S2E29: The Voice of Reason

Kenshi and Buro stood in the remains of Shosuro Izuki’s hovel. They concocted a plan to get a message to Tomo inside the city. Using a technique he learned from his Fox training, Kenshi imparted a message to Squee to find Tomo and bring him to them. Buro opened his cage, and with a blessing from the air kami, Squee flew to the Scorpion embassy on a cloud.

After the announcement from Bayushi Kachiko, Tomo decided to catch up with Wasp clan champion, Tsuruchi. Tsuruchi was eager to train with Tomo after the tournament of Four Winds, where he noticed an uncanny bond between the two samurai centered around their yumi which were both carved from the wood of the Shinomen Forest. The two trained with each other late into the night, where they honed their bond into a supernatural connection, sensing each other on a spiritual level. Tsuruchi asked once again for more yumi cut of the same wood, but Tomo declined the offer, knowing the suffering this wood causes.

Tomo arrived back at the Scorpion embassy to see Squee by himself in the common room. Squee tried frantically to convey his message to Tomo. Seeing Squee by himself in the embassy and noticing that Kenshi and Buro had not returned yet from investigating the shack, Tomo began to wonder if something was wrong. He gathered Kuni Akari, and together the two went to investigate the mysterious shack.

Tomo and Akari arrived at the shack to find Kenshi and Buro wounded, and the large eye-patched man dead. The four shared their stories and decided their next course of action. Paranoid and afraid, Buro and Kenshi discussed hiding Izuki’s body, burning down his hovel, and running away in the tunnels beneath. They believed that once Kachiko discovered what happened here, they’d be hunted and killed.

Calm and patient, Tomo spoke up as the voice of reason. He reminded the samurai that Buro was a captain of the Emerald Magistrates, and was here investigating the Otomo Guest House arson. Izuki attacked the two, and they killed him in self defense. Furthermore, they have evidence linking Izuki to the arsonists who attacked the guest house, and the poison he tried using on Kenshi. If Kachiko were to retaliate, it would only draw suspicion to her. Tomo recommended that they immediately report what happened here to the Emerald Champion, Ide Makujin.

Heading back to Otosan Uchi, Akari decided she had had enough. She declared that the Scorpion clan is obviously planning to use Yoshi’s armor in their schemes, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. As the rest of the party traveled toward the Unicorn embassy where Makujin was staying, Akari turned toward the Scorpion embassy. She said she was going to take the armor right now and head into the tunnels. Akari did not know what fate waited for here there, but she decided it was her only option.

Buro objected, and pleaded that their plan was the most reasonable. Akari calmed down, stopping in her tracks. She revealed that she’s been paying close attention to Yoshi’s armor, and that every night at about this time, there’s about a 5 minute gap where no one is looking after the armor. If they were going to take the armor, now would be the time. Hearing this, Tomo volunteered to take the armor and follow Akari into the tunnels beneath while Buro and Kenshi went to Ide Makujin to report what happened that night.

As the parties split, a horrible urge took hold of Buro. A darkness crept over him and terrible thoughts filled his mind. The curse running through his veins was calling his name. He was being summoned to betray the person he cares most about. Through shear willpower, Buro expelled these thoughts, and soon the darkness subsided. Buro defeated the curse when it came calling for him, and he carried on as a new man. One no longer burdened by the blood of his family...

Credits

Album Art by Dylon Munoz

Music

The Loss by Podcast of the Five Rings

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Yoshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Veiled Contempt by Podcast of the Five Rings

Nighttime Antics by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

First Fantasy by Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings