Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

[x] Fuck this shit you're out, you're finding a good magistrate and reporting this in
 
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[x] Fuck this shit you're out, you're finding a good magistrate and reporting this in

When you find obvious examples of The Badmojo, you *tell* people. Especially if they look like they're going to try to assassinate the Emperor.
 
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[X] Decide to follow those strange people, whatever they're planning to do with a person in there it can't be good

What could go wrong? But seriously, by the time we've found a magistrate, it might be too late.
 
Hmm votes called and let's see what it is
Adhoc vote count started by gman391 on Oct 15, 2017 at 12:44 PM, finished with 19 posts and 13 votes.
 
Year 3: Minato III (Winter Court 3)
-Fuck this shit, you're out. You're finding a good magistrate and reporting this in.

You stop looking back to where the people went and then back to Toka. You don't have anyway to save that person, no on your own, you're faster than most, stronger than some, and smarter than some, but against those four? You'd have no chance at all.

But it doesn't sit right with you, to just let something like that happen. You might go to prison for breaking and entering, but the Emperor...the Emperor has done right by you. Eri no longer has to be afraid to walk the streets near Mantis Samurai, you're no longer worried about execution if you're caught, just hard labour. No the Emperor has done right by the scum of the land, and what kind of man are you, if you turn your back on that.

"Minato, come on." Toka says.

"Sorry Toka, I can't just ignore what they're doing."

"So what you'll snitch to a magistrate?" He hisses.

"Yeah" You say at last.

The punch is strong, fast, but you were expecting it as you duck and begin to run. Toka curses at your back telling you not to show your face to him again. Honestly didn't expect him to take it that bad, but then, this might be the largest score of his life, and you're taking it away for someone you'll never even meet.

For whatever reason, maybe the friendship you used to have, you can't find it in you to be too angry at him. You dive out the window you came in, hands reaching for an outstretched spar of lumber as you look down at the street. The feel of ash wood under your fingers distracts you for a moment as you think.

There's really only one magistrate that you'd trust with this. She's a bit of a hardass, but she's also just, and apparently holds to something different from Bushido. Tsuruchi Mayu has always been too intimidating for you to really ask her about it. However, you know she's clean, and not easy to buy off, that makes her your best bet.

It takes you maybe a quarter of an hour to find Mayu in an amongst the various other magistrates and guards. The far too tall woman walks around with a simple looking wakizashi at her waist and a bow on her back, unstrung of course. You won't say that she's not attractive, or that you've never had...thoughts about her, but she also terrifies you by the way she looks right through you. Beside her is another samurai, uh...Moshi a male moshi with a more traditional daisho set up and man catcher pole arm.

You come to a stop in front of her, bowing low.
"Tsuruchi-sama, please may I speak to you?"

Mayu blinks in surprise.
"...Minato right?"

"Hai" You say.

That you're internally freaking out that she knows your name is something to deal with later.

"Alright let's hear it" She says.

"I have reason to believe that the merchant, Golden Oak is sheltering a bloodspeaker cell" You say quietly.

The Moshi seems to focus on you intently, almost like....he's planning something. But that doesn't seem too odd. Mayu for her part glances at him for a moment before looking at you.

"Explain"

So you did, telling her of discovering a way in, and exploring, of discovering the hidden room, of reading the writing you did, and of seeing that strange group of people before you went to find her. Mayu seems to believe you, and not press to much on your omission of Toka's existence.

What happens next is almost too fast for you to see. The Moshi seemingly mad, draws his sword and stabs Mayu in the side. She looks at him with complete betrayal, even as you find yourself back peddling looking around frantically for a way out...where did all the people go?

Taking the sword out of Mayu, the Moshi begins to advance on you with something of a...resigned air.

"Should have just taken the vault kid, there's nothing personal about this"

He takes a swing at you, you roll to the side, the bloody blade hitting the dirt. You need to get airborne--
The thought ends as the Moshi nearly takes your head off...he's so fast, there's no way you can expose your back to him.

Another dodge by a hairs breadth, too close, you need to do something, anything...
Minato, let your ancestors guide you
Inspiration hits as you see two kama on the ground, where they came from, you don't know but they're...Yoritomo use these as weapons all the time right? You slide around the Moshi's sword thrust and pick up the two peasant tools. Taking a stance that feels...right somehow, you look at him.

"...Huh, must have picked up something watching the Yoritomo play around....no matter" The Moshi says.

He attacks again in a brutal overhanded swing meant to break through your guard. Instead you swing your left kama in an arc towards the blade sending it off to the side, even as your right comes up in a quick cut across his face.

The Moshi pulls back, one hand going up to cradle the cut on his face.
"You'll pay for that brat."

Unrelentingly savage blows rain down on you, and your weapons are only by the barest of margins able to ward the blows. The truth is you're probably going to die here, you can feel that the peasant weapons you picked up are breaking.

As the sword comes down, you're forced to catch it with both kama. A loud snap echoing in the street as the wood and metal begin to give way.

"...This is the end" the Moshi snarls as he begins to push down forcing you to your knees.

There's a loud thud, and you both look at his chest, a single arrow coming out of it.
No more words are spoken as he collapses to the street. You rush over to Mayu, your own form nicked and bruised, but you'll live.

Mayu looks up at you, her skin pale, the side of her kimono covered in blood.
"You did good Minato-kun...sorry I took so long"

"Tsuruchi-sama...what..what do I do?" You ask.

"I'm not going to be fair to you at all Minato-kun." She says.

Mayu takes out a chop and a paper, and using her own blood draws down a message on it, and signs it.

"Take this to the Seppun in the Noble Quarter, don't trust anyone. Get another set of weapons if you can..." She takes a deep shuddering breath.

"...You fought like a Samurai...you are a Samurai, the Emperor needs to know...Minato-kun...promise me."

You nod and take the message along with her chop.

The woman who terrified you once gives a small sad smile.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't be more help...tell my family if you get the chance, that I love them..."

Her eyes close, she must have...taken all she had to make that shot, to save your life, maybe if she had ran...but she chose to save you.

"Tsuruchi-sama...." you say shake her.

There's no response, and while you didn't know her at all. A part of you can't help but feel regret for getting her killed like this. Still, you can fulfil those last requests.

[] Go and retrieve your daisho
[] Just take the weapons from here and use them

Now how to get to the Seppun, the Noble Quarter is locked up tight for the Imperial Winter Court.
You'll have to be a little creative to get in.

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[] Go along the ocean shore and try to use a boat to sneak in on the water
[] Take the roofs again and climb in
[] Disguise yourself as a labourer and be escorted in.
 
[X] Go along the ocean shore and try to use a boat to sneak in on the water
[X] Just take the weapons from here and use them

Begin Plan: Ronin no longer. Time to become a mantis.
 
[X] Go and retrieve your daisho
Not taking the weapons of two deceased Samurai nope. That's a good way to get everyone out on our ass before we can get Minato's message to the Seppun.

[X] Disguise yourself as a labourer and be escorted in.
We will have a better chance of surviving if we are in a place with a lot of witnesses. More witnesses means that our pursuers have to find other methods beyond just Charge in our face Katana swinging.
 
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