26. Akodo Yumako

Hade

Month of the Horse 10th, 1125

2 goblins left

There we are, waiting on the 2 goblins that got away. But why would we keep waiting here. We don't even know if they will get back. And we can also find them another time. This swamp is not a place to spend the night.

Togashi Yoshi goes into a meditation to ask Lord Togashi for an insight. He tells us that the balance will be found here. That the Shadowland creatures are just tools, and that the real power will be found in Taimana Choryu. It is a clear sign. These goblins are not important, we have to go back to Slow Tide harbor. There we should find the source of all this. The other are also convinced, or don't want to stay behind alone, so we walk back to the Inn.

There we eat a good meal and I wash myself to get the smell of the swamp off me. After that it's time for a good night rest in a bed.

Month of the Horse 11th, 1125

Armor cleaning

The next morning I spend cleaning my armor and weapons. It's not easy to get the smell of swamp and goblins off it, but nothing is as satisfying as seeing and smelling your armament after a morning of hard work cleaning and polishing it. This helped me clear my thoughts, so let's see what the others did, so we can finish our business here and get out of Tortoise land.

Bayushi Kyo found out that the tattoo'ed Ronin seems to be after Opium den clients. Hiruma Tichuki finds out where Azif is during the day, and noticed one of Hana's employess paying him a visit.

Afflicted Hade

After we all are together again we decide to visit all stables in town to see if we can find Hade. After some time we find him and we all group up there. He is sleeping in the back of the stables.

We need to wake him so we can talk, so I find a bucket of water and throw it over his head. Bayushi Kyo makes sure he can't get to his rusty katana. There is something weird going on here. Since being close to him makes you feel unconfortable in a weird way.

Hade wakes up and yells who we are. I tell him we are looking for Hiroshige, and together with Hiruma Tichuki, who shows the magistrate badge, we convice him to answer us. But it's Isawa Aki's more gentle approach that's get him to calm down a little. It seems he is scared. Isawa Aki tells us Hade and the ground around him are afflicted by some Maho spell. And that she knows a ritual to cleanse it. I don't know much about rituals, so I leave the stable and wait outside, together with Doji Ren and Bayushi Kyo who were already there.

Cleansed

After some time the others comes outside, and I see a big relieve on Hade's face. It seems they managed to cleanse him and the stable. While walking back to the Inn we learn that Hade has witnessed the kidnapping of Hiroshige. One of the kidnappers turned around and managed to place a Maho taint on Hade, and since then he felt bad, and was scared all the time.

Later in the Inn we arrange a room and a bath for him. When he gets out he tells us all he knows, like the addresses of some of his friends that also knew Hiroshige. After that he wants to go to see his girlfriend. We agree that he comes back during dinner, to see if any memory came back of his afficled time. In the meanwhile we will pay those addresses a visit...