(L5R) Ch 1 - The Mountain Witch, part 2

The Trial

Synopsis: The group investigates the grisly death of Ide Keiyomi and come to a shocking conclusion in Daidoji Kikaze's court.

Most of the group goes up to Ide Keiyomi’s room on the second floor of the keep. Bayushi Ryu grabs Noriyaki before he could go and tells him “let the magistrates deal with her. I have a scroll I need to show you.” Noriyaki is too curious. He examines the scroll. Noriyaki reads it and realizes it is a prayer to the Air Kami known as the Mists of Illusion - the Air Kami would help the shugenja who prayed to it, to disguise something, but whatever is under the spell would not be able to move. Noriyaki and Ryu decide to think about this further. They both join the rest of their group at Ide Keiyomi’s room.

There is already a small crowd gathering around the open shoji door. An older gentleman in Unicorn Clan colours is slouched on the floor, a couple of Unicorn Clan are there comforting him. Two Daidoji samurai are doubled over in the corridor retching - the smell of bile and vomit wafts toward them.

Daidoji Takakana is speaking with another Crane samurai. He approaches the group and tells them they are to investigate the murder on orders from Daidoji Kikaze. He wants them to do this since they are already investigating Mutsuye. He warns them before going in that what they will see will challenge their honour.

The group opens the shoji door and they are assaulted by the strong odour of iron and death. They find a maid on the ground with her throat slashed from ear to ear – her blood covering five tatami mats. Ying-Lien gasps. The others try to show bravery in the face of such a repulsive scene. The eta will have to burn all the tatami mats.

But when they enter Keiyomi’s bed-chamber, they face the true horror. Keiyomi's body lies on the floor, naked. Her torso is torn asunder, her organs, intestines and blood scattered across the room as if her chest exploded showering gore throughout the room. Keiyomi's shattered ribs thrust upwards, exposing the blackness within her chest cavity. The group inch toward Keiyomi's body gingerly trying to avoid touching the gore when they notice one final horror - Keiyomi's face is missing - the flesh torn from her skull like bark from a tree exposing bloody muscle and sinew beneath. Only her eyeballs remain, staring blankly toward the ceiling. Before this room could be used again, it will have to be exorcised and cleansed before another samurai would be allowed to step into the room.

Jin looks down at the blood and gore. Along with the brackish coloured blood he spots a reddish-brown ichor mixed in that was indicative of only one thing - the Shadowlands Taint. He tells the group that whatever this was, was exposed to the Taint and may have been Shadowlands itself.

Noriyaki looks for a bowl with water to summon a water kami and find out what it saw, but the only bowl he finds is stained with blood, gore and taint. If he were to try and summon a water kami, he would risk summoning a Kansen instead. He decides against this course of action.

Noriyaki finds an untouched bowl of water in the outside chamber where the maid was found. He takes a moment to summon a water Kami and it shows the shugenja what it saw - the maid backing up, her arms in front of her as if defending herself and a moment later, Isawa Mutsuye approaching her with a tanto in hand and murder in her eyes.

In the meantime, Jin speculates what had happened in the room. Jin has been exposed to Shadowlands Lore and thinks that Mutsuye killed an Oni no Pekkle, a deceptive Shadowlands creature that disguises itself as a human and who has the power to seduce all manner of men. The Pekkle must have killed and replaced Keiyomi a while ago. When Mutsuye figured out that her friend had somehow been replaced by the tainted doppleganger, she killed it and in its death throes, it exploded. Jin's story could not explain why Mutsuye killed the maid nor did it explain why Keiyomi (if that really was Keiyomi) was missing her face.

The group decides that the best way to figure out what really happened was to talk to Mutsuye herself. They leave and make their way to her room where they find the three samurai-ko guarding the room. They demand entry in the name of the Daimyo and are let in. They find Mutsuye changing into an elaborate Phoenix Clan kimono; her maid is tying up her obi. Mutsuye is incensed. She is in the middle of getting ready for the party. Ying-Lien tells her that the party is over and that her friend Keiyomi is dead. Mutsuye gasps and sits on a chair, absorbing the information. When they accuse her of the killing, Mutsuye denies she had even seen Keiyomi since she arrived. Bayushi Ryu listens to her and believes her but sits back and says nothing.

Daidoji Kage barges in and demands to know what is gong on. When the group confronts him with the news that his betrothed perhaps killed a Shadowlands creature and could very well be tainted herself, Kage yells at them telling them that she is innocent and could no way be a party to such horrible deeds.

While Kage argues with the group, Noriyaki takes out a scroll from his satchel, unfurls it and silently prays to the earth Kami. The Earth Kami answer with a Jade Strike on Mutsuye. She is struck to the floor by the force of the blow and is obviously injured by the earth kami. Kage draws his wakizashi and rushes at Noriyaki. The group block his way as the samurai-ko enter, wakizashi drawn. Before the samurai-ko can rush to Mutsuye's aid and attack Noriyaki, Kage challenges Noriyaki to a duel to the death for the insult an dishonor brought upon himself and his betrothed. Jin tells Kage that his father should be brought down to decide what should be done with her, but Kage, fearing any excuse to refuse the marriage, tells them no. The group does not concur, and they leave Kage and Mutsuye as they go to seek out Kikaze.

While everyone else goes to visit Kikaze, Ying-Lien decides to take a different course of action and excuses herself from the group. She ventures out into the courtyard where the Unicorn Clan has gathered. Until the murderer is found, the Unicorn will not be allowed to return to their encampment. She finds Ide Toshimitsu, Ide Keiyomi's father, and despite protests, manages to convince him to take a walk with her. While in the garden, they converse about Keiyomi. Ying-Lien asks if Keiyomi had changed her behavior. Toshimitsu denied that Keiyomi had changed and that she was just as exuberant as always.

Ying-Lien then tells Toshimitsu about Jin's theory, that she was no longer human. This news rattles Toshimitsu and he sits down on a snow-covered bench. He tells Ying-Lien that this is not possible, that his daughter, whom he loved more than anything in this world, could not possibly have been a thing from beyond the wall. Disoriented, he tells her to leave and that he must have time to think. She bows out of respect for the Ide diplomat and leaves.

In Daidoji Kikaze's chamber, the Daimyo asks for a report. Bayushi Ryu explains the events and tells Kikaze that without a doubt, Mutsuye is tainted - that Noriyaki's spell has proven that.

Kage and Mutsuye are summoned and brought into court. Mutsuye denies ever meeting Keiyomi since she arrived and implores for the Daimyo to believe her. Kenjiro listens to her and believe she is being sincere. Despite all he has seen, he believes her. Kage backs her up and tells his father that the group has dishonored themselves and insulted their host by daring to cast such an offensive spell while in his keep. Kikaze questions Noriyaki about the spell and Noriyaki explains Jin's theory - that Keiyomi was what was known as an Oni no Pekkle. Kikaze frowns at Noriyaki's demonstration of his knowledge of the Shadowlands in open court, but does not deny that the effects of the spell have revealed that Kage's betrothed is indeed tainted - a fact that would have become a difficulty had Kage been allowed to marry her.

Kikaze demands that Toshimitsu be brought in front of him. When he arrives, Kikaze relates the facts and asks Toshimitsu if he knew that his daughter was a creature of the Shadowlands. The Unicorn diplomat is insensed and denies that she was and challenges anyone in open court to make a statement otherwise. Ying-Lien steps forward and explains to Kikaze that she would step forward. Toshimitsu, not wanting to duel a clansman, tells Kikaze that he should not believe her and that she is not of sound mind - that the death of their clansman has shocked her senses. Ying-Lien tries denying this, but Kikaze silences her. No one else steps forward to challenge Toshimitsu. But, there is no denying that Keiyomi was not human (at least in their minds). Mutsuye would not strike down another clansman that could start a war. No, Kikaze declares that Keiyomi was a kami. No one in the room challenges him on this fact.

Then, Kikaze announces in open court that Mutsuye is tainted. He then turns to the Bayushi Ryu, the Nokado, and asks if this is appropriate to deny the marriage. He agrees and Kikaze announces that there would be no wedding. Meutsuye falls to her knees and covers her face. For Mutsuye, her life is over. She could not return to Phoenix lands a tainted shugenja. She had only one way to atone - to commit seppuku.

Kage is enraged and tells his father that these are all lies that should not be believed by ones with such little Glory. Kikaze is un-moved. Kage then explains that he has challenged Noriyaki to the death for such insults. Kikaze ponders the duel and announces in open court that the duel will take place at dawn. Since Noriyaki is a shugenja and not versed in the ways of iaijutsu, someone would have to act in his place. Kakita Kenjiro steps up and volunteers for such a duty. Kenjiro accepts the duel as it stands knowing full well that any deviation from custom would be struck down by Kikaze himself. The duel would be to the death. If Kenjiro failed in his duty and Kage won, Noriyaki would be honor-bound to commit seppuku.

The group is excused from court. They begin to ponder the effects of the evening's investigation. Ying-Lien wonders if there is any way to avoid the duel so no one has to die. She even considers figuring out if there would be a way for them to elope. They go to their quarters to conduct a tea ceremony and to help Kenjiro clear his mind before the upcoming duel.

Meanwhile, Bayushi Ryu decides to take matters into his own hands. He discovers that there is another Scorpion shugenja attending Kikaze's winter court, Shosuro Shigeru. He finds him in the catacombs below the keep with a scruffy Crab samurai. They are examining a dead Shadowlands thing when they are interrupted. Ryu wants to rig the duel in favor of Kenjiro. Shigeru tells him it could be arranged - a small use of poison or some such toxin. All that would be required would be to arrange a meeting between him and on the samurai-ko who were guarding Mutsuye as well as some of her belongings and her saliva. Ryu agrees to the conditions and waits for the opportunity to kidnap one of the samurai-ko. When he succeeds at bringing the prone body of the woman to him, he tells Ryu that "it will be done - Kage will not win."

Next: The Duel