Satoru continues his search, heading out into the peasant's quarter to find the families of Koiichi and Shinichi.  Asking around the neighbors, Satoru comes upon Koiichi's home first.  It's a small building, but elegant and well constructed for the area.

Satoru stepped into the door way, waiting to see signs of life before fully announcing his presence.

Only silence greets Satoru.

ooc:  make a perception/investigation check (the notice emphasis applies) raw perception if you don't have investigation

Satoru wished to speak but instead he reached out with his senses, his eyes looking for signs of life, his ears to hear a sound, any sound.

[Private to GM: 12:25, Today: Satoru rolled 26 using 7d10, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,9,4,5,8,4. percep/invest. ]

There is only silence, but the subtle smell of death--recent death--is present to your senses.

Satoru walks into the house, the need for immediate answers driving him forward.

He steps into the house looking for any sign of life or for the unfortunate inverse: signs of death.

The home of Koiichi's family is simple--two rooms and a water closet--in the entrance room, there is nothing, only several pairs of shoes, neatly put away on a rack.  In the dim light of the doorway, however, you can see the screen separating the two rooms is spotted with something dark.

Satoru stepped around the screen careful to make as little noise as possible, attempting to be on guard for any surprise, noting in his mind that surprises are obviously never prepared for.

In another life, Satoru had been a samurai who had survived to see the aftermath of battle.  This was like that had been.  Blood was everywhere.  Corpses lay upon the ground in awkward positions with defensive wounds crisscrossing the arms and hands, expressions locked in surprise and horror.  Not one of these people--two men, three women, and two children--was samurai, but they had all been slain by those trained in the arts of war.  This, then, was the fate of Koiichi's family, and likely Koiichi himself.

OOC: perception/investigation check for more information

Satoru's face was impassive, a relfex of that same past life where such carnage was commonplace. He glanced around the area for a moment, searching for signs or that damnable evidence the Kitsuki put so much faith in, anything to confirm that these strange creatures may have been guilty of the murders. Satoru had already decided these creatures had no honor, he reached into the bag of crystal weapons he still carried and drew the largest weapon his hand could find.

[Private to GM: 14:09, Today: Satoru rolled 37 using 7d10, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of (10+5)15,5,2,9,3,1,8. perception/investigation.
PS, is Koichii one of the dead bodies here?
Also if I do not have the bag of crystal still with me, I assume I had since I forgot to say I put it down anywhere, let me know and I will ammend my post.]

The dagger that you draw from the bag gleams brightly in the dim light, but it is merely the reflection and refraction of the ambient light in the room rather than a reaction to foul magics.  These servants of the Crane were killed swiftly, if brutally--single strikes to the throat as well as to vital organs predominate the death wounds; there are no visible signs of the torturers techniques on any of the bodies.  Among the dead is a familiar face, whom you tentatively identify as Koiichi--barring someone who is more familiar with the late Doji Kusanagi's servants.

Satoru sdhakes his head and exits the dwelling, quickly heading to the other servants dwelling, assuming the worst.  During the walk he calls to a servant and orders him to fetch the magistrates and eta to cleanse the servants house and begin a official investigation in ernest.

Shinichi's home is less well kept than Koiichi's--though their compensation was equal, it seems that the rumors of Shinichi's gambling and poor luck were true--but more occupied.  Outside there is an older woman wailing her grief.

Satoru steps in front of the woman. "Forgive me for interupting your grief." he says quickly to get her attention. "But why do you cry, so?"

"M-m-my son and his family are dead!" she wails, "I came to visit them on his day off, b-b-but when I went in they were all dead!  There was so much blood!"  It's obvious that the woman can't have been here long, already there are people looking around at the two of you, though no one has stopped or asked what has happened yet.

Satoru thought to call for more magistrates but he knew there were more pressing concerns. He glanced around at the staring faces quickly to gauge their responses to the woman's grief.

"My dear you must calm down." he said.

[Private to GM: 13:01, Today: Satoru rolled 29 using 7d10, keeping the 4 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2,5,6,3,7,9. investigation .
For my glance around for anyone suspicious. ]

The old woman wails a bit more and sniffs a little before replying, "Yes, sama."

The passerby seem to be nothing more than the curious and the concerned, though none seem brave enough to approach you.

"Begone, all of you who are not related to those who dwelt here or who know nothing of what has occurred. If you do know stay here, while I go inside." Satoru said in a flat but firm voice. He turned to the once wailing woman. "Please remain calm and stay here while I investigate for myself." he said and entered the dwelling.

The street quickly clears of passerby and soon you are alone with the old woman.

Entering into the small dwelling, you discover a carnage similar to that in the other house.  The dead have been killed swiftly and efficiently--clearly the work of professionals rather than amateurs.

Satoru looks over the cottage for anything to help him in his investigation, he tries his best to keep his mind detached from the carnage.

[Private to GM: 14:59, Today: Satoru rolled 29 using 7d10, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4,8,4,8,2,8. investigation roll. ]

There is little enough here to find.  Perhaps one of those trained in Kitsuki's Method would find more, but it seems clear to you that the dead were not expecting to be killed out of hand.  There is no forced entry, the wounds seem entirely defensive, and some of the dead still wear expressions of surprise.  It is unlikely that these victims knew anything of import save the identity of their killer or killers.

Satoru shuddered with revulsion, he did not wish to call for the Kitsuki that he knew were within the city, but he had little else to go on. He stepped outside, "Woman, tell me everything you know about who your friends have been speaking with recently. Has anything been out of the ordinary recently?"

"No," the woman replies, trying to control her sobs, "just that he had been given some days off..."

"Given days off? I was under the impression that he fell ill."

"N-no, sama," the old woman stutters, "he said that someone high up among the samurai had given him the day off..."

"He did not give a name?" Tadahiko asked unable to hide his frown.

This is not news unless I can obtain specifics, it is already known that those in high ranks are these Jigoku-damned creatures...

"N-no, my son only referred to him as Daidoji-sama," the old woman sobs.

Bayushi Kenshin, bushi, yojimbo, junshin, errand boy, whatever his title, had been sent--like a lowly messenger--to retrieve the Crane's one armed monk.  It was a duty that he had become resigned to, but not one worthy of his skills.

The peasant quarter of Toshi Ranbo was unusually busy for this time of day and whispers of murder were in the air.  He found the monk Satoru interviewing a weeping old lady with milling peasants shooting them worried glances.

Kenshin waited a beat, for the "polite" time to interrupt before doing so. He was a Samurai and could have done so anyway, but there was no point in being rude.

It simply wouldn't do.

"Pardon me, Monk-San" Kenshin said, using the polite formal. He bowed, but only so much as to be polite. Certainly not enough to be rude or dishonor the holy one.

"you are needed elsewhere."

"Who is requesting my presence?" Satoru replies, "and who are you?"

NPC by GM to move things along

"I am Bayushi Kenshin" the Samurai replied, bowing slightly. "I have been in this city for some time, though I have only recently been returned to the Scorpion Clan. I spent most of my time at the Dojo ..."

[Errr, who did send him?]

OOC:  Shosuro Shinobu, the Scorpion are interested in furthering negotiations with the Crane to the Crane's benefit--though Kenshin isn't sure why since the Scorpion might improve their negotiating position by waiting ^_^

"Shosuro Shinobu-Sama wishes to discuss certain matters with you that may be to the Crane's benefit. More than that I am not privileged to ..."

Quite true. One of the disadvantages of being "Junshin" was that one was rarely trusted with "important" information. He would most likely find out when the Monk did ...

"If you would follow me please ..."

"This is terrible timing," Satoru mutters, looking back at the building, "all right then," he replies to Bayushi Kenshin, "but first we must find and report to Daidoji Sakura.  Come with me," the monk says to the weeping old woman, "I'll take you to where you'll be safer."

"So tell me, Bayushi Kenshin-san," Satoru says, as they head back towards the palace, "how did you get your duty?"

"Of course" Kenshin said politely, "I would not wish to interfere with an official investigation. Where would we find Daidoji-Sama?"

[Insert pause ...]

As Kenshin turned, the character for the word "honor" could clearly be seen artistically etched into his mask. It was his subtle reminder that Honor was the mask that most Samurai wore. Some few wore honor in their hearts, but for most it was a mask.

"How did I get my position?" he replied politely, "I was one of the children fostered by the Crane when the Scorpion Clan was ordered destroyed by the Last Hantei*. It was only recently, when the Glorious Emperor returned the Clan to their place in the order that I was allowed to return."

"In the meanwhile I was permitted the honor of attending the Kakita Dueling academy. Because of that, it was deemed that I might be of some diplomatic use with the Crane."

Indeed, he did carry himself as a Kakita Duelist might. One with much skill with the blade, yet lacking much real experience with life.

"I am still a beginner with much to learn" he added with some modestly, "but because of this I do have a better understanding of the Crane than most Scorpion Samurai."

"Perhaps one day I will even be worthy of standing in for my Lady ..."

Modesty, with a touch of reality.

[*chuckles* I almost wrote "... the last Hentai" by accident -- "Hentai" being the Japanese word for "pervert" ...]

"Questioning the survivors of the recent attack at the bath house I would imagine," Satoru replies to your first question, "if not there, then it should not be difficult to find a Daidoji shugenja with a ronin yojimbo."

"A Scorpion with the heart of a Crane," the one armed monk says thoughtfully, "no offense intended to you or your Clan, but it seems that our adversary--while almost certainly not a Scorpion--has the heart of one."

"None taken" Kenshin replied politely. It was, after all, one of the more polite responses to his nature that he had heard. "Where would we find the survivors?"

"What adversary is it that you speak of?" he inquired politely. "I assume that you refer to the recent assassinations?"

He was well aware of the suspicions that had been leveled on his clan. Had the Lord of the City not intervened, his honor would have forced him to challenge at least one of them to a duel.

"Imprisoned in the palace, under guard, lock, and key," Satoru replies, leading Kenshin and the old woman in that direction, "yes, but of all the possible suspects, your Clan has the least to gain and the most to lose from an unstable Crane Clan," the monk says reassuringly.

"Then we shall head to the prisons" he said, turning in the appropriate direction.

"I agree with your analysis" he added to the previous conversation, "though I have noticed that not all of your clan agrees with your Lord's wise interpretation of the situation."

It was tactful, though honest. Many Crane did believe that the Scorpion were behind it. But Kenshin knew otherwise.

Or perhaps "hoped" would be a better word?

No, "knew". Though there were some in the Clan that would be as foolish, the Leaders would not. Who would have what to gain? Only the most dire of circumstances would budge the Shinobi Assassains from their perch in this kind of situation ...

"I am quite pleased that he has called for a thorough investigation into this matter ... that Honor may prevail."

"An unusual sentiment for a Scorpion," Satoru says grimly, "and one with many meanings during these dark days.  After all, I'm sure that the Lion believe that their actions are perfectly honorable as well, and those that cast aspirations on your Clan's honor have obviously forgotten that it was not so long ago that the Crane made some less than perfectly honorable choices."

Entering the palace, you encounter another person headed in the direction of the prisons:  Doji Sotan, a monk who sojourned for some time with the Dragon Clan.  Though he was allowed to keep his family name, he was also granted one of their mysterious tatoos.

OOC:  post in Chapter 6 - Loose Threads
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:05, Fri 13 Feb 2009.