Chizuru hastily bows when her name is called, anxious not to offend her hostess.

Kasumi remained prostrate and awaited instruction from the priestess and her entourage.

Arching a brow at being considered the defender of anything, Ichiro shrugs when his name is called, neither confirming nor denying the title in the end. Seemingly out of nervous habit, he takes out a wrapped rice ball and eats it in the silence.

What seems like a long silence fills the room, but a word is spoken and the acolyte ushers the group out of the first "room" to the second, risen area. Now, only 15' away from the jodan area of this reception area, you can see that the sky blue tones of the Winter Sect seal is very similar to the natural color of her eyes---quite uncommon for Humans of the Orient.

With everyone seated formally again, you realize her stern gaze has been continuously studying each of you. She gives a barely perceptible nod to the sohei on her right and then speaks. In contrast to her piercing eyes, her voice is full of grace and diplomacy:

"Some do not believe in the Order of Celestial Bureaucracy. Some do not see the path that the Kami [spirits] illuminate for us. And yet sometimes, even the faithful are amazed when such things occur just as the universe has whispered to us..."

The shugenja bows her head and pauses for a moment...and then continues.
"Welcome to each of you. I am Uriki Kunijenka, second priestess of The Winter Sect Temple of Kakou.

"For the most part, the city is orderly and life is prosperous in Kakou. However, recently there have been some disappearances and robberies. People taken from their homes and never heard  from; their portable valuables stolen. Although unnerving, such things are the responsibility of the town guard, and, to be honest, not our direct concern. Until three nights ago when four children were taken from the Illuminated Way Orphanage.

"I have sought the guidance of the Kami and at their direction the Winter Sect Temple has vowed we shall find the missing children and bring the kidnappers to justice. The Kami have whispered to me that defenders would come. And here you are."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:05, Wed 12 Jan 2011.

O' is absorbing these words carefully, as he tends to do. Not being actually stupid, merely ignorant, he tries to piece together the parts.
If only he knew that to everyone else he looked distinctly slack jawed...

Kasumi was aware of the problems that affected the city. He felt a sense of purpose when Uriki Kunijenka announced that the spirits had spoke of him and the others and the good deed they would perform. The small shugenja bowed three times and then straighten “it will be my honour to serve the Winter Sect Temple as a defender of the missing children” he spoke in a quiet but steady voice. Kasumi was small and in body weak but his own spirit was strong which lent him great power as was clear in the clarity of his words.

Daikihina bowed her head but did not speak, her group had already been spoken for and there was no need to re swear things she was already going to do. Gaining more support did not change that.

Pausing a moment to contemplate, utilizing his time wisely to chew his rice and not speak with a mouthful, the robed man calls out "Missing children, eh? Surely some idiotic brute that deserves a good thrashing would be in charge of such an operation. Consider me in."

The wu jen again bows low to the floor. Once acknowledged, he speaks rapidly, Uriki-sama, as you know, some of us are strangers to Kakou. What can be shared about the orphanage?  Is it affliated with the temple? Any known connections amongst the kidnapped children?"

The shugenja's satisfaction brings a warmth to her stern eyes and perhaps even the faintest line of a smile at Ichiro-san's brash answer, but both fade slightly at the wu jen's rapid questions.  Yet, thankfully, when she answers, no tone of displeasure is evident in her voice.

"You have a curious mind, Elemental Master. That is good." The priestess gives a slight nod to one of the acolytes who then pulls a finger-sized scroll case from the interior of his sleeve and with much respect gives it to Uriki Kunijenka.  She sets it on the small, forearm-sized table to her immediate right.

"The Winter Sect Temple has no formal connections with the Orphanage of the Illuminated Way.  However, such children often have much to seek for within their lives, and therefore, several of our shugenja spent time there as children themselves.

"The orphanage has two common bedchambers on the second floor--divided by gender, of course. The children are locked into their rooms at night for safety and to prevent any midnight mischief. The orphanage has barred windows on the dormitory level and excellent locks throughout the building. Two boys and two girls were taken from each room. None of the other children, and none of the resident staff saw or heard anything unusual.

"Four children were taken.  Their names were Migoto, Ukiyo, Heiki, and Houbi. Other than being at the orphanage, the staff knows of no connections between them."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:31, Thu 13 Jan 2011.

“I suggest we begin our investigation at the orphanage and then go from there where the fours winds take us until we find the children” humbly Kasumi lay out his plan and waited for the others to respond.

Assuming that it was now time for people to talk, O' asked a characteristically tactless question of his own.

Maybe they just left. Do we know they was taken?

It occurred to O' after he had said this that questioning the fundamental premise of an authority figure in a town where he was still "an escaped slave" might be profoundly asinine. To cover for this, he smiled inanely.

"That is a possibility, but highly unlikely (given the events going on here).  It's also possible that they left 'of their own will' though it was not their will; which is to say they were under some sort of mind control," the rat monk muses in response to O's comment.  Looking to their host he asks, "Is there anything more you have to offer us or should we begin right away."  His tone is polite, suggesting he meant wisdom or insight into the situation rather than physical help in the form of personnel or gear.

Chizuru fidgeted on the cushion, already anxious to get moving.  She couldn't believe her good fortune in finding a person in need so quickly, and not just a person, but the Winter Temple Sect and four little children!

"Do we have any leads we can follow?  Maybe the sight of a suspicious fellow?"

Daikihina taught on it but going back to the scene of the abduction would be a good idea to get an idea of what could have happened. "Have there been questions asked of the locals?" her voice was that of a slight woman fine and slightly high pitched but not unpleasant.

"It would seem to me any violent taking would have caused a stir even with relatively young children, unless magic was involved" she glanced at those at the table who had the air of magery about there persons

The Shugenja's answer to O's question is a slight smile and silence...

Luckily, the others fill the emptiness with other questions and suggestions.



Uriki Kunijenka nods in agreement, "Indeed. Although we have no evidence as of yet, I strongly believe that supernatural or arcane methods must have been employed. The locals give us no help---not out of fear, but just as with the other disappearances, no one seems to know, hear, or have seen anything. However, if our enemy utilized unearthly powers, so shall we."

The priestess takes a breath that seems to fill her with determination, rather than just simple air, and then hands the small, finger-sized scroll case to an acolyte who kneels before Kasumi and presents it to him with a bow. "Using one of the temple's ancestral items, I prayed deeply last night with the Kami [spirits]. This small scroll case contains a small ofuda [prayer scroll] which is the answer the Kami sent me.  My prayerful question unto them was 'Where are the children abducted from the Orphanage of the Illuminated Way?'
As is the way of the Spirit Realm, the answer from them is both clear and cryptic. It says:

The locks are key to finding them.
Look beyound the curtain, below the cauldron.
Beware the doors with teeth.
Descend into the malachite hold.
Half a man binds them, but not for long.

"It says 'the locks are key,' so yes, loyal Kasumi-san," Uriki-sama makes a reference to the Nezumi's suggestion to start at the orphanage, "it is my belief that if we can figure out how the orphanage locks were overcome, then we have a strong start."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:13, Mon 17 Jan 2011.

Honoured by the responsibility bestowed upon him Kasumi accepted the small scroll case reverently. He straightened his back and was dignified in his response “I will bear this scroll and will guard it with my life until we gain knowledge of all the secrets held within” he then carefully stowed the scroll in the bag slung at this waist and prepared to leave so that he could fulfil the oath he had taken.

O' observed the situation carefully. He picked up that his role here was not to mind-eat the problem, which was okay with him. He didn't know this valley like he knew the valley with no name that he had come from.
O' thought he might be able to add more when they arrived at the orphanage. He resolved to look for the things that others would not look for, like snakes.
O' hates snakes!

"Daikihina-san, it would be easy for even the most mundane of Wu Jen to cause many children to fall into a deep slumber--if my lessons are correct. I see of no other way they accomplished such." says Zheng-Ze respectfully. "Unless they were ninja" he adds with sudden enthusiasim.





"Whomever holds the keys to the Orphanage..well, umm, they, hold the keys." The wu jen tries but fails to keep a buck-toothed grin from slowly spreads across his face.  He glances at the massive O' and gives a slight shrug of his shoulders (yeah...you and me both, eh?) before suddenly staring intently at the mat directly in front of him. "We should definitely start there." he quickly adds.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:16, Mon 17 Jan 2011.

The priestess looks to her right at the muscular sohei who has been as silent and still as stone. "Do you have anything to add, my brother?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:49, Tue 18 Jan 2011.

The man gives a quick acknowledgment and then claps his hands together in a commanding smack. A wall panel near him slides open and another acolyte enters carrying a small serving tray. Upon the tray are 7 vials. The sohei speaks with a deep and resonant voice, "As a measure of good faith, the sohei of the Winter Sect Temple bestows a gift to each of you."

The acolyte polite presents a vial to each of you as the sohei speaks. The vials are small ceramic containers with a cork stopper. Painted in sky-blue on each one is the symbol of the Winter Sect temple. "These vials contain a divine elixir; each is capable of healing moderate injuries. Use them as you wish, but we hope it is in pursuit of the missing children and their captors." He gives a slight bow towards the group.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:51, Tue 18 Jan 2011.

Uriki Shugenja smiles warmly at the sohei's benevolent gift, and then adds, "The Temple has already posted a reward of 2,500gp for the safe return of the children and for bringing the captors to justice. This will also be yours, of course, if you are successful."

Kuuhaku takes the potion and places it in one of the potion slots on his shoulder belt, giving a bow of thanks as he does so.  He is eager to start, but waits for the others to be ready as well.

Kasumi received the vial of divine elixir and packed it his bag alongside the scroll that Uriki had given him. Companionably he then moved closer to the other Nezumi who also appeared to be ready to go. He offered Kuuhaku a nod of friendship.

The brown-robed man carries out a more-traditional twice-refusal before taking one of the potions himself.

"Sounds like an inside job, to me. If it were local thugs, people would be glad to talk. If it were ninja, people would be afraid to, or they'd be dead." Scratching at the white scruff on his cheek, he adds "But someone who works there, someone with a key or access to a key, could spirit these children away. If none saw them leave the building, then chances are they're still there..or there's an exit unknown. Plenty of possibilities, one eventuality. Going there should answer a good majority of these questions."