Session Report: 20 November 2020
On the Threshold of Dreams
General Summary
In this session of Tsuwamono, the following events transpired:
Home Is Where the Hearth Is1559年11月15日: 13:00
Yakisoba Yashiki
Historical Entry: Home Is Where the Hearth Is
By cutting an indirect path around the side of the arena, Maxim and Fubuki (currently disguised as Hospodar Mikhail) were able to bring their dangerous cargo back to Yakisoba Yashiki without actually taking it through town. The Eerie Tree had actually been quite docile during their journey. However, that didn't excuse the risk they'd be taking by bringing the thing which had effectively killed Aotsuki Tsukamoto into a major population center. So, while it took a little longer, the two opted for the safer option. When they did arrive at the front of the Yashiki, both saw that the door was still open and the yard still scuffed up. That seemed to speak to Mikhail himself still being asleep, but Maxim caught something on the edge of hearing. Carried by the soft wind, he could just make out someone humming a lullaby from inside the manor. That could be just the person he wanted to talk to, so he resolved to check it out. First, they had to do something about this tree. Carrying the planter around the side of the building and into the courtyard, they found the spot where Ryūzaki Sanosuke had ripped this tree up and tossed it into the sky. It was already filled in, a result of Fubuki burying Roberto Fernández there after his mighty duel with Maxim. Not really knowing what the tree wanted or needed, Maxim merely plucked it out of the planter with his enormous strength and plopped its roots down on the freshly-churned soil. Those arboreal appendages dug deep into the dirt, anchoring the Eerie Tree there as its "face" adopted a serene expression. If the creature had any complaint about being planted over a corpse, Maxim couldn't make it out. With their good deed finally accomplished, Maxim and Fubuki dusted their hands, figuratively and literally, and moved on to checking out the source of that humming within the manor. It didn't take them long to find. Moving down the familiar rooms and hallways, they found themselves in the red-curtained sitting room. As Maxim suspected, Kenas-unarpe Kamui was there in her mockery of a maid's uniform, cleaning up the very blood she'd spilled from Fubuki's veins. The bloodletting goddess acted remarkably casual for having been locked in mortal struggle with one of them mere hours before. Soon, Fubuki realized that this was because he was still disguised a Hospodar Mikhail. Kenas-unarpe thought her boss was in the room. Dropping the disguise, Fubuki elicited a hyperbolic reaction of shock from the Kamui, who then dropped that act almost immediately. She appeared more tolerant of their presence than actively hostile. Maxim took advantage of the situation to drive to the heart of why he wanted to speak to her. With a bit of baiting and a bit of coercion, he hinted that he had some particularly dangerous prey to hunt, and might be convinced to invite her along. Although Kenas-unarpe had fed quite well recently on Fubuki's abundant "vitality," she still hesitated turn down such an offer. Eventually, Maxim decided to drop the name of his target, learning in to whisper: "Honda Tadakatsu." Perhaps it was the patronizing way Maxim had been spinning his line, or perhaps it was simply because he presented his neck so temptingly by leaning in like that, but Kenas-unarpe went for the kill. She bit down forcefully on Maxim's exposed jugular, and only the sudden appearance of Hostimentum cloaking his body prevented him from sharing Fubuki's fate. The two backed off from each other again, the Kamui hissing for a moment before regaining her composure. By that point, it seemed the deal had soured. Kenas-unarpe wasn't interested in whatever hypothetical meal Maxim was dangling in front of her, and didn't even know who Honda Tadakatsu was to begin with. She invited him to visit with her later, alone, in a secret place to talk about it in more detail, but both Maxim and Fubuki immediately saw that for the trap that it was. The pitch-black maid shooed the two out so she could get back to work on cleaning the manor, and our heroes allowed it to happen. Back in the foyer, Fubuki decided to take* her leave. Throughout the exchange, she* had been communicating telepathically with the clan's Daimyō, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, and now sought to join her* elsewhere. Maxim, meanwhile, stalked out to the back rooms of the manor. When he reached the organ room, with its plush carpet and towering pipes, he slammed a fist down to the floor in frustrated rage. His plan to recruit extra muscle against Honda Tadakatsu had fizzled out. While he remained like that, head and fist down in anger, something caught the Knight Commander's eye. In the nearby hearth, almost unnoticed, a small ember had sparked to life and was now burning merrily. Maxim stood, rage momentarily overcome by curiosity, and walked over to investigate. As he approached, the spark grew into a flame, then a blaze, then exploded. A wave of soot and char washed over Maxim, blotting out everything else in the room. Although he raised his arm in time to protect his face and eyes, his clothing was now in dire need of a wash. There in the hearth, where the ember had burned moments before, crouched a girl. She boasted dark hair, sooty white clothing, and a wooden mask of exotic make bound to the side of her head by a piece of red thread. After her coughing fit subsided, she finally was able to speak to Maxim. Apparently, he was the reason she was there. The girl seemed almost as confused as he was, but explained that she'd noticed him having a bit of a hard time, and so had popped out to make sure he was okay. As for who she was and where she was from... she had a hard time answering. People used to call her Fuchi, of that she was pretty certain. Apparently driven only by the desire to see Maxim feel better, Fuchi promised him a gift if he'd cheer up. Once his initial protestations were waved aside, Maxim admitted that he favored two-handed swords like the one he'd brought from Albion. To that, Fuchi stuck her hand back into the hearth, which lit up like a furnace. After fishing around in the dancing flames for a moment, she returned with a black iron sword bigger than she was. Staggering a bit under the immense weapon's weight, she passed it on to Maxim. He took it cautiously, taking time to examine the Hearthforged Zweihander. It seemed of decent make, and extraordinarily dense even for its size. Near the base of the blade, a signature read 長曾禰 虎徹, "Nagasone Kotetsu." This was as fine a gift as anyone could expect from mysterious girls crawling out of hearths, so Maxim made certain to thank her. Before Fuchi could reply, however, the fireplace belched ominously, then blasted out another violent fountain of soot. The poor girl in front of Maxim took the brunt of this explosion and he was able to avoid any more damage to his clothing by simply taking a step back. When the dust subsided, both Fuchi and a new arrival were coughing up a fit near the hearth. The woman who had just crawled through the "door" left open was something to see. She was dark of complexion and taller even than Maxim, with burning red hair and a burnish to her skin. With an enormous smithing hammer swinging about, she crawled out of the too-small hearth and stumbled to her feet before accusing Maxim of stealing her work. She could only mean the greatsword little Fuchi had pulled from the fireplace, which meant this was probably Nagasone Kotetsu herself. Maxim professed honestly that he was just as confused as she was, but at the same time felt quite taken with this new woman. After seeing his towering, muscular form, Kotetsu's own frustrations subsided. Neither of them quite noticed as Fuchi edged back guiltily to the hearth and vanished inside. Maxim was certainly big enough, and that sword would obviously be devastating in his hands, so it'd be a waste if he didn't keep it now. Kotetsu looked a bit defeated as she admitted that. She wasn't happy about how this had all ended up, but at least she'd found someone worthy of wielding her weapons. Apparently, the smith had been working quite happily away when a small hand had popped out of fire in her forge and nabbed one of her weapons. Naturally, she'd crawled in after it, and that's how she'd ended up... wherever she was now. Maxim was able to help with that, at least, and offered to escort Kotetsu back to Shimonoseki while the two chatted. The other accepted his offer, and the two found their way out of Yakisoba Yashiki into the chill autumn air once again. At that moment, Maxim got an annoying ping from Yoshitakatomo inviting him to some adventure in the Dreamlands, but he had more important things to do. Kotetsu occupied his whole interest as she described a bit of her past. Working originally for Ishida Mitsunari of the Oda Clan, she'd quit that job after the general's embarrassing defeat against Aotsuki Tsukamoto at Ōtsu Castle. Then, she'd gone to Fukui and gotten by making commissions for nobles and samurai, but her heart wasn't really in it. What Kotetsu really wanted was a job from a big name in Japan, someone she could hitch herself to and really do something with her skill. That opportunity had come recently from Mōri Motonari, who had her working on a secret project on the outskirts of Shimonoseki. Maxim listened politely and interjected only with his own experience of meeting Ishida Mitsunari. As the sun passed its zenith in the sky, the two continued to chat amiably on their way down the road into Shimonoseki.1559年11月15日: 13:00
Ise Grand Shrine
Historical Entry: Laying the Groundwork Oneiric
Somewhere in the myriad halls of Wakigami Castle, Princess-Daimyō Hashinara Yoshitakatomo received word that her* two retainers, Hosokawa Gracia and Matsumoto Hiei had traveled to Ise Grand Shrine to await her* arrival. Before leaving herself, however, the many-lived necromancer had some telepathic business to manage. The reports of a Hound of Tindalos hunting one of her* allies had troubled Yoshitakatomo. She* now reached out to Matsumoto Ooawagaeri to clarify the details of what had transpired. From the Black Blade's testimony, Yoshitakatomo learned that the creature did indeed seem to have a weakness. Ooawagaeri, in his guise as Fubuki, had almost discovered it thanks to Kan Shōjo's counsel and Maxim's quick thinking. They hadn't had a chance to test their theory, however, due to the untimely interruption of Dōhan. To hear that her* rival necromancer, even in his stolen Shōta body, had been involved surprised Yoshitakatomo. It occurred to her* that the ancient oni patriarch may indeed possess some knowledge of these "Ryōken" or how to ward against them. For now, her* main purpose was ending the threat. To that end, Yoshitakatomo devised a plan by which they would bait the Hound into appearing, then fall upon it with their allies at hand. It seemed that the other Cardinal Generals were currently busy with their own pursuits, however. With just Yoshitakatomo and the Black Blade alone, she* wasn't entirely convinced of their success against a creature which had nearly wiped all traces of itself from history with its relentless ferocity. Assured by Ooawagaeri that the monster would not stop until either he or it were dead, Yoshitakatomo began to consider alternatives. If the thing would follow them even into the realm of dreams, perhaps they could leverage the uncommon nature of that plane to their advantage. So, ensuring that the Black Blade would be accompanying her*, Yoshitakatomo put out the call to all of her generals. She* would be traveling to the Dreamlands to investigate the Date rift from its other side. Any of the Cardinal Generals who wished it could join her* by traveling to Ise Grand Shrine and passing through the portal there. With that, Yoshitakatomo teleported to the shrine in question. Hosokawa Gracia and Matsumoto Hiei were indeed waiting for her* there, as was a groggy Yagokoro Tokuyo, who promptly complained about being woken up so early in the afternoon. Fubuki, with her* retainers Aka no Kitsunebi and Taira no Tokuko, appeared promptly thereafter. Giving the other generals a few beats to respond, but not receiving any answer, Yoshitakatomo reached out and pulled apart space and time, magically creating a rift from Japan to the Isle of Oriab in the Dreamlands. Tokuyo looked on, aghast. If her Daimyō could do this on her own, why had Tokuyo been woken up in the first place?! Yoshitkatomo reasonably pointed out that she* had not been the one to wake the priestess from her slumber. She* then called upon all present to mark the symbol of Omoikane upon their foreheads. This would serve as the key to pass through the membrane to the land of dreams, and she* made certain that Tokuyo would instruct any latecomers to perform in the same fashion. Just as she* was about to step through to Oriab, Yoshitakatomo received a late apology from Aotsuki Tsukamoto. He and his companions would indeed be joining them. What's more, he had an edge of urgency in his voice that spoke of trouble to come. Nevertheless, Yoshitakatomo gave him the briefest of instructions, then passed forth into the Dreamlands.1559年11月15日: 13:00
Ōtsu Castle
Historical Entry: Beyond Rivalry
Once he'd finished hashing out the details with Hayashi Hidesada on her mission to hunt down Ikkyū, Aotsuki Tsukamoto and company opted to accompany her to Inabayama Castle, where she'd begin immediately. Shigeaki Fujino facilitated their travel to Mino Province and also informed Aotsuki that there was someone already waiting for him in the castle's entry chamber. Indeed, shirtless and magnificent, "Master" wasted no time in approaching the young Daimyō as he apparated into the hall. As always, the titan of construction didn't speak. Rather, he pulled forth a map of Mitake from his belt and, with a flourish, stamped upon it a great red "完". Aotsuki could only take that to mean that the town was finished. That was great, because he'd been in talks with Saitō Dōsan about constructing a fortress on the northern border of Mino Province in order to protect against potential assault from the Ikkō Ikki. From not far away, the Big Man himself chimed in with a request that it not be any larger than Inabayama Castle itself. Otherwise, they might as well just move the capital. Aotsuki agreed, noted "Master's" nod of acknowledgement, then turned to Dōsan to ask if there was anything else he'd like added to the prospective fortress. When he turned back, however, the bronzed artisan was already gone. Always a man of business, that one. It was no major matter, as Dōsan could deliver any special instructions, including a temple to suit his size, through the mental network. In the meantime, Aotsuki and Tokku-hime delved into the caverns beneath Inabayama Castle to meet with Kuroda Kanbei. This bastion would have held against even the forces of Oda Nobunaga had it not been for Kanbei's own strategic brilliance. Therefore, while Inabayama Castle itself was quite small, it sat atop a complex network of tunnels which allowed for storage of supplies, ambushes, and a number of hidden escape routes. It was into these chthonic passages that Aotsuki now descended. Ahead of him, the tunnel continued into darkness at a slight but steady slope downward. The sheer size and seeming endlessness of the passage reminded him uncomfortably of his encounter with Ōmukade. Fortunately, he and his wife had no need to delve that deep. Kanbei's sanctum was just on the left after descending from the main floor, easily identified by the polished human skulls she'd used to decorate the sconces on either side of its heavy wooden door. By this point, Aotsuki had learned the value of caution. Rather than sally up and open the door to a wizard's workshop, he first opted to look into Kagami's mirror for any sign of warding. Indeed, the door showed in the reflection with a large, closed eye in its center. Aotsuki didn't know what that was or how to deal with it, so he contacted Kanbei mentally and asked directly for permission to enter. The necromancer gave her leave and Aotsuki approached. To his slight surprise, the door offered no protest as he opened it and entered into Kanbei's sanctum. This room was quite unlike the stony dungeons below Wakigami or Ōtsu Castle. Instead, the polished wooden floor, steepled ceiling, and warmly-painted stone walls gave an impression of homely coziness that even Kanbei couldn't overcome. Oh, she'd tried, with her skulls and bones and instruments of dubious intent. Despite her best efforts, the worst that could be said about the place was that it was a bit cluttered. Aotsuki wasn't there, however, to admire the decorations. He knew that Kanbei was not one for small talk, so he wasted little time in getting to the point of his visit. Ōtsu Castle needed guards to defend it against supernatural threats as well as corporeal, and Abe no Seimei was unwilling to train them. As a strategist and mage of some renown, he'd immediately thought of Kanbei next. With a few follow-up questions, the Inabayama Siegemaster assented to training a basic guard for a mere thousand koku for men and supplies. It seemed she would indeed like something to distract her from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's continued absence. On that same subject, Aotsuki had news about Hideyoshi being sighted in Shimonoseki, but Kanbei said quite definitively that she didn't want to hear it. Indeed, as Aotsuki was about to leave, the necromancer had one more message for him. If he did find Hideyoshi, she said, Aotsuki should inform him that he was no longer made immortal by her magic. That admission nearly shocked Aotsuki into speechlessness. Knowing what he knew about Kuroda Kanbei and that mysterious black box she kept hidden within Don Simeon's ribcage, for her to cancel the spell to which she referred would be no small feat. After regaining himself, Aotsuki studied the other more carefully. Kanbei did not show emotion easily, but Aotsuki had the compassionate insight of Amaterasu herself upon which to call. The light of that sun revealed clearly what was behind an otherwise impenetrable mask. It seemed to Aotsuki that losing Hideyoshi this time had spurred personal growth in Kanbei. She was truly doing her best to move on, but hers was an obsessive nature which did not easily let go of any matter, much less one so intimate. Not sure that his own input would be particularly helpful in Kanbei's internal struggle, Aotsuki instead opted to inform her that he'd be there to help, should she ever need it for any reason. With that, Aotsuki and his wife departed the sanctum. Naturally, Tokku was quite curious about what had just happened. Her curious nature prompted Aotsuki to explain a bit about what had been happening with Kuroda Kanbei, Takenaka Hanbei, and their shared love interest, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Before he could finish his yarn, however, Aotsuki was interrupted by a strained, urgent message from his adviser. Abe no Seimei needed to see him at his soonest opportunity, apparently having received some concerning information about their ally, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo. He had rarely heard his trusted aide to be in such a panic, so Aotsuki wasted no time in getting back to Ōtsu Castle with Tokku. Together they entered the meeting hall where Seimei still rested on the cushion where Aotsuki had last seen her no more than an hour ago. The normally self-assured onmyōji was obviously shaken, so the young Daimyō and wife sat across from her to hear the reason. Finally Seimei explained what had put in her in such a state. Ashiya Doman, her hated nemesis, was indeed active even in this age. Worse, Seimei had received reliable information suggesting that he was being harbored by Hashinara Yoshiyuki, even aiding the Princess-Daimyō in some of her* darker experiments. Calling upon all her sway in the Aotsuki Clan, Seimei bowed her head to her Daimyō in supplication as she asked for his aid in ending this malefactor's existence once and for all. By this point, Aotsuki had gone quite pale. What his adviser was now suggesting amounted to little better than war with the Hashinara Clan. Yet this was a request from Abe no Seimei herself, a friend to whom Aotsuki owed more than he could ever hope to repay. He centered himself, then ventured to ask what Doman had done to warrant such action. Although she wouldn't go into detail, Seimei did suggest that the dastard had sought to usurp her political power for as long as the two had been aware of each other. Once, he had succeeded, removing Seimei's protections during a major crisis and causing the deaths of many thousands of her charges as a result. She would never forgive him. When he understood that Seimei would never be in the same room as Doman without attempting to kill him, Aotsuki instead suggested that perhaps they, and the Lady Hashinara, could meet at Enryaku-ji and discuss matters under the protection of Imamura Naiku's antiviolence enchantments. When Seimei replied, the rage on her face was evident. She made it clear that she did not want to "hash things out" or "clear the air" with Doman. She wanted him dead. That certainly wasn't what Aotsuki wanted to hear, but he still pushed back. What circumstance, short of ending the man's life, would satisfy Seimei? The greatest of onmyōji hesitated, then finally admitted that if Doman were exiled from Japan or, ideally, from Earth itself to another plane, she would at least feel better able to relax. Armed with that less lethal solution, Aotsuki promised to speak with Yoshitakatomo on the matter immediately. His urgency felt warranted, as this was no longer a personal rivalry, but a brewing inter-clan incident that could change the relationship between the Aotsuki and the Hashinara forever. Fortunately, it seemed that Aotsuki would not have to wait long for his chance. Hashinara Yoshitakatomo sent out a mental message at that very moment announcing that she* would be venturing into the Dreamlands from Ise Grand Shrine. Any of the Cardinal Generals who wanted to accompany her* were free to. Aotsuki replied shortly thereafter with an assertion that he would indeed be joining.1559年11月15日: 13:00
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: The Tour Resumed
In the center of his own audience chamber at the Old Ōuchi Manor, Ōuchi Yoshitaka sat with a sake dish raised to his lips and an expression of polite amusement on his fair features. To Ryūzaki Sanosuke, Randi Carter, Takenaka Hanbei, and the rest of the group, the effect was quite eerie. Yoshitaka didn't move a muscle, not to acknowledge their presence, to finish his drink, or even to breathe. Hanbei suggested that his presence here was shocking, but at least explained Yoshitaka's unexplained disappearance that came with Mōri Motonari's seizing of the province. At Sanosuke's request, she felt out the room for any supernatural cause. Indeed, it was as the lame strategist had feared. The entire room was locked under the effects of a Stop Time spell. It was a good thing none of them had yet ventured to enter beyond the threshold. As such an enchantment required relatively little maintenance, this room and its occupant would remain like this indefinitely unless it were canceled. After what had recently befallen one of his allies for his lackadaisical use of time magic, Sanosuke was concerned that whomever had cast this spell didn't know the risks that came of it. For the sake of both Yoshitaka and the hapless caster, it seemed prudent that they break this enchantment. Hanbei, however, had some bad news on that count. A lot of energy had been poured into this spell, and it would not be easy to break even with the right kind of magic at their disposal. So, Sanosuke called on an expert. Hakutaku, as it turned out, was not in a position to join him at the Old Ōuchi Manor. She had rejoined with the Hyakki Yagyō in order to enlist their aid in dealing with the massive time disruption caused by the Date Clan's exploitation of their rift. They were currently somewhere in Shimosa Province, unable to provide direct coordinates for a Shigeaki Fujino pickup. Sanosuke was forced to settle for Hakutaku's advice that they should find a way to break it, before the disturbance drew something unfortunate. Fortunately, Hanbei had been growing in power of late. She was now able to see beyond the superficial aspects of spells to the signature patterns that spellcasters left beneath. That meant that, should she witness other magic from the same person who laid this spell, she'd be able to identify them as the caster. This didn't seem like Matsumoto Ooawagaeri's work, and he knew Hakutaku had an alibi, so that meant there was at least one more individual with access to Time magic out in the world. Considering the circumstances, it seemed likely that they belonged to the Mōri Clan. After taking a moment to recall who their contact in the Mōri was, Sanosuke reached out to Kikkawa no Myōkyū. That onna-bugeisha of the clan responded in her usual bubbly way. She apparently did not know much about the fallen Ōuchi Clan, but was as usual in Mōri Motonari's presence. At Sanosuke's behest, Myōkyū asked her wife about the matter. In a short, enigmatic reply, Motonari passed on that Ōuchi Yoshitaka was alive and safe, but that she couldn't go into any more detail at the moment. That information seemed to confirm that it was a Mōri mage who had locked poor Yoshitaka out of the flow of time. However, as Hanbei warned him, if they were to break the spell now through whatever means, Motonari was surely cunning enough to know that it was Sanosuke who had done so. For the moment, the Silver General settled for calling upon some of his subtler channels of information. Through such means, he learned that mysticism within the Mōri Clan followed ancient Oni tradition, based largely in two sub-organizations. The first was the Hannya Sūhai, a group which included the white-masked priestesses and waifish, crystalline general who tended the arena's infirmary. Second was the Hayashi Family, historic owners of the Iwami-Ginzan Silver Mine. According to Sanosuke's sources, the Hayashi were not as skilled as the Sūhai at keeping their actions secret. Indeed, it was known to more than just he that their patriarch, one Dōhan, was currently possessing the body of Shōta for his own ends. However, despite the efficacy of his network, Sanosuke was not able to learn of any specific person within either organization's ranks who was able to wield time magic. That left his next step clear, if distasteful. Sanosuke needed to have a meeting with Shōta, or the person who was currently wearing the brat's body. With a murmured apology to Yoshitaka, the Silver General prepared to take his leave before being interrupted by another urgent telepathic message, this one from Ishikawa Goemon. Earlier in the day, Sanosuke had tasked the Virtuous Thief with sending one of her agents to the Hira Mountains in order to track down Ryūzōji Takanobu. That same agent, not more than a few hours later, had come back in a box. He was alright, Goemon assured Sanosuke, but didn't remember what had happened and now boasted a swollen lump on the side of his head. Once again, the Silver General was pressed to turn to his unseen sources for information. Through those channels, he learned of an "Oji-san of the Mountain" who helped villagers of the Hira Mountains with their harvests, trained those who were worthy and, most importantly, defended them from outsiders. That sounded quite like a certain individual he knew from the Court of Sutoku, so Sanosuke relaxed a little. It would be prohibitive to put eyes constantly on Takanobu at the moment, but he could rest easy that she was at least in good hands. With all that settled, there was little left to do for the moment except continue Randi Carter's tour of Shimonoseki. Leaving the manor by the same way they entered, with a conscientious ghost sliding the lock back into place, Sanosuke and company descended the cliffside road once again and made their way toward the Alexandrian Embassy on the other side of town. Their journey, as before, proved fairly uneventful. The streets were packed with locals and foreigners alike, but nobody of such distinction that they caught Sanosuke's eye. Randi seemed to be enjoying herself, at least, with appropriate vocalizations of wonder at the various ships docked at the harbor as they passed through. Soon enough, they came up the westernmost road and arrived at the Embassy proper. This building was more magnificent in the day than Sanosuke remembered from his last visit. The architect seemed to have designed it specifically to catch the sunlight and shadow in specific ways to make the structure's fine carvings and towering pillars all the more inspiring in their form. Standing guard outside this time was not Dame Blanca Garcés de Navarre, but Xenophon's shorter, stouter form. While Sanosuke hadn't interacted with this particular specimen of Alexandrian knighthood, he recalled seeing her in the box opposite at the tournament. More than once, she'd raised her voice to comment or protest on the standards of the competition. At the moment, she appeared quite subdued, wearing the vacant-but-alert expression of guards everywhere. When Sanosuke approached, she hailed him with relaxed formality. They were here for Randi, primarily, and so the Silver General let her take the stage for a question which had been gnawing at her. The pink-mopped sprite wanted to know if their temporary host had ever heard the name "Othéa." Xenophon considered for a moment, then proved herself quite the scholar. Othéa, she claimed, was a goddess who appeared in some poems by Christine de Pizan. She was unable to finish, because Randi cut in with an exclamation that Christine de Pizan was exactly who she was looking for. Apparently, she'd known Christine in the Dreamlands, where the poet acted under the Dreamer name of Othéa. Unfortunately, as Xenophon put forth, a meeting between the two was currently impossible. Christine was, to her knowledge, still somewhere in the Enlightened Republic of France far across the sea. Randi, however, seemed satisfied with just knowing that her friend was out there in this world as well as the other. She wasn't quite done yet, however. Despite Xenophon's reluctance on the subject, Randi wanted a tour. The stoic guard eventually agreed to let Randi and one other person inside. Sanosuke's full group, of course, could not enter due to security reasons. Having little interest on seeing the interior himself, Sanosuke put forward the invitation to anyone else in their party. Byakurei and Takayama Ukon refused immediately, not wishing to leave his side. After a beat more, however, Tanegashima Shigetoki broke her usual silence to express interest. That was settled then. Xenophon led Randi and Shigetoki inside while Sanosuke was left without to receive yet another mental update from the clan. This time, it was Ōtomo Sōrin who had business to report. With the help of Shibai, she had successfully created an illusory disguise of elegant accuracy for Katō Danzō. It was so fine, the illusionist claimed, that only someone who had intimate knowledge of every guard in Odawara Castle would have any reason to doubt their infiltrator. With that part of the plan finished, it fell to Danzō to complete the rest of the task. Report given, Sōrin then awaited Sanosuke's orders.Rewards Granted
- Various Elan bonuses and penalties—see Secrets
Character(s) interacted with
- Abe no Seimei
- Byakurei
- Eerie Tree
- Fuchi Kamui
- Hakutaku
- Hayashi Hidesada
- Hosokawa Gracia
- Ishikawa Goemon
- Kan Shōjo
- Kenas-unarpe Kamui
- Kikkawa no Myōkyū
- Kuroda Kanbei
- "Master"
- Matsunaga Hisahide
- Nagasone Kotetsu
- Ōtomo Sōrin
- Ōuchi Yoshitaka
- Randi Carter
- Saitō Dōsan
- Shigeaki Fujino
- Takayama Ukon
- Takenaka Hanbei
- Tokku-hime
- Yagokoro Tokuyo
- Xenophon
Created Content
- Hearthforged Zweihander
Comments