The Scorpion's proof that they were at the Snow Plain has been sitting inside the Lion's own archive for three hundred years, put there by a Lion officer who worked for them.
Three days. Doji Setsuna spent the first of them writing — to Doji Hotaru, to Doji Masateru, to Akodo Masami — about her husband's ransom, and reading what came back. The front is under Okoto Sakuon, who has a reputation for honour and for listening to reason, and Akodo Akihito is kin to him, and also connected to Bayushi Monban and Kakita Kazumi. That is a chain of obligation running from this castle to the man holding Shinjo Harunobu.
Then the party went into the archives in three directions.
Bayushi Monban took the military records at the Akodo War College and came out with the thing they had been looking for. The arrival and return rosters put the losses at roughly two-thirds. And the quartermasters' books record what the journals do not: illness through the army, and water and food supplies contaminated. Not one personal account mentions it. He also found a physic named Akodo Kayamayako in those rosters — named, and praised, for the lives they saved.
When he put the possibility of a cover-up to Akodo Atsushi, the instructor went at him. I don't think I've ever heard of a Scorpion keeping a diary — which is a way of refusing a question rather than answering it.
Shiba Midori went after the same medic from the other end, because Akodo Kayamayako is tied to the attempted murder of her own ancestor. She took Ikoma Ichigo into the Ikoma House of Scribes and they went through the genealogies of the Lion Clan and found nothing. I'm having great difficulty locating this person, Ichigo said, of a man his own clan's rosters praise. What they did find, tracing the dynastic lines, was how many of them run forward into the current leadership of the Lion — and into the party themselves.
Kakita Kazumi sat in the Kitsu Archives with Ikoma Akuyaku's journals spread around him and found the concealed account. Ikoma Akuyaku had been embedding Scorpion reports inside the Lion Clan's own records.
Put together, they arrived at three: a known Unicorn-aligned agent, Ikoma Akuyaku, and the medic. Three people, working the same battle from inside a Lion camp, and the Lion lost it.
Around that, the politics. Doji Setsuna gave Bayushi Monban a draft treaty framework she has been building — river stability, postwar provisions, the standing between Crane, Lion and Unicorn — and went looking for Scorpion support for it. She took tea with Shosuro Imako and set out, plainly, that her recommendation would favour the Scorpion, and asked to be credited for it if it was taken. She sang Ikoma Ichigo a poem that told the traditional story of the Snow Plain and left a second story showing through it — that the Lion had been made to treat by the Emperor rather than beaten into it.
And at dawn she asked Kitsu Takeko to move her husband's custody out of Okoto Sakuon's command. Takeko agreed, on the strength of Akodo Akihito's recent service. Then Doji Setsuna asked, on her way out, whether Akodo Masami was married.
The group also discussed forging Lion documents — they have, after all, been inside the battle, and could write what the record is missing. Bayushi Monban went to the sparring ground rather than keep arguing about it. Shiba Midori went to find a Kitsu shugenja who could call her ancestor up and ask him directly what the medic did.
Setsuna
The ledgers held. She said stores are counted and they were: the quartermasters' books record illness through the army and contaminated water and food, and not one personal journal admits it. The sabotage at the Snow Plain is a documented fact now rather than an ancestral memory, and it is documented in the Lion's own hand, in the one kind of book nobody thought to edit.
The medic was praised and then erased. Akodo Kayamayako is in the rosters, thanked for saving lives, and in no genealogy at all. Common soldiers remember them; samurai do not. That is not a person who was forgotten. That is a person taken out of the family records afterward, which requires a family to do it.
And Ikoma Akuyaku hid Scorpion reports inside the Lion archive. It is the largest thing the party has found and it cuts both ways at once. It proves the Scorpion were present and active at the Snow Plain, which is their whole claim, and it proves the presence was espionage against the clan whose archive she is standing in. A claim founded on that evidence is a claim founded on treason. Shosuro Aishi cannot lead with it. Neither can she, in front of a Lion daimyō who has been generous to her four times over.
The forgery is the one thing that would destroy her. They can write what the record is missing because they have been inside it. An Emerald Magistrate who manufactures evidence in a case she is weighing is finished, and so is every ruling she has ever made, and so is her husband's transfer. If the party goes that way she wants no part in it and no knowledge of it.
Two things to track. She has opened with Shosuro Imako — her recommendation to favour the Scorpion, conditional on their pledge of non-intervention in the Crane–Lion treaty, and credit if it is acted on. Conditional is the right shape: if the Scorpion never close on the condition, the offer lapses and she is free. What she is watching for is an attempt to hold the offer without paying for it.
And she has Shinjo Harunobu's custody moving, which is the first real thing she has won, and which she now owes Kitsu Takeko for.
Timeline
Diplomatic Preparations and Frontline Intel - Doji Setsuna prepared for the impending arrival of Kitsuki Kaage and sought allies while gathering frontline intelligence. She noted a three-day countdown before Kitsuki Kaage arrived with Scorpion Clan and Unicorn Clan delegations to hear the Snow Plain dispute and sent letters to Doji Hotaru, Doji Masateru, and Akodo Masami requesting guidance and aid. Reports identified Okoto Sakuon commanding the force at the front with Okoto Totori present, and Setsuna recalled Akodo Akihito’s familial ties relevant to negotiations. The group debated forging Lion Clan battlefield documents; Setsuna privately handed Bayushi Monban a draft treaty framework, and Shiba Midori declared intent to investigate the missing Lion Clan medic Akodo Kayamayako.
Three-Day Countdown and Intel - Doji Setsuna noted a three-day window before Kitsuki Kaage's arrival with Scorpion Clan and Unicorn Clan delegations and sent letters to Doji Hotaru, Doji Masateru, and Akodo Masami seeking guidance and aid. She received reports that Okoto Sakuon commanded the force at the front, that Okoto Totori was present, and recalled connections involving Akodo Akihito related to Okoto Sakuon and linked to Bayushi Monban and Kakita Kazumi.
- Three-Day Countdown - Doji Setsuna, refined Crane Clan courtier, noted there were three days before Kitsuki Kaage, Emerald Magistrates arbiter, arrived with Scorpion Clan and Unicorn Clan delegations to hear the Snow Plain dispute at the Castle of the Swift Sword.
- Setsuna’s Letters Sent - Doji Setsuna confirmed she had sent letters to Doji Hotaru, Doji Masateru, and Akodo Masami, Yoriki at Ote Castle, seeking guidance and aid.
- Lion Clan Commanders Identified - Doji Setsuna received information that the force at the front was under Okoto Sakuon, a principal general serving Okoto Totori, with Totori also present, and that both were considered reasonable and honorable.
Forgery Debate and Treaty Draft - The group discussed using firsthand battlefield knowledge to forge 'authentic' Lion Clan documents and acknowledged the honor stakes of such a fraud. Doji Setsuna privately handed Bayushi Monban a draft treaty framework addressing river stability, Crane Clan–Lion Clan–Unicorn Clan relations, and postwar provisions, and Shiba Midori declared plans to investigate the missing Lion Clan medic Akodo Kayamayako, suspected as a Scorpion Clan infiltrator.
- Akihito Connection Recalled - Doji Setsuna recalled that Akodo Akihito was related to Okoto Sakuon and connected to Bayushi Monban and Kakita Kazumi, potentially advantageous for future negotiation.
- Forgery Option Debated - The group discussed using firsthand battlefield knowledge of the Battle of Snow Plain to forge “authentic” Lion Clan documents, recognizing the personal honor and glory stakes such a fraud would entail.
- Setsuna’s Treaty Draft Shared - Doji Setsuna privately handed Bayushi Monban, Scorpion Clan Emerald Magistrates, a draft treaty framework addressing river stability, Crane Clan–Lion Clan–Unicorn Clan relations, and postwar provisions, seeking Scorpion Clan support.
Library Research and Poison Revelations - Investigations at the Ikoma House Of Scribes, the Okoto War College Military Library, and the Kitsu Archives produced conflicting records and a hidden account implicating Scorpion Clan agents in the Snow Plain disaster. Shiba Midori and Ikoma Ichigo failed to locate Akodo Kayamayako in genealogies, traced dynastic lines, and proceeded to the military library where Bayushi Monban requested rosters and quartermaster reports. Official rosters recorded heavy losses and praised a 'physic' Akodo Kayamayako, while quartermaster notes documented water contamination, dysentery outbreaks, and tainted food that were absent from personal journals; an Akodo instructor rejected suppression claims. In the Kitsu Archives Kakita Kazumi uncovered Ikoma Akuyaku’s journals with invisible ink revealing he embedded Scorpion Clan reports and admitted involvement in a Scorpion Clan–Unicorn Clan arrangement and poisoning; Midori concluded there were three Scorpion Clan spies and Setsuna assessed the political and resource implications.
Scribe Searches and Military Records - Shiba Midori visited the Ikoma House Of Scribes and Ikoma Ichigo agreed to search genealogies for Akodo Kayamayako but found no record. They mapped dynastic lines linking Akodo Toronoko and Ikoma Akuyaku into the current Lion Clan leadership. Ikoma Ichigo escorted Midori to the Okoto War College Military Library, where Bayushi Monban requested arrival/return rosters and quartermaster reports and encountered Akodo Atsushi. The rosters recorded roughly two-thirds losses and referenced 'valiant efforts' by a physic named Akodo Kayamayako, and quartermaster notes documented winter-camp water contamination or poisoning, dysentery outbreaks, and tainted or molded food requiring disposal—details not present in personal journals.
- Midori Seeks the Medic - Shiba Midori, Phoenix shugenja and Emerald Magistrates yojimbo, declared intent to investigate the missing Lion Clan medic tied to her ancestor’s attempted murder, named Akodo Kayamayako, suspected as a Scorpion Clan infiltrator.
- Midori Visits Scribes - At the Ikoma House Of Scribes, Ikoma Ichigo, diligent Lion Clan scribe, received Shiba Midori and agreed to help search genealogies for Akodo Kayamayako.
- Kamiyoko Absent from Genealogies - Shiba Midori and Ikoma Ichigo failed to locate Akodo Kayamayako in the Lion Clan genealogical records, prompting Ichigo to continue searching in other sources.
- Dynastic Lines Mapped - Shiba Midori, assisted by Ikoma Ichigo, traced that Akodo Toronoko and Ikoma Akuyaku’s lines converged into the current Lion Clan leadership; Bayushi Monban and Kakita Kazumi descended through marriages into Bayushi and Kakita families; and Doji Setsuna linked indirectly to Matsu Morozane, famed Lion Clan general.
- Ichigo Escorts to Military Library - Ikoma Ichigo escorted Shiba Midori to the military library at the Akodo War College, observing castle-wide interest in the magistrates’ Snow Plain inquiry.
- Monban Queries Quartermastery - Bayushi Monban approached the Okoto War College Military Library and requested arrival and return rosters and quartermaster reports for the Battle of Snow Plain.
- Akodo Atsushi Encountered - Bayushi Monban dealt with Akodo Atsushi, towering Lion Clan instructor, who assisted the document search but displayed hostility toward implications of dishonor.
- Losses and Illness Recorded - Bayushi Monban found arrival/return rosters of the Blood Of The Lioness noting roughly two-thirds losses and references to “valiant efforts” by a physic, Akodo Kayamayako, to save lives.
- Contamination Evidence Found - Bayushi Monban read quartermaster notes documenting winter-camp water contamination or poisoning, dysentery outbreaks, and tainted/molded food requiring disposal—absent from personal journals reviewed elsewhere.
Poems, Warnings, and Strategy Huddle - Doji Setsuna performed a subtle poem implying the Emperor Hantei forced a 'defeat' designation at Snow Plain, and Ikoma Ichigo relayed the Kamiyoko genealogical gap. Akodo Atsushi warned Shiba Midori that Bayushi Monban's indiscretion could get him killed. Bayushi Monban met Setsuna in the courtyard and reported illness, sabotage indicators, and that Akodo Kayamayako appeared in official rosters but was omitted from personal journals. Monban returned Setsuna's treaty draft with guarded feedback, Setsuna requested a discreet Scorpion Clan contact, and at a lunch briefing Monban presented the rosters and quartermaster extracts while Midori noted that only common soldiers' testimonies mentioned Akodo Kayamayako.
- Alteration Hypothesis Rebuked - When Bayushi Monban cautiously asked about leaders suppressing sensitive events in personal journals, Akodo Atsushi angrily rejected the idea, ordered copies made, and departed to teach a class.
- Setsuna’s Poem Performed - Doji Setsuna performed a subtle poem for Ikoma Ichigo implying the Emperor Hantei forced a “defeat” designation at Snow Plain despite a likely Lion Clan victory; Ichigo appreciated the interpretation.
- Ichigo Mentions Kamiyoko Gap - Ikoma Ichigo told Doji Setsuna that Shiba Midori had him searching Okoto histories for Akodo Kayamayako with no genealogical trace.
- Atsushi’s Warning Delivered - Akodo Atsushi encountered Shiba Midori and tersely warned that Bayushi Monban’s indiscretion could get him killed, then left the library.
- Courtyard Meeting - Doji Setsuna met Bayushi Monban crossing the courtyard; Monban reported the illness, sabotage indicators, and Akodo Kayamayako’s commendation in official records contrasted with silence in personal journals.
- Treaty Feedback Offered - Bayushi Monban returned Doji Setsuna’s treaty draft with guarded feedback—calling it dangerous, advising inclusion of Unicorn Clan–Lion Clan marriage ties (e.g., Shinjo–Okoto), and noting Scorpion Clan interest in balance of power.
- Scorpion Clan Contact Requested - Doji Setsuna asked Bayushi Monban to arrange a discreet line to the Scorpion Clan So her upcoming recommendation would not prejudice their view of her broader diplomatic plan.
- Lunch Strategy Huddle - At the dining hall with retainers Ryu and So present, Bayushi Monban unrolled the rosters and quartermaster extracts, briefing Shiba Midori and Doji Setsuna on spoilage, illness, and Kamiyoko’s praised service.
Archive Discovery of Scorpion Clan Plot - Kakita Kazumi worked in the Kitsu Archives consolidating Ikoma writings and the party found him with Ikoma Akuyaku's journals. They confirmed Akuyaku's hand and discovered hidden, clean calligraphy in invisible ink; Bayushi Monban deciphered that Akuyaku had for years duplicated and embedded Scorpion Clan reports in his personal journals. The group uncovered an unaltered hidden account in which Ikoma Akuyaku admitted involvement in a Scorpion Clan–Unicorn Clan arrangement over the Old Diamond Mines, acknowledged responsibility for poisoning that crippled the Lion Clan camp, and stated the 'lost histories' were delivered to the Scorpion Clan. Shiba Midori concluded there were three Scorpion Clan spies at Snow Plain, and Doji Setsuna analyzed the potential impact on Scorpion Clan resources and resolved to prepare accordingly.
- Commoner-Only Memories Noted - Shiba Midori observed that only common soldiers’ testimonies mentioned Akodo Kayamayako, while samurai accounts were uniformly silent, suggesting a systemic anomaly.
- Kazumi’s Archive Work - Kakita Kazumi, Crane Clan duelist and scribe, spent the afternoon in the Kitsu Archives consolidating Ikoma writings and preparing a secret “Ikoma Akuyaku” account of Snow Plain consistent with known battlefield details.
- Party Tracks Lantern - Following a lit lantern deeper into the Kitsu Archives, the group found Kakita Kazumi working in the Ikoma section with wet brush, open ink, and Akuyaku’s journals spread out.
- Akiyaku’s Hand Confirmed - Shiba Midori recognized Ikoma Akuyaku’s messy hand on the pages, while Bayushi Monban noted signs of active calligraphy work.
- Invisible Writing Revealed - Bayushi Monban held a page to candlelight, revealing hidden, clean calligraphy in invisible ink within Ikoma Akuyaku’s journals.
- A Scorpion Clan Spy Exposed - Bayushi Monban deciphered that Ikoma Akuyaku, once adopted into the Ikoma, had for years duplicated and embedded Scorpion Clan reports in his personal journals, confirming he had secretly spied for the Scorpion Clan.
- Secret Snow Plain Account - Bayushi Monban and the group uncovered an unaltered hidden account where Ikoma Akuyaku admitted involvement in a Scorpion Clan–Unicorn Clan arrangement over the Old Diamond Mines, acknowledged responsibility for poisoning that crippled the Lion Clan camp, and stated the “lost histories” were delivered to the Scorpion Clan.
- Three-Spy Conclusion - Shiba Midori, piecing evidence together, concluded there were three Scorpion Clan spies at Snow Plain—the known Unicorn Clan-aligned agent, the suspected Ikoma Akuyaku, and the covert medic Akodo Kayamayako—whose actions collectively caused the Lion Clan defeat.
Diplomatic Outreach and Custody Requests - Following the archive discoveries the party arranged Scorpion Clan contact and pursued formal custody and marital inquiries at the Castle of the Swift Sword. Bayushi Monban arranged a meeting between Doji Setsuna and Shosuro Imako; Shiba Midori hosted a composed tea ceremony during which Setsuna requested Imako relay recognition to Bayushi Kachiko if Setsuna's recommendation favored the Scorpion Clan. Bayushi Monban left the encounter and performed intense martial drills to vent frustration. The next morning Setsuna met with Kitsu Takeko to request transfer of her imprisoned husband's custody from Okoto Sakuon to Takeko's supervision and to ask about Akodo Masami's marital eligibility; Takeko agreed to write to Okoto Sakuon and noted Akodo Akihito had personally captured a Shinjo prisoner. Shiba Midori stated plans to consult a Kitsu shugenja to summon her ancestor's spirit to identify Akodo Kayamayako and obtain details of the stabbing attempt.
Scorpion Clan Tea and Recognition Request - Bayushi Monban agreed to arrange a discreet meeting between Doji Setsuna and Shosuro Imako, a Scorpion Clan operative with a red half mask. Shiba Midori hosted a composed tea ceremony at a local tea house for Setsuna and Imako with attendants present. During the exchange Setsuna asked Imako to relay to Bayushi Kachiko that her role should be remembered if Setsuna's recommendation favored the Scorpion Clan; Imako agreed to report depending on the judgment's substance. Bayushi Monban left the encounter and worked off frustration through intense martial drills at the sparring grounds.
- Scorpion Clan Claim Implications - Doji Setsuna analyzed that if the Old Diamond Mines still had value, validating the Scorpion Clan–Unicorn Clan deal could inject significant resources into Scorpion Clan coffers, affecting imperial balance, and resolved to prepare accordingly.
- Scorpion Clan Meeting Arranged - Bayushi Monban agreed to arrange a meeting between Doji Setsuna and Shosuro Imako, poised Scorpion Clan operative with a red half mask active at the Castle of the Swift Sword.
- Tea Ceremony Hosted - Shiba Midori performed a composed tea ceremony at a local tea house for Doji Setsuna and Shosuro Imako, with attendants present, keeping the exchange exquisitely courteous.
- Recognition Request Made - Doji Setsuna asked Shosuro Imako to relay to Bayushi Kachiko, Imperial Advisor and Imako’s patron, that if Setsuna’s recommendation favored the Scorpion Clan, her role should be remembered; Imako agreed to report depending on the judgment’s substance.
Takeko Audience and Custody Requests - The next morning Doji Setsuna took tea with Kitsu Takeko at the Castle of the Swift Sword to request a prisoner transfer and inquire about a Lion Clan's marital status. Setsuna formally requested transfer of her imprisoned husband's custody from Okoto Sakuon's frontline command to Kitsu Takeko's supervision and asked about Akodo Masami's eligibility for marriage. Kitsu Takeko agreed to write to Okoto Sakuon to seek the transfer and noted that Akodo Akihito had distinguished himself and personally captured a Shinjo prisoner. Shiba Midori stated plans to consult a Kitsu shugenja to summon her ancestor's spirit to identify Akodo Kayamayako and obtain details of the stabbing attempt.
- Monban’s Frustration Vent - Bayushi Monban, strained by the encounter, left abruptly for the sparring grounds and worked off fury at perceived ancestral betrayals through intense martial drills.
- Takeko Audience Secured - The next morning, Doji Setsuna took tea with Kitsu Takeko, lord of the Castle of the Swift Sword, to request a prisoner transfer and inquire about a Lion Clan’s marital status.
- Husband’s Custody Requested - Doji Setsuna formally asked Kitsu Takeko to arrange transfer of her imprisoned husband’s custody from Okoto Sakuon’s front-line command to Kitsu Takeko’s supervision at the Castle of the Swift Sword.
- Takeko Will Write Sakuon - Kitsu Takeko agreed to write to her “cousin” Okoto Sakuon to seek the transfer, noting that Akodo Akihito had distinguished himself and personally captured a Shinjo prisoner.
- Masami’s Eligibility Asked - Doji Setsuna inquired about Akodo Masami’s marital eligibility on behalf of another; Kitsu Takeko acknowledged the question and closed the meeting with intent to dispatch correspondence.
- Midori’s Ancestral Plan - Shiba Midori stated plans to consult a Kitsu shugenja to summon her ancestor’s spirit to identify Akodo Kayamayako and obtain details of the stabbing attempt, aiming to advance justice before Kitsuki Kaage’s arrival.
Entities named this session
Characters
- Akodo Akihito
- Akodo Atsushi
- Akodo Kayamayako
- Akodo Masami
- Akodo Toronoko
- Bayushi Kachiko
- Bayushi Monban
- Doji Hotaru
- Doji Masateru
- Doji Setsuna
- Emperor Hantei Hantei Hantei Hantei
- Ikoma Akuyaku
- Ikoma Ichigo
- Kakita Kazumi
- Kitsu Takeko
- Kitsuki Kaage
- Matsu Morozane
- Okoto Sakuon
- Okoto Totori
- Ryu
- Shiba Midori
- Shosuro Imako
- So
Locations
- Akodo War College
- Castle of the Swift Sword
- Ikoma Hall Of Scribes
- Kitsu Archives
- Okoto War College Military Library
- Old Diamond Mines
- Ote Castle
- Snow Plain