Scenario: The road leading south from Toshi no Omoidoso cuts through the mountains, providing for convenient passage to the plains north of Otosan Uchi. With the forces of the Steel Chrysanthemum bearing down on the city, the governor, Shimizu Kendo, has decided that the pass must be destroyed. This will force the Steel Chrysanthemum’s armies to detour west around the mountain, into the heart of Lion territory. The destruction of the pass will be a major economic blow to the city for years to come, but it will buy time for the Imperial Legions to muster their forces and move into position.

Collapsing an entire mountain pass is a difficult endeavor, however, and even if it can be done, it is certainly not very safe…


Participants: Four characters.


Imperialist Victory: At least two sections of the pass are collapsed. Every character that collapsed a section of the pass gains +0.5 Glory and 1 rank in Engineering. The Steel Chrysanthemum's armies are forced to match around the collapsed pass, greatly delaying their advancement on their capital.

Imperialist Bonus: All four sections of the pass are collapsed. The resulting avalanche awakens many long-sleeping Earth kami, some of which decide to follow the characters to see why they brought down a mountain. Every character gains their choice of either the Friendly Kami advantage (shugenja only, even if deficient) or the Friend of the Elements advantage.


Traditionalist Victory: One or fewer sections of the pass are collapsed. The Steel Chrysanthemum sends a vanguard of soldiers through the pass, forcing the Imperial Legion to move into the pass to stop their advance. As they surge forward, the Steel Chrysanthemum springs his trap: hidden scouts bring the pass down on the Imperial Legions and his own vanguard, collapsing the path and dealing a devastating blow to the Legions. The forces of the Empire will receive no assistance from the Imperial Legions for the remainder of the game, and the Empire will gain +20 Traditionalist Points.

Traditionalist Bonus: None of the pass is collapsed. The Steel Chrysanthemum’s forces use the open pass to march south. This military blitz allows them to attack the Imperial Legions garrisoned at the Castle of the Emerald Champion from a position of surprise. The Emerald Champion is killed in the resulting battle, and the Imperial Legions are devastated. This leaves the Steel Chrysanthemum within striking distance of Otosan Uchi and greatly increases his chances of seizing the throne. The forces of the Empire will receive no assistance from the Imperial Legions for the remainder of the game, and the entire momentum of the game will shift significantly. Additionally, the Empire will receive +100 Traditionalist Points.


Rules: Each participating character is tasked with collapsing a large section of the path. This can be done in one of three ways:


Speak to the Kami:

A character capable of casting spells can ask the Earth kami and ask them to collapse their section of the path.

If the character knows the Earthquake spell, they can cast that spell to collapse a section of the path. If they successfully cast the spell, their section of the path collapses. On a failure, the character can try again. If a character fails their Spellcasting roll by the margin imposed by the Black Scrolls, however (i.e., if the Spellcasting roll only failed because of the +6 penalty), then they have become so sickened that they are unable to further participate in this event.

If the character does not know the Earthquake spell, they can attempt to Importune the spell. To do so, the character must first cast the Commune Spell to speak with the Earth kami. This is a TN 10 Earth Spellcasting roll, modified to 16 due to the influence of the Black Scrolls. If the character has Earth Affinity, the TN is reduced by -5, and if they have Earth Deficiency, the TN is increased by +5.

On a failure, the character can try again. If a character fails their Spellcasting roll by the margin imposed by the Black Scrolls, however (i.e., if the Spellcasting roll only failed because of the +6 penalty), then they have become so sickened that they are unable to further participate in this event.

Once the character has Communed with the Earth kami, they must convince the stubborn Earth kami to collapse the pass. Doing so is a Spellcraft (Importune)/Earth roll at a TN of 35. On a success, the character gains one use of the Earthquake spell.

Finally, the character must successfully cast the Earthquake Spell. This is a TN 30 Earth Spellcasting Roll, modified to 36 due to the influence of the Black Scrolls. If the character has Earth Affinity, the TN is reduced by -5, and if they have Earth Deficiency, the TN is increased by +5.

On a failure, the character can try again. If a character fails their Spellcasting roll by the margin imposed by the Black Scrolls, however (i.e., if the Spellcasting roll only failed because of the +6 penalty), then they have become so sickened that they are unable to further participate in this event.

On a success, the character manages to convince the Earth kami to bring down the pass in one massive, epic landslide.

Explosives:

A character with the Forbidden Knowledge (Gaijin Pepper) advantage can attempt to bring their section of the path down with explosives. Doing so requires a TN 20 Craft: Explosives/Intelligence roll to create the explosives, followed by a TN 20 Engineering/Intelligence roll to set the explosives in the proper places. If both rolls succeed, that section of the path is destroyed.
Note that Crafting explosives counts as using a Low Skill for the purposes of losing Honor.

If either rolls fails, the character is caught in a premature explosion and suffers 1k1 damage, +1k1 damage for every full 2 points for which their roll failed to meet the TN. If two or more of these damage dice explode, the character also gains their choice of disadvantage from the following list: Lame, Missing Limb, or Permanent Wound. Regardless, the character is unable to craft replacement explosives in time and ends their participation in this event.

Taskmaster:

The character can round up a group of heimin, give them large sticks, march them into the mountains, and try to cause an avalanche manually. To do so, the character must make a TN 20 Courtier (Rhetoric)/Awareness or a Lore: Law/Intelligence roll to constrict a group of heimin. On a success, the character gains 10 heimin, +5 heimin per successful Raise. On a failure, the character is unable to gather enough heimin and cannot advance further in this event.

Next, the character must march the heimin into the pass and convince them to climb up the side of a steep mountain. Keeping the heimin motivated and working together as they try to leverage a number of heavy rocks down the cliff requires a Battle/Perception or Perform: Storytelling/Awareness roll at a TN equal to 5 + the number of heimin the character has gathered. On a success, the heimin are motivated to help collapse the path. On a failure, the heimin drag their feet and slack off and will not assist the character in the next step of the event.

Finally, the character must help the heimin dislodge the boulders. This is a TN 40 Athletics/Strength roll. If the character successfully motivated the heimin, they help out, reducing the TN by an amount equal to the number of heimin assisting the character. On a success, the heimin dislodge enough boulders to collapse the path. On a failure, the heimin on only able to dislodge a few boulders, not nearly enough to collapse the path. The character’s participation in this event comes to an end.

_________________
Credulous at best
Your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men

Myo-en is at home in mountains, and indeed all too aware of how easy it is to cause slides and avalanches even when they're not wanted. She doesn't hesitate to volunteer for this task; she's confident she can get her part done with a small, light crew and get them out safely. She can probably be more useful out on the road than on the city gates, alongside Lion soldiers who don't know her and haven't trained alongside Togashi... something she'll need to remedy, if Toshi no Omoidoso does end up besieged.

As the small task force sets out from the town, Myo-en falls to talking with some of the workers rounded up for the job. A few of them are intrigued by the odd monk with the crow perched on her shoulder, and the familiar, almost cheerful way she speaks about climbing mountains makes the town-bred heimin a bit less fearful of the task ahead. Myo-en breaks off with her little squad and leads them nimbly up out of the pass to a promisingly precarious rock face, picking the easiest path she can out of sympathy for the wobbly legs of city folk. On the chilly height, she pokes around, crouching and examining the rock and making sure all dozen-and-three workers are in the best possible positions before it's time--

--to--

--SHOVE!

The feeling of exertion, even in the cold wet weather, is spectacular. As the huge boulder breaks free and begins rolling downward into a proper--indeed, rather terrifying--rockslide, Myo-en, her team, and Karasu-san whoop in unison as they all scramble (or flap) backward to safety.

--
Crunch:

Step 1: Recruit 15 workers. Success!
D3 LM Do What Must Be Done--Taskmaster step 1, Courtier/Awa, +4k0 Crane Tattoo, VP. 1 raise = TN 25: 9d10o10k4 70

Step 2: Keep the workers moving. Success!
D3 LM Do What Must Be Done--Taskmaster step 2, Battle/Perception unskilled. 15 peasants = TN 20. VP: 5d10 37

Step 3: Make rocks go boom. Success!
D3 LM Do What Must Be Done--Taskmaster step 3, Athletics/Str. (TN 40)-(15 peasant helpers)=TN25. VP: 6d10o10k4 30

Myo-en and crew collapse 1 section of the pass.

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Dragon • Tattooed Monk • Ascetically Under-Dressed • Crow Companion • Experienced
Honor: What is Expected • Glory: 3.4 • Status: 1 • Profile
Speaks Naga, sometimes. Carries: Jade pendant, walking staff, small pocketknife, divination coins. Padded jacket if working outdoors... maybe.

The Lion had set out this morning after waking up late following the rather excitingly late night before. Her normal brown working kimono had been replaced with a dark red and golden set, the set she had worn 4 children and two decades ago. Back when she was known as an priest of the earth kami, one of a few graduates that year. It fit, barely. She had to pull out the obi a little and the chest area was much tighter than she remembered. But the person she saw in the mirror made it worth it.

The long hike had eventually ended near one of the sections of the pass that she had been tasked with destroying. The earth beneath her feet was old and strong, which paradoxically made this more difficult. Earth kami were notoriously reluctant to move and those priests who made a living speaking to them had to come up with ways to properly honor them for the effort. So she sat and listened.

The stone under her butt had little interest in moving by themselves. They were sleepy. Waking them up took a little doing but she remembered the chants by heart at this point and tapped along to her chanting to get the message across. Toshiko wanted to talk.

They came alive quick enough and in the long groaning tones of stone asked her what she needed.

This was more difficult. Explaining what she wanted went in many ways against the tendency of stone. It was not like dirt or sand which wandered. Stone stuck together. But she persisted growing more and more passionate and echoing the sound of the rock until it finally agreed. Sometimes sacrifices must be made she whispered to herself as she stood up and walked to the edge of her section of the pass. The stone understood that much at least.

Then she breathed in. Breathed out.

Then with a great roar she shouted down the pass. Chanting in the name of the earth.

CLAP. CRACK. CRASH!

The rocks came tumbling down and she watched as tons of stone fell from the sides of the mountain around her to fill the road until she could see nothing in the dusty cloud kicked up by the rubble. That would do Toshiko thought and turned around to hoof it back to the city.

OOC:EVENT: To Do What Must Be Done (D3, Late Morning), Earth Commune Roll TN7 (Affinity, Pearl of Purity, Black Scroll), 6k3+5, Isawa Shugenja 6k3+5 = 23. Pass.

EVENT: To Do What Must Be Done (D3, Late Morning), Spellcraft(Importune)/Earth, TN35, Void Point(1k1), 5k4 5k4 = 36. Pass.

EVENT: To Do What Must Be Done (D3, Late Morning), Spellcasting/Earth, Earthquake, TN27 (Affinity, Pearl, Black Scroll), Void Point(1k1), 7k4+5, Isawa Shugenja 7k4+5 = 43. Pass.

Toshiko's pass section destroyed.

_________________
Lion Clan • Married In • Author • Happily Married • Two Weeks Until Retirement
• Priest • Sage
Status: 2.0 | Glory: 3.0 | Honour: Not bad

Carries: Scrolls, ink & brush, paper, small mirror, fan, pearl.

After her surprise visitor, Iko had lost a lot of faith, so when the Governor decided the mountain passes she had spent last night studying needed to be collapsed, she swore to herself at the wasted effort and conscripted some heimin to help.

Suiminko may not have had much faith in the lower caste, but Iko did. She would show her what the mortal man could achieve.

Extolling their virtues as she called for brave volunteers to help protect their city, their castle, and their homes Iko had no difficulty rounding up the forces she would need. A squad about the same size as the one she was used to commanding in her duties as a gunso.

Motivating them with tales of how mortal man could accomplish anything, drawing upon the tale of the original Seven Thunders, Iko brought the best out of her makeshift squad of saboteurs.

And when push came to shove, they all worked together to achieve their objective. With a tumbling crash the pass collapsed, denying all who would seek to pass through it. A resounding cheer went up and Iko promised them all a few bottles of sake to be shared amongst the men. They had done good work, they deserved it.

----------------------------------------------------

D3 To Do what must event - Taskmaster 1. Courtier (Rhetoric)/Awareness 3 raises + VP TN35: 8d10o10k5 35

D3 To Do what must event - Taskmaster 2. Story/Awa TN30 + VP: 6d10o10k5 63

D3 To Do what must event - Taskmaster 3 Ath/Str TN40-25 = 15. VP: 4d10o10k3 15

Pass 3 Successfully destroyed

_________________
Dragon Clan Gunso * Duelist * Enlightened * Tattooed * Kolat * Artisan * Perfectionist
Honor: Untrustworthy * Glory: 7.5 * Status: 3.0 * Infamy: 3.4
Wears: Jingasa, Sleeveless Kimono, hair piece, Sakura tattoo, bulging furoshiki
Carries: Daisho, Yumi (where appropriate)
Description

Someone had clearly thought ahead. They needed a Shugenja to drop part of the pass, to slow down the army approaching. And in the city was a Tensai of Earth. So, a messenger had been sent for the ailing shugenja.

Hachi looked over the walls, at the area that needed to be brought down, and frowned slightly. His studies told him what needed to be done. Sadly, his sensei had never taught him the exact prayers needed. Fortunately, he was skilled enough to do it anyways. He hoped. But, to do so, he had to go out to the actual pass. So, he moved out. There were others, attempting to collapse some of the other passes, but Hachi fell quickly behind, moving slowly.

He didn't need any scrolls for this, and called upon the Earth Kami. It took a little time to make them understand what he wanted,but he was used to the slow pace of them.

Once they had accepted what he wanted, he actually had to convince them to do it. This also took time, where any hypothetical watchers might have wondered why he was staring at the ground outside the pass, muttering at it for long minutes. However, he cared not about his appearance, but about the results. Which were that he managed to convince the Earth kami the need to collapse the pass.

Now that he had convinced them to do so, it was time to call on the Earth kami to do so. It would be the height of his power to do this, outside of a long-term ritual. Fortunately, he had, in truth, achieved the level of being a tensai. He was the other portions of the passes had dropped, and waited just a touch longer, to allow any in danger to get out of it. Then, he called on the Earth Kami to shake.

Although he was safe from their rage, the kami of the Earth shuddered, shook, and fought! The last portion of the pass collapsed over the course of a single long minute... while Hachi merely waited, safe from the effects of his prayer.

Once it was done, he turned, and began the slow walk back to the walls. Where he had occasionally been talked to by those outside the walls, this time none of them dared approach the slowly moving figure.

__________

Crunch:
Importune Earthquake: Commune/Earth, TN 10+6-10=6, Roll is 37, Success!

Convince Earth Kami, TN 35, VP for 1k1, Total roll is 38, Success!

Cast Importuned Earthquake, TN 30+6-10= 26. Void point for 1k1, Total roll is 27, success!

Entire pass is blocked!

_________________
Isawa Hachi • Phoenix Clan • Shugenja • Earth • Water • "The Mud Tensai" • Pilgrim
Honor: Typical • Glory: 3 • Infamy: 1 • Status: 1 • Experienced.
Tall walking stick, scroll satchel, shugenja robes, occasionally small drum, small purse with money and kawaru coins. Looks poorly, weak, wan.