S2E11: The Bastard of Bayushi Castle

Our samurai have to figure their way out of a sticky situation in Ginasutra. Details about their loyal retainer Tsubasa's past finally come to light. Support the show at patreon.com/pot5r to get access to the after-show and a bunch of other cool new content!

---SHOW NOTES---

Kenshi and Buro (wearing the armor of Togashi Yoshi) sat in the temple of Shosuro, where a priest lay decapitated, Tsubasa’s sword still dripping with blood. Stepping out of their private chamber, the samurai saw the temple full of confused bystanders speaking in frightened tones to one another, and a handful of priests rushing down the hall to investigate the incident.

Tsubasa immediately claimed that the priest had tried to attack them, and pointed to the knife he had planted in the hands of the dead monk. Following the Scorpion’s lead, Buro and Kenshi stuck to the alibi which Tsubasa had crafted. With their stories straight, the three samurai convinced the commoners in the temple to leave, and allow them and the priests to work out what happened. Leveraging their status over the lowly monks, the party also managed to evade the ire of the angry priests living in the temple.

Once outside the temple, the samurai told the story to Tomo and Akari, and explained that they needed to leave Ginasutra immediately, as their cover up will not protect them forever. On the road outside of town, Tsubasa revealed that he knew someone, or something, among them was tainted. Thinking quickly, he knew their best bet at escaping the temple without anyone finding out would be to swiftly execute the only person with testimony against them, and create an alibi to protect them. The party then decided to share the dark secret of Yoshi’s armor with Tsubasa.

The samurai tried to think of a way to expel the Taint from the armor, but they came up short. Tsubasa finally resigned that he might know someone who could help them, and that this person was not out of their way.

The party rode east to Kyuden Bayushi, the Scorpion clan seat of power. Here, Tsubasa spoke with the guards stationed at the wall protecting the castle town, and took the samurai to a nearby inn to await for their invitation to the palace. Along the way, the party noticed people recognizing Tsubasa. Some would see him and walk the other way, others would see him and begin laughing. Inside the inn, Tsubasa explained that he was raised in this castle and its adjoining town, and that he had an unsavory reputation from his youth. He partook in all manner of illicit activities when he was younger, but his father sent him away to the Kaiu wall to learn discipline and become a true Samurai. Tsubasa has spent the last five years trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his father.

 After waiting at the inn for a while, dignitaries from the castle invited them up to the palace. The party marveled at the splendor and mystery surrounding the castle, and were shook by its dichotomous nature: both unendingly hospitable, and deeply intimidating at the same time. Before long, the party was seated in an opulent audience chamber, face-to-face with the Lord Bayushi himself, champion of the Scorpion clan.

Credits

Art by Dylon Munoz (@dylonmunoztattoo)

Music

Rokugan Theme by Brandon Spain

Conniving & Mysterious by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark & Airy by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sleepy Little Fishing Town by Podcast of the Five Rings

Dark Reckoning by Podcast of the Five Rings

Kenshi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

Yoshsi's Lament by Podcast of the Five Rings

The Staredown by Podcast of the Five Rings

Nighttime Antics by Podcast of the Five Rings

Sultry Silence by Podcast of the Five Rings