Political Maneuvers [Mission/Travel/Open]

[Molokai]

SPOILER: Click to show

Political Assassination
Rank: B
IIC Length: Two days
Difficulty: Moderate-difficult
Objective: Assassinate the designated target
Description: A corrupt Daimyo of Tea Country wants a certain someone taken care of, and is willing to pay extra to someone who won't ask any questions. The person in question will be delivering a series of speeches in opposition to the Daimyo, and thus it has been requested that the assassination be done during one of these speeches in order to send a stronger message. This will make it more difficult, as they will be well-attended and well-guarded events, so killing him on the road or indoors is also acceptable. However, there is Bonus pay for doing it publicly during a speech against the Daimyo.
Reward: 18,500, +5,000 if done publicly.

(tl;dr moving to River)

-Travel-

The roads between Rain Country and Tea Country were numerous and varied. Rain was a small country with many borders, mostly with countries that boasted powerful Hidden Villages, so it must needs be that there were many roads twisting and winding through the grasslands and rivers. Most travelers tended to avoid the country during autumn because the heavier-than-usual rains turned the roads into impassable mud bogs, and swelled the rivers until they washed away most small bridges. Only the main trade routes, which boasted the strongest bridges and were generally better maintained, tended to survive during the rainy season.

However, those washed-out side roads were perfect for Amegakure shinobi trying to move through the country without attracting too much attention.

Turin walked at a relaxed pace down one of the many roads that pushed south through the Country of Rain, weaving around the puddles and soft mud in an attempt to keep his feet dry for as long as possible. This particular road was largely unmarked, but thanks to his map and compass he knew it would get him to where he was going. It had been neglected for some time, probably since the beginning of the rainy season (well, the rainier season), so the underbrush grew over the edges and dropped water down his boots if he strayed too far to either side. Light green, ankle-high grass had grown in places where the mud wasn't too thick, so he found himself following that more often than not. In the spring and summer, when these roads were dry enough to run a cart through, it would have been wide enough for four people to walk comfortably side-by-side. With the unkempt, waist-high grass leaning over the edges from the weight of the rainfall, it was choked to about two people wide, and most of the navigable patches were hidden beneath the grass canopy.

Sticking to the middle of the road meant gambling on the depth of puddles, but straying too far to the sides meant cold water on his thighs and down the top of his boots. It was slow going, and though it probably could have been expedited by caring less about the state of his feet, he didn't mind. Rain country was too cold and depressing for most people, but Turin found that it had a kind of steely beauty; the way the tall grasses glowed neon green in the diffuse light of the cloudy sky, the way the dark-leafed trees bent with the weight of the rain, bowing low and solemn like brooding giants. The leaves of the sparse trees grew strong and wide, their branches stretching out in search of the soft light, making them look like lonely, broad-shouldered sentinels. The clouds blended the shadows and calmed the harsh yellow light of the sun, turning it white and bringing out the vibrancy of the grasslands. Autumnal wildflowers dotted the bright green sea with specks of orange, blue, yellow, and purple, like tiny islands of color that stood in defiance of the cold gray sky. Everywhere, plants grew tall and healthy, fed by the constant rainwater and the fertile, loamy soil. Turin didn't mind walking slow.

As he navigated the ruts and puddles, taking in the beauty of the country, he never forgot that he was on his way to kill someone. He double checked all of his gear for the coming mission, and found that it was all where he left it. His heavily modified rifle crossbow was folded and concealed in its usual place on the small of his back beneath his long jacket. Most people took to wearing their weapons outwardly, but for Turin that always felt cumbersome. This way, his hands were free when he wasn't using it. Of course, he wore his hip quiver out in the open for all to see, but that was more due to its size than anything else. Time was he would try to keep it hidden, but with a hundred and fifty bolts it was a lost cause. Should he encounter anybody he could easily apply a genjutsu to conceal it, but since it wasn't in his way he didn't mind it being visible.

Within the quiver he held a variety of bolts, all organized and separated for ease of selection. The majority was made up of his seventy standard, unmodified bolts. These he kept around due to their relative cheapness; they were easier to replace and thus he could use them more freely. Beside these he kept his razor-fletched bolts, fifty in total. The range advantage of the razor fletching was valuable to him, but since they had to be handled gingerly he preferred to save them for engagements that afforded him more room for finesse. Sequestered off from the other two kinds of bolts were thirty explosive-tipped bolts. These weren't his preferred style, and were expensive to boot, but sometimes that extra two meters of wiggle room came in handy.

The crossbow and assorted bolts were his primary weapon, and he used them so frequently they felt very much a part of him. Swordsmen tended to train for so long that they felt their blades were extensions of their arm, and Turin felt the exact same way about his crossbow. The only difference was that his arm was much, much longer. It was not, however, his only trick. Tucked throughout his jacket and undershirt were special pockets lined with knives. The shirt contained the knives mostly in the sleeves and midsection area, while the jacket held them in pocketed leather strips that ran down the inner lining. In total, he carried twenty knives on him at all times, and thanks to the pockets and his skill in sleight of hand he could carry them even into places that searched for weapons.

Aside from the weapons he carried, he also went with a set of less deadly tools that were equally important for his trade. Contained in the butt-bag which he kept strapped on the back of his right hip, hidden beneath the long black jacket, were his break-in tools. A twenty-piece lock pick set and five glass cutters were his skeleton keys, tools that allowed him access to all but the strongest of fortified positions. Aside from those tools, his lensatic compass and world map kept him on the right track, and a pair of wireless radios were bundled up and tucked away in case he needed them.

All of the tools of his trade accompanied him on his journey through the land of Rain, heading south toward the river that intersected the border between Rain Country and River Country. There were flat-hulled river boats down there that ferried travelers between towns for a pittance. Even with the swollen conditions of the autumn season, the rivers down there weren't the fast-flowing, angry beasts that the downpours of Rain Country begot.

He had left early in the morning, but it was approaching dusk and he had hardly made any progress. His knees were tired, and despite his best efforts his feet had been soaked for hours. Luckily, he had made enough progress that the road had dried out and widened, and at some point he had rejoined a much larger thoroughfare leading south. At this point, he faced a debate of whether to continue through the night or risk napping in the open to regain some strength. With his feet as wet as they were, he needed to stop and dry out sooner or later or risk developing trench foot, but the further he walked the more he felt like he couldn't stop.

While he trudged, steadily getting slower with each step, he spied a glow in the distance and found the energy to jog up to it. As he approached, the smell of hot meat and horses found his nose and a wooden cabin came into view on the left side of the road. A sign hung before the door with a carving depicting a fish leaping out of a river, the colors faded and the wood cracked and splintered. Across the way, a horse nickered and pawed at the mud, and Turin could make out in the darkness maybe a dozen or so horses and a few carts laden with goods. The nightwatchman leaning against the stable gave him a mean look when he lingered on the horses too long, so Turin turned back toward the sweeter-smelling building. A roadside inn, the sight of it was enough to bring a smile to his face. His boots squished as he climbed the steps onto the porch and pushed open the heavy, iron-fastened door.

A wash of warmth and noise buffeted him, jarring him out of the cold and quiet he was used to. Inside, a huge fire pit dominated the middle of the room with some large beast slowly turning on a spit, fat sizzling as it dripped onto the red-hot coals, serving boys carving chunks of flesh onto large ceramic plates and passing them around. This was surrounded by long tables on either side, packed with men and women alike, quaffing ale and wine and sopping up the juices from the roast into heels of bread. Most of them wore rough leather clothes, worn and muddied from travel, but a few were dressed in fancier and more colorful outfits.

Turin hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw the meat and smelled it cooking, and the bartender must have seen the hunger in his eyes.

"What are you just standing there for? Come, take a seat! Hang your jacket by the door! Just a few coins and you can have as much as you like!" The inn-keep was a robust, bearded fellow with dark skin, dressed a dirty white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his thick, hairy forearms.

As he rounded the counter, Turin could see his black cotton pants tucked into thick, brown leather boots, all beneath a stained white apron. Taking his hood down, Turin told the inn-keep that he preferred to leave the jacket on if he didn't mind.

"Of course!" he roared. His voice was thick with ale, and his accent reminded Turin of the desert. "Can't trust anybody these days, eh? Thieves everywhere, am I right? Eh, do what you like, but keep those hands off those arrows, if you know what's good for you. Come! Sit, sit!"

After hanging his boots and socks beside the fire, he took a seat in a corner on the opposite, his back against the wall opposite the front door and angled to see the entire inn at once. When the large barkeep came up to him with a plate of roast and some bread, Turin asked him about room prices.

"Eh, we are sold out, I'm afraid. Unless you want the attic room. It's a bit drafty, but I can bring up an extra blanket. At least the cold keeps the fleas to a minimum, eh?" Turin told him that was fine, turned down the offer of ale and wine in favor of water, and ate until he was satisfied. The whole time he kept his gaze down so as not to draw attention to himself, but it proved unnecessary. It seemed that everyone else there was a part of the same large caravan, and they were all too deep in their cups to even remember that he was there. As the weight of the meat in his belly drew his eyelids together, he retrieved his stiff socks and ascended the steps to his cold attic room. When he woke up a mere four hours later, it was still dark.

Donning his boots as quietly as possible, he slipped out before anybody else woke up. Someone was snoring loudly in of the rooms, and the once roaring fire was reduced to smoldering embers. A chill had crept into the room in the absence of bodies and flame, but it was still warmer than outside. Turin padded silently across the wooden floor, picked the lock into the larder, and made off with a handful of apples and some bread.

Stepping out into the crisp air of the wee hours, Turin continued his trek south. The watchman was drooling on his chest as he slept upright in his stool, and paid him no mind as he walked silently by, munching on a stolen apple. On the wider, drier road he made much better time, and he could already hear the faint whisper of a distant river by the time dawn arrived.

Three days later, he came upon a bustling town and could hear the rush of a large river beneath the din of a church bell ringing the hour. Nobody stopped him as he walked through to the center of town, where he followed the sound of voices and water to the river's edge. He had grown hungry again by this point, and was saving the good bread for later, so he stopped at one of the market stalls to pick up a few days worth of salted meat, dried fruit, and hardtack. Gnawing on one of the stone-like wafers, he looked around the riverfront for a ferryman who would take him south.

It didn't take long for him to find one, waving and shouting about how fast and cheap his ferry was.

"Where ya headed?" He asked Turin.
"As far as you'll take me. Trying to get to the Komoku-ten ocean."
"Look no further. I'll be making a few stops on the way there, but I run all the way south through River country. You can jump off whenever you need."
"Perfect. Count me in."
"You, uh, you can pay, right?"

After some negotiations, Turin took his place on the bow of the ferry, right beside an excited-looking boy and his tired mother. A small handful of people had joined him, all carrying heavy bags likely full of everything they owned. As they set off, the boy shrieked with excitement and his mother shushed him, looking around with embarrassment at the rest of the ferry patrons, none of whom even cared to look up.

The river itself was wide and slow; a commuter river that originated in the mountains of Earth Country and was fed by tributaries in Rain until it swelled to be nearly half a kilometer wide in some places. The ferryman deftly maneuvered them to the deep, fast-flowing center and the boat took off, making excellent time. After a few hours or so of letting the strong current carry them south, past grasslands and wooded hills that slowly gave way to low mountains already capped with snow, the ferryman announced that they had crossed the border into river country.

[Travel to River]

Passive Techniques:

SPOILER: Click to show

-Marskman Passives-

SPOILER: Click to show

Defensive Shot
Rank: "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A technique in which if the user has his sights set on a target ready to attack, the senses of the Marksman is so in tuned with his surroundings the user is unable to be flanked.
Special: ---
Drawback: The user may only learn this technique by the class that they are. This means that in order to learn the "C" Rank version they must be "C" Class, if they wish to learn the "B" Rank version they must be "B" Class.
Description: A technique where the subconscious mind, where the subconscious body reacts just as they are attacked while flanked or while their back is turn. The body reacts in such a way to where they are capable of withstanding so much. This technique makes it where the Marksman is incapable of being surprised attacked, a sudden second sense kicks in as their body screams out to them yelling at them telling them to move, duck, dodge or anything else within that manner. This works on whenever they are being attacked. This technique however has a major flaw. The user is capable of dodging only whenever the opponent's class is equal or lower to that of the rank of the technique they know. This means that a "D" Class user that knows this technique cannot use this against an opponent that is "C" Class or higher.
Limit: Must be a Marksman.

Speed Reload (Rifle Crossbow)
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User is able to load their Rifle Crossbow more rapidly than normal.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User should learn this technique first beforehand if they wish to user the crossbow. With Swift Reload (Rifle Crossbow) it takes a movement to load a Rifle Crossbow. With this technique the user may load a Rifle Crossbow with the same speed as using a bow.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Swift Reload (Rifle Crossbow). Must have a Crossbow.

Point Blank Shot
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A technique that gives the user greater proficiency within the range of 10 meters.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: With this technique the user has learned how to combat against opponents within 10 meters without fear or fumbling with their weapon. They gain the courage and ability to perform combat without much effort. This is a prerequisite technique for more popular techniques. What good is an Marksman if they are not ready to battle while in close range.
Limit: Must be a Marksman.

Precise Shot
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User can shoot weapons at an opponent engaged in melee combat without risk of hitting someone else.
Special: ---
Drawback: This does not include Grappling.
Description: Another prerequisite technique that brings the Marksman even closer to combat without fumbling or worry of using the weapon. Normally without this technique there is a chance that the user could miss and hit someone else whom is engaged in melee combat to whomever the user wishes to attack. This technique makes the user proficient in hitting the target even if the target is engaged in close combat with someone else.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Point Blank Shot.

Increased Precision
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A technique that improves the user’s capabilities of Point Blank Shot as well as Sneak Attack shots within a higher distance of 20 meters instead of 10 meters.
Special: ---
Drawback: If opponent has techniques that finds opponents such as chakra sense then this technique will not work against them.
Description: Normally a user is able to shoot at a target within 10 meters while hiding and not be seen or spotted. This technique allows the user to shoot at a further distance of 20 meters and able to stay hidden and unseen. User must stay hidden in order for this technique to work.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Precise Shot.

Far Shot
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: Farshot allows the user to increase their range proficiency by giving them a 2nd Range Increment.
Special: ---
Drawback: Must Aim for 1 movement before shooting.
Description: Normally the user may only shoot proficiently within the weapon's 1st Range Increment. This technique allows the user to increase their range proficiency by giving them a 2nd Range Increment. Example: The Recurve Bow has a 1st Range increment of 30 meters. With this technique the user's 2nd Range increment for this weapon is 60 meters. This increases the user's mobility attack as well as the stationary attack allowing the user to shoot at further distances without worrying too much about close combat.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Precise Shot.

Quick Aim
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: This technique reduces the time to aim while using Far Shot.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This technique allows the user to aim faster in order to shoot faster. This technique reduces the time to perform Far Shot by 1 movement, allowing the user to shoot within the same speed proficiency as they normally would within the 1st Range Increment. This technique reduces the number of rounds needed to Aim from other Range Increments by 1 as well. Example: Eagle Eye normally needs 4 movements of aiming before firing a shot. This technique decreases the aim time by 1 movement allowing the user to aim for 3 movements before firing a shot.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Far Shot.

Acrobatic Shot
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User compensates skill for awkward attack positions such as hanging upside down from a branch, sliding down a slow or dropping from a balcony.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Normally a Marksman must have solid footing on the ground in order to shoot proficiently. The Marksman is only able to shoot at 1/3rd of their normal proficiency. With this technique the user is able to shoot at awkward positions. They may be able to shoot upside down from a branch, sliding down a slope, jumping and falling, or even rolling on the floor. With this technique the user may shoot at half their proficiency . When the user learns Shot on the Run they are able to shoot at 2/3rd of their proficiency.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Precise Shot.

Shot on the Run
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: When attacking with a ranged weapon, the user may move while attacking while being 2/3rd proficient in range.
Special: ---
Drawback: Only works within 1/2 Proficiency.
Description: Normally an Marksman is only able to shoot within the range of 1/2 of their proficiency while on the move. This technique increases the range up to 2/3rd of the total proficient range. Example: 1st Range Increment of a Pistol Crossbow is 10 meters. While on the move user may shoot within 5 meters proficiency. With Shot on the Run user may shoot within 6.6 meters proficiency while moving around.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Acrobatic Shot.

Ambushing Shot
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User is able to shoot within their sneaking attack distance without having the opponent knowing where the arrow came from.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The character can shoot from a hiding place and remain hidden. Once any target enters combat, the only benefit of this maneuver is that the opponents do not know where the arrows are coming from, unless they observe greatly. They may make a guess of the general direction from the attack, but not something accurate enough to know exact location.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Increased Precision.

Sharp Shooting
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: If an opponent can be seen while taking cover, even if the opponent is 9/10th seen, the user is able to hit with deadly force.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: At this point the user is able to hit an opponent who is 9/10th covered with great proficiency and power able to hit an opponent with "B" Rank of power. An opponent may be hiding and it becomes difficult for an Marksman to hit that opponent. With this technique the user may shoot 1 arrow against the opponent per movement in which would negate hiding effects unless the opponent is 100% covered from all around. This technique allows the user to hit hidden opponents with much more ease.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Uncanny Accuracy.

Spinning Shot
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: The Marksman alters the arrow’s fletching so that it spins as it travels to the target. Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: After altering the arrow's fletching slightly the user is able to perform any arrow technique that deals with power damage as if it was 1 rank higher than it normally would be. A "C" Rank technique would hit as if it was a "B" Rank technique, an "S" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "D" Rank technique, and an "S" + "D" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "C" Rank technique.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must have Mastered Marksman.

Power Shot
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: One of the most powerful skills an Marksman may have. This technique allows the user to fire an arrow or bolt with greater velocity in which gives it an extra boost of damage to where it is capable of going through certain objects.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user is able to shoot their arrow with such precision and strength that it adds more damage. The user is able to perform any arrow technique that deals with power damage as if it was 1 rank higher than it normally would be. A "C" Rank technique would hit as if it was a "B" Rank technique, an "S" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "D" Rank technique, and an "S" + "D" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "C" Rank technique. This technique may stack with other techniques that may increase ranking power.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Spinning Shot.

Bullseye
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A user's shot or shots become more lethal.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: A Precision shot and not a Power Shot. This shot allows the user to hit vital areas more easily and precisely than normally. A technique in which the user knows the areas that are able to harm an opponent the most. User is able to fire their long ranged weapon and knows where they can cause the most damage. The user is able to perform any arrow technique that deals with power damage as if it was 1 rank higher than it normally would be. A "C" Rank technique would hit as if it was a "B" Rank technique, an "S" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "D" Rank technique, and an "S" + "D" Rank technique would hit as if it was an "S" + "C" Rank technique. This technique may stack with other techniques that may increase ranking power.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Spinning Shot.

Way of the Wasp
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User gains an extra movement while using the skills of Marksman
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This technique makes the user greatly proficient in the art of Marksman. The user gains an extra movement however this movement is only dedicated to Marksman. This means if a user has 4 movements then they are able to perform 1 extra movement only to Marksman abilities and techniques.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Improved Rapid Shot. Must have Mastered Marksman.

-Throwing Passives-

SPOILER: Click to show

Point Blank Shot
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A technique that gives the user greater proficiency within the range of 10 meters.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: With this technique the user has learned how to combat against opponents within 10 meters without fear or fumbling with their weapon. They gain the courage and ability to perform combat without much effort. This is a prerequisite technique for more popular techniques. What good is a Throwing Specialist if they are not ready to battle while in close range.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist.

Precise Shot
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User can throw weapons at an opponent engaged in melee combat without risk of hitting someone else.
Special: ---
Drawback: This does not include Grappling.
Description: Another prerequisite technique that brings the Throwing Specialist even closer to combat without fumbling or worry of using the weapon. Normally without this technique there is a chance the user could miss their target and strike an alley who may be in melee combat with. This technique makes the user proficient in hitting the target even if the target is engaged in close combat with someone else.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist. Must know Point Blank Shot.

Far Shot
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: Farshot allows the user proficiency to the 2nd Range Increment with thrown weapons.
Special: ---
Drawback: Must Aim for 1 movement before throwing.
Description: Normally the user may only shoot proficiently within the weapon's 1st Range Increment. This technique allows the user to increase their range proficiency by giving them a 2nd Range Increment. Example: The Knife has a 1st Range increment of 10 meters. With this technique the user's 2nd Range increment for this weapon is 20 meters. This increases the user's mobility attack as well as the stationary attack allowing the user to throw at further distances without worrying too much about close combat.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist. Must know Precise Shot.

Quick Aim
Rank: "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: This technique reduces the time to aim while using Far Shot.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This technique allows the user to aim faster in order to throw faster. This technique reduces the time to perform Far Shot by 1 movement, allowing the user to throw within the same speed proficiency as they normally would within the 1st Range Increment. This technique reduces the number of rounds needed to Aim from other Range Increments by 1 as well. Example: Eagle Eye normally needs 4 movements of aiming before hurling a throw. This technique decreases the aim time by 1 movement allowing the user to aim for 3 movements before throwing a weapon.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist. Must know Far Shot.

Sharp Throwing
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: If an opponent can be seen while taking cover, even if the opponent is 9/10th seen, the user is able to hit with deadly force.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: At this point the user is able to hit an opponent who is 9/10th covered with great proficiency and power able to hit an opponent with "B" Rank of power. An opponent may be hiding and it becomes difficult for a Throwing Specialist to hit that opponent. With this technique the user may throw 1 ranged weapon against the opponent per movement in which would negate hiding effects unless the opponent is 100% covered from all around. This technique allows the user to hit hidden opponents with much more ease.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist. Must know Uncanny Accuracy.

Throw on the Run
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: When attacking with a throwing weapon, the user may move while attacking within 2/3rd proficient in range.
Special: ---
Drawback: Only works within 2/3rd Proficiency.
Description: Normally a Throwing Specialist is only able to throw within the range of 1/2 of their proficiency while on the move. This technique increases the range up to 2/3rd of the total proficient range. Example: 1st Range Increment of a Kunai is 10 meters. While on the move user may throw within 5 meters proficiency. With Throw on the Run user may throw within 6.6 meters proficiency while moving around.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist. Must know Acrobatic Throw.

Quick Draw
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: User has learned how to draw their weapon without taking up a movement.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user can draw a weapon without a movement. The user can draw a hidden weapon (With Sleight of Hand) without taking a movement. A user who has this technique may draw a throwing weapon and hurl the weapon within 1 movement. Without this technique, the user may draw a weapon as a movement.
Limit: Must be a Throwing Specialist.

-Genjutsu Passives-

SPOILER: Click to show

Illusion Focus x6
Rank: "C" (Special, See Description)
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User has gained mastery over the use of Illusionism.
Special: ---
Drawback: May learn at a maximum of 6 times,
Description: Each time learned the user gains 1 extra point to their Jutsu against the opponent's save for the Illusionary Perceptions (Figment, Glamour, Pattern, Phantasm, and Shadow). When the user learns this technique the 1st 2 times they train it as a regular "C" Rank Jutsu. When the user learns this technique the 2nd 2 times they train it as a "C" Rank Jutsu +10 Training Points. When the user learns this technique the 3rd 2 times they train it as a "C" Rank Jutsu +20 Training Points.
Limit: Universal GenJutsu Technique.

Impeccable Will x6
Rank: "C" (Special, See Description)
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User has gained mastery over their own will power.
Special: ---
Drawback: May Learn at a maximum of 6 times.
Description: Each time learned the user gains 1 extra point to their save against the opponent's Jutsu. When the user learns this technique the 1st 2 times they train it as a regular "C" Rank Jutsu. When the user learns this technique the 2nd 2 times they train it as a "C" Rank Jutsu +10 Training Points. When the user learns this technique the 3rd 2 times they train it as a "C" Rank Jutsu +20 Training Points. This technique stacks with other Will saves.
Limit: Universal GenJutsu Technique.

-Venator Passives-

SPOILER: Click to show

Exploit Weakness
Rank: "B"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: The Venator learns to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Whenever a Venator hits a target with direct hit, they ignore any damage reduction the target may have. In addition, if the target has regeneration, the creature loses regeneration on the round following the direct strike and can die normally during that round. Creatures whose regeneration always functions are immune to this ability. Finally, if the Venator deals energy damage to a creature with vulnerability to that energy type, the user deals an extra +10 points of damage.
Limit: Must be a Venator.

Effective Judgment
Rank: "C" Always 30 Training Points
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: When hunting down heretics, having the knowledge from their divine beliefs on how to make more effective Judgments can give them an advantage.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The Venator gains a +1 to their effective Class Level when determining the Level based effects of any Judments.
Limit: Must be a Venator. Must know Judgment.

Judgment Focus (Accuracy)
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is an expert with 1 particular judgment.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User Selects 1 judgment they know. The user is treated as if they are five 1 Class Level higher for the purposes of determining the bonus granted by this Judgment. This bonus does not stack with the bonus to effective Class Level granted by the Slayer or Greater Slayer. This Technique can be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, the user increases their effective level when determining the bonus of 1 specific judgment.
Limit: Must be a Venator. Must know Judgment.

-Miscellaneous Passives-

SPOILER: Click to show

Fast Mover
Rank: "B"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User can move faster than normal.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +1 extra movement. This Jutsu can stack with other movement increasement Jutsus. User may only learn this technique once.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Alertness
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User often notices things that others might miss.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +10 bonus to their Observation and Sense Motive Skills. If the user has 50 or more points in one of those skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that Skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Agile
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User's fingers and limbs are particularly deft.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +10 bonus to their Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand Skills. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Deceitful I
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is skilled at deceiving others, both with the spoken word and with physical disguises.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +10 bonus on all Acting and Disguise skill checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Eyes of the Hawk
Rank: "C" Always 20 Training Points
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User's eyes can pick up targets from far away.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User's base range increment is increased by +2 Meters.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous. Must know Observation.

Mimic
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User's a natural at impersonating others.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +10 bonus to their Acting and Disguise Skills. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Keen-Eyes
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User has a keen eye for details.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +10 bonus to their Observation and Sense Motive Skills. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Deft Hands I
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User tells exceptional manual dexterity.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +10 bonus on all Disable Device and Sleight of Hand skill checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Cold and Cunning
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is particularly good at cheating on people.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +10 bonus to all Acting, and Sleight of Hand skill checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of those skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that Skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Iron Will
Rank: "C" Always 20 Training Points
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is more resistant to mental effects.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +2 bonus on all Will Saves.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Deepsight
Rank: "D"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User's senses are especially keen in the utter darkness.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User's Darkvision has a range of 35 meters.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous. Must have Darkvision 20 meters.

-Traits and Augmentations-

SPOILER: Click to show

Trickster
Rank: "C"
Skill: Chakra Trait
Effect: Due to their upbringing and mischievous way of life they have greater ability in Figments and Glamours.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user is particularly adept with their abilities, and as child you quickly learned how Dancing Lights and Ghost Sound could be used to amuse their friends and fool their elders. This natural talent for illusion continued as they grew older, and before long you were being offered training in more advanced Figments and Glamours. The user gains a +1 trait bonus to their Class Level when determining the duration, range, and area of all Jutsus from Figments and Glamours. This trait replaces 1 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 1 Freebies.

Child of the Streets
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user grew up on the streets of a large city, and as a result they have developed a knack for picking pockets and hide small objects on their person.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user gains a +5 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and both skills gain an additional die roll when learning the skill. This trait replaces 1 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 1 Freebies.

Born to the Crossbow
Rank: "E"
Skill: Trait
Effect: User is born to handle a crossbow like a fish is born to swim in water.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +10 damage points against defensive techniques added to the rank of their technique while using one bow from the following list: Pistol Crossbows, Compound Crossbows, Recurve Crossbows, or Rifle Crossbows. Furthermore the user gains +3 on Die Rolls pertaining to gaining knowledge in Crafting Crossbows. This trait replaces 1 of the 5 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 1 of 5 Freebies. Must be a Marksman.

Darkvision [35 meters]
Rank: "B"
Type: Augmentation
Effect: User gains Darkvision
Special: To perform: 3 hours; Duration: Permanent
Drawback: ---
Description: Takes up 3 Augmentation Points. User can see in total darkness out to a range of 20 meters. Darkvision is black and white only but is otherwise like normal sight.
Limit: Must be a Ritualist for Augmentation Rituals.
Cost: Market Price: 23,000 Ryo Performing Price: 17,000 Ryo

[Natsy]

Moved to River.

[Molokai]

The ferry that wound its way deftly through the twists and turns of the deep mountain river was long and flat. The sharply pointed bow cut through the water as the current pushed them along. Two masts sprouted from the deck, one in the center, and one perched precariously on the stern. Off-white sails were furled up beneath the boom of each mast, which both swung lazily as the boat twisted and turned with the current. Between the two masts stretched a cramped cabin with a low ceiling, and on top of this cabin the ferryman stood manipulating the tiller to keep them in the middle of the river. Except for the yellow tin roof of the cabin, the whole thing was made of dark, lichen-covered wood with lighter patches in some places, evident of recent repairs.

On either side of the river, huge granite cliffs towered over the water, their hard, gray faces looming over the tiny boat. Small patches of bright green vegetation occasionally broke through the cold stone, fighting for a place among the rocks. A dense forest capped the cliffs, outlining the narrow sky, making the sky above seem as small as the river below. Everything smelled of wet leaves and fresh water. The only sound that broke the silence was the babbling water. For a few hours nobody said anything.

Turin sat as far forward as he could, taken in by the sights and smells of River Country. Every now and again, he would feel the eyes of the other passengers on him, but they quickly looked away when his eyes moved to meet theirs. The little boy who had been excited when the trip started was utterly fascinated now. He hopped from side to side, looking at every little thing that his eyes could see. The look on his face reflected the way Turin felt; in awe of the river.

It was gradual at first, but Turin started to notice the cliffs going by a little faster. Suddenly, the boat lurched forward and everybody grabbed hold of something. Immediately, the boy's mother grabbed him and held him down. He squirmed and struggled in vain to break free of her grasp, but settled down once he realized it was futile. Looking back at the ferryman, Turin noted the focused look on his face. Bracing himself, Turin grabbed the edge of the boat with his left hand and faced the bow of the ship. As the current continued to pick up speed, he stood and let his legs move beneath him to stabilize against the rocking. Nervous glances passed through the rest of the passengers, and the mother was clutching the boy's shoulders so tightly that he grimaced from the pressure. With eyes riveted forward, Turin looked out at the oncoming bends and obstacles and braced himself for them. The boat went over a small eddy and it rocked from bow to stern, earning a sharp gasp from some of the less experienced passengers. At the stern, the ferryman's arms were now working the tiller back and forth like, the veins bulging in his wiry arms, working furiously to keep the tiny boat away from the stone walls. Ahead, Turin spotted a break in the cliffs around a sharp bend, and for a moment he didn't see the river beyond it.

The tiny river junk came bursting out of the narrow river passage and practically skipped across the suddenly tranquil waters. Almost instantly, the river had widened again to close to a kilometer and the flow seemed to crawl almost to a halt. Looking behind, Turin saw the torrent from which they had just come; the large cliffs had funneled the water until it spat them out with contempt into the greater river. Beside it was another tributary, tumbling furiously down the mountain, both of them feeding into the larger river in which the ferry now drifted along.

Ahead, the landscape had changed just as dramatically. Gone were the mountains and the cliffs. Now only rolling hills and grasslands remained as far as the eye could see. As the boat continued to float gently through the much calmer section of river, more and more river boats began to appear. Tiny canoes manned by one or two fishermen skirted the edges. A great three-masted galley paddled valiantly upriver with enough oars to look like a great wooden centipede. Single-masted skiffs zipped around on the brisk breeze, their occupants smiling and laughing like nothing in the world was wrong. Even the children standing on the banks with nets and rods, splashing fruitlessly at the passing fish, gave the ferry a wave as it passed by. River people. Turin smiled and waved back.

"Ah, see now! That wasn't so bad, was it?" With the dangerous section behind them and nothing but smooth sailing ahead, the ferryman tied up his tiller and hopped down to the deck.

"I thought you said this was going to be a smooth ride." Some old man who had looked green since they disembarked was quivering beneath a thick woolen blanket despite the balmy weather, and generally looked like he hated most everything.

"I am in control of the weather? River conditions change daily, my friend. You are dry, yes? Had you ridden with anybody else, you would be soaked by now. That is the way of it." The ferryman's speech sounded to Turin like he had been formulating it since he noticed the rough water, ready to deflect the inevitable complaint. His amiable smile flashed across each of his passengers, moving through eye contact like a practiced businessman in a room full of shareholders. His demeanor wasn't completely unpleasant, but nonetheless the old man grumbled and burrowed deeper into his blanket.

Another few hours passed with minimal talking amongst the passengers. Several of them, including the blanketed old man, napped in their seats. The energetic young boy finally ran out of steam after waving to what must have been hundreds of other boaters, and was now napping peacefully on his mother's lap. She was gently stroking his hair, humming to herself and staring out over the water, content that her rambunctious son had finally settled down. The ferryman struck up a few conversations, none of which lasted long, and even the chattiest of passengers fell quiet after a time. Others continued to take in the sights of the lush river valley, which had turned into a vast green grassland that stretched into the horizon, ending with distant, white-capped mountains turning purple in the fading light. Ahead, the shimmering water burned orange, setting the entire valley ablaze with color. A thin puff of smoke was faintly visible on the edge of a patch of trees, but nobody seemed to pay it any mind.

Turin himself was fixated on the water. He laid his chest down on the prow and was watching the fish dart about beneath them as the riverboat was pulled along by the inexorable current. In this place, the water was so clear he could see straight to the bottom, which made the river look like it was barely a few feet deep. He found himself compelled to reach down to it, running the tips of his fingers through the frigid, sparkling water and watching the miniature wake that formed behind them. Water was truly a magical thing. Growing up in the desert, nothing was celebrated except for water. There, the only water that flowed was carried by the caravans that meandered across the dunes, looking very much like rivers themselves. In the desert, water is a stranger. Only the places where water gathered, the Oases, were worthy of praise. Ain, Bir, Wadi, Foggara, Khottara, Shaduf, these beautiful places were considered sacred to the people of the desert. Turin had never seen one of these oases himself. His father had always been too busy trying to scrape up enough food for the two of them to make the long trek out to see them. "One day, Turin," he had always promised, "one day I will take you to the Oasis."

On the day he died, the Oases were the furthest thing from Turin's mind. But now, here he was floating in the middle of an immense body of water, so large that people could drink as much of it as they could and it wouldn't change at all. He wondered if the Oases had this much water. He wondered if his father had ever traveled on a boat, carried along by so much water that it became a road that stretched all the way from the highest mountains to the endless sea. He wondered what the sea would be like. Miles and miles of water stretching all the way to the edge of the world. As he stared down into the tranquil river beneath him, he imagined what it would be like to see nothing but water no matter which way he turned. The thought both excited and terrified him. He stared down into the river until the last of the sunlight dwindled away, and the shimmering, clear water became inky black.

When at last he looked up, the ferryman was on the tiller again, pumping it back and forth to guide the boat toward a small dock jutting out from the riverbank. At the end of this dock a single lantern hung, casting bright yellow light out over the river as a beacon to the lost and wayward. The ferryman deftly swung the boat right up next to it, the hull knocking ever so slightly against the wooden posts as he did, then began furiously throwing and tying ropes so they wouldn't be swept away.

"Where are we?" Someone asked, a hint of worry creeping into their voice.

"We got a late start, so we have to stop here for the night. Do not be worried, friends. This is a safe place. A Dockside Inn, where you can sleep safely for just a few coins. I'll be disembarking right at dawn, pronto. Don't be late, or you get to wait for the next one to come around."

Stepping off the boat, Turin's knees were stiff from sitting for so long, and his quiver smacked against his sore leg with each step. Arching his back to stretch, he looked up and discovered the source of the smoke: a red-brick chimney puffing away, filling the air with the pungent smell of hardwood. Beneath it was little more than a wooden hut with a sign that literally read "Dockside Inn" that had another lantern suspended from it. The once blue paint was crumbling away, and many of the letters were visible only because they had been carved into the plank, seemingly by hand. This place was clearly meant to just be a way point, as there were few other signs of civilization save for the thin dirt road skittering off to the west.

Stepping inside, it was nowhere near as grand as the previous inn he had stayed at, and that was saying something. It was dimly lit by the small fire petering out in the brick fireplace against the far wall, and it smelled of stale beer and rotting wood. Tired-looking patrons were scattered about at ramshackle tables, none of whom bothered looking up from their chipped pewter mugs. As soon as the ferryman entered trailing a crowd of passengers, the woman behind the bar let out a wail.

"OOOOH, no you don't! Don't you come dropping this on me, all of a sudden. I haven't got the room for this many, you dirty snake."

"Come, come, Mildred, they have nowhere else to go, and I'm sure they can all pay for their space. Have a heart." The ferryman had his arms outstretched and gestured toward his chest while he spoke. Again, Turin saw the rehearsal process he must have gone through and rolled his eyes.

"Heart don't make rooms appear from nowhere, Layne. What do you want me to do?"

"Surely you have something."

Mildred was a tall, pale woman who might have been beautiful twenty years ago. Since then her skin had sagged, among other things, and her desperate attempts to stave off the aging process made her look like a living painting. Her hair was a deep amber color that was severely faded, with at least an inch of gray at the roots. It was done up in a strange, curly beehive that balanced precariously atop her narrow head, framing her gaunt face and vulture-thin neck, and threatening to topple over every time she moved her head. As she spoke her thin, sharp lips seemed to slice through every word.

"I have an attic with a bed large enough for five. Y'all can figure it out."

What is it with these places and attic rooms? Turin wondered as Layne the Ferryman came up to address the group. "As there's six of you, seven if you include me, (but I've got a special arrangement with Milly so there's no need to worry about that) somebody is going to have to sleep on the floor or something."

Turin jumped on the opportunity, "Do you mind if I sleep on the boat? There's space in the cabin, right?" The fact that there wasn't enough room for all of them was the perfect excuse to separate himself. It wasn't that he couldn't handle sleeping on the floor, it was simply that he was carrying weapons on him and didn't want to wave them around in front of civilians. Sleeping with the knives in his shirt and jacket was prickly business, and the belts that held his equipment were digging uncomfortably into his skin, so he wanted desperately to take them off. However, during the trip he had woven a story about how his bow had been stolen at the last inn he was at, the one with the fish sign out front. "Oh, the Leaping Trout," one woman had interjected, "I'm not surprised, that place is a regular den of thieves." As such, he didn't want to be caught unpacking his concealed crossbow replete with expensive tactical enhancements. The fact that he was on an assassination mission meant that he had to be careful. Undoubtedly the authorities of Tea Country would investigate, and rumors of a well-armed crossbowman moving toward the country would get back to them eventually.

For these reasons, he was all too happy to sacrifice a little comfort in order to gain solitude.

"Sure, if you like," Layne shrugged, "I guess you don't have to pay for the room if you do it that way. Be my guest. There are blankets already there, help yourself."

After a light dinner of crusty bread with a simple onion soup in thick broth, Turin retreated to the riverboat. Ducking beneath the low tin ceiling, he removed his jacket and un-clipped his weapons with a satisfied sigh. With his darkvision there was no need for any sort of light, so he fished out the bedding in the dark and laid it out before removing his jacket and shirt. The weight of the knives made the garments thud loudly on the wooden deck, but he didn't care. Then, he took of his boots and socks and laid them out carefully beside the cabin door. Once everything was neatly folded, he unpacked his crossbow and hopped nimbly up onto the roof of the cabin. From there, he sat cross-legged with his crossbow on his lap, patiently enjoying the sounds of the night and the crisp wind on his bare chest.

Looking down the river, he strained his eyes to find the next crossing, but there was nothing but black ink tumbling across the moonlit plains. Waves of wind washed over the tall grasses, turning the vast grassland into a silent silver ocean. The river smelled so clean, and the fragrant smell of acacia wood lingered even though the fire in the cabin had burned out long ago. For a few hours he sat, sometimes getting up an pacing to stretch his legs, sometimes aiming his thermal scope around to see what he could see (he only picked up on a few owls and some small mammals, nothing interesting), but finally he grew tired and descended into the cabin to rest.

He dreamed about the sea.

He dreamed that he was sitting astride an immense red bird that was paddling through an ocean of swirling colors. Streams of every color imaginable twisted and wound their way around each other, blending and separating, forming new colors and patterns that Turin had never seen before. The bird looked at him with big, intelligent eyes, and in the strange clarity of dreams he knew he was supposed do drink from the rainbow water. Cupping his hands, he dipped them in the sea and extracted a single stream, which he then held up to his mouth and drank deep. Suddenly, he was standing in a barren, burned field with an immense castle looming before him. His legs were compelled to move, and before he knew it he was in a corridor made of black, mortarless bricks. Embedded in each of these bricks was a strange sort of cross. Not like a normal cross, but more like an uppercase T with just a tiny bit extending over the top. The vertical section was silver, the horizontal gold, and they each emitted a faint glow that lit the entire hallway. At the end of the hallway, a blackness had appeared and was moving slowly toward him. As he walked, compelled by some force he couldn't describe, his foot became stuck to one of the T's, and suddenly he couldn't move. The blackness was coming toward him, smoothly, slowly, as if the light of the T's was simply fading out one at a time. Terror made his chest feel like it was burning, and when he tried to scream no sound came out but a dry rasp. As the lack of light drew closer and closer, his fear intensified until it felt like he was going to combust, until finally it completely enclosed him. Then, he was very, very cold.

[Molokai]

Turin awoke with a start, shivering and dripping sweat. It was still dark, his red-tinted eyes cast an eerie light of their own as the black and white world seemed to close in around him. He reached to his crossbow, but his hands were shaking so bad it slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor. With his naked torso now exposed to the cold morning air, he felt the wind bite his sweat-drenched skin and the shaking grew worse. Still reeling, he stumbled to his feet and escaped the stifling interior of the boat cabin. Outside, the cool morning breeze was like icy knives across his flesh, but the open air and the sound of the river calmed his mind enough to collect himself. Closing his eyes, Turin blocked out the cold and the dream, mentally forcing himself to stop shivering. His shallow, rapid breathing slowed as he regained control, and after a few minutes his heart rate returned to normal. He opened his eyes and looked out over the calm water, remembering where he was and that it was only a dream.

The soft gray light of dawn was just beginning to chase away the shadows when Turin returned to the cabin to collect himself. He donned his shirt and jacket first to stave off the cold, then laced up his long boots while he stared out over the land of river, trying not to think about the dream. As he strapped his quiver back onto his hip, he was surprised by a knock on the wall of the cabin, followed by a voice, "So, this is why you wanted to sleep alone." Turin jumped and looked up, locking eyes with Layne the ferryman for just a moment before they both looked down at the crossbow lying on the floor between them.

Turin opened his mouth, but Layne waved a hand before he could say anything. "No, no. Don't worry. I will tell no one. Is none of my business. The road is dangerous, and it is prudent to go armed. Sometimes, is also prudent to hide the fact that one is armed. This, I understand. Do not fear, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," Turin said as he collected the incriminating weapon, "I appreciate it."

"Just between you and me, though, your story about your bow being stolen was weak. I was inclined to believe it, but only because it was the polite thing to do. More scrutinizing people might think to challenge such a story. Might want to think about that for future endeavors, no?" This Layne had look on his face like he was quite pleased with himself for having caught Turin with his pants down. Luckily, he offered no further comments on the concealing of weapons or Turin's intentions and just went about setting up the boat for departure.

"You really did mean exactly dawn," Turin joked as he folded up his crossbow and placed it in its customary position, "I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be so exactly on time."

"I'm a firm believer in punctuality," Layne said with a shrug as he moved from rope to rope, deftly tying and untying knots that Turin could barely comprehend, "It bothers me to be late. I say a time, I mean that time. Why else would I set a time if I didn't mean it?"

"So why didn't you leave precisely at dawn yesterday?"

"Until you came along, I didn't have enough passengers to be worth the trip. Believe me, I was not pleased at the late start."

As the first yellow rays of the sun began to pierce through the distant clouds, there was no sign of the rest of the passengers. "Does this mean we're leaving the others behind?"

Layne laughed at that. "Of course not. How would I make money if I left passengers behind? That was just a threat to get them moving. Otherwise, people are slow and lazy." Turin couldn't argue with that. It was true that most people didn't want to wake up early enough to leave at dawn. That was one thing Turin had in common with the ferryman, they were both early risers, although for very different reasons.

The sun was almost completely visible by the time the rest of the passengers emerged from the Dockside Inn, rubbing their eyes and plodding along, groaning and protesting the early hour and the cold air. The little boy was still asleep, his mother had bags under her eyes as she carried him across the dock and set him down beside her on the boat. Once everyone had claimed their seat, the ferryman untied the last mooring line and pushed off from the dock.

Right away, the current picked them up and swept them downstream. Layne deftly maneuvered the boat into the middle of the river, then began hauling on a line that ran from the main mast up to where he stood on top of the cabin. The square, ribbed sail rose quickly as his wiry arms pulled it to life. No sooner had the sail reached the top of the mast than it bulged forward and caught the breeze. By the time the mizzen mast had been risen, the skiff was galloping through the river at twice the speed they had been going yesterday. Some of the passengers, particularly the woolen old man who complained about everything, complained about the speed.

"Today, we make up for lost time!" Layne shouted from his nest atop the cabin, "We're going to make it to the Convergence within the fortnight, or I'll eat my boots!" The Convergence, as Layne explained a few hours into the trip, was close to the middle of River country where two great rivers came together before continuing their journey south to the sea. There were many names for this great lake, he explained, but The Convergence is just what he took to calling it since to him it sounded cool. "And sounding cool is always important," he said with a wink to the boy, who had awoken once the boat had really picked up some speed. Naturally, the grumblings continued, but Layne wasn't bothered by them. He just kept looking ahead, a smile in his eyes, clearly delighted that the wind was on their side.

By his calculations, they had already covered as much distance as they had the day before, and they still had days of traveling yet to go. Through talking with the other passengers, he found out that most of them were disembarking there to take up the overland route to Moyoushi. The rest were on their way to Suigen, but claimed that they would be seeking safer passage once they made port again. This suited Turin just fine. As the days wore on, the group had gotten more comfortable with each other, and Turin had to keep getting more and more clever with is lies in order to keep up with his previous lies. "Once I reach the sea," he explained to a bearded, middle-aged man on his way to Moyoushi to try to make his fortune, "I'll book passage to Moon Country. My family home is there, I'm on my way to scatter my father's ashes." The entrepreneur made sympathetic sounds and went back to making bold promises to his wife, who didn't look pleased at all with this journey.

In between dodging personal questions and gazing out over the serene landscape, Turin stole glances at the ferryman, Layne, who looked back with an amused smirk like they now shared a secret. He knew that most everything Turin was saying was a lie, but judging by the look on his face he was deeply pleased that he had been partially let in on a covert operation. At one point, Turin joined him atop the cabin and they chatted for a few hours. The ferryman made guesses as to Turin's true identity and purpose, which was a source of great amusement for him, while Turin delicately danced around the subject and let the man come to whatever conclusions he wanted. This sort of blabbermouth would no doubt spread the tale of the cool ninja warrior he met on one of his boats, but none of the information he spread would be at all accurate. By the time they finished their chat, Layne was convinced that Turin was on his way to liberate some slaves on Jiro Island, which Turin's halfhearted denials only strengthened.

The boat finally arrived at The Convergence about a week after leaving the Dockside Inn, which Layne took to great personal pride and boasted loudly as he steered the riverboat into port. The port town on the banks of the lake was much busier than the town from which they had left, and the other passengers vanished into the crowd within moments of the boat being tied off. Before leaving, Turin asked if they were set to depart at dawn, just as they had before.

"Actually, my friend," Layne had taken to thinking he and Turin were comrades-in-arms now, "I'm ready to leave immediately. We can sail through the night. I can teach you to hold on to a tiller, we can sleep in shifts, all you must do is wake me if you spy rough waters ahead. Sound like a deal?" The ferryman was acting as if he was now a part of Turin's noble liberation mission, and was whole-hog into the notion of saving those poor, defenseless people. Turin jumped on the opportunity, and after less than an hour of provision gathering they had departed once more. Once again, the river burned orange as they left The Convergence behind and were picked up by the current of the greater river beyond.

Several weeks later, the sea finally came into view. It was magnificent. He spotted it at high noon, a giant blue gem that took up the entire horizon. Never in all his life had he seen so much water before, and the moment he saw it his jaw dropped and he just stared at it in silence. Layne was deeply amused by this, as he seemed to be with most of Turin's actions, and shouted across the deck, "Never seen the sea before, I take it."

"Never," was all Turin said, still putting forth the effort to remain mysterious. Along the journey, they had taken and dropped off plenty of passengers on their long trek south, across over a thousand miles of river from the border to the sea, but Turin had always been a constant aboard Layne's tiny skiff. All that time, Turin had mixed and weaved lies and truths so that his future crime wouldn't be traced back to him, at least not through the boisterous ferryman.

The journey had been long, but a few days after seeing the sea from afar they finally made port at the city where the sea and river met. "Thank you, Layne," Turin said as he extended his hand out to the ferryman, "you've helped save a lot of lives."

"Any time," Layne was beaming with pride as he firmly shook Turin's hand, "Give 'em hell." Turin rolled his eyes once his back was turned, and he got away from the ferryman as fast as he could.

At the docks that faced the sea, Turin spent some time wandering up and down the wharf, loving the smell of salt and fish, fascinated by the waves and the sheer size of the ocean. It was exactly as he had imagined it. Huge, simply gigantic. Looking out over it, he could block out everything else and see only water, going on for eternity. If only his father could have seen it.

The spell was broken by a voice behind him, "Looking for something, stranger?" Startled, Turin wheeled around and blinked at the person behind him. It was a sailor, his callused hands and thickly muscled forearms holding a coil of rope as he eyed Turin with curiosity.

"Uh, yes. Right, um. I'm looking for passage to Tea Country." He had briefly forgotten why he was even there.

"Ah. For that you'll want the Firesalt. She's been known to take on passengers and freight to Tea. Over there." He gestured with a thumb and made a face that said, Now, git. Turin followed the thumb, and saw it.

The Firesalt proved to be much less impressive than its name. It was a two-masted schooner with a skeleton crew and a captain that looked so old he might blow away in the wind. When Turin spoke to him, he practically had to yell to be heard, but was eventually able to book passage to Tea with the promise that he'd haul on a line or two if asked, as well as use his crossbow to fend off any pirates that came after them. This meant revealing that he was carrying one, of course, which was less than ideal. However, he was officially "hired" as security and deckhand for this one particular voyage, so he made back all of the money he gave to Layne on his way down.

They departed the next day at (surprise surprise) dawn. After a few days of heaving over the edge, to his great embarrassment, he managed to find his sea legs and even be helpful during a strong gale or two. A week he spent at sea, scanning the watery horizon with his crossbow and fighting the urge to vomit. The novelty of being surrounded by water wore off after the first two days, and he began actually paying attention to the happenings on the ship. Most of the sailors were as foul-mouthed as was expected, but they didn't drink anywhere near as much as he thought they would. When he asked about it, the answer was embarrassingly obvious; if they were drunk on the swaying deck, they'd never make it to port. Turns out sailors save their drinking until they get to shore, where they do it profusely and often for days at a time, leading to the conception that sailors are constantly heavy drinkers. The things you learn at sea.

After his tenure before the mast was up, he departed to the great chagrin of the elderly captain, who had come to enjoy having an unfamiliar face to chat with. However, like the ferryman before him, the captain was unduly interested in Turin's personal life and thus had to be evaded before anything important slipped. Stepping from the deck of the small boat, Turin hitched up his provisions bag and set off to find his target.

(Move to Tea)

[Yoshi [Lynx!]]

Moving to tea.

[Molokai]

-Mission Start-

Once disembarked in the Land of Tea Turin waited just long enough to get paid for pulling security on the ship before getting out of town as fast as he could. Cross-country travel took a long time, as many people underestimated the sheer size of the world, so he was already running a few days late. Just outside of the shipping town that he landed in there was a carriage getting ready to leave, one that just so happened to be passing through the village that Turin was looking for.

"Best avoid going there if you can, stranger," the carriage driver said when Turin gave him the name of the place, "Some upstarts tryna pick fights with the gov'ner or some such. Not a nice place to settle down, no sir. An' definitely not no trade comin' outta there. Time was strangers like you head out there to find a fresh start, but believe you me, that ship has sailed. Now they got witch hunts and lynchings and all manner of unsavory happenings. You best steer clear if you know what's good for you."

"Do you know the way or not?" Turin responded, feigning annoyance.

"Yeah sure, I know the way," the carriage driver shrugged, "your funeral, I guess. Hop on."

It took the two-horsed carriage about three days to cross to the town that Turin was aiming for. They passed other horse-drawn carriages heading the opposite direction, each one loaded with passengers, the drivers of each always waving to each other as they passed. Along the way it stopped at a different inn each night, always arriving right at sunset and leaving an hour after dawn. The carriage driver explained that this was a popular road that went all the way to the southern tip of the peninsula and looped back up to the border of Fire country, and the placement of the inns was an evolution of the popularity of the carriages. "There usta be tons more o' the inns, ya see, but these here carriages can only get so far in one day. So, the carriages would always stop at the ones that jus' so happen ta be one day's carriage ride apart from each other. Most of 'em went outta business just cuz the carriages never had a reason to stop at 'em."

When finally they did arrive at the village in question, the carriage driver reined up suddenly, sending Turin sprawling across the floor of the carriage. He gathered his things and dropped down into the dust. Once he was clear of the carriage, the driver couldn't have turned it around faster. It didn't take long for Turin to figure out why.

The first sight that greeted him upon walking down the road into down was a trio of pale, bloated men feeding the crows from the boughs of a barren oak tree. When the wind kicked up, the crows scrabbled and complained like a grisly wind chime, while the grinning, half-rotted faces watched the hooded man pass below them through empty eye sockets. The branches creaked and groaned under the strain of the bodies, adding to the harsh song of the carrion crows. With a loud crack, one of the hanged men fell to the ground in a heap of dry bones and wood. He landed before Turin with his arms outstretched, pointing back down the road the way Turin had come, his hollow eyes pleading not to go any further. Turin stepped over him and the corpse made no move to stop him.

From the bend just beyond the tree, the town came into view. The first building he came to appeared to be a brothel, if the sign out front could be believed. It was eerily quiet, and when he got closer he saw the windows were boarded and the front door was branded with a large red "X" and nailed shut. It was the same with a great number of buildings as he walked through the suffocating cobblestone streets. What few people he did see all eyed him suspiciously and stopped what they were doing in order to stare at him. He realized how he must have looked, with his black hood, the large quiver hanging from his hip, and the speed at which he was walking, and decided he would definitely need a disguise. He rounded a corner and dipped into a particularly foul-smelling alley where he was reasonably sure he wouldn't be seen and coated himself in chakra.

Turin's mastery over the Glamour Perception allowed him to freely edit his appearance at will, so as the genjutsu chakra washed over him he built himself a new outfit and a new face. Based on the few villagers he had seen, he tried to match the style and poverty level. His pants became brown rough spun breeches, with brown leather boots that looked like they had been worn every day for the last decade. The black jacket disappeared, and his white undershirt turned woolen green, with a handful of obvious patches. All of the belts disappeared from his chest and waist, as did all of the weapons and equipment. Since he had the time, he put some extra chakra into making a tactile illusion so that nobody would notice if they accidentally bumped into his quiver or butt bag. He also changed his face by adding a few obvious distinguishing marks that he knew people would remember if asked to describe him. His hair grew out to be much longer, becoming black and greasy as it reached down to his shoulders. His nose grew at the bridge and bent slightly to the left while his cheeks sunk in and his cheekbones rose. On his chin he created a large mole just below a thin, pursed mouth.

With his disguise complete, he pushed through to the other side of the alley and kept on pushing towards what he hoped would be the center of town. As he went, the closed down houses and shops became less and less frequent and the amount of two and three-story homes began to rise. Eventually he began to see more people going about their daily business, and was pleased that nobody gave him a second look as he walked by them. Winding through the impossible maze of the town, Turin began to feel increasingly lost, until finally he came upon what could only have been the town square.

Perched atop a high hill before him, a huge white mansion loomed over the crumbling town beneath it, staring with contempt at the humble courtyard that seemed to pass for a town center. Turin guessed that this was the center of town due to the large crowd gathered there, and the gallows that dominated the area. Standing atop these gallows was a man dressed in what probably passed for nice clothing in that area; a long blue jacket, dirty white frills, and black pants ending in shiny black shoes with a gold-plated buckle. Beside him was a scarecrow of a man dressed in the black robes and hood of an executioner. Behind them, five people dressed similarly to Turin were standing beside the nooses, hands tied behind their backs, burlap sacks over their faces. They were all either crying or shouting, but the booming voice of the blue-coated man drowned out what they were saying.

"Citizens!" He bellowed with a grandiose gesture, "This is what happens when you bite the hand that feeds! If you would defy our great Lord Protector, servant of the Daimyo, who provides us all with the means to live freely, you forfeit your very right to live!" With a nod, the scarecrow began the process of putting the nooses over the heads of the prisoners and tightening the knots around their necks, one by one. Turin had blended with the crowd and pushed his way toward the middle to get a better view, when suddenly he felt a shove behind him. Turing to glare at whoever had pushed him, he saw a man dressed in some sort of studded leather armor pushing through the crowd toward the gallows. The blue-coat's eyes widened in terror once he noticed the cause of the commotion, and the leather-clad man leaped up onto the gallows with ease. Drawing a sword from his belt, he deftly cut through all of the ropes before cleanly beheading the man in the blue coat.

His white-wigged head plopped unceremoniously into the dirt, his expression of shock and fear forever etched on his features. Looking up at the swarthy hero who had just performed the dramatic rescue, he saw that the man was ruggedly handsome with a thick beard and a long mess of black hair. He grinned an unusually white grin to the crowd and announced, "The Lord Protector's tyranny is over. You've seen now how weak and empty his 'justice' is. He cannot stand against us. Fight with me, and take your life back!"

The crowd put up their fists and cheered, and Turin joined his voice in with theirs. Once the bearded hero descended from the gallows, he headed off toward the eastern side of town. Turin pushed through the crowd to follow him, all the while thinking only one thing.

Target acquired.