Session 26

Players present:

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.

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.

### Back from the lake

Upon returning to the fishing village of Heibeisu, the Orca Clan searched for an inn to stay the night before their long journey ahead. They came upon a large crowd gathered in front of a middle-class inn. Upon investigation, Hantei Aizen and his retinue were renting out the inn for the night. The Orca Clan, not wanting to appear rude, approached the newly appointed head clerk, Seppun Kihara, and scheduled a meeting with the Emperor for that evening over dinner.

### Dinner with Aizen

The dinner was quite modest, the trappings austere, and took place in the main dining room of the inn. Hantei Aizen and Bayushi Kachiko were both present to meet them. Bayushi Kachiko, the new Daimyo of Scorpion Clan, looked quite fatigued and exhausted. With some gentle prodding from Quick Jump, Hantei Aizen revealed that Kachiko had been busy reconstructing the wards on the Imperial Palace, and that there was further trouble in Ryoko Owari. She called it, "The War on the Rooftops," with multiple factions aiming to control the poppy production and distribution. Hantei Aizen applauded the Orca Clan on their handling of restoring the flow of water to the fish farms in Heibeisu. One of the reasons he was in town was to solve the problem for Ono Jiro. Hantei Aizen constructed a new shrine at the lake's edge and told the town it was on behalf of the Orca clan. Hantei Aizen gave the Orca a new quest to solve the mystery of the Boar Clan and their missing shipments of ore. Quick Jump, with the aid of Aayadin, gently nudged the conversation in the direction of the Teahouse.

"It would be much easier to travel there if we had access to the Teahouse; the teleportation method used by the Ninja."

Bayushi Kachiko responded, "They won't learn it from me or my clan." Hantei Aizen closed the matter at that, but not before giving a small imperceptible wink to Aayadin. The conversation continued for some time about the nature of government and armies in Faerun. Aayadin regaled the Emperor with tales of Kaswan Osseric, the commander of the Army of the North. The Emperor was amazed that someone without previous station was able to attain such heights. Aayadin's goal for the dinner was to leave alive, and his goal was met as the dinner ended and they left to their own inn to sleep.

### The Inn

Hantei Asuna wanted to know everything that happened at the dinner. Aayadin at first suspected she still had feelings for Hantei Aizen, but upon further insight there was something else in her emotions, a spark of calculation and analysis beginning to kindle. Quick Jump found a note on his bed bearing the imperial seal of Hantei. It read, "My apologies for the nature of my bride to be, her hospitality is diminished with the weight of her exhaustion and responsibility. If you wish to learn the nature of the Teahouse, perhaps go see a play at Shiro Nekoma in the lands of Phoenix."

### The Journey Continues

In the morning, the Orca left for the 8 day journey to Fukurokujin Seido; the shrine to Wisdom at the base of the High House of Light. The journey took 8 days over winding paths of sheer cliffs and steep climbs. Hantei Asuna learned responsibility by taking care of Clover the goat and Aayadin the centaur, with the promise of her own pony if she continued to work hard. Quick Jump found a yellow butterfly while successfully guiding the Orca, and Aayadin learned to be Sure Footed by watching the various animals scale the mountain.

### Arrival to Fukurokujin Seido

The Orca arrived and their first interaction was with a man named Rokugo Haso. He claimed to be a tour guide and offered his services for 2 silver bu. He was quickly ousted as a hustler but he gave directions to the village of Fukurokujin Mura where they could find his services if necessary. The shrine was adorned with hand-made crafts and works of art, donated by the pilgrims who had arrived there. Quick Jump left a wooden cage half-open he carved with his own hands, while Aayadin left a poignant Haiku. They witnessed a tattooed monk jump off a cliff, Quick Jump used the wind to fly and followed him down as far as he could before returning to the cliffside. The monk simply pointed to high in the mountains and said, "Find me up there." The Orca also saw a man entering the shrine carrying a beautiful porcelain container. Upon investigation, the man is the town doctor as well as the maker of the finest sake in all of Kozakura, the Tree Weeping Blossom sake. "Which way should we go? The town or the sake?" We all know what Mike would say...