NagoyaHammer.com

Welcome to HeianKyo.

In an alternate universe, this land might be known as the land of the rising sun. It might be home to a million technological wonders, a people with a growing sense of its self in the world, a global power. The center of power might have been shifted to a concrete jungle in the east. The line of imperial rule may have lost its strength. However, this is HeianKyo.
The world as we know it now is an empire that has held divine power for over 1300 years. Over the years, many factions have attempted to rout power from the imperial line; samurai have attempted coup de etats, the merchant class has attempted to install capitalism, and of course the continuing war waged upon the rebellious city-state of Idumo. None of these threats have proved too much for the august emperor.
HeianKyo is not a land of high technology. Its people are content with the protection of the aristocrats and their loyal soldiers. The people enjoy, for the most part, a life without unsubstantiated want. The peasants work in the fields during the day, and enjoy the bright of the night. The students study the secret workings of the hidden sun, and the professionals apply the simple science of magic towards the wellbeing of the empire while the artisans create the tools and karakuri machines that power everyday life.
HeianKyo is an island. This is a country that has closed its borders for a thousand years. Though much influence has come from the western country of Gou—including language, art and religion—the country has no real need or want of trade with outside cultures. Though items from the outside world occasionally find their way into the country, they are considered contraband.
HeianKyo, though at the peak of its strength, is an empire in peril. An unending war to the North continues to this day, as a usurper to the throne contends his right to lead the nation. The lands to the east, an area known only as Edo, are home to a thousand hungry demons. The blight that these creatures have wrought has gripped the majority of the island in an impenetrable dark forest. Greedy merchants, conniving aristocrats, plotting monks and bloodthirsty ninja threaten the balance at home.
HeianKyo needs heroes. Brave samurai willing to lay down their lives for their empire in the line of war, soulful ninjas that can channel their strength and defend HeianKyo from the demonic creatures of the black forests, even forest-dwellers bound by pact to a thousand insects to help keep the influence of the monks of Mt. Hiei at bay. Or will you take on the role of a Yamato clan member, bearer of the magic of true flame, and prove that it was your clan all along that possesses the divine right to the throne?

The next game is scheduled for June 27, at 3:30, I believe. I made a character sheet for anyone who's interested. I'll post a recap of the game in the next post.

These are from my session notes, so people can feel free to add stuff I forgot.

The group started in their guild’s izakaya, drinking and hanging out when a bunch of entry level adventurers entered, after having gone through the sea of trees. They were tired and haggard and were almost killed. They saw some “humanlike figures jumping through the trees and some ‘pops’ so they ran.”

They sat around and got some info out of their low level cohorts, then they heard screaming outside, went out to investigate and saw some old dude being shot in the back, by a ninja with a gun. He would have died but the monk saved his life.

He was a jerk but paid them well; gave them 2 jobs. To keep him alive and to retrieve the evidence. The evidence was of Lord Barrelbottom’s dealings with the Koga Ryu ninja to assassinate Barrebottom’s political rivals. Lord Barrelbottom wanted to institute sweeping social change for equality and non-human rights, etc. The old guy refused to give his name, but The Ronin stole some of his things and later found out his name was Lord Raptor. Lord Raptor gave them a large sum of money and promised more after the completion of their agreement. The monk took the money and the dude and burrowed through the city to deposit them both in some hidden temple.

They ended up trying to find more info on Barrelbottom and The Ronin used his contacts to find out that Barrelbottom had recently hired a new bodyguard after the previous one had “disappeared”, but word on the street in the underground is that Barrelbottom has some unsavory ties with the Koga Ryu, so few people tried to get hired. One guy did, apparently though. The puppeteer delivered bread to someone in the servants quarters of Barrelbottom’s estate and hypnotized them to be friendly.

They all met up coincidentally in the middle of the slums when they were attacked by thugs. The players slaughtered their opponents but one ran through a house and got away. The Monk tried to follow by smashing through the house and flying through the roof and windows, but was ultimately unsuccessful. They looked through the bodies and found a large bit of money and photos of them as they were investigating earlier.

The next day the Ronin decides to take on the new bodyguard in a duel as a distraction while everyone else goes through his house. The Kappa goes through the sewers and the Monk and the Puppeteer go through the servants quarters. That was the plan, anyway.

The Ronin walks up to the estate and is led inside after menacing the front guard. He is welcomed by Barrelbottom and the duel is set for that afternoon and he is shown and locked into a ready room.

The Kappa tries to go through the sewers but he is set upon by a kappa who feels threatened by his presence and they fight while hanging on the wall. The enemy kappa launches himself at him but merely bounces off his shell. They trade blows and neither can get the upperhand while hanging on the wall and finally the enemy kappa falls to the sewers below. The Kappa follows and accidentally lands on him. While they were fighting, they found that Barrelbottom provides plenty of cucumbers for the kappa but also beats him, which confuses the Kappa because Barrelbottom is supposed to be working for kappa rights.

The Puppeteer and the Monk try to go up to the servants quarters and the same servant opens the door. She talks to the puppeteer who gives lots of bread and offers to help, but the servant decides not to trouble the puppeteer so she brings the 2 baskets of bread in herself. As she does so, the Monk walks into the door and the servant asks who he is and what his business is. He tells her that he is a monk, to which she has no reply, since he is obviously wearing lots of robes. He assures her that he is with the puppeteer but the servant is confused and decides to call for help. The puppeteer hypnotizes her to make her forget about them, then leaves. The Monk then turns invisible and flies into a window and with the short remaining time hides under a small table with a tablecloth.

The Ronin finds himself in a small but well furnished room and heads to the toilet. He calls to the kappa but when the Kappa cant find him, he drops a vase down the toilet and they find each other. The Ronin fashions a rope made of kimonos and sheets and whatnot from inside the room and the kappa climbs up the rope. They can’t unlock the door so the kappa goes back down and comes back up into the room next door. Tracking sewage as he goes, he tries to open the door but fails then tries to smash it open, failing again. He goes back into the sewers to wait while the Ronin sits.

The Monk hears someone coming so he comes out from under the table and calls to the servant; I seem to have lost my way! She is unnerved by his exiting from underneath the table but she decides he is a guest for the showing of the duel, so she is about to lead him to the right way. He instead reaches around and smothers her, using so much force that he believes he has killed her. He takes her top and leaves her body under the table, then tries unsuccessfully to climb into the ceiling. He then tries to climb on the table and try again, but falls and smashes the table with the girl underneath. He runs away and hides somewhere else.

The puppeteer comes back and tries to sneak in, using hypnosis to make everyone forget they saw her. She also hides.

With 1 hour left before the duel, someone comes to the Ronin with some food but they are surprised at all the sewage tracked all over the hall. She is baffled and the Ronin demands to be brought to a different room where nobody will track crap all over the place and also because he heard someone messing with the door. The servant leaves the door open and runs to get more help. He eats the food and wanders the hall. He tries to make his way to Barrelbottom’s office but finds instead the samurai’s room with the samurai in there practicing. They exchange witty banter and they both feel totally pumped for the fight. The samurai points out where the office is and the Ronin heads there, finding more photos of them and a locked cabinet. He is found by a servant and with only a few minutes left, he is led to the dueling grounds.

While he is being led out, the Monk and Puppeteer sneak around and find the office, unlocking the cabinet and grabbing the camera used to photograph them and several incriminating contracts and documents. They then burrow right there, falling through and landing in the sewers.

At the duel, the poison that was in the food is shaken off by the hearty Ronin, but the samurai winks at him, shaking him to his core. Then he suddenly attacks, landing a blow on the Ronin. The Ronin retaliates, cutting open the samurai’s leg, but the samurai lands two critical hits on the Ronin, dropping him. The Ronin,however, manages to live through the ordeal and suddenly in a force of vengeance, cuts off the samurai’s left and and then sends his sword through his opponents chest. Blood spurts like a fountain and the Ronin is declared the winner. He is carried to a hospital and treated, where he meets the poor beaten servant that had been left for dead by a homidical monk. He hits on her and revels in her tears. He is then offered the job of Barrelbottom’s bodyguard.

In the sewers, a group of kappa surround the Monk and the Puppeteer, and they fight until the Kappa comes to their rescue. They manage to fend them off and escape.



TO BE CONTINUED

Are we playing these guys again?

Unless you want to roll a new character, yes.

Just a reminder, the next and likely last game is this Sunday at 3:30.