The Scene of Tomoteru's Murder (Part 1)

Criminal Activity

Following the wan figure of Akechi Mitsutoshi, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, Ryūzaki Sanosuke, and Takenaka Hanbei proceeded down two floors and across one building to the late Takayama Tomoteru's quarters in Owari Castle. The scene inside was a grisly one. Otherwise prim, neat, and clean, the room's center was now dominated by an enormous magical sigil, drawn in dried blood, with Raym's sigil in its center. Tomoteru's body was not present, and Mitsutoshi volunteered that yes, he had seen it removed, and no, he had not seen the old man's soul. That last brought the uncomfortable reminder to Yoshitakatomo that demons sometimes devoured human souls.

Closer inspection of the circle revealed that it was performed with the same persnickety precision as was evidenced in the rest of the room, but by someone who didn't seem to understand the logic behind it. This suggested that whomever had inscribed this circle was following some kind of instructions, rather than utilizing their own knowledge of the occult. Likely this was Tomoteru himself. A simple Telemetry spell cast on the blood confirmed this, showing Yoshitakatomo a vision of the elder Takayama drawing out the circle with blood from his own arm. The late lord had a wild look in his eyes, and his usually-impeccable hair was wild and caked with sweat. These were not the actions of a sane man.   Takenaka Hanbei was able to provide some suggestions to this effect. The Hashinara and, more specifically, the Silver Meteor Storm had "stolen" away both of his daughters against his wishes. They were not being held against their will, but it was still a known point of great contention for Tomoteru. That alone shouldn't be reason for such a controlled personage to lose his grip, but Yoshitakatomo sensed something more. Yes, the perceived loss of his daughters, upheaval in the clan, and the loss of a second Daimyō in such a short time. All this together had the potential to break a man. Hanbei readily agreed that the princess' explanation seemed more plausible.   If, as Yoshitakatomo suspected, Tomoteru was following instructions, then they might still be in the room. He had not had opportunity to carry them away, after all, what with missing both arms and legs. A short search, aided by the princess-daimyō's semidivine auspice, found their target. In between the pages of an otherwise boring treatise on measuring foot traffic across provinces, Yoshitakatomo and Hanbei discovered a folded, yellow, and burnt piece of parchment. It was torn, smudged, stepped on, and scorched, but the document was still readable enough in places to confirm their suspicions. Written in English, a demonic name marked each sigil on the page, reproduced in exacting detail. This was how Tomoteru had obtained knowledge of Raym.   How had he come across such a dangerous item? Hanbei suggested that it may have come from the Palace of the Firebird, and that did indeed seem to be the most logical origin. A name occurred to them in conjunction with that theory: Solomon. Was she involved in this somehow? Was she, as Yoshitakatomo theorized, growing bored enough once again to meddle in Human affairs?