Roleplaying game

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Chapter 9: A Ronin’s Path
Terumi has given the PCs insult here, and particularly hot-tempered 
PCs might challenge her to a duel over the suggestion that they might 
be unclean. If a PC challenges her, Terumi shrugs and tells them she 
needs the permission of her superior, Hida Tomonatsu. In the meantime, 
she points out that they, too, are under an obligation to assist Hida To-
monatsu, and so they should allow her to serve the needs of both of their 
obligations by properly inspecting them. Some shugenja characters might 
question Terumi’s own purity, but she retorts that the kami and Bishamon 
watch over her, and she knows the symptoms to look for in any event.
If the PCs refuse to submit to her ritual and inquiries or fail to con-
vince her to overlook her concerns this time, she tells the PCs she has 
no business with them and departs to attend to other matters; the time 
they spent with her is wasted, using up one of their opportunities to visit 
an NPC during this scene. If the PCs fail their check or agree to her de-
mands, she performs the Cleansing Rite.
The characters’ purity (or lack of thereof) now established to her satis-
faction, Terumi lets them know what she has learned. She has suspected 
since the beginning that the attacks have been too coordinated to be 
random, and through observation of various portents, she has concluded 
that an oni will appear during the next attack. She knows of a ritual that 
can be researched that will weaken the oni and make it easier for the 
Crab to take it down. This ritual will require all the help she can gather, 
however, which means that no Kuni shugenja will be available during the 
battle, something Tomonatsu will have difficulty approving without con-
crete proof of the oni’s coming. Terumi is quite certain of her conclusions, 
but she will obey the orders of her lord.
Before she departs, she offers any characters of a scholarly bent—such 
as shugenja, but also any character with the Theology skill—a chance to 
help her research the ritual. This would prevent them from being pres-
ent during the initial stages of the battle (see The Battle is Joined, on 
page 214), but it would help her get ready quicker, and it might offer 
them a chance to help if they aren’t skilled in battle. Further, the PC can 
purchase the ritual at an experience discount (see page 219). However, 
as researching matters of the Shadowlands isn’t an honorable task, a PC 
must forfeit 3 honor to participate in this dubious undertaking (or forfeit 
1 honor if they belong to the Crab Clan).
Yasuki Hatsu, Quartermaster
The storehouse from which Quartermaster Yasuki Hatsu leads his small 
team is farther from the Wall than any other building. It looks less like 
part of the military structure and more like part of the village to the 
north, from which most of the garrison’s supplies come. Hatsu is an 
impeccably dressed man with a traditional samurai topknot and a thin, 
elegant mustache (if needed, use the profile for a Seasoned Courtier, on 
page 198, with the Gregarious template, page 194, and the Assertive 
demeanor, page 192).
He greets the PCs with the utmost courtesy and offers them tea as 
they enter, leading them to a comfortably furnished room. If some char-
acters indicate they are in a rush, Hatsu will insist. While he is a proud 
servant of the Crab Clan, he resents the perception others have of them 
as uncouth brutes, and he cannot bring himself to speak with deputies 
of an Emerald Magistrate without a minimum of decorum. To insist on 
skipping the tea ceremony, they must succeed at a TN 3 Courtesy (Earth 
5, Water 1) check or a TN 2 Command (Earth 4, Water 1) check, oth-
erwise he will perform it against their protestations. Doing so causes 
Hatsu’s demeanor to switch from Assertive to Shrewd when interacting 
with the PCs.
Otherwise, once tea has been had and a decent amount of small talk 
has been exchanged, Hatsu confirms what some characters might already 
suspect: he is no warrior, and he has little information to offer other than 
the state of the supplies. He explains that everything is accounted for and 
that although their jade stores are running low, the Third Tower Com-
mand has everything else they need. He is happy to show his ledger and 
manifests to the PCs, and if the PCs request it, he will also permit them 
to inspect the storehouses. If the PCs require any additional supplies—
whether weapons, ammunition, or more practical items—and succeed on 
a TN 2 (Earth 4, Water 1) Courtesy or Command check, Hatsu provides 
them with what they need. The items are free of charge in the name of 
“defending the Empire,” but PCs will need to return them after the battle. 
He does not have any extra jade to give out, however.
Taking Stock
Characters who insist upon looking through the storehouses might no-
tice something is amiss. The GM should have them make a TN 2 Martial 
Arts [Ranged] (Earth) check or a TN 2 Smithing (Earth) check to in-
vestigate the armory. A successful check reveals that storehouse’s supply 
of arrows seems dreadfully low for the number of samurai the PCs saw 
on the Wall.
If the PCs point this out to Hatsu, he immediately checks with the 
storehouse attendants, who recall with horror that one of their colleagues 
was killed in the attack last night and must not have recorded the change 
in inventory in his haste to resupply the archers on the Wall. As a result, 
the only arrows left are the ones currently in the storehouse, which will 
only allow for a volley or two from the Hiruma scouts. Hatsu is livid, but 
he thanks the PCs and asks that they let Tomonatsu know about it, so as 
not to jeopardize the position of the Hiruma in the coming fight.
Hatsu is deeply concerned for his reputation and says he would also 
appreciate it if the PCs present their report in a way that does not lay 
blame upon him or put into question the quality of his service to his lord. 
Hatsu is willing to bribe the PCs to testify as such, although he is polite 
enough to avoid stating it directly. Instead, he offers a gift—his own jade 
dagger—and while he would deny it if pressed, the intent is clear enough 
to anyone. To accept such a dubious gift, the PC who receives it must pay 
3 honor (whether or not they intend to put in a good word for him).
Jigoku-Touched Characters
If any characters are admit to being Tainted, or are revealed to be as 
such, Terumi is on her guard and asks to interview them separately. 
After all, many Crab warriors are afflicted by the dark power of the 
Shadowlands—only knowingly hiding this fact is a crime. She asks 
any Tainted characters extensive questions to determine the nature 
and depth of their affliction, and she examines them physically to 
verify this. Given the circumstances, she does not attempt to mete 
out any punishment for neglecting to mention the fact that they are 
Tainted—if the character even knew about their spiritual illness.
Refusal to answer her questions or to go through the physical 
exam, however, is seen as suspicious behavior, and Terumi warns 
the character of the same. Should they still refuse, she asks the 
character to leave and quietly advises Hida Tomonatsu not to trust 
them, which causes the character’s Tainted disadvantage to apply 
to all of their Social skill checks to interact with either NPC. If the 
character answers honestly and goes through the exam, Terumi 
records their symptoms and identity for the records of the Kuni 
family. She watches the character closely for the remainder of the 
adventure whenever she is nearby, but she does not pursue any 
action against them.

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