Our heroes are dispatched to their test
Score: 430 | 2/27/15 |
Your journey past the Carpenter Wall to Shinsei's Last Hope has been uneventful. Apparently the northern edge of the Shadowlands does not boast any monsters willing to attack the numbers that have been flocking to join in the Twenty Goblin Winter of 1158–1159. As they gather in the town square, you see dozens of other hopeful rōnin, as well as Crab samurai who have escorted their officials to the opening ceremony.
Hida O-Ushi, Champion of the Crab Clan, takes the stage first. She is an older warrior, gray-haired but still standing proud in full armor with a massive hammer. "The death of Fu Leng has not diminished the threat of the Shadowlands, and we are hard pressed with the distraction of the war with the Crane. I have time only to declare this year's Twenty Goblin Winter open before I return to the front lines. I hope to see you there." She descends to her retinue and marches back to the north gate.
She is followed by another female samurai showing the strong, rough features of the Crab. "Now that you've seen our fearless leader, you need to get to know me. I'm Hida Kinashita of House Moshibaru, and I'll be in charge of any of you lot who survive this test. Don't expect any compassion. I'm not going to let you go soft until the Shadowlands freeze over. Killing twenty goblins apiece will be the simplest of your missions. By the time the winter is over, every one of you wanting to join up will have to bring me twenty heads identifiable as any breed of goblin. A typical head weighs about three pounds. Being able to transport them while avoiding oni is up to you. What little we have to spare for vagabonds like you has been spent on specialist equipment. Each of you will be given one 'finger' of jade, enough to keep you safe from the Taint for seven days. If you haven't finished by then, hopefully you're tough enough to survive without completely turning. We have a unit for loyal Tainted, but they're hardly the most prestigious and trusted."
A woman wearing the white face paint of the Kuni Shugenja school steps up to the stage, brandishing a handful of pieces of jade strung on necklaces. "One at a time, please, I'm fairly certain we have enough for everyone. Feel free to announce yourselves and your qualifications, as it is up to you to decide how to group yourselves to guard one another's backs while still being able to dodge past entire armies of oni. Let us begin with those special guests simply 'auditing' this test."
A grinning samurai pushes himself to the front of the pack. "Hi, I'm Kihe'e. You may remember me from such tests as the 1156–1157 Twenty Goblin Winter and the 1157–1158 Twenty Goblin Winter. I'm happy that I managed to make it back in time from kicking both sides' asses at the Battle of Ki-Rin's Shrine."
Kinashita pipes up. "You're not a special guest, you're a lunatic who keeps doing this for fun and still refuses to join us. If all you're good for is killing goblins, then get off to it!"
The Mad Rōnin cheerfully hops down from the stage and romps off toward the southern gate, alone. He is replaced by a more somber man with a large bundle of swords strapped to his back. "I am Yōtsu Mitsurugi, of the Sword of Yōtsu. As you can tell from my name, my loyalties lie elsewhere, but I am here to get to know you fine rōnin. If any of you decides that your skills would be better used policing the Imperial City than trudging through the Shadowlands, we would be happy to have you."
After he collects his necklace and steps down, another unusual character moves to the fore. A tall ratling wearing splint armor and carrying a long spear takes the stage, nervously speaking as an older ratling coaches him from the side. "I am Chan'ju'tem of the White Paw tribe. Like all people of goodness and honor, we are enemies of the Shadowlands, and we would be proud to be your allies in your fight."
The shugenja calls out, "Well, here is a paragon of purity. You will have no need of my jade." The ratling bows to her and vacates the stage.
"And finally, we have a vanguard from our Unicorn allies to the north," announces the Lady Kinashita, scanning the crowd for Ranneko and beckoning her forward.