Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)
- Thread starter gman391
- Start date
- Fantasy
Sirrocco
Pedantic
True.
I'll note that at this point, we're pretty much pushing any mercantile reforms until after the war. There are too many critical things to do in support (like, say, reforming the armies) and we actually have the cash on hand. Once we've beaten back the enemy it'll be time to work on fixing some of our structural economic issues, but until then, it'd be good to have a bit of flexibility on the Mantis side of things.
keenscythe
No longer NEET
- Location
- WA, USA
[x] Mantis Clan (Kyuden Gisei)
Year 3: Minato I (Winter Court 3)
The Imperial ship was beautiful. That was the first thought that entered you mind as the mighty vessel entered into the bay. Anyone on the Isles of Silk and Spice learned to judge the worth of a ship at the same time they learned to walk.
Kaede's Grace you had heard it called. You don't actually know who Kaede is, but she must have been pretty to have a ship like that named after her. Long sleek lines, sails spun from the finest cloth in the world, paint that would never have chance to fade or chip. Her very motion saying to all the world that she was a queen to be respected as such.
One day, you'll definitely sail on something like that. You'll be a bold sailor, fighting and seeing the world in the name of the Mantis. Or that's the dream anyways.
"HEY KID!" You hear a shot from below your perch.
The Lonely Asahina was a sake bar, it was also an apartment and some other things. Long story short was it was three stories tall and gave you plenty of room to see out to the harbour. However it was also the local guard hang out. Probably should have thought of that ahead of time.
"What?!" You call down.
"You're trespassing, get down from there!"
"And if I do!?"
Someone else interjects
"We'll give you a lesson you won't forget"
Yep that sounds like a whipping, and you are just not down with that
"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN YOU FUCKS!" You shout.
Then you run, while hearing someone getting their head smacked. The sound of legs and people on the road behind you. Without thinking you jump the ledge between the two buildings, move fast, move with you body, never hesitate. That's what Takao had taught you.
Hands reach for a hanging laundry line as you swing across the next building. Honestly, you love this way too much....
Your name is Minato, you are fourteen years old by your own count. Your real age...you don't actually know. It might be younger it might be older. You know your father was a Samurai, as his daisho that you keep in secret tells you so. But which Samurai? That you don't know either. Your mother was a simple geisha that barely roused herself from the opium stupor these days, let alone remembered the past.
Sliding to a stop as you reach the top of the hiding hole that you and the rest of the street rats had put together. You put your hands on your knees and gasp for air. The guards were getting faster these days. They said it was because the Emperor was coming and Yoritomo-Ue did not want anything going wrong...but truthfully you think it's because they don't want to get slapped for getting the wrong person again.
Truly the Emperor had been very generous in giving guidelines and laws on how to treat the lower classes. Even if it meant you had a tougher time outrunning guards now motivated by the threat to their wallets if they caught the wrong person.
Upsides and downside, as it were.
Finally your lungs stop heaving, and heart slows, and you can look around the small hide out that you and the other rats use. An abandoned shack on top of an abandoned warehouse, these places weren't the height of class, but they were dry, and that's about all they had going for them. Well that and the people.
You smile at Eri, the cute fisherman's daughter who has been the closest thing you had to a conscience.
"Guards chasing you again Mina-kun?" She asks.
You shrug. "Ah, they didn't like me hanging out on top of their sake bar."
"Mou, one of these days Mina-kun, they will get you"
You wave your hands.
"Ain't anyone in Kyuden Gisei that can catch me. What'd you think of the ship?"
"She was beautiful...I wish I could be on a ship like that." Eri says, her dark eyes going far away.
"Well maybe we can sneak on?" You suggest.
She looks at you like you had grown two heads.
"No one can hide from a Seppun, that's what they say...it's a nice dream, but--"
The chime of ship coming in echoes across the shack.
"That might be papa's I gotta go!" Eri says. She thinks for a moment and adds "Don't do anything stupid"
You roll your eyes. One time you break into a Samurai's home to get some sword oils, and suddenly your marked for life as an idiot.
"Toka was waiting for you over by Old Hatani's place, you should go there."
With that last line, Eri disappears from the shack, leaving you alone. Girls, you didn't understand them at all. Sure you got into trouble from time to time, but does she have to be so bossy about it? It's not like you didn't get out of it or anything.
That said, the Emperor's ship was docking, you could try going to see it from a different angle...
Or go see whatever Toka was up too...
Or just because you wanted to bum some fish from her old man, follow Eri. (No you didn't like her or anything.)
Decisions decisions...
[] Ship
[] Eri
[] Toka
[] Go clean your daisho and train a little.
[] Nah you got a different idea (write in)
(AN: So this is a POV shift for this Winter Court, Minato is both going to give a bit of view from the lower classes for a lot of things. This is strictly narrative, so don't worry about his stats. He will eventually meet up with Hisao, but how he gets there is going to be up to you)
Kaede's Grace you had heard it called. You don't actually know who Kaede is, but she must have been pretty to have a ship like that named after her. Long sleek lines, sails spun from the finest cloth in the world, paint that would never have chance to fade or chip. Her very motion saying to all the world that she was a queen to be respected as such.
One day, you'll definitely sail on something like that. You'll be a bold sailor, fighting and seeing the world in the name of the Mantis. Or that's the dream anyways.
"HEY KID!" You hear a shot from below your perch.
The Lonely Asahina was a sake bar, it was also an apartment and some other things. Long story short was it was three stories tall and gave you plenty of room to see out to the harbour. However it was also the local guard hang out. Probably should have thought of that ahead of time.
"What?!" You call down.
"You're trespassing, get down from there!"
"And if I do!?"
Someone else interjects
"We'll give you a lesson you won't forget"
Yep that sounds like a whipping, and you are just not down with that
"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN YOU FUCKS!" You shout.
Then you run, while hearing someone getting their head smacked. The sound of legs and people on the road behind you. Without thinking you jump the ledge between the two buildings, move fast, move with you body, never hesitate. That's what Takao had taught you.
Hands reach for a hanging laundry line as you swing across the next building. Honestly, you love this way too much....
Your name is Minato, you are fourteen years old by your own count. Your real age...you don't actually know. It might be younger it might be older. You know your father was a Samurai, as his daisho that you keep in secret tells you so. But which Samurai? That you don't know either. Your mother was a simple geisha that barely roused herself from the opium stupor these days, let alone remembered the past.
Sliding to a stop as you reach the top of the hiding hole that you and the rest of the street rats had put together. You put your hands on your knees and gasp for air. The guards were getting faster these days. They said it was because the Emperor was coming and Yoritomo-Ue did not want anything going wrong...but truthfully you think it's because they don't want to get slapped for getting the wrong person again.
Truly the Emperor had been very generous in giving guidelines and laws on how to treat the lower classes. Even if it meant you had a tougher time outrunning guards now motivated by the threat to their wallets if they caught the wrong person.
Upsides and downside, as it were.
Finally your lungs stop heaving, and heart slows, and you can look around the small hide out that you and the other rats use. An abandoned shack on top of an abandoned warehouse, these places weren't the height of class, but they were dry, and that's about all they had going for them. Well that and the people.
You smile at Eri, the cute fisherman's daughter who has been the closest thing you had to a conscience.
"Guards chasing you again Mina-kun?" She asks.
You shrug. "Ah, they didn't like me hanging out on top of their sake bar."
"Mou, one of these days Mina-kun, they will get you"
You wave your hands.
"Ain't anyone in Kyuden Gisei that can catch me. What'd you think of the ship?"
"She was beautiful...I wish I could be on a ship like that." Eri says, her dark eyes going far away.
"Well maybe we can sneak on?" You suggest.
She looks at you like you had grown two heads.
"No one can hide from a Seppun, that's what they say...it's a nice dream, but--"
The chime of ship coming in echoes across the shack.
"That might be papa's I gotta go!" Eri says. She thinks for a moment and adds "Don't do anything stupid"
You roll your eyes. One time you break into a Samurai's home to get some sword oils, and suddenly your marked for life as an idiot.
"Toka was waiting for you over by Old Hatani's place, you should go there."
With that last line, Eri disappears from the shack, leaving you alone. Girls, you didn't understand them at all. Sure you got into trouble from time to time, but does she have to be so bossy about it? It's not like you didn't get out of it or anything.
That said, the Emperor's ship was docking, you could try going to see it from a different angle...
Or go see whatever Toka was up too...
Or just because you wanted to bum some fish from her old man, follow Eri. (No you didn't like her or anything.)
Decisions decisions...
[] Ship
[] Eri
[] Toka
[] Go clean your daisho and train a little.
[] Nah you got a different idea (write in)
(AN: So this is a POV shift for this Winter Court, Minato is both going to give a bit of view from the lower classes for a lot of things. This is strictly narrative, so don't worry about his stats. He will eventually meet up with Hisao, but how he gets there is going to be up to you)
Last edited:
- Location
- Leeds
Are they new sails?
Might you describe them as the Emperors new clothes?
At first I thought this was meant to be don't. Now I just think he was talking to an idiot samurai.
should be cloth, and now fixed.
Yes it was an idiot samurai.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Toka
keenscythe
No longer NEET
- Location
- WA, USA
[X] Go clean your daisho and train a little.
lavanderjasmine
Master of decoration
- Location
- R'lyeh
[X] Go clean your daisho and train a little.
[X] Eri
- Location
- Leeds
Some samurai are descended from gods others trolls.
- Location
- Moon-Station
[X] Toka
Sure, I mean it's no secret, Minato knows who he is fairly well. Toka is a 17/18 year old big brother type, that mostly spends his time doing odd jobs and coming up with schemes to get what he wants. Gifted athletically, most would consider Toka as basically a hoodlum that hasn't quite gotten his hands dirty. But he tough Minato most of what he knows about the city and about how to move.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Toka
- Location
- Leeds
[X]Boat.
Year 3: Minato II (Winter Court 3)
-Toka
As you watch Eri go, you decide that you will at least go hear Toka out before going to the ship or practising with your sword. Carefully you look outside the hide out, and see that the coast is clear. With that in mind, you begin to move and climb.
The feel of wood and bamboo under your feet along with thatch is as familiar as breathing for you. Kyuden Gisei might not be the largest city in the Empire, but its still huge. Or at least you think it is, fourteen years here and there's still ways around the city you don't know.
You swing from the bamboo pole to the street below, rolling with the impact and standing up. In front of you is Toka. Standing maybe two inches over you (Which he never lets you forget) If you wanted to describe Toka in one word....you'd go with cat. Not in a bad way, but he's sleek, eyes on the prize, with a wiry strength about him that one wouldn't expect.
He waves.
"Minato, what took ya?" his voice is always a friendly baritone.
"Was watching the Ship come in, Eri said you had something you wanted to show me?"
He nods.
"Was looking for some...salvage, and I found something. You got more book learnin than I do"
You scratch the back of your head. That was true, your father had left a hidden scroll in his daisho, it hadn't been much, but combined with Mama Willow teaching you to read and write, you were noticeably more knowledgeable than most of the Frenzy. As Toka had insisted on naming your group when he found out what a group of sharks was called.
You thought it was stupid, but he had a stronger right hook than you did.
"Alright, lead the way." You say.
Toka nods, and begins to run along the streets using barrels, crates, and anything else he could to get himself up to the roofs, you were right on his heels. Below you, a few people look up, but most ignore you. People roof running is a common enough sight in the city. Some say that Mantis samurai like to do it when they get bored. You don't know about that ,but it could be a thing you suppose.
Eventually, you find yourself stopping in front of the taller buildings in the city. This is...Golden Oak's place. The richest merchant in the quarter. Man was a bit of an ass but people excused a lot when you could make it rain koku. Literally, you saw him do so once at the Temple of Daikoku.
"Toka, why are you at Golden Oak's place"
"....Salvage, follow me." He says.
You frown, you knew his salvage was often theft, but there was theft, and then there was taking out your genitals and slapping a Matsu berserker with it. This seemed uncomfortably like the latter. But as he climbs the building, you look for guards and follow him.
Having apparently set up a way in ahead of time. Breaking into one of the upper floors is easy. The rich mahogany wood beneath you gives an uncomfortable creak as Toka leads you deeper into the building.
Finally after avoiding a patrol, he leads you into a small empty closet. After a moment Toka pushes a panel and there is a click and the wall slides away.
You come into a new room, red lantern light bathing everything in a slightly sinister light. In the centre of the room is a simple black altar made of a shiny stone that you don't recognize, although it kind of looks like the descriptions of obsidian that you heard of before. Around the altar is circle of carved writing in bright white ink, barely visible in the light. The circle has four more lines of writing going off the cardinal directions leading up to four different sets of armour complete with demon masks.
All in all it's fucking terrifying.
"Toka what the hell?!" You hiss.
"I need you to read the writing, I want to know what this is."
"Bad stuff, obviously bad stuff!" you answer.
"...Yes but is it for here or the entire building" Toka asks.
Kami dammit Toka. You think to yourself as you begin to read it.
The words chill you, it's a prayer to...Fu Leng, the Dark God, but he's dead isn't he? You keep reading, the writing is invoking the name of the Dark God and Jigoku for...you can't be sure of the writing, some sort of ritual to have Fu Leng's power manifest? In the end you can't make heads or tails of what it exactly is saying, but it seems like it involves making those demon armours into...well things that can move. This is obviously a Maho-Tsukai cell.
In the capital of the Mantis, when the Emperor is here. Somehow that doesn't seem like it's not connected.
"No the rest of the building isn't cursed, this is mean to do something with those armours." You say at last.
"Good we should get out of here..." Toka says.
You leave the secret room of doom and begin to head towards the vaults. You may as well get paid for this madness. When you hear a group of people approaching, without a word, Toka and you hide inside a side room, and watch them as they pass. Four of them two of them look...wrong for lack of a better term. Their eyes are too big, their skin too pale, and necks at just the angle to be unsettling without being impossible. One of them has a sack with what looks like a person in it.
After the pass Toka motions for you to keep following him but you...
[] Decide to follow those strange people, whatever they're planning to do with a person in there it can't be good
[] Follow him to the vault
[] Fuck this shit you're out, you're finding a good magistrate and reporting this in
As you watch Eri go, you decide that you will at least go hear Toka out before going to the ship or practising with your sword. Carefully you look outside the hide out, and see that the coast is clear. With that in mind, you begin to move and climb.
The feel of wood and bamboo under your feet along with thatch is as familiar as breathing for you. Kyuden Gisei might not be the largest city in the Empire, but its still huge. Or at least you think it is, fourteen years here and there's still ways around the city you don't know.
You swing from the bamboo pole to the street below, rolling with the impact and standing up. In front of you is Toka. Standing maybe two inches over you (Which he never lets you forget) If you wanted to describe Toka in one word....you'd go with cat. Not in a bad way, but he's sleek, eyes on the prize, with a wiry strength about him that one wouldn't expect.
He waves.
"Minato, what took ya?" his voice is always a friendly baritone.
"Was watching the Ship come in, Eri said you had something you wanted to show me?"
He nods.
"Was looking for some...salvage, and I found something. You got more book learnin than I do"
You scratch the back of your head. That was true, your father had left a hidden scroll in his daisho, it hadn't been much, but combined with Mama Willow teaching you to read and write, you were noticeably more knowledgeable than most of the Frenzy. As Toka had insisted on naming your group when he found out what a group of sharks was called.
You thought it was stupid, but he had a stronger right hook than you did.
"Alright, lead the way." You say.
Toka nods, and begins to run along the streets using barrels, crates, and anything else he could to get himself up to the roofs, you were right on his heels. Below you, a few people look up, but most ignore you. People roof running is a common enough sight in the city. Some say that Mantis samurai like to do it when they get bored. You don't know about that ,but it could be a thing you suppose.
Eventually, you find yourself stopping in front of the taller buildings in the city. This is...Golden Oak's place. The richest merchant in the quarter. Man was a bit of an ass but people excused a lot when you could make it rain koku. Literally, you saw him do so once at the Temple of Daikoku.
"Toka, why are you at Golden Oak's place"
"....Salvage, follow me." He says.
You frown, you knew his salvage was often theft, but there was theft, and then there was taking out your genitals and slapping a Matsu berserker with it. This seemed uncomfortably like the latter. But as he climbs the building, you look for guards and follow him.
Having apparently set up a way in ahead of time. Breaking into one of the upper floors is easy. The rich mahogany wood beneath you gives an uncomfortable creak as Toka leads you deeper into the building.
Finally after avoiding a patrol, he leads you into a small empty closet. After a moment Toka pushes a panel and there is a click and the wall slides away.
You come into a new room, red lantern light bathing everything in a slightly sinister light. In the centre of the room is a simple black altar made of a shiny stone that you don't recognize, although it kind of looks like the descriptions of obsidian that you heard of before. Around the altar is circle of carved writing in bright white ink, barely visible in the light. The circle has four more lines of writing going off the cardinal directions leading up to four different sets of armour complete with demon masks.
All in all it's fucking terrifying.
"Toka what the hell?!" You hiss.
"I need you to read the writing, I want to know what this is."
"Bad stuff, obviously bad stuff!" you answer.
"...Yes but is it for here or the entire building" Toka asks.
Kami dammit Toka. You think to yourself as you begin to read it.
The words chill you, it's a prayer to...Fu Leng, the Dark God, but he's dead isn't he? You keep reading, the writing is invoking the name of the Dark God and Jigoku for...you can't be sure of the writing, some sort of ritual to have Fu Leng's power manifest? In the end you can't make heads or tails of what it exactly is saying, but it seems like it involves making those demon armours into...well things that can move. This is obviously a Maho-Tsukai cell.
In the capital of the Mantis, when the Emperor is here. Somehow that doesn't seem like it's not connected.
"No the rest of the building isn't cursed, this is mean to do something with those armours." You say at last.
"Good we should get out of here..." Toka says.
You leave the secret room of doom and begin to head towards the vaults. You may as well get paid for this madness. When you hear a group of people approaching, without a word, Toka and you hide inside a side room, and watch them as they pass. Four of them two of them look...wrong for lack of a better term. Their eyes are too big, their skin too pale, and necks at just the angle to be unsettling without being impossible. One of them has a sack with what looks like a person in it.
After the pass Toka motions for you to keep following him but you...
[] Decide to follow those strange people, whatever they're planning to do with a person in there it can't be good
[] Follow him to the vault
[] Fuck this shit you're out, you're finding a good magistrate and reporting this in