Secrets of the Jade Regent

During the party’s time building alliances in Sakakabe, O-Sayumi tutored Sandoval in the mystical powers of the Samisen of Oracular Vision. The samisen's three silken strings are magically keyed to the past, present, and future, allowing a skilled performer to use the instrument to cast Legend Lore, Scrying, and Divination. Intent on aiding Ameiko’s rebellion, Sandoval used the instrument to learn all he could about the Jade Regent and his inner circle. While there are many limitations on what he could do (not the least of which is that the Imperial Palace is warded against scrying), he was able to pry into secrets known to no other mortal.

The Seige of Seinaru Heikiko

“So if we hire the Emerald Branch and Dragonshadow clan to support Ameiko, but only pay the Black Lotus clan to stay neutral, it should only cost us 15,000 gold,” Nicki was saying. They were debating the economics of accepting the ninja clans’ offers to support the rebellion, and the cost wasn’t cheap.

“Sure, no problem,” Sandoval moaned. “Except I’ve only got 87 gold pieces left.” He remembered a time – not that long ago – when 87 gold was more wealth than he’d ever seen in one place. Now, he felt like a pauper. Although, this new Robe of Scintillating Colors was pretty snazzy.

“You worry too much, cousin!” Sandru laughed, giving the bard a hearty slap on the back. “I’ve got people selling all that stuff you took off the governor’s men. By the time we get back to Sakakabe, you’ll be rich again!”

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.

Ambush!

“Trust me,” Bella was saying for the umpteenth time, “people are in their deepest sleep two or three hours after midnight. That’s when we should strike.”

“But I worry if we wait too long, the ronin will get worried and drop their barricade before we go,” Marie countered (again). “Those falling logs will make enough noise to alert both the village and the governor’s compound.”

“Can’t they just shut the fuck up???” Nicki moaned to himself as he rolled over in his bedroll and tried to stuff his fingers deeper into his ears. This group rarely had the luxury of making a plan, but when they did it usually devolved into this sort of unending debate about hypotheticals that they had no control over. Nicki had been listening to this for hours, and if he had to listen to it much longer, he’d go crazy.

The night sky was heavy with clouds, and thunder rumbled in the far distance. “And I don’t like the look of this weather,” Marie continued, looking up. “We don’t want to launch this assault in a thunderstorm. Nicki! Stop yelling!”

Assassin!

After rescuing O-Sayumi from the clutches of the necromancer, Yugureda Shosaito, the return trip was something of a celebratory parade. They took the geisha into the marsh to see her “uncle”, the Wise Kappa. He was overjoyed to find that O-Sayumi was safe, and thanked the party profusely. Then they went to the monastery where she’d been raised. The monks were overjoyed to find that O-Sayumi was safe, and thanked the party profusely. At last they returned to Sakakabe and the Kiniro Kyomai Teahouse, where O-Kahaku and the other geishas were overjoyed to find that O-Sayumi was safe, and thanked the party profusely. By the time it was all done, the party was kind of getting used to being showered with praise and thanks instead of ambushed and attacked.

The Deadly Necromancer

O-Sayumi and her mysterious older companion knelt motionless on the floor of the room at the end of the Shadow Maze, as everyone stood around her and wondered what their next step should be. They’d been on a mission to find the missing geisha, and technically they had, but they weren’t sure it would constitute “Mission Accomplished” to return her to the teahouse sans soul. Her samisen had been found in the next room, and Marie had confirmed that it was extremely magical. On a whim, Sandoval picked up the instrument and began to play, hoping it would have some effect on the frozen women. The bard was surprisingly proficient with the unfamiliar instrument, but the haunting tune he picked out fell on deaf ears as far as the two women were concerned.

The Shadow Maze (part 2)

Bella sat on the floor, her back against the cold wall of the subterranean maze, as Sawyer pushed the curtain aside and stepped through. She was sick and tired of being ignored, of being taken for granted. She knew she’d figured out the clues from O-Sayumi’s inro, but would they listen to her? No. She’d warned them that this was the wrong way to go, that they needed to backtrack and pass through the green jade gate they’d avoided earlier. But she was just a guttersnipe, what did she know? She wasn’t some all-holy cleric, or pimply learned wizard who could read and everything. The fact that she’d been finding and disarming traps almost since she could walk was worth shit to them. Well fine. They could just go on without her, and see just how well that worked out for them. Without her doing their dirty work for them, they’d all have been dead long ago. She was sure they were walking blindly into danger now – let’s see how long it would be before they were begging for her help again. She’d just sit here and let them beg, and listen to them scream as they died.