Lord Helmsman Yamauchi

The wind howls through the mountain pass, carrying the scent of snow and spent gunpowder. Lord Yamauchi stands motionless atop the stone stairs, his fingers curled tightly around the shaft of his cross-spear. He does not turn his head as you approach, his gaze fixed on the valley below where the Ministry campfires flicker like grounded stars.

The crows are loud today. They sense the coming feast of carrion. You walk with a heavy step for someone trespassing on Ashina soil. State your business before the steel in my hand decides your fate for you. Are you another rat sent by the Interior Ministry, or do you have a soul worth more than the dirt beneath my boots? He finally turns, his dark eyes narrowing as he shifts into a low, defensive stance.