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Yasuki Ikke
The Magistrates return to Kyuden Toketsu, where they spend Spring preparing the castle.
Workers and ashigaru are hired, letters are sent and recieved, reparations made, etc...
The heroes also improve their abilities by honing their skills.
As part of the arrangements made, a distant relative of Yasuki Kyoshi joins the retainers. Yasuki Ikke is a happy-go-lucky , talkative trader. He is more than happy to help the Magistrates (he recieves part of the profits arranged with the Yasuki family) and he promptly pledges fealty. Ikke is appointed as the caretaker of Kyuden Toketsu when the Magistrates are away.
Kyuden Toketsu is on the right path into becoming the outpost the Kuni Daimyo wishes it to be.
The heroes prepare themselves and travel south towards Mura Sabishii Toshi (lonely shore city, the Crane trade hub) from where they will embark on a ship that will take them to Phoenix lands.

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Hoshi Eisai
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Itako, the blind seer
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Mirumoto Sadamasa
The first stop our samurai make is Shiro Kaotsuki no Higashi (Face of the East Castle).This northern castle which would host the Yasuki's diplomatic endeavors. It was also the major centre for lumber harvesting. The castle stood on a wide hill overlooking the Shinomen Mori on one side and facing the ancestral mountains of the Boar Clan on the other, within the Kaiu Hokufuu province. 
Marketplace
In the town surrounding the castle was the Golden Carp Marketplace. The locals were apathetic about where the merchandise came from, and therefore it was a known place for pirates to rid themselves of cargo.
The magistrates see that many ronin are visiting here and they come up with a scheme. Kakita Mitsurigi will perform an epic play, detailing how the emperor Tutori has become ronin and regained his honour after the 2nd Day of Thunder. The play will end with the glorification of Kyuden Toketsu and proceed to indicate that hard working, honest ronin have a chance of redemption when they would pledge fealty to its lord. 
Toritaka Hideaki meanwhile, has become indisposed after eating from the wrong street food vendor and it remains to be seen how he will react to his companions' schemes.
The Magistrates also visit the castle, where they meet up with its Yasuki lord: Yasuki Daiki who promises to send Ashigaru troops to their Kyuden if they agree to help some refugees from Dragon lands. They agree and meet up with Hoshi Eisai, a nun who has taken a vow of silence, she is accompanied by an aged woman called simply Itako, the blind seer. Hoshi is clearly from a high ranking noble family and is also accompanied by a yojimbo named Mirumoto Sadamasa, who does most of the talking.
Being discrete and polite fellows, the magistrates do not interrogate these refugees and simply agree to take them along to Phoenix lands.

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Goju Adorai
A couple of days on the road the Magistrates are looking for a place to camp when a lone stranger challenges them, stating that his master has noticed their interfering in his plans. He names himself Goju Adorai and dissapears in a flash. At that moment countless of shadow-ninja hurl trough the night sky, throwing shuriken at the travellers, All of the magistrates are hurt badly, the weapons take then within an inch of their death but suddenly, the ninja dissapear.
Puzzled and weary, the travellers continue their path and arrive in the Face of the East Tower a couple of days later.

Watchtower of the East 

The Watchtower of the East was a tower that predated the Kaiu Kabe itself. It once served as a northern guard, looking for signal fires from the south from troops stationed to defend against a Shadowlands attack. Since the building of the Carpenter Wall it had been rendered almost completely useless, and had remained largely abandoned. Those who now served here were mostly criminals, dishonored samurai and those fallen into disfavor. Being assigned here was a great dishonor, as you would be a Crab stationed on the middle of nowhere, rather than where the battles occur.

Shidjiro
16/1/2013 03:33:51 am

After returning to the wall from the shadowlands, with an Ogres head as a trophy, I start my way towards Mura Sabishii Toshi to meet up with my fellow magistrates. On my way I try to gather as much info as possible concerning annything that could be related to the lying darknes, of course if there is anny sign of Maho I will follow the lead and hunt it down. I also tell our heroic story wherever I can so that our glory and fame grows. On my way, when I m alone, I try to out my new spell, creating as much as possible Kuni Cristals. Soon I wil rejoin my friends and present them with my gifts.

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Mitsurigi
20/1/2013 04:58:59 am

I feel my play will be a revolution in the art of noh dancing. I am very excited to see my destiny as an artist and a warrior unwind trough the restoration of Kyuden Toketsu. Many Ronin will find their way back to honor if they are moved by my play and come to our new home to carve out the many terrors around Kyuden Toketsu. I am working trough the night to make adjustments to the movements and the song. If only Hida Buruke would stop his incessant snoring and farting I could concentrate on my art. I recently stopped him trying to drink one of my most expensive perfumes, thinking it to be common liquor. I now regret this as the ingestion could have made his bowel gasses smell less toxic.

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Kyoshi
20/1/2013 03:49:26 pm

Kyoshis log - third week of travel to the homeland

The pain in my chest won't go away. I've been trying to heal myself, and know that my spells are true, but something is blocking the final stage of the spell. I feel fine during the day, but at night, the pain crawls in. Furthermore, I've been having more and more nightmares. The creatures of the shadowlands never reached me inside, and I have no fear of them. But this is different... something is gnawing at my soul. The opium is helping, but my supplies are running low. Still, I must say I an enjoying the trip. I am the only Kuni now, and that show-off Shidjiro isn't around anymore to get all the glory that should belong to me. Sadly, our 'feelble' companions turn out not to be feeble at all. They even rescued me when we were attacked in the forest... The shame... But I'll show them. I am the inquisitor! I am the authority! I'll show them... I'll show them good...

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Hida Buruke
20/1/2013 07:48:02 pm

Attacked by Ninja. Ninja are cowards. Stinging like scorpions and crawling back under their rocks. Bah, Scorpions. Some of my companions seem sick since the attack. It's not taint, this is a different kind of darkness. I hope I don't have to kill them because of it. I'm fine of course but still, they are my brothers now. I'll ask Shidjiro when he's back.

Another strange event happened. While Kakita Mitsurigi's was performing his play, something must have gotten in my eye. The Crane refer to this as "a tear" Kakita Yorito later explained. I didn't like this feeling. It's clear that a prolonged exposure to Crane makes you soft. How I long for the wall, warm sake and the warm thighs of a geisha.

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Yorito Kakita
22/1/2013 04:46:30 am

More and more obvious it seems to me that the answer lies not in battle but in knowledge. The more and more reading I do, the more and more clear it becomes to me that we are mere pawns in a bigger game. We can fight and duel, which is important, but more important is to learn and understand. For now, the books i have found can keep me busy, but soon i will need to build a bigger library. Fortunately Kyuden Toketsu will be an ideal place to do so.

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