Rushing Meadow Hotel: Suite 323

[Nira]

At the highest floor of the Rushing Meadow Hotel, floor 32, there are four penthouse suites. Suite 323 takes up the southeast corner of the floor, and it is essentially a full house that happens to be part of a building.

The bedroom is dimly lit with eight lights embedded inside light orange crystals—one for each corner and one in the middle of every wall. Its fine four poster bed is made with a frame of pearly white larnurma wood, and the sheets are made from 20 momme weight black silk. Larnurma wood had been used to construct the end tables by the bed, as well as the vanity in the corner next to the walk-in closet. There's a single phone on one of the end tables.

Several fluffy bathrobes of different sizes from child to adult hang inside the luxury bath. The bathtub is a small pool, and there are two separate shower stalls that take up just as much space as the bathtub. By the holes in the ceiling above the shower stalls, it seemed that the stalls literally rained with temperature controlled water when turned on. There's a separate room for toilets with adjustable seating sizes.

The kitchen had counters of black stone with white marbling. There is a massive square dining table with twelve larnura wood that had thick padding. There's a menu on the counter with meals that can be ordered by phone. Meals like steak, ribs, salads, soups, stews, noodles, pies, and deserts are free to order. It seemed that food came free with the suite, and could even be cooked inside the suite with the kitchen supplies upon request. A corner at the end of the menu read, Coming soon! Exotic creature meals available as hotel hunting and gathering missions are completed!

There is a study full of larnura wood desks and cabinets. It has various academic materials, including textbooks from the nearby universities. A computer with a completely fresh, reformatted memory bank sat on the study's desk. There is a massive painting taking up one of the walls that depicts a woman—yellow and red robes draped over her body—on the beach holding up a hand towards a cowering kraken that was halfway submerged in the sea. Behind the painting was a huge, hidden safe. The safe was unlocked, and a small paper inside the safe had the numbers 85104—the combination for the safe's keypad to lock and unlock.

A door led from the study into a private library with a multitude of books on the country, its coastal habitats, and recent news of great importance. There seemed to be a book for nearly every creature and plant one could find in and by the sea. There were even some seafaring books on how to tell, predict, and navigate through certain weather conditions. There were also quite a few miscellaneous books by famous philosophers and novelists.

The den of Suite 323 had large glass doors, allowing the guest to see out into the country and to the sea of Waves. Couches and chairs surrounded a glass coffee table. The sliding glass doors opened up to a stairway that led down to a massive garden balcony that spanned all of the southeast corner. These gardens seemed perfect for sustaining coastal plants. The soil is wet with sea water, and there are plots of sand alongside the soil.

If not used to garden, the balcony would allow sunbathing of a quality nearly identical to the beach, minus the sea.

Bedroom Suite, Luxury
Rank: "S"
Type: Main, Room, 2 Stronghold Space, Room
Effect: A suite of furniture for the bedroom.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: No expenses were spared in creating this space. The walk-in closet features rows of shelves for boots and shoes, plus handmade hangers for the finest in clothing. The walk-in garderobe allows two individuals to see to their privy needs in privacy and comfort. In the main room, there are two marble-topped bureaus filled with clothes. The four-poster bed is made of the finest wood hung with the wispiest of linens, and the mattress and the blankets are stuffed with feathers. The sheets are silk. A pair of stuffed chairs sits in one corner. In another, a finely polished and fully stocked writing desk waits to be used. The walls are adorned with fine art, often of people in positions of repose. Sometimes they feature dreamy scenes filled with pleasant nymphs or other fantastic or heavenly scenes.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 250,000 Ryo

Bath, Luxury
Rank: "S"
Type: Main, Room, 2 Stronghold Space, Room
Effect: A luxury bathroom with fancy accessories.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The ultimate in bathing luxury, this room features a tub large enough for two or three people to bathe in, plus a large fireplace for heating both the room and the water necessary for a warm bath. Two chamber pots with padded and upholstered leather chairs are here. Servants empty these on a regular basis. An intricately carved cabinet holds a variety of thick towels, and a handsome wardrobe full of fine dressing gowns stands nearby. A gilt-framed, three-fold, fulllength mirror takes up one corner, and another mirror sits above a gorgeous, polished grooming desk. The screen in this bathroom features intricately carved woods and the finest silks. Fine stuffed chairs are scattered about the place. The dressing table features three gilt-framed mirrors and the finest in grooming products, including aromatic perfumes, gilt-handled brushes, and so on. The walls are adorned with fine art, often of people bathing in large bath houses, in a river or lake, or at a beach.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 100,000 Ryo

Kitchen, Luxury
Rank: "S"
Type: Main, Room, 2 Stronghold Space, Room
Effect: A room or area where food is prepared and cooked.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This massive kitchen includes two full-sized stoves, each with a griddle, stovetop, and large oven. An open fireplace allows the roasting of foods of any kind, up to and including a full pig. The scullery has two marble basins. The flooring is of polished marble or tile. The pots and pans are made of hammered copper (16 Jug (Overview)), 8 Large Pitcher (Overview)).. This place can handle meals for up to 100 people. If you need a greater capacity, purchase this kitchen multiple times. Cooking/Baking checks made within this kitchen receive a +20 circumstance bonus.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 500,000 Ryo

Study/Office, Luxury
Rank: "S"
Type: Main, Room, 1.5 Stronghold Space, Room
Effect: A study is a room in a house which is used for paperwork, computer work, or reading.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This room represents the ultimate in office luxury. A well-appointed waiting room features an exquisite couch and a polished wooden desk. The main office features another stuffed couch and a set of comfortable chairs arrayed around a marble topped desk. The walls are covered with fine art, including a portrait of the owner of the stronghold and any family he might have. Using this study provides a up to 4 characters a +1 circumstance bonus per Mastery Die when learning Academia Skills.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 150,000 Ryo

<+10 Circumstance Academia: All>
<+20 Circumstance Academia: History, Local (Land of Waves); Lore, Creature (Coastal); Lore, Plants (Coastal); Weather Sense; Current Affairs>
Library, Luxury
Rank: "S"
Type: Main, Room, 2 Stronghold Space, Library
Effect: A collection of manuscripts, publications, and other materials for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Floor-to-ceiling glass-fronted cabinets with top-hinged doors keep the books here in pristine condition. The ladders slide along on wheels and rails for both safety and convenience. The marble floor has symbols inlaid that denote the section of the library in which you stand. The library includes two private study carrels and a number of smaller tables. A single large table allows a researcher more space to spread out texts or large maps. This library can hold up to 6 different lots of books on specific subjects. A book lot costs 250,000 Ryo and provides a +20 circumstance bonus on a specific Academia skill. Alternatively, the user can purchase a book lot of general topics, which costs 250,000 Ryo and provides a +10 circumstance bonus on all Academia checks. A book lot cannot be forged, nor crafted.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 150,000 Ryo

Biome Garden (Coastal)
Rank: "C"
Type: Main, Room, 4 Stronghold Space, Grounds
Effect: A biome garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When purchased, must choose 1 Region. The smell of green, growing life fills the air here. Lush vines laden with savory tomatoes grow alongside mandrake root, ephedra, and even more esoteric herbs. A single Biome is dedicated to a single region. It gives the temperature, and living conditions similar to that Region in order to give prime conditions of re-growing plants. Every person using this Biome and having its resources will receive a +20 Circumstance bonus to Agriculture checks.
Limit: Must be created by a Construction Crafter.
Cost: 100,000 Ryo

[Nira]

The Doctor currently has access to this thread for 3 IC days.

[The Doctor]

Time to go to work. The Handler took the lift up to the penthouse where he reached the suite 323. He used the keys to come inside. The Handler would then close the door behind him. He was in a disguise, but still needed to make sure everything was clear for him. The Doctor was a man of investigative skills. First he would take a quick sweep of the whole suite to see if there were any cameras inside the suite. He even checked the garden to see if there were any cameras. If there were cameras he would make note of where they would be pointing and did his best to stay out of line of sight when he decided to check the suite for bugs. If there were no cameras he would begin his scanning for bugs.

First the Doctor would check the lights. He moved from corner to corner, to the middle of every wall examining the light. Using his investigative skills the Doctor was looking for any type of bug that could be implanted, but he made sure not to disturb the lights or electrical fixtures. He moved to the bed and began knocking on the bed slightly trying to hear any hollowed wood. He'd check underneath the bed looking for any loose wires. He examined the corners and edges of the wood as well looking for bugs.

He then checked the end tables for the same thing before he picked up the phone. He'd unhook the phone first to see if there was a dial tone or if it would automatically get to the front desk. Hopefully there was a button he needed to press to get to the front desk. If all was clear he would check to see if he could pry the receivers open with a twist. If not he would see if there was another way for him to open the phone to check the insides for bugs. The Doctor was a technician, a gadgeteer, this was second grade work for him in the sense that he was careful not to break the phone.

Then the Doctor would check the bath. He made note of the bathrobes and checked the bath tub carefully. He would check above where the water would come down and see if he could find bugs up there. He then would examine the mirror to see how it was installed. If it was a hanging mirror he would look to see if it was attached to the wall, if the mirror was installed into the wall he would examine it a little carefully. If it was, he would look at the lighting for a moment to determine if it was extraordinarily bright. He would turn off the lights, grab one of the bathrobes and place it over his head giving himself a darker vision before he would place his hands against the mirror. He would use the darkness to see if he could see behind the mirror.

If all was clear he would place the robes back, turn on the lights and head to the kitchen. It was black stone with white marble. A unique setup for a kitchen. He'd go through the pantries, the stove, the oven, the sink, or anything else inside the kitchen looking for bugs. He examined the menu for a moment and smiled. It seemed this was a very lavish hotel, and the fact that they held service for the Examinees was even more interesting.

Now it was time to go to the study. He checked the desks, the cabinets, and would go through the academic books one at a time, looking, checking through everything. He made note of the painting and walked up to it. He would examine the frame before trying to see if he could take it off from the wall. If he was able to he would check behind the painting to see if there was any bugs there. Either way he did enjoy the painting. It was done quite beautifully. If the painting was not removable he would scan the frame with more intent, running a finger across it, looking for bugs. Then he checked the safe, opened it seeing the numbers. He had no intention of using the safe though but he did try to see if he could find any kind of bugs within or around the safe.

He closed it and headed to the library and gave a soft sigh. There was a lot of books, perhaps he should have taken the luxury room instead of the penthouse. It mattered not. The Doctor would continue his work. He began looking through each book one at a time, shelf to shelf looking for bugs that may be placed inside the room.

When the Doctor was done with the library he would head down to the den. He examined each chair, turning them over looking for bugs. He examined the couch, also turning it over. He looked around the gardens to see if they had bugs.

If the Doctor found no bugs, he would finally take a break. He would sit on one of the couches and relax for a moment.

[Nira]

The Handler, being thorough, got a good idea of the security for the place. There was a single camera outside at the corner of the building. It didn’t look into the suite, and it was a fixed camera with no moving parts, but it did catch the railing of the balcony and looked out into the city street. As long as The Handler did not strand right in front of the balcony garden’s railing, he would not be in the camera’s sight.

The wood didn’t sound hollow. If one had to guess, there was something denser than wood that acted as the skeleton for the bed, as well as all the furniture.

There was a dial tone as The Doctor unhooked the phone. There were a set of buttons with words on the phone. Each button corresponded with a different service: front desk, maid, room service, restaurant reservations, and technician.

He was able to easily open up the phone and study the innards. There were no foreign devices attached to the phone, but The Doctor could tell that there was an additional way to use this device thanks to this gadgeteering experience. There were five buttons used to call in for services, but the buttons would switch to different transmission lines when held down for longer than two seconds. Who the five buttons would call when held down was unknown, since it was not listed like the standard services were.

The bathroom mirror was not a two-way mirror, but The Doctor discovered that the large mirror slid a little, revealing a hidden nook by the corner of the room. It seemed that this nook gave a person access to the pipes and tubing of the incoming water system leading into the bathroom. At the bottom of the space there is an empty spot that could be used to keep small valuables. Whoever had once been a patron of this room had left behind three square, gold coins in this spot. (2,340 ryo value)

The kitchen seemed to be a pretty typical kitchen, but there was a hidden switch to control flame intensity on the ceiling of one of the cabinets bordering the stove.

The painting could be removed with some difficulty, but since the wall lacked any handles, it seemed that pulling on the painting frame was the only way to open the wall up to the safe. Behind the painting was another painting that was drawn directly onto the wall itself—a mural. This hidden painting was of three children huddled around a huge book—two young boys and a girl. A magnificent maze-like library surrounded the kids. The books depicted in this mural had titles written in draconic.

It seemed a young bookworm of a girl had used this library at some point. There were numerous bookmarks in the animal books that depicted cute versions of wild animals. Horses seemed to be the most common one. In some of the plant books, there were flattened flowers found between a few pages—some were pink, some purple, and some were yellow-green buds. The doctor didn't recognize them.

After searching the entire suite, The Doctor concluded that there were indeed no bugs to worry about. He could freely rest.

[The Doctor]

The Handler kept the gold coins in their spot. He did not want to make it seem like he had been searching the room. Instead he made sure to put everything back in place, but made enough ruckus to make it seem like it was a lived in place.

He then searched for a "Do not Disturb" sign as he would use it later, though he was confident that housekeeping had already came in for the day. That's how it usually worked anyways. Housekeeping would clean the rooms before guests enter, then the next day they would come to clean. Either way he would use it later on. After finding it he would sit down once again and ponder to himself.

'They took part on this island twenty years ago. The chances of any records are slim. The next island has some distance but there have only been two exams in this country for the past twenty years,' he thought to himself while staring up at the ceiling. 'I will ask downstairs first, then head out to the island,' he continued thinking to himself before giving a nod.

He quickly stood and walked to the garden. He looked around for a moment to find a couple of blooming flowers, even though it was winter. He'd pick a few pedals, whether they were brittle or fresh if possible. If there was nothing but twigs he'd grab just a couple of thin ones. Then he'd head out of the room. He would make sure to grab his keys as well because he did not want to be locked out. Placing the "do not disturb" sign first, he then locked it from the outside, and then finally reached to the top of the door and placed the few stems, or pedals. Finally he shut the door but made sure not to disrupt what he put on top of the door.

When he was confident everything was secure, at least with the door he headed out to the front desk.

-Exit-

[Nira]

The sign he was looking for, a silver and green banner with Do not Disturb written in black, was found next to the door.

After the sign was hunt on the door, and some basic flower pedals were picked and placed at the top of the door, the room was vacated. If someone disobeyed the sign, their disruption would be noticeable.

[The Doctor]

The Handler came to his suite as before. He placed the key inside and carefully opened it. He tried to not make it suspicious but his eye glanced on top of the door without moving his head. Hopefully his acting was good enough as he opened the door with as little nerves as possible. When doing so he'd check to see if what he left was still there or if they were barely falling to the floor. The Leaves he gathered was a way of seeing if people came in. If they were on the floor already he'd become suspicious, but if they were falling now he would honestly believe all was fine.

If the trap he laid was alright he would proceed. First he counted the folders. There were five of them. Then he'd count the parchments. There were two of them. Then he'd count the sheets of paper, remembering there were 26. After that he'd take into account of the 3 card papers, and then finally the 2 maps filled with markers. He would then put the papers back in place, and decided to put them away.

He then would wait for the room service to come and knock. When they did he would make his selection. He would purchase 2 parchments, 30 sheets of paper, 3 cards. All of this would cost the Doctor 1,264 Ryo.

When the room service was done bringing the paper and after the Doctor purchased the amount he needed he took them all including the pen and waited for the person to leave. When the person left, the Handler would then take the folder and go to where he found the gold. It was a nook, where the large mirror was at. It was small but he wanted to make sure if it was possible. The Handler would first see if it was big enough for the folders that he received. If not he would look somewhere else.

If this worked out fine he would head back out, first by placing the trap he laid before on the door, and closed it behind, leaving the suite, but not before taking his key with him.

-Exit All the Way out of the Hotel-

[The Doctor]

-Enter from Shopping-

The Handler came back from his shopping and came to his suite once again. This time he had a new pair of Glasses with some camera lenses attached, a Handheld Surveillance Monitor, and 2 holodisks.

The Handler would open the door carefully as before but not in a way to open suspicion in how he opened it. He would check the trap once again making sure all was clear. If it was he would first put the "Do not disturb" sign out on the handle, then walk to the mirror where he placed the folder box and take it out. From there he would walk to the dining table and place the folder box on top.

He would take his amber sunglasses and examined the camera lenses. Making sure they were in working order, he would then check the Handheld Surveillance Monitor and began configuring it with the camera lenses. When he finished configuring them he took a holodisk and placed it inside the Handheld Surveillance Monitor. He turned on both and viewed it through the monitor.

Afterwards the Doctor carefully took out all 5 folders and laid them carefully onto the table. He knew he did not have the proper tools, nor the time to actually make copies of them, but he could take the time to make photocopies of them and perhaps if needed, make copies of them at a later date.

One by one he would take a picture of the items using his camera lenses. He would check the camera to make sure they were in working order. He'd start with the 2 parchments, then the map, and then finally the 3 cards before working on each piece of paper. He'd take his time on them, make sure they were focused. He really didn't need to make perfect copies but he needed to make sure he could write out the information if necessary. When he finished he would make another copy using the other holodisk and place the disk in one of his many pockets, while the Handheld Surveillance Monitor as placed in another.

Then, the Doctor would begin his work. He wanted to know exactly were on these. Using his keen investigation skills he would look to see what was important. Taking a clean sheet of paper and using the pen he purchased he would begin making notes. First he looked for important dates. Then he looked for specific names, locations. He would take his time looking at the map, see the locations and write down the locations of the map, as well as the names if there were any associated to the locations. He also looked for time stamps, or anything simple to jot down.

[Nira]

ooc: 1,264 Ryo deducted

---

The leaves fell as The Handler expected—if anyone had passed by, they obeyed the sign not to disturb the room. He was able to enter the room as he wished, and managed to buy the paper supplies he needed plus the hotel’s free pen.

The Handler was able to slip the folder with the documents into the bathroom nook. It seemed that the nook also led to some empty space behind the mirror where the sliding mechanism was located, so the folders fit there without any problems.

---

When The Handler returned, there was a basket on top of a stand next to the door. In the basket, there were hygiene supplies, fruits, and candies. A metal divider was fixed in the middle, separating the edibles from the bathing oils, soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, and toothpicks. The edibles included some dark and white chocolates, some mangos, tangerines, and a coconut with a sealed straw.

The leaves fell as expected when The Handler returned to his suite. Whoever had left the basket there hadn’t appeared to have entered the room.

With the new equipment, The Handler was able to get a great visual copy of all the documentation. He had successfully recorded every printed word, stamp, and signature.

From his notes, he was able to assemble a large list of information:

One archive in Debana was guaranteed to have copies of the public footage of the exams the Rushing Meadow Hotel was involved in. Just in case, there was an additional archive Minarai, but there was a note that that Minarai archive should only be visited if the Debana archive was unable to fulfill requests. The map only contained a marking of the Debana archive’s location.

One of the cards offered a quick explanation of different examination organizations. It mentioned how the CEO, CEC, CEA, CEAYP, TEO, and SFE were all institutions made primarily of examiners exclusive to certain countries or regions. Which organization ran the extravagant Chūnin Examinations was always up in the air, but the organization chosen is usually given an extravagant influx of funds. They are also often given personnel with enormous landscape-shifting abilities to assist with preparations if necessary. The card stressed how the CEA was the host of this documented exam, and that other organizations can only provide very limited help.

Commissioner Stanos, Vice Commissioner Sojiro, Operations Planner Ina, Examiner Toryo, Examiner Ocea, Junior Examiner Ambra, Junior Examiner Harper, and Clerical Examinations Coordinator Jillian were named in the various documents.

Correspondence letters between Rushing Meadow and the CEA were included, though they didn’t go into anything too complex—there were a lot of kind words and expressed gratitude from both sides.

Vice Commissioner Sojiro had asked for some personal evaluations from the hotel admins—apparently it was vital, and would determine if the examiners and junior examiners could break off into new divisions for other island examinations.

There were also bits of information on other sorts of examination services offered. When they weren’t hosting the Chūnin Examinations, most of the other CE institutions went into hibernation, but quite a large number continued to organize exams of other sorts. Capital and royal contacts were implied.

[The Doctor]

The Doctor was a paranoid soul. He took the basket full of supplies, fruits, and candies inside. Instead of searching through the items as he did not want to waste time he simply placed the basket inside the bathroom, turned on the sink, and walked away with the door closed.

The Handler was happy with the pictures taken and he began looking over the notes.

First he marked the location that guaranteed public footage. This was Debana. It had footage for the exams the Rushing Meadow Hotel was involved in, but perhaps it could have something more recent. The next location was Minarai however the map contained locations of Debana only.

The Doctor looked at the location where the map was located. Luckily he was a man of history, he knew parts of the world and he was confident he had places in his mind where Debana. (He has local history for all countries). With his knowledge he may be able to pick up if the place was still active. Then there was Minarai which the map did not mark but he again ran into his memory palace trying to pick up anything he may have come across with that had the name Minarai (Same thing, Local history check perhaps). He would however head up to Debana first as it was the most intact place with information he had at his disposal.

He circled the names CEO, CEC, CEA, CEAYP, TEO, and SFE as it had importance. He also marked their information on what regions they were associated with, though the ones he was more curious about as of now was the ones of Waves, primarily the most recent exams, which he believed was the CEA. He needed to look out for the CEA.

The name Vice Commissioner Sojiro stuck out as this man was asking for personal evaluations from the hotel administration. Perhaps they were running a background check with the people and looking for specifics in terms of viability. The Doctor peered into his memory palace once again looking for information. He was looking to see if he had anything on the name Sojiro (again, local history of sorts perhaps?).

[Nira]

The Handler’s extraordinary historical knowledge did its job. He was able to recall a relevant partial layout of Debana—the capital city of Mainland Tea Country. The archive was definitely still active, and it was attached to a respectable examination office. The office preferred appointments, but was able to accommodate walk-in requests if staff and time permitted it. In fact, perhaps by coincidence and perhaps not, the next set of ninja promotion exams was rumored to be hosted in that city. Unlike the prim and proper Rushing Meadow hotel that the CEA booked, the Debana exams might be taking place in one of the larger bars or taverns in the city. Well, that’s if popular whispers were to be trusted. Debana wasn’t a remarkable city, but it had a good reputation for being fun and entertaining.

Minarai was a city located in Shimo no Kuni—the Land of Frost. It actually made a lot of sense as a location for archives. The city was dedicated to the pursuit of science. Shinobi examinations often involved a lot of techniques at work, so their records were sure to contain many instances of supernatural phenomenon. Minarai’s Theoretical Research Center was one of the largest buildings dedicated to compiling research and data. Even if that building didn’t contain the archives for examinations, it was a good bet that personnel in the building had requested and obtained relevant records. Unlike the archives in Debana, there might already be useful information extracted in these databases. However, research of such a caliber is sure to be valuable. Valuable things are often hidden or, if people have the skills to do so, encrypted.

Debana and Minarai were both located in countries that bordered oceans. This was a sensible choice, because service industries benefit from the high traffic that comes with being accessible by sea. Vice Commissioner Sojiro, on the other hand, was not known in either city. The name didn’t seem immediately familiar. The Handler was able to think up some out of the way flower shops and cafes that were owned or named after a Sojiro. Those didn’t seem right, but you never know. After turning his thoughts inland, The Handler did think of one minor celebrity that might fit the description. In the Land of Rain, there was a town—Tanagaku—that recently hired a Sojiro to oversee all government appointments for the next year and lead an investigation on the affairs of officials that had engaged in illegal bribery and espionage.