[IC]Mission 1: Yoshi's Gold

Night was falling fast as you approach the designated meeting spot, an old inn just off a well-traveled road. Your chunin had given explicit instructions for each of you to approach at designated 10 minute intervals as to avoid suspicion. The genin were to all gather in a room in the guise of a festive party. When all were present, the instructions were flashed in code by lantern light on the paper window. Deciphering the message, this was your mission.

Background:
The Asakawa clan has been secretly planning a war against the Uemura clan. Young Yorichi Asakawa has been hiring mercenaries to bolster his ranks in anticipation of the first wave of attack. To that end, he has been spending large sums from the family treasury to pay for the mercenaries and their equipment. His father Yoshi has been paying for most of these expenses, and spies have concluded that the latest shipment of coins is about to be made.

Yoshi is shrewd and knows better than to send a large force to guard the shipment. Instead, it is being made by sedan carried by footman over the two-day trip between his castle and young Yorichi's stronghold. The sedan will be guarded by a few soldiers, some of whom will be disguised as the sedan carriers. As a further precaution, Yoshi has a fondness of using decoys. But, to get to Yorichi's stronghold, they will start at the closest town still under Yoshi's control, Minamiko.

While all of the sedans will be there, the sheer number of Asakawa forces will make it unwise to attack them there. Instead, the group should go to Minamiko, track the correct sedan convoy and attack it after it has separated from the others. In addition, to avoid suspicion on the Uemura clan, the theft should be pinned on the Shibata clan, the son of its hot-headed leader of which was recently slighted by Yoshi's youngest daughter.

Tasks:
1. Infilitrate Minamiko and wait for the convoys.
2. Identify which convoy is the correct target.
3. Follow the target convoy without being noticed.
4. Attack the convoy in its two-day journey and retrieve the coins.
5. Frame the Shibata clan for the theft.

Your group believes the room to be secure, at least for a good while longer. This may be an opportune time to devise a strategy for your mission among yourselves.

The forested, hilly dirt road meandering toward Minamiko flattens out as it approaches the town. Farmland lay on both sides of it. The time is late summer and the rice in the paddies looked ready to be harvested soon. This year, it will be a good harvest from the looks of it. Minamiko itself is divided into two parts by the Tetsui River and sits in the shadow of Asae Castle, an old, stone and wooden structure sitting to the east of the town. The two sides of the slow-moving river is connected by a flat wooden bridge that is more than wide enough for a horse-drawn cart to pass. From whence you came, the castle is on the far side of the river, as is much of the town itself. On this side of the river, there are houses, a few shops and an inn. The nearest tea house is on the other side of the river, on the right side of the main road.

Looking around, it is a couple of hours before sundown, and people are going about their business. Most are workers, although there are a few samurai standing about outside one of the stores talking with one another. Also, four soldiers with spears stand at the near end of the bridge. It does not appear to be the normal state of affairs, but rather the town is on alert for something.

Si, in his disguise as a worker carrying a hoe, is waved along as he crosses the bridge. Three of the guards do not pay him any mind, but one looks at him intently with his eyes focusing on the blue scarf. He is about to say something another of guards, when the group of them looks and points at a comely young travelling woman heading towards the bridge. They snicker and laugh a bit, with the one forgetting whatever he was about to say.

As Kazuyo approaches, one of the groups steps in her direct path apparently intent to block her way. He begins to say, "Where are you...." That's as far as he gets before the one more perceptive guard grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him back, shaking his head in disapproval. "Remember what Lord Akashi said." The first guard backs away, and they let the woman pass without further incident, although their leering eyes could make a modest woman uncomfortable.

This might have passed as the most memorable moment of the late afternoon, until the monk White Teeth stops before the guards offering his blessing and making conversation. The guards regard him warily. The apparently more senior guard from the back steps forward and speaks, "Blessings of the gods to you as well, monk. What is your name and what your purpose in coming to Minamiko?" He does seem a bit on edge.

Further down the river, Nozomi scouts the riverbank for an alternate place to cross than the bridge. The river's movement near the town is slow on account of its width and the numerous diversions into the irrigation channels around the farmlands. You have travelled two miles downriver at this point, and still you have yet to find a place that you could jump the river without getting wet confidently. It may be possible that such a spot exists even further downriver, but you can't be sure. What do you want to do?

The guard's eyes narrow a bit, scrutinizing Ozunu's words and facial expression. "We're here to keep the Lord's peace. Now move along...Jiébái Yáchi." He basically spits out the words of the foreign-sounding name. He steps aside and uses the butt of his spear to wave the monk through. The other guards follow his lead, and they shift their spears from a battle-ready two-handed grip to a resting position in one hand.

---

Kazuyo enters the tea house, passing by the three outdoor benches where some of the customers sit. It is a comfortable-looking local establishment with apparently a couple of separate rooms. A hostess greets Kazuyo at the door and beckons her to follow into the room to the right, "Welcome, honorable woman. Please come in, please follow me this way."

---

While Nozomi can't be sure that she will clear the river in a single leap, it isn't beyond her capabilities...on a good day. She was more inclined to try her physical prowess (+14 to jump!) than her verbal wits (-1 CHA) any day. Anyways, it didn't look like it was a river she would drown in even if she didn't quite make it. Without constructed embankments, she will just fall in and will have to swim the remaining distance. She would then be wet, but some water won't hurt her...at least physically.

Si approaches the tea house, but does not see anyone yet. He was just about to ask about others, but then realizes he may have been the first to arrive. Do you still want to inquire about the others?

It took several hours, but eventually all four of the ninja have regathered at the tea room without further incident. You all note that Nozomi appears to have made a mess of herself mudding her sandals and legs in whatever challenge she had faced to made it to the room. Meanwhile, Ozunu looks completely relaxed and refreshed. The hostess has been a bit impatient with Kazuyo and Si who has been sitting there a good while and ordering little. But the arrival of their friends seemed to have been explained much of their loitering in her mind, or perhaps the possibly of serving more food and tea and the coins that come with that may have made her more cheerful.

Some small talk with the hostess taking your order tells you that it is normal to see a few Asakawa samurai in this town. Most of them accompany the frequent sedans moving through these parts carrying people of importance and affluence. They serve as armed escorts for these sedans. But the numbers you see today are more than normal.

As many among you entered the town in the late afternoon, night fall comes soon after the entire group has gathered. The hostess comes looking to settle your bill, and the group is ready to find out what they can under the cover of darkness. The streets are almost entirely empty, with only a straggler or two walking. The noises of the town itself has died down as well. Within in, only the few inns, restaurants and establishments in the pleasure quarter are still abound in light and activity. In the distance, torches and fires are lit around Castle Asae whose silhouette is seen clearly in the half moon, cloudy sky.

Looking around the group is able to determine that there are only a few roadways in and other of the town. In the direction of where the group came from, after the crossing the bridge, the roads fork after passing the closest rice paddies in two different directions. Both of those paths head into the hilly forest beyond. One was the dirt road from which you came; the other is the road that leads to Yorichi Asakawa's stronghold. The other road out of town slowly rises, leads to Castle Asae and runs along its basefor over a hundred yards. At the far side of the castle, the road is one leg of the four-way intersection. It appears that the castle was sited to defend and control access to these roadways. The roads beyond run flat for some distance before disappearing also into the forested hills. You would need to move near the castle to do further scouting of these roads.


Link to map

Kazuyo thinks about it for a while and remembers what the Shibata clan's symbols looks like...the fletching of two arrows pointed downward in a perfect circle. She looks around the town but doesn't see any, but it is a rather simple design. She actually thinks she can easily make her own if she spends a little time to do that.

Ozuno sits silently amid the peaceful silence of the rice paddies to south. He notices the glow of the moon reflecting off the gentle ripples of the river. It brings to mind a number of different verses of poetry. Otherwise, all seems quiet on this night at the southern crossroads.

Si tries to mix in with the local crowd to discover the latest news circulating in the village inn. As he does so, the others note his awkwardness, and backs turn to shut him out of the conversations. Nevertheless, he does hear a little of the gossip of the town related Goya and his arguments with his wife. But that doesn't seem particularly relevant to the mission at hand.

Kazuyo and Nozomi sneak off into the night to scout out the castle. As they approach....

...Kazuyo and Nozomi sneak off into the night to scout out the castle. As they approach, they see that area around the castle has been diligently cleared of obstruction and made flat as if to allow the fielding of a large army. Castle Asae itself is built like many other castles with a labyrinthine series of walls and watchtowers surrounding the large multi-story castle that can be view from afar. The outer walls, and presumably inner walls as well, are constructed to be difficult to breach and dangerous to climb with a number of overlapping arrowslits, both obvious and hidden, that allow its defenders to see the goings-on outside and to fire upon would-be invaders. Formal access to the castle complex is by the way of a main gate on the northern wall, which affords ample opportunities for detection. One is less sure about the rest of the walls.

Entering the castle undetected would be no easy task for any army, but not impossible for a truly skilled ninja. So far, they do not think they were detected, but they can't be sure as it is not possible to see if anyone is peering through the arrowslits. Kazuyo is without any real ideas, until Nozomi with her sharp eyes points out that there is a second smaller access way leading out of the castle from the indications of a smaller footpath. From your experience, it is likely though that too is guarded with a lesser number of arrowslits and murder holes, although those are likely to be just as strategically placed for maximum effectiveness.

The two are discussing these facts, when Ozuno comes along, having been spotted by Nozomi as well. He makes his way towards the castle wall apparently, trying to scale it....

Ozunu freezes when called out blanches white. He dropped down to the ground.\. Not at all like one would expect from a Buddhist, the fluid, powerful reflexes of a person who had spent a lifetime fighting. He did not choose to roll, but rather falling supinal, he landed on his entire left side. It was not that he hit the ground but rather he caught it, collapsing while retaining the weight of his body. Rotating at the waist he drew himself to his right knee as if on reflex. He stood and fell back against the wall. The blind monk placed a hand over his browline as if shielding it from some invisible sun. He lay flush against the wall, hadn't even drawn a breath. Scanning his horizon he sought to detect the woman who had said his name. He grinned, revealing his glistening White Teeth, a grin that even twinkled in the shadows as he was obscured.

Slowly he drew his hands over his abdomen. He proceeded to sign.
"May all those who preside over warriors be my vanguard!"

He had no idea where the voice was coming from, but he knew who it was. It was a voice he liked, just as pretty as the lips that uttered it. Perfect pitch and powerful. "Shit I hope they didn't hear that." He found himself thinking, it took his smile away.

He then located Kazuyo and gestured his hands flat at waist level. He pulled his fingers up and signed a warding gesture.