I believe that today the gods were trying to teach me a lesson. I am just not sure I know what the lesson was supposed to be. I have never really thought about traveling to other planes but in light of what has unfolded I shouldn’t be surprised if I suddenly end up on another plane. I need to buy more attuned forked for as many planes as I can find. I will likely run into people trying to get back so I should take some extra ones for the material plane.

I just can’t wrap my head around it all. I don’t even no where to start looking. How can you search for something if you don’t know what you are looking for? I tried to get Dasi or Kali to help but they seemed confused by the questions.

Sitting staring out the window a face suddenly appeared nose to nose with me. The familiar green eyes of Remi sparkled as she said “Hey were are going to cheer you up”. I was pulled into the kitchen area to help them prepare food. These previously timid women seemed to be more comfortable being themselves around at least me as I suddenly have 7 bosses. You know you can never get it right when you have 7 bosses slapping your hand when you don’t prepare it the way they want. Yea I admit that it took me awhile to break out of the fog and realize that they were just doing it to cheer me up. Hanging around them reminded me that things are not that bad.

Hatsue arrived and I took her to meet the women. When I asked what to do about these women she said “either death or some form of poetic justice”. What the hell. Well it appears that Hatsue was more concerned with the raiders then these women. Somehow she thought I was talking about the raiders even though we were standing near the women. Luckily I don’t think they heard Hatsue. When I asked Hatsue about the women for a moment it looked like she was going to express anger about them being abused but that look quickly faded. Maybe she was just pretending to care just to make it look good. Apparently common folk are beneath her as she did not give any appearances that she cared one way or the other.

I learned that she is a follower of Irori. I told her about this irori thing but once she found out I was not a devoted follower of Irori I was no better than the common folk that she sees as beneath her. The fact that she was passionate that the ronin should have killed the Daimyo and then himself shows she can be passionate but it seems as if the fate of common folk are not worthy of her time. I have no reason or willingness to talk with Hatsue any further. She seems to get along with Kali but that is not surprising as Kali continually strives to become one of those important people in the world. Too bad most of them just walk on the backs of others to get ahead.

Irori if you are listening then I shouldn’t have to tell you the obvious. I am not exactly sure what you really wanted from me but I think it might be better if you found someone else push your agenda forward. It is just a thought but maybe you should use one of your devoted followers. I have heard those that claim to be good to use the phrase “for the greater good” as justification so you should be able to manipulate your followers with the same justification. Why is it that you don’t have faith in your own followers?

Zosi when to get his wagon so I had a couple of days to enchant Dasi’s armor. I just told Dasi to pay me when he has the money. No more strange conversations over the last couple of days. I can’t figure out if the two things are related but I don’t see how they could be related. Unless Hatsue has talent for planer travel I just can’t see any way that these are linked and I definitely wouldn’t take her with me to another plane.

We made it to the city of Sakakabe and the first thing we have to do pretend to be upper class. Qatana refused the clothes and found her own clothes. Going from a black to a grey is a big step for Qatana but she still looked out of place compared to the rest of us.

Kali has been getting really freaked out about someone scrying on Ameiko. She keeps saying someone is going to teleport to us and that we have to hide. I wonder if it wouldn’t just be better to let them teleport to us so that we can deal with it. Ameiko seems to be tired of playing the baby doll and looks to be ready to join in on the fight. A leader that just hides until the danger is over does not deserve to be the ruler. If she dies and resurrection doesn’t work then she was not meant to be the ruler.

We had some time today so I got some shopping done. The first weapons shop was mostly empty except for a middle aged man who was trying to decide which dagger to buy. He had small paintings of his daughter and son in-law that he was setting next to the daggers to see which one would look best. The price they agreed upon was why too high and I noticed that his weapons were more for show. I decided to try another shop.

The next shop had exactly what I was looking for. The shop keeper was very helpful and I didn’t have to wait for some rich guy to figure out which overpriced daggers to buy. I actually spent more time showing his 13 year old twins Shachi and Tashasho the how to properly use a shortbow than I did shopping. His wife showed up and immediately started sharing the latest gossip. When she took notice of me she introduced herself as  Yukarumiko and continued with the gossip without missing a beat. So besides getting my purchases I now have some useless information on the latest gossip. I realized that the shop keeper never had a chance to introduce himself.

Next was the magic shop which was empty save for a hooded woman barking out the things from her list to the two shop keepers? The shop keepers a man and a woman were hastily bring ingredients out from the back room and placing them on the counter for their customer to inspect.

I walked up to the woman and said “Those are interesting ingredients”

Still looking at the ingredients on the counter the Woman said “It’s none of your business. By your looks you are just here to find some brutal new weapon”

I replies “Nope I am here to look through the tuning forks for planer travel”

She turned towards me and said “Wait, what. Did you really say planer travel?”

I Replied “Yes of course”

The woman barks out “You there girl bring the tuning forks for planer travel”

Without hesitation the shop keeper dashed off and returned moments later with a box full of the tuning forks for planner travel.  She introduced herself as Midori and pulled back her hood to reveal the scars on her face. For the next hour or so we sorted through the box of forks making sure to set aside the forks that I did not already have. As I put aside a new fork Midori would describe with great detail information about the plane for that fork. I am not exactly sure why she was so enthusiastic about planner travel but having someone help me sort through the tuning forks made the job a lot easier

I asked about the scars and Midori said “One of my alchemy projects didn’t go as I planned.”

Midori looked at me and barked out “I suppose you are going to be like my father telling me that a woman should know her place in the world. And that these scars are not becoming of a lady.”

I simply replied with “Sounds like to me that you have already found your own place in the world and I find the swirling of those scars a little mesmerizing”

Midori replied “I know another shop that might have more tuning forks”

I followed Midori through the streets to the seconds shop. We found a couple of additional tuning forks that I did not already have.  Midori talked about how she would love to travel to the plane of air and see one of the metal spheres in person.

Midori wanted next to go to the tavern for drinks and more discussion on planner travel but I told her it would have to wait for another day as my companions were waiting for me. I also told her that I may not be in town long but when I get back we can have that drink.

I made my way through the streets and back to the others. It occurred to me that the gods must have known that both Midori and I must have needed someone to talk with and forget about our own troubles. It is clear that I am never going to find the one plane tuning fork that I need.

The strangeness of the day continued as we met with O-Kohaku. O-Kohaku is a geisha that owns a teahouse in the city that is supposedly very upper class. I found Qatana’s tone and aggression towards O-Kohaku a little bit creepy. I know that is who she is but I noticed back at the fort that Remi and the others seemed a little uncomfortable around her. We were lucky that O-Kohaku did not take exception to someone in the role of a servant speaking to her in that tone.

Ok what the hell is with all of these followers of Irori? Now we find out that the wise Kappa is also a follower of Irori. Kali acts as if this is really impressive but if the followers of Irori were so impressive then why are they allowing the Oni to control their country. We also learned that the woman we are searching for spent time at the monastery of Irori as an orphan.  Kappa seems to talk in riddles so I will just let Dasi and Kali talk with him.

I have decided it might be time to start moving on. Shalelu was in need of armor so I gave Qatata the mithril chainshirt back to her so she could give it to Shalelu. I don’t really need this armor anymore so it makes since to give it to someone who can use it.

For now dealing with the Oni is something that needs to be done, I am still not sure about this Jade regent stuff.