Session2

A desecrated monastery and a challenge

Takeyoshi? and Ryou, the two Crane samurai on the road to the Tournament of Fukurokujin at Toshi Ranbo, were not the only samurai? staying in the heimin village of Coatang? that night. Independently Akodo Haraku of the Lion Clan and Isawa Bin of the Phoenix Clan had also found a bed for the night at the simple village. Roused by the shrieking caused by Tsuru?'s passing beyond Ningen-do? the four samurai greeted each other formally and soon discovered they all had a common purpose: to reach Toshi Ranbo before the Tournament of Fukorokujin. All of them were aiming to become the city's Emerald Magistrate.

The following morning, after a simple but hearty breakfast provided by the villagers, they agreed to travel together to Toshi Ranbo; neither Haraku nor the Crane thought it appropriate to mention or dwell upon the troubles that had driven a wedge between their two clans.

After travelling for most of the short early spring day, the travellers came finally to the Monastery of White Petals?, a well known stop along the road. However, the doors were wide open –unusual at this time of year when the winds were bitingly cold- and the incense burner outside was cold, dead.

Upon entering the monastery, the four travellers found a scene of devastation, the temple at the heart of the monastery had been in a state of disarray; discarded food, clothing and broken cups littered the floor and a stench of filth and decay hung in the air. Amongst the debris, propped against one of the temple's many pillars was a body; a ronin by the look of him –shaved pate, mismatched armour and katana? in his hand- lay dead and decaying, a look of abject terror on his face.

After giving a blessing to the Fortunes, Isawa Bin joined the two Crane in exploring the rest of the monastery while Haraku, shocked to see a holy place in such disarray, began to tidy the temple.

It soon became clear that the Monastery of White Petals had been the scene of some horrendous crime; the monks bodies were found piled up in the garden at the back of the Monastery and a scruffy and distressed ronin was found out of his mind in one of the dormitories. It was also clear that the spirits of at least one of the dead monks had not left the realm of the living. In a small dojo? at the rear of the monastery, bokken practice swords, flew from their stands at the investigating samurai and injured the Phoenix shugenja who then went to assist Haraku tend to the temple.

Takeyoshi? and Ryou then encountered a gaki –one of the hungry dead– who was screaming for revenge against a ronin named Hideyoshi?. This spirit of Gaki-do? was incensed and insisted that the samurai take his revenge, threatening Akodo Haraku that his soul would be forfeit if he failed.

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