Togashi Yoshi, Soshi no Burezu, Kaiu Tomo, Hida Nagahide, Hiruma Yuto, and Kaiu Daisoto stand face to face against the centuries-old demon, Atsumari, the wicked maho-tsukai, Kitsu Sokori, and her retinue of undead warriors. What will our heroes have to do to save Rokugan from Atsumari's wrath? The final episode of the Mask of the Oni adventure.
Togashi Yoshi, Soshi no Burezu, Kaiu Tomo, Hida Nagahide, Hiruma Yuto, and Kaiu Daisoto stood face to face against the centuries-old demon, Atsumari, the wicked maho-tsukai, Kitsu Sokori, and her retinue of undead warriors. Sprawling out beneath them from atop the ghostly castle tower were the fallen Hiruma, an army of unholy samurai, newly resurrected by Atsumari’s vile power.
Atsumari thanked Sokori for her help in acquiring this army, an arrangement made between an unspeakably powerful lord and his faithful servant. Sokori agreed to help undo the ritual which bound the souls of the Hiruma to Yume-do, bringing them back to the realm of mortals where Atsumari could enslave them and tether them to their decrepit remains, creating an army of zombies with unwavering loyalty. In exchange, Sokori would be awarded land and a position of power within Atsumari’s newly forged kingdom—the conquered empire of Rokugan.
Without wasting any time, Atsumari immediately slayed the sorceress, crushing her head like a grape in his massive claw-like hands. He then reanimated the decapitated corpse like a marionette pulling on the strings of his puppet. The 20-foot tall demon then turned his attention to the weak and wounded samurai, now the only thing standing between him and his plans for domination.
The party fought for their lives against the oni and his corpse abomination, but it was soon clear that they were no match for this unholy duo of dark magic. Recalling the words of Hiruma Masami and reflecting on how she defeated the beast 400 years ago, Togashi Yoshi came to terms with what must be done. Summoning an invocation taught to him by the sacred monks of his order, Yoshi focused his mind, body, and soul into one final attack. His eyes shone with a brilliant light and his hands glowed with a magnificent green energy. Attempting to distract Atsumari, Kaiu Daisoto threw himself at the monster, becoming instantly disemboweled with one stroke of the beast’s claw. With the demon’s attention now turned on the eviscerated Crab, Yoshi struck at the nightmare creature in a fit of maniacal laughter, rending its soul and banishing the both of them to the realm of Jigoku—a land of eternal torment and misery. Yoshi paid the ultimate price, sacrificing himself in order save the lives of countless innocents and delaying a full-scale assault from the Shadowlands for perhaps another few centuries.
As the tower began to collapse around the remaining samurai, Kaiu Tomo swiftly investigated Kitsu Sokori’s body, revealing his uncle’s stolen map. Once outside, the samurai were greeted with the image of countless Crab souls exiting the mortal realm and moving on toward the afterlife. A final vision of Hiruma Masami graced their senses, as she said goodbye and thanked them for all they have done. As a token of their gratitude, the departing souls swept the vile taint from the lost valley, clearing a path to the River of Last Stand where the samurai could return to the Spear of Dawn Watchtower.
Atsumari was slain, Kitsu Sokori was brought to justice, the stolen map were recovered, and the souls of the Hiruma were finally allowed to rest, however, all was still not well. Haunted by messages from evil kansen, Soshi Buro convinced his companions that they should investigate the caverns beneath the castle. Following the subterranean streams which cut through the castle grounds, the party found a cavern where a pair of tainted creatures called The Sisters were conducting a ritual using a stone cauldron filled with a dark, oozing liquid. Upon killing The Sisters, the evil spirits haunting Buro became even louder, enticing him to look into the cauldron. “Join us,” they said, “uncover a secret to shatter an empire.” But following the advice of the Crab samurai and with some help from his friends, Buro resisted the temptation of these dark spirits. Tomo then destroyed the cauldron with a single shot from his sacred crossbow, immediately ending the dark voices plaguing Buro.
With the spirits of Daylight Castle resolved, the remaining samurai crossed the now at-peace Plain of Last Stand toward the river which would take them home. After drifting on the River of Last Stand for an unknown period of time, the samurai were eventually discovered by a Crab ranging party and promptly taken to Spear of Dawn Watchtower. There, they had an audience with Hida Hachiro where they relayed every detail of their grim story…
During a moment of respite at the Spear of Dawn Watchtower, after their meeting with Hida Hachiro, Kuni Akari found Soshi Burezu praying to the armor of Togashi Yoshi. “Come with me,” she said, “study with my family. We may have a way to bring your friend back...”
In the weeks following, news spread throughout Rokugan of their mission. In some places, especially among the Crab lands, the survivors came to be known as folk heroes, and Togashi Yoshi’s selfless act will be remembered for generations, catapulting him to the status of religious martyr. In other places, however, many Rokugani do not believe the farcical story the survivors relayed, passing it off as a tall tale and nothing more. Some believing their story was exaggerated, others going so far as to claim the thing was made up entirely.
For returning the ancestral wakizashi to the Hiruma, the reigning daimyo indebted his family to the lives of the survivors. He proclaimed that the Hiruma family will forever be the vigilant eyes watching over them, protecting them from the horrors of the night.
Hida Hachiro was eternally grateful for the notes found in Daylight Castle chronicling its slow defeat to Shadowlands forces. He said these journals will prove invaluable in future sieges against the demonic forces. “My castle and all of its might are yours to command if you ever are in need.”
Buro’s journal detailing the place of shadows, including its lands, its monsters, and the effects of its foul taint was published and distributed throughout the empire. Among many circles, it became a must-read for anyone studying the lands beyond the wall. For undergoing an extremely dangerous mission into the heart of evil and bringing the sorceress Kitsu Sokori to justice, Buro was promoted to the rank of Captain among the Emerald Magistrates.
Tomo brought the blueprints of the Defender found at Daylight Castle to the engineers of the Kaiu School. The technology was thought to have been lost along with the castle, so the engineers were overjoyed to have the schematics returned to them. Tomo’s uncle, Yasuki Keiji, was proud of his nephew for returning the family map. As a gift for proving himself a worthy samurai, Keiji pulled some strings, to allow Tomo to become the new governor of Clear Water Village. “A worthy position for a worthy samurai.”
Hida Nagahide was promoted to the position of personal bodyguard to Hida Hachiro for her part in the mission. At her coronation ceremony, she presented Kaiu Tomo with the sacred naginata found on the Defender in Daylight Castle. “For exemplifying courage beyond measure, and inspiring a new generation of young samurai to continue the fight against the forces of evil.”
Finally, during the festivities celebrating Nagahide’s promotion and the successful completion of their mission, Soshi Buro was approached by Bayushi Tsubasa. Tsubasa was expecting Buro to follow up on his end of the deal by finding him a new position away from the Carpenter Wall. Buro named Tsubasa one of his personal retainers and invited him to join the magistrate in the castle of the Emerald Champion where Buro was already plotting his next assignment. Since returning from their mission, Togashi Yoshi had quickly become a symbol of selflessness and courage against the evils that threaten to consume Rokugan. Some came to see him as a hero of the empire, others a testament to the ascetic life of a monk, others still seeing him as a religious figure, a man sent by the kami to defend the righteous. Political factions across Rokugan were quickly mounting pressure to claim Yoshi’s armor which had come to be known as the spiritual embodiment of the Martyr Monk. Buro, seeing himself as the executor of the armor, knew he was going to need help sorting through the mountain of bureaucracy that lie before him, and in help determining where the armor should call its final resting place. “At your command, my lord,” Tsubasa said, a razor-edged smirk on his lips, “I may already have plans for the armor myself…”
--Thus concludes season 1 of Podcast of the Five Rings--