Realistic or Modern Kenkawa Village: A Feudal Tale

[CatJones]

Kenkawa Village​

Kenkawa had no real importance in the world. In the grand scheme of things it was nothing more then a village that could produce fifty koku a season. It wasn't rich. It wasn't a trade hub. The soil was decent enough. It had a single road that ran through it and was surrounded by dense forest. It was quaint. Politely small, even. Most people would have passed through it once in their life and yet never even remembered the event in the slightest.

But not anymore.

Now, it was a place to remember to be avoided. The local lord had recruited the men in the village as ashigaru, taking them to the nearby Kunomoto castle (a three days walk) leaving the village with only children, women and the elderly to protect themselves. It wasn't long at all before the wolves were upon them. Night robbers. Bandits. Call them by any name but merciful. The first intrusion, they took only food and the lives of those foolish enough to demand they leave. The second intrusion; a few of the younger women, never to be seen again. But the third intrusion has yet to come.

In the interim, the village put out a missive to every nearby village and town, risking life and limb to put out a call for help. Some of the younger elders, to old for the military but not too old to be half in the grave, snuck out of the village at night. Most made it and spread the word, Kenkawa needed help. The local lords, refusing to believe that bandits would be so bold to raid and remain so close to where they attacked was a paid mission by an enemy lord. It would skirt the laws in place to keep the daimyo from descending back into a nation wide civil war. They chose to leave the village to its own devices. With how little their military forces were, and that many fewer mouths to feed, they could afford to let some of the smaller villages be lost.

Still, their call spread far and wide. Some even say that the shogun heard them. Every person who heard it told others they came across. Either of the plight of the Kenkawa or of the call for aid. And in form or another, it reached you and several others. From all walks of life and positions of power, you heard the call to action and chose to stand with the people of Kenkawa where so many others had turned away. You may not be remembered in the annuls of history but it is said that one good deed done in secret is worth more then a thousand done in public.





To the north of the village, a vast sea of trees grew into a dense forest. The rolling hills and half mountains leaving the land in the awkward situation of being unlivable. There were very few who willingly enter the woods. At night a thick fog bellowed out from lakes and ponds higher up in the mountains. Several people in Kenkawa still held to the belief that the forest was haunted from the wars between in the Shoni and the Shimazu. The eerie lights they saw deep in the forest at night were of course from the bandits but the ancient fear of the unknown had taken hold of their superstition. Outside the forest, along the bank of the river, is the villages life blood. Rice paddies. Enough for almost 50 koku a year. A pittance compared to other villages but for one so small, it was enough. A few small structures sit on this side of the river as well, housing tools and empty baskets for carrying rice/.

To the south, the forest thins somewhat as it makes way for gorges and valleys of Higo province. Several others villages are nearby in this direction, though they have been far more fortuitous avoiding the wrath of the bandits in the area. The further south west one goes, the more civil the land becomes. Though, anyone traveling this road will be met with the grisly sight of those who attempted to leave the village and were caught by the bandits. A line of corpses hang from the trees in various stages of decay. Some look like they were strung up only recently, others are mostly skeletal. Few people visit Kenkawa village anymore as this was the primary route into the viallge.

The village was nestled in a wide glade running next to the Iwano River. It was, as far as an outsider could tell, nearly abandoned. Some of the buildings were giving into the ceaseless tides of time, roofs collapsed and walls sunken down into the dirt. Others had the distinctive feeling of having been lived in. It is ghostly quiet as anyone enters and they are greeted by no one. Smoke coming from several homes indicates someone is there in the village but no one comes out to greet you. The still chilly air of the night clings to the village. Spring is still young this year and it takes til halfway to midday for the air to warm. Bird song is distant and few bugs have begun to make themselves known in great numbers.


You were told to find and speak to the village elder when you arrived. Lacking any formal government due to the small size and upheaval from recent events, an older and wiser couple help to run things. The missive was clear that they will be in a larger home in the center of town, along the road. Judging by the joy and tears of gratitude shed by those who had offered the job to you, the town was in dire straits before you ever even saw it.



(Obviously, this is mostly just flavor text for your characters to see things as they enter the area. If you feel like I missed something or that there is something you are curious about, feel free to ask. Also, we are going to try and use a post order for this. If it become to cumbersome or intrusive, we will drop it. Don't hesitate to let me know if you dislike it or if there are any other problems. Also, I hope you enjoy my MS paint skills.)

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)
​

She had a feeling that this was a bad idea.

Sho Tsuruhime, walked as befitting a lowly ronin or uppity Ashigaru down the road to the small village of Kenkawa. A hint of confidence and self-assuredness was in her steps, but still barely noticeable in a crowd or to untrained eyes. The walk of someone with nowhere to go but forced to keep walking if there was ever to be a single grain of rice in their future. In those aspects it was almost proper for her to walk like this; slowly, back stooped, and with a slight sway that no one of a proper samurai family would be caught dead doing. The perfect walk for entering an unknown village with a questionable job request.

Tsu had never heard of a village of farmers begging for help. The samurai of the area should have been protecting them. The mainland samurai likely simply did not care about a village like this one though; small and insignificant as it was. Tsu doubted if the village suddenly disappeared into the night that anyone outside of it would even remember that the place had existed the next morning. It was the type of small village she would have been incredibly fascinated to see as a child, the lives of the humble and clever peasants on full display in their natural habitat.

The samurai made sure her black cloak concealed her weapons. A straw hat was covering her long black hair and partially obscuring her eyepatch. She had learned after her first year of travel on the mainland to keep a somewhat low profile when entering new places. Tsu had made more than a few interesting relationships in her life. The vengeful avengers of those she had killed, the angry lecturing monks of the temples she had wandered into drunk and puked all over, the jealous spouses of merchant’s wives she had slept with, and the odd ninja or two she had gotten into a drunken fumble with in the futon after an attempted assassination or four.

So, the samurai princess decided to keep herself reserved for now. Walking to the village as a random traveler and looking for anything out of the ordinary; like a trap to kill whoever was foolish enough to believe this job was legit. Not to mention there was also a question of who else might accept such a strange quest. There was little to be gained from defending such a small village; no honor, fame, or fortune. The reward; peasants’ food it seemed. If they didn’t have sake stashed somewhere for her… she doubted she would stay unless they started dying from a bandit's spear right before her eye.

She told herself she wouldn’t stand out… and then she caught sight of the strung-up peasants hanging from the trees. Some recent, some old.

Sighing she took out her Wakizashi and began cutting the bodies down. The weapon’s sharp edge and steel was of a quality that would have made any weapon smith puke at seeing such a fine work of art being used for such a menial and lower task. The rope keeping the bodies up were sliced and their captives were dropped unceremoniously into the dirt. They all stunk and were disgusting to see and smell. Even she had to take shallow breathes being so close to them and she had sliced off more than a few heads, and had experienced the mud and muck of war.

Tsu hoped that doing this wouldn’t attract unwanted attention to her. The bandits likely would be upset that their crude attempts at intimidation were ruined. She kept her Wakizashi out and ready as she began taking the ropes off the necks of the bodies with her breath held in completely for the smellier corpses. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do next. She was no monk or priestess, and doubted she could give the bodies anything better than a shallow grave… but she didn’t even have a shovel…

CatJones

 

[Akkun no Baka]

Ito Kasumi

Crescent Moon Slayer
​

Ito Kasumi was traveling swiftly thought the trees towards some unknown village that supposedly needed help. The name of the village and the general location were on a piece of paper in her hakama. However, as far as she was concerned she didn't need to know the name of the village. The point of the visit was only to truly gauge whether or not the nearby area could be of some strategic importance for the Ito clan. Kasumi traveled off of the main road in the forest, close enough to be able to use the road for direction but far enough to be completely hidden from prying eyes. Her training allowed her to move swiftly and silently through the foliage. She would occasionally climb a tree to avoid groups of bandits that were moving, quite loudly, through the forest.

As she approached the village she overheard a group of bandits directly in her path. She stopped and crouched low as to not be seen. She counted three, no four. The fourth was in binds at their feet. The bandits were insulting and belittling the poor soul. throwing in the occasional kick to the sounds of a muffled grunt that could only indicate the persons mouth was gagged. Kasumi continued to observe the bandits only to conclude this was truly none of her business. After all she had not taken any job yet. As she turned to work her way around the area she over heard one of the bandits mention that the fourth person was a female ok, still not my problem she thought, then another uttered a word that sent her soul into a fierce blaze.

Kasumi reached into the pack on the small of her back and retrieved two shuriken. The first attack needed to be be perfect, remember your training she repeated to herself mentally. As she moved swiftly to better position herself behind her first target she gripped the star firmly before letting it fly. The shuriken found its mark at the base of the first bandits neck, stunning him with pain. As he jolted, the two other bandits were dumbfounded. Kasumi capitalized on the distraction to close the distance between her and the three brigands. In a set of fluid movements she unsheathed her sword decapitation the closest of the dumbfounded bandits before effortlessly spinning 180 degrees and lopping the head of the second. The finale injured bandit began to reach for his weapon as Kasumi flung the second star into his eye. As he gripped his eye in pain and opened his mouth to scream in agony it was meet with the tip of her blade as she drove it through his skull using his gaping mouth. As she withdrew it from his skull she flicked the blade, cleansing it of their filthy blood before conducting Noto.

As Kasumi approached the bound female she noticed that she was unconsciousness. This was good, Kasumi could maintain her low profile a while longer. After moving the women to a more secure position and cutting her bindings, she continued towards the village. About five minutes later Kasumi could begin to pick up the scent of decaying flesh. Barbarians she though only to be surprised by a loud "thump". Quickly concealing herself in order to investigate the sound. Kasumi saw a Ronin, or maybe a Samurai, cutting the rotting corpses from the trees. That was pretty noble for a samurai she pondered.

As she observed more closely the image of a familiar face came into focus. Kasumi shuddered and contemplated avoiding the samurai, after all she didn't need any extra stress right now, but if she was here then they would likely meet anyways. It wasn't like they weren't friends, they were the best, Kasumi just needed to focus on her mission. After wrestling with herself over the situation guilt eventually won out and she stepped out of the bushes and towards the Samurai and stated, "Hey Tsu Tsu, looks like you could use a shovel".

​

MocaPoka

 

[CatJones]

"I don't get it." Kirai began, one of his massive and calloused hands coming up to scratch at his beard. From where he was sitting with one of the more runty bandits in the hills above Kenkawa, they could see the village and the rice paddies. The thickness of the brush and trees kept them concealed enough that only someone with unnatural talent would be able to pick them out from the thick greenery. The majority of the bandits were still hidden in the trees there, on the north side of the river. They weren't dumb enough to stand around close enough to be seen by anyone milling about the road. Only a handful were in the village proper, staging an ambush. Katashi seemed to know something the others didn't, like usual. He continued to speak as the runty bandit meekly nodded his head.

"When I was raiding the coast, villagers would see our sails and run for their lives. If we caught them, we'd kill them. Easy as. But these dumb fuck inlanders. They act like we won't. Like they ain't scared of us." Kirai finished, moving to adjust the the stolen jinbaori he wore over his nuinobe dō. "Why do you think that is?"

The runt looked somewhat forlorn at the question being aimed at him. He was a much more meager man by comparison to Kirai. Kirai was built like a ship meant for the open sea. Rough, tall, stronger then an ox. His face was equally rough. Like a slab of rock that someone had begun to sculpt a handsome face before giving up halfway through. His voice was like listening to a rock roll down a gravel hill. Unpleasant. Made all the worse by the hoarseness of it that yelling over the waves for the majority of his life had given it. Still, the mouse of a bandit had no answer for this sea-born tiger. He shrugged his shoulders without saying a word. Kirai let out a small snorting laugh in response.

"It's not a difficult question. If you think about it for more then five breaths." A withered voice answered from behind them. Kirai wasn't surprised by the sudden company but the runt seemed to jump out of his skin. Katashi. The Old Man Bandit. Not a clever title but in a profession that saw most men retire it along with their life, it was an honorable title in its own right. Katashi narrowed his single eye at the runt before jerking his head to the side. The runt stood up and left. Katashi approaching to look over the village with his subordinate.

Like Kirai, he wore a do. Though his was more proper in its design. It was ancient as far as bandit gear went. They stole what they needed to survive in a vicious cycle of constantly taking to replace the worn media of their lifestyle. Yet, the armor that covered the old mans gray shitagi. Thankfully, the cloth in question was long enough to reach down to the wrinkled mans knees, less Kirai have a conversation with his manhood. Katashi stood next to him, looking over the village. His face was gaunt and tired. He always looked tired and the deep wrinkles that ran across his face like the pre-morning horizon didn't help. He was the only man in the camp who was nearly completely bald, save for a ponytail of gray hair and some tufts along the crown of his head that refused to leave.

"Your question. Why they don't run away. It's because they can't guarantee that they'll have food if they go elsewhere." Katashi began to explain before Kirai coughed out loud, giving the old man a knowing smirk.

"Dying from hunger takes a few days. A blade in the gut is quicker." Kirai said, letting his voice carry his smug attitude. Katashi chided himself internally. He knew that Kirai was a simpleton. A buffoon. The man couldn't count past ten. But he was a good killer and kept the men in line. Katashi knew he avoided larger words like 'starvation' because they gave him trouble in their pronunciation.

"It isn't their own life they worry about. How can you frighten someone whose hunger isn't just their own? The adults can handle it. But to know that the children's little cramped bellies are empty? You can't scare those kind of people - they know a fear beyond any other."Katashi knew that this kind of wisdom meant little to man who knew only killing and had no family that ever mattered to him. Kirai remained strangely quiet at the notion though. Like he was thinking. His broad and annoying face occasionally flexing into a scowl as he did so.

"Forget it for now. Just keep looking for those villagers who ran away before we took over the village. We need to find them if we're gonna use them to get that hag to deal with us." Katashi turned away, walking further into the forest and where the bandits had set up their main camp. He had a lot of work to do still.



For reference:

Kirai


Katashi

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki
Of the Mori

Credit: 铅华_踏月锦__插画师作品_涂鸦王国gracg.com​

Haruki's voice battled the trees of the forest as it bounced off of the dense trunks, his singing echoing up and out of the canopy.

"Namida no oku ni
yuragu hohoemi wa
Toki no hajime kara no
sekai no yakusoku "

The merchant carriage he rode in was silent except for him as the merchants sat and enjoyed the singing. It had been sometime since this region heard any cheerful voice and they weren't about to let it go to waste. As their carriage cleared the forest and began to cross the paddies, the driver called out. "Kenkawa village straight ahead." Hearing that announcement, Haruki climbed from the back of the wagon to sit in the front beside the driver. His eyes swept over the paddies and watched the sun dance in the water as they rode on by.

"Ima wa hitori demo
futari no kinou kara
Kyou wa umare kirameku
Hajimete atta hi no you ni"

Now out in the open his voice carried over the fields of rice towards the town in perfect pitch and harmony with the rising sun. "I've heard terrible things about this place, sad things. I never thought I'd be coming here again." One of the merchants explained as he poked his head out the carriage to gaze at the down trodden village. "I never thought that someone would spend their last to deliver goods to a place that has supposedly been targeted by bandits multiple times. Its kind of...insane." All the heads turned to Haruki, eyes fixed upon him as they thought he might counter them with some witty remarks or wise explanation.

"Omoide no uchi ni
anata wa inai
Soyokaze to natte
hoho ni furetekuru
Komorebi no gogo no wakare no ato mo
Kesshite owaranai
sekai no yakusoku"

They all let out a heavy sigh when e continued to sing, but they still wore smiles on their faces. Although they were in a now dangerous region, they could not feel more at peace. Their carriage crossed the paddies and finally made it to the bridge. "I have to admit I didn't think this was a good idea. But in times like these we most think outside the box to keep moving forward. The Mori clan must really miss someone as unique as yourself Haruki-san."

"Ima wa hitori demo
ashita wa kagirinai
Anata ga oshietekureta
Yoru ni hisomu
yasashisa"

Finally they were entering the town, and the sound of the rushing river was more soothing even than Haruki's voice. They began to slow down until coming to a complete stop just at the beginning of the village. The merchants. while not trained samurai, did all possess a short sword which hung from their hips and as they looked around and inspected the village from the safety of their cart, they kept their hands on the blades.


"Omoide no uchi ni
anata wa inai
Seseragi no uta ni
kono sora no iro ni
Hana no kaori ni
itsumademo ikite"

Haruki rose up from his seat and as the music came to an end in his head he took a bow. If this were the Mori castle Terumoto and the rest of the court would be applauding and praising his talents. Instead he had...antsy merchants and terrified citizenry. "Relax, we're not in danger. Besides you look like the bandits, hiding with your hands on your swords." Haruki explained just before he stepped down out of the carriage. The merchants all shared a quick glance at one another, hesitant and scared for their safety. Haruki was right though, they shouldn't be so jumpy around the true victims. Haruki looked around, watching the village and taking in the scene. "Hmmm. I guess we should find the village's leaders." He chimed enthusiastically.

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)


​

The moment the words “Tsu Tsu” reached her ears; Sho Tsuruhime fought down the urge to bolt into the trees like a frightened deer.

Very few people used anything resembling a nickname with her anymore and those that did only existed on Okinawa. Even for those ones, Tsu always had a complicated relationship with these days. Normal, uncomplicated relationships had died along with most of her friends during the raid or had simply abandoned her afterward. Leaving her with only half enemies half friends, brief and ill-thought-out escapades with ninja and Geisha, or simply people she couldn’t look in the eye anymore. This particular, sudden meeting was with someone who existed in the murky waters of all three; instantly giving the Okinawan the desire to drink something strong in a darkroom alone.

“Your assassination attempt was better the first time.” Tsu said putting away her Wakizashi and wiping her hands ineffectively, refusing to look the other woman in the eye.

“Digging graves bared handed is a pain. These poor fools might just have to wait another day or two for someone to come along with a shovel.” The one-eyed samurai said as if she didn’t really care about the bodies anymore and started walking back down the road towards the village.

She didn’t like that she had been caught doing something “nice”. She also especially didn’t like seeing someone from her past. As far as she was concerned, all her friends had died or had been too ashamed of her to even call her a friend anymore. She wanted it to stay that way… it was easier.

Akkun no Baka

 

[Akkun no Baka]

Ito Kasumi

Crescent Moon Slayer
​

Kasumi watched as the Samurai quickly washed her hands and walk away. She couldn't help but smile from the whole situation. How typical of "sober" Tsu Tsu to react this way. It was even more rare that Kasumi was able to rile up her friends emotions, it was usually the other way around, so Kasumi took this as a win in her book. She began to follow in the footsteps of the Samurai, putting her hand on her head and whistling, so as to let the Samurai know she was following her.

On the walk to the village Kasumi began having flash backs to their time together in Okinawa. She couldn't help but smile and hold back some laughter on more than one occasion, which resorted in inhuman snorts. Her thoughts then shifted to the mission at hand. What type of coincidence would cause Tsu Tsu and her to both accept the same mission and arrive within minutes of one another. Kasumi was beginning to feel that there was more to this mission than she originally thought. "I wonder what the gods are planning for us" she muttered to herself, loud enough to be heard.

As the two approached the village, Kasumi could start to make out run down buildings and a long bridge that crossed a river at the center. A feeling of unease began to settle in her gut as she felt like she was being watched from every angle of the forest. How unpleasant she thought as they walked. As she continued to survey the village she saw a carriage entering the town on the opposite side. She began to make out the sound of singing. As the carriage approached the singing got loader and seemed to lift her spirits in an unexplained way. "It's good that someone is trying to bring life back into this village huh Tsu Tsu." she said in a relieved tone. "I wonder who the singer is..."

interacted with MocaPoka
mentioned LadyOfStars

 

[CatJones]

"Katashi! Katashi!" The sudden cry bounded out from the depths of the woods. A haggard and tired voice trailing behind the man shouting as he burst through the thick foliage of the treeline. It was both friend and foe, those woods. Where it kept them hidden it, it also kept strangers hidden. It cared not who's ankles and feet got caught on twisted tree roots or ensnared on vines. Still, it was better then the middle of field and being on the side of a steep hill meant that they had the terrain advantage for anyone attacking from below. It also meant that coming back to camp after any kind of activity, savory or otherwise, left the men more tired. It was a price to pay for any side that proceeded upwards, as if heaven itself was reminding them of their mortal indignation.

"Katashi!" The bandit sprung from the brush like a rabbit from its den, stalling out over the thick bushes as he faltered in his footing and fell to the floor of their encampment. Between ragged gasps for air he spoke. "A pack of merchants just passed through the valley, coming from the north. They have some kind of noble with them."

Katashi looked surprised, an emotion that rarely showed on his aged features. His eye narrowed in both shock and suspicion. He had no reason to outright call his own underling a liar but by that same logic he had no reason to take the man at face value. How did he know the merchants had a noble with them? If he had considered the facts then surely something else would have stood out to him. These 'merchants' were more assuredly guards, if the mentioned person was truly a noble. Otherwise, Katashi saw them as little more then walking bags of money. Or even as vectors for resupply. Either way, he had little reason not to act on this information. If they were guards, they would be overwhelmed with numbers. If they were just merchants, they would be outnumbered and out skilled. Cutthroats weren't called that for no real reason, after all.

Kirai started to make a noise, something between a mix if surprise and alarm with a dash of excited. Katashi turned to see the oaf barreling towards him, his chokuto already in his grubby hands. They both were having the same thought. It would be stupid to have the bandits in the village to make themselves known, kill the people down below and then have to haul their gear and supply up the mountain and go back down. No, it made more sense to send a band down to help in the fight and return with the acquired goods. Kirai was as dull as a rusted sword but he did understand raiding and pillaging.

"Kirai, take ten men and go down to the village. Help kill anyone who's still alive down there and whatever they were carrying comes back here." Kirai nodded, before turning to his own preferred group of robbers who joined him in running down the side of the forest hill without a word spoken between them; just a nod of understanding and they were off. He turned his attention to the rest of the camp, milling about and ready for orders. They were still meant to be sitting on their asses and holding the valley. Nothing more or less. "Call down to the men in the village."




A piercing cry sounded down the hillside, loud and striking. A kabura-ya sailed through the crisp morning air as it arced down the hill, towards the rice paddies that the village relied on. The sound carried well through the air, shattering the murky silence that hung over the valley now that the singing of Haruki had faded away. Birds scrambled from their nests as the stillness was shattered. Animals hunkered down to avoid whatever beast was making such a horrid din. But to humans, a far worse evil was quickly approaching.





The third intrusion had happened the night before for Kenkawa. Bandits had attempted to silently take the village in the dead of night. To their surprise, the village was abandoned. No child or woman had remained in their hut, though their beds and food were left behind. They had even left behind several fires, making it appear that the village was still occupied. They couldn't have gotten far, Katashi had figured, but he lacked the resources and option to track them down. It must have been a concentrated effort to make so many women and children vanish so quickly without alerting anyone. It figured into Katashi's plans and time frame, worrying as it was. They could have fled south and avoided the numerous other bandit bands that had formed and alerted some daimyo or samurai to their plight. It was unlikely but fortune was something that he felt better not tempting.

None of the merchants that had accompanied Haruki knew any of this. To them it must have seemed like little more than a dead village. The first sign of trouble came as a stone fell off one roof near them, knocked aside by the crass looking man who was now standing on top of the roof, a weathered but serviceable hankyu pulled back in his hands, a dirty jinbei flapping in the soft wind. Obviously, he had been hidden on the slope of the roof facing away from the group. Without warning or fairness, he loosed the arrow he had nocked. Like lighting from the sky it sprang forth, hitting and piercing the chest of one of the merchants closer to the rear. Followed by a loud cry of "攻击" from several of the surrouding homes. They came from behind the cart, from the buildings closer to the river.

And like a swarm of ants, a sizable force of men, dressed in all manner of stolen armor and ragged cloth, surged towards the group in the center of the town. Twenty bandits in all, most carrying spears or stolen swords, with another five standing on the roofs, ready to rain arrows down on anyone that stood out and at such close range they were surely find their marks. They seemed more occupied with the wagon and the merchants then the well dressed Haruki, as they quickly sought to overwhelm the merchants and make off with their wares. Anywhere that they could pull a merchant off to the side and away from the others, they did so, quickly cutting them down with brutal efficiency. In only a span of what seemed like twenty seconds, they had already halved the total number of merchants standing in the road of Kenkawa.

Act 1 Begin
Roots

​

Akkun no Baka
MocaPoka
LadyOfStars
ABetterNickname
Andei
Pilgrim59

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki

Haruki was beyond confused when he didn’t hear the sounds of villagers applauding and coming to inspect his arrival. What was even more weird was how silent the village was once his singing had stopped.He turned his head to look around, but kept a calm look upon his face. They hadn't seen anyone on their way in either. “Did they abandon the village?”

“Hey. do you guys hear that?” One of the merchants asked, drawing everyone's attention to an odd sound just as birds seemed to fly away. Haruki was glad they pointed out the noise because although they might not have known what it was, he did. His time preparing to accompany Terumoto-sama on the battlefield, he learned that such a sound was usually created by an arrow being used to signal a hidden force. “Ready yourselves gentlemen.” Haruki whispered.

Right on cue a man arose from the nearby rooftop, probably lying in wait for unsuspecting pedestrians. Haruki remained still, as if he hadn’t yet noticed the man. Sadly the attack had begun and one of the merchants went down quick as an arrow pierced his chest. He made no noise as he hit the floor and died, but his companions immediately let out their own battlecries.

Haruki feigned fear and desperation, backing up to the cart and watching as brigands rushed them. What he was really doing was counting the men as they ran by him, treating him as a bystander rather than a possible threat. When he spotted the men on the roof, armed with bows and arrows he knew this would be far more dangerous than simply fighting outnumbered.

He could hear the merchants being taken down one by one. It was sad to think that the purehearted men and women of the world were not safe from these foul people. “Bishamonten...Please see me through this and back to my lord.” Haruki inhaled deeply, readying himself for his next move. Right now he had the element of surprise and he planned to use it.

“Please! Take everything! Just don’t me!’ Haruki hurled his yellow haori at one of the nearest bandits and as he reached into his obi Haruki pulled out several senbon. His arm moved quickly and precisely to throw the needles towards the archers on his side of the street. It was unlikely that they’d deal a lethal blow, but they might serve as a decent distraction. With his right hand he drew his wakizashi and immediately dismembered the bandit to his left, separating his forearm from the rest of his body.

 

[Akkun no Baka]

Ito Kasumi

Crescent Moon Slayer​

Kasumi could have annoyed her friend all day, if it wasn't for the sharp jolt her instincts gave her as she observed the carriage in the village. She could make out shapes that were moving in a way that hinted at murder, she knew because she shared in the trait. It was too late to sound a verbal alarm to the soon to be victims so Kasumi quickly shouted to Tsu Tsu, "The village is under attack!" before jolting towards the battle.

Not close enough- she thought as the first person fell. She continued to move as silent and swift as possible. As she moved she readied her blade for the encounter that was before her, remember your training- she repeated much like a monk repeats a mantra. The chant seemed to calm her nerves and hone her skills.

As she reached the carnage, she saw archers on the rooftops. She moved silently towards the closest house and climbed from the bandits blind spot. As she approached from behind she drove her blade into her victims spine killing them and slowly lowered his body so it fell quietly. As she surveyed the battlefield she saw what looked to be an incredible beautiful man in the middle of the mayhem. "What the hell?" she whispered to no one.

Just as she was about to write him off as a lost cause he engaged the enemies with several senbon. The targets flinched as the spikes imbedded in their skin. A perfect distraction for Kasumi as she took the bow and arrows off the corpse in front of her, propped up the body as a form of cover and began to lay arrow fire at the injured archers killing another.

"Tsu Tsu, where are you? We could really use you right know" Kasumi muttered as the surviving archer began to return fire.

​

 

[CatJones]

Kirai broke the tree line first, stumbling out of the thick foliage and onto the northern path followed by the men he was leading. Unlike the bandits that made up the majority of the group, the men with him were more uniform in appearance. thin jinbei's with a do chest peice. Each one of them was carrying a stolen katana along with a mix of weapons; bows and spears with a single man carrying a kanabo. They were close enough to the village to see the tide of the battle. The bandits in the village were still on the up take. Kirai assumed the fight would be over before he and his men even got there. He would have preferred getting some killing in but stealing from that cart would be a nice distraction as well. He, and by extension his men, had stopped to catch their breath for a moment. The hillside was rugged enough that running down it left plenty of opportunity to fall and flail down it. He paused only for a few moments before setting off towards the village again.




The merchants were not warriors, that much was apparent. The few who still drew breath were now heavily out numbered by the remaining bandits. Morale seemed to have been low when they arrived and watching their fellows be torn apart by a sudden and overwhelming attack broke what little fighting cohesion the merchants seemed to have. The last remaining ones turned tail and began to push south, seeking to escape away from their attackers. It was at this same moment that the attackers began to notice the more competent warriors in the crowd. First, they noticed their own member who had been dearmed by the side of the wagon. Judging by the looks of him and the way he dressed, he was a noble of some sort. As much as they wanted to grab him and take him hostage, their orders were simply to kill merchants and steal their goods. Though, this was the first group dumb enough to pass through the town in what had to have been a few days.

"Stay back, boy. If you value your life, stay back." One of them called out, a short yari pointed in Haru's general direction. He had seen what had transpired with one of the men who had gone towards the front of the cart. The bandit Haru had cut the arm off of laying on the ground, his body shaking violently as he went into shock from the wound. No point trying to save him now.

Still, they had little concern with just one man. Three bandits rounded the side of the cart, weapons at the ready if the noblemen attempted anything. Several men jumped into the wagon instead, grabbing anything they could and handing it off to the others waiting below them. They were more excited for the food in the cart then anything else. All the village had left was its rice supplies, they had already stolen all the livestock and either butchered them without a second thought to the idea of future gains or let them wander into the woods. Any new source of food was good enough for them. It would only take them a few minutes to strip it of everything. This was going to be their win, no matter what.


At the same time, thin long needles caused the archers to break their fire for a moment as one of their members was struck in the arm. They hadn't seen who had thrown them and assumed that as one of their fellows stopped firing and the sudden appearance of a girl on the roofs with them gave reason to believe they came from her. However, there was little reason to waste arrows on one girl. She had killed one of their numbers, but ultimately, any one of them dying had little impact on the others. They were not a cohesive fighting force either but rather one of absolute necessity. "It wasn't me." They internally said, noting the death of a comrade as nothing more then the death of a stranger.

"Ignore her! Its just one girl." One called out from below. Instead, the remaining archers had more reason to help with the work below then try and fight Kasumi. They scrambled off the rooftops, some more graceful then others. One of them struggling to get down as sharp needles were causing him a great deal of pain, his grimacing face and spittle on the corner of his lips from gnashing his teeth together to keep the pain at bay marking him as pained.

To them, they knew that only a fool would take shots at men carrying their supplies. If they hit them, they would drop what they were carrying and it would be lost altogether or they would possibly hit the supplies themselves, again denying either side of them. And on top of that, it was only girl with a bow, she couldn't hit them all, not with how few arrows would have been left in the quiver. A few of them had already made it to the bridge by the time that the archers began to assist.

LadyOfStars
Akkun no Baka

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)
​

Tsu had expected an ambush in the village. What she hadn’t expected was the sheer number and ferocity of the bandits. Scavengers, extortionist, or robbers who preferred little to no bloodshed as long as they got a meal for the night was what she had been expecting. The war cry and sudden violence actually caused the samurai’s eye to widen for a moment in shock. While not as shift or organized as proper raid, it was still the fiercest bandit attack that the Okinawan had ever seen.

Her single eye rapidly tried to take stock of the sudden battle in the village. It was made all the more confusing with the apparent merchants and the colorful geisha looking man. A few dozen questions flew through Tsu’s mind as her body decided to take action regardless of her conscious will. By the time her mind had processed that the merchants were being cut down and the geisha boy was cowering and begging not to be taken; she had cut down three bandits.

Battle and war, big or small; was about swift violent action. It was simple concept but took training, experience, and an iron will to execute. Hesitation was the greatest enemy on the battlefield and Tsu hadn’t lost to that enemy since she was a teenager.

Katana flashing in swift, deadly arches; the woman darted through the bandits’ disorganized mob. She had no actual plan in her mind; her body simply moving and swinging her katana at the bandits nearest to her. A body fell with every flash of her blade and when only corpses surrounded her for a few meters she let herself release a few ragged breaths as she tried to take stock of the situation.

Kasumi dealing with archers and now with a bow. The geisha looking boy, surprisingly un-kidnapped and wielding a wakizaki. The bandits running with supplies to a bridge.

Tsu jogged over to the cart that had been the center of the bandits’ attention. She calmed her breath and absent mindedly whipped the blood from her katana with her cloak; taking cover behind the cart in case of a stray arrow. She waited to see if the bandits would attack or simply retreat passed the bridge. A strong part of her wanted to pursue, but it would be foolish. Yari from even the unskilled could easily take down a charging samurai; especially an unarmored one.

 

[LadyOfStars]

The sound of flesh rending and bone snapping was never pleasant, Haruki was lost on how some people could do things like this for a living. And some like these bandits chose to do it rather than commit to an honest occupation. Haruki slammed his geta into the side of one bandit’s knee as the man tried to rush the cart. Just as the brigand went down screaming Haruki’s blade dashed through the air and lopped off the man's sword hand. He kicked the man back and just as he was beginning to feel all was lost, he saw that some assistance had arrived. A woman on the roof had joined the fight and seemed to have scared the archers away. His eyes traveled downward back to the street and he saw bandits rushing the cart.

They were taking everything he had brought for the townspeople/ “Damn it.” There were bandits in his way still and while he held a sword, he was no samurai or master swordsman. Cunning and trickery were his tools in and out of battle. “Shoot them down!” Haruki shouted to the archer while pointing his sword at the bridge. Quickly he moved to climb into the driver’s seat, but before he did he saw another woman cutting through the bandits. He noticed there were till archers on the other side of the street and perhaps more of them elsewhere.

Never in all his life had he seen such a large group of bandits. They were more akin to a demon horde, and the way they simply abandoned one another made it seem like they were just that. His merchant friends were either dead or dying, and the goods he had procured from them were stolen. “Hell.” The gods weren’t with them this time unfortunately.

Haruki rushed to the back of the carriage, grabbing his haori on the way and then taking cover with the unfamiliar woman. “Well done back there.” He praised.

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)


​

Tsu brought her breathing back to normal. Her single green eye continued to dart around the village searching for any stray bandits that were still an immediate threat. Katana still in hand, she brought it down to her side and loosened her grip on the tsuka. It was important to relax as quickly as possible after sudden violence. Staying tense only drained a warrior faster; both physically and mentally.

When the well-dressed man rushed over to her side of the carriage Tsu was completely at a lost for words for a moment. Seeing such a flowery outfit and well-groomed man on the battlefield, in a peasant’s village, was something out of a comedy or a drunken samurai’s tall tale. She expected him to start crying for her protection. Possibly throwing himself at her feet and start begging for her to take him back to whatever castle, kabuki theater, or hanamachi that he had escaped from. Instead his casual words made her burst out laughing.

“Shouldn’t you be pouring someone’s sake somewhere!?” Tsu laughed good naturedly and slapped the man’s back roughly in a show of respect. She had seen samurai wearing full armor with less cool heads than this soft looking man with the pretty haori.

LadyOfStars

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki

A smile, uncertain and confused, stretched across Haruki’s face as he listened to the woman laugh after his arrival. What exactly had brought about the laughter was unclear, but more importantly she was clearly in a good mood despite the circumstances. When she finally spoke, Haruki’s smile slipped away, falling into a blank expression. Had she never heard of a taikomochi before? Was she judging him based on his appearance or status? In his line of work he had met many people who liked and disliked him for a variety of reasons, samurai were usually not among the former of the two. They sang a different tune though after he either poured their sake, accompanied them on the battlefield, or told them a tale of missions he carried out for Terumoto-sama.

“I would say the same to you, but with one eye you’d probably miss the cup.” Haruki quipped casually, showing that he hadn’t found her comment amusing in the slightest. She was probably a samurai, a ronin by the looks of her attire. He turned his attention elsewhere, looking towards the bandits who were in the process of making off with his goods.

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)

​

Tsu flushed with embarrassment and rage.

Despite her own refusal of self-admittance, she was self-conscious of her appearance. Her lack of an eye was an especially sore point for her. She had lost it during her moment of greatest shame. It was a reminder of her failures both as a warrior and as a daughter. It stymied her in nearly every way; she was less of a samurai and less of a woman of the court because of it.

”…”

Tsu gritted her teeth and remained silent. She could feel the slow boiling of her rage rising however knew it would be wrong to take it out on someone that was not a samurai. She forced herself to sheath her katana just so the temptation for a quick swing wasn’t there. The man had foolishly turned his back to her. His neck was completely exposed with not even a single scrap of armor to protect it.

It would have been easy… too easy and too shameful.

LadyOfStars

 

[Akkun no Baka]

Ito Kasumi

Crescent Moon Slayer
​

As the bandits fled Kasumi took the time to calm herself through breathing exercises. From what she could glean there was only one survivor from the group. From the relative safety of the rooftop she watched Tsu Tsu and the unknown gentlemen enter the abandoned cart. Scanning the battlefield she picked out several bandits that had lost limbs to the stranger. They had since expired from blood loss or were unconscious. Who was this strange beautiful man? - she pondered.

She climbed down the building with stoic grace to meet up with the two. She finished off any surviving Bandits she passed. As she approached she overheard a bit of their conversation. It seemed as if Tsu Tsu was in a good mood, she did just finish killing after all. The conversation turned a bit unfriendly at the end and Kasumi could feel the tense aura emitting from Tsu Tsu.

Kasumi sighed and made her way to her friend, poking her head into the cart from behind Tsu Tsu. "Who is the pretty boy?" she asked casually and loudly in order to snap her friend out of it and get the attention of the stranger.

MocaPoka

 

[CatJones]

"That's the last of it!" One of the bandits called out as he handed off the last bushel of rice to one of his comrades, noting that the do-gooders of the village were taking refuge near the cart. Several of their yari wielding comrades had convinced them to keep a wide enough berth to preserve their own lives. It was good that these interlopers were smart enough to save their own skins rather then try and be heroes. He briefly turned his attention to the largest hut in the village. He was surprised that the old woman hadn't emerged in the fighting. She was a stubborn old tiger that wouldn't leave the village, no matter the threats levied against her. Katashi had said there was no need to harm her. He scowled as he hopped out of the cart.

It was a bloodbath off the wooden wagon. His feet slapped up blood soaked mud onto his shin and coated his tabi in the thick mixture. They had lost more men then expected. As far as he could tell, it appeared that the merchants had claimed maybe one of their men. It was these strangers that had taken the most of their men out. It wasn't his problem. He barely even knew some of them; people who had chosen to join the band more recently. The destruction of the military was really bringing out the worst in people. He set off at a quick pace while letting out a loud and sharp whistle. The men who had been keeping the strangers at bay began to back away before fully turning and hightailing it to the bridge.



Kirai and his men had to run on one side of the bridge. He silently cursed as he tried to count the men running past him, catching at eight and having to restart at least twice. Counting wasn't his strong suit and he was becoming more and more annoyed. He knew Katashi would ask how many men they lost and he would have to guess. He always had to guess. Still, looking at the things the men were bringing back, it was a good haul. Plenty of rice, more then he had expected. Though, he didn't see any clay pots that would have been sake. Those damn manslayers must have taken it with them when they fled with the majority of the villagers into the forest. They were top priority on his kill list.

He slowed to a walk as the last men passed him, empty handed. He took this to mean that they had looted the cart. What he hadn't expected were the three people still loitering around the wagon. Two women and a men. The women were dressed like ronin or perhaps low ranking samurai. The man seemed to be a noble like the scout had reported. He would probably fetch a hefty price if he was from a prominent family. Though, Katashi would be more upset if he brought a hostage back. Kirai motioned for his men to stop a few feet back as he approached the wagon and the gore slick scene. The three strangers were all armed well enough to be almost anything. Still, he had his pride to think about. Ganging up and killing such a small group would make him seem weak.

"Good mornin'." He almost sounded casually brisk in his greeting. "I am Kirai, Wokou raider for the dead master of the Mori, scourge of the Shina. Killer of two hundred men and taker of fifty women. Who the hell are y ou?" His boast was of course the work of his men who knew how history.

His men kept back, bows loosely held in their hands. For the six carrying bows, they had already nocked an arrow but kept the bowstring loose.


(Kirai is 6'1" for clarification. He also sounds like Gonza from Princess Mononoke)

Akkun no Baka
MocaPoka
LadyOfStars

 

[LadyOfStars]

Haruki

As he recounted all the ways that this day had gone wrong and the things he could have done to change the course of events, Haruki couldn’t help but think back to the simpler days. Bandits were always a problem, but never in such numbers. When the clans weren’t fighting themselves or each other the land was much safer and there was far less need for the innocent to go seeking their own protection. Where were the people responsible for this village? It was the sound of the voices nearby that drew Haruki out of his head. He turned slightly to see the archer woman had come down from the rooftop and joined the two of them. “Thank you.” He said to her compliment on his appearance.

“My name is Haruki, it is a pleasure to meet you. Both of you.” He said while glancing out the corner of his eye at the ronin. Looking over the newcomer once, he could see that she was a ninja and one from a renowned clan at that. “The Ito clan? What is a ninja doing here of all pl-.”

A voice from outside the carriage called to them and at first Haruki was willing to ignore it. What could the bandits do now? Did they really intend to kill the three of them? It was the mention of the Mori clan that forced Haurki to abandon his current conversation. “Motonari-sama?” Putting his haori back on properly the young taikomochi rose to his feet and exited the carriage without hesitation.

“You were in service to my Lord Mori Motonari?” his geta touched down on the dirt road and the wrinkles fell from his kimono. The man before him certainly looked like a bandit, but if he was truly a raider then he also fit that look as well. “I am Haruki, taikomochi to the Mori Clan. We serve the same master and I am certain Terumoto-sama would welcome your service once more. Times have been hard and he is a forgiving man.” Could their master overlook all the wrong that this man had done, probably not, but if he was a former wokuo raider then he could be useful to the clan at this time. “You can return to honest work.” A smile graved Haruki’s countenance and his eyes remained fixed on the former pirate.​

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)

​

Tsu struggled to calm herself.

The battle had calmed for the moment and she was left with only herself and her emotions. Few things were worst in life than that. Kasumi’s appearance helped distract her. Anything was better to focus on than the temptation to kill some pretty boy because he had made a joke at her expense.

Tsu wondered if she had always been such a bad person. Legitimately contemplating taking a head simply because of joke… her younger self was better than her current self. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

Before she could respond to the kunoichi, a new threat appeared.

Bandits, though one properly introduced himself. Tsu was morally obligated to respect such a thing. Despite the crimes and sins that the man likely had committed. Despite how far she had fallen as a human… she was still a Samurai. She was obligated to respond truly and sincerely; lest what few remains of her pride were left forfeit.

“Morning. I am Sho Tsuruhime. Some have named me the “Shūgeki ōjo”. The raiding princess of Okinawa. Killer of more than I can count. Taker of over 34 begging beautiful women and of over 25 eager handsome men. I am your death…”

The warrior drew her blade and approached the bandit. Unafraid of the noched arrows in the bandits' hands and focusing only on the named Kirai. She ignored the taikoimochi. He was out of his element and she casted a quick glance at Kasumi, motioning for the other woman to keep the man in line.

CatJones Akkun no Baka LadyOfStars

 

[Akkun no Baka]

Ito Kasumi

Crescent Moon Slayer​

Kasumi was astonished to hear a voice so soon after the bloodbath. There were still bodies of both merchants and bandits sprawled around the village. Once the voice was identified it became clear why they were there. Must be the "leader" of these bandit - she thought. As the other's made introduction, Kasumi stayed silent. She was a Ninja, there was no honor in her trade and this person would be dead soon anyways.

Kasumi saw the subtle motion of Tsu Tsu to protect the new beautiful companion. As she moved to position herself between the enemy and Haruki she could only glance at the several bandits that lay with missing limbs sprawled around the area. This man did not need protection, even if it looked so. As she neared Karuki she whispered "A real wolf in sheep's clothing you are." and continued walking past him without looking.

While she moved she covertly pulled several shuriken and hid them in her sleeves. once positioned she drew her blade and directed it at the bandit with murderous intent. She now took the time to observe her enemy to find possible weak point that she could exploit. This bandit was a bear of a man to be sure. His battle experience was obvious, but there was a crudeness to his presence that screamed "I learned how to fight as I went along" rather than from any sort of formal training. Soon her hypothesis would be out to the test. Remember your training - she began to chant internally.

 

[CatJones]

"And why would I return to the Mori? Ballless dogs laying down at the feet of the shogun, licking at them in hopes of a scrape of glory. I would rather die then be caged like a animal." He spat back to Haruki, literally hawking a ball of phlegm into the blood slick mud. He had fought for them as a Wokou raider, sure, but that had been when being a Mori meant something. The fire of the Country At War was gone now and all the great clans were either dead or groveling at the feet of the shogun. They worshipped their own culture of loyalty over their freedom. At least, that was the cut and dry way that Kirai internalized it. He had no interest in returning to a civilized world that was moving to fast for him to keep up with. The constantly changing laws were mind numbing. The will of the people to bow to the strong out of fear rather then to rise up and challenge them for their respect was disgusting.

Though, this group didn't seem all bad. The one calling herself Shūgeki ōjo seemed to at least have some spirit in her. Though, at the same time, she did seem like the odd man out in a way. Something about her was off to Kirai. Not her stance or bearing but rather her personage. Kirai would have normally reduced her to her feminine aspects but this time he felt a stronger urge to identify where she was from. It seemed familiar, like a dream after waking. He narrowed his eyes as she readied herself for combat. Kirai drew his chokuto casually tossing the sheath back towards his men and one of the ones carrying a spear caught it, tucking it into his obi.

"Shūgeki ōjo, huh. We'll see if you have the guts to live up to being any kind of raider." He took a stance. Left foot slid back, right pointing towards his opponent. He held his sword with the point skyward at a comfortable length from his body. It was a defensive posture, but as he assumed he had more strength then this Shūgeki ōjo, having an off hand free would leave him open to grapple. Any fool on the ground with a heavier person holding them down could easily be killed, sword or otherwise. He also could rely on his person to seem less skilled then his enemy. Bandits learned to kill unarmed villagers and samurai when they had the numbers. But he was a Wokou raider first and a bandit second. He had learned to kill samurai while raiding other clans for the Mori. They had to many styles to learn how to counter them all and instead, a smart man would look for flaws in the overall structure of the class.

He moved in. His arm moving only enough to allow him to swing his sword, bending at the elbow and the wrist. He aimed for her the lower half of her sword, knowing that it would easily connect without putting either of them at a disadvantage. He needed to keep his sword close enough to block her and try to get his free hand on her to disarm her. He kept his free hand back enough to make it seem like he was refusing to use it.

LadyOfStars
MocaPoka

 

[Andei]

Nobuo​

Tucked away north of the mountains, there was a village famed far and wide for its masked dramas. With their heart-wrenching narratives, captivating delivery, sharp humour and much-loved cast of characters, people would flock from all over to attend these performances that moved them to raucous laughter, then brought them to mournful tears, before electrifying the air with dramatic tension as the scenes moved from one moment to the next. However, it was not simply the skill of the actors and the craftsmanship of the mask-makers that tugged at the heartstrings of the rapt audience. Rather, it was in seeing the realities of their daily lives play out before their eyes, with all its joys and sorrows and absurdities - that was what truly resonated with those watching, because they were watching their own stories unfold in front of them through these characters.

Yet life was not always so simple as to be captured in a work of drama. Sometimes its absurdities were so bizarre that it would bring a disbelieving smirk to even the most gracious listener. An episode so odd that it actually needed to be made less true to be more believable. Such an episode was playing out right at that moment: a bushi, a ninja and a geisha having a run-in with a former pirate. You really could not make this up.

And with such an unusual scene came an unusual audience.

The merchant Nobuo was crouched behind one of the houses closest to the bridge, his back pressed close against the wall, sweating slightly from both the exertion of staying undetected and the fatigue of being on the road for so long. He had, of course, known of the situation at Kenkawa. It was a story that had been making a fair bit of noise in all sorts of places, from the inns and teahouses to the grand estates of the samurai clans. It was the kind of plight which would only attract deviants - with great personal risk and very little return, it was revealing that it was considered a near-universal truth among every circle of society that there would be none fool enough to accept such a suicidal mission. Their honour was safe along with their lives, far from the troublesome responsibilities of dealing with the problems of some backwater village.

That said, Nobuo had not been expecting to be diving straight into the midst of an attack upon arrival.

As he approached the borders of the village, he had been greeted by cries of battle in the distance. By the time he had made his way to the riverside to get a closer look at what was going on, the raid was more or less over. A sacked wooden cart lay in the bloodsoaked dirt alongside a number of dead bodies dressed in merchant garb while a number of bandits were stumbling over themselves to get over to the other side of the bridge while clinging desperately to their stolen goods. Nobuo couldn’t help but wonder where the merchants had found such optimism that they had thought it a good idea to be travelling with a whole cart’s worth of wares through an area well-known for its bandit activity.

Nevertheless, the remaining three that continued to fight off the bandits were quite conspicuous. The onna-bugeisha, in and of itself an uncommon sight outside the city walls, was dressed in unadorned travelling clothes that betrayed little sign of her noble blood (if she indeed had any) and as she swung her blade through the air, Nobuo’s narrow gaze took note of her missing eye - an even more unusual trait. With her was a diminutive woman dressed in all black, and judging from her short, straight blade, he gathered she was an assassin. With raised eyebrows, he wondered what business a kunoichi would have in Kenkawa.

If they had not made for an odd picture, the addition of the taikomochi made it look outright surreal - two women almost masculine in dress aiding a man bedecked with the extravagance of a courtesan. Together, they stuck out like a sore thumb.

Then, a voice came from the bandits’ side:

“Good mornin'. I am Kirai, Wokou raider for the dead master of the Mori, scourge of the Shina. Killer of two hundred men and taker of fifty women. Who the hell are you?"

Mori? Nobuo’s ears perked up at the name of the famed clan that ruled over the Hiroshima Domain.

“I am Haruki, taikomochi to the Mori Clan.”

Mori again. Could this be an opportunity? He barely had time to register the female bushi’s response, and his eyebrows sky-rocketed at the bold crudeness of her claim.

Oh goodness me, look at this ohime-sama, talking of taking men and women alike… she certainly has a flair for the dramatic. Perhaps it’s not safe to go out there just yet…

Yes - he would observe for a bit longer.

 

[MocaPoka]

Sho Tsuruhime (The Raiding Princess)
​

Tsu couldn’t hold back the wicked smile on her face.

This was no stupid bandit that didn’t know a Wakizashi from a Katana. His stance was good, his weapon in good position, and most impressively; he was in a defensive stance. Such a thing was unheard of from something like a bandit, even a skilled one. Their kind valued the impassioned, aggressive destruction of their opponents. The fact one would even know about the word “defensive” spoke volumes. It also meant Haruki respected her, a fact that forced her to raise her own respect for the man.

She accepted the fact that she could die from this man and that there would be no shame in such a thing.

Her single green eye widened when he moved in; struggling to take in as much visual information as it could without a second eye to help. His strike surprised her its conservatism. A basic attack that would casue a block; it actually scared her with its softness. It was a type of attack she would have expected from a fellow samurai feeling out their opponent and trying to stay safe. It was not an attack a raiding bandit would make.

Tsu immediately retreated from the blow, not letting it connect with her blade and taking a quick, swallow swipe at the man’s wrists that’s she didn’t expect to actually hit. She retreated just outside striking range, trying to by time for her to reevaluate her opponent. She brought her blade up high above her head. An aggressive stance that spoke of extreme offensive and little defense. If the man was as skilled as his few moves suggested he would pause or attack from her side (most likely her blind one) , if not he would charge right in at the apparent opening and she would bring her readied blade down in a savage strike.

CatJones

 

[CatJones]

Kirai was surprised. Not a difficult state to put him in but the reason was new. It was obscene to see a samurai pull away from a strike and take the jodan no kamae stance. It was an invite to try and move in and hit her from the front. Her sides were exposed, the side of her body with the eyepatch more so then the other. A wiser man would have dictated the fight by letting her swing her first, forcing her to make a choice that would result in her peril in place of his own. However it wasn't that cut and dry. His initial strategy was only half true still. She had a stance that would allow her to kill with a single stroke. Smashing his skull open or cutting deep into his collar. He still had one advantage; he was surely stronger then her.

Kirai adjusted his stance to match hers in a way. He brought his sword over head as well but kept his titled to the horizon, negating her over head swing with a stance similar to Ko Gasumi. Thanks to the height difference as well, she couldn't hit the top of his head without forcing his sword down. She was still two handing her sword unlike him, leaving him with a hand available. He wouldn't risk trying to get into a grapple with her. He had another plan, if he could get their swords to connect and hold. He moved in quickly, maintaining his upper guard, his footing stable in the slick mud underfoot. Living on water slick decks had its advantages in these kinds of moments.

"I have you worked out." He spoke as he moved, keeping his breathing in mind as he did so. "You're not from the mainland and not from Kyushu too. Yes, you're from that little land, Okinawa. You're Far from home, little girl."

He spoke as he attempted to force her out of her stance, his sword kept high enough to block her, still half sure her current stance was a trap to go for his lower body. He attempted to push close enough to force her to either strike down onto his blade with the alternative being that he would be to close for a swing towards his torso. He was going to overrun her guard.

MocaPoka