Ninja Wars.pdf - Dorks and Dragons!

2. Temple Gate. The gate is flanked by two hugeebony lions, standing 10’ high. The lions’ eyes aregold, and their teeth are crystal (not diamond, althoughthey look like it). Legend holds that the lionswill animate and attack anyone who tries to desecratethe temple atop the flight of stairs.3. Marketplace. Every three or four days, basedon some kind of arcane calculation, is market day. Onthese days, the marketplace is a bustling mass of humanity,as hawkers try to sell anything and everythingto anyone who happens by.4. “The Waiting Stone” Ryokan. This is one ofthe many ryokans in Aru.5. Shrine of the West Wind. This small temple isdetailed in Chapter V.6. Yamaguchi Warehouse.7. The House of Heavenly Sand. This establishmentis detailed in Chapter V.8. The Grand Noh Theater. This is a large, elaboratebuilding in which noh and kabuki theater is performedmost evenings.9. “The Tengu” Sake House. A middle-classdrinking establishment.10. Whispering Breeze Tea Garden.11. “Tojo’s”. A well-known restaurant.12. “Aki’s”. Another well-known restaurant. (Asdescribed in Chapter VI, Tojo and Aki are brothers aswell as business rivals.)13. Livery Stables.14. Fusae’s Minka.15. Graveyard. Most bodies are cremated outsidethe city walls. Some people’s religion, however, requiresthat they be buried. This is a small, well-keptgraveyard, surrounded by a low wall. The gates ofwrought iron are more for show than anything, andare rarely closed.Benju’s DonjonThis building is sturdily built of heavy, dark wood.The outside walls are blue, and the roof green embellishedwith gold.Inside, all of the hallways have polished hardwoodfloors. The floors of all rooms are covered with tatamimats.The donjon is the residence of the daimyo and hishousehold. All of Benju’s samurai, and most of his servantslive in other buildings in the Castle District. Onlythe most personal of effects are in the rooms here.Other equipment, clothes, etc. are fetched from storageelsewhere whenever they’re needed.Ground Floor1. Bath.2. Dressing room.3. Antechamber.4. Closet. This area contains writing materials andmiscellaneous utensils.5. Latrines.6. Reception Room. There is a low table in themiddle of the room on which rests a beautiful flowerarrangement.7. Private Reception Room. A little smaller andless formal than the main reception room, this iswhere the daimyo would meet with people on less officialbusiness.8. Waiting room. Here servants would serve sakeor cha to people awaiting a meeting with the daimyo.9. Parlor. On the solid west wall hangs a delicatewatercolor of a landscape, painted by Benju’s wife.This is a private room, and Benju often comes here tomeditate.10. Tea Room. Again, this is a private room. Onlymembers of Benju’s family or his closest friends everreceive cha here.11. Kitchen. This is more a preparation room thana true kitchen. There is no hearth, although some limitedcooking could be done over a brazier. Mostcooked meals are prepared in another building.12. Servants’ rooms. Each room has a futon anda chest in which the servants can store their clothes.Second Floor13. Buntaro’s room. In addition to his futon, Buntarohas a wardrobe in which he keeps his formal regalia.Unless he’s carrying it with him, Buntaro’sdaikyu stands in a corner, wrapped lovingly in silk.14. Lady Satomi’s room. A wardrobe contains aselection of kimonos of the finest quality. A tiny bonsaitree in a lacquer pot sits on a low table.15. Benju’s room. The room is spartan, almostbare, with nothing to indicate that it belongs to themost powerful man in Aru.16. Naomi’s room. The wardrobe contains a selectionof beautiful kimonos, and a samisen of highquality in a lacquer case.17. Takako’s room. The wardrobe contains arange of clothes. A small brazier burns around theclock, on which tiny slivers of aromatic wood smoke,scenting the air.18. Sumihiro’s room. Unlike the other bedrooms,which are scrupulously clean, this is slightlyuntidy. A worn kimono is bundled in a corner, and amismatched pair of ebi (socks) lie on a low table.19. Toshikazu’s room. A small shelf holds half adozen books on topics ranging from falconry throughmilitary tactics to the philosophy of religion.20. Yuji’s room. The wardrobe contains Yuji’s formalregalia, plus the warrior’s second-best katana.21. Guest room. For the day or two surroundingthe Ceremony of the Three Thousand Steps, thisroom is occupied by Hiro Matsu. At other times it’sempty.22. Antechamber.23. Guest room. For the day or two surroundingthe Ceremony of the Three Thousand Steps, thisroom is occupied by Zukimoto Chikitada.7