Session 37: Loinclothes and Sake and Rule 36
General Summary
Leaving Akira's home, the party decides to bid their time and watch the preliminaries sumo fights. Heading over, they watch several sumos enter, including an enormous toad person. Sikander heads straight for the gate while Offa works to hide Granny in a tree. Back at the gate, Sikander attempts to convince them that Anya is a member of the royal family, much to her chagrin. Silas steps in, invoking their friendship with Haka-ho, allowing them entrance, promising to tell him about Ozaki. A small amount of chaos continues as Silas becomes Ozaki and takes off into the crowd heading in, with the others following after.
Inside, taking in the incredible architecture and pagoda, Sikander leads the way down to the lower seating, not far behind the Emperor's nephew. While waiting for the matches to start, several young, attactive men and women (likely from the lower classes) run around the stadium with cacks of sake. Sikander calls a young woman over, ordering four glasses. The young woman serving them recoginzes him from the play and he enthusiastically signs a piece of paper for her. Meanwhile, Offa and Anya give Sikander their cups as an over the top advertising parade.
Finally, the various fights begin and continue over the next 3-4 hours, with Sikander dosing a couple times onto Anya's shoulder as they all watch. Near the end, and after another round of sake's, Sikander gets a wild hair to rush the fighting pagoda, nearly tackling the Emperor's son and a veiled woman in the process. The party fights to restrain him, and Silas manages to spin it into an advertisement for one of the sake's, mostly covering the massive breach in etiquette.
Gathering themselves, is is easier to hear various audience members disparaging the Emperor's nephew, Rioko, naming him the most shameful member of the family, the reason everything was going wrong and a sellout to the Cherries. As they listen, the pair heads out and the party notices his companion, dressed in a dark, red kimono, her face very pale (possibly painted) with tinted green lips, and otherwise covered with a veil bearing a foxtail.
Hearing all of this, Silas speaks "This is the time of the year when the Cherry Trees fall" into Rioko's mind, causing him to look around stunned, pull something from his jacket and take a deep sniff, then continues on his way.
The stadium nearly empty, the party heads out for the stables, first collecting Granny. They find the zombie looking longing into the distance, as if there was some unrequited love he was missing out on. Nevertheless, they continue on until they reach the long building north of Akira's place. Offa heads to the roof to scout ahead, and sees the Toad person fighter getting a beating from a Japanese pot bellied pig person. Sending word to Silas, he remains above, waiting for the next move. Silas, hearing Offa's heads up, turns to the others and tells them to be ready, then throws the doors open and enters.
Shouting as he does, Silas tells anyone who supports Gora Hashii to stay and everyone else to get out. At the shout of "Get them" Silas manages to charm most of them, and an odd fight and sumo match begins. As the fight continues, chaos ensues with Anya as a dragon, Silas continuously taunting Gora Hashii, Offa obliterating the Toad sumo, and Sikander attempting to sumo fight and then employing two of his favorite moves, the "Nutcracker" (not as successful) and the "Pudge Pulller" (to great success) on a Bear sumo.
Offa casts an insane spell that destroys several of the fighters, helping to speed up getting to Gora Hashii, who finally enters the fight, slamming Silas HARD. He fades into the shadows again and once the last of his minions fall, Silas taunts him again, convincing him to talk. They speak briefly, Gora Hashii clearly hoping to rise through the ranks and is not one of the higher ranking Cherries. He believes Dragontooth Castle is a myth, but confirms Akira was taken to their headquarters in the Golden Gai, located in Sinjuku which is in the district of Oppai. He also shares several names for them to be aware of....ones he would not be sad to see gone, including:
Once the flames die down, folks head in and find a body tied to a chair in the one room the party did not check. Entering, Offa casts Speak with Dead and they listen as the dead man speaks through Granny.
He explains that he was with Akira in Rapongi, and was taken for a debt to the Cherries. He only knew about Shamasan - something to do with music, and continues to beg to be allowed to pass peacefully.
As the conversation ends, Anya pulls Sikander aside, expressing her concern at the fire, the death of (as far as they know) an innocent, and whether he was taking Rule 36 a little too literaly.
(For everyone's reference: Rule 36 from the Dwarven Book of Wisdom is "To defeat an army of elves, you never attack the elves. You burn the forest.")
Inside, taking in the incredible architecture and pagoda, Sikander leads the way down to the lower seating, not far behind the Emperor's nephew. While waiting for the matches to start, several young, attactive men and women (likely from the lower classes) run around the stadium with cacks of sake. Sikander calls a young woman over, ordering four glasses. The young woman serving them recoginzes him from the play and he enthusiastically signs a piece of paper for her. Meanwhile, Offa and Anya give Sikander their cups as an over the top advertising parade.
Finally, the various fights begin and continue over the next 3-4 hours, with Sikander dosing a couple times onto Anya's shoulder as they all watch. Near the end, and after another round of sake's, Sikander gets a wild hair to rush the fighting pagoda, nearly tackling the Emperor's son and a veiled woman in the process. The party fights to restrain him, and Silas manages to spin it into an advertisement for one of the sake's, mostly covering the massive breach in etiquette.
Gathering themselves, is is easier to hear various audience members disparaging the Emperor's nephew, Rioko, naming him the most shameful member of the family, the reason everything was going wrong and a sellout to the Cherries. As they listen, the pair heads out and the party notices his companion, dressed in a dark, red kimono, her face very pale (possibly painted) with tinted green lips, and otherwise covered with a veil bearing a foxtail.
Hearing all of this, Silas speaks "This is the time of the year when the Cherry Trees fall" into Rioko's mind, causing him to look around stunned, pull something from his jacket and take a deep sniff, then continues on his way.
The stadium nearly empty, the party heads out for the stables, first collecting Granny. They find the zombie looking longing into the distance, as if there was some unrequited love he was missing out on. Nevertheless, they continue on until they reach the long building north of Akira's place. Offa heads to the roof to scout ahead, and sees the Toad person fighter getting a beating from a Japanese pot bellied pig person. Sending word to Silas, he remains above, waiting for the next move. Silas, hearing Offa's heads up, turns to the others and tells them to be ready, then throws the doors open and enters.
Shouting as he does, Silas tells anyone who supports Gora Hashii to stay and everyone else to get out. At the shout of "Get them" Silas manages to charm most of them, and an odd fight and sumo match begins. As the fight continues, chaos ensues with Anya as a dragon, Silas continuously taunting Gora Hashii, Offa obliterating the Toad sumo, and Sikander attempting to sumo fight and then employing two of his favorite moves, the "Nutcracker" (not as successful) and the "Pudge Pulller" (to great success) on a Bear sumo.
Offa casts an insane spell that destroys several of the fighters, helping to speed up getting to Gora Hashii, who finally enters the fight, slamming Silas HARD. He fades into the shadows again and once the last of his minions fall, Silas taunts him again, convincing him to talk. They speak briefly, Gora Hashii clearly hoping to rise through the ranks and is not one of the higher ranking Cherries. He believes Dragontooth Castle is a myth, but confirms Akira was taken to their headquarters in the Golden Gai, located in Sinjuku which is in the district of Oppai. He also shares several names for them to be aware of....ones he would not be sad to see gone, including:
- Isamu Cho - The Boss
- Kaibiko Cho - the Heir Apparent
- Kazoku MatushitoShingen (Kintaro) - known to Anya and Sikander from Lady Korallis' soiree in Waterdeep
- Matsumida (Kato)
- Kenji Kotsakabi
Once the flames die down, folks head in and find a body tied to a chair in the one room the party did not check. Entering, Offa casts Speak with Dead and they listen as the dead man speaks through Granny.
He explains that he was with Akira in Rapongi, and was taken for a debt to the Cherries. He only knew about Shamasan - something to do with music, and continues to beg to be allowed to pass peacefully.
As the conversation ends, Anya pulls Sikander aside, expressing her concern at the fire, the death of (as far as they know) an innocent, and whether he was taking Rule 36 a little too literaly.
(For everyone's reference: Rule 36 from the Dwarven Book of Wisdom is "To defeat an army of elves, you never attack the elves. You burn the forest.")
Report Date
10 Mar 2024
Comments