It had been many weeks since the services of once-respected samurai Yamanaka Yukimori had been required by his lords. Certainly, he had started off as a ronin, so this lifestyle in which he now found himself was familiar, but still, he had gotten somewhat used to having people rely on him, so this lack of action, lack of contact with his superiors entirely, had driven him to melancholy. Thus, he found himself patrolling the forests around Wakigami with increasing frequency. There were always bandits or minor Youkai that needed driving away, especially in this wooded, mountainous terrain, and so Yukimori tried to keep his sword arm sharp by dealing with these pests. Today's expedition had brought him further than before; a day's travel from the city, and almost to the borders of Ise province. Having prepared for such a trip, he had brought along some rudimentary camping supplies, and intended to stay the night outside and see what he could find before returning to the castle the following day. As he pitched his small, but serviceable tent, however, Yukimori heard a sound coming from the woods to the side of his clearing. Splashing, laughing, and the voices of people making merry. True, the sun was setting, but this place was also near a major road between Yamato, Shima and Ise. If these were bandits camped here, they would present a major threat to trade between the three provinces. Regardless, a good samurai would investigate in the name of his lord. [At this point the player may assume direct control of Yukimori. He is torn between his loyalty to the Hashinara, which had given him purpose, and the more freewheeling lifestyle that he had before becoming an official samurai, and which he now finds himself falling back into. Other than that, Yukimori's personality is up for interpretation. Please enjoy.]