#Side Quest 08 — Poisoned Well

Contents

Core references

- Required: Non-Combat Checks · Three Ways and Six Hearts · Dice System

- Reference: Medicine Skill · Domain Management

References within this supplement

- Required: Side Index · Morale and Fear · Residents

- Required: Domain Geography · Domain Facilities

- Reference: Young Lord · 6 Retainers · Drifters

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#§ Overview

#One-Line Summary

At the central communal well of the domain, 3 people collapse. The water has bitterness and an oily sheen. This is not an outside yoma intrusion. Someone inside the domain poisoned the well. The PCs investigate. 4 suspects. 4 motives. The truth is one of them — but knowing the truth is not necessarily the solution.

#Design Intent

A side quest that presents internal collapse to PCs used only to external threats. It brings internal tension, division, and secrets inside the domain to the surface. A fundamental crisis of the morale system.

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#§ Scent — The Air of This Quest

#Opening Read-Aloud

"Just before sunrise. A scream comes from the well — but the scream does not last long. The sound cuts off in the throat."

"When the PCs arrive, three people are collapsed by the well. Gensuke the cart driver, Otoyo the old weaver woman, and Tokichi the young servant. All three are covering their mouths. Gensuke is conscious — eyes wide as he looks at the PCs. Otoyo's breathing is shallow. Tokichi is no longer breathing."

"You look at the water in the bucket. An oily sheen floats on the surface. A faint green qi circles it. A bitter smell rises from the water — the smell of oleander(夾竹桃)."

"Old Gensho confirms it later. 'This poison was put in from inside the domain. It is not from the Spirit Realm. A person put it in.'"

#Sensory Card — The Texture of This Quest

• Sound: on the morning of the first day, silence after the scream. Then residents gather one by one, forming a quiet murmur. There is little speech. They keep distance from one another, away from the well.
• Smell: the bitter smell of oleander, similar to lemon peel but without sweetness. Within 3 meters of the well. It fades after a day.
• Light: clouds on the first day. The sun does not directly shine on the well. The inside of the well is dark.
• Touch: the viscosity of the water. Slightly more slippery than usual. When it touches the hand, the temperature is 1 degree higher.

#Core of the Scent

Cold fear. A quieter fear than when an outside yoma invades. The fact that someone who poisoned the well before breakfast is here, now. The GM should run this quest in a whisper-like tone.

#Akihisa Dialogue Samples

"This is not an attack by an outside enemy. If an outside enemy had done it, the Barrier would have rung. This poison was prepared inside the domain."

"I do not want to tell the residents. The moment they know, the domain scatters. I ask you — quietly, and accurately."

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#§ Structure — 4-Act Scene Overview

#Act 1 — Scene and Victims (Well → Clinic, 30~45 Minutes)

Investigate the well. Check victim conditions. Confirm Tokichi's death. Identify poison type. Gather basic clues.

#Act 2 — Interviews with 4 Suspects (Inside the Domain, 60~90 Minutes)

Interview 4 people with motives and alibis. Speak with each individually. Cross-check.

#Act 3 — Deep Investigation (Evidence Discovery, 45~60 Minutes)

Trace the oleander source. Investigate where the poison was placed. Check footprints and fingerprints. Decisive evidence.

#Act 4 — Confrontation and Decision (Accusation · Decision, 30~45 Minutes)

Name the true culprit. Expose the motive. Decide punishment; delegated to the PCs, not the lord. Apply morale.

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#§ NPC

#3 Victims

#Gensuke (Cart Driver, 40s · Conscious, Energy 3/11)

• Condition: drank only one sip of poison. Vomited, then fainted. Can recover.
• Testimony: "This morning... the water was... stranger than usual. The color... But before I drank it, I didn't know..."
• Clue provided: heard someone near the well last night (footsteps)

#Otoyo (Old Weaver Woman, 70s · Unconscious, Energy 1/5)

• Condition: drank one bowl. Energy at danger level. Needs treatment within 24 rounds.
• Recovery condition: Medicine Target Number 15 + spend 1 unstable core (purification rite)
• On failure: death

#Tokichi (Servant, Age 12 · Dead)

• Condition: drank two or more bowls. Low body weight led to rapid death.
• Family: one mother. A neighbor is currently beside her.
• Funeral: must be decided during this quest. Simple funeral before the true culprit is arrested, or formal funeral after the true culprit is revealed.

#4 Suspects

#Suspect 1 — Osawa Izo (40s, Cart Driver · Gensuke's Rival)

• Appearance: short and stocky. Short beard. Eyes always turned downward.
• Motive (assumed): dispute with Gensuke over hauling work. Fight 2 weeks ago. Once pointed a blade at Gensuke.
• Alibi: alone at home last night. No witness.
• Signature line: "It's true I hate Gensuke. But poison is not a man's work. If I did it, I would have used a blade."
• Three Ways and Six Hearts: 忠(Loyalty) — prefers direct fights

#Suspect 2 — Sanae (20s, Resident · Otoyo's Niece, Breaking Off Engagement)

• Appearance: tall and pale. Thin hands. Short with words.
• Motive (assumed): Otoyo blocked her engagement. Inheritance conflict.
• Alibi: at a friend's house last night. The friend can confirm.
• Signature line: "Auntie wanted not to see me. But I still need her money. So — I would never use poison."
• Three Ways and Six Hearts: Desire — calculating

#Suspect 3 — Yomei (30s, Outside Drifter · Recently Settled in the Domain)

• Appearance: heavy beard. Worn clothes. Not talkative. Calm.
• Motive (assumed): grudge against domain residents (details unknown). Rumor says he was once refused by the domain during his wandering days.
• Alibi: slept at the lodging. The lodging owner can confirm, but the owner was deeply asleep.
• Signature line: "I know I look suspicious. I am newly arrived. But because I am newly arrived — I have no grudge against this domain. This is the domain that accepted me."
• Three Ways and Six Hearts: 眞(Truth) — honest

#Suspect 4 — Katsue (Female Resident, 50s · Tokichi's Neighbor, Frequent Visitor to Gensho's Shrine)

• Appearance: neat dress. White strands in her hair. Gentle eyes.
• Motive (assumed): unknown. On the surface, the most harmless.
• Alibi: prayed at the shrine until early evening last night. Gensho can confirm.
• Signature line: "I know nothing. Only — I cried because poor Tokichi suffered. That child often came to my house for tea."
• Three Ways and Six Hearts: 慈(Compassion) — relationship-focused
• Truth: true culprit — but the motive is complex.

#True Culprit's Motive (Secret)

Katsue is a secret follower of a sealed heterodox faith outside the domain. Her faith teaches that "the domain drifted because its sins were insufficiently purified." She is convinced that the Barrier grows stronger only if 1 pure person is offered each month as a sacrifice. Tokichi was the "purest child" to her. Gensuke and Otoyo were unexpected victims.

This motive is not revealed unless the PCs reach Act 4.

#Akihisa (Remote Supervisor)

• Role: delegates the investigation. Receives PC reports. Grants authority to decide punishment.
• Signature line: "I will follow your decision. The reason I send you instead of myself is that, as lord, I can judge only by 'law.' You can judge also by 'feeling.'"

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#§ Act Details

#Act 1 Details — Scene and Victims

#Scene Setup

At the well. Early morning. 3 victims. 20~30 residents gathered at a distance. 1 messenger from the lord.

#Scene Investigation Checks

#Otoyo Treatment Decision

#Tokichi's Mother

She arrives at the well. Tokichi's mother. She does not kneel to the PCs — she stands. Her eyes meet the PCs exactly. She says nothing. That silence is heavier than any words.

#Resident Reaction

• morale -2 immediately (the incident itself)
• residents refuse to use the well for now
• possible shared drinking-water crisis (alternate water source required)

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#Act 2 Details — Interviews with 4 Suspects

#Scene Setup

The lord's council room. Suspects are summoned 1 at a time. The other suspects are separated into waiting rooms. The PCs interview each one.

#Interview Checks (For Each Suspect)

#Suspect-by-Suspect Estimate

#Osawa Izo

• Direct refusal to confess: repeats, "I didn't do it"
• Truthfulness check: truth on failure · truth even on success (Osawa does not lie)
• Truth: innocent

#Sanae

• Emotion exposed: anxiety · self-defense
• Truthfulness check: partial lie — being at the friend's house is true, but the time was short
• Hidden fact: passed by the well last night. But did not poison it.
• Truth: innocent (but suspicious behavior)

#Yomei

• Calm answer: answers questions precisely
• Truthfulness check: on success, confirm complete truth
• Rumor of motive: false rumor · can investigate who spread it
• Truth: innocent · someone is trying to frame him

#Katsue

• Harmless surface: responds gently. Emotionally stable.
• Wisdom/Negotiation check, Target Number 15: very difficult. On success, sense "strange calm"
• Hidden fact: after praying at the shrine last night, passed by the well (many excuses)
• Truth: true culprit (but hard to reveal in this act)

#Check Chain Result

After interviewing all 4, the PCs set the order of suspicion:

This misconception is intentional design. If the PCs conclude Yomei or Sanae did it, they miss the true culprit.

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#Act 3 Details — Deep Investigation

#Scene Setup

Day 2. The PCs continue the investigation.

#Trace the Oleander Source

#Investigate Where the Poison Was Placed

#Search Katsue's House (Authority Required)

Akihisa's permission is required. The lord issues a special warrant. The PCs search the house:

#Securing Decisive Evidence

If all four pieces of evidence are present, the PCs have confirmation. If only some are present, they have strong suspicion.

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#Act 4 Details — Confrontation and Decision

#Scene Setup

The lord's council room. Katsue is summoned. The PCs present evidence. The lord and Gensho are present.

#Katsue's Confession (When Evidence Is Presented)

"...Yes. I did it. Tokichi was... the purest. I believed that child's death would purify the domain. The other two — were mistakes. They should not have drawn water then..."

#Full Text of Katsue's Motive

"The faith I belong to taught that the domain drifted because of our sins. That the Barrier will grow stronger only if the purest soul is offered. I have kept that scripture alone. There are no other followers. Only me. Was my faith wrong? If it was wrong, my sin is great. If my faith was right — Tokichi is already helping the Barrier."

#Punishment Decision (Delegated to PCs)

The lord transfers decision authority to the PCs.

Each choice is reflected. The lord follows the PCs' decision.

#Tokichi's Funeral

After the decision, the funeral is held. The PCs report the result to Tokichi's mother. The mother nods once, and afterward does not look at the PCs.

#Three Ways and Six Hearts Tendency Fixed

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#§ Step-by-Step Progression Guide Table

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#§ Success/Failure Branches

#Perfect Resolution (Katsue Accused · Otoyo Survives · Appropriate Punishment)

• true culprit arrested · motive confirmed
• Otoyo survives · Gensuke recovers
• morale -2 → +1 (overall -1, +0 on a restorative ruling)
• spend 1 core (Otoyo treatment)
• Three Ways and Six Hearts 2-axis tendency
• "managed secret" established inside the domain · most residents do not know the truth
• Follow-up effect: follow-up side seed for investigating the heterodox faith

#Good (Katsue Accused · Otoyo Treatment Fails)

• true culprit arrested
• Otoyo dies
• morale -2 → -1
• resident trust partially recovers
• follow-up "emergency faith reeducation" side seed

#Average (Strong Suspicion Only · Insufficient Evidence)

• Katsue released · but strong suspicion secured
• resident suspicion disperses · mutual distrust
• morale -3
• Katsue may reoffend · follow-up incident next month
• Three Ways and Six Hearts leans toward No Heart +1, 眞 -1

#Failure (Wrong Culprit)

• Yomei or Sanae executed · innocent person dies
• true culprit Katsue remains hidden
• morale -4 · Fear +1
• Three Ways and Six Hearts 魔 +2 or 忠 -2
• real true culprit reoffends next month · serial incident

#Disaster (Investigation Abandoned or Covered Up)

• no one punished
• residents suspect one another · internal division
• morale -5 · Fear +2
• rebellion risk rises
• follow-up internal-chaos arc

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#§ Rewards

#Basic Rewards

#Special Rewards

• Katsue's Scripture: document of a heterodox faith. Gensho reviews it. Follow-up religious investigation seed.
• Silence of Tokichi's Mother: the PCs permanently avoid her gaze. Emotional weight.
• Deepened Trust from the Lord: if the internal incident is resolved, Akihisa grants the PCs access to secret information (partial release of his personal diary).
• Sense Resident Division: in later domain checks, resident reactions can be read more clearly (+1 correction).
• Experience Managing Truth: internal domain crisis-management skill · reused in a later side.

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#§ GM Control

#GM Notes

1. Hide the trap design. Plant 1~2 frame-up seeds that make Yomei suspicious. If players identify Katsue too easily, the quest loses value.
2. Act Katsue's gentleness. She is not a monster. She is a sweet old woman. That gap is the root of the fear.
3. Respect Tokichi's mother scene. She does not cry. Make the PCs endure that silence.
4. The PCs decide punishment, not an outsider. Do not let them hand it off to Akihisa. Guide the PCs to decide.
5. Otoyo treatment choice. Core consumption affects the Barrier. Check whether the PCs accept the cost.
6. Update morale in real time. Announce morale changes to the PCs at every stage.

#Strict 1 Session Recommended

Extending to 2 sessions relaxes the tension. A 1-session conclusion is recommended.

#Risk Table

#Follow-Up Seeds

#Session-End Checklist

• [ ] final victim status (Tokichi confirmed dead · Otoyo alive/dead · Gensuke recovers)
• [ ] true culprit confirmed and punished
• [ ] final morale value
• [ ] Three Ways and Six Hearts tendency by PC
• [ ] follow-up side seeds recorded
• [ ] lord trust change
• [ ] relationship with Tokichi's mother recorded

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#Related Links

• Upper Index: Side Quest Index
• Morale: Morale and Fear
• NPC: Residents · Young Lord · 6 Retainers
• Domain: Domain Geography · Domain Facilities
• Core: Non-Combat Checks · Three Ways and Six Hearts

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When yoma outside strike the Barrier, the domain becomes one. When a person inside poisons the well, the domain breaks apart. The first crisis defines the domain's boundary. The second defines the domain's face. This quest shows the PCs that second face.