Ninja Wars.pdf - Dorks and Dragons!

Fusae’s minka is area 14 on the city map. Use thestandard layout of a peasant minka from the OrientalAdventures hardcover. The meeting takes place in thelarge room, the one with the hearth. Fusae silentlybeckons the PCs to follow her into this room. Assumingthey agree to do so—and, again, there’s no goodreason why they shouldn’t—read the following:The bent old woman slides back the shoji and signalsfor you to follow her into the minka’s mainroom. The area is dimly lit by two small oil lampsthat seem to produce more smoke than they dolight. The smoke from the small fire in the hearthseems somewhat averse to using the chimney, anddoesn’t help the visibility a whit.In the dimness, you see a figure kneeling in thefar corner of the room. The figure bows deeply,then moves slightly forward, more into the doubtfullight of an oil lamp. You see for the first timethat the figure is a beautiful young woman.Fusae makes a rapid series of complex gesturestowards the young woman, who says in a pleasingvoice, “We bid you welcome, honored travellers.My grandmother asks you please to make yourselfcomfortable.”For the first time, you notice something else thatseems totally out of place in a peasant minka such asthis. In the far corner of the room, near where heyoung woman was originally kneeling, you see aflower arrangement of almost transcendent beauty.no indication of her knowledge. She says . . . sosorry, she says men of action always err in theirjudgement of the old and infirm. Such as my grandmothersee much, and know much for which theynever receive credit.”If questioned, Fusae—through Cachiko—will saythat she saw three black-clad men, but suspects thatthere were probably more. She knows nothing further,and won’t speculate. Never does she use theword “ninja”; the PCs must make that leap of judgementthemselves.Should the PCs ask about Fusae’s background, theycan learn all of the background described in ChapterVII. Neither Fusae nor Cachiko will volunteer any ofthis information, however.If asked, both Fusae and Cachiko will admit thatthey don’t believe the “incidents” that have been happeningrecently have any supernatural aspects tothem at all. Both women know that the PCs are investigatingthe incidents and wish them luck; neither ofthem is able to help them in any way, however, becauseof their eta status.Probable OutcomeIf the PCs don’t go through with the meeting, theconsequence is simply that they don’t receive Fusae’spotentially-useful revelation.Fusae and her interpreter—who is calledCachiko— won’t get down to business until the PCshave settled themselves comfortably, and Cachiko hasserved them their choice of cha or sake. Throughoutthis encounter, all conversation is conducted throughCachiko. She interprets her grandmother’s sign language,always speaking as “we” or as “my grandmother”.Fusae can obviously understand anyquestions put to her, answering yes-or-no questionswith a definite nod or shake of her head.When the pleasantries and formalities are out of theway, read the following:Fusae gestures again, and Cachiko translates hersigning. “My grandmother remembers you fromthe House of Heavenly Sands,” the young womantells you. “She has information that you shouldknow about the unfortunate body found on herpremises. Unfortunately, when you visited her beforeyou were accompanied by Buntaro and he—sosorry, this is what she insists I tell you—he is a pig.“My grandmother was at the House on the eveningwhen the body must have been . . . er, delivered,”Cachiko continues. “She left perhaps twohours after sunset. And, as she walked away fromthe building, she saw something. Figures on therooftops. Figures clad in black, with black hoods.They were watching her. She saw them, but gave29