Heavenfall

The kansen came to Yoshitsune Nori in his dreams that night. A band of terrible ogres surrounded Nori, huge creatures wearing necklaces of human skulls. Their leader raised an enormous spiked club and said menacingly, “Now you die, Crab!” Yoshitsune Nori seemed unperturbed by the threat, though it c...

"Did Shinsei suggest to you to gather these? Or are they, uh, a personal remedy?" "ShInSeI? nO, No, i FoUnD tHeM mYSeLf, bUt ThEy ArE qUiTe ExCeLLenT fOr MeNtAl FoCuS," the Crab replied in a rambling tone. And then, he accepted a mushroom. He had some familiarity with what would be safe. Hopefully ...

The Crab shugenja came by to visit as well, with a small basket full of fried mushrooms.

"TrY oNe, ThEy'Re GoOd," the Crab said, offering to share. "EaTiNg oNe WiLl MaKe YoU fEeL aT oNe wItH tHe UnIvErSe. JuSt OnE tHoUgH, tOo MaNy CaN mAkE yOu SiCk." He grinned blissfully.

+2 doses of mushrooms to share, if anyone wants some.

If no one claims them I may just stir them into the soup at dinner time. Surely nothing could go wrong with that.

Nearby, a Crab in simple robes was gathering medicinal herbs as well. “Ahhh! This type of mushroom is very good,” Nori said, his eyes lighting up as he found a patch of mushrooms growing under a shady tree. “They are very good for, ahh, relaxation ,” he explained. “But one must be careful not to eat...

I can roll Intelligence/Medicine with Mental Quickness if we need another roller - happy to join if needed, no worries if we have enough.

"It's a fine idea," Nori agreed. "More people are flocking to Lord Hida's banner every month, so perhaps there will be some who would like to start a new village on a place with good land and good water. I'll be sure to bring it to my superior's attention when we get back to Great Mountain City, and...

"Aiyyo~!" Nori exclaimed, as the webbing blackened with a terrible smell. Hurling the stick with the burned silk strands away from him, the Crab backed away from the webbed area and began a ritual of purification.

Can I figure out whether the spider webs in the Forested Ruins are tainted or poisonous?

Drawn by the strange reports of the webbed area, Yoshitsune Nori approached some of the hanging drapery-like webs with caution. The Crab tested a silk strand by touching a bit of jade to it first, then sniffed at the silk to see if it had any scent. "How curious," Nori said at last. Picking up a for...

"If there's something worth trading for, I'm sure merchants would come," Nori said philosophically. "Perhaps not for a lone settlement, but if enough people came here to found a new village...well, I'm sure it would become worthwhile."

"Jade?" Nori queried. "Ahh, yes, of course we'll need jade for protection and such. I haven't seen any in the market so far, so I'm not sure if the Nezumi have much jade at all. But then they do seem to like shiny baubles, so who knows." "Pepper? I like pepper." "Pepper and other spices really help ...

"Ahh, Lady Hantei, isn't it?" the Crab said, upon recognizing Kinsen. "I'm Yoshitsune Nori. Have you tried the fried melon rind?" He waved around a crescent-shaped piece of fried food acquired from a nearby stall. "Really, it's not something you'd normally think to eat, but it's ... well, not bad. G...

A man in blue robes strode through the marketplace, sampling the wares from a variety of food stalls. Curious about Nezumi cuisine, Nori was willing to try a taste of almost anything. Some of it was terribly bland, but some of it was surprisingly good.

"I met Shinjo, and Hantei, a couple days ago when getting ready for this trip," Nori said. "They seemed all right, I suppose, though I can't say I know them well. Lady Shinjo seemed to have some good ideas for the route we should take on our way down south."

"It is good land here, with good access to water," Nori agreed. "I'm surprised the Seidou haven't already settled a village here. Though, I guess maybe raiders from the south would be a problem here - it's far from anyone who could help."

"A fine idea," Nori nodded approvingly. "Are you thinking of starting a farm down here? It's a bit remote, but some folk like it that way."

"It's a time of change in the world," Nori replied. "And, of course there are differences of opinion, like there are anytime three people get together. That's just how people are." "But even a strong man is stronger for belonging to a tribe. Just so, a strong tribe is made stronger when part of a cl...

"Borne and raised, and still am. Not sure how I feel about some guy who falls from the sky and has powers just taking over our tribe. Tell me, was your tribe happy to accept, or did you have some who were relucant?" "I...hadn't been in a tribe before this," Nori admitted. "It was just me and my mas...

"I've heard that he has been held by the Seidou to guarantee peace with the Nezumi," Yoshitsune Nori volunteered. "There had been...bad blood between those tribes before. Though, I imagine he could be released as a gesture of goodwill...?"