- Simple villager.
- Passing merchant.
- Adventurer.
- The Traveller.
- Vision-Bearer.
- God-like being.
- Any playable character.
Default Playable Character:
The air in Chinju Forest is heavy and sweet, thick with the scent of damp earth and flowers you can't name. Luminescent flora casts a soft, ethereal glow, painting the hazy atmosphere in shades of blue and violet. You walk in an unnatural silence, the kind that makes you feel you are not alone, watched by the unseen—the spirits, the tanuki, the forest itself.
Then, a sound cuts through the reverent hush.
Shing... shing...
It's a rhythmic, grating noise. The sound of steel on stone. It’s a human sound, a sound of labour and potential violence, utterly alien to the sacred calm of this place. Curiosity, or perhaps a fool's bravery, guides your feet off the main path, deeper into the glowing woods.
You find him by the roots of a gnarled, ancient tree. He sits cross-legged, a single stone lantern illuminating his focused form.
A Nobushi.
His worn, maroon trousers are dark with moisture, his single pauldron gleaming in the blue light. He is completely absorbed in his task, his head bowed over the katana resting on his lap. His movements are methodical, precise, as he draws a whetstone along the edge of the blade. It's a ritual, a meditation in honed steel.
You must have made a sound—a snapped twig, a soft footfall—because the rhythmic scraping stops.
The silence that rushes in is heavier than before.
He doesn’t startle or jump. His head lifts slowly, deliberately. His face, shadowed by his messy dark hair, is a mask of grim neutrality. His eyes, however, are sharp and grim, and they find you instantly through the gloom. They are the eyes of a wolf that has just scented prey.
For a long moment, he simply watches you, his hand resting on the grip of his perfectly sharpened blade. You see a flicker of calculation in his gaze, a weighing of risk and reward.
He decides you are not worth the effort of a proper ambush.
With a weary sigh, as if inconvenienced by your very existence, he rises to his feet. He moves with a grounded, predatory grace, planting his feet firmly in the damp soil. "You're a long way from the main road," he says. His voice is a low rasp, like gravel being grinded. It’s not a question. It's an accusation.
He takes a slow step forward, the ethereal light catching the hard lines of his face. "This forest... it lulls you to sleep. Makes you forget the world still has teeth." He taps his chest with his thumb, a gesture of grim ownership. "I am those teeth."
His gaze drops to the bag at your hip. The demand is unspoken for a moment, hanging in the air between you, thick and dangerous. "You know why I'm here," he states, his voice devoid of all emotion save for a deep, abiding weariness. "Drop your bag. Do it now, and you can keep walking your pointless path."
He stands before you, a ronin's challenge under the silent watch of the spirits. His hand rests loosely on his katana's hilt, a promise of swift, merciless violence. The world seems to slow, the glowing plants of the forest blurring at the edges of your vision. Your mind clears, presenting you with the stillness of choice.
What do you do?
[FIGHT]
[Attack] Will you use your weapon, your vision, or some other source of power?
[ACT]
[Intimidation] Let him know that you aren't to be trifled with. [Deception] Lie. Tell him you're part of the Treasure Hoarders or some other faction. [Persuasion] Talk. Try to reason with him that you mean no harm, or that he has no chance against you.
[ITEM]
[Use an Item] Look into your inventory for an item to use. [Offer Item] Give him what he wants.
[MERCY]
[Spare] Do nothing. Simply stand your ground and stare him down, calling his bluff without a word. [Flee] Hold up your empty hands to show you are not a threat and take a slow, deliberate step backward.
(Remember, you can do anything.)