[D4 LM Open] Perched on a wall

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

Kuma had perched on a near by wall as Hanatsuko made her way to the castle. There were many things she wondered and wanted to clarify. Also probably would be able to meet a Kuni or a shugenja that could help her with exorcism. She sighed.

No, she shouldn't be here she still too young for that.

"As if... She is learning to do just that take the spirits to the place they belong. Her gemppuku should be soon."

She is just a child... Kiko chan is just a child

"And Midori... oh my... I must find a way to end this curse... for Midori's sake."

She walked over to the gate.

[Dapper Dog]

"Halt, samurai, how can I help you?" the guard asks.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

Hanatsuko stopped when halted. "I need to find some records. I am conducting an investigation about a ship and the town's history. I was wondering if the records rely inside the castle and I would be allowed to check them out." She bowed at the guard.

[Dapper Dog]

"I can direct you to Kuni Junza, she can decide if you can access the records, head down to the undercroft," he said chuckling.

"Good luck."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Thank you." She whistled to the falcon to keep alert and an eye out. Kuma took flight going above the clouds and perching himself on a branch in the courtyard.

Hanatsuko followed the directions to the undercroft. The guard's good luck wasn't reassuring but she pressed on. "Excuse me... Kuni sama?"

[Dapper Dog]

Kuna Junza.jpg (25.16 KiB) Viewed 2185 times

The undercroft was more like a dungeon where they seemed to keep many scrolls and artifacts. There is a scream that pierces the room and then a woman exited a side chamber and dipped her bloody hands into a bucket of water. Behind her was a young woman covered in grime and dirt with equally bloody hands.

She said, “Well it seems like the subject did not like that, make a note of that Dirt. Next session we will be testing…”

“Oh we have a guest, and you are?” she said, turning to look at her guest while drying her hands.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"This one is Toritaka Hanatsuko." She gave a low bow. "Kuni sama, I presume." She straighten. "I am doing research about some happenings around."

[Dapper Dog]

"What kind of research?" she asked curiously. "I don't get many if any visitors, it's a shame really."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

Hanatsuko nodded. "About a missing boat and its relation to a curse." The Toritaka said simply. "I would like to see the records of 10 years ago."

[Dapper Dog]

"Missing boats and curses, you can't just mention those without details. Might make this Kuni priest nervous," she replied.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

Hanatsuko took a breath. "I went to the beach the night of the festival to check a rumour out. My training made me note that the spirit realms were stirred. There was debris of a boat or so I think. There was laughter and a spirit of a girl... I felt something else a wail that injured this one" She shook her head. "I just wondered, if there were records of this boat wreckage washing up in the beach 10 years ago."

[Dapper Dog]

"Now that is an interesting mystery, ten years ago... I am not sure but we can look over the records. So we are looking for ship wrecks in particular?" she asked.

She gestured for her to follow as she walked along the rows and rows of scrolls.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Not particularly shipwrecks. I would also like to study stillborn children. Because the laughter of the child could be linked to a stillborn child." She wondered. "Do you know about Pekkles?"

[Dapper Dog]

"Probably more than you do," she said as she walked through the aisle.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Please enlighten me. Could one have infiltrated this town?" She wondered.

[Dapper Dog]

"If it did the blasted outsiders brought it with them, fucking idiots," she said with annoyance.

"Care to elaborate why you think a pekkle could be involved with your research?"

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She probably had been mistaken the spirit. "Well because Sakkaku is a cruel realm but might as well be a zokujin or some trickster impersonating a child. I have seen this child that don't seem natural to Ningen-do. I am just trying to see if there is a connection between the restless spirit and a trickster impersonating a child." She took a breath. "Outsiders... like the people here for the wedding... like myself?" She shook her head. Could I had brought the sakkaku spirit to spite me? Why do I keep hearing laughter?




//D4 LM Lore: Spirit realms: 4d10o10k3 13

[Dapper Dog]

"Yes," she said. The Toritaka could have brought a spirit with her, it is possible.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"I see... still doesn't solve our problem of the child that is cursing the people." She shook her head. "Also have you sensed something odd about this day?"

[Dapper Dog]

"More odd than a guest coming to me about pekkles and cursed children? No... not at all," she replied with sarcasm.

"So tell me about the cursed child, let's get this all out."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

The Toritaka rolled her eyes and shook her head. Hana cleared her throat and started to explain. "I went to the beach during the night of the festival to verify a rumor I had heard. My training allows me to see if spirit have transcended from another realm to Ningen-do. First the beach started to get unusually cold then the battle ensued... that was normal for me. What was off what the laughter of the child and a child manifested. Her look quite gruesome, matted hair and a chilling voice. Then there was debris of a ship with its crew seemingly dismembered and broken into pieces no larger than a cat. What was worse was the wail and the spoken words."


The Toritaka rubbed her arms to warm up. "Four nights of pain, my curse shall reign… Days without end, their hearts must mend.” She took a breath as she finished the next part. “Mother, father… return to me, or I shall call you to the sea.”

[Dapper Dog]

"This ghost child does it have a name?" she asked with interest.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Hitomi... of the Doji." She looked at the Kuni. "Have you heard about this?"

[Dapper Dog]

“I don’t know about a Hitomi of the Doji besides the Champion but… when you mentioned the shipwreck it reminded me of something.”

She searches through old scrolls and finds the one she is looking for and said, “Summer of 1076, loss of the Azure Orchid, where Doji Bujeihime captured her rival Hida Gusari and Hiruma Ujimatsu led a daring raid to liberate him. Sadly all aboard were loss. Supposedly Gusari and Bujeihime had a duel on the beach but I think that part is just romantic fantasy. Literally one of the most famous wrecks in the region, unless you care about peasant ships.”

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Was Bujeihime with child?" She asked a bit puzzle. "This name.... Bujeihime, is it common?" Hanatsuko took a breath. "I met a woman by that name earlier this week before the wedding celebration started."