S2E14: Border Crossing

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa have some trouble crossing the border at Beidan Pass. The samurai make a new friend. Kenshi's past comes back to bite him.

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--- SHOW NOTES ---

Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, Akari, and Tsubasa were stopped at the border into Lion territory and were being searched by soldiers. Being a member of the Lion clan, Kenshi was barely questioned before being let through, however Buro, Tomo, Akari, and Tsubasa were met with much harsher scrutiny.

Fearful of being caught smuggling an illicit poison into Lion territory, Tomo hid the ketsu which Tsubasa had found for him in a location he was sure no one would check…

Unfortunately, Tomo was not as subtle as he had hoped. The Lion soldiers searching him forced him to disrobe, and found the hidden ketsu tucked away in his under garments. The soldiers confiscated the ketsu and asked Tomo why he had it, and to give a reason why he shouldn’t be detained. Tomo explained that he was one of the samurai who traveled to Shiro Hiruma, and was now on a very important mission to see the emperor. The guards thought better of detaining someone who had a personal invitation from the Emperor, so they let him go. 

The guards continued to search the samurai’s cart as well as their new guest, Ryudo, and his traveling pack. Ryudo did not seem to have his travel documents on him, and any attempts to communicate with him were fruitless. Upon inspecting his pack, guards found an exquisite pair of swords. They believed it was impossible that such a lowly vagrant could possibly own those swords, so they moved to confiscate them as well, and arrest Ryudo as a thief. Wanting to avoid any unnecessary conflict, Buro bribed the guards, and convinced them that Ryudo and his swords should travel with them. 

Further down the road, the party stopped at an inn to rest for the night. Here, they nursed Ryudo back to health and heard his story. Ryudo was once a samurai of the Dragon clan, but now is a traveling ronin in search of a new teacher. For years, he has been plagued by the vision of a dark portal shrouded in fire and smoke. His master understood this vision to mean that he was ready to seek out a new teacher. On her death bed, his master excused him from her service so he may search Rokugan for this new teacher, and gifted him the matching blades which he now carries. In exchange for saving his life, he asked that he may accompany the party to Otosan Uchi, so that he could cook for them along the way. The party gladly obliged.

 Striking out the next day, the party eventually came to the end of Beiden Pass. The road came out of the mountains and down into the foothills where the party passed Shiro Matsu, one of the Lion clan’s most imposing fortresses. The samurai traveled across the rolling wheat fields of the Lion-- Rokugan’s heartland if there was one. Traveling through these lands, the party witnessed the entire countryside stirring and galvanizing into a well-ordered war machine. 

The road turned east and so the party followed, finding themselves in a dark and quiet forest on the fringes of Lion territory. While making camp for the night, the party was come upon by half dozen armed Lion samurai, each baring the mon of the Matsu family. Upon closer inspection, Kenshi recognized the face of one of the men. It was a face that had been burned into his memory from a very young age. This man was responsible for the destruction of his village and the death of his family.

 As Kenshi emerged from the firelight, the man recognized the trinket around Kenshi’s neck. He knew it was a symbol of the Fox clan. The air grew suddenly tense between Kenshi and the unknown Matsu samurai, and the threat of violence permeated the campground.

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Conniving & Mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Gives You Anxiety by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings