Sayaka (5 strife)

Sayaka sweeps the assembly, curious on who's talking, who's not talking, and if anyone heads of in an opposite direction of someone they should be talking to. " Tell me of your home Yokoi-san. " she said softly after a while, turning towards her Yojimbo. " Perhaps we can have some tea, and you could also tell me about your travels here. "

Yokoi bows to Sayaka. "As Shinjo-sama wishes. I fear telling you about Yanagibashi Mura would not take long; it is a remote settlement on the edge of Matsu lands, in the foothills of the Spine of the World mountains. The only samurai the village ever really sees are tax-assessors and occasional couriers passing through."

At a gesture, one of Hirohide's attendants stood by the wall of the chamber hurries quickly to prepare a tea set on the balcony opposite. Sayaka is slightly surprised to smell a familiar Unicorn blend, but reasons that an organisation as diverse in membership as the Emerald Magistrature must be used to catering for more unusual tastes.

"It lies somewhat northwest of Bieden Pass, where a mountain stream joins the Three Stone River, flowing through an old willow-grove." Yokoi says, as the two samurai walk. "The stream is deep, cold and fast-flowing, especially in spring, and would make it impossible to march quickly along the southern bank between Kyuden Ikoma and Bieden Pass. So, unlikely as the need to do so is given the road on the northern bank, the clan built a bridge as a precaution - and hence needed a workforce to maintain the bridge, a village to sustain the workforce, and a goshi to manage and guard the village."

In the corridor, Bayushi Katsu tilts his head slightly to one side, feigning confusion. "Shinjo-sama?" He replies. "My support is the result of you being the best possible selection for the role. Logically this must be the case, or else we imply the unthinkable; the Emerald Champion has made a poor decision in your appointment."

An attendant slides open a shoji door at the end of the corridor, and you find yourself entering the outer room of a large set of private offices. The walls are covered in scroll shelves, each compartment filled with paperwork and labelled with the names of places, families, or prominent individuals.

"As to the suggestion that I was somehow seeking to manipulate the process and secure advancement to support my own ambitions," Katsu continues, "I cannot think why anyone would possibly think that...."

He glances down, and reacts with comically exaggerated surprise to the Scorpion clan mon on his clothing, as if noticing it for the first time.

"....Oh."

He shrugs, smiling slightly.

"I f you would like me to speak freely, Shinjo-sama, then since you seemed almost enthusiastic about the idea of sticking your hand into a furnace to grab the Castellan's chop, it seemed to be no great cost to me to hold the furnace door open for you. Besides, my clan is best served by someone other than either a Dragon or a Phoenix commanding the garrison. "

An attendant in a scholar's robes leaves the main office and bows to you, proffering a sheaf of scrolls.

"Warrants of authority and written orders for the garrison of Fubuki no Gake, Castellan-sama." She says. "May I ask you to review them, and may I also ask if there anything else you require?"

Shinjo Sayaka (5 strife)

Sayaka closes her eyes as her yojimbo speaks, picturing it before her. " Sounds like a wonderful place, Yokoi-san. " She takes a sip of tea before continuing to ask him questions about his origins, expressing genuine interest. She talks a bit about the tea and how it's seasoned and generally socializes - almost pointedly avoiding topics involving work, until she slips into speaking about the ashigaru, and asking a lot of Yokoi's opinion, while contemplating the answers he gives.

"I think I must be giving the place more than it's due, then, Shinjo-sama." Yokoi replies with a smile. " It is pretty in autumn, though, when the leaves turn red. You can walk for an hour or so into the hills, turn back north and see for miles across the plains, almost to Shiro Akodo on a clear day."

The jisamurai explains - as he had, more briefly, to Umeko, that he was born heimin, in Yanagibashi Mura, " which was about as boring as you might imagine for a restless and ill-disciplined child ". As a boy just turned fourteen he walked through the winter snow to Last Breath Castle and enlisted in the Matsu family ashigaru; the only way he could - legally - get away from the place of his birth.

Some twenty years later, now a veteran with " the odd scar to my name ", he happened to be in charge of the gate sentries when an exhausted cousin arrived at Shiro Matsu through the rain. Yokoi escorted his shivering relative into the castle to deliver a message to one of his samurai superiors that the goshi of Yanagibashi Mura had caught chill and died, and that the same storm had damaged the footings of the bridge. Since there was tension with the Scorpion to the south at the time and no samurai could be spared even if one were inclined to take such a remote posting, and he was known to be from the village, the Matsu had essentially told him " you know what; you go sort it out ", and dispatched him with - to his shock - the papers to show he held the goshi's post and (even more surprisingly) a wakizashi confiscated from some bandit ronin as a more practical mark of his new rank.

He is more than happy to speak about his experiences teaching and leading ashigaru - it becomes clear he had been an ashigaru drillmaster at Last Breath Castle; no mean feat. "The biggest problem, Shinjo-sama, is that ultimately your ashigaru are there because they want to live. Some want to escape their former life, some are there to earn pay to support themselves and their families, some are running away from problems at home, some are conscripts who just want to live long enough to get home in the hopes some other village has to raise troops the next year. A samurai takes to the field prepared - in some cases expecting - to die. Not, perhaps, today, but eventually. We are supposed to be the ones standing between our respective clan's heimin and the enemies and criminals that would threaten them, and to some extent, any time we order them to take up arms alongside us, it means we have failed in some way."

Yokoi also sips at his tea, musing.

"Your ashigaru will need leadership, and will need direction." He sets down the cup, and speaks with a more serious tone.

"The first is a matter of courage: not yours, but your ability to inspire confidence in them. All I can offer on that is to look like you know what is happening and you believe you and they can cope, to look and sound decisive however bewildered you may be inside. Nothing, not monsters, not enemy armies, not the wrath of the Kami, nothing terrifies a common soldier more than the simple belief that their Gunso doesn't know what to do." The jisamurai gives Sayaka a look which suggests a painful memory, but does not explain.

"The second," he continues , "is....a matter of awareness, and juggling multiple things at once. Ashigaru will not take the initiative or follow complex orders - so their Gunso needs to break down what needs doing into many simple tasks, train their soldiers so they become rote reflex, and supervise all of them at once on the field. Samurai can be left to their own devices; Bushido is a set of principles which lets you determine what you need to do. For an ashigaru; there is no such inner debate - they need to obey their orders, and that is it. If the orders are wrong, incomplete, or prove ultimately dishonourable, that is the fault of the officer, not theirs."

After talking to Asahina Midori, Umeko sees that Kitsuki Fuji and Mirumoto Megumi are deep in private conversation, but catches the eye of the second Mirumoto samurai - the last of the four members of the Dragon clan attached to the garrison. He appears to be a bushi, and is smartly if not fashionably dressed. The one notable feature is that he shaves his head in an almost monk-like fashion - though a faint dark fuzz is visible on his scalp, so he didn't do so in his preparations for the evening meal.

The young man introduces himself as Mirumoto Hiramichi, " a humble student of shochu, calligraphy, and the niten swordsmanship form ", who has been " provided the opportunity to develop the latter skill by my Lord, since he feels I have mastered the former too much ".

He compliments Umeko on her kimono, but it's clear he doesn't really know much about fashion and is essentially offering the compliment by reflex.

Shinjo Sayaka (5 strife)

Sayaka takes in the Yokoi's story with intent, making mental notes of most of it. Not offering much in comments, but nodding as he speaks. She hold the tea close to let it's scent fill her nostrails as she memorizes the story, a trick her mother had taught her. Her focus shifts when he starts talking about the ashigaru. He had a point, and she'd never thought about it like that. He was right. They were her responsibility now, an extension of her will. The ashigaru she'd known were in it because they'd chosen it, some were as wild as the tribes they came for, others more... adjusted. They had ridden together, fought together and eaten together and slept together. Almost shared pillows too, but there was something that just felt off with the disparity of power. But what Yokoi was saying was true, they didn't have Bushido to guide them.

" You have given me much to think about, Yokoi-san. I take this responsibility seriously, and I will make sure they feel confident in their gunso. " She up and looks him directly in the eye as she speaks, making it clear that she means every word she speaks. " I would be honored if you would continue to advice me. "

" How do you think Tsume-san will lead? "

"I am now your yojimbo, Shinjo-sama. " Yokoi responds. "If you wish me to help you, I will."

The former ashigaru thinks for a moment, and glances back across the hall at either Ron, Tomuko, or both before answering Sayaka's question.

" The senior gunso is a very...driven individual and I am sure will command in whatever manner she deems fitting. Some would say it might not be appropriate for a mere jisamurai to critique the command style of my betters. Besides, She will be commanding fellow samurai, not ashigaru. The challenges you face are not comparable ."

Shinjo Sayaka (3 strife)

Sayaka carefully observes her yojimbo. " What you say to me in confidence, stays so. " She suspected that her yojimbo still had other loyalties - and it would be strange if he didn't. But she needed there to be trust between them, a bond, even as uneven their relationship was. Perhaps she was thinking this the wrong way, but she hadn't been raised to be a Daiymo, or wielding power in other ways either for that matter. If it hadn't been for her temper and Fumiko, she'd been happily married and managed a household now instead. But this was her duty now. " With your humble beginnings, you do have a unique perspective on things, and I for one would like to hear it. "

Yokoi remains silent for a moment.

" You can draw your own conclusions, Shinjo-sama ;" he says, " Tsume Ron is, as was said earlier this evening, a veteran, having fought in the Crane's occupation of Toshi Ranbo. That action is a matter of record, as are the casualties the ronin and ashigaru forming the Crane vanguard suffered during the storming, and the fate of every samurai, regardless of age, to bear the Goseki name ."

He puts down his tea.

" There is a concept described in Leadership as the 'Forlorn Hope'. The difference is that Tsume were ruthless enough to use it as the first resort rather than the last. Ruthlessness is forgivable in a commander, but when you are ruthless only to expendable vassals and routed enemies, the line between ruthless and brutal blurs."

The jisamurai shrugs.

" Suffice to say that if the Tsume's actions had been those of the Lion it would have attracted severe censure in the Imperial court. The Crane, by comparison, are untouchable - any edict condemning them would need the Kakita Chancellor's permission to even be discussed and would be up to the Doji Emerald Champion to rule on if it were ever to see the light of day ."

Khenbish lets out a small chuckle at the Scorpions' ridiculous reaction to his mon. "I appreciate your candor and good humor, Bayushi-san. And please, in your position as my advisor, I encourage you to always speak freely to me; it can only do me good." The Unicorn turns to his newly assigned yojimbo, "That goes for you as well, Yasuki-san. I am in no position to turn away free advice."

Addressing Katsu again, "It has been made clear that the position of castellan was one others found undesirous. No doubt there are political machinations I'm not yet privy to. If you have further insights, please share. Why would the Scorpion rather a Dragon or Phoenix not be castellan? And perhaps more curiously, why would the Phoenix and Dragon themselves not wish for the position?"

Khenbish nods appreciatively at the attendant and accepts the sheaf of scrolls for his review. He gives Katsu and Keigonin opportunities to speak before reviewing the orders.

There is a momentary glance between Katsu and Keigonin, before the Scorpion nods.

" Perhaps easier to show than explain. Reju-sama? Could I trouble you for a second use of those papers from this afternoon? "

"Hai, Bayushi-san ." Responds the attendant, as Khenbish takes the papers. " I will only be a few moments ."

Katsu thanks her, and moments later gratefully takes three large scroll cases that the attendant returns with. The cases appear quite old. Two are marked with the Miya family mon and the mon of the Imperial Cartographer's office, and the third ornately decorated with the mon of the Emerald Champion.

" Take care with these, Shinjo-sama ," Katsu tells the Unicorn, opening the first two cases and unrolling the antique, faded parchments next to each other on a nearby desk, " they're somewhat fragile - not surprising, being at least three hundred years old. It's a blessing that the Emerald Archives still have these; there are plenty of references to them in later maps but I'm not sure copies of the originals still exist anywhere else, except maybe the Miya libraries in the Palace itself."

The two maps are drawn in differing artistic styles, but look comparable in age and both yellowed maps show a detailled view of what looks to be the same region of northern Rokugan.

"... And this one ," Katsu says, " is even older - and is ultimately the source of the trouble. "

The third case contains a musty-smelling legal document which appears to be a treaty, ornately marked with the clan symbols of the Dragon and Phoenix.

Shinjo Sayaka (3 strife)

" I see. " There was something awfully familiar with the ruthlessness Yokoi described that send shivers down her spine. She wouldn't command like that, would she? " I will be observant on the subject. Thank you for your sincerity. " This put Tsume-san and her choice of yojimbo in a different light. The stable was already in disorder, and they hadn't even broken camp yet. She thought about it, sipping her cup of tea, unsure how to proceed. She'd have to meditate on this, and how to best protect her brother from the possible fallout.

Khenbish had a strong admiration, almost envy, for the Miya and the way they served the Empire. Being a cartographer, or even a herald, would have suited his nature perfectly. He studied the maps closely, in awe of the history.

Scrutinize (Air)/Composition at TN2 with skilled Assistance from Katsu
Roll: Ring : / ; Skill :
Keep: Ring : / ; Skill :
Resolve Explosion: Ring :
Resolve Opportunity: I'm not sure there's anything better to do here than just negate the strife.
Resolve Strife: None, after negation, so I'm still at 5.
Resolve Successes: Two successes! Just barely succeeds.

Following Katsu's lead, Khenbish is able to follow elements of the treaty onto the maps.

The treaty establishes - possibly re-establishes, though there is no mention of what historical event or conflict set it in flux - the border between Dragon and Phoenix Clans and describes a series of geographic features that form points along the border.

As Khenbish follows the border further North up the crackling old parchment, these points become further and further separated from each other as the border gets further from any habitable territory, until he reaches the last two 'markers' - a mountain on the border of the Empire itself, and a lake to the south-east fed by a river emerging from the foothills of that mountain.

".... And that last part, as you can see, Shinjo-sama, is where the two maps interpret the treaty differently ." Katsu says.

The problem is that the treaty doesn't actually mandate how the border progresses between the various marker points. On the map on Khenbish's left, the cartographer has simply shown the border as a straight line between the mountain and the lake, whilst on the map on the right it follows the path of the river connecting the two, sweeping east, south-west, then east again in a broad, sweeping curve.

In answer to Khenbish's question, Bayushi Katsu taps a spot inside the southern curve of the river.

" Chisanryu is roughly...here?...based on where the river running through it joins this larger river. I'm not sure if the settlement post-dates these maps being made, or if it being both established and forgotten about pre-dates them, but I am certain that if a valuable holding had existed in the region at the time, the border in this area would have been much more precise. Certainly the fact that two differing 'official' maps of the area had been allowed to exist simultaneously would have been noticed far sooner. As it js, both have been sanctioned documents referred to in other edicts for so long the bureacracies are no longer certain which one predates or otherwise supersedes the other. "

The importance of the difference between the two maps becomes clear to Khenbish at this point. The right hand map leaves the region where Chisanryu lies inside a westward 'bulge' of Phoenix lands described by the course of the river. The straight line showing the border in left hand one cuts across the path of the river, leaving it southwest of the border, in Dragon territory.

" Meanwhile ," Katsu continues, " Fubuki no Gake is roughly ..." he jabs a spot to the north, "... here ."

This second point is inside the upper, northeastern loop of the river. Again, as Khenbish compares the two maps, it is obvious that it will fall on opposite sides of the border depending on which version of the border is used, but this time the position is reversed - the straight line putting it on the Phoenix side, whilst the path of the river looping east to put it on the Dragon side.

" If one clan agrees that the worthless Fubuki no Gake is part of its territory, by the same logic Chisanryu must be part of the other clan's holdings ." Katsu says. " So - in what must be a fairly unique case - both clans refuse to acknowledge any claim to the region . Which, castellan-sama, is where your troubles leap off these parchments and into practical reality ."

Now duplicated at

https://rpggeek.com/thread/2564687/shiro-damebare/page/1