#Act 3 — Contract or Betrayal

Contents

"A promise is not a word. A promise is a living thread. Cut it, and it bleeds."

Core References

- Required: Non-Combat Checks · Three Ways and Six Hearts · Yoma Bestiary

- Negotiation: Negotiation Rules · Zone Gimmicks

- In this supplement: 11-00 · 11-01 · 11-02 · Black Rope Hell Guide · Chapter 2 NPC Catalog · Spirit Realm Travel

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#Scent — Texture of the Shrine

The moment you leave the maze and step into the clearing, your breathing changes. The metallic pressure that weighed down the whole forest vanishes all at once. In its place remains an air of permission. Only those who have been permitted enter this place.

At the center of the clearing, cushions sit before a stone shrine. There is not one cushion — there are enough for all of you. Grip Mother was already waiting for you. She did not come ahead of you. She did not arrive with you either. Yet the tea is steaming as if it had just been boiled.

Grip Mother silently lifts a teacup and offers it to the leading PC. If they accept it, their palm grows warm. If they do not, she returns the cup to the space before herself — and smiles. Refusal is permitted too.

She closes her eyes and speaks. Her voice is low, but clear.

"I have a request. You may hear it, or you may refuse it. But please do not leave without listening."

When she opens her eyes, you already know from what lies behind them — this request is not a simple request. This is the beginning of a contract.

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#Law — Act 3 Game Data

#Act Meta

#Barrier HP Changes

Special note: If the contract is formed, Grip Mother supplies +5 to the Barrier. This is because part of her chains is drawn into the Barrier and mixed with it. However, in this case the Domain Barrier's "texture" changes by one layer toward Black Rope color (a descriptive change).

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#Encounters — Scene-by-Scene Flow

#Scene 1. Tea Rite — The Weight of the Seat

• Location: Shrine clearing. A seated conversation on the cushions.
• Time: Immediately after Act 2 ends, a 1-round rite.

#Description

Each of you sits on a cushion. The cushion is neither warm nor cold. It is simply right. The moment you sit — your knees fold on their own, and the seat "fits" itself to you. The cushions here adjust to the height of the person sitting on them.

Grip Mother slowly pours tea. The teapot has a strange shape — its handle is made of chain links. Each time she pours, the links move slightly. But the teapot itself does not shake.

The tea is black. Its taste is not bitter. After drinking, a taste of grass, not iron, remains in the mouth. She does not force any PC who does not drink.

#Check: Etiquette of Sitting

#Function of the Tea

The tea is a medium for a covenant. Anyone who drinks gains Negotiation rating +1 in later conversation with Grip Mother. Anyone who does not drink reads her true feelings only at about half depth (Target Number for Perception checks +2).

The GM does not explain this mechanism explicitly. Let the PCs feel the difference between those who drank and those who did not.

#Scene 2. Hearing the Request — Heart of the Forest

• Location: Continuing from Scene 1. Before the shrine's stone steps.
• Time: Half a round after the tea rite.

#Grip Mother's Request

She sets down her teacup. Then she speaks. Not hurriedly. But all at once.

"In the deepest part of this forest, something is sealed."

"I know who it is. No, more precisely — I knew. Long ago. Now I have forgotten the name, and forgotten the face."

"If it wakes, this forest will change. For the better, or for the worse. I do not know which. But as long as it remains there as it is, this forest remains as it is too."

She pauses. She catches her breath.

"This is my request. Go to the pit of the seal and see the state of the seal. Do not awaken it — because I have not made up my mind first. Until you have made up yours, do not touch it either."

"Come back and tell me. Then we will decide together."

#Layers of the Request

This request hides three layers. The depth of the contract changes depending on how far the PCs read.

A PC who reads to the deep layer knows that this request is Grip Mother's self-avoidance. She has postponed this decision for 100 years. This time, she is using the PCs to pass the decision to someone else.

#Listening Check

Each PC makes an Perception or Spirit check. 2d10 + the relevant ability:

#Scene 3. Contract Choice — Four Answers

• Location: Continuing from Scene 2.
• Time: After hearing Grip Mother's request; the PCs may take a discussion round.

#Choices

The PCs answer as a squad. They may take time to discuss (half a round). Grip Mother waits quietly during that time.

The GM does not force the four choices. If the PCs present a creative 5th choice, accept it. Examples: "Come with us that far," or "Draw us a picture of the sealed place."

#Contract Check (New Rule)

If the PCs choose Choice A(sincere) or D(conditional), Grip Mother proposes a contract rite.

"Shall we bind the promise with thread? Words alone are too light here."

If the PCs agree, Grip Mother draws one strand of thin chain from her wrist and gently wraps it around the representative PC's wrist. Then she wraps it around her own wrist as well. The moment the two chain ends touch each other, they flare with light and melt into one.

This is the thread of contract.

#Sando Influence by Choice

#Scene 4. Room for Betrayal — Returning Afterward

• Location: After the contract is formed, on the road from the shrine to the pit of the seal.
• Time: 0.5 round after Scene 3 ends.

#Description

When you leave the shrine, the road opens by itself. The maze splits eastward, revealing a new passage. At the end of that passage, faint red light leaks out — the pit of the seal.

As they walk, the PCs have time to discuss. Here, the last room for betrayal is given. Grip Mother remains at the shrine and does not see them. Now, the plan can still be changed.

#Betrayal Check

If the PCs decide, "We made a contract, but our judgment may change once we see what is there":

#Haruhiko Reappears (Option)

If the PCs were friendly with Haruhiko in Act 2, they meet him again on this road. He had been waiting for them before they left the shrine.

"You made a promise with that person, didn't you. ... Before you hear anything else, may I say one thing?"

"She is someone who has postponed a decision for 100 years. You should not decide in her place. You have to share the decision with her. She is trying to pass it to you."

"This is not a warning. Because I loved her, I know her weakness. I am saying this because I want you to see that weakness."

This conversation lets the PCs confirm Grip Mother's self-avoidance again. Perception check, Target Number 11 is an automatic success (from Haruhiko's information alone).

#Haruhiko's Last Gift

Before he leaves, he hands over a small bronze mirror fragment.

"Show this before the seal. It will show whether the being called 'Kokujo Daimo' is real, or only Grip Mother's shadow."

This mirror fragment plays a decisive role in the Act 4 climax. See Act 4 (Climax) — Parley with the Forest's Master for details.

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#Step-by-Step Progression Guide

#Step 1 — Tea Rite (30 minutes)

• Describe arrival at the shrine.
• Describe the cushions, teapot, and sensory feel of the tea.
• RP each PC's sitting posture.
• Resolve the drinking-tea check.

#Step 2 — Hearing the Request (45 minutes)

• Read Grip Mother's request aloud.
• Each PC makes an Perception/Mental Save.
• Reveal understanding by layer.
• Player discussion (half a round).

#Step 3 — Contract Choice (60 minutes)

• Choose among the four choices (or a creative 5th option).
• Stage the contract rite (for A or D).
• Resolve the contract check and binding of the thread.
• Record each PC's Sando changes.

#Step 4 — Room for Betrayal and Movement (45 minutes)

• Leave the shrine.
• Describe the road to the pit of the seal.
• Haruhiko reappears (option).
• Gain the bronze mirror fragment.
• Approach the entrance to the pit of the seal.

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#Success/Failure Branches

#Act 3 Success Conditions

Achieve 2 or more of the following.

• [ ] The squad clearly agrees on a contract choice.
• [ ] They read to the deep layer of Grip Mother's request (or beyond).
• [ ] If Haruhiko reappears, they gain the bronze mirror fragment.
• [ ] RP between PCs reveals the depth of their characters.

#Act 3 Failure Conditions

• [ ] The PCs disagree and the contract is in a split state(some accept, some refuse) → in Act 4, squad cohesion -2 and checks are unfavorable.
• [ ] Declare breach immediately after the contract is formed → Grip Mother becomes hostile, Act 4 difficulty +2.
• [ ] Understand only the surface of the request → the deep layer is learned too late in Act 4 (a brutal development).

#Middle Branches (Act 4 Entry Conditions)

• Sincere route (Choice A): Grip Mother joins at the seal in Act 4. Ally 1.
• Betrayal route (Choice B): Grip Mother's detection triggers in Act 4. Two-front combat.
• Refusal route (Choice C): Grip Mother and Kokujo Daimo are both hostile in Act 4.
• Conditional route (Choice D): In Act 4, the PCs make an immediate reassessment depending on the situation. The most flexible development.

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#GM Control

#Make the Contract Feel "Real"

The contract rite carries narrative weight beyond the game mechanism. The GM uses the following devices.

1. Slow down when winding the thread. Spend at least 30 seconds describing Grip Mother wrapping the thread around the wrist. Raise player tension.
2. Describe the sound when the thread melts and adheres. "A small iron sound rang out, and then a mouthful of murky air blew toward you."
3. After the contract, let the PC feel Grip Mother's heartbeat for a moment. "One beat. The same beat as yours."

#Do Not Let Betrayal Be "Easy"

If the PCs treat the contract lightly and try to choose betrayal, the GM must show the cost clearly. The betrayal route is available, but it must not be comfortable.

Concrete staging:

• When the thread of contract snaps, Grip Mother sighs from far away. The sound reaches the PCs' ears.
• Weakening +2 applies immediately. Describe the onmyoji screaming in the domain.
• The Domain Barrier's Black Rope color turns red — the color of "blood shed by a promise."

#Pacing

Act 3 is RP-centered, so conversation rhythm matters more than combat.

#Sando Influence Summary

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#Appendix A — Grip Mother's Hidden Past (GM Private)

Do not reveal this section to the players. It is reference material for the GM to preserve Grip Mother's depth.

#A.1 Her True Name

Hoseki Haruka. 200 years ago, she was a maiden from a village on the Kii Peninsula.

#A.2 Why She Entered Black Rope

Guilt that the one she loved(Haruhiko) died because of her obsession. He returned alive, but she never knew that. When she died and came to Black Rope, she wrapped herself in chains and became part of the forest.

#A.3 How She Became "Grip Mother"

100 years ago, when she sat at the center of the forest and tried to assimilate with the chains, she heard a sound from the seal deep in the forest. That sound "made her its mother." From then on she became the forest's keeper, but she does not know what that sound was.

#A.4 The Seal's Identity

Kokujo Daimo(Kokujō Daimo) is the physical embodiment of Grip Mother's past obsession. The emotion from when she obsessed over Haruhiko has grown for 100 years while sealed in the deepest part of the forest. Daimo and Grip Mother are the same being and separate beings. See Chapter 2 NPC Catalog and 11-04 for details.

#A.5 The Real Reason She Asked the PCs

She does not want to release Daimo, nor does she want to keep her sealed forever. Either path would define her. She has endured this ambivalence for 100 years. The PCs are her proxy decision-makers.

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#Appendix B — Thread of Contract Detailed Rules

#B.1 Physical Properties of the Thread

• Thin. Almost unnoticeable when wrapped around the wrist.
• Gray-black. Reflects depending on the light.
• Closer to one strand of hair than a chain.
• Cutting resistance: it cannot be cut by ordinary weapons. Only the contract parties' Sando movement or conscious breach can cut it.

#B.2 Functional Effects of the Thread

#B.3 Natural Release of the Thread

When the terms of the contract are fulfilled, the thread naturally disappears within one hour. Both parties feel warmth at the wrist one more time, and then it vanishes.

#B.4 Forced Release of the Thread

• The moment Black Rope's master changes (some Act 4 endings) — automatically disappears.
• When one party dies — disappears immediately, and the survivor senses the dead person's final emotion once.
• Release by mutual agreement — requires a special rite (revisit the shrine).

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#Appendix C — Bronze Mirror Fragment Details

#C.1 Appearance

• Size: palm-sized.
• Material: ancient bronze. Traces of old patina.
• Surface: scratched characters are present — "二身一鏡"(two bodies, one mirror).

#C.2 Use

In Act 4, hold the mirror up before Kokujo Daimo. The mirror reflects Daimo's true form. If that form overlaps with Grip Mother, it becomes clear that the two beings share the same root.

#C.3 Effect

When the mirror is used:

• Truth-realization effect on both Grip Mother and Kokujo Daimo (1 round).
• The PCs understand the whole relationship between the two. Perception +3 bonus.
• Kokujo Daimo's attack power -2 for 1 round (her confusion).

#C.4 1-use

After use, the mirror breaks into dust. The fragment may be divided so that each PC keeps a small piece, but the effect is still the same 1 use.

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#Appendix D — Alternate Scenario: Ending Act 3 Without a Contract

#D.1 If the PCs Choose Refusal(C)

Grip Mother bows her head once without saying anything.

"I understand. You have your path, and my request is mine. But the road to the pit of the seal only opens if this forest permits it. Without me, it will not open."

The PCs choose one of the following:

• Give up on the seal → Return to the domain. Act 4 changes into an "external invasion by Kokujo Daimo" form. See the appendix of 11-04.
• Forced search → forest resistance check (Mental Save, Target Number 15). On success, find the road; on failure, return to the maze.
• Seek another route → ask Haruhiko for information. He can offer some advice, but says, "It will be difficult without her."

#D.2 If the PCs Present a 5th Option

The GM welcomes creativity. Examples:

• "Let us accompany you." → Grip Mother sits in on the Act 4 stage. Difficulty -2, but she is exposed to danger.
• "We will consult with the domain first and come back." → domain return scene after session end, Act 4 delayed. Weakening +0.5.
• "We are going to reinforce the seal, not awaken it." → Grip Mother's Affinity +2, and at the start of Act 4, instead of Daimo awakening, run a "sealing-rift blockade" sequence.

For each 5th option, the GM responds by modifying part of the Act 4 structure.

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#Act 3 End Checklist

• [ ] Record contract choice (A/B/C/D/other).
• [ ] Record state of the thread of contract (bound/broken/not formed).
• [ ] Final Grip Mother Affinity value.
• [ ] Record each PC's Sando changes.
• [ ] Whether the bronze mirror fragment is held.
• [ ] Update Barrier HP.
• [ ] Award PC experience. Late 3rd dan → early 4th dan.
• [ ] Confirm Act 4 entry branch (sincere/betrayal/refusal/conditional/5th option).

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#Next Step

• Prepare for Act 4 entry: Act 4 (Climax) — Parley with the Forest's Master
• Share with players: The next session is the climax. Negotiation with Kokujo Daimo. Combat and negotiation are both possible.
• GM record: The form of the contract and each player's Sando. This determines Kokujo Daimo's attitude in Act 4.

Act 3 is the act of promise. Act 4 becomes the act of confrontation. Only those who carry a promise know the weight of confrontation.

Final GM Note: At the end of Act 3, ask the players, "Will you remember this promise after returning to the domain?" Record the answer. That answer becomes the PC's self-portrait for the whole campaign after Chapter 5.

Three Sentences About Promises:

1. "A promise is not a word. A promise is a thread."

2. "Sometimes cutting the thread is courage, and sometimes it is cowardice."

3. "Black Rope gives peace to those who do not believe in promises, and chains to those who do."