Session15

A victory won and a dark secret revealed

The Crane fought the Lion at the Battle of Mamoru Kyotei Toshi and, against the odds, won. By igniting trenches of oil under the lion units and then using units of spearmen hidden in trenches to crush them in a pincer movement trapping them against the trenches of flame.

Daidoji Ryou led the charge for the Crane and performed admirably, killing a Matsu Berserker with the first cut of the battle and coming out unscathed.

Isawa Bin called in favour of the Crane Clan despite calls that their 'victory' was dishonourable and therefore not valid. Akodo Arasou, daimyo of the Lion Clan summoned Bin, Daidoji Asato, Daidoji Uji and Miya Fumio into an emergency session to 'discuss' the outcome. The Emerald Magistrate insisted that his decision stand as the Crane had fought with ingenuity and used the terrain to their advantage. Arasou swore he would destroy Bin for this cowardly decision.

While this was going on, everyone else retired to Toshi Ranbo where the Crane soldiers were celebrating. During this Daidoji Jodei? collapsed screaming. Moments later a massive oni burst into the room ripping samurai apart like they were rag-dolls. As it stalked slowly but surely towards Jodei, many attacked the beast but caused minimal damage; Togashi Rogi who inflicted the most damage on the beast was horrifically wounded. Once it reached Jodei it eviscerated him and broke his sword and then leapt out of the building in a single bound leaving behind several oni spawn? to keep the survivors busy.

Doji Hideo arrived moments later looking for Isawa Bin, it looked like his men had uncovered maho in the warehouse district. Going to investigate his Yoriki and Doshin found a warehouse with a shattered wall and inside the signs of a maho ritual: a circle of powdered bone, blood on the floor... There was also a tanto (dagger) and an apparently indestructible porcelain mask covered in blood. The guards who discovered the site reported seeing a cloaked figure (in summer?!) looking for something in the debris but he fled when they arrived.

After securing the evidence back at the Magistrate's residence the investigators were discussing the evenings events when they heard a sound upstairs...

Rushing up to investigate they found a cloaked figure holding the locked box in which the mask had been placed. The arms of this person were badly scarred with both old and new wounds. Ryou performed a phenomenally fast iaijutstu? strike but the figure translocated in the blink of an eye. From under his cloak came a voice hollow with pain and regret "What I have done can not be forgiven, it was a terrible accident. However, only I can attempt to undo what I have done, only I can banish that thing back to Jigoku!" Black bat-like wings spread from under his cloak but before he leapt into the night, he turned to look at the investigators and his face was unmistakeable, it was Isawa Satomi...

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