The manor house is small and smart but equally miss-matched - not inelegant (it is the home of a crane samurai, after all) but the riverwards side of the neat rock garden has old, gnarled bonsai trees dotted aesthetically here and there, whilst the side closest to you is merely artfully raked gravel and a few larger stones. The nearest wall of the house looks distinctly newer, as well.

Walking slowly but purposefully up the road towards Aruzhan is a fellow samurai. She is relatively young, wearing armour almost identical to the ashigaru sentries at the village gates - in this case softened slightly by a sky-blue silk sleeveless tabard worn open to knee-length over the top, decorated with stitched cranes on either lapel, and a plain copper hair ornament folding several locks of hair over a very nasty-looking scar across the right-hand side of her jaw. She is carrying her full daisho, and if she is not scowling, she is not smiling either.

"Back to your stalls!" she snaps, and the crowd of heimin who've been milling in the nearby scuttle away into the side-streets or back toward the market square, grumbling as peasants are wont to do.

Drawing herself up several paces in front of Aruzhan, the samurai-ko bows (quite respectfully, given that she is greeting a trio of ronin), but the palm of her hand stays resting - casually but firmly - on the pommel of her katana, and her bow is not deep enough that her eyes leave you for a second.

"Honourable Guests." She says, straightening with a slight creak of armour. "Be welcome, if in peace, to Hiuchiishi Ganpeki Mura. I am Koharu no Bunya sano Asahina, and have the privilege to be Karo to the administrator of this village, Ito no Asahina Sora. I regret it is my duty to demand your purposes here on my Lord's behalf."

GM Notes:

((I got 2 successes, 2 opportunity, and 1 strife on the water/courtesy roll.))

Aruzhan returns the bow appropriately, not being too happy about seeing the samurai-ko's hand on her sword, but at least somewhat pleased about being treated as samurai. In her thick western accent Aruzhan replies, "I am travelling these lands on a religious pilgrimage and have stopped in this village to rest and replenish supplies. I am Aruzhan, a shugenja from the west.." As Aruzhan turns to introduce her friends, the embroidered bag holding her jeweler's kit might coincidently be seen "..These are my travelling companions who I met along the road." Aruzhan turns back toward the samurai-ko. She pauses to allow the others to introduce themselves before continuing speaking. "We were just on our way to introduce ourselves to the lord of this village. Please accept my condolences on the recent tsunami that has hit the crane lands.. it seems to have struck this village especially hard, if the recent construction here is a sign."

Of course Aruzhan suspects that the construction she's referring to isn't a result of the tsunami, but she's hoping to approach the subject of the construction without giving away her true suspicions.. and without accidently insulting anyone.

((no government or culture, so TN1 Earth:

; I'll eat the strife and spend the opp to 'reassure another character in the scene' on Koharu. I have no idea if she has any strife, but putting her at ease is something I think we'd all like, especially because I'm about to screw up her position in the Clan. TN2 Water/Courtesy: , , , . Keep success, success/strife, opportunity, add the opportunity from before. Going to use 1 opp to clear 2 strife from myself, and the second opp to kick an opp down the road like before. So I hit the TN2.))

"Asahina-sama," Hekasu says with a bow, having no idea that she's ji-samurai, "I am Hekasu of Nanashi Mura. My master has dispatched me to Friendly Traveler Village in preparation for an event he's hosting in the north. And might I offer my condolences on the passing of the great Emerald Champion? His just presence was an inspiration to all samurai of the Empire."

Koharu's eyes widen slightly and she swallows slightly at the news - if noticed, it's clear that no-one was sparing couriers for smaller villages, and this is the first time she's heard about it.

" I...thank you both for your condolences." She responds to Aruzhan and Hekasu. " I imagine Ito Sora-sama would also be grateful to hear your sympathies in person, and I would be honoured to present the three of you to him. But, no. We were spared the ravages of the Tsunami - devastating as it was, the destruction mostly struck the eastern coast of the island, as I'm sure you have seen. The surge-tide in the river would have caused a little flooding, but the quay was built so that...oh, .never mind." The samurai-ko interrupts herself.

" That ," she says, gesturing irritably back towards the market district, " was from a little under a year ago, during the last rains. A mob of worthless, murderous ro-" she stops abruptly, obviously registering her audience, and corrects herself. ".. .worthless, murderous bandits who decided that a small river port on a border no-one guards was the ideal place to sit out the rains. Making them leave cost us dearly; we fought our own petty battle of Toshi Ranbo here in the rain and the mud of the warehouse quarter ."

"Asahina-san." The large ronin bows deeply enough for a great clan samurai. "Sorry to hear of your troubles with ... bandits. It must be a comfort that that you have put that difficulty behind you. And that the village has erected strong walls. Please, I am Yoshi no-Kaze. I assure you I entered with good will. And perhaps a hope of finding employment. Maybe with a merchant about to travel...or with resolving some other difficulty that is too small to trouble your honorable self with..."

((Not really sure if that even needs a roll. If things are tense enough I suppose it could be a Water (2dice) Courtesy (1die) check ... but really Yoshi is just "saying hi" and waiting for some "gambit of negotiations" to begins...Yoshi/I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that we're not really on the edge of combat despite the gripped sword.))

"As I say," Koharu answers, "I am sure the administrator will be grateful to hear your sympathies in person. If you follow me to the mansion, you can refresh yourself from the road before I present you to him. As to some work...if you have some armour rolled up in that travelling pack of yours, I might well be able to make good use of a samurai of your stature, if you and your companions are willing. It is not urgent, however, and we can discuss it after you have spoken to Ito Sora-Sama. "

Hekasu motions for her to lead the way. "I would be pleased at the opportunity to refresh before meeting Ito-sama."

Mentally, great, I get to be the bearer of bad news. Maybe I'll get to Friendly Traveler Village quicker when they throw me halfway there.

As they walk, Hekasu looks to Koharu, "I admire your courage and skill, to have rallied the guards here and cast out the bandits. Perhaps later you could do me the honor of a sparring match?"

"Of course. of course. Please lead the way. And yes. If its needful I can retrieve my armor from my pack."

Aruzhan also follows Koharu to get cleaned up before meeting with Ito-sama. "I have no armor, but the kami will provide for my defense if necessary."

Koharu bows slightly, acknowledging the request.

"Perhaps. We shall see if time can be made for such, and welcome it if it can be. But I am mostly thinking of instruction for our ashigaru. They...look more impressive than they are...and however much I drill them I suspect they do not appreciate the reality of holding a line against a group of armoured foes."

The mansion would be a sizeable town house in a city - here, the only two-story building in evidence, it almost dominates the village, looming over the far gate towards crab lands, with a second pair of ashigaru sentries standing watch at the main door. They snap their weapons across in salute as Koharu approaches.

"As to the battle, I can claim little credit; it was not only - or even mostly - the town guards who did the fighting, for all that we were left short-handed by their losses, and such as it was Sora-Sama who did the rallying; he was, at the time, karo to the previous administrator and I was his deputy. He and his predecessor in his current post called in more favours from their liege than I care to think about and temporarily redirected a full guntai of Iron Crane bushi en route somewhere else to run them off."

Taking you inside the older wing of the mansion, Koharu politely shows you along a corridor lined with a beautifully painted silk-screen showing an older rendition of the village - unwalled, and with the mansion and warehouse undamaged - to a series of rooms where you can wash and change. She notes that the newer wing contains the town watch's armoury, and that the quartermaster " would be happy to sharpen your swords for you ", and says that she will present you to the administrator once you are ready.

PART 1

"Of course Koharu-san. Thank you for the courtesy. It is possible that my blades have not been seen to by a professional armory since I was on the Great Wall." Despite the relative lightness of his words, Yoshi's lips press together as he takes a moment to very formally and reverently remove his Daisho. And then hand it over to Koharu. It's not anywhere near as complicated as something like a tea ceremony ... but there is still an element of ritual to Yoshi's movements. Which he finished with a small bow.

((...other people might might have something else to say or do here...))

PART 2

When Koharu is out of ear shot. Yoshi gets cleaned up and changes into his dark grey ceremonial robes for the audience with Sora-sama. But he takes a moment and mummers softly to the other two ronin before changing, "Interesting how even the farmers here flavor their food with Gotei spices, eh? They ...." Yoshi pauses a long beat, "...must be quite prosperous in this town to afford such things. I always understood that the Mantis usually ship their spices through the Yasuki lands, where they pay tariffs." Yoshi waves one hand at the mention of tariffs, as if the whole commerce thing is vaguely unsavory and not something he really knows much about. "Despite the ... bandits ... times must be good here."

PART 1

"A most gracious offer, Asahina-sama," Hekasu says, never having been corrected. "I would be honored for a artisan of the Crane to see to my grandfather's soul." He departs briefly to turn over his katana personally, then rejoins the group at the bath.

PART 2

Hekasu washes, taking extra time to clean his hair and brush it out with a sandalwood comb. While brushing, "I've never had those spices before, but it was a very pleasant change from the bland food I've had throughout most of my journey."

He then uses the comb to tuck back the right side of his hair behind his ear, leaving the comb in as a decorative accent. He dresses slowly and purposefully in sea-glass and sand colored ceremonial robes, ensuring each layer lays properly before donning the next. He finishes with an omamori adornment and a quick prayer to Benten.

"Well, I do hope that means the town has a friendly relationship with the Yasuki, or at least mutual friends. That is the next leg of my journey."

PART 2

Did I hear that? Hekasu really say friendly with the Yasuki?!? I guess its not impossible...

"Oh. Yes. I hope so too."

Aruzhan unceremoniously hands her wakazashi over for maintenance. She then partitions off a section of the bath-house for her own use, although she continues to converse with the men. "The scent of the food was.. certainly.. interesting. It reminded me of the food we had back at the temple, but historically haven't the relations between the Crane and Yasuki been strained? I wonder why it should be any different here."

((P.S.: Her "partition" is made of her blanket and some towels tied to posts in the bath house. Unless of course the bath house is already partitioned more appropriately.))

Koharu, along with a couple of servants who materialise unobtrusively from a side door, respectfully take your blades and head towards the armoury.

The mansion's bathing rooms are small but pleasantly appointed, with fresh air and clean water drawn from the river but filtered clean through a reed pond in the sunny central courtyard and then fed through a stone wash-stand not massively dissimilar to that one might find outside the door of a shrine. It is also - Aruzhan notices happily - slightly less chill than the river itself as a result.

One you have had a chance to dry yourselves off and put on your finery, Koharu meets you back in the silk-screened corridor, and leads you around the back of the house to a large room.

One side of the room opens out east onto the courtyard from a different side, with the morning sun streaming in, whilst the floor is made up from tatami mats edged in a rich blue. A spray of flowers can be seen in each corner in a large porcelain vase, and a low table set for a tea ceremony sits in the centre of the room. The walls are simple paper and bamboo. On the far wall, three tapestries show the Crane Clan mon, Asahina Family mon and a third which is presumably either the Ito Vassal Family mon or Sora's personal heraldry. Opposite the opening, a daisho stand displays a damaged-looking old katana set in a very simple bamboo hilt, along with a heavy chest locked with iron banding, whilst behind you a couple of shelves hold a selection of books and art prints.

A shoji door slides open on the far side of the room and an elderly-looking man enters. He limps detectably, but walks without support. A servant following him bows and steps back, closing the door after herself. Koharu bows.

"Ito no Asahina Sora-Sama." She says ."These" - she gestures at the three Ronin - "Are Aruzhan-san, Hekasu-san, and Yoshi no Kaze-san. They are passing through the village and wished to pay their respects."

"Thank you, Koharu-san." The administrator responds, coughing slightly. "As ever, you are of great help. Do not let me detain you; I am certain their arrival will have interrupted one of the many things you manage without ever bothering me. I will send Ozi to let you know once we are finished here."

"As you wish, Ito-Sama" Koharu bows again to Sora, then to the Ronin - glaring only very slightly over a fixed smile - and excuses herself.

"Please," says the administrator, drawing a deep, slow breath and gesturing at the table. "Sit. Though I fear it may take me a short while to do likewise, so please, do not trouble yourself to wait for me."

GM Notes

Well, fitness is the only one I have, so I'll do that, with air: [blank],

, , . I'd like to use subtle observer, if applicable, to reroll the blank and an opp/strife. If okay, those rerolls are: , . I'll keep one opp/strife since I don't have enough success. Spend the opp to "learn another character's demeanor and current strife" on Ito-sama. If the reroll is okay, I'll keep both non-strife opps and use the air double-opp spend to learn an advantage or disadvantage of Ito-sama. I don't have perform or Tea Ceremony, and only Void 1, so I shouldn't lead the tea ceremony.

Hekasu bows properly low to Ito-sama, then appropriately to wish Koharu farewell, and then turns back to Ito-sama. "Good morning, Ito-sama. I am Hekasu, a servant of Nanashi Mura. Thank you for your courtesy and welcome."

((I guess I'll try the void roll for the tea ceremony. I really want this to start off well so I'll use my void point for an extra die, which probably saves me as I end up with 2 successes, 1 opportunity and 1 strife from the role, using the opportunity to negate the strife. I'll also make a water + Aesthetics roll and I get 2 successes and 1 opportunity.))

Aruzhan appreciates the room's aesthetics quickly looking through the art prints and finally stopping to appreciate the flower arrangements before she hears the door slide open. As the old man enters the room, Aruzhan nearly snaps to attention, but she soon relaxes again as introductions are made. When invited to sit, she flops gracelessly to the floor with her legs crossed like some barbarian, but as the others take their places at the table Aruzhan kneels appropriately. when it seems that no one else is in any hurry to lead the tea ceremony, she takes the lead herself. Having no ceremonial clothing, Aruzhan is wearing the same unicorn style garments she normally wears, though they are freshly cleaned and stitched. Despite her rougher traits, Aruzhan performs the tea ceremony with dignity and grace.

Yoshi bows deeply to Ito-sama and is all too happy to let Aruzhan take the lead in the tea ceremony. "You are most kind. Ito-sama. Please I am Yoshi-no-Kaze" Yoshi settles to one side with one last look around.

I have a rank in Sentiment. Yoshi takes a moment to attempt to take in a first impression. Yoshi rolls (Air(3)Sentiment(1). I get an explosion and end up keeping 3 successes & 1 strife.

Yoshi ... well the spices and recents attacks are "interesting" ... so he will also survey the surroundings with an eye toward anything consistent with smuggling spices or any other "criminality." I roll Water(2)/Skulldugary(3) & keep 2 Success & an Opportunity (I'll remove 2 strife...Aruzhan is blessedly doing the heavy lifting during tea - Thank you Aruzhan! - And even better I feel I may soon be eating at Ito-sama's expense, if things go well!).

Ito Sora bows and takes the tea as Aruzhan passes it to him. He breaths in gratefully, and sips gently, complimenting the Unicorn samurai on the quality of it before returning the cup to her so that she, Yoshi and Hekasu can sample the blend. After all three Ronin have drunk, rather than clean out the cup, the village administrator takes it back, picks up two small lacquered bowls with what look like precisely-measured quantities of some sort of herb one by one, taps them carefully into the tea and swirls the cup gently, then drinks the remainder of the cup. He smiles - slightly forced, suggesting the resulting drink is far from pleasant - and places the tea cup back on the table.

After the tea set is cleared away, a servant replaces it on the table with a small tray of candied sweets and small cakes, each individually wrapped in waxed rice paper marked with their contents.

"Please, help yourself - or take some with you, if you would rather." Ito Sora says. "A samurai of the waves should never pass up the chance for good food, as one never knows when it will come again. Consider them an apology for a dishonour hopefully avoided."

He shifts slightly, a carefully composed expression showing he is trying not to wince as he does so.

"If your welcome to Hiuchiishi Ganpeki Mura was less than warm, please do not judge those who live here to harshly. It is the way of those lower in the Celestial Order to have short tempers and long memories, and I think it particularly distinctive of the Heimin of this region - on both sides of our border with the Crab clan - that they tend to their grudges until they die of old age, and then send the carcass to the Bunrakumin to be stuffed and mounted. The news of Ronin arriving unannounced in the village will have brought back old fears and opened old wounds. Had my Karo not intervened, I fear some...ugliness...would have occurred."

He pauses, suppressing a deep-sounding cough, and produces a small silk cloth from his sleeve, wiping his mouth and folding the now-badly-stained cloth in on itself and placing it off to one side.

"I am certain she was the spirit of courtesy in speech and action. I am equally certain you did not feel especially welcome despite this. Koharu of the Fields of the Morning Sun is a loyal bushi of the Crane Clan, and is very protective of both my rapidly dwindling dignities and of this village, which - if someone were to think it a failing - is one eminently suited to both her current and imminent duties."

The administrator smiles, and after a few moments of careful appraisal, selects one of the cakes.

"It is my understanding that you are merely passing through this village. If you will pardon the slight, this is good. I do not doubt that you mean no ill but one need not intend trouble to cause it; it is the way of things that people hold their grievances against one group of Ronin with all, and see every samurai of the waves as trouble merely looking for a place to happen - or for someone to happen to . But nevertheless, whilst you are here, you might well be of assistance in my duties, and once you leave we may be able to help one another, for in completing a task for me I might be able to make the next stage of your journey somewhat faster and more pleasant. It is my understanding that at least one of you plans to travel south across the border into Crab lands."

He places the cake on a small plate etched with the unidentified mon on the wall behind him and begins delicately unwrapping it.

"But before the dreary matters of government, for today I am a host and you are my guests. Eat and enjoy, and distract me briefly with some news of things beyond this hamlet in an obscure corner of the Empire. Koharu warned me some of your news is very dark indeed."

Hekasu gratefully takes a sweet, hardly being selective, and pops it into his mouth. After chewing thoughtfully, he nods. "Hai, Ito-sama. I gauged by Koharu-sama's reaction that my condolences were unexpected as the situation was unknown here. I wish it could be otherwise, but Doji Satsume-kakka has passed from the mortal world to join the honored ancestors."

Ito Sora sighs, bowing his head slightly. "And may the heavens receive him with the honours he deserves, and bless his successor - I assume the Emerald Tournament has yet to be held. It has been a few weeks since the last merchant travelling near the capital passed, and Hiuchiishi Ganpeki Mura is hardly so important as to receive Imperial couriers with such news. How did the Emerald Champion die?"

When offered sweets, Yoshi gives a small nod/bow and takes a small cake and sets it off to the side. He picks another from the middle of the selection to eat immediately.

Yoshi waits calmly through the important talk of the passing of the Emerald Champion. including explanations of how he died before sharing gossip from the wall. He nibbles on his cake.

(Ah, a little breakfast at last. I hope there is more coming from where this came from...)

"Would that I had an answer. Apologies, Ito-sama, but I do not know. The Ruby Champion had yet to make an official announcement the last I was aware, and it wouldn't do to credit any of the rumors that inevitably swirl around important events."