as told by the cavalier Olmas Lurecia himself.
Starday, 25 Desnus
It is hard to believe that all the drama with the prisoners happened before noon had even passed. But we had made a point of starting while it was still dark, so it only made sense that we had most of the day ahead of us yet. Even taking 4 hours for some people to recover their spells put us only at 1:30 or so.
We set Nehali to task looking for returning parties. The aerial surveillance would likely give us ten or maybe even fifteen minutes advance notice to prepare for them. From what the prisoners told us, we might see 3 or 4 parties return.
However, all we saw was one wounded horse return. That’s it. Qatana healed it some, and Radella spoke with it, learning it was the only one that survived. Apparently Jiro had been very successful at attacking the raiding parties. Three or four parties, and all that’s left is a single horse. Wow.
While waiting, Dasi did his blood thing on the weretiger. We learned … well, nothing new but it cost nothing to try. The weretiger was female and (surprise) a ranger. She was obsessed with how we “took her fortress”. I guess that was a little surprising – it’s no more hers than ours – but whether her position was from arrogance or ignorance I guess we’ll never know.
Word was sent to Jiro and he will come to the fort with Hatsui and Ameiko (and the others in his party) by more mundane means. I understood that Ameiko was hanging back to talk with Jiro, but it hadn’t been made clear that she was going to be in active battle. Humph.
About 3:45, Qatana went with Kali to retrieved Koya and the seal. They all had to windwalk back, of course, because the seal could not be teleported. Hatsui and about ten recruits arrived not too long after that, and Jiro, Ameiko, and their party about an hour after that.
We already knew that we, as scions, apparently could not open the vault. Ameiko, as Prime Scion, we thought might have a different effect. But no, she didn’t. It wasn’t until, with some trepidation, that we took the seal out of the warding box and Ameiko tried again while holding the seal that we were successful. A circular portion of the floor opened outside the room, and revealed armaments, including the family sword that Jiro had mentioned.
Given how nervous we were, we’d arranged ourselves very particularly, expecting an oni or twenty might teleport in as soon as the seal revealed itself. While that didn’t happen, Kali did detect scrying just mere minutes after it was unveiled, and utilized her previously-prepared anti-magic field to block it. But now they knew. They knew. Their worst fears were still true … a true heir still lived and would be a significant obstacle to their stolen throne.
Inspecting the weapons, Dasi confirmed the antiquity of the swords in the revealed armory. I caught a glance at Jiro and tried not to smile. As Dasi performed the analysis we’d so often asked of him, it escaped him that the best means of identifying the authenticity of this find was already in the room, and had in fact already validated it. The look on Jiro’s face was one that registered a mix of astonishment and mild anger. It clearly said, “What? REALLY?”
But seeing all this transpire, Jiro turned to Ameiko and bowed, accepting her as the eventual Empress. And became a fount of helpful information.
He reminded us that simply announcing an heir wouldn’t necessarily throw everybody behind her. We needed to fan the flames of rebellion before striking at the target, so that we’d either have massive support or, at the least, have few others opposing her. He outlined three key factions we needed behind us or neutralized.
One was the military. While they were currently firmly on the side of the Regent, there were plenty of indications that support was not as strong as it appeared. In particular, the local daimyo, Sikutsu Sennaka, had few on the military who supported him for any reason other than honor. The daimyo and the Regent both seemed unfamiliar with maintaining and growing military careers, and plum assignments and promotions were going to the wrong (in the minds of some military leaders) people. Seeing those undeserving individuals disappear or actually die might make many in the military feel things had improved … so long as they also felt this improved their chance at recognition and promotion. It would require the right timing, and the right people, and so would probably be one of the last groups we’d win over.
Another was the merchants. They were chafing under the Regent’s regime, again largely because their traditional role (and the wealth that went with it) was not being honored. Trade with other provinces was disrupted by squabbles and taxes. The decrease in income was keenly felt, and roundly hated. While this group was not as well armed as the military might be, they had other methods at their disposal. Economic pressure – who they bought and sold from and to – might prove as wounding as a sword. They also knew of ways to get into markets – be that countries, harbors, or buildings – that they might be willing to share. That is, once they believed.
Lastly was the ninja groups. While ninjas tended by their nature to be a bit reticent and difficult to access, if they didn’t have some way of contacting them they’d have no business at all. Jiro mentioned there had been four main groups: the Black Lotus, the Dragon Shadow, the Emerald Branch, and the Ruby Crypt. Recently, though, in perhaps the last few decades, a new order had appeared: Oni’s Mask. The other four considered the newcomer to be ruthless (even for ninjas) and without honor, which ninjas are fanatical about. Helping restore the order may be a welcomed option. Jiro was not so bold as to predict we would get allies, but even a promise not to interfere would be welcome aid.
To touch base with the merchant faction, Jiro advised us to make an appointment with a high level geisha, O-kuhaku. She was considered a geisha with sufficient connections that, were she to support us, we’d have a decent chance of both contacting and winning over the merchants. Take a nice gift, he advised, so that you don’t wait a month to see her. She is in Sakakabe.
To reach the ninjas, we would need to approach their council. They meet once a month, on the night of the new moon in Enganoka. We could learn more in the Korrang Market.
We definitely had our work cut out for us. The geishas were first on the list, since the new moon is some two weeks off.
Based on all this, Zos and Kali would teleport back tomorrow to get his cart and our horses, including Kasimir.
Sunday, 26 Desnus
As promised, Zos and Kali left in the morning. They rolled in around 11pm. The cart and the horses will stay at the fortress because most of our travels will likely be by windwalk or teleportation in the near future.
We have great concern about leaving the seal here, right where it was last detected, but it would be even more foolish to take it with us. In the end, Qatana and Ivan fashioned a place for it deep within rock using Stone Wall and Stone Shape. It’s now not accessible to anyone who doesn’t know exactly where it is and either is willing to undertake a great deal of physical labor, or has the capability to use magic to reshape the stone again. It’s about as safe as it can be, and arguably safer than it was before.
Because Jiro was fascinated by the idea that magic could compel a person’s direction in life, he offered the remaining prisoners quick and merciful death, or magic by Qatana that would compel them to a new life. They all chose the latter, so Qatana placed them under a Geas that had them serving Jiro. I had said that if Jiro passed this judgement upon them I would be fine with it and I will honor my statement but I have to admit it does still bother me. I can’t really explain why.
Moonday, 27 Desnus
With Qatana’s generosity, we all received windwalk and proceeded to Sakakabe. In windwalk we move much faster than normal, but it still took most of the day. We materialized outside the city so that we could walk in normally like any other group of travelers.
I am used to seeing social orders in a society, but in this town they are physical. The most prestigious actually live higher on the hill, and that’s where we will find O-kuhaku. We discussed what roles we should play – probably “supporters of the true heir” were not positions we wanted to emphasize just yet.
Dasi – merchant leader. His knowledge of Minkai made him a natural choice.
Kali – advisor to Dasi. Having a woman in this role might raise some eyebrows but at this level, it’s likely nobody will raise the issue.
Radella, Ivan, and myself – bodyguards. Allows us to openly take our weapons most places.
Qatana – spiritual advisor. While a legitimate position, t made me smile. I think few merchants have Groetus advising them.
There were armed guards at the gates to this upper crust society, but they were willing to let us in to spend money.
First up was shopping. We did not yet look the part. Several of us, and I’ll include myself in that, were dismayed at how flamboyant the garb was.
And thankfully, our fine gift for the geisha got us an appointment late the next day. We could get this all started.
And on a down note, in the late afternoon, Kali quietly announced, using codespeak, that we were being scryed upon again.
Toilday, 28 Desnus
The guards this time were a bit more surly; they seemed reluctant to let us in even with ‘fine garb’ on us. But Kali figured out that they responded well to 10-15gp in ‘tips’ for their fine work. At that point, they agreed that we did, in fact, seem fairly harmless.
We had some tea at a tea house while waiting for our appointment. Kali again pointed out, partway through our tea, that we were being scried upon. It lasted, she noticed, more than 15 minutes which, she said, made the scrier a pretty powerful mage.
Eventually 5pm rolled around and we, in our garb and in our roles, went to see the geisha. Dasi tried to gently ease into the topic of a possible heir returning, but he was going too slowly for Qatana who eventually burst out, “we plan to overthrow Sikutsu Sennaka, and Jiro suggested we enlist your help.” Although this demolished irreparably several layers of protocol, it did get her attention.
She slowly offered that one of her girls, O-siyumi. Unfortunately, she’s gone missing, and she would like our help in finding and retrieving her. Sigh. Everything around here is tit for tat, quid pro quo, and I don’t even understand those words.
Against her better judgement, she may have gone to visit a local pearl merchant on his private island north of here. He is apparently obsessed with her, which doesn’t bode well. Strangely, her uncle is some sort of turtle-man … I must admit my mind wandered here and I must have misunderstood. Perhaps he is a turtle hunter? Or maybe just very shy (doesn’t ‘come out of his shell’?)
Anyway, tomorrow we will windwalk there and investigate. We are doing most of the overplanning tonight, the night before, in an effort to be more efficient tomorrow.