Ranger's Apprentice - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja Quiz

Answer: They believed that the Emperor was removing their power

Shigeru, the Emperor, had been trying to improve the lot of the common Nihon-Ja people. Arisaka had portrayed this as a threat to the Senshi clans. Arisaka had been focusing on the loss of power for the Senshi warrior class that would follow. In reality, he believed that he should have been chosen as the Emperor instead of Shigeru, and manufactured a coup to achieve this.

Answer: Mal de mer

Halt had just resurfaced after getting his sea legs. He knew that the rest of the party found his sea sickness amusing and so was not in a good mood. Put on the spot, Alyss described it as 'mal de mer' which is Gallican for sea sickness. Halt, who is supposed to speak Gallican, didn't recognise the phrase and blamed his failing on Alyss's poor pronunciation of an obscure phrase.

Answer: A sword

Some time earlier, and without Horace's knowledge, Shukin borrowed Horace's sword and had his swordmaker copy it but with the blade made of Nihon-Jan steel, a much harder steel than used by the Araluens. Fleeing to Ran-Koshi, and with the pursuers rapidly catching up, Shukin decided he needed to buy some time for the Emperor so that his party could cross a bridge and then destroy it.

The resulting detour would delay the pursuers by several weeks. Knowing that he was going to his death, he told Horace that there was a gift for him in his baggage, but it was not until several weeks later that the Emperor found the gift and gave it to Horace.

Answer: The hot springs that the inn is built over

Arisaka's men hd been informed of the presence of Halt's party, as foreigners landing at the port, and were checking on their movements. Halt was trying to rendez-vous with Atsu and had been told to ask for him at the Shokaku inn. When the Senshi warrior asked why Halt's party was in that particular inn, the innkeeper explained that they had come there because of the hot springs available to the inn's patrons.

Answer: Train them Toscan-style to work as a team

Before travelling to Nihon-Ja Will had seen a demonstration of how the Toscans trained recruits to become an effective fighting force. This involved the use of large shields, javelins and short stabbing swords with the men working as co-ordinated units behind a shield wall. The Senshi warrior class were highly skilled fighters who tended to fight as individuals. The Kikori had no such skills and had in the past been massacred by Senshi when they met in battle. Will decided the Toscan way was the best way to counter the Senshi warriors.

Answer: Wolves

Crossing the big lake by kayak was considered the safest and quickest way for the two women to travel. They started off by being lowered down cliffs to the shore, then they island-hopped their way across over the course of five days. On the second night they awoke during the night to discover they were surrounded by wolves with not enough wood for the fire to keep them at bay.

They managed to get into the kayak and stayed afloat for the rest of the night before recovering their camping gear in the morning.

Answer: The Hasanu were afraid of a demon

Up to this point the Hasanu had lost seventeen people killed in Uto Forest to the 'demon', known as Kyofu or the Terror. For the Hasanu army to get to Ran-Koshi, it would need to pass through the forest. Lord Nimatsu knew that the Hasanu would refuse to go through the forest because of their fear of Kyofu so he declined to order his people to do so.

Answer: A snow tiger

Alyss decided the best way to enlist the Hasanu was to deal with the Terror, so they went hunting. The first night was spent on a platform up in a tree with a pig tethered below. In the morning they discovered paw prints circling their tree, and realised that the animal was not interested in the pig, but rather in them. The next night Alyss acted as bait, using a heavy shield to protect herself. Between them they managed to kill a very large snow tiger.

Answer: By using logs as battering rams

In the first encounter, the shield wall prevented the Senshi warriors from being able to use their katana swords effectively. The use of short stabbing swords by the Kikori compounded the problem for the Senshi.

In the next encounter, Arisaka's men used heavy logs with sharpened points as a way of creating a breach in the shield walls and allowing the Senshi to get in behind the shield walls to wreak havoc. The defenders had anticipated this and had some set drills designed to counter this and minimise its effect.

Answer: By offering to abdicate

The two greatly-reinforced sides were about to engage in fighting again when Shigeru called for talks. He did not wish to see any more Nihon-Ja people killed and offered to abdicate as a way of avoiding further bloodshed. Arisaka did not believe him; when his own men started laying down their arms, he became enraged and killed one, shouting that he has been betrayed and his honour defiled. Will then challenged Arisaka by saying he had no honour.

When Arisaka then attacked him, Will killed him and brought the conflict to an end.