The Daimo sat in his garden eating a peach, while catfolk servants attended to the needs of his household. A herald approached, and passed a scroll to the rotund lord.  A former warrior,
who for a time oversaw the Northport Adventurer's guild, Sakemoko was a wealthy man, and owned
 a strip of the docks. Unfortunately, other forces conspired to take some of the profits from
that territory.  It had been weeks since his primary enforcer had disappeared, and a new one was scheduled to arrive today. He was going to be needed, for situations had developed that
were going to need proper handling.

A very thin being with almost the appearance of a caricature is passed into the Daimo's presence by a guard.  As he approaches the lord, his skin shows as yellow as a flower petal, and what looks like hair in a Sahudese queue from a distance, on closer approach shows a glossy black surface, similar to polished leather.  He is plainly dressed and lightly armored, and carries a short whip coiled on his belt.

In Aralaise accented in a way that's very difficult to place, he bows, folds his left hand over his right fist, and addresses the Daimo:

"Lord, I have come as ordered.  I am Chou-Zhen Mou.  My power is at your service."

Airis walks to find the Daimo in the garden. She was dressed in her normal halter top with a long skirt with a slit in it and she has on low soft boots. Her long tail is hidden under the skirt. She was carrying a tray with the Daimo's favorite drink in a craft and a cup for it. She walked over to the Daimo and bowed deeply.

"My Lord, I was asked to bring you this to satisfy any thirst you may have. Do you desire any entertainment of any kind?" she pours some of the drink in the cup and waits for him to request it.

In reply to Airis Moonshadow (msg # 3):

The rotund daiymo picks his nose with one long nail,
contemplates it for a moment and flucks it aside before
accepting the beverage. He tastes it and grunts in
appreciation.
  "Chou-Zen Mou. I have called upon you to assist in
 the defense of our people. Today the reign of lawlessness is
over. Our new enforcer arrives today from our allies accross
the sea to take up the work that Chen Uzawi did before him.
There is unrest among our enemies and the members of my
household," he glances toward Airis,
"must attend to matters at home. There may be a need
for others outside of our circle."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 19:32, Thu 14 Jan 2016.

In reply to Sakemoko (msg # 4):

"I understand, Lord.  Do we seek others with power, or mere fists and fury?"

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 5):

"Where there is smoke, there is fire, where there is a
fist, you can be assured that an arm's  length behind that there is a head. If many fists, many heads. We have suffered
the loss of more than Chen Uwazi, gone these two moons; the
most esteemed elder Kumo No U~ocha was slain just over a week ago, and the community is without an oracle. One can only
 speculate as to why such a dishonorable thing was done. My
people have been searching pawn shops to see if the Classic
of Changes has been sold, and thus far the book of oracular
knowledge is lost to us."

Airis just stands holding the tray and smiles. She wonders who could be causing problems in the household. She wonders where this new mage type came from but it is not her business.

"The Book of Changes is missing?!  Are we then as a ship without lodestone or astrolabe?

"Alas, I have no knowledge of divination; neither the small auguries that might guide us day by day, nor those ways that might aid in finding the missing Book.  My powers might better apply to bringing back the Book if its whereabouts or holder are known."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 8):

"It is certain that you will play a part in restoring us to the path."

"My Lord, do you desire anything more of me?" she wondered if he would want her to go looking for the item but then as an entertainer, there was only so much she could do.

"Is it known where Kumo No U~ocha was, and what he was doing, when he was killed?  That knowledge might provide a better starting point for the search than a random canvass of pawn shops -- though that task should not be neglected, just in case his murder stemmed from a random robbery."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 11):

"He was found in his rooms above the noodle shop, his throat slit and the door kicked in. There were fine pieces of jade and porcelain that were not taken. I have spoken with a guildsman who owns the adjacent property, a gambling hall and
Fighting pit under construction and came to an agreement not
 to involve the local gendarmes, for our mutual benefit, but
His people do not know who might have done such a thing."

"Any common thief would have taken the jade and porcelain, both easily sold, in preference to an old book that is likely to bring little money and too much attention.  I think we are safe to believe that the Book was the true target, and Kumo No U~ocha was killed only because he was present and might have resisted or identified the thief.

"Have we access to a mage who uses Knowledge magic?  I know of spells that can replay an incident, under the right conditions and if not too old.  I don't know those spells, but if we have no one else we can trust, sometimes I can cast a spell I have not studied.

"If I were to attempt that, I would have, effectively, only one try; how precisely do we know the time of death and location of the body?  Also, do we have anyone available who could make an identifiable sketch from seeing someone's face a single time?  That, I fear, is outside my talents."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 13):

"Your talents come well recommended, although there is one who is friendly to us whose ship is down at the docks even now who may be able to assist in this way"

In reply to Sakemoko (msg # 14):

"If you will tell me how to identify this friendly one, I will go to the docks and meet him, then begin searching for the Book of Changes.

"If there is no one in the household or organization who can draw the murderer's face, perhaps I can hire someone to do so, for truly, I am no artist, and well know that a verbal description is a poor way to identify anyone.  It is likely I can find someone with the necessary skill at the Guild."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 15):

"Let us wait until our new enforcer arrives. Then I can send an invitation to our friend  and escort him properly."

In reply to Sakemoko (msg # 16):

"As you wish, Lord."