The ronin stood in horror as the creature wailed from beneath the well. Seppun Azusa called a meeting to discuss their next steps.

As Boa, Tsume, and Kaizoku thought of a plan, they noticed the ronin hired to protect the castle beginning to gather their things and leave. Their work had been steady and well paying, but with Masaru and Nobu imprisoned and with a new threat lingering beneath the castle, the ronin didn't want to risk their lives for a lord who might not have the means to pay them. Surprised by their shortsightedness, Boa reasoned with the ronin, reminding them that their strength was in numbers, and that Lord Jikai would surely reward them handsomely for their service to his castle. In total, 9 ronin decided to stay while the rest fled.

The ronin sat in audience with Seppun Azusa and Lord Jikai's court. Dzudh, the wandering monk from the north, gave advice on how to defeat the kyokotsu. He said that attacks which would kill a human would merely stun it. He advised wearing the creature down with an assault of attacks, and then when it's vulnerable, conduct a cleansing ritual to destroy it once and for all. With Tetsuya dead, they needed to find a different shugenja to perform the ritual. They suggested sending Setsuo back to Twin Blessings Village and asking if Daizo would be able to conduct the ritual instead. They also decided that while he was there, he should convince the rebels to back down and see if any of them would be willing to help defeat the monster. With these things in motion, the ronin concocted a plan...

Kaizoku and Tsume searched the hillside for an entrance into the underground water system which the well was connected to. They found a wide opening with high ridges on either side of the waterway: a perfect location to set a trap. Tsume then followed the cave system and carefully mapped a course to the well beneath the castle. Meanwhile, Boa led a team of servants cutting wood. Dzudh marked an inscription into these wood panels, and then with help from Boa and the servants, placed the wood panels in the stream bed, blessing the water.

The next day Kaizoku and Tsume stocked up on supplies while Boa butchered meat to use as bait for the monster. That night, Setsuo arrived from Twin Blessings Village with the priest, Daizo. He had agreed to perform the Cleansing Rite, but they were unable to persuade anyone else to join the cause. It appeared the rebels were still planning to attack the castle. There was no going back then. The ronin had to defeat the kyokotsu, or else a terrible battle would needlessly claim the lives of dozens.

The following day, they unleashed their trap. Tsume, Azusa, and Ume planted the meat on a course to lure the creature into the open. Boa stood at the mouth of the cave with a team of ronin and Kaizoku stood on the ridge with a team of archers. Slowly, the kyokotsu came shambling into the open.

With the monster disoriented, they attacked. A barrage of attacks from all sides wore the creature down, and they outnumbered it 14 to 1, but it was a terrible foe nonetheless. Its aura radiated hatred and its wail splintered the soul. But with teamwork and tenacity, they defeated the monster. Soon, it collapsed from exhaustion. While in this vulnerable state, Daizo rushed out and performed the cleansing rite. The kyokotsu's remains turned to dust and it was vanquished for eternity.

With the Kyokotsu defeated and Otomo Yuki's spirit finally laid to rest, peace was restored to the land. The water kami were pleased and blessed the people of Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village with a plentiful harvest.

Satisfied with the water kami's blessing, the rebels ended their plotting against Closed Shell Castle and returned to their homes.

Setsuo reclaimed his position as village head and repaired his relationship with his son, Ichiro.

Reju Jikai recovered from his wounds and restored peace with the villagers with the brave and loyal Seppun Azusa at his side.

Daizo was given a permanent position at Closed Shell Castle as well as all the ronin who decided to stay and defeat the monster-- not as swords for hire, but as noble samurai.

Otomo Nobu and Reju Masaru were exposed for their treachery and executed with no chance for seppuku.

Tsume became a sworn samurai in service of Lord Reju Jikai and moved his family into Closed Shell Castle. He gave up his life of grave robbing and treasure hunting in order to provide safety and security for his mom and siblings.

Boa settled on a plot of land in Twin Blessings Village with his estranged son and his son's mother, intent on patching up that relationship and being the father he always should have been.

Kaizoku was reunited with his ship, newly renovated by the people of Twin Blessings Village as thanks for all that he did. He set sail, continuing toward the horizon and letting the river take him wherever it pleased.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The three ronin had found their man: the runaway shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. They were ordered to bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle, but the shugenja refused. He vowed to never return. 

Tetsuya felt tremendous regret for what he had done. He had been used as a pawn in a plot hatched by the steward, Otomo Nobu, to kill Reju Jikai, defeat the bandits, and wrest control of the castle for himself. Nobu’s plan was to upset the region’s water kami, forcing a famine while simultaneously increasing taxation in order to send the peasants into a state of upheaval. All the while hunting the forests for its wildlife and selling the meat and pelts to pay for a small army of ronin which he would train and use to garrison the castle. When the peasants revolt, the ronin would destroy them, and in the maelstrom, Nobu would slink off and kill Jikai, his wife, and his niece, making it appear as though they had died in combat. As defender of the castle, he would be promoted from steward to lord. His first act would be to end the forced famine and lower the taxes, blaming those catastrophes on the policies of his predecessor. In the end, he would have ownership of the castle, the respect of his superiors, the love of the common people, and a small army at his disposal. 

Tetsuya’s role in all of this was to keep the water kami agitated. When Jikai took power, Nobu threw the remains of the previous lord, Otomo Yuki, into the castle’s well creating a kyokotsu, a malignant abomination which infects the water and angers the kami. Tetsuya fed the creature, appeasing it and making its power grow. He was promised wealth and power by Nobu when his plan was completed, and Tetsuya realized too late what he had done. The dishonored shugenja felt nothing but shame now, wasting away, drinking himself to death in a stable.

Hearing this story, the ronin concocted a plan. They would bring Tetsuya back to Closed Shell Castle and force him to repeat his story to Jikai and Reju Masaru, exposing Nobu for the snake that he is.

Upon arriving at the castle, the ronin were met by Masaru. He seemed surprised by their presence, and his usual adherence to decorum had waned a bit. It appeared as if he didn’t expect that they would return from their mission. Masaru immediately sent a messenger off to inform Nobu of their arrival. The ronin protested, but he insisted. He then ushered them into his quarters so they could speak in more detail. Suspecting that Masaru was in on Nobu’s plan, the ronin played along. They said nothing of Tetsuya’s indictment or of Nobu’s scheme. In celebration of their completed mission, the ronin convinced Masaru to have a round of sake. They spiked his drink with the night milk pilfered from the dead assassins, not once, but twice. Soon, Masaru was knocked unconscious. The ronin quickly searched his quarters and found evidence of his involvement in Nobu’s scheme. Masaru, the one who welcomed the ronin into the castle, trained them, and guided them had been working with Nobu from the very beginning. The ronin swallowed the betrayal and moved forward with renewed vigor. Something about Nobu’s plan felt personal now.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The monks dropped their ruse and revealed themselves for what they truly were: murderous assassins. In a haze, the ronin drew their weapons to defend themselves, but the damage was already done. Poison was coursing through their veins, making them feel lightheaded and fatigued, while the powder of the sokutoshi blinded and choked them. 

The assassins attacked, attempting to dispatch their targets while they had the advantage. Hoping to bide some time and distract the assassins, Kaizoku challenged the assassin with the ninjato to a one on one fight. The assassin proudly accepted. The two clashed while the others fought to gain an upperhand. The assassin with the blowgun flute dropped his weapon and unleashed a kusarigama concealed beneath his robes, immobilizing Boa while making a flurry of attacks against Tsume.

Kaizoku and the assassin faced each other, and it soon became clear that Kaizoku was outmatched. He was fighting a true professional. He bowed out of the challenge winded and exhausted. The assassin, attempting to finish what he started, knocked Kaizoku unconscious while he was trying to catch his breath, deforming his face and scarring his rugged features.

Fighting with their ally bleeding and out of commission, Tsume and Boa fought for their lives. The assassins fought with a determination and skill which the ronin had never faced before. They shrugged off attacks which would kill lesser enemies and refused to retreat.

With a force of sheer willpower, Kaizoku woke himself up from his unconsciousness and stabbed the assassin with the kusarigama through the gut with his magari yari, killing him. Undaunted, the other assassin continued the fight, beating Tsume within an inch of his life before eventually succumbing to his wounds and being finished off by Boa. 

The ronin tended to their wounds and searched the bodies of the assassins. They found a contract to eliminate them. It had details of where they were headed, the road they’d be taking and physical descriptions of each of them. It was signed by Otomo Nobu.

The next morning, the three finished their journey at a small village on the outskirts of Otosan Uchi. Filled with questions about the mounting tensions surrounding Closed Shell Castle and the schemes of Otomo Nobu, they searched for the shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. Dressed in the monk’s robes taken from one of the assassins, Tsume asked around town until he located Tetsuya at a local stable. 

The three descended on the stable, wearing armor adorned with the Reju family crest. Tetsuya was laying on a pile of hay, stinking of sake. He awoke and saw the three standing over him. “Damn,” was all he said.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

The survivors of the hunting party sat with Otomo Nobu to debrief the events of the attack. Nobu revealed that he knew Nakama was a shapeshifter. The Otomo family had long traded secrets with Nakama in order to learn about the land surrounding Closed Shell Castle. Nobu claimed, however, that he did not know that Nakama was planning an attack on Reju Jikai.

Jikai, severely wounded from the attack, listened as Nobu spoke, slipping in and out of sleep as his exhausted body succumbed to the medicine that was treating him. It dawned on him for the first time that perhaps Nobu wasn’t as capable a leader as he once thought. Though he was beginning to have his doubts, he did not believe he was in the right state to make any final decisions regarding the governance of his castle.

Boa had known men like Nobu before. During his time in the courts of the Crane clan, Boa had seen many upstart nobles and ambitious samurai trying to make names for themselves. Boa knew that Nobu aspired to take the castle for his own. Tired of Nobu’s smoke and mirrors, Boa asked him bluntly what his plans for Closed Shell Castle were. The steward stated simply that he wanted the castle to live up to its true potential. That he was tired of it being a laughing stock and a stain on the land.

After the meeting, the three ronin agreed that Nobu was planning to seize control of the castle, though they did not know how. They remembered the escaped shugenja, Tetsuya, and wondered what he knew. He may be the missing piece of the puzzle that links everything together. They vowed to find him and speak with him to see what he knows. In the meantime, the ronin decided to pay a visit to Setsuo, the village elder. They convinced him to write a letter to his son, Ichiro, telling him to call off any attack on the castle for at least another week. The ronin wanted more time to figure out what Nobu’s plans were and thought the villagers could be marching into danger.

The next morning, Reju Masaru had a mission for the ronin. They were to find Tetsuya and bring him back to the castle alive. It seemed fate had steered them onto the proper course. After rummaging through the castle armory for supplies, the ronin decided to first set off for Twin Blessings Village so they could drop off Setsuo’s letter. Upon reaching the village, they discover that Natsumi had assumed the role of village leader in Setsuo’s absence. She told the ronin that after Setsuo’s imprisonment, most of the villagers from both Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village have either joined with the bandits or fled. They feel that Jikai’s government has become so tyrannical that nothing can change without serious action. The ronin explain their position on the matter and hand Natsumi Setsuo’s letter to give to Ichiro. She says that Setsuo can try to hold the bandits off as long as he wants, but something terrible is brewing.

With that settled, the ronin traveled in the direction of Otosan Uchi to find Tetsuya. Rain clouds began to gather, and before long a wicked storm began to flood the fields, soaking everyone to the bone. With the sun beginning to set, the three decided to stop for the night at a temple-shelter for travelers. As the ronin settled in and dried themselves beside the fire, they heard a knock at the door. The shoji cracked open to reveal a pair of wandering monks. The ronin let them in and they quickly moved beside the fire. Gracious for letting them share the space with them, one monk began to play music on his flute while the other made tea. Not entirely sure what to make of the monks, Tsume talked to them to learn more about them and their mission. They were monks of Shinsei. They wandered Rokugan, enlightening people with Shinsei’s teachings, offering peace of mind and spiritual fulfillment. Boa inspected the tea which they were handing out, but could not detect anything out of the ordinary. The ronin soon let their guard down and enjoyed their new found company.

One of the monks offered to light some incense, and pulled out a beautiful, ornate box. While the ronin leaned in to smell the incense, the monk blew into the box, causing perfumed powder to momentarily blind and choke the ronin. As they coughed, the monk drew a hidden ninjato sheathed in his staff, while the other loaded his flute like a blowgun and took aim.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa had just heard the news that Mamoru Nakama was planning an attack on Jikai’s hunting party. Thinking quickly, he notified Tsume and used his contacts in the castle to get an anonymous letter to Jikai warning him of the ambush. The next morning, everyone in the castle stood at the gates to see the hunting party off. Excitement was in the air, mixed with a hint of unease. The lightweight and flexible clothes normally worn on such an expedition were replaced with lacquered armor. It appeared that Boa’s note had made an impact on the lord.

As the hunting party left the castle, Boa tried to follow them, unnoticed. He was caught by none other than Otomo Nobu, who ordered him to get back to work. Disregarding his order, Boa fled the castle, trailing Jikai’s hunting party across the countryside. The last thing he heard was Nobu gathering ronin to chase after him.

On the trail, Tsume chatted with the other members of the hunt. He spoke with Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir. Tsume got a sense that Ume hated Closed Shell Castle and quietly resented her uncle for bringing her to that place. Noticing the general unease among the party, Tsume talked to Jikai’s yojimbo, Jinzaburo. Speaking candidly, he revealed that Jikai received a letter warning him of an ambush. Uncertain of the letter’s validity, the lord decided not to call off the hunt, but being cautious, he ordered that everyone be armed and armored.

Camped out in a clearing upon a hill, the party began their hunt. For the first time in months, Jikai fully seemed himself, finally able to enjoy one of his favorite artforms: falconry. The lord brought his entire collection of birds, each one personally trained by him. He happily mentored Tsume on the proper technique before letting the bird loose and catching a plump rabbit. Tsume skinned and dressed the rabbit as only the son of a butcher could do, and then put the meat in a stew.

Spirits were high as the party sat down to enjoy some rabbit stew. As everyone laughed and ate, the fear that pervaded them washed away. Just as everyone was beginning to relax, the horses began to whinny. Looking up, the party realized they were surrounded. A pack of wolves encircled them, slowly creeping forward from the forest. Chief among them was an enormous wolf, twice the size of the others with silver fur and yellow eyes: Nakama.

The wolves fell on them, creating a mass of swirling, snarling jaws. They were everywhere. Overwhelmed and unable to retreat, the party was forced to stand their ground. The samurai drew their weapons and fought against the wolves bearing down on them. Nakama went straight for Reju Jikai— his mission was clear. However the bodyguard, Jinzaburo, bravely defended his lord against the tide of claws and fangs. 

Out from the forest yelled Boa, having crept behind the hunting party all day. He tried to reconcile with the beasts, but it was clear they were past that point. He drew his weapon and entered the fray. Hearing the sounds of battle from a not-too-distant-trail, Kaizoku came running through the forest. Upon seeing his friends in combat, he too joined the melee.

Before long, it was apparent that the crashing waves of wolves were too much for Jinzaburo to handle. He fell in battle, and the wolves were soon upon him, finishing him without remorse. Nakama now attacked Jikai directly.

Having lost half their number to samurai steel, the pack began to flee, but Nakama remained. With a final attack, he lunged at Jikai, ripping his right hand from his wrist. Jikai bled and cried in agony as the samurai struck at the giant wolf. With a final blow, Boa ended Nakama’s life. The spirit he failed to console became the beast he had to slay.

As the dust settled and the warriors caught their breath, the ronin Nobu ordered to find Boa discovered the party. They immediately tended to Jikai’s wounds and brought the party back to the castle. That morning, they departed the castle excited and shining in resplendent armor, but they returned beaten, bloody, and exhausted. Jinzaburo was dead, and Jikai was permanently wounded. Nobu accepted the party into the castle. Among them he found Kaizoku, the pirate he believed had released a prisoner and murdered a guard, and Boa, the trouble-making ronin defector. Nobu’s face contorted and a torrent of punishments and citations began to well up in his throat, but before a word could be uttered, Jikai spoke. He said, “these men saved my life.” 

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Rin was dead, Zagra’s cell was empty, and Kaizoku was nowhere to be found. The castle immediately went into high alert and Tsume and Boa were brought before Nobu to answer for what happened. 

The pair could not speak for the disappearance of their friend and merely insisted that a further investigation would need to be held before any conclusions could be made. Nobu, already suspicious of the ronin due to the incident involving the shugenja, Tetsuya, expelled Tsume and Boa from the castle. He did not know exactly how they were involved or what they knew, but he knew they were somehow connected.

Jikai heard this dismissal and intervened. He was inclined to believe Tsume because of the information he gave him about the poet, Miya Shinkako. Jikai was not convinced Tsume and Boa were connected in any way to the incident which occurred the night before and ordered that they stay in the castle. The ronin asked to be responsible for the investigation and Jikai happily obliged. Nobu begrudgingly accepted that his rule had been vetoed and his will overridden by the true lord of the castle.

Tsume and Boa knew Kaizoku had been plotting Zagra’s escape, so they thought of a cover to protect their friend. After investigating the murder, the escape, and the castle grounds, the pair concocted a story: It appeared to them that Zagra had broken out of his cell and made his way to the wall where he was discovered by Rin. In order to silence her, Zagra attacked Rin, killing her. He then fled the castle. A short time later, Kaizoku discovered what had happened and took off in pursuit of the captive. Jikai and Masaru were satisfied with this explanation, but Nobu silently dissented. However, without concrete evidence disproving their story, Nobu resigned himself to say nothing.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku and Zagra traveled to a secret pirate safehouse along the coast. Three days travel on foot staying off the main roads and hiding from sight. During that time, reality hit Kaizoku: he was a murderer and a criminal running away from the most stable life he’d ever had. And for what? For no other reason than to feed his addiction. Kaizoku decided it was not the life he had wanted. He had had enough.

The two finally made it to the safehouse where they were reunited with yet another familiar face. A pirate named Sho. He was astounded by Zagra’s return, but could not ignore Kaizoku’s sudden appearance. Sho explained that he had heard rumors of a rebellion brewing near Closed Shell Castle. Their company would have a lot to gain by sowing disorder in the region and wanted a man on the inside to help work toward this end. Sho believed Kaizoku could be this man. However, it was clear that Kaizoku was not interested. Sho tried to intimidate Kaizoku by threatening retaliation against him for abandoning his crew, but Kaizoku would not budge. 

Sho finally caught a glimpse at what Kaizoku had been staring at during their meeting: liquid void. He immediately ordered a bottle and offered Kaizoku a glass. Finally confronted by the thing he had been chasing all this time, the former pirate felt nothing but contempt. The horrible things he had done just to get a taste of that which was currently staring him right in the eyes suddenly felt so visceral. The danger he put himself in and the pain he had caused to others were the only things he could think about. It was not an ocean sitting between him and the life he wanted, but a bottle. Kaizoku rejected the liquid void.

Seeing he was not going to make any progress, Sho dismissed Kaizoku. As a courtesy for bringing Zagra back, he would allow Kaizoku to leave unharmed, but if they ever crossed paths again, he promised there would be hell to pay. Kaizoku started heading back toward the direction of Closed Shell Castle.

The night before Reju Jikai’s hunt, Boa was approaced by Nakama. He asked if Boa had made any progress getting Toshiro to join the lord’s hunting expedition. When Boa admitted that he hadn’t, Nakama expressed frustration that he hadn’t made more progress fixing the spiritual imbalance. Nakama was acting feral and unruly. He was restless from inactivity and tired of how slow things were moving. He needed action. Nakama lamented that his best course of action may be to go for Jikai directly. Boa tried to convince him that perhaps Jikai is not the problem, but once again, Nakama would not listen. Nakama vowed that there would indeed be a hunt.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Tsume was brought before the lord of Closed Shell Castle, Reju Jikai, and his wife, Seppun Azusa. The lord and his lady listened intently as Tsume divulged the secret which banished them to the castle. He revealed that it was Miya Shinkako who was behind the fateful incident which injured the Daidoji child and cost Jikai his status as a revered and well respected tutor.

Jikai immediately summoned Shinkako to his audience chamber. She admitted to what she had done despite her fear and embarrassment. Visibly upset, the lord wrestled with what to do with his old rival. He could’ve had her killed. Instead, he kept his composure and ordered her to speak before his lord, Otomo Itsuki, to confess her misdeed and claim responsibility for Jikai’s dishonor.

Jikai thanked Tsume for his help and invited him on a hunt he was planning for next week, which Tsume graciously accepted. Falconry had always been a favorite hobby of the dishonored lord. Being reminded of the spiritual imbalance he had witnessed in the region, Tsume broached the topic of over hunting in the forest and spoke of how the wolves had become aggressive. Jikai referred Tsume to Otomo Nobu for these concerns. Since taking command of the castle, Jikai had relied on Nobu to manage the day-to-day operations of the castle. 

That week, while scouting the land beyond the castle, Tsume made a startling discovery. Against all odds, he found tracks belonging to the missing shugenja, Reju Tetsuya. The tracks lead him on a two day’s trail to the ruined Otosan Uchi. Tsume reported the information to Masaru, who now awaits his next orders. The rogue suddenly built a reputation for himself as a remarkable tracker.

While on duty, Boa was confronted by Mamoru Nakama, the shapeshifter. Nakama noted Boa’s concern for the forest and revealed to him his plan: Reju Jikai has been planning a hunting party, and Nakama wants Ide Toshio on that hunt. With Toshio outside the castle, Nakama would be able to ambush the samurai and remove his demand for meats, pelts, and furs from the animals of the forest. Boa was not satisfied with Nakama’s plan. He once again tried to get the shapeshifter to see reason and understand that the problem was much deeper than just Toshio. But Nakama still would not listen. Nakama had been living in peace with the lords of Closed Shell Castle for the entirety of his supernatural life and refused to see fault in them. He refused to harm a member of his own pack. The castle was his territory, and Toshio was an outsider.

Boa reluctantly agreed to help, feeling sympathy for the distraught spirit. Boa asked about Nakama’s relationship with the Otomo family and the former rulers of the castle, and Nakama briefed the ronin on a brief history of the castle and the legend surrounding it. The castle was built by Otomo Nahoko, who later in life became paranoid that she was being surrounded by enemies, so she built elaborate defenses to protect herself against an enemy that never existed. She died of old age, barricaded inside a castle that never saw a siege. Since then, legend has it that whoever controls the castle goes insane with paranoia. The most recent lord before Jikai was Otomo Yuki. He had ruled the castle for about 40 years when the Scorpion War began. He had become paranoid that the Scorpion were going to attack the castle, and took extreme measures to fortify the castle. Tired of living and working under such austere conditions, the servants rose up and poisoned Yuki, and the steward, Otomo Nobu, became lord until Reju Jikai was named Yuki’s predecessor.

Later, Boa spoke with Toshio about the hunt. Toshio recognized that it would be a wonderful opportunity to get in the good graces of the lord of the castle, but pointed out that he would need an invitation from Jikai. To show up uninvited would be downright shameful. Toshio asked if Reju Ume, Jikai’s niece and heir, was going to be there. When he learned that she was going, Toshio became flustered. He had been in love with her since he laid eyes on her, and would be far too anxious to go on the hunt with her there.

Meanwhile, Kaizoku continued plotting Zagra’s escape. He had surveyed the walls, learning exactly where the best entrances and exits would be; he memorized the patrol routes of the other guards; he had been placing items and equipment in the right spots in case he needed to use them; and he had noted the shift changes in the dungeons. He calculated a ten minute window when everything should line up just perfectly.

That night, he spoke with Tsume and Boa about what they had learned in the castle and the forces that were at work. The three reasoned it would be best to wait before releasing Zagra. The peasants were planning a revolt and perhaps they could use that as a cover. The three turned in for the night, but Kaizoku’s mind was racing. The plans had been set, all he had to was go through the motions. A final push to the finish line, and on the other side waiting for him was the sweet kiss of liquid void. He could wait no longer. Tonight was the night.

Kaizoku skulked down to the dungeons with a copy of the key used to lock up the prisoners. Zagra sprang to his feet, knowing his time had come. The two snuck out of the dungeons, through the keep, past the courtyard, and onto the walls toward a crenelation where Kaizoku had prepared a knotted rope and grappling hook to let them down. The two pirates turned a corner out of one of the watchtowers to find a surprise: standing between them and the rope was Rin—the belligerent ronin who vowed to turn Kaizoku and his friends in if she ever caught them acting out of line. She turns to lock eyes with Kaizoku, but she doesn’t seem to spot Zagra. “What are you doing here?” She asks.

She wasn’t supposed to be there. This wasn’t part of the plan. Kaizoku had come this far and worked so hard for this. He couldn’t let it fall apart now. Thinking quickly, he lunged at the ronin with a heavy rock, deciding to knock her out before she can call for backup. His careful planning, the stress of being caught, the fear of what lie ahead, and the liquid void waiting for him— all of these things ran through his mind as the pirate unmasked. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Kaizoku lost control of his strength. With a crack, Rin’s body fell motionless to the ground. Without looking back, Kaizoku and Zagra climbed down the wall, retrieved the grappling hook, and ran off into the night. Meanwhile, Rin’s cold, lifeless body bled out atop the castle wall.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Boa sat in the castle tea room speaking with Mamoru Nakama, the shapeshifting wolf, and Dzudh Khan, the wandering monk. Nakama seemed to have marked Ide Toshio, a diplomat from the Unicorn clan, as his prey, worried that he was the cause of the over-hunting in the forest. Boa tried to get Nakama to understand that larger factors were at play, but Nakama would not hear it. It appeared Nakama had a plan to stop Reju Jikai’s hunting in the forest and it had something to do with Ide Toshio, but Nakama wouldn’t speak of the details. Before Boa could ask any deeper questions, Nakama prowled away. Dzudh suggested finding a way to gain Nakama’s trust, maybe then he would elaborate on his plans.

The next couple weeks at Closed Shell Castle fell into a comfortable routine. Kaizoku began his assignment guarding the castle wall at night. During his shifts, he began to subtly plot Zagra’s escape. He studied every nook and cranny of the castle wall’s and took careful inventory of the personnel who had direct contact with the prisoners as well as their routines and schedules. One night, after being urged by Setsuo, the village elder, Kaizoku wrote a letter to Twin Blessings Village to inform the village that Setsuo was alive and well. 

Boa and Tsume both completed their training with Reju Masaru and were given permanent assignments. Boa would work in the keep, overseeing day to day life and keeping the servants in line, while Tsume would become a member of the ranging parties which make frequent trips outside the castle. 

One night, Tsume decided to confront the lady of the castle, Seppun Azusa, about the information he had on Miya Shinkako. He told Azusa that he required an audience with her and her husband, Reju Jikai, so that he could tell them the secret which Shinkako had been hiding from them. Azusa was intrigued and promised to arrange a meeting.

As Kaizoku was settling into his guard duties one evening, he received two letters, both from Natsumi of Twin Blessings Village. The first was addressed to him. It was thanking him for helping to support the village and writing on Setsuo’s behalf, as well as updating the pirate on the status of his ship: the repairs were finished and it was waiting to set sail at Twin Blessings Village. The second letter was addressed to Setsuo. Kaizoku read it greedily. He was shocked at what it had to say. Apparently the people of Twin Blessings Village and Nestled Village had had enough of Reju Jikai’s tyranny and, along with the bandits of the forest, they were planning a revolt. 

Kaizoku laughed to himself, reflecting on the naivety of the villagers. The fact that they thought they stood a chance against the castle was bad enough, but to put the information so bluntly into a letter and not believe anyone would read it… Utterly astounding. Despite that, he was a little moved by the courage and sincerity of the villagers.

“Can’t have anyone know about this,” he thought to himself as he burned the letter.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Kaizoku stood in the dungeons speaking with his former crewmate, Zagra. He had a deal for him. If Kaizoku helped free him from the castle, Zagra would supply Kaizoku with Liquid Void. With just a few words, Kaizoku was immediately transported to another place. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Waves of euphoria washed over him. He had to have a taste. When Kaizoku asked him if he had any on him, Zagra declined but explained that he had connections up and down the coast, and for him, a supplier would not be hard to find. The offer was too enticing for Kaizoku to decline. He promised to spring Zagra when the time was right.

The next week, Masaru decided Kaizoku had finished his training and proved himself worthy of employment by the castle. Noting Kaizoku’s skill with a bow and independent nature, Masaru decided he would be a perfect fit for guard duty along the castle wall—especially shifts at night where Kaizoku would have less supervision than normal. The gears immediately began to turn in Kaizoku’s head.

That same week, Tsume decided to seek out the rightful owner of the cursed wakizashi, Miya Shinkako. He found her practicing calligraphy by lantern light in the castle’s garden-viewing room. The  garden, once verdant, was now dried and withered. Presumably due to the same blight which was affecting the whole countryside. Speaking with the woman, Tsume discovered that she was a poet of middling success and a guest of Reju Jikai’s. She seemed to spend all her time in the garden room writing poetry and drinking sake.

Tsume returned the sword to her. After hearing Tsume’s story of how he acquired the sword, she knew at once that it had been a gift from her uncle who mysteriously disappeared outside of Twin Blessings Village on the way to visit her. Shinkako simultaneously felt an immense feeling of sadness and relief after finally uncovering what happened to her beloved uncle. Feeling she could trust Tsume, she invited him to sit with her for a while. 

Knowing very little about the mysterious lord of Closed Shell Castle, Tsume had many questions about him. Shinkako told him that Jikai once was a poet as well. The two had found moderate success as poets in Otosan Uchi, and they had formed a kind of friendly rivalry. But deep down, she knew he was considered the superior poet and she was jealous. After the coup, Jikai had found employment in the Crane lands as a tutor for Daidoji Gombei’s son. One day, an accident involving a horse left Gombei’s son unable to use his right hand. Gombei held Jikai responsible for the accident and challenged him to a duel. Jikai’s wife, Seppun Azusa, was an extremely talented duelist and took the challenge in her husband’s stead. In the duel, Gombei deliberately disabled Azusa’s right hand as a stroke of irony. Dishonored and humiliated, Jikai was given the lordship of Closed Shell Castle—a hideous, poverty-stricken castle— as an insult. Since taking control of the castle, Jikai had become reclusive and his wife had become despondent, spending all of her time meditating in the castle shrine.

As Tsume was preparing to leave, Shinkako revealed the whole truth: she was responsible for the accident which crippled Gombei’s son. She was responsible for Jikai’s downfall. The horse was meant for Jikai himself, just to slow him down so she could steal some of his limelight as a poet. Guilt brought her to Closed Shell Castle. Now, she bides her time working up the nerve to admit responsibility to Jikai. Something she has not had the courage to do for many weeks.

Meanwhile, Boa spent some time in the castle tea room. Seated, he noticed a pair of unusual characters. The first was an opulently dressed man with an affable demeanor studying a Go board. The second was a strange man with piercing, hungry, yellowish eyes and silvery-gray hair and beard. His stare made Boa uncomfortable.

Boa approached the opulently dressed man, clad in shades of purple and pink. He introduced himself as Ide Toshio, the nephew of Ide Tadaji, daimyo of the Ide family of the Unicorn clan. He spoke openly and courteously with Boa, graciously accepting his challenge to a game of Go. Boa learned that he’s been sent as an envoy of the Ide family to welcome Reju Jikai as the new lord of Closed Shell Castle. Since then, he has been a guest of Jikai’s, staying as long as the lord will have him.

After a time, Boa noticed Dzudh—the wandering monk who meditates with Azusa in the shrine—walk into the tea room. Boa immediately struck up a conversation with him. He learned that Dzudh was helping Azusa find peace in the midst of her anger. She blames herself for the terrible fate which had befallen her and her husband. Boa asked about the thick, black incense which caked the shrine walls, and Dzudh admitted that they seemed counterproductive. Almost like they were meant to cloud Azusa’s mind and prevent her from finding peace. Dzudh observed that something strange was happening in Closed Shell Castle and its surrounding countryside. A spiritual discontent. 

At the mention of this, the man with the yellowish eyes crossed the room and sat with Boa and Dzudh. He was Mamoru Nakama. His family, he explained, had lived in the region for generations and supplied the ruling families of Closed Shell Castle with knowledge of the fields, forests, and waterways surrounding the castle. Something was off, he agreed. And he believed Ide Tadaji was a part of it.

Reju Jikai has been overhunting the forest and selling pelts to Tadaji. It seemed his true mission was to expand the Ide trade network into areas that had been devastated during the coup while also making friends with the new lords rebuilding their lands in the wake of the Scorpion war. It seemed as though Nakama had been watching Tadaji and taking notes. While they spoke, Boa couldn’t help but notice the odd, stiff way Nakama moved. It was as if he had been wounded under his arms. When asked about it, Nakama shrugged it off, saying it was merely old age. Further deepening the mystery, as Nakama appeared young, no older than his mid-20’s. Studying Nakama’s wounds, Boa made a startling revelation: his wounds matched the ones Kaizoku gave the wolf on the road to Closed Shell Castle.

Credits

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings

Previously on Podcast of the Five Rings… The three ronin sat in audience with Otomo Nobu, the castle steward. The lord, Reju Jikai, it seemed could not be bothered with such matters at that hour. Boa stood accused of attempting to steal from Reju Tetsuya’s private quarters. With some quick thinking, he was able to hide the note he found arranging a time and date for a meeting with Tetsuya. 

Nobu seemed unaffected by the accusation now facing the three. It seemed he was quite used to dealing with unruly ronin. He said all they needed was a bit of discipline. Their punishment was thus: they would spend each night of the first two weeks of their training helping the servants tend to the castle; cooking and serving meals, cleaning the floors, caring for the animals. An embarrassing sentence, but Nobu made it quite clear that it would be much more severe if they ever acted out again. 

After their audience, they were shown to their quarters in the barracks where they would be living during their stay at Closed Shell Castle. On their way to the barracks, they were confronted by the ronin, Rin. She was the same person who was brutalizing the villagers when the three arrived at Twin Blessings Village, and the same one who was responsible for burning down the waystation, killing many innocents. She said that she’d be watching them, and if they ever slipped again, she’d make sure Nobu knew about it.

The next day, their training with Reju Masaru began. His regimen was challenging, but measured. He knew what he was doing when it came to organizing and leading the soldiers under his command. For the next two weeks, he trained the ronin, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and pushing them. At night, the ronin would work with the servants. The work was exhausting and made the training with Masaru even more difficult. However, working with the servants allowed them to gain knowledge of the castle and a convenient reason to explore its grounds. 

Boa befriended the head servant, Anzu. He had a natural talent for hard labor, and the two bonded over an appreciation for simple living. Anzu ran a tight ship, but lightened up a bit after becoming friends with the former samurai. With Anzu distracted, the ronin could navigate the castle a little more easily.

One night, Boa decided to investigate the shrine to Shinsei, working with the servants to scrape off the strange black chalk that caked the hall. He discovered that Tetsuya had left the castle. One night, without saying anything to anyone, he packed his belongings and left and now Masaru had a small party of soldiers searching for him. Following the shugenja’s exodus, the strange black substance had been all but cleaned from the shrine. It appeared he was responsible for supplying the shrine with a pungent incense which clouded the shrine with black smoke and clung to the walls. Working in the shrine, Boa noticed the monk, Dzudh, and a strongly built woman meditating there. There was nothing supernatural about the woman, but Boa sensed an extreme feeling of anger and resentment radiating from the woman.

While working with the servants, Tsume considered investigating the meeting which had been arranged with Tetsuya. He knew the time and place of the meeting, and a curiosity burned in him to uncover the mystery behind it, but he decided it was too risky. He couldn’t afford being caught sneaking around the castle grounds and intruding upon a secret meeting. Especially not after Boa’s accusation. Instead, he decided to lay low, focus on the work at hand. Anzu, the lead servant, tended to his wound as well.

Always on the search for trouble, Kaizoku spent his time picking up rumors around the castle—paying particular attention to any potential criminal activity which could be occurring on the grounds. Speaking with one of the servants, Kaizoku learned that an eccentric gaijin was being held in the dungeon below the castle. Some kind of pirate being prepped for transfer to Toshi Ranbo, supposedly. Deciding to follow up on this lead, Kaizoku made a trip down to the dungeons to serve the prisoners their meal one evening. 

The first prisoner was a familiar face and an expected one as well. It was Setsuo, the leader of Twin Blessings Village. He was surprised to see Kaizoku there and asked what he was doing. Deflecting the question entirely, he feigned his surprise and asked the old man the same thing. Setsuo told him he lied to the magistrate about the village’s crop yields and had been arrested for tax evasion. He was clearly ashamed of himself, but stood his ground, saying that lord Jikai’s taxes were outrageous, and that he had to do what he did so he could support the village. 

The second prisoner Kaizoku saw down in the dungeons was also a familiar face, though one far less expected. His torch slowly illuminated the gaijin. He was quick and lithe, prowling his cell like a caged panther with sharp, piercing eyes. His skin the color of cinnamon. His name was Zagra. In a previous life, he and Kaizoku had been crewmates.

Artwork by Dylon Munoz

Music by Brandon Spain & Podcast of the Five Rings