The guards are too cowed to do more than stammer - papers, what papers, weapons, they don't know where Mura is right now - but Takao's question for a leader (and the general commotion) does send a samurai running from the nearest inn toward the scene, with Yoshi alerting Takao to the newcomer with a silent touch. The samurai in charge is tall and clean, sharp and lean, with a furrowed brow and a very accusatory cadence to his High Imperial.
"What Devilry is this?" he asks. "What Quarrel places thou before me? If thou possess neither Sense nor Decency, then surely a Name! Now hie thine Answer, for mine Temper is already now sorely tested!"
Takao, already on the barge, meets the samurai at the plank that connects the barge to the pier. The samurai's tenseness and temper on the pier is met by Takao with disinterest and calm on the barge, a mere 4 feet of wood between them.
The samurai's draw is lightning-fast, but this ain't Takao's first duel. Though he misses bringing his sword out quite as swiftly, he stills easily dodges the wild first swing with a half-step backward.
Takao dodges the expected strike, steps in and checks the right arm with his right hand, then follows up with a solid push to the samurai's body to force him off the plank and into the river.
(OOC: 1d20+16 = 28 for a Bull Rush/Athletics check. Will spend AD on this roll if necessary.)
(Samurai's Athletics: 1d20+13 = 32
Takao spends an Action Die: Roll 1: 1d6.open: 1d6.open(4) = 4 CLOSE ONE! This equalizes the results, and since Takao has the higher base bonus to Athletics, he wins the opposed skill check.)
Takao slams into the samurai, and for a moment it seems like neither can budge - the samurai's stance is good and well-rooted, and his aggression threatens to throw Takao off. But the ronin's fiery spirit and superior close combat skills win the day, as Takao hooks the samurai's tight obi with his free hand and ducks under the defensive elbow strike, heaving the samurai off the plank and throwing him into the river.
(Yoshi uses a half action to draw and another half action to close the distance.)
Seeing the commotion, Yoshi comes running with his sword drawn, ready to assist Takao.
(ROUND 2:
The samurai's not desisting - in fact, he tries to grapple Takao to draw him down into the river with him!
The samurai struggles with his newly enforced bath, arms shooting out of the water in a vain attempt to grab Takao's legs, but the mighty Ronin is not that easy to unbalance.
"Come hither, thou Blackguard!" the samurai cries between gasps for air.
Takao takes a step back, then reaches for a rope, wraps it around a cleat and lowers one end to the samurai.
While the (now somewhat cooler, but perhaps not cool enough) samurai climbs out of the water, Takao asks Yoshi: "What the hell kind of accent is that?"
When the samurai finally stands dripping on deck, Takao asks him:"Ready for a chat? I hope you didn't have the shipping papers on you."
The samurai first dives down into the river, retrieving his blade, before he begrudgingly accepts Takao's help to get back onto the barge.
Yoshi sheathes his blade for another moment. "He speaks the old pure tongue still favored in the capital," Yoshi says. As the samurai rights himself, Yoshi bows to him slightly. "Peace, Sire. No Fracas did we intend. This One is called Yoshiro and serves High Lord Shira. He is Shinmen Takao and adrift with no Lord to serve."
"Hail and well met, Servant of the Dragon," the samurai says, begrudgingly returning Yoshi's bow before he turns back to Takao. "Thou art like unto a Dog in Manners and Spirit; this One owes no Answers to the Servant of None. Make Haste with thy Friend, that we may conduct our Business in Peace: 'tis only Respect for Shira-dono's Name that keeps mine Blade from thy Neck."
For the first time in this encounter, Takao's hands move into a combat-ready stance and fixes the other with his gaze. "There are many things that keep 'thine Blade from mine Neck', as you would say, and most of those have little to do with you. Whether we intend Fracas or not is also still an open question, and depends largely on you. Now, my questions were: who does this shipment belong to, and where is it going?"
Samurai gains a +2 dodge bonus to Defense against Takao for this round.)
The samurai's response to Takao's repeated posturing and lack-of-respect-ing is depressingly predictable: he goes for his sword again, and this time his slash actually comes close to its mark, glancing off Takao's shoulder armor. The samurai does not press his advantage, however, taking in Takao's moves to bolster his defenses against the inevitable counter-attack.
OOC: Free action: Quick draw Mizu
Action 1: Disarm! 1d20+15 = 27, add another AD if necessary. (rolled unarmed initially, then realized opponent would be at +8; use "Think ahead", so the actual result is 37)
Action 2: 5 foot step on opponent's weapon and Intimidate: 1d20+15 = 30 ("Don't even think about picking it up.");
if he somehow isn't disarmed, Anticipate: 1d20+25 = 39, +5 to defense next turn
Mizu flashes out of its saya, and strikes the samurai's sword with ringing force.
Samurai's damage save VS DC 15: 1d20+7 = 26 SUCCESS!
...and Yoshi threatens twice.
Yoshi's Intimidate: 1d20+10 = 24
Samurai's Resolve: 1d20+11 = 24 SUCCESS! Samurai gains a +1 on his next attack against Yoshi.)
Takao's display of swordsmanship is superb, easily wresting the samurai's blade away from him, but neither the gesture of stepping on it nor Yoshi's forceful barks to cease fighting at once seem to calm the rage that has gripped him.
The samurai carries Takao 10 feet before he becomes sprawled! Takao is flat-footed and at -2 to all of his attacks until he spends a half action to reposition.)
Disarmed and out of the options, the samurai lowers his head and charges ahead into Takao, tackling him - and actually lifting him off the ground! With a shout of effort, the samurai runs, ignoring Takao's attempts to fight him off, and after the second it takes him to cross the narrow barge, he dives off the side into the river, carrying Takao down underwater with him. Takao reflexively holds his breath when they hit the surface, but the momentum carries the two of them all the (short) way down to the river bed. Takao impacts with a thump, with the samurai straddling him and holding him to the ground!
And so they had a water brawl after all. Takao grappled his opponent, the name of the game being to get your head as often out of the water as you could, while keeping the other under.
Takao ties again with the help of an AD, and due to having the higher bonus, wins this one, too. The samurai is held!)
Takao's struggle against the samurai on top of him is narrowly decided in favor of the ronin, who pulls the samurai down next to him into a hold. Now he just needs to get things under control a little more and make it to the surface...
(Excluding Yoshi from further rounds since he's not gonna go for a swim.
Samurai's damage save vs DC 22: 1d20+7 = 16 FAIL!)
Takao gains the upper hand in their struggle as he flips the Samurai onto the river bed, then puts him in a chokehold and swims upwards. Takao barely has time for a breath before the samurai struggles to get free again. Takao favors him with a blow from Mizu's handle to his stomach, ejecting a big cloud of air bubbles from the samurai's mouth. That finally seems to convince the samurai that he's in trouble, and with his panicked flailing, it seems clear to Takao that he's finally had enough. The two resurface, and the samurai pulls in a deep breath interrupted by hacking up water. Yoshi stands on the barge and bows down to offer Takao a hand.
"That was impressive," Yoshi says. "Stupid...but impressive nonetheless."
Takao takes Yoshi's hand and climbs back aboard, then they both pull the samurai out.
While the samurai hacks up some more water, Takao wipes off Mizu, then draws his second blade and wipes it dry as well. He also unstoppers his powder horn to see if the powder got wet.
Finally, Takao turns back to the samurai. "Now, let's start all over. My name is Takao, and I have an interest in these barges, their content, and their destination. Oh, and it'd be nice to know whom I'm addressing, too."
"One thing Yoshi did not mention is that I am ronin by choice; I am on a musha shugyo. And having spent enough time as samurai, I can tell you that there is no shame in acknowledging superior skill and yielding to it. There is, however, shame in death by stupidity, which is what will happen if you draw another weapon or charge me again."
"Thy Skill is beyond mine," he says. "Such is true, and I yield, in Reason, to thy Force. Thou may call me Genji. I have well noted thine Desires and Inquiries. Be sure of this: the Answers to follow are given in Deference to the Dragon; thou would debase thyself with further Threats and Violence to part mine Lips and snatch their Secrets, and it is not proper that the Servant of the Dragon be forced to stand and associate with such an Act, bringing great Dishonor 'pon his Lord."
Genji takes another breath. "Gonnes are our Cargo, the Capital our Destination, the Grand Merchant Mura our Master. It is said that Master Mura serves a High Lord, though I know not which." He points to a small chest aboard the barge. "Our Orders are sealed inside, as is our Coin. Help thyself to either and then leave us be, Dog."
"I have no interest in your coin. Will the cargo move on beyond the Capital, under a different steward, or will it be delivered to someone within the city? And when were you supposed to break the seal on your orders, so that you may follow them?"
Takao closes the chest, then reaches into his obi and produces a small bag of coins, which he tosses to the guard he harassed the most earlier.
"Guarding is thirsty work. Since he is aboard now, I'm sure your leader will not mind if you get a drink at the sake house over there. He is a good man, but sometimes has trouble expressing his appreciation."
He gives Genji a meaningful look, since that is where the guards will most likely look next.
When the guards have left, Takao says to Genji: "See, this way nobody loses face. You didn't let me read the papers with witnesses, and you won't break your word by reading the papers before you reach Port, um, I mean, port." The accent was infectious.
Takao reaches back into the chest, breaks the seal on the papers, and starts reading them.
Heed well this Command: Deliver thou the Barges to the Pier twixt the Grand Hall and the Clocktower. A Man with a Jade Ring 'pon his Hand shall be the Gonnes' new Steward. Make Haste in thy Return; more Business awaits.
Takao rolls up the papers again and returns them to the chest.
"My thanks. You wouldn't happen to know where Master Mura is right now, would you?"
After getting a response, Takao nods to Yoshi, and they leave the barge.
Once they are out of earshot, Takao asks: " Can we get to the Capital faster by horse than by barge if we hurry? And does 'man with jade ring' ring any bells?"
Gatac
13(13) = 21