The Town of Inaba (Episode 1 - Closed)

[AndrewRogue]

Grey clouds roil in the skies above, promising an early start to the region's normally wet autumn.

The people of the riverside town of Inaba remain undaunted, however, the traders and merchants setting up their stalls in the town square to hock wares, the boats docking to unload and load their goods. The town bustles with activity, perhaps hoping that the storm spirits will respect their efforts and hold back the rain until the day ends. Not that it really matters: rain or shine, work is never done in a trade town.

This day, however, brings something slightly unexpected to the docks: a boat laden not with goods for trade and sale, but rather a large group of people from the west.

It takes some time for it to find docking due to the day's rather heavy traffic, but eventually room is found and the boat is given a place to stop.

As the gangplank is put into place, an older woman, flanked by two guards dressed in white and blue jackets and wearing blades, will await the opportunity to greet whoever is in charge of the vessel.

((OOC: Let us begin, eh? Rat, Excal, I believe we know where you guys are. May, Magey, Soppy, you may all position yourselves freely. We'll figure out the best way to deal with chat/post hybriding as we go. Use this formatting for OOC. If you have any questions about things or need information about this moment, feel free to ask. I believe we can officially consider this a couple days after the last Akeha prologue scene - wherein soldiers were sent out on an adventure because they are getting bored.))

[Carthrat]

Lee emerges from the deck, swathed in a beautiful, vibrant blue shawl that flows about her body with every step. Behind her, an small entourage is assembled to follow; some carrying portable instruments such as flutes and sanxians, whilst other girls clutch small purses and wear coordinated silks; a uniform of sorts that separates the dancers from the players.

Her son joins her; a smiling blonde lad on the border between adulthood and adolescence, with youthful features and the swagger of one who has spent much time on the water. Bodyguard, executive officer, secretary, the boy is invaluable. Lee might be the face but someone needs to make sure they handle whatever local procedures are in place; buy food, conduct repairs, account for each individual member of the Unbound Choir, and deal with all manner of organizational dilemmas. Typically, she handles the greetings and he handles the meetings when it comes to dealing with humorless paper-pushers and other sorts of important, yet dreary folk.

"I see you," Lee states in a clear dialect of Forest-Tongue upon disembarking. She greets their apparent welcoming party with her palms together and a bow. "May we be welcome?"

[May]

Dressed in a rich indigo yukata and black obi that made her fiery white hair glow all the more, Akeha is doing one of the dozens of things she never imagined herself doing. Taking a walk with a half-squad of samurai through the red light district, Akeha is making afternoon calls on the proprietors of each establishment before the Festival of Five Daughters in two weeks. It's a necessary formality to establish good relations, and particularly to insure said proprietors seek the town's garrison for redress of disorder rather than hiring any gangs. Will it be effective? Time will tell.

Blissfully unaware, and trying to not think especially hard about what the current endeavor was doing to her dignity, Akeha is slowly working her way towards the harbor.

[AndrewRogue]

Akeha

Even now the people are still a little nervous, a little too acutely aware of the awkward relationship maintained with the previous steward. Still, no one -actively- avoids you, an indication that perhaps things are going better.

Your guards remain attentive and at the ready despite the lack of danger that is generally presented in Inaba. Loyalty is a wonderful thing, though perhaps those sent off to investigate the borders of Nine Rivers are not the only members of the White Fire Company in need of a chance to exercise their skills.

Lee

Tora follows your greeting, bowing as well.

The older woman clears her throat. "Greetings." She speaks passable Forest-Tongue. "I, Kakita Hana, welcome you to Inaba on behalf of our lady, Tetsuzuru Hakuhi. Might I inquire as to the nature of your business in Inaba?" The older produces a clipboard - the deadliest of all weapons at the dock.

[Carthrat]

"Of course you may," replies Lee, paying the little thing in the woman's hand no mind. "I am Lee Aaeiko; in the old tongue, it means 'Unbound Voice', and me and mine are a most merry band of magnificent minstrels making our way through the world! It is our humble wish that we might be permitted to enter Inaba and seek the patronage of your people and lady, so that we might display our skills to the discerning and provide amusement and succor to the weary."

[Hunter Sopko]

Vol glides swiftly through the red-light district, having heard his boss was out and about doing the rounds of public relations. He had encouraged the practice after all, so in essence he was happy she was there... even if they would quickly have to change plans. His simple brown robe flutters a bit with an unusually strong gust, prompting an idle thought about omens from the usually non-superstitious bureaucrat.

Finally spotting his boss, he strode over while waving off her guards. Thankfully they have grown used to the unobtrusive assistant requiring access to their liege lord and commander at random times and let him pass. Since they are in public, Vol at least goes through the formal bow to her, keeping up public appearances. "Greetings, Lady Hakuhi. I come bearing... news. Remember that project to prepare for any refugees we began the other day in case the possibility ever came to pass? Unfortunately, I have received word from the harbor that just such an event might be taking place already. I have sent Hana ahead to greet them, but we should make due haste to back her up."

[May]

Vol's sudden approach pulls Akeha from her revery, to eloquently express her surprise at such unsettling news. "What?"

Issuing a few quick commands in Dragontongue, Akeha, Vol, and her guards briskly march to the harbor to get a better handle on any sudden influx of dozens, hundreds, perhaps THOUSANDS of scaborous and starving peasants fleeing death and devastation in the Hundred Kingdoms.

[Magetastica]

Rishi yawns as he rolls out of bed, moving to get some lunch, though he thought of it as breakfast. As he finished getting dressed, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir? You might want to come to the office." It was Subaki, one of his small band of workers, and the most adept at both filing paperwork as well as sifting through the many rumours to find the nuggets of truth.

"I'll be right there." After long nights spent with nothing to be found, what could possibly be so urgent to have popped up while he was asleep? His answer came to him rather abruptly as he walked into the office only to find a fair few of the more paranoid dock workers in his office, all looking rather more distraught than usual and each with an official request form.

"They asked to speak with you directly. Apparently something happened at the docks this morning, and... well... I'll let them fill you in." With that, Subaki went back to her paperwork and the voices began bombarding him. Singing ships, hundreds of freeloaders and outsiders, citizens of Xanafai, an army come to cause a ruckus, a dog so big it must be a demon... Normally Rishi would politely decline after hearing tales like that, but they were all much more insistent than usual, and asking him only to keep the peace instead of kill some new trader at the drop of a hat.

Rishi raised his hands a little, and the workers began to quiet. As the last of their voices died down, he spoke up. "Please give your requests to Subaki, as per normal. I will look into the matter immediately, and get back to you with the cost when I know more about the situation. Good day." He calmly walked out of the building, his thoughts racing about what happened in such a short time, and as the door closed behind him, he immediately took to the rooftops and began sprinting and leaping to the docks as quickly as he could, hoping to find his usual spot nestled on the roof of the harbormaster's office so he could investigate the matter without being seen.

((OOC: As a note, Rishi does have Keen Sight as well as Keen Hearing and Touch activated indefinitely))

[AndrewRogue]

((OOC: Rumors FLY in this town fast, apparently.))

Lee

Hana takes notes on her clipboard.

"It is a pleasure to welcome you and your band to Inaba, Lee Aekio. Before I can schedule an audience with..." she pauses for a moment, considering her next words, "...the steward of Inaba, the honorable Tetsuzuru Hakuhi, I must ask you a few questions. Where do you and yours come from? Are you looking for temporary or permanent residence? Are you interested in private or public performance? What is the current status of your group's finances?" She continues to prattle on, her questions growing into increasing minutiae.

((OOC: She will attempt to read Lee and Tora's intentions. 1 success.))

Even Tora seems a bit taken aback by the sheer quantity of questions. This is much more thorough than any other port you have encountered along the Yellow River. "Are... all of these questions really necessary?

Hana looks surprised. "Of course. All of this information is vital."

Rishi

The chaos promised to you seems to have been vastly overrated. An unfortunate result of living somewhere where little actually ever happens. There is indeed a boat and it does appear to be laden with people, but it is hardly the ravening hoard of bards and bastards you had been lead to expect. From your vantage, the issue currently appears to be under control by the dock guards.

Akeha/Vol

Aiko steps closer to Akeha. "Would you like me to request additional guards, Tetsuzuru-san? Or shall we give in to the bureaucrat's panic and summon the whole of the White Fire to secure the dock?"

((OOC: Let's give it a couple beats before you arrive at the dock. Feel free to walk and talk.))

[May]

"No, I think fifteen of my men are enough to hold refugees at bay if need be, Aiko," Hakuhi Akeha Tetsuzuru quips to her second, shaking her head. "None the less, return to the garrison and have every squad on hand in readiness. It'll be decent a decent practice run for any serious matters." She nods. "And Aiko? If you see the harbor light up like a second sun, bring Chidori."

[AndrewRogue]

Akeha/Vol

Aiko struggles to restrain a smile as she bows. "Of course, Tetsuzuru-san. The White Fire shall be ready if the hordes descend upon Inaba." She will take off at brisk pace to prepare your loyal guards for the inevitable sacking of Inaba.

[Carthrat]

"Darling, you really must pause between the questions if you're expecting answers," Lee replies, cupping her lips with her palm.

"Ah, but it is all down to one simple fact, isn't it? We are strangers! Not known to you! I'm sure all manner of people pass through this port, not all of them wholesome, and how can one tell? But please let me allay your concerns with our brief history.

"We have no fixed plans nor abode. We ply our trade along the Yellow River, you see; this is the first time we have come so far East. Beggars, kings, it matters not, for we charge only what our hosts might afford, even if it is only a bowl of rice and a hearth to sleep by. As such, we are not wealthy but you need not fear an infestation of destitution; we've earned our keep so far, after all. Should there be no profit, then we will leave as we came for familiar shores."

She gestures to her dancers with a fan that has somehow appeared in her hand. "Beauty is not something maintainable in the condition of poverty, after all! And it is essential to our work.

"Of course, I am sure that you desire assurances of our skills! We are not so arrogant as to expect our word to be taken freely. It's important to our creed to demonstrate our worth before asking for anything! Don't you agree? A passionate public performance must precede a pleasant private presentation, I believe! I would hate to meet with your port's potentate without giving a hint of our art."

((OOC: Attempting to instill an intimacy of.. oh, Lee Aaeiko (Much Glamour. Wow!) I pretty much intend to follow this up with a persuade action to let us in, but stacking up social actions in one post is a bit unkosher, probably?

Anyway, will spend 2m on an excellency from peripheral pool, which is not enough to flare anima. HPM gives me a 1m discount on all social charms, so that's +3 dice, on top of the extra +3 from HPM being an indefinite-length charm that's always on. Total dice pool prior to appearance modifiers/stunt: 5(cha)+3(pre)+6(charm)=14))

That would leave my Personal Pool at 13/13, and my Peripheral Pool at 24/33 (7 motes committed to HPM.)

[Excal]

A man with long green-blue hair bound in an intricate braid and wearing comfortable silk robes as well as a durable and scuffed looking leather satchel over one shoulder, walks up the stairs from below decks.  Beside him a rather large reddish coloured dog with a massive mane trots along genially, sniffing the air excitedly.

He raises an eyebrow as he sees Lee's performance, and speaks briefly with one of her underlings before walking up and to the side, where he can eventually gain access to the official and the gangplank, but otherwise he stands to the side.  Lee is having her moment, he will quietly stand back, and drawing upon the energies of creation, he will activate his Spirit Detecting Glance, marvelling once more at his ability to see spirits as they are without false flesh even as he allows himself to slowly scan the port to see if there are any interesting spirits here, and perhaps more importantly, to see if there are any bound elemental or demonic soldiers backing up the official.

[AndrewRogue]

Lee/Zhao

((OOC: Stunt 1. Target Resolve: 3

<Luna> AndrewRogue: 17: [1: 3, 2: 1, 4: 1, 5: 1, 6: 2, 7: 1, 8: 3, 9: 4, 10: 1]  - 10 Successes

SUCCESS. Minor Intimacy: Lee Aaeiko (Impressive) added))

Hana finds herself nodding for a moment, but stopes. "While your group is undoubtedly skilled and, and while I am quite sure that Tetsuzuru-san would be honored by a performance by artisans like yourselves, it is still important that you accurately and completely answer my questions so that a report may be delivered and a proper meeting scheduled. Already your arrival is quite the public spectacle."

Tora clears his throat. "Perhaps it is best we make sure we adhere to local customs, even if they are... more thorough than we have encountered along the Yellow River, mother? I am sure I can manage to answer whatever is needed."

As Zhao descends the gangplank, the guards will shift a little bit, but make no overtly hostile movements. They are most generally there to make sure that one does not step onto the dock without permission, after all.

The local spirits are the sort you would expect from the fertile lands around the Yellow River - those of the river, those of the wilds, those of the storms, those of the grasses, those of the rice... but it does seem more sparse than you would expect for a town in such a place.

[Carthrat]

"A public spectacle? Truly?" asks Lee, eyebrows climbing. "My, my, my! And all we've done is dock our ship. I take it you do not often receive unexpected guests?" She snaps her fan shut with a grin. "My son is wise, as usual. Since he can cover all the details, I'm sure you don't require my presence. Would you mind if my little entourage and I took a stroll through the city? If I am to meet with your ladyship- so soon, what an honour!- it would be my pleasure to compose an appropriate salutation that pays homage to her dominion."

((OOC: this would normally be a persuade attempt but Akeha herself is probably going to show up any second now, so whatevers. Dicepool is 11 (5cha+3pre+3HMP) if need be.))

[AndrewRogue]

((OOC: We may indeed assume that Akeha and Vol will arrive about this point. Persuade will not be necessary. Rishi is similarly free to stay at the fringes or engage as desired.))

[Magetastica]

While not the kind of crowd he had expected to find, it is a crowd nonetheless. Rishi sits back in his perch, relaxed enough to enjoy the show that seems ready to begin at the drop of a hat, but also with his bow ready in case the show becomes a little more heated than is called for.

As he hears Akeha and Vol approaching the strangers, he breaks a smirk, closes his eyes, and focuses solely on listening to the surrounding citizens, in case an assassin is hiding in wait for either side. He lets the sound of the water and the babbling merchant's voices roll over him until they fade away, leaving only the sounds of footsteps, weapons, and armor for him to hear.

((OOC: Rishi is not in stealth, and if anybody bothers looking at the roof of the building they will see the cloaked figure with a bow in hand, seemingly asleep on the edge of the roof.

Awareness is using the Keen Hearing to reduce the difficulty, and activating SAP from personal (8/13 motes left). This puts the roll at 3(Awareness)+5(Wits)+2(Excellency)=10d10(Double 9's), with Difficulty 2 rolls made automatically, higher difficulty rolls made at D-1 with one automatic success and if any of the stuff I'm hearing is related to stealth in darkness, slashing swords, or long bows then the difficulty is reduced to 1, as well as the other effects. ))

[Hunter Sopko]

Vol hardly batted an eye as his brisk, efficient pace and humored tone came off as panic to Akeha's guards. Such is the jealously one garners being a mere consultant who the Lady has chosen to place her trust in. He fills her in on the situation on the way, as if no miscommunications or jokes at his expense were made. His voice is level and conversational. "I was down at the docks when the ship came in, doing the inventory transfers for the refugee stockpiles we discussed. The dockworkers came saying they had heard something like music coming from the ship, and after listening for it I was inclined to agree. They quieted down while docking, so I left Hana to greet them and came to get you, since I knew you were in the area anyway."

Eventually they make their way to the outskirts of the crowd around the dock, of which Akeha's minions make quick work of forming a path through. As they approach, Vol does catch sight of Rishi on the rooftop and acknowledges it with nothing more than a brief closing of his eyes. If he could see him, everyone could, and he truly wondered if this was the message they wanted to send to these strangers.

He turns to address Lady Hakuhi again. "Well. It was mostly an assumption on my part but certainly something interesting seems to be about to happen..." he nods mildly as they begin their final approach to Lee's group.

[Carthrat]

As Tora begins going through the minutiae with Hana, and as Akeha's troop makes its way to the dock, Lee rapidly loses interest in her surroundings. Interminable officials, always wasting everyone's time; frustration and dismay!

Her eyes wander about until they latch onto the roof, whereupon they suddenly widen! "A rogue watches yonder, sharp arrows poised!" she exclaims, pointing towards the roof. "What is this about?!"

[May]

Akeha follows Lee's pointed finger as she steps foot onto the dock. "That is Rishi, do not be especially concerned with his... often unsettling choice in vantages from which to languish," she chuckles. Akeha steps forward, wrapped in dark blue silk, carrying a sword through her sash and a long dagger across her stomach. She moves with a fluid, dancing grace of total surety, as if even the obtrusive sword hilt at her side was a comfortable part of her body. "I am Hakuhi Tetsuzuru, the White Fire of the Iron Crane," she smiles politely. "Shugodai of Inaba and Guardian of the Mouth of the Ginkawa River."

[Hunter Sopko]

Well that answers that... Vol thinks as the woman dramatically announces his presence. He lets it slide from his mind as Akeha attempts to gloss it over, keeping himself neutral and attentive-looking at her side and letting her handle the introductions until/unless he is needed.

[AndrewRogue]

Everyone

Hana and her escorts bow in response to Akeha's approach. "Ah, Tetsuzuru-san. I was preparing to send a runner for you."

[Carthrat]

There is a pregnant pause, but soon enough Lee decides that she can let the matter pass.

"I am Lee Aaeiko," she says, drawing her fan across her ship and people in a wide flourish. "And we are the Unbound Choir! Tetsuzuru-san," she says, copying the retainer's form of address in lieu of some more typical formal title. Her dancers bow in unison, forming a momentary kaleidoscope of animated silks. "It is an honor for us humble ones to meet you, and so swiftly, too! The White Fire of the Iron Crane herself," she muses, with a lyrical uplift to the words. "The White Fire... that seemed to me a portentous title, to be held by a doer of great deeds," she asks, suddenly focusing on Akeha's forehead. "Might I politely ask how it came to be yours?"

[May]

"It was actually given to me at birth," Akeha admits, raising an eyebrow at Lee's attention  as she found nothing there at this moment. "Nobles are given public ad private names in our lands. Though it was a reflection of my family's expectations for me," she agrees, her lips quirking in annoyance at thinking about that. "Your group is rather large, is it not?"

[Carthrat]

"Well, Tetsuzuru-san, we had heard that the port of Inaba had developed a recent interest in foreign participation," replies Lee, smiling as if sharing a private joke with Akeha alone. "So I thought you might appreciate an extra helping. I do hope the size of our party is not a cause of distress! I'd hate to think you thought we thought we could presume. As I was just saying to your attendant," she continues, drawing her fan about her in a snakelike gesture that leaves it pointing at the sky, but not before onlookers have their eyes drawn across her bare midriff and her sinuous form-

"We four-score-and-ten seek only a fair chance to ply our trade- and, dare I say it? To compose a few new pieces, topical of our gracious hosts for the edification of people in lands we've traveled and are yet to travel."