Podcast of the Five Rings

The ronin stood in horror as the creature wailed from beneath the well. Seppun Azusa called a meeting to discuss their next steps.
As Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku thought of a plan, they noticed the ronin hired to protect the castle beginning to gather their things and leave. Their work had been steady and well paying, but with Masaru and Nobu imprisoned and with a new threat lingering beneath the castle, the ronin didn't want to risk their lives for a lord who might not have the means to pay them. Surprised by their shortsightedness, Boa reasoned with the ronin, reminding them that their strength was in numbers, and that Lord Jikai would surely reward them handsomely for their service to his castle. In total, 9 ronin decided to stay while the rest fled.
The ronin sat in audience with Seppun Azusa and Lord Jikai's court. Dzudh, the wandering monk from the north, gave advice on how to defeat the kyokotsu. He said that attacks which would kill a human would merely stun it. He advised wearing the creature down with an assault of attacks, and then when it's vulnerable, conduct a cleansing ritual to destroy it once and for all. With Tetsuya dead, they needed to find a different shugenja to perform the ritual. They suggested sending Setsuo back to Twin Blessings Village and asking if Daizo would be able to conduct the ritual instead. They also decided that while he was there, he should convince the rebels to back down and see if any of them would be willing to help defeat the monster. With these things in motion, the ronin concocted a plan...
Kaizoku and Tsume searched the hillside for an entrance into the underground water system which the well was connected to. They found a wide opening with high ridges on either side of the waterway: a perfect location to set a trap. Tsume then followed the cave system and carefully mapped a course to the well beneath the castle. Meanwhile, Boa led a team of servants cutting wood. Dzudh marked an inscription into these wood panels, and then with help from Boa and the servants, placed the wood panels in the stream bed, blessing the water.
The next day Kaizoku and Tsume stocked up on supplies while Boa butchered meat to use as bait for the monster. That night, Setsuo arrived from Twin Blessings Village with the priest, Daizo. He had agreed to perform the Cleansing Rite, but they were unable to persuade anyone else to join the cause. It appeared the rebels were still planning to attack the castle. There was no going back then. The ronin had to defeat the kyokotsu, or else a terrible battle would needlessly claim the lives of dozens.
The following day, they unleashed their trap. Tsume, Azusa, and Ume planted the meat on a course to lure the creature into the open. Boa stood at the mouth of the cave with a team of ronin and Kaizoku stood on the ridge with a team of archers. Slowly, the kyokotsu came shambling into the open.
With the monster disoriented, they attacked. A barrage of attacks from all sides wore the creature down, and they outnumbered it 14 to 1, but it was a terrible foe nonetheless. Its aura radiated hatred and its wail splintered the soul. But with teamwork and tenacity, they defeated the monster. Soon, it collapsed from exhaustion. While in this vulnerable state, Daizo rushed out and performed the cleansing rite. The kyokotsu's remains turned to dust and it was vanquished for eternity.
With the Kyokotsu defeated and Otomo Yuki's spirit finally laid to rest, peace was restored to the land. The water kami were pleased and blessed the people of Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village with a plentiful harvest.
Satisfied with the water kami's blessing, the rebels ended their plotting against Closed Shell Castle and returned to their homes.
Setsuo reclaimed his position as village head and repaired his relationship with his son, Ichiro.
Reju Jikai recovered from his wounds and restored peace with the villagers with the brave and loyal Seppun Azusa at his side.
Daizo was given a permanent position at Closed Shell Castle as well as all the ronin who decided to stay and defeat the monster-- not as swords for hire, but as noble samurai.
Otomo Nobu and Reju Masaru were exposed for their treachery and executed with no chance for seppuku.
Tsume became a sworn samurai in service of Lord Reju Jikai and moved his family into Closed Shell Castle. He gave up his life of grave robbing and treasure hunting in order to provide safety and security for his mom and siblings.
Boa settled on a plot of land in Twin Blessings Village with his estranged son and his son's mother, intent on patching up that relationship and being the father he always should have been.
Kaizoku was reunited with his ship, newly renovated by the people of Twin Blessings Village as thanks for all that he did. He set sail, continuing toward the horizon and letting the river take him wherever it pleased.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz
Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The three ronin had found their man: the runaway shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. They were ordered to bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle, but the shugenja refused. He vowed to never return. 
Tetsuya felt tremendous regret for what he had done. He had been used as a pawn in a plot hatched by the steward, Otomo Nobu, to kill Reju Jikai, defeat the bandits, and wrest control of the castle for himself. Nobu’s plan was to upset the region’s water kami, forcing a famine while simultaneously increasing taxation in order to send the peasants into a state of upheaval. All the while hunting the forests for its wildlife and selling the meat and pelts to pay for a small army of ronin which he would train and use to garrison the castle. When the peasants revolt, the ronin would destroy them, and in the maelstrom, Nobu would slink off and kill Jikai, his wife, and his niece, making it appear as though they had died in combat. As defender of the castle, he would be promoted from steward to lord. His first act would be to end the forced famine and lower the taxes, blaming those catastrophes on the policies of his predecessor. In the end, he would have ownership of the castle, the respect of his superiors, the love of the common people, and a small army at his disposal. 
Tetsuya’s role in all of this was to keep the water kami agitated. When Jikai took power, Nobu threw the remains of the previous lord, Otomo Yuki, into the castle’s well creating a kyokotsu, a malignant abomination which infects the water and angers the kami. Tetsuya fed the creature, appeasing it and making its power grow. He was promised wealth and power by Nobu when his plan was completed, and Tetsuya realized too late what he had done. The dishonored shugenja felt nothing but shame now, wasting away, drinking himself to death in a stable.
Hearing this story, the ronin concocted a plan. They would bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle and force him to repeat his story to Jikai and Reju Masaru, exposing Nobu for the snake that he is.
Upon arriving at the castle, the ronin were met by Masaru. He seemed surprised by their presence, and his usual adherence to decorum had waned a bit. It appeared as if he didn’t expect that they would return from their mission. Masaru immediately sent a messenger off to inform Nobu of their arrival. The ronin protested, but he insisted. He then ushered them into his quarters so they could speak in more detail. Suspecting that Masaru was in on Nobu’s plan, the ronin played along. They said nothing of Tetsuya’s indictment or of Nobu’s scheme. In celebration of their completed mission, the ronin convinced Masaru to have a round of sake. They spiked his drink with the night milk pilfered from the dead assassins, not once, but twice. Soon, Masaru was knocked unconscious. The ronin quickly searched his quarters and found evidence of his involvement in Nobu’s scheme. Masaru, the one who welcomed the ronin into the castle, trained them, and guided them had been working with Nobu from the very beginning. The ronin swallowed the betrayal and moved forward with renewed vigor. Something about Nobu’s plan felt personal now.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz
Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The monks dropped their ruse and revealed themselves for what they truly were: murderous assassins. In a haze, the ronin drew their weapons to defend themselves, but the damage was already done. Poison was coursing through their veins, making them feel lightheaded and fatigued, while the powder of the sokutoshi blinded and choked them. 
The assassins attacked, attempting to dispatch their targets while they had the advantage. Hoping to bide some time and distract the assassins, Kaizoku challenged the assassin with the ninjato to a one on one fight. The assassin proudly accepted. The two clashed while the others fought to gain an upperhand. The assassin with the blowgun flute dropped his weapon and unleashed a kusarigama concealed beneath his robes, immobilizing Boa while making a flurry of attacks against Tsume.
Kaizoku and the assassin faced each other, and it soon became clear that Kaizoku was outmatched. He was fighting a true professional. He bowed out of the challenge winded and exhausted. The assassin, attempting to finish what he started, knocked Kaizoku unconscious while he was trying to catch his breath, deforming his face and scarring his rugged features.
Fighting with their ally bleeding and out of commission, Tsume and Boa fought for their lives. The assassins fought with a determination and skill which the ronin had never faced before. They shrugged off attacks which would kill lesser enemies and refused to retreat.
With a force of sheer willpower, Kaizoku woke himself up from his unconsciousness and stabbed the assassin with the kusarigama through the gut with his magari yari, killing him. Undaunted, the other assassin continued the fight, beating Tsume within an inch of his life before eventually succumbing to his wounds and being finished off by Boa. 
The ronin tended to their wounds and searched the bodies of the assassins. They found a contract to eliminate them. It had details of where they were headed, the road they’d be taking and physical descriptions of each of them. It was signed by Otomo Nobu.
The next morning, the three finished their journey at a small village on the outskirts of Otosan Uchi. Filled with questions about the mounting tensions surrounding Closed Shell Castle and the schemes of Otomo Nobu, they searched for the shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. Dressed in the monk’s robes taken from one of the assassins, Tsume asked around town until he located Tetsuya at a local stable. 
The three descended on the stable, wearing armor adorned with the Reju family crest. Tetsuya was laying on a pile of hay, stinking of sake. He awoke and saw the three standing over him. “Damn,” was all he said.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz
Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The survivors of the hunting party sat with Otomo Nobu to debrief the events of the attack. Nobu revealed that he knew Nakama was a shapeshifter. The Otomo family had long traded secrets with Nakama in order to learn about the land surrounding Closed Shell Castle. Nobu claimed, however, that he did not know that Nakama was planning an attack on Reju Jikai.
Jikai, severely wounded from the attack, listened as Nobu spoke, slipping in and out of sleep as his exhausted body succumbed to the medicine that was treating him. It dawned on him for the first time that perhaps Nobu wasn’t as capable a leader as he once thought. Though he was beginning to have his doubts, he did not believe he was in the right state to make any final decisions regarding the governance of his castle.
Boa had known men like Nobu before. During his time in the courts of the Crane clan, Boa had seen many upstart nobles and ambitious samurai trying to make names for themselves. Boa knew that Nobu aspired to take the castle for his own. Tired of Nobu’s smoke and mirrors, Boa asked him bluntly what his plans for Closed Shell Castle were. The steward stated simply that he wanted the castle to live up to its true potential. That he was tired of it being a laughing stock and a stain on the land.
After the meeting, the three ronin agreed that Nobu was planning to seize control of the castle, though they did not know how. They remembered the escaped shugenja, Tetsuya, and wondered what he knew. He may be the missing piece of the puzzle that links everything together. They vowed to find him and speak with him to see what he knows. In the meantime, the ronin decided to pay a visit to Setsuo, the village elder. They convinced him to write a letter to his son, Ichiro, telling him to call off any attack on the castle for at least another week. The ronin wanted more time to figure out what Nobu’s plans were and thought the villagers could be marching into danger.
The next morning, Reju Masaru had a mission for the ronin. They were to find Tetsuya and bring him back to the castle alive. It seemed fate had steered them onto the proper course. After rummaging through the castle armory for supplies, the ronin decided to first set off for Twin Blessings Village so they could drop off Setsuo’s letter. Upon reaching the village, they discover that Natsumi had assumed the role of village leader in Setsuo’s absence. She told the ronin that after Setsuo’s imprisonment, most of the villagers from both Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village have either joined with the bandits or fled. They feel that Jikai’s government has become so tyrannical that nothing can change without serious action. The ronin explain their position on the matter and hand Natsumi Setsuo’s letter to give to Ichiro. She says that Setsuo can try to hold the bandits off as long as he wants, but something terrible is brewing.
With that settled, the ronin traveled in the direction of Otosan Uchi to find Tetsuya. Rain clouds began to gather, and before long a wicked storm began to flood the fields, soaking everyone to the bone. With the sun beginning to set, the three decided to stop for the night at a temple-shelter for travelers. As the ronin settled in and dried themselves beside the fire, they heard a knock at the door. The shoji cracked open to reveal a pair of wandering monks. The ronin let them in and they quickly moved beside the fire. Gracious for letting them share the space with them, one monk began to play music on his flute while the other made tea. Not entirely sure what to make of the monks, Tsume talked to them to learn more about them and their mission. They were monks of Shinsei. They wandered Rokugan, enlightening people with Shinsei’s teachings, offering peace of mind and spiritual fulfillment. Boa inspected the tea which they were handing out, but could not detect anything out of the ordinary. The ronin soon let their guard down and enjoyed their new found company.
One of the monks offered to light some incense, and pulled out a beautiful, ornate box. While the ronin leaned in to smell the incense, the monk blew into the box, causing perfumed powder to momentarily blind and choke the ronin. As they coughed, the monk drew a hidden ninjato sheathed in his staff, while the other loaded his flute like a blowgun and took aim.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz
Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa had just heard the news that Mamoru Nakama was planning an attack on Jikai’s hunting party. Thinking quickly, he notified Tsume and used his contacts in the castle to get an anonymous letter to Jikai warning him of the ambush. The next morning, everyone in the castle stood at the gates to see the hunting party off. Excitement was in the air, mixed with a hint of unease. The lightweight and flexible clothes normally worn on such an expedition were replaced with lacquered armor. It appeared that Boa’s note had made an impact on the lord.
As the hunting party left the castle, Boa tried to follow them, unnoticed. He was caught by none other than Otomo Nobu, who ordered him to get back to work. Disregarding his order, Boa fled the castle, trailing Jikai’s hunting party across the countryside. The last thing he heard was Nobu gathering ronin to chase after him.
On the trail, Tsume chatted with the other members of the hunt. He spoke with Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir. Tsume got a sense that Ume hated Closed Shell Castle and quietly resented her uncle for bringing her to that place. Noticing the general unease among the party, Tsume talked to Jikai’s yojimbo, Jinzaburo. Speaking candidly, he revealed that Jikai received a letter warning him of an ambush. Uncertain of the letter’s validity, the lord decided not to call off the hunt, but being cautious, he ordered that everyone be armed and armored.
Camped out in a clearing upon a hill, the party began their hunt. For the first time in months, Jikai fully seemed himself, finally able to enjoy one of his favorite artforms: falconry. The lord brought his entire collection of birds, each one personally trained by him. He happily mentored Tsume on the proper technique before letting the bird loose and catching a plump rabbit. Tsume skinned and dressed the rabbit as only the son of a butcher could do, and then put the meat in a stew.
Spirits were high as the party sat down to enjoy some rabbit stew. As everyone laughed and ate, the fear that pervaded them washed away. Just as everyone was beginning to relax, the horses began to whinny. Looking up, the party realized they were surrounded. A pack of wolves encircled them, slowly creeping forward from the forest. Chief among them was an enormous wolf, twice the size of the others with silver fur and yellow eyes: Nakama.
The wolves fell on them, creating a mass of swirling, snarling jaws. They were everywhere. Overwhelmed and unable to retreat, the party was forced to stand their ground. The samurai drew their weapons and fought against the wolves bearing down on them. Nakama went straight for Reju Jikai— his mission was clear. However the bodyguard, Jinzaburo, bravely defended his lord against the tide of claws and fangs. 
Out from the forest yelled Boa, having crept behind the hunting party all day. He tried to reconcile with the beasts, but it was clear they were past that point. He drew his weapon and entered the fray. Hearing the sounds of battle from a not-too-distant-trail, Kaizoku came running through the forest. Upon seeing his friends in combat, he too joined the melee.
Before long, it was apparent that the crashing waves of wolves were too much for Jinzaburo to handle. He fell in battle, and the wolves were soon upon him, finishing him without remorse. Nakama now attacked Jikai directly.
Having lost half their number to samurai steel, the pack began to flee, but Nakama remained. With a final attack, he lunged at Jikai, ripping his right hand from his wrist. Jikai bled and cried in agony as the samurai struck at the giant wolf. With a final blow, Boa ended Nakama’s life. The spirit he failed to console became the beast he had to slay.
As the dust settled and the warriors caught their breath, the ronin Nobu ordered to find Boa discovered the party. They immediately tended to Jikai’s wounds and brought the party back to the castle. That morning, they departed the castle excited and shining in resplendent armor, but they returned beaten, bloody, and exhausted. Jinzaburo was dead, and Jikai was permanently wounded. Nobu accepted the party into the castle. Among them he found Kaizoku, the pirate he believed had released a prisoner and murdered a guard, and Boa, the trouble-making ronin defector. Nobu’s face contorted and a torrent of punishments and citations began to well up in his throat, but before a word could be uttered, Jikai spoke. He said, “these men saved my life.” 

Artwork by Dylon Munoz
Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings