#Side Quest 01 — First Core Acquisition Primer
Contents
Core references
- Required: Dice System · Non-Combat Checks · Yoma Bestiary
- Reference: Rounds and One Breath · Maneuver System
References within this supplement
- Required: Side Index · Core Economy · Barrier System
- Required: Spirit Realm Travel Rules · Reviving Hell GM Guide
- Reference: Retired Onmyoji · 6 Retainers · Chapter Yoma
#§ Overview
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Dan Range | 1~2 dan |
| Recommended Session | 1 session (2~3 hours) |
| Domain Time Required | 1 day (morning departure → evening return) |
| Mandatory Event | No |
| Core Mechanic | core harvest check (2d10 + Wisdom + Medicine or Exorcism) |
| Recommended Arc Placement | between Chapter 1, Act 2~Act 3 |
| Final Question | "When you first use the word resource, do you know what it means?" |
#One-Line Summary
Old Gensho teaches the basics of core harvesting to a Wisdom (知)-line character among the PCs. This is an instructional quest where the party defeats 3~4 Minion-grade gaki just outside the Barrier and harvests their cores. It is designed so the players feel both their first success and their first failure.
#Design Intent
A tutorial that lets players learn the core economy system by hand. Reading the mechanical rule is not the same as holding a core in your hand. This quest creates the latter sensation.
#§ Scent — The Air of This Quest
#Opening Read-Aloud
"Old Gensho calls at dawn. The shrine's back garden. The same place where yesterday's lesser yoma was cut down."
"In his hands is a small box with peeling lacquer. He opens it. Inside is only a handful of ash-gray soil."
"'The body of the lesser yoma cut down yesterday. There was no core. No, there was one, but we failed to draw it out,' he says. 'Today is when you learn how.'"
"His eyes blink 1 beat slower than usual. It is fatigue. But what he means to pass on is not fatigue — it is that there is no time."
#Sensory Card — The Texture of This Quest
- Sound: There are no dawn owls. Only the sound of Old Gensho's prayer beads is clear. It takes about 5 rounds for the 108 beads to make one circuit.
- Smell: The smell of fallen leaves in the shrine's back garden. Incense still lingers where the lesser yoma was cut down last night.
- Light: Just before sunrise. The Barrier's blue light mixes with the gray dawn, making twin blue-gray shadows.
- Touch: The weight of the bone knife (骨刀). The one Gensho handed over. Its grip is 0.5 degrees warmer than human body temperature.
#Core of the Scent
The air of this quest is "the tension of someone receiving their first lesson." Gensho speaks slowly. In the spaces between his pauses, the PCs must think for themselves. The GM should leave a long silence after Gensho's lines.
#Gensho Dialogue Samples
"Cutting flesh with a blade and drawing out a core by hand are different. The former is Courage (勇); the latter is Wisdom (知) and medicine (醫). Today, you go to learn the latter."
"A core must be drawn out within 5 rounds before the yoma dies completely. Too late, and it scatters. Too fast, and it bursts. Find the breath between those two."
#§ Structure — 3-Act Scene Overview
#Act 1 — Teaching (Shrine Back Garden, 30~45 minutes)
Gensho teaches the PCs the principle of core harvesting. He hands over a bone knife. Mock practice (Target Number 10 — cut the mark on a fallen leaf precisely with the bone knife). The first check has a low chance of failure. Purpose: rule recognition.
#Act 2 — First Departure (500 Paces Beyond the Barrier Boundary, 60~90 minutes)
The PCs + 2~3 members of Slot A squad go out to a short-range point beyond the Barrier. They encounter 3~4 gaki. After combat, attempt 3 consecutive core harvest checks. The design lets them experience both success and failure. Purpose: mechanic experience.
#Act 3 — Return and Evaluation (Warehouse · Shrine, 30~45 minutes)
Gensho examines the cores the PCs acquired. He reviews both success and failure with them. Three Ways and Six Hearts tendency point · Wisdom (知) axis +1. Purpose: result summary.
#§ NPC
#Hoshino Gensho (Teacher · see core 02-02)
In this quest, Gensho appears only in the role of teacher. He does not join combat (weakening maintained). He teaches in the shrine's back garden, and only evaluates when the PCs return. His lines are short and slow.
#Yamaguchi Iwao (Escort · Senior Military Officer among the 6 Retainers)
A middle-aged samurai. He goes beyond the Barrier with the PCs. Combat support (Wounds 3, attack 2d10+3). He almost never speaks. Even when he sees a PC's mistake, he does not correct it — his stance is that learning it is their share.
- Signature line: "The harvest is yours. Only taking the head is mine."
- Combat role: drives the gaki only to the edge of mortal injury, then leaves the finishing blow to the PCs
- Three Ways and Six Hearts: 忠(Loyalty) — one who holds his own place
#(Optional) Myoen (Observer · one of the Drifters in 02-05)
A wandering monk. She can request to accompany this quest. If she accompanies the party, she provides additional check support (+1 modifier). In exchange, 1 core must be dedicated to her (sect tradition — to perform rites for the yoma's attachment and release it).
- Signature line: "That originally belonged to a person. Receive it, but return one bead to that person."
- Three Ways and Six Hearts influence: 慈(Compassion) +1 (if one bead is dedicated to Myoen)
#§ Details of Each Act
#Act 1 Details — Teaching (Shrine Back Garden)
#Scene Setup
The shrine's back garden. Beneath the zelkova. Gensho has placed three bone knives, a heap of dry fallen leaves, and five small talisman papers on a low wooden chest. Morning light falls in three shafts through the zelkova leaves.
#Flow of Gensho's Lesson
- Principle: a yoma's core is not its heart. It is the crystallization of attachment. Its position is roughly just below the solar plexus · one sun inward. It varies slightly by yoma type.
- Time: it must be removed within 5 rounds immediately after defeat. After that, the Incorporeal body wraps around it and it scatters.
- Tool: bone knife. Iron blades are not allowed — iron contaminates the core. The bone knife is not made from human bone, but from the shinbone of a Shomen-oni (正面鬼). If a PC learns this, they step back a little.
- Check: 2d10 + Wisdom + (Medicine or Exorcism). The Target Number depends on yoma grade, from 11~17.
#Mock Practice Checks
| Step | Check | Target Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark recognition | 2d10 + Wisdom | 8 | point to the small ink dot on the fallen leaf with the bone knife tip |
| Incision angle | 2d10 + Wisdom + Medicine | 10 | narrowly cut around the ink dot at a 45-degree angle |
| Recovery | 2d10 + Presence | 9 | receive what was cut away in the palm without dropping it to the ground |
Even if all three checks fail, Gensho shows it again. In this act, check failure is not a critical hit.
#Gensho's Decisive Teaching
"What you must learn is not hand technique. It is recognizing what the thing before your eyes originally was. A lesser yoma was once someone's grudge. A gaki was once a starving person. When you draw out the core, think, even for one moment, whose remnant of attachment it is. That is the etiquette of harvest."
Three Ways and Six Hearts implication: PC agrees with this teaching — 慈(Compassion) +1. Rejects it — 眞(Truth) +1 (efficiency first).
#Act 2 Details — First Departure (500 Paces Beyond the Barrier)
#Scene Setup
The Barrier's east gate. Yamaguchi + 2 squad members join. The sun has not fully risen. They go beyond the Barrier. About 500 paces. The edge of the iron-colored plain. Three or four gaki are gathered into shapes like low brush.
#Encounter 1 — Group Gaki (Minion-grade × 3)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | Minion-grade |
| Wounds | 1 (group of 3 bodies = composite Wounds 2) |
| Defense | 11 |
| Attack | 2d10+1 >= Defense · Core Lick (1 Wound, 2 Wounds on Critical Hit) |
| Special | revival (Reviving Hell gimmick, 1 time) |
| Core Harvest Target Number | 11 |
| Barrier HP Recovery | +7 |
The combat is short. Yamaguchi leads. The PCs participate in the finish. After defeat, immediately make the harvest check.
#First Harvest Check Sequence
The PC with the highest Wisdom (知) attempts it. Yamaguchi and the squad keep watch around them.
| Attempt | Check | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st gaki | 2d10 + Wisdom + Medicine/Exorcism vs Target Number 11 | success recommended — even with bad luck, the GM may intervene with squad support (+1) |
| 2nd gaki | same | failure possible — describe it fading as is |
| 3rd gaki | same | PC recovery chance · positive result on success |
#Failure Portrayal (Core)
"The moment it touches the palm — the core crumbles. It becomes powder like a dry leaf. Light flashes for an instant, then falls between the fingers. What remains is a handful of gray ash. That ash scatters into the wind after 3 rounds."
The GM does not punish this failure numerically. It is part of the lesson. Yamaguchi only nods.
#Encounter 2 — 1 Kubikiri (Veteran-grade) · Optional
If time remains and the PCs have room, it appears. The Veteran-grade kubikiri is Target Number 13. On success, secure unstable core +1. On failure, return as is.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | Veteran-grade |
| Wounds | 3 |
| Defense | 13 |
| Energy | 8 |
| Attack | 2d10+4 · beheading attempt |
| Special | revival 1 time |
| Core Harvest Target Number | 13 |
| Barrier HP Recovery | +15 |
#Act 3 Details — Return and Evaluation (Warehouse · Shrine)
#Scene Setup
Sunset. The PCs return to the Barrier. Gensho waits in the warehouse. The brass jars pulse low.
#Gensho's Evaluation Procedure
- Confirm acquired cores: place them in storage jars. Sort by grade.
- Review failure cases: ask the PC, "What do you think caused the failure?"
- Present the next step: permission that "next time, you may go out alone."
#Gensho's Deciding Line
"With the cores you brought today, the Barrier HP will last several days longer. You yourselves have become part of the Barrier. Do not forget that fact."
#Three Ways and Six Hearts Tendency Points
| PC Action | Tendency |
|---|---|
| Contemplates the yoma's original form while harvesting the core | 慈(Compassion) +1 |
| Focuses on optimizing core harvest efficiency | 眞(Truth) +1 |
| Gets angry or gives up on failure | 魔(Demon) +1 (minor) |
| Accepts failure humbly and tries again | 忠(Loyalty) +1 |
| Dedicates 1 core bead to Myoen | 慈(Compassion) +1, 眞(Truth) -1 |
#§ Step-by-Step Progression Guide Table
| Checkpoint | Timing | GM | Player | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gensho calls | 0:00 | opening read-aloud | move to shrine | prayer-bead sound |
| Lesson begins | 0:10 | hand over bone knife | listen to principle | warmth of bone knife |
| Mock practice | 0:20 | prompt 3 Target Number 10 checks | roll dice | ink dot on fallen leaf |
| Practice ends | 0:40 | Gensho deciding line | record Three Ways and Six Hearts | one circuit of beads |
| Departure prep | 0:45 | squad joins | equipment check | Yamaguchi's greeting |
| Exit the Barrier | 1:00 | describe iron smell | sensory response | spring of the first step |
| Gaki encounter | 1:10 | place 3 bodies | begin combat | low moan |
| Immediately after defeat | 1:25 | begin 5-round count | immediate harvest check | pressure of time |
| First harvest success | 1:30 | describe core · hand temperature | store | trembling stops |
| Second failure | 1:40 | portray crumbling to powder | allow frustration | scattering in wind |
| Third attempt | 1:50 | PC recovery chance | retry check | Yamaguchi's gaze |
| (Optional) Kubikiri | 2:00 | present Target Number 13 | decide | rusty smell of blood |
| Return | 2:30 | describe Barrier passage | wrap up | re-entry into blue light |
| Warehouse sorting | 2:45 | jar pulse | sort cores | brass resonance |
| Gensho evaluation | 3:00 | deciding line | confirm Three Ways and Six Hearts | beads stop |
#§ Success/Failure Branches
#Complete Success (3/3 checks succeed + additional Kubikiri defeated)
- Gain unstable core × 4
- Barrier HP +40 (+10 ×4)
- Yamaguchi Affinity +1
- Gensho's brief praise → Three Ways and Six Hearts 眞(Truth) or 忠(Loyalty) +1
- During the next quest, core harvest Target Number -1 modifier (1-time, until the session after next session)
#Partial Success (1~2/3 checks succeed)
- Gain unstable core × 1~2
- Barrier HP +10~20
- Yamaguchi nods (neutral)
- No Three Ways and Six Hearts change (the essence of practice)
- Gensho: "For the first time, this is enough."
#Failure (0/3 checks succeed)
- Gain 0 cores
- No Barrier HP change
- Yamaguchi is silent (still no blame)
- Gensho: "Come again next month. Then it will be different."
- Special reward: the PC has learned "the feel of failure" → on the next harvest check, Mental Save modifier +1 (1-time)
#Disaster (Squad Member Injured · Surrounded by Gaki)
- Yamaguchi injured (Energy -3, cannot act next week)
- Gain 0 cores
- morale -1 (news of squad injury)
- PC Three Ways and Six Hearts 忠(Loyalty) or 魔(Demon) +1 (depending on the decision)
- Gensho: "There are days when nothing goes well. Today was not your day."
#§ Rewards
#Basic Rewards
| Resource | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| unstable core | 0 | 4 |
| gold | 0 | 0 (no reward) |
| morale | -1 | +1 |
| Barrier HP | +0 | +40 |
#Special Rewards
- Bone Knife (骨刀): transferred to 1 PC when this quest is completed. From then on, all core harvest checks gain +1 modifier. However, continued use is possible only if the PC maintains
眞(Truth)or忠(Loyalty)-leaning skills/narrative (otherwise it is reclaimed). - Gensho's brief letter: transferred on complete success. "I saw the next generation." — this letter is later one of the unlock conditions in 21-09 Broken Covenant.
- Three Ways and Six Hearts axis change: see the tendency points above. It can be fixed in this session.
#§ GM Control
#GM Cautions
- Do not punish failure. The purpose of this quest is for the PCs to feel the rules. On check failure, reflect it only in atmosphere.
- Actually count the 5 rounds. Put a timer on a whiteboard, or place dice and roll them 5 times. This is the source of tension.
- Keep Gensho's weakening at 0. Gensho never personally goes beyond the Barrier in this quest. The GM should not confuse this.
- Do not kill squad members. Yamaguchi can be injured, but death does not occur in this quest (tutorial nature).
#Optional Extension — To 2 Sessions
If the players enjoy the quest and have time, expand it to 2 sessions:
- Session 1: Acts 1~2 (teaching + first departure)
- Session 2: solo 2nd departure (only PCs, without Yamaguchi) + unstable core harvest challenge (Target Number 13)
Result scale for a 2-session extension:
- additional unstable cores 1~2
- additional Barrier HP +15~30
- first independent PC success → Three Ways and Six Hearts 忠(Loyalty) +1 possible
#Next Quest Connections
Completing this quest is a natural starting condition for the following quests:
- 21-02 Missing Patrol — triggers in the 3~4 dan range after PCs are used to harvest checks
- 21-05 Child Lost to the Spirit Realm — recommended for PCs who have learned the feel of crossing the Barrier boundary
- 21-08 Poisoned Well — an internal Domain incident. It has no relation to core harvesting, but can be placed right after this quest as a tone shift
#Risk Table
| Risk | Response |
|---|---|
| Checks are too easy | raise Target Number by +1~+2 (13/15) |
| Checks are too hard | Gensho's remote support (+2 modifier) |
| PCs are not interested in harvesting | shorten to 1 encounter in Act 2 · shift Act 3 into Gensho sharing a secret tradition |
| PCs take too long | enforce the 5-round count · on overrun, core is lost |
#Session End Checklist
- [ ] record cores acquired · update warehouse jars
- [ ] publicly update Barrier HP value
- [ ] record Three Ways and Six Hearts tendency axis
- [ ] confirm Yamaguchi's condition
- [ ] specify bone knife owner
- [ ] record whether Gensho's letter exists (on complete success)
- [ ] preview next session — return to main arc or another side quest
#Related Links
- Parent index: Side Quest Index
- Core rules: Core Economy
- Barrier: Barrier System
- NPCs: Hoshino Gensho · 6 Retainers · Drifters
- Core system: Non-Combat Checks · Yoma Bestiary
- Recommended next side: 21-02 Missing Patrol
The moment a PC holds their first core, they cross from someone who "reads" resources into someone who "touches" them. If that transition does not happen, this quest has failed. The check numbers are secondary — the sensation comes first.