[D1, LE] What a day, what a place (Open)

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"By considering what those who came before you did prepare for. When we get our first briefing I plan to ask a great many questions about the previous expeditions. huge beasts, poisonous plants and venomous snakes are something anyone would consider but what about the ground swallowing people whole or plants that can eject suffocating spores if you graze against it? What about evil spirits? You just have to figure out what people already considered and try to fill in the gaps until people stop dying." Despite how dark his words were the joy never left his tone and he looked excited.

[Shiba Yukari]

"Evil spirits?"

She frowned. Perhaps processing that she was about the only shugenja she'd seen since arriving... and she wasn't really much of a traditional shugenja.

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"That's really the only legitimate rumor I have heard, it has to be a consideration. Killing every single member of a scouting party including any heimin that may have been traveling with them without anyone escaping is tough, doing it multiple times as seems to be the case here is probably near impossible. So whatever is causing these problems is probably really bad but whatever it is doesn't seem to be very mobile or it would have come here and wiped out the village. So it probably isn't something like rampaging Oni or evil cultists. But evil spirits bound to a site, poisonous plants, gases, stuff like that. Or maybe there is a portal to one of the spirit realms in there."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Or maybe it's not evil- just... upset. Or in pain. I think... if it's made parties of armed bushi disappear, throwing more bushi at it might not be the best course of action..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

He considered that for a moment. "That is a valid point but who else would we send but armed bushi? It's a difficult conundrum to be sure but if it isn't safe for people who are trained to go into hostile territory silently and survive against all odds it probably isn't safe for anyone. Probably. Or maybe there is just a paradise in there and no one wants to leave."

[Shiba Yukari]

"If the same approach yields the same results time after time, another one is probably required, wouldn't you say?"

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"What would you suggest?" There was no condescension in his voice, he was truly interested.

[Shiba Yukari]

"Maybe we talk with the local kami. Or see if a local animal could be coaxed into doing some scouting..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"That's a good idea....is that something you could do or perhaps Asako-sama? I mean, there's a Kitsune here but he's a bushi."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Well... I'm not... that good at the less... worldly aspect of being a shugenja. I know a prayer which lets me speak to an animal in such a way that they understand me, but their ability to communicate with me in return is nothing too fancy. And Asako-sama has a lot to keep track of."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Is this a prayer you can recite frequently?" He looked like he was formulating an idea.

[Shiba Yukari]

"Well. Maybe six times a day, if I don't call on the air kami in any other way."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"So what we need is a very smart animal. Something you can talk to and ask to go search an area, come back and then you ask it some very simple questions. or say something like "If you saw any caves stand on my left side.". Would that work?"

[Shiba Yukari]

"Probably, assuming I could convince the animal to do as I asked... which means persuading it we're not going to eat it, among other things."

She frowned.

"I hear people have taken to eating the giant salamanders. It's... not something I can recommend."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Yes I've heard the same thing and I find it both disgusting and terrible. No I think what we need for this is something quick, smart, brave and loyal; we need a dog."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Have you seen any around?"

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Not as such but I also wasn't looking for one."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Hm. Maybe we can ask around tomorrow..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Certainly, maybe the Unicorn brought some of their hunting dogs with them. Do you think this is something that can work? It would probably mean you have to put yourself in a bit of danger as we slowly move into areas we have already cleared of danger."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Well. We'd be on the edge of areas that had already been cleared..."

She frowned, though, as a thought struck her.

"But I'm not sure that animals we brought with us would be any safer than we are. We might need to find a wild animals that's reasonably sharp. Which would take more persuading, but."