The Perfect Land Is A Fallacy
Donoha sama asked Sanjiro san, the village’s headman, and Hoshi san to have the yetis skinned and turned into fur coats. With that he headed over to talk with Tamae about how her understanding had changed. Now that she’d seen him fight with Mittsu Tamashi. Their conversation continue, with Donoha sama mentioning that some parts of his journey he’d been forbidden to discuss with anyone by the Dragon Clan Champion.
Masashige sama was conversing with the others about the Perfect Land “sect.” Although, the Phoenix lands declared it a heretical cult and they banned it. Forcing those members to move west into Dragon lands. The daimyo’s son, Ichiro san, had become mixed up in the cult or sect and he had heard he was in the village. He asked if the group could help him find his son. Hanzo san offered to aid Donoha in this endeavor. Tamaki san saw this issue as an almost political one but offered to help nonetheless.
The search did not take long. The near whole of the town had been brought to bear on skinning the yeti’s hides, putting the meat to use, and making use of everything left by them. Sanjiro san explained about his wife also being mixed up in the group when queried about them. He point the group in the direction of a house. Donoha sama walked up and opened the door on a group sitting around a small fire pit.
Thus began a conversation that tested those present in their resolve to not shed blood. Fanatics just don’t listen to reason. Otaku Gunba sama and Kuni Shirai san were the first to leave. Gunba sama had just had enough and went to go and pack. Shirai san grumbled about the peasants being blasphemous. Kitsuki Donoha sama eventually realized he was about to have a moment like the alley in Toshi No Omiodoso.
As he understood his orders he was to get the son of the daimyo, Ichiro san, to his father, and to disband the sect here using reason. However, Tamaki san and Hanzo san were staying and engaged. When Donoha sama admonished the two wearing katana for only trying to defend their group and not the whole town he demanded their katana claiming they were unfit to bear the honor. When they handed them over he asked for Ichiro san to follow him so they could talk. The young man did so and they left.
Leading the son of the daimyo into the Pine Needle Retreat Tea House and straight up to his father. Donoha sama laid the two confiscated katana on the table before the samurai lord. Kneeling he offered to commit seppuku for failing to get the sect members to listen to reason. He mentioned why he confiscated the blades, and left because he had to fight the urge to kill them for blasphemy.
Masashige sama told him he did not expect a conversion with a single conversation and he did bring him his son. He did not shed blood of mislead people so the daimyo was happy. He should consider this a success and now had leave to go and visit his parents before returning to the Emperor’s Gift caravan. Turning to Ichiro san he told him, “Your father came on his own for you. Not with an army but as a parent worried about their child. Remember that.”
As he left the teahouse he ran into Tamaki san whom offered a slight smile, “I got them to listen to most of a reason, let’s discuss with the others.” Donoha sama listened and decided to rest after the yeti fight because he did not want to see Sanjiro san’s wife and her thinly veiled disdain. He still felt not shedding blood was something the Mirumoto daimyo would prefer. The group would head off with Sanjiro san’s wife to the tree the village was named for. There they’d perform a ritual that would take at least eight hours to complete. It would allow her to see the other world and the karmic cycle for themselves. To know that truth and hopefully the errors of their ways.
Both the Unicorn and Phoenix shugenja were vague about what took place during the eight hours. As the large group headed up to the aforementioned pine tree. The path now confused a few villagers as it’s straighter than before, and with nice clean switchbacks for easier transit. Hanzo san mix a special tea that Tamaki san requested. Next to a glowering Shirai san, looking for the slightest hint of treachery. Gunba sama aided preparations while Tamaki san and the headman’s wife made ready for their spiritual journey.
While they were under the affects of the tea and in a near death state. Gunba sama had made a charm chain to hang around the base of the tree. It was a Meishodo but vacant of spells, so a basically I’m hoping to appeal to the local kami out of curiosity. His hidden agenda was to put a Shinsei phrase on the tree: “The grasses feel the wind, as does the rock, the tree, and even us. Yet is it truly the same wind that each feels?”
It was late and one might have a hard time saying of it was the Hour of the Boar on the 7th of Shinjo (Month of the Dog {OOC: November}), or the Hour of the Rat on the 8th of Shinjo (Month of the Dog {OOC: November}) when they returned. From what I am told they were successful and in Tall Pine Village the Perfect Land sect was undone. It’s members would spread out and try to fix the misinformation they had spread.
When the morning cast Lady Sun’s gaze upon Tall Pine Village on the 8th of Shinjo (Month of the Dog {OOC: November}). Masashige sama and his son had quietly departed. The yeti hides had prepared but no one wanted to mess up the resource for coats. Donoha sama was very happy with that thought process and they were rolled up and tied with their supplies to make to Great Falls Castle. The travel was pleasant and they set eyes upon Great Falls Castle upon the 15th of Shinjo (Month of the Dog {OOC: November}).
