Kuganara Daijo was once on top of the world. He and his province, Yamatashi, once enjoyed premier status among the lands of the Shogunate. At it’s peak of power, Yamatashi province commanded assets of millions of koku of rice, and Kuganara Daijo had the loyalty of three-hundred thousand ashigaru and nine-hundred samurai. But that all ended with the accusation. Called out on charges of demon worship by the Enlightened Order, Kuganara Daijo suddenly became an outcast among the people he ruled, and he fell from the favor of the Shogun. The investigation, carried out by agents of the All-Seeing Eye, took four arduous months, and, to the obvious displeasure of the Enlightened Order, turned up nothing. Yet stains are hard to wash away, and the stigma of the Order’s accusation stayed with the daimyo. Finally, Kuganara, depressed and holed up in his fortress of Kuganara Castle, brought the Shogun to his wit’s end, and he ordered that Kuganara Daijo be killed. Thus was the Kakemetsu ninja clan contacted. Given suitable pay by the messengers from the All-Seeing Eye, the heroes, Kakemetsu ninjas, have been dispatched under light of the full moon to the daimyo’s castle. As they enter, it is obvious that something is not normal in this castle. Guards lie strewn and bloody across the courtyard, and pools of blood adorn the floors. The inner chambers of the castle are torn to pieces, and Kuganara Daijo is nowhere to be found. Supernatural undead beings roam the castle, it’s grounds, and the bamboo forests surrounding it. In the basement, the heroes find a bizzare summoning circle and the ripped apart remains of a woman in a white robe and the katana and armor of Kuganara Daijo.

NOTES

-Ashigaru: Peasantry converted to foot soldiers for the daimyo
-Samurai: Warrior nobles
-All-Seeing Eye: The spy network/“CIA” of the Shogunate
-The Shogunate: The feudal government set up by the Shogun
-Shogun: Ruler-general of the Shogunate
-Enlightened Order: The religious order of the Shogunate, espousing beliefs of spirits, demons, and reincarnation.
-Remember, Japanese style names have the last name first.

THE REAL STORY

The Enlightened Order, frustrated with it’s failure at it’s plan (To remove Kuganara Daijo and place an Enlightened Order puppet in his place.) has failed, has resorted to framing Kuganara, summoning a demon in his basement and releasing it on the castle to make it look like Kuganara himself has done it.

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