|
Post by Shiba Kaigen on Apr 8, 2014 3:13:00 GMT
"... Shiba-gunso?"
"Yes, Matsu-san?"
"You don't seriously believe this drivel about a trap door, do you?"
Kaigen favored the young, clean-cut Matsu with a measuring look.
"You don't know me very well, Matsu-san. You are also quite young, yet. I fought things that should not exist at Kyuden Seppun. A trap door is entirely plausible."
And the kitchen staff even got me some sushi! It's been years!
"Now. Check the floor. Feel around for anything that should not be there."
"And what will you do if there is no trap door?"
"Praise you for your insight, write a letter to your taisa praising your level-headedness, and perhaps propose marriage so you can keep me in line, giving you the supreme joy of saying no."
Kaigen cocked his head to the side and tapped a stone in the floor that seemed out of place.
"But I don't think that's likely somehow."
The clan of the Kaiu would not tolerate such poor masonry. So it's intentional.
Kaigen lifted the stone... and winced as the door opened beneath the luckless young Matsu, dumping her into the secret passage in an ungainly sprawl. Highly unpleasant profanities involving the entire Phoenix Clan and their indecent relations with goblins drifted up. Kaigen's On was sorely pressed, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from howling with laughter.
"Are you uninjured, Matsu-san?"
There was a pause, as the young woman collected herself.
"Hai, Shiba-gunso."
"Very good."
He turned to the other two soldiers with him and cocked his head to the side.
"You. Mirumoto-san. Run and inform the watch captain of what we have found. You. Ikoma-san. Stay here and make sure this door stays open. Matsu-san!"
He called down the passage.
"Stand clear, I'm coming down."
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 5:48:10 GMT
This was getting worse all the time, she thought. "Are you just telling me that the Crab clan champion, Reiha-sama's husband, is Kolat," she asked, disbelief showing on her face. "It seems there's a lot more to this then I originally thought," she added after another sip of her tea to get her emotions back under control, "can you please start from the beginning of this issue?"
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 5:55:08 GMT
"Anything can help the investigation," Kasumi said, "but why would you have to commit seppuku? Surely they can't hold you responsible for all this?"
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 6:10:29 GMT
"Some tea would be lovely," Kasumi said, "it always calms me down." She didn't need to say that there was a great need for that at the moment. This investigation had gone from bad to worse with both taint and Kolat involved, not to mention the emerald champion, family of the empress and a clan champion. "And don't worry, I can defend myself," she said, "I've faced goblins, oni and more on the wall. I can handle a couple of normal humans. Besides, killing me at the moment will draw even more attention on this investigation, if such is possible. Now, can you tell me what happened, but the things that lead up to the attacks as what happened the night itself?"
|
|
|
Post by Asako Chisato on Apr 8, 2014 11:06:20 GMT
"No, no, no, now focus, Tsuruchi san. Hida Reiha sama is the crab clan champion now that Hida Kuon sama is the new shogun. I have no reason to suspect his loyalty, and hers, I fear is compromised by the kolat... but kind of under the surface. I have heard what she is called referred to as a 'sleeper.' That her nature as a kolat is a secret even she doesn't know until the word 'bazsuth' is whispered to her."
He rubs his nose and sips at his tea, which his karo refreshes as he puts it back down.
"From the beginning then? A few years ago or so I was a yoriki to an emerald magistrate named Shiba Shoemura, son of Shiba Jun. He utilized my knowledge of rokugani lineages to try and track down kolat agents. He had interrogated a few, and each one made mention of a 'Master of the Twin' from the Kageguchi family.
"Now, I don't need to tell you what that means, of course." He smiles to her, and the karo again saves the Tsuruchi some time.
"Would you explain it to me, Asako sama?"
He frowns at her, "You really are simple at times, aren't you?" He sighs, "The 'twin' referenced is obviously a reference to Hido Kuon sama, and the Kageguchi family is where Rehia sama was from before marrying Kuon. It must be so, because the Kageguchi have, for generations, lent one member of their family to be raised with the Hida daimyo's children every generation. This time though, the Kageguchi, all grown up, marries into that family. I find this all very fascinating, because now, with the shogun appointment, a former member of a vassal family is now the crab clan champion!
"Anyway, when my magistrate friend, Shiba sama, sent his evidence of testimony to the crab clan champion, at the time it was Hido O-Ushi sama, Shiba sama, er san I guess now... anyway, he was confronted by the crab clan champion, who stated that Reiha sama's loyalty was beyond question. With such testimony, Shiba sama had to commit seppuku for wrongfully accusing the Kageguchi.
"The document making the accusation however, became lost to the crab clan until very recently, when it fell into Kaiu Satomi san's hands. She asked to see me, as this letter had my chop on it." He takes another break so he can drink more tea.
|
|
Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
|
Post by Bayushi Satomi on Apr 8, 2014 11:32:44 GMT
Good to know you can defend yourself. Satomi sipped her tea, Even from an order to commit sepukku? You can open your own dojo, it's indeed a revolutionary technique. Satomi showed a sardonic face.
I'm not dramatizing, Tsuruchi-san. It happened with the last who dared to investigate and raise the possibility of an irreproachable young person of being recruited to the ranks of a secret organization strongly hated by the Empire.
Some years ago, when you and I and everyone else were trying to earn some respect through our services for the Empire, I was serving as Clan Magistrate, and got myself assigned to assist the empire-wide investigation about the kolat. At the time, this one had only a minor role, supporting the Emerald Magistrates and the such. However, I learned a lot about the kolat in those days.
As you may know, we purged several individuals linked to the kolat into the ranks of the Yasuki and other families. I witnessed several strange facts. My friends were assassinated because they knew too much. My roles were so minor and I was so "unbrilliant" that, of course, I either never joined their list of "nosy magistrates" or I was very lucky.
Though I learned some things, as I said, and one of them was that sometimes, interesting individuals are taken and submitted to a sort of torture of mind, so to speak. Those persons were supposed to emerge from this technique apparently the same, but in truth, a hidden command was implanted deep into their souls. Once a previously set word of command was said to one of them, they should perform their task as it was their own and only desire. This person doesn't know or remember they're even taken and tortured, in the first place. It's a kind of spell or techinique, I don't know the details.
Satomi noticed that the tea in her cup was cold, and served more to both.
I believe you already know those things, Tsuruchi-san. I wasn't the one who raised the suspicion about a young maiden being a potential "kolat agent" as some of the ones I just described. An unnamed Kakeguchi maiden related to the O-Uchi-dono's Twins. This Emerald Magistrate who did the unfortunate job of pointing out a breach of security in the righ ranks of Hida house, Shiba Shoemura, apparently was forced to commit sepukku by persons who didn't believe his "absurd" initial report. Asako Chisato-san, the Asako daimyo, was his yoriki at the time.
And you won't believe in what happened next both produced a detailed report about their suspicions.
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 11:55:19 GMT
"And so you found out that the Kolat would be striking at this wedding and moved in the prevent it," Kasumi said, "or am I now going too fast?" She was beginning to see that those riots she was initially supposed to be investigating were maybe not as interesting, but probably much easier. She only hoped that Chisato would come to the point quickly, as she still had a lot of work to do.
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 12:03:45 GMT
"Asako Chisato-sama has told me that story," Kasumi told the Kaiu general, "and while I understand the dangers, now there is evidence that Reiha-sama has acted strangely, so that changes matters. I must say they grow bolt, attacking the empress' family. But please, do go on."
|
|
|
Post by Asako Chisato on Apr 8, 2014 12:40:51 GMT
He nods, "We went to great lengths trying to find more clues as to the kolat together, we tried piecing together clues from my closed investigation, and came across more evidence through another source, the iron crane Daidoji Kousei. Through him we were able to determine that Reiha sama was indeed a security risk, most likely brainwashed by the kolat, and what the activation word would be. That brought us to last night."
He continues, "I managed to get close to the wedding party, and I tried my best to stay with Hida Reiha sama, but my suggestion to edit the genealogy together angered her. A nondescript man approached her, stumbled, said something... most likely, 'bazsuth.' And then she left for the castle. The happy couple left as well, under the watchful care of the monk Te. Who I knew would be protecting Yasuki Nozomi san with his life."
|
|
Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
|
Post by Bayushi Satomi on Apr 8, 2014 12:49:47 GMT
Do you really believe that O-Ushi-dono was the one visiting the Phoenix clan and testifying for the Kakeguchi? Can you imagine her going after an Emerald Magistrate to give her voluntary testimony? Nevertheless, seems the "Kakeguchi daimyo" himself demanded Shiba Shoemura's seppuku. Whatever, he had already sent his report to leader of the investigation here in the Crab lands. This report never made its way to my superior or to myself, except for a couple of days ago, when I received a message from a man who called himself simply "Kanjiro".
Satomi produced a paper from her sleeve, and handed it to the Tsuruchi woman. The content was a simple request for a meeting, as already said by the Kaiu General. One could notice, though, hints of the style used by the Daidoji. We never met, though. I went to the meeting, but I had reasons to believe it could be a trap, so I went with a guard. Maybe it's the reason the man was gone without notice, leaving the missing report on the table.
Satomi handed the report to Kasumi as well. Take your time and check it as you wish. Since it's safer with me in this room, I prefer to keep it until the moment I can hand it to the Emerald Champion myself, later in this evening.
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 16:40:03 GMT
"Crab are not so interested in genealogy," Kasumi said. Now she understood why he knew so much about her and her family. "So Reiha-sama was 'activated' by a Kolat agent and she went into the castle," she continued, "the newlyweds were there as well and Kurimuzon was following them. What happened then?"
|
|
|
Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Apr 8, 2014 16:46:56 GMT
Kasumi looked at both papers, before handing them back. While she probably could use her power as magistrate to keep them, she choose not to. For one, she had testimony from Chisato that said essentially the same thing as was in the report, and two, she still needed some other questions answered, so it wouldn't do to antagonise Satomi over such a minor point.
"That first one is of little use," she said, "unless we manage to identify this Kanjiro. The second confirms what Asako Chisato-sama told me earlier today. Now, I've come to understand that at the evening of the wedding Reiha-sama confined you to your quarters and yet you were present during the attacks. can you please explain what happened?"
|
|
Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
|
Post by Moto Arandaru on Apr 8, 2014 17:32:08 GMT
POSTING AS ASAHINA GONHIRO, CRANE DELEGATE HEALER
The afternoon chill came rather quickly, as if the weather itself had been changing to fit the situation of the heroes. Many of them were detained in their respective rooms and possibly against their wish, themselves being suspects of association or direct involvement in the assassination attempt versus Yasuki Kaneka's own life. Many strings have been pulled and many favors have been exchanged for direct involvement of the Clans. The Crab families might not have been the best diplomats, but their legendary feats during Rokugan's lifetime guaranteed the involvement of the best magistrates that the Empire would muster. And the Mantis didn't remain idle. During this time, Daidoji Kousei had managed to safely send a letter over to Otomo Hoketuhime, the lifelong friend of Yasuki Kaneka's own brother, Togashi Naseru. She was a lady that many would consider an opponent, but the Crane would consider her a friend and an ally. Kousei had been frank to the Otomo lady, and truth be told, he was about to get an answer. ...A different one... During this afternoon, the guard announced the arrival of Asahina Gonhiro, the fine healer of the Crane. He was the individual that many a karo would safeguard during an expedition or even a court convention. He would be the one to ensure that the tea wouldn't be poisoned, that the rice wouldn't contain any sleep-inducing bark root and so on... Daidoji Kousei knew the man, his calm demeanor and his happy smile. Yet he would swear that the man contained a rather darker nature...didn't all in Rokugan have as such? The shoji screen slid open and Gonhiro stepped in offering a courteous bow. "Konban wa Daidoji Kousei-sama. Please forgive me of my sudden visit, but I've learned that you've spoken to lady Otomo Hoketuhime-sama." his words were as warm as a campfire amidst a heavy snowstorm. He approached and knelt close to the Daidoji warrior, he quickly produced a small vase from his sleeve. "This is a calendula salve Daidoji-sama. You can apply it on your irritated skin, from the stinging on your neck, to your reddish wrists or even on the side of your head where you support yourself on the wall." he had a caring look, yet he wouldn't dare to seem as insulting by insinuating any possible "disability". He looked at the man. Now it wasn't time for court etiquette the Mantis had already asked as much, and all the Crane Clan would offer now was support to a man they claimed to be a "protector of the Doji".
|
|
Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
|
Post by Bayushi Satomi on Apr 8, 2014 18:00:17 GMT
Yes, I can, though I'm not proud of my actions. Satomi spoke, putting both documents aside.
After being aware of the content of this document, I set up some theories, and both indicated that Hida Reiha of the Kakeguchi, now the Hida Champion, could be this "sleeper agent " into the Kakeguchi. But without the testimony of Daidoji Kousei, who in fact had the opportunity to talk to this "Kanjiro", that confirmed the Kolat had plans for the wedding. Few things could provoke a wave of wrath and polemic into the Empire than having an attempt against Yasuki Kaneka, older brother of the Empress, former Akodo, former Toturi, former Shogun. She dismissed a long explanation with a gesture of hand: You are aware of the political implications this incident_ "Kaneka versus Reiha"_ could catalyze, I'm sure.
So, I contacted the clan magistrates and asked them to cross information that could lead to "secret organization's" agents. They pointed out a man, a "heimin", that seemed to be a point of connection with suspect people. This man was seen into the Yasuki Yashiki castle, which confirmed our suspicions. I asked them to arrest the man and interrogate him, but they didn't manage to do so. This man, I suspected, should be the one that could trigger a sleeper agent. Seems I wasn't wrong, in the end. Did you capture him already?
Satomi was sure they didn't. The castle was full of perfect hiding places, and full of important and innocent people that could turn a violent arrest attempt quite dangerous. So she didn't wait for a reply, and continued:
Though my suspicious about Hida Reiha sama status as sleeper agent were strong, I wouldn't dare to convince my champion she needed help about it_ considering it's possible_ without having strong facts proofing my theory. So I, with the help of Asako Chisato-san, started to try to find a point of her life where he could've been "disappeared" for enough time to justify my theory. My questions about her life fell into her ears. And I believe she considered it a personal insult, if not treason.
In the morning of the wedding day, I was returning from the shores of Yasuki Yashiki, where my men found two of the guards responsible for the security of the bridal chamber, dead. That's when I was asked to meet Reiha-sama. She showed her disapproval for my "nonsense curiosity" and said she would talk to me later, after more important things, meaning the wedding, I guess.
Satomi cleaned her throat. In fact, she and I aren't "friends". So, it explains why she kept me confined in my quarters.
|
|
|
Post by Asako Chisato on Apr 8, 2014 18:19:30 GMT
"Well I followed her anyway, as did Kousei san, he had managed to catch back up with me, I assume he had found Satomi san. We went on inside... we got split up, and then I saw Reiha sama. She did not stop, she attacked me when I bowed to her, and then Satomi san came in out of nowhere, and save me from mortal blow just in time. I blacked out and woke up a few moments later, seeing a trail of blood, and Satomi san and Kousei san chasing upstairs."
He sets the tea aside and plays with his hands, "I caught up and saw Reiha sama, disarmed, and running for the wall. I hurled an insult at her in the hopes it would stop her or jar her out of her battle washed mind. She did not stop. She vanished behind the wall with Kousei san, the monk Te was there by then too, and he obstructed my path, once I lowered my blade he stepped aside and punched the wall open.
"I stepped inside, and Kousei san was knocked out, Te followed the blood trail, and I stayed with Kousei san. I was not alone, a geisha stood there, and she threw a blade at me."
He indicates his arm, "it struck me here, and I, afraid it was poisoned removed it, she ran... I knew I couldn't catch her, my mind was ringing with a migraine of pain, and then...
and then..."
|
|