OK, barely developed, but my "dream" inspiration...
As I mentioned above, I'm getting over the flu. When I am sick I tend to have bizzare dreams, this one I was having this morning right before the alarm clock woke me up. Just to cover myself, I don't dream in the level of detail presented below, I've got names, houses and locations in the story seed, but I added this to basic scenes that appeared in my dream...
Mark of the Tainted
Lord Iida of Shingo province has been operating an ongoing campaign of terror onto certain outcast villages of Hinin (the lowest social caste), called "the Tainted", who secretly worship a lesser deity known as Anjin the Pilot (a fisherman's god) which is counter to the state Zao religion and thus a heresy. Once such a village is uncovered, Lord Iida's retainers attack the village, slay all members and burn the homes to ash. They follow up by soaking a brush in their victim's blood and painting "X"s on the trees surrounding the village as a warning to others.
At one such village, Okone no Ichi, on the west coast of Shingo province (north of Hamato province, where I planned to start adventure one of the greater campaign) was subject to Iida's terror campaign. A jugondo sorcerer located there realized the attack was occuring and put himself into an invisible state and escaped their wrath, as he watched his family and friends all slain. He sought a cave just south of the village in the neighboring mountains of Hamato province. There he conducted an ancient ritual of vengeance onto House Iida and his retainers...
Several days later...
Two retainer houses of Lord Iida, is having a marriage ceremony between two of their noble children, (this is the part from my dream). Commander Kofune, the father of the groom is notoriously handsome. During the ceremony, the wife of the father of the bride, Master Tatsuro, kept staring at Master Kofune, which Tatsuro noticed but kept silent until after the ceremony.
The following day after the marriage, Master Tatsuro Takahiro (the slighted husband) still angry with his wife, hears commotion at his manor's gate. Apparently Commander Kofune appears unannounced. Upon his reception it is discovered that a rash, or other skin irritation has appeared on his face in the form of a red "X" going from temples to Jaw, though seemingly not contagious, this distraction is a major embarrasment for the noble retainer. Of course, Master Tatsuro having just been angered over the incident between his wife and Commander Kofune, is relieved to see the handsome man stricken to affect his appearance. Trying to hide his amusement of this while in the presence of the Commander, Tatsuro's wife grabs her husband's gown, and audibly sucks in her breath. Tatsuro cries, "Shut up woman, what is it?!" She replies, "...your face...", grabbing a mirror kept by his wife, he looks and sees red splotches forming on his face, similar to that of the Commander... "What madness is this, Kofune!?" he asks. A conflagration occurs involving the slaying of the commander, by his lieutenant, Tatsuro...
Lord Iida discovers that all of his retainers who attacked that last village has been marked thusly with the red "X" of taint. His onmyoji wizard after some research confers onto his master the possibility of dark sorcery of vengeance being the culprit...
That's all I got so far... I woke up before the dream was complete.
Still, I think that's enough for a good start on a new plotline... thoughts?
GP
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