- Location
- Leeds
Bingo.
Alright so the key difference I see:
A vote for the sword is a vote to kill the Goju whereas Taijutsu is a vote to escape.
Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)
- Thread starter gman391
- Start date
- Fantasy
Alright so the key difference I see:
A vote for the sword is a vote to kill the Goju whereas Taijutsu is a vote to escape.
Yeah pretty much. Staying to kill the Goju is going to push you more towards the example of Toturi I an II, while escaping makes you more like Toturi III (IE a courtier who can throw down if he has to but really prefers not to) benefits and draw backs to both.
- Location
- Leeds
Sirrocco brought it up but I'd like to ask we know from the Shen Ze update that we're a capable martial artist. Can we assume we're equivalently good with the sword?
How much danger are we in? Death in five rounds? Death in ten?
My current preference is to send doji to get Shugenjas but I don't know what goju are like enough to be sure that full defense will leave us alive when they arrive.
To use the rpg terms. You're about skill level 4 with a sword and 5 with martial arts.
Goju are the more explicitly supernatural ninja types of the setting. Changing faces, literally being shadow, that sort of thing. They hit hard, and don't feel pain. However, they are relatively easy to hit back, the part that is difficult without Crystal (or artefacts that can mimic the affects of Crystal) is making them take damage from it.
So yeah, you can mix it up with a sword or hand to hand with a Goju, I wouldn't recommend it long term because they're not human, they don't get worn down like Hisao would.
[X] Use your fists and try to through the Goju out the window to the snow below and run
[X] Try to protect her.
[X] Try to protect her.
- Location
- Dreiländereck
[X] Take your sword and see if it can cut.
[X] She's fought before, who cares if she's pregnant, she can handle herself.
I think @Sirrocco 's argumentation makes sense.
If we let Domotai fight for herself, she is most certainly no pushover and concentrate on surviving then can give her more easily a victory in court as a reward.
[X] She's fought before, who cares if she's pregnant, she can handle herself.
I think @Sirrocco 's argumentation makes sense.
If we let Domotai fight for herself, she is most certainly no pushover and concentrate on surviving then can give her more easily a victory in court as a reward.
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Sirrocco
Pedantic
I recall a story at one point about raising a new Fortune, and it required a fair amount of pomp and circumstance - essentially putting on a major festival and whatnot. Admittedly, it might not be all that significant from the standpoint of the Imperial Budget.
Also, if our skill difference with sword vs martial arts is 4 vs 5, then killing with the sword is significantly easier, assuming we have a sword that can actually do the job (highly likely). If our sword *can't* do meaningful damage, then we don't want to get locked into a battle of attrition (because Goju), but two-on-one is a thing, and they aren't going to be but so powerful as a combatant. They've sunk a bunch of their build into "be a ninja" in various ways, and they're not hero-of-the-empire to begin with.
Now, poison is a potential concern, but it seems like "punch it out a window" is *more* likely to get us tagged by its weapon of choice than "fight it with a sword", not less.
As far as the broader question of "how do we handle people who try to kill us", I'm thinking that having a degree of warrior-Emperor to our name is likely to do more help than harm. It'll tend to get us more respect in place where it's useful to have respect, even if it does mean facing a bit more danger overall.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] Use your fists and try to through the Goju out the window to the snow below and run
[X] Try to protect her.
[X] Try to protect her.
cokerpilot
Here comes the rain.
[x] Take your sword and see if it can cut.
[X] Try to protect her.
[X] Try to protect her.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[x] Take your sword and see if it can cut.
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
[x] Take your sword and see if it can cut.
[X] Try to protect her.
[X] Try to protect her.
Winter Court: Imperial Duty
-Take your sword out
-Try to protect her
The silent face of the Goju looks at you with emptiness, there is no heart, there is no soul here. Nothing but a facade of a person, who had killed on of your people.
Your hand slides out your blade, swift movements flipping it around into the reverse grip that you favour when it comes to a short blade.
"Emperor---" Domotai begins.
"Doji-san, don't try to hold me back"
On the face of it, you are an absolute mad man. You are known for being a man of court and administration, not a warrior born and bred.
You charge in swinging your blade at the Goju's neck. It dodges by a hairs breadth, but you don't relent, pushing forward and using your momentum to land a vicious follow up elbow strike to it's chest, sending it flying into the wall.
Impossibly, it bends at the waist, swinging it's body around in an arc so that instead of crashing into the wood, rice paper and stone that makes up the room. It lands on it's feet, it pushes off the wall, hands extending into black claws of shadow.
Domotai intercepts, her own blade cutting into it. It is not the blade of the Crane though, and even though the Goju doesn't reach you, it has more than enough momentum to send Domotai sprawling as it curls around the blade to kick her in the chest.
You don't give it more time to do more than that, again slashing at it, in quick rhythmic crescent movements meant to drive it back
It hisses as it flips out of the way, but too slow by far to avoid you slicing off it's arm as it move back. It stumbles in the roll before righting itself, looking at the empty arm.
With a sickening grunt, a new shadowy arm forms.
However, you can feel it looking at your blade. You have moved from annoyance to threat. A fact that you can't help but be proud of. An absolute madman you might be, but you have the blood of Toturi in your veins, of Akodo, of warriors.
And you'll be damned if you sit back and let others die for you when you can fight for them.
Domotai stands behind you.
"My Emperor..."
"I said it once Doji-san."
"I know, I was going to ask if you wanted left or right." She finishes.
"...Left"
Working in unison you two begin to attack the Goju in unrelenting fury, when you charge she protects you, when she charges, you keep her from being overwhelmed. The ringing of steel echoes across the room as it parries Domotai's blade over and over again, but can never take advantage of the opening before you attempt to relieve it of it's false life.
The pair of you have driven it to the edge of the viewing room, the cold wind blowing in as it stands against the back drop of the blizzard. The Goju seems to consider things for a moment. You've done a number on it, but it's not dead. Two maybe three more good blows you think.
The Goju's face shifts as it makes some decision.
You nod at Doji and charge. This time instead of trying to avoid to avoid you, it seems to welcome you, the change brings you up short. But not before it grabs Domotai by the wrist and swings her out over the edge.
You can see her dangling there with her wrist captured in the Goju's grip, the arm morbidly extended so she can't reach the main body to kick it at all. Although, true to her training that doesn't stop her from attempting to give a good go of it.
It says nothing but looks at your blade, the intention is clear enough. This entire fight you and Domotai had been fighting together to protect each other. A tactic that had seen both of you come through with barely a scratch.
Yet, now It was testing that. Would you prioritize killing It over saving Domotai...and if so...well your last sight of her would no doubt be of her betrayed eyes. Oh and you were responsible for killing the House of Kunwan root and branch.
"Let her go" you command.
It shakes its head.
"I will make you"
It shakes its head again.
Domotai looks at you, and seems to decide something.
"Emperor, do it!"
Your body reacts more on instinct than it does thought. Charging in and cutting the Goju nearly in half, even as Domotai falls. However, you aren't prepared to allow it. Letting your blade fall, you dive to grab the Crane by her wrist. You feel the impact of your body on wood as your muscles let out a protest at the sudden stop.
But against all odds you had managed to save her and kill the----
Pain, nothing but pain blooms in your body as the feeling of Domotai's blade plunges into your back. You hadn't been careful enough if you had prioritized...
No, you won't stop, not now!
With a bestial roar you begin to pull Domotai back up. Another sword strike, more pain erupts as you get her to the edge. From there she grabs on and begins to pull herself up.
Another painful blow of metal into your body as you roll back to your feet, picking up the sword of the Righteous Emperor as you did so.
Your vision is going hazy. Looking down at your body you can see the bloodstains that are slowly growing. Something in the back of your head clicks, not in a painful way, but in a sort of, 'I finally get it' sort of way. A distant part of you notes that you will die, if you don't win right here right now.
And the thought of that, fills you with a fury greater than you have ever known. The fury at Jimen? That was a children's scuffle. At his predecessor? A slightly warm argument. You have too much to live for, too much to do, and that the Shadow Dragon would dare get in your way?
You really only have one response to that. Your fury going cold as you unleash it on the only target you can.
"...You think this is enough to put me down?" You snarl.
Without thought you plunge your blade into it's chest.
You are screaming, when did that happen?
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT, I AM GOING TO FALL TO YOU SHADOW DRAGON? THREE TIMES THE TOTURI HAVE DEFIED YOU AND BY ALL THE GODS I WILL MAKE IT A FOURTH!"
"SO"
Another blow
"NEXT"
The Goju has lost both it's arms.
"TIME"
Now it's head.
"COME IN PERSON!"
You stop just short of stabbing it through it's chest again.
"SO I CAN KILL YOU PROPERLY YOU BASTARD!"
Now you allow the Goju to die. You sent a message, you fought the good fight...and you can let yourself rest.
You stumble to one knee as Domotai catches you.
Yeah...rest is good.
-----------------------------------------
You are Doji Domotai, champion of the Crane, you have fought and killed both on the battlefield and in court. Although you are young, you are no mere girl with no idea of what to do. You are a warrior forged in the fires of Bushido. You are strong, you are the woman who has brought honour to the Crane.
And for the first time in all your life, you have no idea what to do. Your Emperor, a boy a decade your younger, has just saved your life, and then brutally dispatched the Goju, calling on his Crab ancestry to enter a berserker fury to do so. However, he is now bleeding out in your arms. You have a duty to save him, and then end your life for allowing him to come to harm.
You don't hate him, it was oddly...sweet to see him so different from his father. Naseru would have let you die, which was the right call. However, your Emperor has the unfortunate ability to care.
Given that the Goju had taken the Utaku Daimyo's face, you had better be sure you took him to someone that could heal him and you could trust.
Who do you carry him to?
[] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
[] Horiuchi Shem-Zhe, the Jade Champion
[] Asako Bairei, the Elemental Master of Water
Making your decision, you lift him up uncaring about the blood on your clothes, you would not fail your Emperor a second time tonight.
-----------------------------------------
AN: Hisao is not going to die, all options are valid, who you visit determines who exactly Hisao sees in his fugue state. Since there wasn't a good way for Domotai to know that, I'm listing them here.
Yoshino: Lord Sun
Shem Zhe: The Lords of Death
Bairei: Lady Moon
-Try to protect her
The silent face of the Goju looks at you with emptiness, there is no heart, there is no soul here. Nothing but a facade of a person, who had killed on of your people.
Your hand slides out your blade, swift movements flipping it around into the reverse grip that you favour when it comes to a short blade.
"Emperor---" Domotai begins.
"Doji-san, don't try to hold me back"
On the face of it, you are an absolute mad man. You are known for being a man of court and administration, not a warrior born and bred.
You charge in swinging your blade at the Goju's neck. It dodges by a hairs breadth, but you don't relent, pushing forward and using your momentum to land a vicious follow up elbow strike to it's chest, sending it flying into the wall.
Impossibly, it bends at the waist, swinging it's body around in an arc so that instead of crashing into the wood, rice paper and stone that makes up the room. It lands on it's feet, it pushes off the wall, hands extending into black claws of shadow.
Domotai intercepts, her own blade cutting into it. It is not the blade of the Crane though, and even though the Goju doesn't reach you, it has more than enough momentum to send Domotai sprawling as it curls around the blade to kick her in the chest.
You don't give it more time to do more than that, again slashing at it, in quick rhythmic crescent movements meant to drive it back
It hisses as it flips out of the way, but too slow by far to avoid you slicing off it's arm as it move back. It stumbles in the roll before righting itself, looking at the empty arm.
With a sickening grunt, a new shadowy arm forms.
However, you can feel it looking at your blade. You have moved from annoyance to threat. A fact that you can't help but be proud of. An absolute madman you might be, but you have the blood of Toturi in your veins, of Akodo, of warriors.
And you'll be damned if you sit back and let others die for you when you can fight for them.
Domotai stands behind you.
"My Emperor..."
"I said it once Doji-san."
"I know, I was going to ask if you wanted left or right." She finishes.
"...Left"
Working in unison you two begin to attack the Goju in unrelenting fury, when you charge she protects you, when she charges, you keep her from being overwhelmed. The ringing of steel echoes across the room as it parries Domotai's blade over and over again, but can never take advantage of the opening before you attempt to relieve it of it's false life.
The pair of you have driven it to the edge of the viewing room, the cold wind blowing in as it stands against the back drop of the blizzard. The Goju seems to consider things for a moment. You've done a number on it, but it's not dead. Two maybe three more good blows you think.
The Goju's face shifts as it makes some decision.
You nod at Doji and charge. This time instead of trying to avoid to avoid you, it seems to welcome you, the change brings you up short. But not before it grabs Domotai by the wrist and swings her out over the edge.
You can see her dangling there with her wrist captured in the Goju's grip, the arm morbidly extended so she can't reach the main body to kick it at all. Although, true to her training that doesn't stop her from attempting to give a good go of it.
It says nothing but looks at your blade, the intention is clear enough. This entire fight you and Domotai had been fighting together to protect each other. A tactic that had seen both of you come through with barely a scratch.
Yet, now It was testing that. Would you prioritize killing It over saving Domotai...and if so...well your last sight of her would no doubt be of her betrayed eyes. Oh and you were responsible for killing the House of Kunwan root and branch.
"Let her go" you command.
It shakes its head.
"I will make you"
It shakes its head again.
Domotai looks at you, and seems to decide something.
"Emperor, do it!"
Your body reacts more on instinct than it does thought. Charging in and cutting the Goju nearly in half, even as Domotai falls. However, you aren't prepared to allow it. Letting your blade fall, you dive to grab the Crane by her wrist. You feel the impact of your body on wood as your muscles let out a protest at the sudden stop.
But against all odds you had managed to save her and kill the----
Pain, nothing but pain blooms in your body as the feeling of Domotai's blade plunges into your back. You hadn't been careful enough if you had prioritized...
No, you won't stop, not now!
With a bestial roar you begin to pull Domotai back up. Another sword strike, more pain erupts as you get her to the edge. From there she grabs on and begins to pull herself up.
Another painful blow of metal into your body as you roll back to your feet, picking up the sword of the Righteous Emperor as you did so.
Your vision is going hazy. Looking down at your body you can see the bloodstains that are slowly growing. Something in the back of your head clicks, not in a painful way, but in a sort of, 'I finally get it' sort of way. A distant part of you notes that you will die, if you don't win right here right now.
And the thought of that, fills you with a fury greater than you have ever known. The fury at Jimen? That was a children's scuffle. At his predecessor? A slightly warm argument. You have too much to live for, too much to do, and that the Shadow Dragon would dare get in your way?
You really only have one response to that. Your fury going cold as you unleash it on the only target you can.
"...You think this is enough to put me down?" You snarl.
Without thought you plunge your blade into it's chest.
You are screaming, when did that happen?
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT, I AM GOING TO FALL TO YOU SHADOW DRAGON? THREE TIMES THE TOTURI HAVE DEFIED YOU AND BY ALL THE GODS I WILL MAKE IT A FOURTH!"
"SO"
Another blow
"NEXT"
The Goju has lost both it's arms.
"TIME"
Now it's head.
"COME IN PERSON!"
You stop just short of stabbing it through it's chest again.
"SO I CAN KILL YOU PROPERLY YOU BASTARD!"
Now you allow the Goju to die. You sent a message, you fought the good fight...and you can let yourself rest.
You stumble to one knee as Domotai catches you.
Yeah...rest is good.
-----------------------------------------
You are Doji Domotai, champion of the Crane, you have fought and killed both on the battlefield and in court. Although you are young, you are no mere girl with no idea of what to do. You are a warrior forged in the fires of Bushido. You are strong, you are the woman who has brought honour to the Crane.
And for the first time in all your life, you have no idea what to do. Your Emperor, a boy a decade your younger, has just saved your life, and then brutally dispatched the Goju, calling on his Crab ancestry to enter a berserker fury to do so. However, he is now bleeding out in your arms. You have a duty to save him, and then end your life for allowing him to come to harm.
You don't hate him, it was oddly...sweet to see him so different from his father. Naseru would have let you die, which was the right call. However, your Emperor has the unfortunate ability to care.
Given that the Goju had taken the Utaku Daimyo's face, you had better be sure you took him to someone that could heal him and you could trust.
Who do you carry him to?
[] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
[] Horiuchi Shem-Zhe, the Jade Champion
[] Asako Bairei, the Elemental Master of Water
Making your decision, you lift him up uncaring about the blood on your clothes, you would not fail your Emperor a second time tonight.
-----------------------------------------
AN: Hisao is not going to die, all options are valid, who you visit determines who exactly Hisao sees in his fugue state. Since there wasn't a good way for Domotai to know that, I'm listing them here.
Yoshino: Lord Sun
Shem Zhe: The Lords of Death
Bairei: Lady Moon
- Location
- Should be a bit higher
[X] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
Cuz you know...it's Yakamo.
Cuz you know...it's Yakamo.
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Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[X] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
- Location
- Virginia
[X] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
- Location
- USA
[X] Horiuchi Shem-Zhe, the Jade Champion
Sirrocco
Pedantic
[X] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
IC, takeing the Emperor to your own spiritual advisor (who is also a Cran) is definitely the Crane thing to do. OOC, one of the others might be more useful somehow, but we've just had a very Yakamo moment.
IC, takeing the Emperor to your own spiritual advisor (who is also a Cran) is definitely the Crane thing to do. OOC, one of the others might be more useful somehow, but we've just had a very Yakamo moment.
keenscythe
No longer NEET
- Location
- WA, USA
[X] Asahina Yoshino, Enlightened Shugenja and your personal spiritual Advisor
Odd question, but who would Domotai believe to be the most skilled healer? (and who is actually the best healer of the 3?)
Odd question, but who would Domotai believe to be the most skilled healer? (and who is actually the best healer of the 3?)
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Kind of an open question. The Asahina are traditionally pacifists who prioritize healing so they're pretty good at it. So Yoshino is pretty good at it. On the other hand, Bairei being the Elemental Master is kind of a big deal, all the healing spells run off of healing. So he's probably the most powerful healer, but healing isn't his focus... so IC Domotai isn't sure, it's also a question of who hasn't been killed and replaced by Goju.
Or to sum it up.
Yoshino=Most skilled, least powerful
Shem Zhe=Balance
Bairei=Most powerful least skilled.
- Location
- USA
Shem Zhe is also a Horiuchi whose founder was a Water Shugenja and healing is a big part of the Family. Another plus on my part for picking him is that he is a reformer and the Crane including Domatai are Traditionalists so if she can trust a reformer it may provide him some support from the Crane when pushing reforms through which can be crucial as they have major influence in the courts and are seen as guardians of Culture. So there is a lot of subtle support or blocks they can throw in the way of anything.
Sirrocco
Pedantic
For the trust side, Yoshino is the most fragile (relatively speaking), but also not necessarily a priority target, and she's the one that Domotai has the most personal knowledge of. First of all, that means it's less likely that she's been replaced in the past, and second, it means that if she is replaced, Domotai is the most likely to spot it. Shem Zhe is supposed to be focused on killing off creatures of this kind, and is thus likely to be the most paranoid/prepared, though he'd also be a high-priority target if the Goju *could* take him out. Bairei is somewhat in the middle. He has a lot of power, but might be easier to ambush, and is midrange in priority.
In general, though, the Goju aren't going to try to replace a powerful shugenja long-term if only because there are so few Goju ninja who are also competent shugenja (and who could thus keep up the facade). If they pull a replacement, it's probably going to be short-term
In general, though, the Goju aren't going to try to replace a powerful shugenja long-term if only because there are so few Goju ninja who are also competent shugenja (and who could thus keep up the facade). If they pull a replacement, it's probably going to be short-term