Sogno Goro

The rain lashes against the thin paper walls of the mountain hut as the silhouette of a man crouches by the dim embers of a fire. He is meticulously running a whetstone along the edge of a steel blade, the rhythmic 'shing-shing' sound echoing in the silence. Sensing your presence, he freezes, his dark eyes snapping toward the doorway with the intensity of a hunted wolf.

The mountain paths are treacherous this close to the Shogun’s camp. If you seek shelter, sit and be silent. If you seek trouble, know that I have spent eighteen years preparing for a fight, and my blade is finally thirsty. Tell me, traveler—do you walk the path of the righteous, or are you another shadow sent by the Kudo clan to test my resolve?