Session 25

Players present:

Mike: A Changeling Monk who seeks to find his own meaning of life and enjoy it to its fullest. A linguist.

Aayadin: A male Centaur Bard who believes life is precious. A historiographer.

Quick Jump (Wolf): A male Shifter Rogue who shifts personalities as well as appearances. An etymologist.

Bastion: A Warforged Artificer who does not eat. He seeks the mystery of his own soul. An artisan.

Hiwany (Winky): A young female Gnome Ranger who loves mother earth and all who inhabit it. A friend.

NPCs:

Hantei Asuna: True heir to the Hantei line. A young princess traumatized by the death of her Father and betrayal from her childhood friend. Disguised.

Ash: Son of Yaru the Spear. 15 year old boy being trained by Orca to be a future leader in Kozakura.

### Party in Yamasura

After banishing the angry Earth Elementals and making safe the western pass, the villagers and merchants had only one option available to them. Celebration! After being trapped in one town for so long, half starving, and desperate for release, the village unmasked for that evening. Drinking and singing with reckless abandon. Mike was the last reveler enjoying the night. The merchants of Phoenix were so grateful to Orca that they gave them bottles of sake from their home clan. They also warned the Orca about avoiding the haunted forest of Morikage Toshi, Forest Shadow City. A magical grove had sprung up there many months ago but the forest around it had died, its people having to flee. There was one name of unknown origin associated with the grove, "Selena." Kitsuki Yuikimi bid the Orca farewell and traveled back to Shiro Kitsuki with her mountaineers.

### Yamasura's Blessing

In the morning, the Orca awoke to find a multitude of gifts in front of their doors at the inn. The villagers of Yamasura did not have much to give, but nonetheless did their best to provide clothes and survival goods for the Orca on their journey. Clover the goat even received a gift of custom earmuffs and a warming face mask. With the blessing of Yamasura, the Orca departed north as heroes to the sister city of Heibeisu.

### Travel to Heibeisu

Only a few hours of traveling north, Quick Jump spotted a rockslide blocking the path. Fearing a trap, the tank Aayadin proceeded forward proclaiming loudly, "Hello it is me Aayadin! I am here quite vulnerable hoping not to be ambushed!" (DM's Notes: I asked Aayadin to roll deception on which he rolled a Critical 1 and proceeded to step in a hole and fall prone. This actually added to the effect of him being vulnerable.) After not being ambushed, the party approached and investigated the rockslide. It seemed to be made from the same spirits that blocked the western pass. Quick Jump, with the aid of his owl familiar, spotted a possible way around the rockslide. But the Orca opted to clear the rubble for future travelers. Aayadin, Winky, Ash, and Quick Jump cleared the rocks for the entire day while Mike and Asuna, "worked on their archery."

A day's journey or so from Heibeisu, the road suddenly began caving in under the weight of Aayadin and his slightly-overloaded cart and started sliding down the cliff along which it was built. Bastion called upon the forces of earth to summon forth a wall of rock to stabilize the road and ensure it was secure.

### Anteishima, Spirit of the Mountain

Traveling further north, just on the outskirts of Heibeisu, the Orca spotted a pack of Ibex led by a majestic spirit creature. (DM's notes, at first it was a mountain ram. But after learning that Brooke's character hated sheep, and after Sterling realizing that a sheep is very different from a goat, it was retconned to an Ibex.) The Orca engaged the spirit in conversation learning that it was the spirit of the mountain range, Anteishima. He had been watching their progress, defeating the angry earth elementals and clearing the pass despite having a method to go around. Anteishima asked Aayadin, "why did you clear the road?" to which Aayadin said, "it was blocked," then turned to Bastion and asked "why did you fix the road?" to which Bastion replied "it was defective." Anteishima was impressed with the Orca's commitment to the land and offered to travel with them. Winky accepted the contract and the Ibex charged down the mountain merging with her Wakizashi.

### The Sushi Master

Upon arriving in Heibeisu, the Orca learned that a magnificent sushi meal was about to start. This meal, orchestrated by 94-year-old Ono Jiro, takes place once or twice a year with reservations being taken years in advance at a cost of 100 koku per seat. Upon arrival, it seemed two seats were empty. Mike quickly donned his ceremonial kimono and infiltrated the meal as a diner. Orca was shocked when, shortly after Mike sat down at the table, Hantei Aizen arrived and took the last seat. Hantei Aizen did not recognize Orca's presence, distracted as he was by the repast. Mike explained the meal as having "made life meaningless" as there was now nothing left in the world for Mike to accomplish, having surmounted the peak of culinary delight--until Mike learned that he could put in two reservations for next year, at which point he declared "my life's purpose is to be here next year".

### Something Fishy in Heibeisu

The Orca Clan arrived from Yamasura to give news that the southern pass was now open and cleared. However another possible crisis awaited them. The water flow from the western river was being steadily depleted for unknown reasons. Ono Jiro sent his son, Ono Yoshizaku, to investigate the disturbance but he hadn't returned. The Orca Clan scaled the mountain to discover the water in the lake is unable to flow downstream because of a spiritual disturbance. They met Ono Yoshizaku making camp on the lake and witnessed a ghostly reenactment during the Naval Battle of Dragon's Spine. The Orca Clan discovered a small makeshift shrine and used the Cursed Biwa of Reanimation to speak with the spirit interred there. The Ghost of Yoshitsune rose from the shrine and attacked the clan, testing their mettle and taking out his frustration upon them. Eventually defeated by a critical strike from Quick Jump, Kitsuki Yoshitsune explained that his spirit cannot rest due to his failure at the Naval Battle of Dragon's Spine. The Orca Clan returned to Heibeisu to speak with Ono Jiro and learn the fate of Kitsuki Yoshitsune's battle. It was revealed that the battle was actually won, thanks to Kitsuki Yoshitsune's dying order. "We are at the height of the battle! Don't stop beating the drum and tell no one of my death!" Kitsuki Jiro, son of the admiral, donned his father's armor and beat the drum so morale would not be lost. With the final chapter of the battle revealed, Kitsuki Yoshitsune was put to rest and waters began to flow once more. Ono Jiro told the Orca Clan to call on him and he would prepare a Heroes' Feast.