#Episode 2: Sutra of the Core Zone

#Scent -- The Spider Well

The sun was sinking. In the ruined village, only traces of people remained. Broken doors, toppled jars, dry paddies. And in the middle of the village, a stone-built well. White thread lay across the stone floor around it. Spider thread. It stretched from inside the well and wrapped around nearby pillars and roofs. Even when the wind blew, the thread did not break. This was no ordinary spiderweb.

Enku stood before the well, brought his hands together, and chanted a sutra. It was a short mantra. The air trembled faintly. Something answered from inside the well -- the darkness stirred. Enku stopped the chant and opened his eyes. Behind him stood five warrior monks with staves. Their faces were pale.

"It's inside," Enku said.

Aterui was sitting on the rim of the well, looking down into it. There was only darkness. But a smell rose from it. The smell of blood and poison. Aterui wrinkled his nose.

"Big," he said. "Not just one."

Renge stepped forward from among the warrior monks. She held a vajra in both hands. Her face was calm. That did not mean she felt no fear. It meant she had swallowed it. She looked back at the warrior monks.

"As long as I am here, we will not collapse," Renge said. "Just remember that."

The warrior monks' staves rattled. But not one of them stepped back. Because Renge stood there. Her presence was an invisible wall. As if the sutra still lingered in the air -- where she stood, the shaking stopped.

Enku drew his katana. Sutra text was carved into the blade. He set one foot on the well's rim. Aterui stood up on the opposite side. The two met each other's eyes without speaking. No words were needed.

Enku jumped first. Darkness swallowed him. Spider thread brushed his robe. His blade flashed -- cutting webbing inside the narrow well as he fell. The place he landed was not the ground. It was a floor made of spider thread. The threads wrapped up to his ankles. And in the darkness, eyes glowed. Eight of them. Spider eyes.

Oogumo climbed down the wall. Three of them. Spiders as tall as a person's waist bared their poison fangs and came toward Enku. The space was tight. Broad motions were impossible. Enku gripped the katana short and thrust forward. He pierced one spider through the eye. It screamed -- if it could be called a scream -- and recoiled. The other two lunged from both sides.

Then a shadow fell from above. Aterui. He did not grab the webbing. Falling bare-handed, he landed on one spider's back. The sound of legs breaking followed. Aterui used the landing's force and drove his fist down. The spider's shell split. It was crushed flat against the floor. Aterui stepped off the dead spider's back and turned toward the last one. He was bare-handed. He had no weapon. But his hands were weapons. The spider raised its poison fangs and rushed him. Aterui stepped on one fang and seized the spider's head with his other hand. He tightened his grip. The spider's head caved in.

Above the well, another fight was unfolding. Small spiders began crawling out from the webbing around the well. They were small, but there were many. The warrior monks swung their staves and struck the spiders. But fear began to spread at the things that kept crawling up from the darkness. One warrior monk dropped his staff. His legs had gone weak.

Renge began chanting a sutra. Her voice was low and deep. The words rode the air and spread. They reached the warrior monks' ears. A hand picked the dropped staff back up. As long as Renge's voice did not stop -- their hearts did not break. Even when spiders crawled up, even when poison fangs flashed, Renge's sutra held that place together.

The earth shook below the well. Enku and Aterui looked back at the same time. From beneath the spider-thread floor -- from the true ground -- something was rising. The webbing drew taut. Something larger than an oogumo. Something with even more legs. Kumoboss. The master of the well. A spider twice a person's height slowly climbed up along the web. Poison dripped from its fangs. The thread-floor dissolved in the venom.

Enku tightened his grip on the katana again. Aterui clenched his fist. Inside the narrow well, there was nowhere to run. Renge's sutra came faintly from above. Enku steadied his breathing to its rhythm. He formed the Asura Mudra.

And took one step into the darkness.

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#Law -- Session Actual Play

Kuro (GM) / Hana (Enku + Aterui) / Mei (Renge)

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Kuro: Episode 2. This time we handle the Core Zone rules properly. I'll describe the battlefield. It's a ruined village. The zone structure looks like this.

[Flank Zone: roofs/trees] --- [Allied Front Zone: village entrance] --- [Enemy Front Zone: village interior] --- [Core Zone: inside the well]

Hana: The Core Zone is inside the well. An underground zone?

Kuro: Right. The inside of the well is full of spiderwebs. A narrow, dark space. Core Zone rules apply.

Mei: Summarize the Core Zone rules for me. We didn't have a Core Zone last episode.

Kuro: OK, let's summarize. Core Zone rules:

[Core Zone Rules]
1. Stance Domination invalid: inside the Core Zone, all Domination bonuses gained from stances are invalid.
2. Other bonuses invalid: terrain bonuses and squad Domination bonuses do not apply.
3. Both sides cancel out: do not compare the two sides' Domination; treat both sides as 0.
4. Short arms (katana, etc.) -1: short weapons are disadvantaged in tight spaces, attack check -1.
5. Long arms (yari, etc.) +1: long weapons are good for thrusting, attack check +1...
  But this can be misleading. Precisely, in the Core Zone, long arms are +1 and short arms are -1.

Hana: Wait, if katana is -1, isn't Enku at a disadvantage?

Kuro: He is. That's why Asura Mudra exists. Asura Mudra effect:

[Asura Mudra]
- Free Core Zone entry: may enter/exit the Core Zone without additional movement Energy cost.
- Core Zone melee technique Energy -1 (minimum 1): when using a melee technique inside the Core Zone, Energy cost -1.

Mei: So not just anyone can enter the Core Zone?

Kuro: Anyone can enter the Core Zone. But normally, entry costs an additional 2 Energy. If you have a free-entry ability, that added cost is waived. The classes with free entry here are esoteric monk (Asura Mudra) and wildlander (Hand of Kamuy).

Hana: Aterui is a wildlander, so Hand of Kamuy. Unarmed for 1 Energy and free Core Zone entry?

Kuro: Right. Hand of Kamuy summary:

[Hand of Kamuy]
- Unarmed attack Energy 1: may attack for 1 Energy without a weapon.
- Free Core Zone entry: no additional cost to enter/exit the Core Zone.

Hana: But isn't unarmed damage weak?

Kuro: Against Minions, hit = instant death, so weapon doesn't matter. Against Veterans or higher, damage amount matters, but Aterui has Physique +1, so unarmed damage is 1+1 = 2. Katana damage is 2+0 = 2. At 1st dan, there is no difference.

Mei: Ah, unarmed adds the Physique bonus to damage, and weapons have their own damage.

Kuro: Exactly. So wildlanders with high Physique are efficient unarmed. Now, let's confirm the characters.

[Allies]
Enku (esoteric monk 1st dan): Courage +1, Physique +2, Energy 10, Wounds 5(3+2), Defense 10(no armor).
 Asura Mudra: free Core Zone entry, Core Zone melee -1 Energy(minimum 1). Katana.
Aterui (wildlander 1st dan): Courage +2, Physique +1, Finesse +1, Energy 11, Wounds 4.
 Hand of Kamuy: unarmed 1 Energy, free Core Zone entry. Unarmed Combat.
Renge (Pure Land Monk 1st dan): Presence +2, Physique +1, Energy 10, Wounds 4.
 Amida's Shield: prevents collapse even when a squad in the same zone reaches Cohesion 0. Vajra.
Warrior monk squad (5 Minions, staves): Cohesion 3.

[Enemies]
Oogumo x3 (3 Veteran individuals): Wounds 3, Defense 13, spider thread+poison fangs.
Kumoboss x1 (Elite): Wounds 4, Defense 14, Energy 10.

Hana: Enku's Defense is 10? Because he has no armor?

Kuro: Right. Esoteric monks don't wear armor. Defense 8 + Physique +2 = 10. If he gets cut, it's bad.

Mei: Explain Renge's Amida's Shield a bit more.

Kuro: Amida's Shield:

[Amida's Shield]
- An allied squad in the same zone does not collapse even if its Cohesion reaches 0.
- If Renge leaves that zone, the effect ends immediately.
- Cohesion is not recovered. It prevents "collapse" only.

Mei: So Cohesion is 0, but they don't fall apart?

Kuro: Right. Normally, Cohesion 0 = squad collapse. Soldiers run away or become unable to fight. But with Amida's Shield, they stay in place even at Cohesion 0. Their combat power is almost gone, but the formation remains.

Hana: So they effectively become a living wall.

Kuro: Good phrase. Yes. But Renge herself has low combat power. Her main weapon is a vajra, and its damage isn't high. Renge's role isn't fighting; it's protecting.

Mei: Good. Got it. Renge deploys in the allied Front Zone with the warrior monks.

Kuro: OK. What about Enku and Aterui?

Hana: Enku deploys in the enemy Front Zone. I'll start near the well. Aterui is there too.

Kuro: Enemy Front Zone deployment is possible. But the 3 enemy oogumo are in the enemy Front Zone, and Kumoboss is in the Core Zone (inside the well).

Hana: So first we clear the outside oogumo, then enter the Core Zone.

Kuro: Right. Or you can ignore the oogumo and enter the Core Zone immediately. Enku and Aterui both have free Core Zone entry, so they can enter with no added cost. But if you leave the oogumo behind, Renge and the warrior monk squad in the rear are in danger.

Hana: Renge has Amida's Shield, so the warrior monk squad won't collapse right away, will it?

Kuro: Right. But their Cohesion is 3, so three hits take it to 0. Amida's Shield prevents collapse, but their combat power disappears.

Mei: I'll hold with the warrior monks for now. Enku and Aterui enter the Core Zone.

Hana: OK. Strategy summary. In round 1, we clear as many oogumo as possible, then after the round 2 lull, enter the Core Zone.

Kuro: Good. Round starts. Count order.

Aterui: Energy 11 (Finesse +1)
Enku:  Energy 10 (Finesse +0)
Renge:  Energy 10 (Finesse +0, tied but allies act before enemies)
Oogumo: Energy 10 (all same, tied but after Renge)
Kumoboss: Energy 10 (waiting in the Core Zone)

Mei: Kumoboss doesn't come out from the Core Zone?

Kuro: Not yet. Scenario condition. If someone enters the Core Zone, it awakens and begins acting. Until then, it waits.

Hana: Aterui at count 11. Acts first. Unarmed attack against oogumo A. Since it's Hand of Kamuy, unarmed 1 Energy.

Kuro: Unarmed attack. 2d10 + Courage(+2) >= Defense 13?

Hana: 2d10... 7, 5 = total 12. +2 makes 14. Hit!

Kuro: Hit. Base 1 Wound damage. Oogumo A is a Veteran individual. Veteran individual Wounds 2. 2 → 1.

Hana: One more hit can finish it. Second attack. Unarmed 1 Energy. Energy 11 -> 9. 2d10... 14. Hit again!

Kuro: Hit. Add 1 Wound. Oogumo A Wounds 1 → 0. Defeated!

Kuro: Count 10. Enku, Renge, and oogumo are simultaneous. Allies first, so Enku acts first.

Hana: Enku katana attack x2. 4 Energy. Energy 10 -> 6. Both hit!

Kuro: 2 hits on oogumo B. Wounds 2 → 0. Defeated! 1 Veteran remains.

Mei: Renge attacks with the vajra too. Energy 10 -> 8. Renge has Courage +0, so it's rough... 2d10 = 14. Hit!

Kuro: Good dice. 1 Wound. Oogumo C Wounds 2 → 1. One more hit finishes it.

Mei: From here on, I'll focus on squad support.

Kuro: Oogumo C counterattacks. Spider thread + poison fangs against Enku. 2d10 = 11. Defense 10 -- hit!

Hana: With Defense 10, everything hits him.

Kuro: That's the price of no armor. 1 Wound + poison. Enku Wounds 5 → 4, and until the next lull, poison adds 1 Wound every round (Physique>=13 removes it). Then warrior monk Cohesion check -- 2d10 = 7, failure. Cohesion 3 -> 2.

Mei: Already down to 2. Without Amida's Shield, they would collapse fast.

Kuro: Count 9. Aterui. Unarmed 1 Energy against the remaining oogumo C. 2d10 = 16. Hit! Oogumo C Wounds 1 → 0. Defeated. All oogumo wiped out!

Mei: Outside is clear.

Kuro: Enemy Front Zone clear. But Kumoboss is still in the Core Zone. And don't forget Enku's poison effect. The added 1 Wound at round end is handled during the lull. For now, he stays at Wounds 4.

Hana: Let's go to a lull. There are no enemies in the enemy Front Zone, so lull conditions are met, right?

Kuro: Hm, Kumoboss is in the Core Zone, but no enemy is currently engaged, so lull is possible. Let's resolve the lull.

[Lull Resolution]
- Energy reset: Enku 10, Aterui 11, Renge 10.
- Defenseless removed: none.
- Poison effect removed: during lull, ongoing effects end. Enku's poison is removed.
- Upkeep maneuver: each character 1 time.

Mei: What's an upkeep maneuver?

Kuro: An action each PC can take during a lull. The options are:

[Upkeep Maneuver]
1. Weapon swap: switch to another carried weapon.
2. Squad re-formation: Cohesion +1 (up to cap).
3. Position redeploy: move to an adjacent zone.
4. Treatment: grant 1 ally +2 Energy for that round (1 time per 1 round).
5. Scout: gain information about an adjacent zone.

Hana: Enku takes number 3, position redeploy. Move from the enemy Front Zone into the Core Zone (inside the well).

Kuro: Enku has free Core Zone entry, so he moves with no added cost. OK.

Hana: Aterui also takes number 3. Move into the Core Zone.

Kuro: Aterui also has free Core Zone entry. OK. Both of them are deployed in the Core Zone.

Mei: Renge takes number 2, squad re-formation. Cohesion 2 -> 3.

Kuro: OK. Warrior monk squad recovers to Cohesion 3.

Hana: Good. Now it's Core Zone combat.

Kuro: Lull ends, round 2 begins. Enku and Aterui have entered the Core Zone. Kumoboss awakens. Count order.

Aterui: Energy 11 (Finesse +1)
Enku:  Energy 10
Renge:  Energy 10 (waiting in allied Front Zone)
Kumoboss: Energy 10 (awakened in the Core Zone)

Kuro: Now the Core Zone rules apply properly.

[Core Zone Combat Conditions]
- Both sides' Domination cancels out → 0 vs 0. No Domination bonus.
- Stance Domination invalid.
- Short arms (katana) attack check -1.
- Unarmed is neither short arms nor long arms. No modifier.

Hana: If katana is -1, Enku's Courage +1 becomes effectively +0.

Kuro: Right. But he has Asura Mudra. In the Core Zone, melee technique Energy -1. Katana attacks normally cost 2 Energy, but in the Core Zone he can use them for 1 Energy. Minimum 1, so 1.

Hana: Ah, right. Katana attack is 1 Energy. Same cost as unarmed.

Kuro: But the check takes -1. Unarmed has no check modifier. Aterui's unarmed attacks are normal in the Core Zone.

Mei: Aterui is stronger in the Core Zone, then.

Kuro: This is why wildlanders are strong in the Core Zone. Hand of Kamuy = unarmed 1 Energy + free Core Zone entry + no check modifier. A specialist in Core Zone combat.

Hana: Count 11. Aterui. 2 unarmed attacks against Kumoboss. 2 Energy. Energy 11 -> 9.

Kuro: Kumoboss Defense 14. 2d10 + Courage(+2) >= 14. First is 15 -- hit. Second is 14 -- exactly a hit. Kumoboss is Elite, so Wounds 4. Add 1 Wound each. 4 → 3 → 2.

Kuro: Count 10. Enku.

Hana: Enku attacks with katana. 1 Energy through Asura Mudra. In the Core Zone, katana check -1, so Courage +1 -1 = +0.

Kuro: 2d10 + 0 >= 14. First is 16 -- hit! 1 Wound. Kumoboss 2 → 1. Second is 8 -- miss. With no check bonus, the floor is high.

Kuro: Kumoboss counterattacks. Poison fangs. 2d10 + Courage(+2) >= Enku Defense 10. 14 -- hit.

Hana: With Defense 10, Elite-grade enemies hit almost every time...

Kuro: Poison fangs, 1 Wound + poison. Enku Wounds 4 → 3. Poison ongoing damage from next round.

Hana: Enku is too fragile. We need to finish this fast.

Kuro: An unarmored esoteric monk in the Core Zone is like this. The only answer is to end it quickly with damage output.

Mei: Can Renge do anything from above?

Kuro: Renge is in the allied Front Zone. She can't intervene directly in the Core Zone. But keeping the warrior monk squad together matters. Before Kumoboss dies, additional spiders can come out of the Core Zone.

Kuro: In fact -- Kumoboss special action. Web summons. 1 remaining oogumo crawls up from the Core Zone into the enemy Front Zone.

Mei: They come outside too?!

Kuro: As long as Kumoboss is in the Core Zone, 1 new one is replenished during each round's lull. That's why you need to finish quickly.

Mei: Do we make a Cohesion check?

Kuro: Not yet. It replenishes during the lull, so for now we're in combat. Move to the next count.

Hana: Count 9. Aterui, third breath. 2 unarmed attacks. Energy 9 -> 7.

Kuro: First is 15 -- hit. 1 Wound. Kumoboss 1 → 0. Defeated!

Hana: One hit. No need to use the second.

Kuro: The Energy is already spent (2 Energy), but the second strike is unnecessary. Count total remaining Energy as 7. Kumoboss defeated, so we enter the end-of-combat state.

Mei: Aterui did it!

Kuro: Kumoboss defeated! Inside the well, the webbing starts to unravel. The master of the Core Zone is dead.

Hana: What about Enku's poison?

Kuro: Poison clears when combat ends. Technically it would clear when the lull arrives, but since combat is over, I'll clear it now.

[End of Combat Summary]
- Kumoboss defeated. Core Zone cleared.
- Oogumo wiped out (3 outside + 1 pending reinforcement disappears when the boss dies).
- Enku Wounds 3 (max 5, poison effect cleared by end of combat). Remaining Energy 6.
- Aterui Wounds 4. Remaining Energy 7. Renge Wounds 4. Remaining Energy 8.
- Warrior monk squad Cohesion 3. No collapse.

Mei: There wasn't much chance to use Amida's Shield.

Kuro: That's because you cleared the oogumo outside quickly this time. If the oogumo had focused attacks on the warrior monks, Cohesion could have gone to 0. Without Renge then, collapse -> warrior monks incapacitated -> allied Front Zone Defenseless.

Hana: Core Zone combat really is different. Enku's katana takes -1, so his accuracy gets unstable.

Kuro: The reason esoteric monks are strong in the Core Zone is not damage output, but staying power. Asura Mudra lets them attack for 1 Energy, so they can strike many times. Even with lower hit rate, they cover it with volume.

Mei: Aterui is the opposite. High accuracy and cheap Energy.

Kuro: Wildlanders are kings of the Core Zone. But outside the Core Zone, they have no armor, can't command squads, and can't receive stance bonuses. They're a class specialized for the Core Zone.

Hana: Renge has low combat power, but maintaining the warrior monks is the key. Without Amida's Shield, Cohesion management would have been much tighter.

Kuro: That's the role of the Pure Land Monk. Not to fight, but to keep those who fight from falling.

Mei: That's a good line. As long as the sutra doesn't stop, they won't collapse.

Kuro: Good. Let's summarize the rules.

[Episode 2 Confirmed Rules]
1. Core Zone: stance Domination invalid. All bonuses invalid. Both sides cancel out → 0 vs 0.
2. Core Zone short arms -1, long arms +1 (check modifier).
3. Free Core Zone entry: esoteric monk (Asura Mudra), wildlander (Hand of Kamuy). Enter/exit with no added Energy.
4. Asura Mudra: Core Zone melee technique Energy -1 (minimum 1). Katana 2 Energy → 1 Energy.
5. Hand of Kamuy: unarmed 1 Energy, free Core Zone entry. Unarmed is not short/long arms → no check modifier.
6. Amida's Shield: prevents collapse even at Cohesion 0 for squads in the same zone. Ends immediately when Renge leaves.
7. Cohesion collapse: Cohesion 0 = squad collapse (flight/incapacitation). Amida's Shield is the only exception.
8. Lull: Energy reset, Defenseless removed, ongoing effects removed, 1 upkeep maneuver.
9. Upkeep maneuver: choose 1 from weapon swap/squad re-formation/position redeploy/treatment/scouting.
10. Veteran individual: Wounds 2 (independent individual, not a squad). Elite: Wounds 3~4. Lord: Wounds 3+Physique. All attacks are base 1 Wound (Critical Hit 2).

Hana: Does combat outside the Core Zone get more complicated next episode?

Kuro: Episode 3 focuses on the Outside Zone. Infiltration and teppo. A completely different mood.

Mei: Next time, I want to fight directly.

Kuro: Renge comes back in Episode 6. It's a non-combat scenario, though.

Mei: ...Not combat again?

Kuro: That's the Pure Land Monk as a class.

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"As long as the sutra does not stop, they do not collapse. Wherever she stands becomes a castle wall."