Question him about everything. EVERYTHING. His life story, where he comes from, rumours he knows about the goings on in the world. Then behead him.
A nice little recap of his life before we end it. Plus we get some interesting setting intel.
+1 But afterwards, finish off the two bandits if they are alive, get his spear and throwing dagger and wear his breastplate.
((Leaving him alive means loose ends- anybody following us will have easy info. Although we could use the threat of the painful death poison to control him, he seems slightly too brave for my liking.))
+1
Turn 13
Mountain path, Gifu"Speak then. Tell me about yourself and about the goings on of the world."The bandit chief looks at Hideki in a funny way, but complies with his demands.
"Well, I am Kamei Ukyo. Once, two summers ago at least, I was a retainer in a small clan under the Lion clan. The general I served managed to screw up and was defeated by a force of Spider clan fighters when he tried to take land in Hokkaido. Shamed by his defeat, he comitted seppuku."
The bandit spits on the ground again and a look of disgust crosses over his face.
"The idiot. He was a fool to be defeated of course, but he couldn't have known that the Spider clan possesed magics on par with those of the Dragon and Phoenix clans. He should have been humbled by his defeat and studied their tactics so he could try again another day. And the worst part is that his retainers were supposed to commit seppuku with him! And they did, the fools! I wanted no part in that horseshit, so I ran as far away as I could and I scraped all the clan symbols off my armour. I've been a bandit ever since, going from place to place.
As for the world, I couldn't really say. Tensions between the Shogunate and the Scorpion clan have worsened since they had one of their families attacked by bandits. Haughty Crane clan spreading rumours that the Scorpions shouldn't be trusted with high positions if they can't even keep mere bandits out of their home. Let's see, on Shikoku people are still getting used to the Nanban traders who do business with the Mantis Clan. Some, especially the more traditional minded like the Lions, Cranes and Phoenixes, don't like the foreigners. But the Mantis, Scorpion and Dragonsare doing just fine with the added trade and knowledge exchange. Ever seen one of their cannons fire? It's something, I tell you.
Other than that, I don't know. It has been at least two weeks since I went to town, so any rumours I know are already out of day, I reckon."He then looks at Hideki again, making eye contact.
"That's the end of what I can tell you. I guess that makes it the time I write a death poem, huh?"Hideki merely nods and grips his katana with two hands. The bandit chief looks up at the treetops, where a flock of birds flies by across the clear, blue skies. The man is grinning still.
"Like a rotten log
half buried in the ground -
my life which has not flowered,
comes to this sad end."With an expert slash of his blade, Hideki severs the man's head. His head goes rolling off and his body slumps sideways to the ground. Hideki slashes the air with his katana, making the blood that was on it fall to the ground. He sheathes his blade and picks up the throwing knife and spear, and puts on the late bandit's breastplate. He checks the other two ruffians, but they have long bled out from the deep gashes Muramasa left.
The horse had trotted off a bit, but is now grazing along the road. In the saddlebags Hideki finds 3 silver mon and some meager supplies. Looks like the bandit life wasn't one of plenty.
Author
Topic: Nippon: Quest for Vengeance (SG/CYOA): Turn 41: Star fort Goryokaku (Read 14857 times)