbs moved too slowly. Suishen flashed again and again and again, and Governor Sennaka’s head rolled across the grass to lay beside that of his oni bodyguard.

In the air above the lodge, the last two Tengu saw the governor fall. The Air Elementals were charging towards them, as was Shinjiro, who had leapt up onto the building’s roof. Outnumbered and overmatched, their cowardly nature came to the fore, and both creatures abruptly vanished.

As Sawyer began to rifle through the governor’s belongings, Marie snatched up the two severed heads. “Come on! We’ve got to stop the fighting at the roadblock before too many people are hurt!” she cried, rushing towards the horses in the corral. She leapt onto one of the horse’s back and galloped away, with Bella in hot pursuit. As they rode east, they could soon hear the sounds of battle from down the trail ahead. Soon they came upon the pile of logs the ronin had dropped across the steep trail. Archers flanked it, firing down on the governor’s support troops, while a pair of ronin stood atop the deadfall with katanas and wakizashis flashing; together, they were easily holding back the attackers, who could only approach a few at a time.

When the ronin leader saw Marie’s grisly prize, he snatched it from her, and climbed to the top of the roadblock. “HOLD!” he shouted in a commanding voice. “We wish no further fighting! We serve Sikutsu Itsuru, the governor’s brother. Governor Sennaka is dead!” With that, he raised the severed head, holding a torch before it so all could see his features. A confused murmur arose from the troops facing them. “Sikutsu Itsuru is the new Governor!” the ronin continued. “I know you are honorable men, and Governor Sennaka was a cruel and dishonorable leader. If you pledge your allegiance to Governor Itsuru, he will accept your service gladly, and will give you a leader you will be proud to follow again.”

Marie climbed up beside him. “And if you have any doubts as to the evil of your former governor, this is what he chose to serve him!” With that, she hurled the ogre mage’s head down to the crowd below. The oni’s horns and cruel fangs were clear in the torchlight, and the troops’ attitude became enraged. One of their lieutenants stepped forward. “We knew that Sennaka was a bad man, but we could not believe the rumors that he consorted with monsters. Now we know that we were wrong. We pledge to serve Governor Itsuru!”

The battle averted, Marie and Bella rode back to the lodge, which by now was blazing merrily, thanks to Nicki’s earlier efforts. For his part, Nicki was still chugging healing potions. “Don’t mind him,” Zhustin said in an exasperated tone. “I keep asking him what happened, but he won’t talk to me.”

Ah yes … Nicki’s voice. When the Tengu had fled, it had taken Nicki’s voice with it, and the sorcerer was still mute. Through pantomime, Nicki finally managed to make Marie understand what had happened to him. (To be fair, Marie and the others actually understood pretty quickly, but they made Nicki act out his predicament for quite some time, just for the entertainment value.)

This had happened to Sandoval back at Brinewall Castle, but in that case they’d been able to remedy the situation by killing Kikonu. Now that wasn’t an option, and Marie wasn’t sure what, if anything, would restore Nicki’s lost voice. She tried a Greater Dispel Magic, but he was just as silent as before, so she moved on to Break Enchantment. When Nicki let loose a string of profanities, she knew the spell had succeeded.

The next morning, the group began the return trip to Sakakabe, accompanied by the ronin of the Nine Pawns and the Governor’s surviving troops. When they reached the city, they went immediately to Sikutsu Itsuru to give him the news of his brother’s death. Itsuru sent out word throughout the province announcing that he was the new Governor of Sakakabe Province, and that he had sworn fealty to Princess Amatatsu Ameiko and would support her bid to unseat the Jade Regent and reclaim the throne of Minkai. Within days, most of the daimyo of Sakakabe and Enganoka provinces had sworn allegiance to the new governor, and agreed to join their forces with those of Itsuru and Hirabashi Jiro in revolt against the Jade Regent.

Before they could congratulate themselves too much, Ameiko reminded them that their work still wasn’t done. “We still need to try to recruit the ninja clans,” she reminded them. “They could be powerful allies in the war to come – or powerful enemies. We can’t afford to have them on the side of the Jade Regent.”

It was almost the new moon, the time when they’d been told the leaders of the three largest ninja clans met, so they rode for the port city of Enganoka, several days ride south down the coast. It was a smaller city than Sakakabe, but still as large as any other city they’d seen. In the heart of the city was the Kuroi Yane Market, a large, two-story hall surrounded by a maze of outdoor huts, tents, and market stalls. All sorts of goods were for sale in the area around the market, but the merchants selling upscale items – gems, silks, rare magics – conducted their business inside the hall itself.

Also inside the hall was a restaurant, where the party had been told the ninja representatives would meet. They had no trouble finding it, and after some discreet inquiries were pointed to someone who said he was from the Black Lotus clan, and would be happy to assist them with any contracts they wished to enter into with his clan. It took some doing to finally make it clear that they were not interested in hiring a single mercenary, but instead wished to speak to all three clans at once. But once he understood, he nodded knowingly. “You will come back two nights hence, on the night of the new moon, two hours before midnight. Present this, and you will be admitted.” He handed them a small scroll with a painting of a black lotus flower. “Anyone wishing to meet with the three representatives will have to pay a fee of 100 gold coins each, as a token that they are serious about requesting the representatives’ time and attention. This is non-negotiable,” he added, as Bella started to haggle.

The group returned at the appointed day and hour, and paid their “consulting fee”. The restaurant manager ushered them to a small private room, where three people, each dressed in nondescript gray kimonos, sat cross-legged on cushions on the floor. They gave the slightest of bows as the party members introduced themselves, and then the manager introduced the three representatives, and excused himself.

The first was Ishibasho, a balding, middle-aged ninja of the Black Lotus clan. The second was a much younger man, a half-smile on his face: Hosokaya Kazu of the Dragonshadow clan. Sitting on the end was a plain peasant woman with a thick neck and hard eyes; she was Kondo Yori of the Emerald Branch.

The three sat in silence, clearly waiting for the someone in the party to speak first. Ameiko rose, and presented her case: that she was the legitimate heir to the Jade Throne, that she intended to depose the Jade Regent, and that the ninja clans were rightly respected and feared throughout Minkai, and that she wished to enlist their support for her cause.

When Ameiko finished speaking, there was a long, uncomfortable period of silence. At last Kazu spoke, still smiling. “We are well aware of the return of the last Amatatsu heir to Minkai, and appreciate your objectives. Normally we do not make a habit of interfering in politics. However, the current state of affairs is damaging our business as well. Fear of the Jade Regent and his oppressive policies is, shall we say, dampening enthusiasm for illegal activities, which reduces demand for our services. And the Jade Regent himself does not employ ninja clans, with one notable exception.

“So normally we would be receptive to your offer. Unfortunately, there is one small problem. The Jade Regent has hired a very powerful ninja to assassinate you. This ninja, called Kaibuninsho, belongs to the Oni’s Mask clan, a relatively new ninja clan that is notoriously hard to contact and hire. Kaibuninsho is an exceptionally secretive figure, even for the standards of our profession, and has demonstrated superhuman abilities that exceed those of traditional ninja training. For the past few years, Kaibuninsho has worked exclusively on behalf of the Jade Regent, and now he has been set to kill you. We are honorable men – and women,” (with a belated nod to Kondo Yori) “and it would be dishonest for us to accept your contract knowing you will be dead before we can fulfill it.” Half-smile still on his lips, he settled back on his cushion, making it clear the party was dismissed.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Nicki spoke up. “Your super ninja is dead, and here’s the proof.” Bella anticipated what he was doing and tried to stay his hand, but he shrugged her off and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a small leather pouch, then withdrew the mysterious coin they’d taken from the ninja’s body, letting it dangle from its leather thong.

The appearance of the coin seemed to freeze time. The ninjas’ expressions did not change, but Sandoval could sense that they were each struggling not to let the others know what they were thinking. At last Kazu drew a breath. “The Shinobi Fuhonsen! So Kaibuninsho did possess it. It seems we have underestimated you – we did not believe that even the Ruby Phoenix Champions could overcome the greatest assassin in Minkai.” Nicki replaced the coin in its pouch, and it seemed to require a great effort for Kazu not to follow it with his eyes.

“This changes things then,” the smiling ninja continued. “With Kaibuninsho’s threat removed, we are free to accept your contract. We have discussed the matter, and agreed on a fair price for our services. Each of our respective clans will put our full efforts behind the success of your revolution for the modest sum of 20,000 gold – each.” The party was not nearly as adept as the ninja at hiding their shock, and the blood drained from their faces. Seeing their reaction, Kazu’s smile widened ever so slightly. “Should that prove … inconvenient, we could simply ensure our neutrality – not supporting you, but agreeing not to support the Jade Regent either – for a paltry 5,000 gold. As I said, the Jade Regent has not normally availed himself of our services, but now, with half his kingdom in open revolt, I suspect he might start looking for new allies.

Before anyone could react, Kondo Yori spoke for the first time. The Emerald Branch representative’s voice was a gruff as her appearance. “That was before they killed Sennaka. He was a cruel ruler and oppressed the people. The people are better off without him, and in recognition of his death, Emerald Branch will take the contract for half the stated price: 10,000 gold to support your revolution, 2,500 to remain neutral.”

Kazu’s smile slipped for the first time, and Isisbasho glared at the woman. “That’s not what we agreed!” the Black Lotus representative hissed, but Yori simply shrugged. Kazu regained his composure, and turned back to the party, hands open. “What can I say? Emerald Branch is free to do as they wish, and if they wish to cheapen their services with “discounts”, it is not for us to oppose them. As for Dragonshadow and Black Lotus, our offer stands as stated.

“We obviously do not expect you to have the payment tonight, or even to make an immediate decision. You have until this time tomorrow to let us know your decision, and then we will arrange payment. We trust that your honor will guarantee any agreement you make – as will ours.”

Nicki held up the coin once again (again, batting away Bella’s attempts to stop him). “You seemed kind of interested in this before,” he said, letting the coin swing hypnotically on its string. “Could this serve as payment instead?”

The tension in the room was palpable, and Sawyer quietly loosened Suishen in his sheath, expecting trouble. But Kondo Yori gave a snort. “Emerald Branch has no interest in such filth!” she said with disgust, and that seemed to break the spell. Kazu’s smile returned. “We do not barter our services like merchants trading fish for cloth. You may accept or refuse our offer.” He nodded to the door, and the party knew the audience was over.

As they walked back to their inn, there was a note of panic in their voices as they tried to figure out how much they could afford. A few weeks ago, they’d have had no problem paying the ninjas’ fees; when they’d sold their wagons full of loot in Sakakabe, they’d been rich, truly rich. And as a result, most had gone on epic spending sprees, buying fancy new armor and weapons, or upgrading magical items. Now, they had lots of stuff, but little hard cash. And it was going to cost them 50,000 GP to hire all three ninja clans!

“I think I’ve got a couple hundred gold left,” Bella grumbled. “Oh wait – that was before I paid the 100 GP fee to meet with those bandits!”

“Perhaps there is another solution,” a silky voice said from the darkness. A beggar rose from where he’d been squatting at the mouth of an alley, letting his alms bowl drop and pushing back his hood to reveal a familiar smiling face. It was Hosokaya Kazu, the Dragonshadow ninja. “The Shinobi Fuhonsen is extremely valuable, but it was an … inconvenient time to offer it during our meeting. It would not have been seemly to get into a bidding struggle between our clan and Black Lotus.

“The Shinobi Fuhonsen is a legendary artifact in ninja lore. It is said the god Yaezhing gave it to the very first ninja in payment for his first contract – which was, ironically, to steal that coin, and only that coin, from the horde of a powerful imperial dragon. It would be a tremendous honor for Dragonshadow to possess such an important ninja artifact.

“In exchange for the Shinobi Fuhonsen, Dragonshadow would waive our fee for supporting your rebellion. We would leverage all our resources – spies, assassins, saboteurs, thieves – against the Jade Regent. Quite a bargain for one bronze coin!”

The group entered into an intense discussion. All their efforts to Identify the coin’s powers had, surprisingly, failed, and Nicki suspected it had some mind-controlling abilities, so they were all leery of trying to use it themselves. Kazu’s offer was very tempting – but what would the reaction of the other clans be? At last they looked to Ameiko, and she nodded reluctantly. Nicki fished out the coin and tossed it to Kazu, who caught it adroitly and slipped it into his pocket (being careful, Bella noted, to touch only the leather thong, and not the coin itself). “Um … you don’t mind keeping this our little secret, do you?” Nicki asked, and Kazu’s smile turned solemn. “Dragonshadow values our discretion as highly as our honor.” Then he bowed deeply to Ameiko. “Dragonshadow Clan is honored to serve you, my Empress. May your rule be long and prosperous!” Then, with a puff of smoke, he vanished.

The rest of the return to the inn was more relaxed, with 20,000 few reasons to worry. But when they unlocked the door to their room, another familiar figure was seated cross-legged on the bed. It was Ishibasho, the Black Lotus ninja! He rose and bowed to Ameiko. “Forgive me, Princess, but I did not wish to speak in front of the other clans.” He scowled at Nicki. “The Shinobi Fuhonsen is an extremely powerful artifact – for a ninja. Black Lotus would very much like to possess it, as it would give us a distinct competitive advantage over our rivals. You would find no better allies than the Black Lotus clan in your fight against the Jade Regent. Our poisoners are without peer, and you will find there are much easier ways to kill a man than on the field of battle. If you agree to hand over the Shinobi Fuhonsen, Black Lotus will support your revolution at no charge.” He folded his arms and waited for a response.

There was an uncomfortable period of silence. They couldn’t very well accept his offer, seeing as how they’d just given the coin to his rival clan. But they were afraid of his reaction, should he find out the truth. At last Ameiko broke the awkward silence. “That is a very generous offer, and we shall consider it seriously. I did not approve offering the coin earlier,” this time it was her turn to scowl at Nicki, although mostly for show, “and I’m not sure we should favor one clan over another with its possession. That might be a decision better made by an Empress than a princess, don’t you think?” Ishibasho bowed. “As you see fit, your highness. We will await your decision.” Bowing again, he left (with no theatrics, by the door).

Oh boy. What had they gotten themselves into now?

The PCs earned 17,828 XP for defeating Sikutsu Sennaka and his guards, putting them at 354,862 XP, with 445,000 required for level 14. We’ll be at Rich and Joette’s next Sunday. In two weeks we likely won’t meet, as Roger, Joette, and Rich will all be missing, and in three weeks I probably won’t be available.