A Days Sail ver two

7/28/2019 A Days Sail ver two

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A Days SailPart One ofShipping Lanes

A One-Round Low-Rank Adventure for Heroes ofRokugan (Champions of the Sapphire Throne)

by Jeff Southerland

and Rob Hobart

While attending a local festival at Wall Above the Ocean Village, you receive a request for aid from a Crane clan

karo.

LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS is a registered trademark of Alderac Entertainment Group.

Scenario detail copyright 2006 by the author and Alderac Entertainment Group. ALL RIGHTS

RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without

permission.


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A four-hour time block has been allocated for playing

this game. The actual playing time should be about three

and a half hours.

It is a good idea to ask each player to put a nametag

in front of him or her. The tag should have the player's

name at the bottom, and the character's name, race, and

gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players tokeep track of who is playing which character.

The players are free to use the game rules to learn

about equipment and weapons their characters are

carrying.

Some of the text in this scenario is written so that

you may present it as written to the players, while other

text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in

bold italics. It is strongly recommended that you

paraphrase the player text, instead of reading it aloud, as

some of the text is general and must be adapted to the

specific situation or to actions of the player characters.

GM's Information

THIS SCENARIO SHOULD NOT BE RUN COLD!

Please read the scenario thoroughly before attempting

to run it.

This adventure is a low rank adventure, and should

only be played by Rank 1 or 2 characters. Characters

of Rank 3 or above will be too powerful for the

challenges presented here, and should not be allowed to

play.

All bulleted information is just that, pure information.

Feed it to the players through an NPC whenappropriate. Sometimes, reading it straight just doesnt

sound right.

Remember that family names come before personal

names. Akodo Toturi is from the Akodo family and his

personal name is Toturi.

A note on commerce in Rokugan: Samurai are not

supposed to care about worldly possessions, especially

money. A samurai pays a commoner as if the money is

meaningless; a concession to the commoners silly

needs. Between samurai, the exchange of money and

merchandise is an exchange of gifts.

Glory and Honor Awards andPenaltiesThis adventure contains suggested Glory and Honor

awards (and penalties) for dealing with the challenges

presented herein. However, at times the players may

take extra actions, which the GM judges worthy of

additional reward or punishment. The following may

be considered as guidelines:

Performing an act of selfless, sacrificial loyalty to

ones daimyo or clan: +1 point of Honor.

Abiding by the tenets of bushido when there is nogain in doing so and one could gain an obvious

advantage by breaking them: +1 point of Honor.

Betraying or disobeying your duty, Clan, or family:

lose 1-10 points of Honor and Glory, and possibly

Status, depending on the severity of the failure.

Gain the same amount of Infamy.

Crying out in pain when injured: lose one point

each of Honor and Glory.

Using sneaky, underhanded, or treacherous

methods when at an Honor rank higher than zero:

lose 1-5 points of Honor. If caught, also gain 1-5

points of Infamy.

Using Low skills: lose a number of points ofHonor equal to the Rank of the skill. Note that

there are exceptions to this rule, and the GM can

lower the penalty for members of inherently

dishonorable Clans such as Scorpions.

Performing a socially acceptable public act of

extreme courage and skill: +1 point of Glory.

Drunk, insulting, or otherwise ill-mannered in

public: lose 1-5 points of Glory. For extreme

abuses, also gain an equivalent amount of Infamy.

Playing entire adventure without doing anything of

note: lose 1 point of Glory.

Made ronin: Status removed.

Adjusting for Party StrengthThis is a Low-Rank adventure, and thus can involve

parties of widely varying capabilities. The encounters

have been optimized for a party of average Rank Two.

Although most of the challenges here are role-play

oriented and thus not terribly dependent on party

strength, a few changes can be made to adjust the

adventure difficulty for high-end parties, as follows:

Low-End Party (more than half of the PCs are Rank

One): Reduce all Skill roll and Trait roll TNs by 5.

Zenko has Reflexes 3 and Strength 3.

The normal smugglers have weapon skills at Rank

1, instead of Rank 2.

There are six normal smugglers instead of eight.

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Adventure Summary andBackground

This adventure centers on a gang of smugglers who are

working in concert with a shipload of Thrane gaijin.

The smugglers, a collection of ronin and merchants, are

evading the heavy taxes which the Tortoise Clan places

on trade with gaijin, and the Thrane ship captain, eager

for profit, is more than happy to oblige. They have

taken advantage of a supposedly haunted cove near

Wall Above the Ocean Village (Yama ue no ho ni Umi

Mura) to conduct their criminal activities without

interruption. The smugglers maintain one of their

number, a man named Kobo, as a spy in the town, to

make sure they do not run afoul of the local authorities.

They move their goods in and out of the area in normal

merchant caravans with forged papers.

Recently, however, the smugglers have had a stroke of

bad fortune: the two sons of the local daimyo decided

to explore the legendary haunted cove. They were

being trained in ship-handling by a Mantis ronin, and

decided to take their own small boat to the cove,

overriding their bodyguards wishes. As a result, they

are now prisoners of the smugglers. The criminals are

not sure what to do with their unexpected captives,

since killing a local daimyos children could lead to

their own destruction. At the moment, they are simply

holding the prisoners while they debate what to do.

Their gaijin friends have moved their ship off-shore in

case of trouble, though they have left two of their

number behind to keep an eye on things.

The PCs are in Wall Above the Ocean Village for the

White Lotus Festival, the local seasonal celebration.

The karo of the local daimyo, fearful that he will pay a

personal price for anything that might happen to his

lords sons, will recruit the PCs to track them down.

Some of the PCs may have additional motives in this

matter, however the Tortoise are concerned about

possible smuggling in the area, and the Mantis Clan is

interested in discovering this first in order to discredit

the Tortoises handling of the Thrane trade. PCs from

both Clans will have orders to investigate rumors of

smuggling in the area.

The PCs can also gain the assistance of a most unusual

ally: a gaijin named Daniel Hackerman. Daniel is one

of the Kings Hands, agents of the Thranish king who

act as independent investigators and trouble-shooters.

He has come to Rokugan to investigate a variety of

irregularities and suspicious financial patterns in the

Thrane trading missions here. Rumors of smuggling,

and of gaijin pirates, have drawn him to Wall Above

the Ocean Village at this time.

Players IntroductionThe adventure begins with the PCs approaching Wall

Above the Ocean Village for the White Lotus Festival.Their journey has taken them up the Peaceful Traveller

Way, a major road in southern Crane lands, and past

the ill-reputed village of Oni Mura.

Supposedly, Oni Mura was cursed long ago, during the

Clan War, and those who live within it always sicken or

go mad. For almost four centuries now, the peasants

have lived outside of the village, afraid to risk the

curse, and a ring of houses and buildings now circles

the original towns ruins at a distance of about a half-

mile. The Peaceful Traveler Way has also been rebuilt

to skirt the town, and over many years, tepid grass and

shrubs have grown over the road, leaving the ruinedtown isolated and near-invisible behind a wall of brush

and scrub. The heimin who live here believe the village

is haunted by an onis ghost or some other evil spirit.

PCs can recall the specific story of Oni Mura by rolling

Intelligence/Lore: History at TN 15, or Lore:

Shadowlands at TN 20. Supposedly, several years

before the Clan War a small army of goblins and oni

attacked the village. While they were eventually

defeated, the village never truly recovered. According

to the legend, something had altered the lands spirit,

and villagers sickened or went mad; the wise moved

away.

Bold PCs can visit the town themselves if they wish.

There is nothing to be found there except for the

ancient, crumbling ruins of buildings, slowly being

reclaimed by the wilderness. There is an aura of loss

and emptiness about the place, and shugenja PCs will

find that the natural spirits here are unusually sparse

and weak. Other than that, there is nothing of interest.

Arrival at Wall Above the OceanThe road is crowded by travelers, heimin and samurai

alike, arriving for the White Lotus Festival, as well as

merchant caravans coming to and from the port town.You reach the edge of Wall Above the Ocean Village

just as evening is coming on.

The town appears to a large, prosperous place, with

clean, well-swept roads and fine houses. A samurais

estate rests on a nearby hilltop, with a fine view of the

town and harbor. The setting sun glows orange on

the sails of dozens of fishing boats and trade kobune

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moored in that harbor. There is no wall around the

town, but a pair of Ashigaru stand watch at the main

entry to the village.

The ashigaru (peasant spearmen) bow low to the PCs

and politely ask to see their travel papers. Their leader,

Ito, is a literate man and reasonably well-versed in thelaw, although he lacks the training to detect forgeries.

He reads the papers politely and returns them with a

deep bow, thanking the PCs for honoring the village

with their presence. Please, enjoy the festival,

samurai-samas. I believe the Laughing Ahi Inn still has

rooms available, if you are in need of a place to sleep.

The ashigaru are currant in the local gossip, and if the

PCs speak with them they can share any of the

information listed under Local Talk in Part One

below. If the PCs specifically ask why they are

watching the road, rather than actual samurai, they

explain that Lord Doji Tomayuki-sama has only a fewbushi, and I believe most of them are on other

assignments due to the upcoming festival.

A Note on Crane Customs andSuperstitionsThe PCs will be spending this adventure in a Crane

town during a festival, and as a result, they will

probably encounter a number of local customs and

beliefs. The GM should use these to add flavor to the

various role-play encounters in the adventure.

It is considered unlucky in Crane lands to pour

your own sake. Any PC who pours his or her

own sake will draw a mild look of surprise and

unease from those around them, who

thereafter will try to hold themselves apart

from this unlucky person. Of course, they will

be much too polite to actually criticize the

unlucky PC.

Throwing dried peas into a well or river

attracts good fortune. During the festival the

PCs will see numerous peasants, as well as the

occasional samurai, tossing handfuls of dried

peas into the stream or the towns three wells.

Foxes are very lucky animals. It is a custom to

carry some rice to throw to a fox should you

encounter one. Most of the samurai and

commoners in the village carry a small pouch

of rice for this purpose.

The White Lotus FestivalThis is a festival localized to the southern Crane lands.

It originated in hundreds of years ago in Wall Above

the Ocean Village, and was intended to honor the

fortunes Daikoku (Wealth) and Hotei (Contentment),

calling their blessings on the village and especially on

its sake brewery. Over time, the festival has come tocelebrate the sake itself, although the two Fortunes are

by no means neglected. The local Crane nobles have

worked hard to spread the festivals popularity, and it

now draws attendees from all over the Empire.

The White Lotus Festival is held three times each year,

once each in the middle of spring, summer, and fall.

The PCs are attending the autumn festival, so the

adventure starts on the first day of the month of the

Dog (November). The weather is chilly, but the sky is

usually clear the rains of the previous month have

ended, and bad winter weather has not yet arrived.

The festival attracts entertainers and performers from

across the southern Empire. The most prominent such

guests this time are the Kabuki theater troupe

Mayakashi, sponsored by the Scorpion Clan.

Part One: What to do inWall Above the Ocean

VillageNotwithstanding its designation as a village, Wall

Above the Ocean is actually a fairly substantial portsettlement, with about 1,800 residents. The town is

home to a famous sake brewery, producing the so-

called White Lotus Label sake. White Lotus is not

quite as famous as the notorious Taka Label Sake

produced down the coast at Friendly Traveler Village,

but it is still one of the more prominent brands of sake

in the Empire, and the growing popularity of the

associated Festival is spreading its fame steadily

farther.

As you walk up the main street, you can see that Wall

Above the Ocean Village is indeed a prosperous town,

and with the festival eminent it is positively crowded,with hundreds of samurai and commoners flocking in

to enjoy a last chance for fun and color before the

descent of winter. The main street is packed with

people, and light and laughter pour from the doors

and windows of the several inns and sake houses you

pass. You see at least one geisha house as well, with

beautiful ladies waving at you from an upstairs

balcony. At the end of the street is a large open-air

marketplace, ringed at the edges by shops and small

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restaurants, and despite the deepening twilight the

market is still full of activity as well, lanterns glowing

like fireflies.

Visiting the Samurai EstateSome of the PCs may decide to visit the samurai estate

outside the town, in order to pay their respects orsimply out of curiosity.

The estate is a typical dwelling for an upper-caste

samurai: a large, fine-quality house and outbuildings,

surrounded by a whitewashed, blue-crenellated wooden

wall which seems more a statement of style than any

kind of defensive structure. A Crane samurai (with the

Doji family mon, if anyone asks) stands guard outside

the gate and politely asks the business of any samurai

who approach. Assuming the PCs give a valid reason

for their visit (such as paying respects to the local lord),

they will be admitted to the courtyard.

The yard inside the walls contains a large, well-kept

garden (including many types of flowers, an unusual

choice in a Rokugani garden) and a koi pond. The PCs

wil be met here by a household servant who politely

explains, Lord Doji Tomayuki is absent on important

business. His karo, Doji Nobuo-dono, is currently also

very busy preparing for the festival. The servant

thanks the PCs on behalf of his lords for their visit, and

urges them to visit again after the festival is over and

Nobuo-dono will have more time for them.

The Crowded InnsGoing up the towns main street, the PCs will see a

total of four inns. The largest and most impressive is

the Golden Sun, a fine two-story building with a large

garden on one side and a well-apportioned stable in the

back. Unfortunately, due to the upcoming festival it is

already sold out, full of samurai, merchants, and other

visitors. The innkeeper is apologetic, and suggests that

the PCs try to Laughing Ahi, closer to the docks. It is

a reputable establishment, samurai-samas, if not quite

as refined as our own.

The other three inns on the main street are also full, and

their innkeepers will be similarly regretful. However,Yoma, the master of the Red Crab Inn, will strongly

recommend against the PCs visiting the Laughing Ahi,

claiming it is a lowly establishment without proper

refinement and attracting an undesirable clientele.

This is a reference to the presence of Daniel

Hackerman, although Yoma will never mention the

gaijin directly.

The Laughing Ahi InnLocated near the docks, this inn is more modest in size,

lacking the garden and other elaborate scenery of the

Golden Sun, but is still clean and well-kept. Its

location next to the docks allows it to specialize in

seafood, especially sashimi, and the cook (a portly

middle-aged man named Goshi) is the inns pride. Theinnkeeper Tako, on the other hand, is a relatively young

man, in his mid-twenties his father choked to death

on a fish-bone, forcing him to take over the business

while still a youth.

In contrast to the Golden Sun, the Laughing Ahis main

room is relatively quiet, with a few merchants and

sailors scattered about, two Crabs at a corner table

playing a game of go, a table-full ofronin playing some

kind of dice game and a brown-haired gaijin, looking

outlandish in his outfit of leather and lace, sitting at the

same table.

The two Crabs, Hida Yohachi and Yasuki Jin, arevery typical for their families. Yohachi a big, gruff,

brash bushi who is grumpy about getting sent here as a

yojimbo. Jin is a small, well-dressed diplomat with

smooth manners and a knack for commerce. Their only

shared feature is a liking for go, and they will happily

accept challenges from any PCs with interest in the

game. (Their own skill rolls are 5k2 and 6k4,

respectively.)

If the PCs speak with either of these two Crab

guests for any length of time, they will

complain that a ronin named Hideki waspestering them earlier today, asking when the

next 20-goblin winter will take place. These

ronin, think its so easy to pass that and get

into the Crab, Yohachi grumbles. He

describes the ronin as a squat, bandy-legged

fellow with a missing ear, and says he left

about an hour before the PCs arrived.

The five ronin are for the most part unremarkable:typical wave-men with well-worn clothing and gear,

their manners and language rough. There is one

notable figure among them, however: Akuma. Akuma

is a lean, hatchet-faced man of indeterminate age hemight be 20 or 30. His face is seamed by a vertical scar

down the right side, pulling his lip up in a sneer.

Despite his menacing appearance (and sinister name),

Akuma is actually a sociable man with a sardonic sense

of humor. He was a contestant in the Emerald

Tournament last spring PCs who did not attend the

tournament will recognize his name with a roll of

Intelligence/Lore: Heraldry at TN 20. He is mildly

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flattered if anyone remembers his performance there,

but deliberately does not make much of it himself I

entered it on a throw of chance, as it were, and never

expected to make it so far. He makes a point of

always downgrading his own skills, recognizing how

touchy samurai can be around wave-men. Akuma has

found that it is easier to get through life by being self-effacing and not drawing attention to himself his

competition in the Emerald Tournament was a rare

exception to that personal rule, and he now somewhat

regrets that action.

All of the ronin are playing a foreign dice game called

Frair, taught to them by Daniel Hatcherman. (He is

wisely not playing himself, lest he be accused of

cheating them.) They will happily introduce PCs to the

game, which involves betting on the chances of certain

numbers appearing with the next toss of the dice.

Playing the game requires Opposed rolls of either

Intelligence/Games: Frair or (if they wish to cheat)Intelligence/Gambling.

Daniel Hatcherman is a Caucasian man in his earlythirties, with a muscular build, tanned skin, and squint-

lines around his eyes. He is dressed in strange outfit

that includes leather leggings and vest, a loose cotton

shirt with lace at the neck and wrists, and leather boots

with high floppy tops. He does not carry a firearm (it is

illegal to do so in Rokugan), but wears a short, straight

blade (a Thranish small-sword) at his belt, and carries

concealed knives in his boots and the small of his back.

Daniel speaks Rokugani with a heavy, outlandish

accent, but has enough knowledge of the Empiresbasic social rules to avoid any serious errors or insults.

He carries a letter authorizing him to travel within the

Empire, signed by the Tortoise Clan daimyo, Kasuga

Magoro he will readily show it to any samurai who

asks.

If any PCs ask Hatcherman why he is here, he will

claim he is simply attending the festival. This,

however, is a lie (his Awareness/Deceit: Lying roll is

7k3+4). He is actually investigating the money trail

of a smuggling ring, which he suspects may be

connected to the larger problems he is here to root out.

He will probe for rumors and gossip while behaving

like a tourist, and is especially interested in any rumors

of piracy or of strange ships in nearby waters. He will

also make a point of speaking with the merchants and

fishermen in the room he will use his gaijin

ignorance to excuse himself for slumming with such

lowly folk.

Come to the Festival!At some point while the PCs are at the inn, there will be

a noise of bells, flutes, and drums outside the room, and

a startling masked figure steps through the door. He is

dressed up to resemble a stylized kappa (a froglike

amphibian humanoid), and wears a wooden full-face

Kabuki mask topped by an elaborate headdressresembling a bowl. Bells dangle from his costume and

ring merrily as he dances through the room, singing in a

high, ululating voice. Two other men (dressed in form-

fitting black, and wearing oni masks) stand in the

doorway and accompany his song with drum and flute.

Come to the festival! he sings, twirling through the

room. Come to the play! Mayakashi is here, and all

will be well! All shall laugh, all shall celebrate! Come

to the festival! Come to the play! He tosses out

handfuls of origami flowers, scattering them like rain

among the guests, then departs again with a rattle of

drums. Outside, he continues up the street, maintaininghis musical chant and continuing to distribute his

origami.

If the PCs examine the origami (several of the patrons

will do so, including Daniel), they see that the paper

has writing on it. Unfolding the flowers reveals an

invitation: The honored Kabuki Theater Troupe

Mayakashi invites you to enjoy their performance this

evening, on the docks at the hour past sunset,

announced by a discharge of hanabi. Hanabi are the

Dragon Clans famous fireworks. The name

Mayakashi translates as Deception. Any PC who

rolls Intelligence/Lore: Heraldry at TN 25, or asuitable specialized Lore skill (such as Lore: Acting) at

TN 15, will recognize Mayakashi as a well-known and

popular traveling theater troupe sponsored by the

Scorpion Clan. If the PC who makes the roll has

previously encountered the Korede Gokko theater

troupe (in the adventures Bloom of the White Orchid

or Destiny Has no Secrets), s/he recalls that

Mayakashi is said to be a powerful rival to them in

popularity.

Part Two: The Festival

BeginsTrue to the word of the origami advertisement, the

beginning of the festival is announced an hour after

sunset by a loud and colorful display of hanabi

(Dragon alchemical fireworks) near the waterfront.

Immediately crowds begin to flock down the streets in

that direction. Most of the guests in the Laughing Ahi

will do likewise, including Daniel Hatcherman. He will

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inquire about the nature of the fireworks (they look

much like the ones we use in our land, made from

gunpowder) and will be intrigued if any PCs try to

explain the difference between gaijin pepper and

Dragon alchemy.

At the docks, a large rectangular stage has been setup. Poles rise at each corner, with long cords strung

between them, and dozens of colored paper lanterns

hang from the cords, providing warm and beautiful

light. A quartet of musicians sit before the stage with

biwa, samisen, taiko drum and flute, playing short

pieces of music to warm up the crowd. You suspect

the actors themselves are waiting inside the two

curtained alcoves to either side of the stage.

Merchants circulate through the large and boisterous

crowd, selling rice candy, drinks, yakitori, and other

snacks, as well as small lanterns with scented candles.

You suspect that less reputable fellows may be in this

crowd as well, a suspicion confirmed by the sight of a

portly merchant exclaiming in outrage as he discovers

his money pouch to be missing. In the festive

atmosphere, however, those around him seem more

inclined to laugh at his discomfiture than to search

for the thief.

Soon after the PCs arrive, an actor in elaborate fool

make-up and costume will prance onto the stage and

begin amusing the crowd with various pranks, pratfalls,

and humorous mimes, drawing much laughter and

applause. This is the warm-up act to get the crowd

ready for the main event.

Kobo the StorytellerThe PCs may encounter Kobo the storyteller during this

time: an older peasant with a bent back, standing in the

middle of a circle of women and children and

recounting a harrowing ghost story. If the PCs listen

for a while, they can hear him tell several different

tales, mostly classic Rokugani scary stories about

ghosts, demonic possession, and so forth. At least one

of these stories will concern the local haunted cove, a

few miles north up the coast, where evil spirits

supposedly lure fishermen to their doom.

The CandymanThe man who calls himself the Candyman is a street

entertainer who travels throughout the southern villages

of the Empire, performing to small street-side crowds

and sometimes in the common rooms of inns. PCs may

have previously encountered him in the adventure

Uncertainty. He dresses in a plain and slightly baggy

kimono and hakama, but makes up for his mundane

clothing with a ready smile and a great deal of

charisma. He has a small wheeled cart containing

various props and tools for his street performances

(umbrellas, balls, tops, paper for origami, flutes and

drums, and so forth). It also contains a small firepot

with which he keeps a tray of sugar candy warm. His

main trick, and the one which gives him his name, is tospontaneously create small edible sculptures (such as

mice, birds, and butterflies) from the wax-like sugar

candy and hand them out to the audience. Other

performances include juggling, various prestidigitation

magic tricks, spontaneous origami, music, etc., all

accompanied by an entertaining act and patter.

The Candyman is a friendly and personable fellow, but

makes a point of being evasive about his past,

substituting jokes about how far he has traveled, how

sore his feet are, the holes in his sandals, etc., rather

than answering any questions up front. In actual fact,

the Candyman is an eta who has escaped his caste byadopting the life of a traveling entertainer.

Although he will not talk about his own past, the

Candyman is very knowledgeable about local events

he talks with everyone, after all. If the PCs make a few

small donations, he will be happy to answer their

questions. See Local Talk below for the information

he has.

The Karo Pays a VisitDuring the time before the actual play begins, the local

karo, Doji (Hanagensai) Nobuo, will arrive and begin

circulating through the crowd, introducing himself toany visiting Clan and Imperial samurai (including the

PCs) and expressing his hopes for their enjoyment of

the festival. He will also introduce himself to any ronin

with Glory of 3.0 or better. Nobuos appearance is

described in Appendix #1 with his stats. Although his

manners are excellent and his appearance impeccable,

Nobuo is actually troubled his lords sons have not

returned this evening. Any PC who speaks with him

can roll Awareness/Courtier at TN 20 to detect that he

is anxious and uneasy. If they ask him about this in a

subtle or delicate way, he will claim that he is merely

concerned that the festival turn out well. (A lie.) If

they are blunt or uncouth, he will simply say, You aremistaken, samurai-san, and turn away from them.

The PlayAfter the on-stage fool finishes his half-hour warm-up

act, the main plays commencement will be announced

with a second, louder discharge of hanabi fireworks.

Actors in elaborate kabuki costumes and masks glide

onto the stage and begin the performance of their play:

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The Virtuous Wife, a comedic story of honor and

duty in the scandalous courts of Kyuden Bayushi. The

play is designed as a homily on Honor, with the

virtuous wife of the title, a rather simple-minded and

uneducated young woman named Jun, somehow

outmaneuvering all the elaborate tricks and plots of the

Scorpion and Crane courtiers around her. The crowdenjoys the play immensely, and there is much laughter

and applause as the scheming courtiers (represented

with masks carved in scowling and simpering

expressions) are thwarted again and again.

The play concludes near midnight, with a final display

ofhanabi to mark the conclusion of the festivals first

day. The crowd disperses as people wend their way

homeward, although some (samurai and commoners

alike) will stay up much later, indulging in sake and

other vices.

Local TalkIf the PCs ask around for the local gossip, either at one

of the inns or while circulating through the crowds at

the festival, they can roll Awareness/Courtier at TN

20 to pick up an interesting tidbit of news from the

following list (the GM can choose randomly, or simply

present the different pieces of information in their

printed order). The Candyman can also provide one

piece of information for each monetary donation he

receives. Each PC can pick up one piece of gossip.

The local lord, Doji Tomayuki, is in Kyuden

Doji to participate in the upcoming wedding of

the Crane Clan Champion. This is aprestigious achievement for the lord of a

relatively small town, and many of the locals

are optimistic that this means an even brighter

future for Wall Above the Ocean Village.

The Karo, Doji Nobuo, is running things in the

absence of Lord Tomayuki. Nobuo is actually

of the Hanagensai vassal family, and the usual

rumors have attached themselves to him as a

result, e.g. suggestions that he is overly

ambitious or in league with the Scorpion Clan.

There are rumors of a strange ship in the localwaters. Several fishermen claim to have seen

it in the early morning fogs, when they were

taking their boats out to seek the days catch.

They describe a huge, tall ship with several

masts high enough to touch the sky.

Nobody locally has ever actually seen a

Thrane gaijin ship, but if a PC describes the

great Thranish sailing ships from Otosan Uchi,

there will be agreement that these meet the

description.

If the PCs specifically ask about piracy or

missing ships, some of the visiting ronin will

mention that theyve heard rumors from

sailors of ships disappearing up north, near theMantis settlement at Broken Wave City.

(Daniel Hatcherman will listen to this with

interest.) Locally, though, the only problems

have been occasional lost fishing boats, the

most recent of which was two months ago.

If the PCs ask about ghosts, Shadowlands

monsters, or other such supernatural problems,

they can hear rumors of a haunted cove a

few miles to the north which supposedly

dooms any fisherman who enters it.

If the PCs ask for more information about thehaunted cove, they will be directed to the

storyteller Kobo. Kobo lost one of his own

friends in those waters last year.

If the PCs specifically ask whether any boats

have gone missing recently, they can learn that

a fishing boat was lost two months ago in the

waters to the north. No trace of it was ever

found. The incident is blamed on the haunted

cove.

Part Three: Nobuo Asksfor Help

The morning after the performance by Mayakashi, the

PCs will be enjoying a pleasant breakfast the

Laughing Ahi serves rice, fish, miso soup and pickled

plums. During their meal, some of the PCs will receive

a visit from a Doji household servant.

Doji Nobuo is in a quandary his lords sons have

gone missing, right at the start of the great festival, and

his own name and position are in great danger. He has

decided to try to recruit a few visiting samurai the

PCs to solve the problem discreetly, thereby

protecting his own reputation while fulfilling his duties.

Nobuo will select which PCs to ask based on his

meetings with them the previous night in general, he

will prefer PCs who are either honorable, discreet,

and/or very mercenary. He will deliberately not invite

any Shosuro family PCs as a member of the

Hanagensai vassal family, he is already under

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obligation to the Shosuro, and has no desire to increase

his debt. He will also not invite PCs who seemed

overly blunt or indelicate during their previous

conversation (e.g. PCs who blurted out, What are you

worried about?).

The following are guidelines as to which PCs Nobuowill invite:

Any ronin PC.

Any non-Shosuro Clan/Imperial PC with

Honor of 3.0 or better.

Any Crane PC.

Any PC who showed discretion while

inquiring about why he seemed troubled.

Each of these PCs will be approached by the Craneservant, who tells them that Doji Nobuo-sama

requests their presence at the estate on a matter of some

delicacy. He invites them to bring along any other

samurai who they trust to be both able and discreet.

The PCs can interpret this as they see fit in general,

this is an opening for them to bring along any other PCs

who were not personally invited.

Inside the EstateWhen the PCs arrive at the lords estate, they will find

another guard standing watch, looking tired and

anxious, although he remains alert. The servant

escorting the PCs bows to the guard: These are the

samurai Doji Nobuo-dono sent for. The guard nods

and waves the PCs inside.

The PCs are led into a small receiving hall, empty

except for a few low tables bearing high-quality

ikebana arrangements. The PCs are left here for a few

minutes. If they look around during this time, they can

roll Perception/Artisan: Ikebana to notice that the

arrangements are two days old and beginning to wilt.

Before they have time to do more, however, a door

slides open and Doji Nobuo walks into the room.

Nobuo clearly looks tired and anxious, but as a true

Hanagensai his manners remain perfect. He inquires

after the PCs health, asks whether they had a restful

night, and generally plays the gracious host for several

minutes before getting down to business:

A matter of some difficulty has arisen. The two sons

of my master, Doji Tomayuki, failed to return from

their sailing trip last evening. Both they and their

yojimbo were skilled sailors, so I am concerned that

somethingnon-accidental may have happened to

them. However, as you have undoubtedly noticed, I

do not have many troops at hand. My lord has taken

a full escort to Kyuden Doji to fulfill his duties there

he would be dishonored if he had less than a proper

escort. Those troops who remain here under me mustdeal with the demands of the White Lotus Festival.

Therefore, I must request a favor from you. He

waits expectantly for the PCs to respond in the

affirmative before continuing. I request your aid in

finding the two boys. I have, in fact, sent out as many

men as I can spare to look for them, but there is much

territory to search. Your aid will be invaluable.

Assuming the PCs agree to help, Nobuo will happily

share all the information he has. He has three groups of

two bushi each searching the nearby shores, and

another two out in fishing boats, searching the bay.

They are all to the east and south of the town, which is

the area where the two boys normally sailed.

He will give a detailed description of the boys and their

yojimbo. Senichi, the elder boy, is eleven years old.

A fine athletic boy, and hes already started dyeing his

hair, looking forward to taking his gempukku next

year. His younger brother Gempachi is ten, a smaller

boy with dark hair. Very talented as well, of course.

Their yojimbo is Doji Takao, trained in the Daidoji

school. A capable veteran in his twenties. Gempachi

admired him greatly.

The boys boat was a well-made small craft, similar to a

fishing boat, that could carry six people although one

person could sail it easily. He mentions that Lord

Tomayuki had the boat carved and painted with images

of cranes.

The PCs can ask for additional information as they see

fit. The following section covers most of the questions

they might ask:

The boys went sailing regularly, almost every

day during good weather, and were always

accompanied by their yojimbo.

Nobuo last saw the boys yesterday afternoon,

when they left with their yojimbo. He was

informed they were going to the docks to go

sailing. His troops have checked at the docks

and confirmed that the boys did, in fact, take

their boat out sailing.

If the PCs ask whether Lord Tomayuki has

any enemies, Nobuo will look indignant.

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Lord Doji Tomayuki-sama is a fine lord,

and all acknowledge his wisdom and

compassion.

If the PCs specifically ask whether Nobuo has

any suspects in the disappearance, he will

hesitantly mention the ronin Hideki. He wasthe boys instructor in sailing and ship-

handling. Lord Tomayuki felt it wise to have

them instructed in the ways of the sea, given

the importance of oceanic trade in these

times. Now that the boys have mastered the

required skills, Lord Tomayuki instructed

that the ronin be dismissed from service.

Although Hideki seemed a friendly enough

man, I cant help wondering at the

coincidence that the boys disappeared a week

after he was dismissed. Still, I do not think

he is skillful enough to defeat Takao.

Nobuo describes Hideki as a short man with a

missing ear. He does not know where he is

now. I think he was staying in one of the

Inns in town.

If the PCs mention rumors of a strange ship in

the area, Nobuo dismisses them as mere gossip

and tall-tales. Such tales have circulated for

months. No doubt some fisherman caught a

glimpse of a passing Thrane vessel last

spring and turned it into an endless legend.

Although the PCs may suspect deception

here, there is none Nobuo is genuinelyunaware of the Thrane smuggling activities.

If the PCs ask about pirates or other nautical

problems, Nobuo can pass along the rumors of

pirate attacks to the north, near the Mantis

settlement of Broken Wave City. There has

been no such trouble near here, though, and he

does not think piracy was involved.

If any PCs ask about rumors of Shadowlands

creatures or other supernatural entities, Nobuo

will say firmly there have been no such

problems in the region. The village of OnuMura, nothwithstanding its reputation, has

never caused any trouble. If any PC mentions

the stories of a haunted cove to the north, he

snorts peasant rumor.

Once the PCs have asked all their questions, Nobuo

wishes them good fortune, and urges them to find the

boys as quickly as possible. If the PCs ask him for

further assistance, he will offer to send one of his

peasant ashigaru along with them as a liaison. The

ashigaru is a sturdy, obedient man named Aju, who

cooperates willingly with the PCs.

Part Four: Searching for

the BoysThere are a number of routes that the PCs can take to

investigate the boys disappearance. The following

sections summarize the main options available.

It should be noted that the PCs will be conducting this

investigation in the midst of the White Lotus Festival.

The streets are crowded with revelers, waving paper

banners, listening to music, and drinking the famous

White Lotus Sake, cups of which are being handed out

from kegs in front of all the major businesses. The

actors and performers of the Mayakashi troupe circulate

around in full costume, performing short humorous

skits and acrobatic tricks. The PCs will have to wind

their way through thick crowds of revelers in order to

go anywhere in the town.

Hideki the RoninSmart PCs will try to follow up on the Mantis ronin

Hideki. If the PCs spoke with the two Crab bushi at the

Laughing Ahi Inn, they will know that Hideki

sometimes visits that place if they go back there this

afternoon, they can find him. Alternatively, they can

simply ask around for Hideki and roll

Awareness/Investigation or Awareness/Underworld

at TN 20 a success locates him at a noodle shop,slurping from a bowl of ramen.

Hideki is exactly as others have described him to the

PCs: a short, bandy-legged man with a missing left ear.

Despite this disfigurement, he possesses a certain

roguish charm, especially around women, with whom

he flirts enthusiastically. He wears a number of tattoos

on his arms any Mantis PC will recognize these as

tattoos common in the Mantis fleet, and other PCs can

do the same by rolling Intelligence/Lore: Mantis at

TN 15 orIntelligence/Lore: Heraldry at TN 30.

Hideki will speak readily with the PCs. He does notknow that the boys are missing, and will be concerned

if the PCs tell him. Any PC who rolls

Awareness/Investigation at TN 20 can tell that his

reaction is genuine. He describes the boys as good

students with keen minds.

.

Hideki says he spent the last night with a

charming lady, but will try to avoid naming

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her (she is a local heimin, widow to a dead

ronin). If the PCs press him hard on this issue,

he will reluctantly name her, but asks the PCs

to treat her with respect and discretion.

Hideki claims he is not bitter about losing his

job with Lord Tomayuki he knew the workwould only last until the boys were trained.

He is currently looking for new work, and may

even offer to help the PCs if they mention

going out sailing.

If the PCs ask him about rumors of strange

ships, pirates, or other nautical threats, he

looks disgusted. Nothing but rumors. If you

want to hear more of them, you should ask that

gaijin Hatchelmanu about those sorts of

things, hes been snooping around about them

for days.

If the PCs ask about supernatural threats, or

mention the haunted cove, Hideki frowns.

I remember that old storyteller Kobo was

talking about that so-called haunted cove the

last time I took the boys to the Laughing Ahi

after training. The boys thought it was quite

the story.

.

Checking at the DocksThe PCs may decide to follow up on Nobuos report on

the docks, or simply to investigate there for their own

reasons. Due to the festival, no trade ships are sailing,

and relatively few boats are going out to fish, so thePCs will find it easy to speak with the local fishermen,

dockworkers, and sailors.

If the PCs ask about the boys, the locals can confirm

that they went out sailing almost every day, except in

the very worst weather. They are very impressed with

the boys dedication and skill some of the fishermen

will remark that they wish their own sons were like

that. Many of the people at the docks have noticed that

the boys boat is absent this morning, and the PCs

questions are liable to start some rumors about why.

If the PCs ask about any rumors of problems,disappearances, or supernatural incidents, the fishermen

will mention that a boat was lost two months ago in the

waters to the north. They blame the haunted cove,

and say that now no-one sails in those waters.

If the PCs ask for more information about the haunted

cove, they will be directed to the storyteller Kobo.

Kobo lost one of his own friends in those waters last

year.

Kobo the Storyteller (and Spy)The PCs can track down Kobo, who is circulating

through the festival crowds telling stories and

collecting gossip, by rolling Awareness/Investigationat TN 20 orAwareness/Storytelling at TN 30. The old

man pauses near the sake barrels and tells ghost tales

and other such stories to the passerby. (Alert PCs may

notice, however, that while he is often holding a sake

cup, he never actually drinks.)

Kobo will act very deferentially to samurai, answering

any of their questions readily. Of course, he is actually

the in-place agent for the smugglers, so he will be lying

to the PCs through his teeth, and trying to subtly find

out why they are asking him these questions. If he

realizes the PCs are planning to go to the haunted

cove, he will try to slip away and warn his comrades.

Kobo is a middle-aged man, but his thinning gray hair,

hunched posture, and slow movements make him

appear older. (A PC who specifically shows suspicion

about this can roll Perception/Acting at TN 25 to

recognize that he is putting himself on as being older

and feebler than he actually is.)

If the PCs ask Kobo about the haunted cove, he will

readily tell them the story of how he and his friend

Raizo fell afoul of its sinister nature. He starts the story

in a calm voice but becomes more intense and

emotional as it continues, finally weeping openly as hespeaks the final lines (again, this is acting, and can be

detected with the same roll):

Raizo and I were both fishing a really good school of

Ahi, following them north up the coast. It was a long

day of fishing, but we finally filled our baskets and

headed back down the coast to return here. Then

Raizo spotted a woman waving to us on the shore in a

small cove. I thought it strange that a woman would

be in that isolated place, but Raizo insisted on going

in to shore. He said it would be wrong to leave a

person stranded on that remote shore with evening

coming on. So I stood off-shore while he took hisboat in to her. And that saved my life.

Just as Raizos boat entered the cove, the woman

disappeared, vanished before my eyes. I started to

turn my boat immediately, shouting to Raizo to leave.

But his ship lurched and stopped, and I saw legs like

those of a spider reaching out of the water and pulling

it under. Raizo managed to stay afloat for a few

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moments and then screamed and went under. The

old man shudders. I still hear those screams at

night.

If the PCs mention that another ship has

disappeared in recent months, Kobo looks

mournful. I tell this story to all, hoping tosave them from Raizos fate, but sometimes I

am not believed.

If the PCs ask whether the two Doji heirs heard this

story, Kobo will look puzzled, but confirms that they

were at the Laughing Ahi Inn one night when he was

telling the tale. The young masters seemed to enjoy

the tale, I thought.

If the PCs say anything to suggest that the boys are

missing, Kobo will look shocked and appalled. What

have I done? he mutters to himself. This is, again, an

act designed to deflect suspicion from himself.

Kobo can tell the PCs where the cove is, if they ask, but

will only describe reaching it from the sea he leaves

out mentioning that there is a landward approach. If

the PCs ask him to guide them or accompany them, he

will beg not to, pleading that it would be too cruel to

make an old man go to such a terrible place. (He is

actually trying to get away so that he can send word to

the smugglers to prepare for trouble.) If the PCs are

absolutely insistent that he guide them, he will

reluctantly agree, and offers to sail the PCs there in his

fishing boat.

It should be remembered that Kobo is a liar and

deceiver. Any PC trying to tell if he is lying must

defeat his Awareness/Deceit (Lying) of 8k4+4 with

theirPerception/Investigation (Notice).

Unmasking KoboSome PCs may be suspicious of Kobo, especially if

they realize that he is lying to them. If they ask about

him in the local community, they can roll

Awareness/Investigation at TN 20 to learn that he

came here two years ago from a smaller village,

supposedly after his wife died.

If the PCs accuse Kobo of deceiving them, he will at

first try to bluff, claiming they are wronging him, and

appealing to passerby to vouch for him. My friends,

these strange samurai are calling me a liar! This will

produce a hostile response from the local crowd, who

gather around shouting and accusing the PCs. The PCs

can calm the crowd by making a speech and a roll of

Awareness/Storytelling at TN 25, or a credible threat

with a roll ofWillpower/Deceit (Intimidation) at TN

25. Otherwise, Kobo will be able to slip away in the

commotion.

If the PCs resort to actual physical violence,

the crowd will stampede away from them,

resulting in several people being trampled todeath. The PCs should probably lose at least 1

or 2 points of Honor for this, more if they are

very high in Honor or have Soft-Hearted.

If his rabble-rousing tactic does not work, Kobo will

attempt to flee, suddenly darting into the crowd with a

spryness quite at odds with his earlier appearance as an

aged and decrepit man. The PCs can be fast enough to

catch him the trick will be to avoid losing him in the

crowds. This will require defeating his Agility/Stealth

with theirPerception/Investigation.

If the PCs do succeed in catching Kobo, he will try topretend that he is an innocent victim. There are

pirates there, dangerous pirates, they killed Raizo, and

threatened to kill me if I told anyone where they were!

Ive been telling those stories to try to keep people

away from there. This is another lie, of course, but

the PCs will again have to defeat his Awareness/Deceit

(Lying) with their Perception/Investigation (Notice)

in order to see through it. Since this story is a little

closer to the truth, Kobo will get a Free Raise on his

roll to trick the PCs.

If the PCs still see through him, they can try to break

Kobo with either direct physical torture (which willcost them Honor), or psychological intimidation

accompanied by a roll of Willpower/Intimidation at

TN 20. If he breaks, Kobo will roll on the smuggling

gang, confessing everything:

Were just smugglers, doing some business with the

gaijin. My job is to be their eyes and ears in the town,

and to scare people away from the cove.

He claims the gaijin are Thrane, and says the

gang has been working with them for several

years. They set up the haunted cove in order

to have a secure location to conduct theirsmuggling without interruption.

He will confess that members of the gang

killed his friend Raizo in order to create the

legend of the haunted cove. (He does not

admit to killing anyone himself, and in fact has

never done so.)

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Kobo knows the boys have been taken

prisoner he received word of that this

morning and knows that at that time they

were unhurt. Kill a daimyos sons? Maybe

the Thrane are bold enough, but not we. He

does not know if the yojimbo is alive or dead.

He will identify the leader of the gang as a

man named Zenko, who he describes as

clever and skilled, a fearless wave-man.

He will say that the Thranish ship is currently

waiting off-shore while they figure out what to

do with the daimyos boys. The smugglers do

not have a boat of their own.

If the PCs ask him about the defenses of the

cove, he will confess that they keep lookouts.

He claims not to know exactly how many

smugglers there are right now, since they areconstantly moving goods in and out of the

area. He will try not to mention the chain

hidden under the coves water, but if the PCs

detect deception on his part, they can squeeze

this out of him as well. (The idea for the

chain, he admits, came from the gaijin.)

If the PCs ask how he communicates with the

smugglers, he says he sails up to the cove and

raises different colored sails depending on

what message he wants to send. He can signal

Danger or All Clear. He will try to lie

about the colors, claiming that red is Dangerand blue is all clear when in fact the

opposite is true.

If the PCs expose and capture Kobo, but fail to keep

him prisoner (perhaps in hope of tailing him back to his

allies), he will lie low, waiting to see what happens.

The PCs will have to pursue the investigation on their

own.

Daniel HatchermanIt may occur to the PCs to seek help or advice from the

towns gaijin visitor, especially if they learn about

smugglers or Thranish ships. Hatcherman can be found

at the Laughing Ahi Inn, where he spends the day

lounging near the entrance and watching the spectacle

of the festival.

If the PCs take Hidekis advice and ask Daniel about

rumors of pirates, gaijin ships, and so forth, he will chat

with them pleasantly (as best he can through his thick

accent), asking them about local rumors and gossip. If

the PCs have not learned yet of the local rumors about

strange ships, missing fishermen, the haunted cove,

etc., he will provide this information to them. At the

GMs option, he can serve as a clue rickshaw, such

as by wondering aloud how the legends of the haunted

cove began.

Daniel has deduced that something is wrong with the

daimyos sons he knows their boat is missing from

harbor this morning. If he suspects the PCs are looking

into this, he will draw attention to this absence, fishing

for more information. If any of the PCs actually

mention to him that the boys are missing, he will

wonder aloud whether their disappearance could be

connected to some of the local rumors. I recall the

other night that they were listening rather avidly to one

old man telling tales of the local haunted cove or

some such tale, he remarks.

If the PCs have learned enough to suspect there aresmugglers working with gaijin at the haunted cove,

Daniel will be quite interested. His mannerisms

become much more serious and he questions the PCs

carefully about what they know. He will probably

suggest that they should investigate the haunted cove,

if they have not already decided to do so. If they have

actually succeeded in forcing a confession from Kobo,

Daniel will become downright agitated, and asks

urgently to be allowed to accompany them when they

go to the cove. These people are violating the laws of

my lord, as well as yours, and it is my duty to bring

them to justice, he says.

Magical InvestigationsThere are relatively few options open for magical

investigation. A Void shugenja might use Sense Void

to scan the lands around the town for clusters of

emotions, and can discover a large clump of emotions

at the cove with enough raises to reach that distance

(five miles). A PC with the spell Ties That Bindmight

think of asking the karo for a piece of fabric cut from

one of the boys clothing, or asking at the docks for a

piece of rope or sail from their boat either option will

secure an item whose other portion is with the boys,

allowing the spell to trace them to the cove.

Shugenja PCs might be able to come up with other

clever methods, such as flying high above the haunted

cove to scout the area. The GM will have to

adjudicate whether such efforts can succeed or not.

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Part Five: To the HauntedCove!

Hopefully, the PCs will accumulate enough information

to at least want to go investigate the haunted cove. If

they have learned of the presence of smugglers (or if

they are paranoid), they will go in full combat gear

which will be wise.

The most obvious route is by sea. The PCs may end up

taking Kobos fishing boat they might decide to take

it themselves as camouflage, or if Kobo cannot slip

away to warn his fellows, he will try to arrange for the

PCs to come on his boat so he can turn on them (and

hopefully escape) at a critical moment.

Barring that, the PCs can rent a fishing boat for the day

this will cost one koku if they dont say where they

are going, three koku if they admit they are going to the

haunted cove.

If the PCs did not catch Kobo, he will try to slip out of

town and warn the smugglers that trouble is heading

their way. He does this by sailing his boat up to the

cove and raising a blue-colored sail. Clever PCs may

think of following him at sea, but this will require that

whoever is sailing the ship must make a successful

Opposed Roll of theirIntelligence/Stealth against his

Perception/Investigation. If the roll fails, Kobo spots

the PCs and simply puts out to sea and spends the day

fishing. Alternatively, it may be possible for the PCs to

track him magically the GM must adjudicate the

success or failure of such efforts.

As another option, the PCs can look for a land route to

the cove. This will require searching the hills north of

Wall Above the Ocean Village and rolling either

Intelligence/Navigation at TN 20 or

Perception/Hunting at TN 25. (At night, these TNs

are increased by 10.) A success locates a narrow path

that snakes through the hills toward the cove. Although

the path is obscure and hard to locate, any PC who

examines it and rolls Intelligence/Hunting at TN 20

can tell that it is regularly used. The other end of it

joins onto the main road a couple of miles before Oni

Mura.

Assistance from the KaroIf the PCs decide to go look around at the haunted

cove, their ashigaru assistant Aju will ask to report

back to Doji Nobuo-sama about where they are going.

If they have actually gotten a confession from Kobo, he

will definitely do so.

The PCs may decide to go report to Nobuo themselves,

possible asking for help against the smugglers. He will

immediately send messengers to retrieve the bushi he

has out searching for the boys. However, it will take

several hours to assemble them, and Nobuo will be

very concerned that something may befall the two boysin the meantime. He will urge the PCs to set out for the

cove immediately, promising to send additional help as

quickly as he can. He will send the ashigaru Aju along

with the PCs as a liaison and ally.

Whether or not the PCs report to Nobuo, they may

think of trying to hire ronin to supplement their

numbers and combat power. This will normally not

succeed the ronin in the village are here for the

festival, and have no interest in leaving town to risk

their lives against smugglers. However, if the GM

judges the party to be significantly deficient in combat

power (four player table, two or more noncombatantcharacters, etc), there is one ronin who will be available

for work: Akuma. He will want to know exactly what

the PCs are hiring him for (he is not an easy man to

fool), but if they bargain with him truthfully, he will be

willing to undertake the task for 2 koku up front, plus 1

bu for each enemy he defeats. These terms are non-

negotiable Akuma is not a boastful man, but he

knows the value of his skills.

The Cove and SurroundingsThe haunted cove lies about five miles north of Wall

Above the Ocean Village, and about two miles beyond

the area of settled, farmed land which supports thetown. The lands near the cove are rugged and irregular,

full of jagged rocks, steep hills, and small patches of

thick woods. The smugglers path winds between the

low hills and trees, but for the last quarter-mile it

crosses open ground, visible from the top of the ocean-

side cliffs that ring the cove.

The path into the cove descends down through a very

narrow rift, almost a tunnel, in the cliffs. PCs

descending this path must go single-file, and if they are

mounted, they will have to roll

Awareness/Horsemanship at TN 20 to convince their

horses to move through the narrow passage.

The cliffs surrounding the cove are about forty to fifty

feet high. Climbing up or down them requires a roll of

Agility/Athletics (Climbing) at TN 25. At night or

during bad weather, this TN increases by 5. Failure

means a fall for 4k4 damage (unless the PCs are tying

themselves together with ropes or taking similar

precautions).

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The Winch Cave is the smallest of the three caves. It is

open to the ocean along one side, and contains a winch

for raising and lowering the chain which stretches

across the cove mouth.

The Residential Cave comprises two chambers, eachcontaining several damp, tattered tatami mats covered

with tangled blankets. A few personal possessions

dice, empty bottles, tobacco pipes, etc are scattered

around the place. Some of these are gaijin items such

as cameos (small pictures inside of metal lockets) or

broken eyeglasses.

The innermost chamber contains a large fire-pit

(evacuated through a natural rock chimney), along with

bales of rice, dried fish, and other foodstuffs. At night

there is usually a fire here, and most of the gang

(except those on watch) will be sitting around talking,

playing dice, and generally relaxing. The two gaijinwho are staying here, waiting for their ship, will be in

this cave as well.

The Storage Cave is the largest of the three caves, and

the farthest from the water. It divides into two

chambers inside. The first chamber, the largest,

contains the gaijin goods which the smugglers are

preparing to move out, as well as the Rokugani goods

which the Thrane will be carrying away as soon as their

ship returns. The bales and crates of goods here

include Rokugani silks and tea, boxes of fine porcelain

plates and cups, many boxes of gaijin spices, and small

crates of gaijin manufactured goods (glasses, scissors,

toys, etc). A PC who carefully searches through this

loot and rolls Perception/Investigation at TN 30 will

find two things of interest: a bundle containing a suit of

Crane light armor and a daisho set (taken from the dead

yojimbo), and a single small wooden keg of gaijin

pepper (gunpowder).

The back chamber of the Storage Cave is much smaller

and damper. The two Doji children are here, bound

and gagged. Both of them are bruised and battered as

well, with Gempachi in particularly bad shape and only

semi-conscious. Members of the smuggler gang check

on them every hour or so.

Gempachi is seriously injured he tried to fight the

smugglers, and was severely beaten. He cannot be

safely moved without either a successful Medicine roll,

or a successful healing spell.

The Smuggler GangThere are over two dozen members to the smuggler

gang, but at any given time, a majority of them are

away, delivering goods and checking in with their

contacts among various corrupt merchants.

Consequently, at present there are a total of eight

smugglers here, plus their leader Zenko and the twogaijin crewmen. One smuggler will always be on

sentry duty atop the cliff.

During the day, the smugglers will be awake and alert,

moving around the cove, although the two gaijin will

generally stay out of sight. Zenko will be wearing his

armor. At night, if the smugglers are not expecting

trouble, Zenko will be without armor and all of the

smugglers (except the sentry) will be inside the

Residential Cave. If Kobo passed warning to the

smugglers to expect trouble, Zenko will still be in

armor and the smugglers will have weapons at hand,

ready for action.

At all times, day and night, the smugglers will check on

their prisoners about once per hour.

Approaching by LandThe smugglers always maintain at least one sentry on

the cliff-top above the cove. He sits atop a low rock,

where he has an excellent view. He normally keeps

watch out to sea, but also scans the surrounding lands

periodically.

During the day, the sentry is fairly alert PCs wishingto approach him undetected will most likely have to use

concealing magic. A PC who employs sneaking tactics

(low-crawling, using all available cover, etc), can get to

about fifty yards away by succeeding in an Opposed

Roll of Agility/Stealth against the smugglers

Perception/Investigation, but any closer will make it

impossible for the PC to remain unnoticed.

At night, the sentry is less alert, and is also grumpy at

having to stand guard while the rest of the gang is

relaxing. PCs can approach him to within melee

striking distance by defeating him with the

aforementioned Opposed Roll.

If Kobo warned the smugglers to expect trouble, they

will have two sentries on the cliff at all times, day and

night. If PCs are approaching by stealth, the two

sentries should roll separately to see if they notice.

If a smuggler sentry notices the PCs, or takes damage

that does not reduce him to the Out rank, he will shout

an alarm, alerting the rest of the gang. If they were

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already expecting trouble (e.g. Kobo warned them),

they will react immediately. If not, they will spend the

next two rounds grabbing weapons and gear.

Approaching by SeaThe PCs can find the cove simply by sailing north up

the coast, although it will take them several hours ifthey do not have a local fisherman (or Kobo) to guide

them. However, unless the PCs use magic to conceal

their boat, they will be easily spotted by the sentry atop

the cliff. The smugglers will be prepared for action.

If the PCs somehow manage to approach undetected

(e.g. concealed by magic), once they sail into the cove,

they will see several men sitting or strolling around the

beaches, and a large hand-cart sitting next to one of the

three cave entrances. More likely, the PCs were

spotted, and they will be approaching a beach empty

except for the cart.

Alternatively, if the PCs approach aboard Kobos boat

(with or without Kobo on board), the smugglers will

recognize it and initially assume all is well, so long as

they are not flying the blue sail. Clever PCs will keep

most of their number hidden below the railings. Unless

something happens that obviously tips off the

smugglers (e.g. a bunch of armed samurai strutting

around), the PCs can potentially sail right into the cove

before their enemies realize something is wrong.

If Kobo is actually on board with the PCs, he will try to

warn his comrades.

First, he will try to raise the blue-colored sail

to warn them of danger the PCs will need to

defeat his Deceit (Lying) skill in order to

realize he is telling them the wrong color.

When they get closer, unless the PCs are

actively controlling Kobo (e.g. holding a

weapon to his throat), he will try to shout a

warning to his comrades and then dive

overboard.

The smugglers, on the advice of their Thrane allies,

have a chain stretched across the bottom of the coveentrance, ready to be raised to stop any approaching

boat. PCs who were warned about this chain by Kobo

can roll Raw Perception at TN 15 to notice the ends of

the chain snaking out of the water, one snaking into the

cave mouth on the left bank while the other is anchored

in the stone on the right. If the PCs were not warned

about the chain, they will not be able to notice it unless

they specifically say they are looking for danger,

ambushes, etc. In this case, they can roll

Perception/Investigation or Perception/Battle at TN

20 to notice the chain. The chain can also be detected

with the spellBy the Light of Lady Moon.

If the chain is raised, it will rest right below the surface,

and will stop any boat entering the cove. The boat willbe immobilized unless the PCs use an oar, tetsubo, or

other pole to push the chain down below the boats keel

this will require a Raw Strength roll at TN 30.

Sea Battle?If the PCs come by sea and are immobilized by the

water chain (which will happen unless they are

extremely stealthy or clever), the sentry overhead will

immediately begin to fire arrows at the PCs (his shots

are at +10 TN penalty, due to the range and awkward

angle). The other smugglers will emerge from the

caves on round one and begin firing arrows on round

two. Due to the range (roughly fifty yards), the TN forarchery shots will be at a +5 TN penalty. The

smugglers have fifteen arrows apiece, and will continue

to fire as long as they have targets. If any of the PCs

make it to shore, Zenko and half the smugglers will

engage them. The gaijin will hang back and not fight

unless at least two PCs get ashore.

A PC swimming ashore will have to roll

Agility/Athletics (Swimming) at TN 15 to do more

than tread water. It will normally take three rounds to

reach shore, but a PC who rolls TN 25 or better will

shorten that by one round. Remember the TN penalties

for PCs in heavy armor.

If the PCs boat is free of the chain, they can row it to

shore. This will take only two rounds as long as at least

two people are rowing. If only one person is rowing, it

takes four rounds. If four or more people are rowing

and they can make a Combined Roll of

Strength/Athletics at TN 25, they can reach shore in

only one round. Note that rowers are immobile they

cannot use Full Defense and cannot add their Defense

skill to their TN to be Hit. The smugglers will fire half

their shots at rowers in order to try to slow down the

boat.

Shugenja PCs, of course, will be able to deal with this

problem in other ways, such as flying or walking on

water.

Land Battle?If the smugglers are warned of the PCs approaching by

land, Zenko and two of his men will hide on either side

of the entrance to the trail, while the remaining

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smugglers and gaijin stand in front and attempt to lure

the lead PCs out to fight. Once the first two PCs enter

the cove, the three ambushers will come out behind

them Zenko will try to drive up the path and kill the

remaining PCs, while his two comrades will hit the lead

PCs from behind.

No Warning?If the PCs managed to approach by land or sea without

sounding the alarm, either by stealth or by eliminating

the sentry, they will have a much easier time. The

smugglers and their gaijin allies will be unprepared for

combat, and will react in a confused and incoherent

fashion. Zenko will try to bellow them into some kind

of fighting order, while the two gaijin will hang back

and try to simply stay alive.

Resolving the Fight

The smugglers are under no illusions they know theyhave broken Imperial law and their prospects are dim if

they surrender. They will fight on as long as Zenko is

alive to lead them. If he falls, and the number of

standing smugglers is outnumbered by the number of

standing (not Down or Out) PCs, they will attempt to

flee. If the PCs came by sea, they will flee up the path

into the countryside. If the PCs came by land, they will

jump into the water and try to swim out of the cove.

The two gaijin are more pragmatic: they know they

cannot blend into Rokugani society. Given the chance,

they will either flee along the coast (hoping to be

picked up later by their ship) or surrender and ask tospeak with their nations ambassador, Sven Oldarsson.

If Daniel Hatcherman is with the PCs, they will try to

kill him before they consider surrender they

recognize him as a Kings Hand and know they can

expect no mercy from him.

Night Attack?If the PCs took a long time to track down the clues, it

may be night by the time they reach the cove. Ruthless

or sneaky PCs who find the cove earlier may decide to

wait until dark in order to carry out a sneak attack. In

general, this will give the PCs a significant edge if they

have the skills and abilities to carry it out (especially

Stealth). By catching the smugglers unaware, the PCs

can probably defeat them with ease. Clever PCs may

even be able to locate and rescue the two Doji heirs

without a fight.

Waiting for HelpSome PCs may think of waiting for Doji Nobuos

troops to assemble before they come to the cove.

Unfortunately, by the time the troops are assembled, it

will be nightfall. The soldiers do not know the land

route to the cove, and it will not be possible to sail

safely at night in late-autumn weather. (No sailors willtake the risk.) Unless the PCs can locate the land path

in the dark and lead the soldiers there, they will have to

wait until morning (or go on their own).

If the PCs do manage to get the troops to the cove that

night, of course, they will probably be able to overcome

the smugglers with little difficulty.

ConclusionHopefully, the PCs succeed in rescuing the Doji heirs

and defeating the smugglers. They will be able to

return to Doji Nobuo in triumph and gain his gratitude.

However, if the PCs never locate the cove, wait until

the next day to go there (for example, if they want the

troops to accompany them but couldnt find the path at

night), or simply keep the cove under observation and

fail to take action, Zenko and the smugglers will finally

decide what to do. At first light, Zenko has the two

boys throats cut, weights their bodies, and has them

dumped in the sea to join their yojimbo. Later that

morning, the gaijin ship puts ashore and collects the

two crewmen along with its load of goods. The

smugglers load up their own hand-cart and head out.

The PCs may still be able to arrive in time to catch and

defeat the smugglers, but they will not be able to save

the boys.

The Boys StoryIf the PCs do rescue the two Doji boys, Senichi will

recount their tale:

We had heard the rumors of some terrible thing in

the cove, and when Kobo told the story we decided we

should come here and kill the evil spider-thing under

the water. Our yojimbo didnt really want us to go it,but he couldnt refuse. An expression of guilt

briefly crosses the boys face. We sailed into the

cove to look for the spider, but there was a huge ship

there, and men on shore! Our yojimbo told us to turn

the boat around and flee, but then an arrow hit him,

so Gempachi and I lay down in the bottom of the boat,

and then those men came over in a small boat and

dragged us ashore. Gempachi tried to fight them and

they beat him horribly. I kept shouting at them to let

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us go, our father was Doji Tomayuki and he would

see them all hanged, but they just hit me until I

stopped. Then they tied us up and put us in that

cave.

What Happened to the Yojimbo?

If the PCs take any prisoners, they can learn that theyojimbo Doji Takao was killed when the boys were

taken prisoner. His body was weighted down and

dumped in the sea. His daisho and armor are among

the goods in the Storage Cave.

The GaijinThe two gaijin crewmen are described in Appendix #1,

and their weapons in Appendix #2. As mentioned

earlier, if Daniel Hatcherman is not around, they will

try to surrender, identifying themselves as crew of the

free trader Opportunity, and ask (in their crude

Rokugani) to be handed over to the Thraneambassador. If the PCs accuse them of smuggling, they

will claim they did not know they were breaking any

laws. They also claim they did not know the boys were

the children of the local daimyo, and that in any case

they had no personal involvement in the attack or the

death of the yojimbo. Although they are lying about all

of these things, their foreign nature and appearance

makes it difficult to tell, giving them three Free Raises

on any Deceit rolls against the PCs.

If the gaijin prisoners are presented to Daniel

Hatcherman, he will immediately assert his authority as

a Kings Hand, and takes possession of them,promising that they and their allies on the Opportunity

will be brought to full justice under Thranish law. The

PCs can, of course, refuse him and keep the prisoners

under their own control. He will protest this,

explaining that it is his duty to deal with such criminals

and that he is far better trained to do so than the PCs.

Still, if the PCs are stubborn, he will back down with a

sigh he knows enough about Rokugan not to push

things too far.

Fate of the PrisonersIf any of the PCs are Crane or Emerald Magistrates,

they can potentially pass sentence and execute the

prisoners (gaijin and otherwise) themselves. More

likely, however, is that the PCs hand their prisoners

over to the local authority Doji Nobuo.

Nobuo will have all smugglers privately tortured in

order to learn their contacts and allies, then arrests

everyone and has them all hanged. He is more cautious

with any gaijin prisoners, however. After considering

the situation carefully, he decides to hand the prisoners

over to their ambassador.

The LootIt is of course illegal for the PCs to keep any of the

goods and wealth found in the smugglers cave.

However, some honorless PCs may decide to do soanyway.

Any PC who keeps some of the dead

yojimbos gear (light armor, daisho set) loses a

number of points of Honor equal to (5 plus 5

per current Rank of Honor), and also gains a

full Rank of Infamy.

Any PC who takes gaijin pepper or gaijin

weapons loses an automatic two full Ranks of

Honor and gains three Ranks of Infamy. If the

PC is actually caught using gunpowder or

firearms, s/he instantly gains ten Ranks ofInfamy.

PCs who take other wealth or loot from the

cave lose 3 points of Honor.

Rewards and Punishments for thePCsIf the PCs successfully rescued the two sons of Doji

Tomayuki, the karo will privately meet with them

afterward. He promises the PCs his eternal gratitude,

but asks them to not speak of the matter in public.

Each PC gains +1 Honor, a Favor with the Hanagensai

family, and Crane PCs also gain +1 point of Status.

However, because the incident is kept private, the PCs

do not gain any Glory (which means they probably lose

a point of Glory for inactivity). A PC can choose to

flout Doji Nobuos request and publicly boast of their

deed such PCs gain +2 points of Glory, but lose all

other benefits, and gain Doji Nobuo as a 2-point Sworn

Enemy.

If the PCs hand any gaijin prisoners over to Daniel

Hatcherman, they gain him as a 2-point Ally.

Rewards for Completingthe Adventure

At the end of the scenario, any PCs with Shadowlands

Taint must make a Simple Earth roll with a TN of 5 +

(5 x Taint Rank). If the roll is failed, the PC acquires

one additional point of Taint.

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Experience Points

Playing through the adventure: 2 XP

Good role-playing: +1 XP

PCs rescue the Doji heirs: +1 XP

Total Possible Experience: 4 XP

Other Awards/Penalties

If the PCs rescue the Doji heirs, but stay quiet about it,

they gain +1 Honor, a Favor with the Hanagensai

family, and Crane PCs also gain +1 point of Status.

A PC can choose to flout Doji Nobuos request and

publicly boast of their deed such PCs gain +2 points

of Glory, but lose all other benefits, and gain Doji

Nobuo as a 2-point Sworn Enemy.

If the PCs hand any gaijin prisoners over to Daniel

Hatcherman, they gain him as a 2-point Ally.

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Appendix #1: NPCs and Villains

Doji (Hanagensai) Nobuo, Karo of Wall Above the Ocean VillageNobuo is a handsome but slightly-portly man in his late thirties, with long white hair in a samurai topknot. He has a

friendly smile and an open, charming personality, but this is partly a cultivated front like many members of the

Hanagensai family, he is actually quite ambitious. Nobuo is generally quite a capable man, but this is the first timehe has been left with responsibility for the village during the White Lotus Festival, and the stress and pressure of

making sure everything happens perfectly is wearing on him.

FIRE 2 AIR 3

Intelligence 3 Awareness 4

EARTH 2 WATER 2

Willpower 3 Perception 3

VOID 3

TN to be Hit: 15

School/Rank: Doji Courtier 2

Rank One: Adds twice his Honor to all Courtier, Etiquette, Heraldry, Oratory, and Sincerity rolls. May

call on Favor Table (L5R Rulebook, page 123) 5 times a day.

Rank Two: Observe an opponent for one round, spend a Void point, and make an Opposed Awareness

roll. If successful, the opponent must reveal one of their Advantages. Any time in the next day that

the opponent uses this Advantage in a social situation, he gains 3 Free Raises on any Contested

Social rolls against him. (If he already knew the target possessed the Advantage, he gets an

additional Free Raise.)

Honor/Status/Glory: 2.5/5.0/3.9

Skills: Artisan: Ikebana 3, Commerce 2, Courtier (Gossip, Political Maneuvering) 4, Deceit (Lying) 2, Etiquette

(Conversation, Sincerity) 5, Lore: Heraldry 3, Lore: History 3, Investigation 3, Kenjutsu 1, Meditation 2,

Storytelling (Poetry) 3, Theology (Shintao) 2.

Mastery Abilities: Adds 5 to the total of any Contested social roll made against him.

Advantages/Disadvantages: Allies (many), Social Position (karo)/Obligation (Shosuro family).Equipment: Fine kimono, fine daisho set, fan, 15 koku.

Akuma the RoninAkuma is a lean, hatchet-faced man of indeterminate age he might be 20 or 30. His face is seamed by a vertical

scar down the right side, pulling his lip up in a sneer. Despite his menacing appearance (and sinister name), Akuma

is actually a sociable man with a sardonic sense of humor. He was a contestant in the Emerald Tournament last

spring, and is slightly flattered if anyone remembers his performance there, but carefully does not make much of it

himself I entered it on a throw of chance,

A Days Sail ver two

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