Tales of the Sea Bitch (15)
Title
Four days into the Winter Court, The Miyara (Miyara
Ujimitsu) left for the Emperor's Court. His last words to Lady
Miyara were to not let Ryuden get into too much trouble. Himitsu
remained behind, but with no direct lines of authority that didn't mean
he was in charge. They were all members of the same clan, and age
had to be taken into account too. Himitsu, however, had stayed
behind in Nippon while Lady Miyara was abroad, which put him in a
position to advise her well.
Iruko, when not on duty, was still spending all her
energy in pushing herself on Peter. Peter seemed to be returning
the interest, of course. Who wouldn't? Tony certainly
would if he had the chance. It looked like it was driving him
crazy, and I can't blame him. Grieg was certainly pleased at
Iruko's lack of interest in Tony. I must admit I was really
starting to hope the two boys would hook up.
Sometime in the first ten days came a point when we
found ourselves sitting with Hiruma Usigo. Magistrates were the
designated officers of a particular lord, and Emerald Magistrates were
directly appointed by the Emperor. He was a ranking one,
too. This was his last Winter Court before entering a monastery,
since he was recently retired. Elderly but not frail, he had an
air of wisdom about him. He'd spent many years in this area, and
he was well known and respected around here. He spent over 20
years in Phoenix lands, and not only knew the ways of killers and
thieves, but knew the politics of the court well. He was having
trouble seeing in his old age, but his mind was as sharp as ever.
Anyway, Usigo told Lady Miyara that he was impressed
by her ability to convince the Elemental Masters to let Koan enter the
tournament. He seemed quite interested in her.
Lady Miyara was a little in awe of him, and that was
obvious in the way she politely thanked him. Her father had been
impressed with him too, especially in his handling of an accusation
against an Isawa that Usigo had demonstrated to be false.
Usigo commended her on her decision to bring back
the statue from foreign lands, and her perseverance in doing so.
He expressed some interest in what she had learned about these foreign
lands.
Lady Miyara told him a few things, and Usigo
listened for a while. He seemed easy to talk to, and had a
genuine interest in her. To Lady Miyara, it was almost as if he
was a great-uncle or something. He thought she showed great
potential, and seemed to be interested in helping her achieve it.
They talked about tokens for a while. Usigo
seemed intrigued by the possibilities of the game, and asked casually
how the game was going for her. He talked a little about some
interesting things that had happened in the game, who had what, and who
met who, but didn't say anything about any of ours.
She asked him a little about Akodo Rena, a Lion
man. Usigo didn't know anything in particular -- not
unreasonable, since Lion wasn't really around here -- but he told her
that Miyara Katsuda had many dealings with that Lion, and so could tell
her about him.
Usigo also asked her about what she'd been doing
since her return to Nippon. Lady Miyara talked about that for a
while.
There was a Shosuro acting troupe here.
Shosuro was a Scorpion family, whose tradition was acting as Isawa's
tradition was magic. They produced the best actors and actresses
in the Empire. That night they would be putting on a play, The
Death of the First Hantei. It was a well known play, apparently.
The play was written by Shosuro Furuyari, the
famous Scorpion playwright. It was considered to be apocryphal as
it was inconsistent with the histories. The official stories say
the Emperor lived to a ripe old age. The play opened with the war
against the Shadowlands, the first defeat of Fu Leng, and the great
battles and heroic deed. Hantei was wounded by his brother Fu
Leng...
The leaders of all the great families fell out of
the sky and were all brothers and sisters. Fu Leng went
bad. There had been many wars between the forces of Fu Leng and
the forces of good in Nippon. The first battle was back when the
brothers fell out the first time after they came form the sky.
And so this play was about the death of the first
Hantei, one of those who fell out of the sky. Hantei had been
wounded and brought back to the palace. While he lay dying, Doji
tended his wounds, while Akodo and Bayushi stood ready to defend him
with their lives. (Doji was Crane, Akodo was Lion, Bayushi was
Scorpion)
Anyway, an hour or two before the play actually
started, something happened. Lady Miyara was sitting with
Himitsu. He did his best to make it seem like chance, but he
obviously planned that they'd have to be close enough to talk.
The conversation went through the usual
small talk. Himitsu wanted to know anything she could tell him
about Yoroshiku. We guessed he'd been very busy taking care of
The Miyara up until now, and now he had time and opportunity to take
his shot as a suitor. He wanted to know her history and
background and so on, things Lady Miyara might know that wasn't common
knowledge.
Lady Miyara told him that the official suitor was
Sanru, and asked him about that.
Himitsu was surprised at that, and said that wasn't
his attention at all. It seemed it had never occurred to him to
court the Niece. He wasn't interested in that way at all.
It turned out that Lady Miyara had been around her
several times in the court. The Niece was flighty, and liked to
keep the people swirling around her, swirling. Lady Miyara was on
her "swirl" list and had been pulled into several conversations.
In those conversations, though, it was clear she
wasn't really interested in Lady Miyara. She was a little
interested in us retainers, just in terms of playing us off against
others.
Lady Miyara told Himitsu about her experiences with
Yoroskihu, which seemed to satisfy him. For her part, she didn't
really have anything she needed to know from him at present, so it
stayed quite one-sided.
Back to the play, where the hero was dying...
This family used some magic to change their
appearances in the play, so they could look like the characters in
facial features too. The skill of the actor was in part related
to their skill at that. The other thing this family was known for
was of course doing this outside the play.
The actor playing Hantei turned to the woman Doji,
and whispered to her "Am I going to die?"
"No, brother," she said. Her face had become
exactly like the tapestries. "Your wounds are not grave, you will
survive."
He asked the same of a man with an eye patch, Akodo
One-Eye. "A man with honor can never die."
One last soft question to the inky shadow in the
darkness, extending his hand to Bayushi.
Bayushi looked down and said, "Yes, Hantei-sama, you
are going to die and you are going to be alone. One day we shall
come to be at your side again.":
At that, Hantei died.
They all looked shocked at Bayushi. What had
he done?
Bayushi gave his last line: Doji cared for his body,
Akodo for his honor, but Bayushi cared for his soul. "The soul is
the heart of a Hantei, a thing no other can have. The one thing
that is the center of the Empire, the soul."
Polite applause from the Niece, and she rose and
began to leave. The six players lined up, and relaxed out of
their roles. We could watch their faces change from their
characters to their real faces.
The lead actress, the greatest actor in all of
Nippon, Shosuro Tage, watched Yoroshiku with great interest as if
expecting some reaction. Whether she got it or not we couldn't
tell, and she took her final bow with the others.
It was getting late, and the crowd of revellers was
thinning to just the hardcore. The actors stayed around for a
while, mingling with their fans in the audience who had stayed.
((make crap up here, and anywhere else for that
matter))
Lunch the next day was served casually, as they
often were here on lots of balconies and halls and gardens. Iruko
told Lady Miyara somewhat conspiratorially that she was walking in the
garden this morning -- pointing out which one -- and heard Yoroshiku's
voice from over the other side of a hedge. Overhearing her
without being seen, Yoroshiku was speaking to Mirumoto Hansu, the
Dragon Clan suitor, one of the two leading suitors.
Yoroskiu said that he knew she would chose him, but
her father wanted to wed a man of many abilities. She was sure he
was the bravest suitor, but many of the courtiers didn't know of his
fine talents, and if only they could be convinced.
Hansu said something like he'd be glad to show the
strength of his steel and something about honor. Iruko couldn't
really tell exactly what it was he said, but Yoroshiku seemed to like
it.
I figured Lady Miyara would be passing that on to
Sanru, but she would presumably do that in private somewhere I wasn't
going to overhear it.
((She relayed what she thought were the important
bits. The Niece was playing Hansu, maneuvering him into doing
things that would be fun for her. Nevertheless, this was serious
business, and that was all part of the process. That's how things
were. It seemed that Hansu's reply was what was important, that
he was glad to do something involving swords.
Sanru smiled broadly at her. He said that she
had a similar conversation this morning with him too. She implied
he had not done enough to celebrate her, and he predicted a poetry
contest in the works.
He then switched topics, and said he'd heard a rumor
that Akodo Rena had set his sights on Lady Miyara.
She said simply, "Some rumors are true." She
then asked if he knew anything about Rena.
He knew him only by reputation -- typical Lion,
loud, proud, more attuned to physical than the spiritual, more of earth
than air.
She asked him if he would guess when the contest
might take place.
He believed the princess would wrangle it for
tonight, or tomorrow night at the latest.
She said she enjoyed a good poetry contest.
He said he looked forward to hearing her entry.
"And I yours," she said.
He said it was not exactly his forte, which the
princess knew, but he said he was going to do his best.
Miyara also set Iruko to looking for anything she
could get on Akodo Rena.))
As we gathered for dinner, a formal affair tonight,
a young Miyara, Nessen, came to Miwa. He seemed a little nervous,
and once he was through all the bowing he asked her if he could have a
private word with me of all people. Miwa looked at me and said,
"of course."
"Sure," I said, and we took off to the nearest
thoughtfully provided private place.
He was very nervous, which I could understand.
He said that one of the princess's maids, the large unpleasant one, was
attracted to him and had the matching object. He was hoping I
might trade.
I laughed loudly.
He said he would consider it a personal favor and
would owe me.
"Sorry, but I really want to find out who has the
other tiger, and at this time I would rather not."
He seemed completely heartbroken.
I was as nice to him as I could, and suggested
Grieg. It was the most amusing person I could think of to trade
with him. That was at least in the spirit of the game. I
then suggested Ryuden, as he could use the maidservant to get at the
princess. I almost took pity on him, but didn't.
It was another great feast, like the first night.
During the festivities, one of the suitors, Doji
Fusaya stood up and approached the dais. He smiled at Yoroshiku
and showed her a golden fan, saying he imagined she had its mate.
Yoroshiku smiled and said he was mistaken, and
pulled forth a small porcelain doll.
Doji bowed, and stepped away from the dais.
As he stepped back, another man stood, Miyara
Nessen. With a slightly nervous voice, holding a doll, and walked
up to her.
Y smiled, caught in the trap, and said, "One
question, my friend."
"My lady, I wish only to know one thing." The
tension was thick. "What above all else would make you happiest
at this moment.:"
"The good health of my uncle Hantei, and a poetry
contest by the fine members of this court."
Applause, of course.
Asako Kagetsu stood, and said that there would be a
contest in the princess's honor. He said it would be two hours
from now, and named a parlour nearby. I knew it was one with a
good fire and romantic setting, probably good for a poetry contest in
the princess's mind.
The poems must be in the princess's honor, the topic
being The Princess. It was open to anyone who wanted to stand up
and do it. Not everyone was expected to come, and not everyone
who came had to present a poem.
The contest was attended by about fifty of the two
hundred. Phoebe of course was there, and both Miyara and I had
prepared poems.
As we headed out from dinner, Miyara Ryuden
approached Miwa and said he needed to spak with her immediately and
quietly. She said it would have to be quick because she had a
poem to write, but said it politely and nicely.
We went back to our rooms close by, and Ryuden and
Miwa went off for a private word. Obviously he wanted her to
write a poem.
((Yoroshiku had the same conversation with him
too. He believed it. So he said he must have a poem that
would win, the honor of the house and a lady's heart relied on it!
In Miwa's position, she really couldn't
refuse. So now she had to do two poems.
He went off to prepare himself, and she was to have
the poem ready when he got there.
She intended to write a decent poem that wouldn't
embarrass him but wouldn't be enough to win, and hers would have to be
slightly lesser than the one she gave him. On the other hand, he
wouldn't be able to tell the quality except by the reaction, although
he'd want a love poem and she wouldn't.))
Two pirates on the high seas, each heard about the
princess's beauty from an old man with a tea service. They sailed
through misfortune, declaring "For Princess Yoroshiku!" as they defied
the odds in impossible fight. They came into port where she was,
saw her in the tower,her beauty cascading over the harbour,
fought a duel on the decks of the ships, and died together, dedicating
their last breaths "For Princess Yoroshiku!" As they died, they
saw the old man standing behind the princess. As the pirates
died, he waved his hands and their spirits rose as snow-white seabirds,
forever to circle and admire the princess from on high.
The poems were to be judged by Usigo. All
suitors were there. So was Himitsu, looking almost angry.
Koan and his right-hand woman were there. Akodo Rena was not.
They read their poems, all short sweet ones. I
looked to Miwa to figure out where I should speak. My guess was
the etiquette was people who know they weren't contenders go early, and
hte real contestants later.
20 minutes in, a total sick sugary poem was perfect
to follow with my rollicking tale. Fighting back the urge to
vomit, no-one wanted to follow it.
I told mine, to polite clapping.
There was another pause.
A few more poems, then Miwa's. Flowers, snow,
sweet stuff.
Again some more, then the fun part.
Ryuden rose to speak, but interrupted by a drunken
HImitsu. He was clearly angry and upset, turning red and with
furious eyes. With a calm tone, he offered a poem to the Hantei
princess. It was not at all complimentary, her as a dandelion
among crysanthemums, "a weed knows a weed."
Usigo rose to quiet the outrage in the parlour as
samurai grabbed swords ready to strike Himitsu down. "What is hte
kmeaning of thins?"
"Meaning? You will see tomorrow at sunset!"
Ryduen immediately challenged him to a duel for his
words.
Himitsu accepted, said ok, tomorrow at dawn he would
produce his testimony.
I saw Koan particuarly uncomfortable when Himitsu
spoke, and nervous when he talked about dawn tomorrow. I saw Koan
and his apprentice whispering, and overheard
A: he's giving us awayl, can we stop him?
K shook his head, saying there was nothing to be
done. He watched Himitsu storm out of the hall.
After Himitsu left, Asako Kugetsu ended the
competition in effect, changing the mood by saying that the acting
troupe has agreed to put on a short play, right here and now.
The actors quickly assembled and did a very short
comic skit.
((Miwa noticed that yesterday there were six actors,
today there were only five. Since they could change their facial
features, she couldn't easily tell which was missing, but she thought
it was Tage.))
Soon after the play started, the princess and her
maids retired quietly without gathering attention.
We waited until the play was over. ((Miwa
figured it was definitely Tage missing.))
The courtiers mostly retired, although some of us
stayed around listening ot Kakita Nantoko sweetly playing a biwa by the
fire.
((Miwa sent a message to Himitsu asking to speak
with him. The guard who took her message returned and said he was
not given a reply.))
As soon as Miwa returned, I told her what I'd seen
and overheard. She told us that Tage was missing from the actors'
troupe when they did their skit. She said, "Something very odd is
going on here," and that was certainly true.
Tage had the skill to look completely like a
different person. We'd seen her playing a woman and didn't know
how far she could take it, but the rumors were she could look totally
different, like other real people and not just legends.
The Scorpion clan were known for treachery and
deceit, intrigue and gathering secrets. They certainly would use
their talents in whatever way furthered their ends.
Miwa went to talk to Koan, taking Phoebe with
her. I might have been a bit too obvious in my eagerness to go
too, but Miwa took me too.
Koan's assistant answered the door, a woman called
Uisako. She said that Koan was already asleep.
Miwa said to let him know that she had dropped by.
Back in our rooms, soon after, there was a message
from Ryuden, wanting to see Miwa.
Miwa offered any of us who wanted to go with her,
and Phoebe and I again went. I was sure she'd take Phoebe anyway,
but I wanted to see what was going on with this guy.
He wanted to talk about hte essentials of the duel
to be held the next day. He was drinking heavily. In
between drinks and occasional matter-of-fact talks about the details,
he rambled if maybe Himitsu had some actual truth that there was
something wrong with Yoroshuku. After all, after Ryuden married
her, it could be something that would bring shame on him and the family.
Miwa said that was something about which he should
speak to Himitsu and find out.
In a fit of anger, Ryuden said he would not talk to
that impudent...
"Cur," I suggested helpfully.
He nodded, "Cur."
Ryuden expected Miwa to be at hte duel and take care
of hte formal matters, but mostly he'd brought Miwa here just to hear
him rant. After ten minutes or so he dismissed us, with a final
word that no matter what, whether Himitsu really had something or not,
he'd have Himitsu's head.
There was no way to stop the duel.
I wonder who is fake? I do say that we have
seen the princess and Tage at the same time, at the first play, so I
guess that rules that out.
Miwa says that doesn't mean she's always herself,
but we'll have to assume that.
Is Himitsu fake, I asked?
If Phoebe witnessed someone actively trying to be
someone else, not just looking like someone else, her spirits might be
able to detect the lie.
Fortunately nothing more happened that night.
Just before dawn, the sound of an alarm rung
out. The doors were bolted and the fires on the walls were
lit. We were woken by the shouts of guards. Something was
wrong. It wasn't quite clear what was going on, not at present.
Miwa got the attention of a guard and asked what was
going on.
The guard politely said that Asako had asked that
all his guests remain in their rooms.
We had a balcony. We went out to look.
There were guards at all the post, with fires lit
everywhere illuminating the place. No army appeared to be
attacking, but the castle guards were out in force. Not that this
place was much of a fortress, of course.
We could hear Isawa Tomo's voice in the hall.
Miwa stuck her head out the door to see if he knew what was going on.
Tomo was too far down the hall to engage in
conversation, and the guards outside our room didn't want us to
actually leave.
Tomo was looking away from us, speaking to a
guard. "Dead, you say? Damn the boy and his recklessness,
anyone have testimony to prove who has done this?"
Guard says that last person to enter his room was
Miyara Ryuden.
Tomo: ask all guests to stay in rooms, Ryuden to
stay in rooms at all costs.
Usigo came walking down the hall, saw Miwa. He
said, "Child, perhaps oyu can help me."
Miwa of course accepted.
He says he seemed to have lost his <person>
and needed some help not bumping into things.
She of course accepted.
Well, I had my guess, and I whispered it to her
quickly in Imperial as she left. Himitsu was already dead when
"he" spoke up at the contest. Ryuden was set up.
Miwa continued to lead him down the hall.
After a few steps he suggested she might feel safer with some of her
retainers, and suggested she ask us to escort them.
I'm not sure who pushed out of the door first, but
we were there in a flash. Phoebe, Peter, Tony of course and
Iruko, Grieg, and myself.
We continued onwards, the guards parting before us.
As we went up the stairs, Usigo asked Miwa if she'd
figured out what was going on.
Miwa said she had some guesses, but no actual
knowledge.
He said he was curious what the guesses were.
She said that there were several pieces she dind't
understand yet, but suyspected that Miyara Himitsu was not entirely
himself yesterday evening, and that Miyara Ryuden did not kill him.
He asked her to explain more.
I quickly asked Phoebe in Imperial to ask her
spirits if this was truly Usigo, and she said in Imperial that it was.
Miwa said one reason he suspected Ryduen did not
kill him, is she spoke to him last night and he was adamant about not
speaking or talking to him in any way before the duel. As for
Himitsu, that was a more out on a limb guess. After the poetry
contest was stopped, and the actors did their skit, there were only 5
instead of 6, one was missing.
Usigo asked whta hse though that meant.
She said that she knew only that they were skilid in
imporsonating other people,and there was only one big blowup last night.
He asked if he knew what testimony himitsu was going
to present.
She said she did not.
In Imperial I prompted Miwa about hte
nightingale. She said not yet, and continued.
She requested an audience wiht Himitsu last night,
she said, but he did not send a return message back. That was
about 10 pm.
Usigo said that oculd be important.
By now we were getting close to our destination, as
the halls elsewhere were mostly empty aside from gueards, and htis one
had plenty of people around. This was indeed Himitsu's room.
Our conversaqtion had been private, fading in and
out as we passed guards. Before we got there and could not avoid
being overheard, Miwa said there was one other curious matter she
wanted to bounce off him, but later in private.
Just as we approached within earshot of hte room,
Usigo said "remember not to touch anything until the shugenja can
arrive and interrogate hte nearby spirits."
Phoenix gueads were in the hallway, two bloodstained
blankets covering bodies in the hallway. Inside H's room were
Kagetsu, Tomo, and two other shugenja, one of which was the winner of
hte festival Isawa Uona.
It was clear that Usigo intended to walk right into
the room, but it wasn't big enough for all of us. Miwa led Usigo
in, with a quick nod to Phoebe to accompany her. I pushed forward
as the other person to go in, Tony hesitating at all the mages in one
place.
As we headed to hte door, Usigo said "These
magistrates are acting as my assistants in this matter," and that was
all it took to get us in.
As we entered the room, Usigo whispered to Miwa that
he would be fine, and she was to look around but not touch. He
stepped away from Miwa to Kagetsu and Tomo, and the three of them
started talking about what was going onl.
The murder of Himitsu was particularly brutal.
THe body lay sprawled crosss the floor, blood spatterd outwards from
several wounds. Door to balcony was shattered outwards, haniging
form hte room. A low table which might have had a Sakizuki set,
pottery smashed ans sake mising wiht bloood on floor.
Snow had come in the window, lying on his arm.
His head was separated, lying some distance away. Himitsu's
swords lay untouched on their rack.
We needed to know when it snowed, because it did so
after he died.
The 2 shugenja moved around the room, apparently
attempting to commune with the spirits.
Phoebe found a corner out of the way, and asked her
spirits.
((She went into her trance, looking for spirits.))
I looked around the room carefully, wanting to help
pheobe but wanteing to look before anytong else messed iwth
stuff. the head was separated when he was still standing.
Other wounds had to have been done before or at the same time -- cuts,
not stabs, just a few. Couldn't tell if there was more than one
person doing them. No weapons in the room aside from his.
There were no smears, so it lookd like the body fell where we saw
it. It clearly hadn't been moved. There was s huge pool of
blood around hte body and head.
The body was lying awkwardly, face up, and the neck
was towards the balcony as if he was facing away from it. The
head is closer to the balcony than the body., There were no
footprints in the snow on the balcony.
His small desk was intact. Nothing of
consequence, some writing paper nad pen, no letters or active papers.
Tony found out that hte two bodies outside were the
guards on duty. They had both been cut to death with a
sword. Neither lost their heads, but they died at the end of a
sword. It was a lot less messy. They died very
quickly. THey had fallen outwards froim the door, and had not
drawn their4 swords. One was completely sheathed, and the other
was partly but not fully drawn.
On this floor, every room had two Asako guards
outside each room. This partiuclar door was not in sight of any
of the other guards, but any loud voice would have brought others.
It was a little after 3 a.m. now.
Balcony, door busted completely out, door also
busted out but less so. There was no easy way to go from the
balcony. It was a very long drop down, but conceivably someone
skilled could jump from one balcony to another. Perhaps even jump
to a lower balcony or use a rope to climb up, or maybe even climb the
wall with enough skill.
((Phoebe found no significant spirits in that
room. She also asked her own spirits when it started to snow that
night. They told her it started 45 minutes ago, at 2:30 a.m.))
It was snowing hard now, with snow blowing through
the window.
I tried to tell if the snow had fallen on a cold
body or a still warm one, but I couldn't really tell.
Miwa was wondering where her message went that she
sent up to Himitsu, but it was not visible anywhere.
Phoebe pulled herself together and calmly stated it
has started snowing at about 2:30.
The two shugenja addressed the assembled lords
here. They were disappointed, it looked like. Uona reported
that it appeared there were no spirits currently in the area that were
here last night. They were eitgher scared away or sent away.
As Miwa was looking around, she overheard most of
hte conversation bwtween Tomo, Kagetsu, and Usigo. Kagetsu
obviously respected the old man's advice and wisdom, but Tomo relied
more on his own spells and the assistance of his shugenja.
After the shugenja said the spirits were gone, Tomo
dismissed them. The three men exchanged looks, and began ot move
out of the room. As he was leaving, Usigo said quietly to Miwa,
"look around the room, and find me later." He followed the other
two out of the room.
We now had the room to ourselves. The others
could come in now too, while the Asako guards remained outside.
Sooner or later someone would come by to clean up
the bodies, but we did have some privacy in the room for a while.
Tony began his search of the room, opening and
pushing things and sorting through stuff.
Himitsu was dressed in the exactly same he was
wearing to the poetry reading.
The window had been pushed out, as if something had
crashed into it. I couldn't tell if it was something hitting it
or some kind of spell.
It did not look like H's clothes had been
disturbed. No-one had searched him after his death.
Tony found a secret compartment in the sword rack,
and in it was a letter. Miwa read it, tucked it away, and said we
would discuss it later. As she read later to us, It was addressed
to HImitsu-sama. <letter in email> signed with a
block.stamp. Miwa recognized the symbol, the same one that Niban
himself wore. The date mentioned was 6-8 in the morning, the hour
of the rooster, today, a few hours from now.
Tony closed up now empty the secret compartment.
Glossary of people who might be
important at the Winter Court.
Otomo Yoroshiku - Emperor's Niece, second in line to the throne behind
the Emperor's son.
Hida Yauta - Yoroshiku's maid servant, the big one.
Kitsu Saia - Yoroshiku's maid servant
Kakita Nantoko - Yoroshiku's maid servant
Mirumoto Hansu - Yoroshiku suitor, Dragon Clan
Miyara Sanru - Yoroshiku suitor, Phoenix Clan
Miyara Ryuden - Yoroshiku suitor (sorta), Phoenix Clan
Miyara Ujimitsu - Phoenix Champion, Miwa's father
Miyara Himitsu - Young man traveling with Ujimitsu
(wispers are he'll be the next Phoenix Champion)
Shinjo Gidayu - Unicorn daimyo who started your previous journey
Isawa Tomo - Elemental master (of Earth ?)
Asako Kagetsu - Your host at Gisu Palace
Koan - Shugenga from the village of Nightengale
Shosuro Tage - formost actree of the Imperial troupe
Hiruma Usigo - ranking Emerald Magistrate, just retired, headed for
monastery in spring