Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)
- Thread starter gman391
- Start date
- Fantasy
Year 4: Paneki I (Winter Court IV)
My sword moves through the cold winter air, hot blood almost steams as it hits the snow beside me. The tension of a moment ends with a whisper, not a shout, just as it should be for those of my clan. My name is Bayushi Paneki, and I have just killed my own flesh and blood. Falling to the ground the sound of a corpse, giving up it's last semblance of life.
Deep inside my long frozen heart, a twinge of pity. My cousin was not an evil man, ambitious, yes, so very ambitious, but evil? No. He truly believed that to save the Scorpion from me, that I had to die. In the end he had not the heart to kill his own family.
I did.
With a flick of my blade, the blood is cleansed as the ritual of the duel continues. The chiburi, the cleaning of the blood is the last part of the duel. It is where an opponent proves they care for their blade no matter the outcome of the duel itself.
I look up towards the roofs of Kyuden Bayushi, the lone figure catching my eye for only a moment.
A nod, as if to acknowledge that I had won this battle, but hardly the war. Then I blink, and he's gone.
Bayushi Atsuki, to think that you are a sin that I have yet to fully expunge from our Clan.
Twice now, you have set Scorpion against Scorpion. Twice now in your lust for power, you have made me condemn dozens of souls to the Traitor's Grove. You will not do this a third time, you may think the game is still in play, but by removing myself from the board. You are left with a choice. Act, and take power only for my return to destroy it. Or refuse and see your influence, your prestige undone as those who follow you out of their own ambition see you as the coward you are.
I know what you will choose Atsuki, and my blade will pierce your heart. Just as it cut down my cousin on this cold winter day.
"Well fought Bayushi-san" The Emperor says.
Those brown eyes of his, they seem so young yet so old at the same time. A mountain's will is to be respected, even if it ends up set against you. He's young, I can tell that his patience for the games of court slowly wear thin, just as they did for his father, his grandfather...and his aunt.
It is the curse of the Toturi I think, to be Emperors who cannot delegate. In time it may be that his descendants will learn, but by then the land will be so much different from what we fought for that I question whether they would understand us at all.
I do not question my Emperor. I do not always agree with him, but I do not question his will, or his ideals. My duty to my clan requires me often to move around him, or to act against him, but it is not what I want. To serve as a simple warrior again is almost a relief.
Almost.
"Thank you Emperor. I trust you are satisfied with my efforts?"
"Of course, the Heaven's have declared you a worthy leader. Your strength will be unleashed on our enemies when the snows thaw." He says.
"You honour me" I say bowing low.
He does, I know that. Yet, as I look at the attendants moving to cover my cousin in white cloth, my mind can't help but go back to how this all started, three months ago.
[] It began almost from the beginning, a whisper campaign against me within the Imperial Winter Court, that I was foolish, that I was being chastised by the Emperor for my obstinance against him. His Kizoku, Otomo Kotaro came to speak to me...
[] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
[] The first tournament was to be something simple in my mind, a competition of martial arts, specifically hand to hand as the Emperor was known to be quite proficient in jiujutsu. A ronin with a death wish had won it, and then in his victory speech insulted all the Scorpion as being too weak and low to ever be a challenge. I sent my most trusted agent to find out who he worked for....
AN: Sorry for the delay on this one and the relative shortness of it. Papers have been killer.
Deep inside my long frozen heart, a twinge of pity. My cousin was not an evil man, ambitious, yes, so very ambitious, but evil? No. He truly believed that to save the Scorpion from me, that I had to die. In the end he had not the heart to kill his own family.
I did.
With a flick of my blade, the blood is cleansed as the ritual of the duel continues. The chiburi, the cleaning of the blood is the last part of the duel. It is where an opponent proves they care for their blade no matter the outcome of the duel itself.
I look up towards the roofs of Kyuden Bayushi, the lone figure catching my eye for only a moment.
A nod, as if to acknowledge that I had won this battle, but hardly the war. Then I blink, and he's gone.
Bayushi Atsuki, to think that you are a sin that I have yet to fully expunge from our Clan.
Twice now, you have set Scorpion against Scorpion. Twice now in your lust for power, you have made me condemn dozens of souls to the Traitor's Grove. You will not do this a third time, you may think the game is still in play, but by removing myself from the board. You are left with a choice. Act, and take power only for my return to destroy it. Or refuse and see your influence, your prestige undone as those who follow you out of their own ambition see you as the coward you are.
I know what you will choose Atsuki, and my blade will pierce your heart. Just as it cut down my cousin on this cold winter day.
"Well fought Bayushi-san" The Emperor says.
Those brown eyes of his, they seem so young yet so old at the same time. A mountain's will is to be respected, even if it ends up set against you. He's young, I can tell that his patience for the games of court slowly wear thin, just as they did for his father, his grandfather...and his aunt.
It is the curse of the Toturi I think, to be Emperors who cannot delegate. In time it may be that his descendants will learn, but by then the land will be so much different from what we fought for that I question whether they would understand us at all.
I do not question my Emperor. I do not always agree with him, but I do not question his will, or his ideals. My duty to my clan requires me often to move around him, or to act against him, but it is not what I want. To serve as a simple warrior again is almost a relief.
Almost.
"Thank you Emperor. I trust you are satisfied with my efforts?"
"Of course, the Heaven's have declared you a worthy leader. Your strength will be unleashed on our enemies when the snows thaw." He says.
"You honour me" I say bowing low.
He does, I know that. Yet, as I look at the attendants moving to cover my cousin in white cloth, my mind can't help but go back to how this all started, three months ago.
[] It began almost from the beginning, a whisper campaign against me within the Imperial Winter Court, that I was foolish, that I was being chastised by the Emperor for my obstinance against him. His Kizoku, Otomo Kotaro came to speak to me...
[] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
[] The first tournament was to be something simple in my mind, a competition of martial arts, specifically hand to hand as the Emperor was known to be quite proficient in jiujutsu. A ronin with a death wish had won it, and then in his victory speech insulted all the Scorpion as being too weak and low to ever be a challenge. I sent my most trusted agent to find out who he worked for....
AN: Sorry for the delay on this one and the relative shortness of it. Papers have been killer.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[x] The first tournament was to be something simple in my mind, a competition of martial arts, specifically hand to hand as the Emperor was known to be quite proficient in jiujutsu. A ronin with a death wish had won it, and then in his victory speech insulted all the Scorpion as being too weak and low to ever be a challenge. I sent my most trusted agent to find out who he worked for....
This has my interest.
This has my interest.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
[X] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
This seems like the sort of petty shit that would happen at court.
This seems like the sort of petty shit that would happen at court.
- Location
- Leeds
Sounds like a Rokugani limrick
[X] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
keenscythe
No longer NEET
- Location
- WA, USA
[X] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
- Location
- Quezon City, Philippines
[x] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
Shenanigans.
Shenanigans.
Sirrocco
Pedantic
[x] It began almost from the beginning, a whisper campaign against me within the Imperial Winter Court, that I was foolish, that I was being chastised by the Emperor for my obstinance against him. His Kizoku, Otomo Kotaro came to speak to me...
All of these are interesting, but I want the Otomo bump more.
All of these are interesting, but I want the Otomo bump more.
[x] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
- Location
- Canada
[X] It was at the first great event of Winter Court, that it became clear that someone wished to divide the Scorpion from the Emperor. During the Winding Water Banquet, as the night wore on, the drunken poems flirted with disaster as several Scorpion 'mistakenly' composed poems to the Emperor's wife and why she had taken in so many Shiba. It was lewd and crude....and the Emperor nearly had me executed on the spot.
- Location
- Leeds
[X] It began almost from the beginning, a whisper campaign against me within the Imperial Winter Court, that I was foolish, that I was being chastised by the Emperor for my obstinance against him. His Kizoku, Otomo Kotaro came to speak to me...
- Location
- Dreiländereck
[x] The first tournament was to be something simple in my mind, a competition of martial arts, specifically hand to hand as the Emperor was known to be quite proficient in jiujutsu. A ronin with a death wish had won it, and then in his victory speech insulted all the Scorpion as being too weak and low to ever be a challenge. I sent my most trusted agent to find out who he worked for....
Ohh, I think this is an very interesting point of view, a view that might illuminate a few things hidden from us normaly.
Ohh, I think this is an very interesting point of view, a view that might illuminate a few things hidden from us normaly.
Year 4: Paneki II (Winter Court IV)
Three Months Ago
"All Elements are one
One in many, as many are in one
So says the Phoenix"
"A Blushing bride in white
Red clothes underneath, under that?
Why lovely pink naturally"
"Fairest of all women
Grace me with your song this night
With burning delights
These are only a few of the poems spoken. All of them seemingly looking at the Empress as they are made. None of them are strictly speaking something wrong. In conjunction with each other though. They are all but accusing the Empress of cuckolding the Emperor with her new Shiba guardsmen and that is why she went through the effort to save them.
They will all be dead before the next sun sets. The question is will I be with them? I look at the Emperor. His face oddly calm, no not calm, calm implies that there is nothing going on underneath that mask of iron. I know that look, it is the look my beloved had when her father died, it is the look my old Emperor had when Iuchiban marched on us...it is the look of controlled fury. An ocean in a storm, great in its wrath, but focused on a single island.
Me
I have faced and killed many men, it is not often that I find myself worried about my survival, but as the Emperor declares the banquet over abruptly. The question looms large in my mind. The house of Igasaki had only ascended on the whim of Bayushi Sunetra, and while I have the right by blood and law. The Scorpion have ever been quick to sacrifice a Champion to save themselves from Imperial Wrath...and my wife, honourable as is, would not survive the experience, and with her my son.
I move towards the Emperor and prostrate myself before him. I do not ask for mercy, I will gain it or I will not. There is the sound of steel drawn, and I feel the cold touch of a blade on my neck. Careful, deep breaths to calm myself, as I commend my spirit to my ancestors.
The steel is pulled back, as harsh ragged breathing becomes still.
The Emperor asks, a simple question.
"Why"
"It was not my order" I answer.
"You are the master of secrets." He says.
He's right, of course, I have knowledge of things even the Emperor would be surprised by, like his uncle's wishes for after the war. A conspiracy should not be beyond my reach. Yet, no...I was not the only Master of Secrets still alive. Sunetra for one...could there be another. Could Atsuki still live?
"...I am not the only master of secrets yet living" I say almost to myself.
"You would accuse the woman you wished to be my Kizoku?" Toturi demands.
"No, I do not. I did not order this, I would never presume when you and your bride are so obviously blessed by Benten-no-kami. Even if as of yet your journeys to Musubi-no-kami's shrine have not born fruit. It is stupid, and unproductive to destroy our bond just as it was beginning to be rebuilt." I say.
That brings the Emperor to a halt as his mind begins to work. He is not his father, but he will be one day. "Then someone seeks to divide us in your mind."
"Hai."
"I should strip you of your position regardless.'
"If that is your will."
"I will think on, it for now, get out of my sight!"
That was enough of a command for me to simply leave. I did so, but I was not about to let things lay still. I had not drunken enough to dull my wits that much. I needed a certain Yogo, fortunately she was here in the castle with us. Someone was trying to hurt my clan, and I would be damned if I allowed it. Besides, there were a few loose ends for my house to clean up anyways.
Yogo Rieko, was in many ways, the opposite of what people thought a Yogo should be, calm, friendly, even honest to a point. Her black hair and eyes held no hint of the actions she had undertaken over the years to protect the Empire. Of friends murdered in their sleep, villages burned, and more. She was the finest hunter of men that I had when it came to those who use magic. Her teacher Koji had slowed in his skill years ago.
Many suspected that Rieko was to become the adopted daughter of Koji and become his heir to the position of daimyo. I knew it truth, I had authorized the adoption myself. That gave me some leverage to set her loose.
What she found though, did not make me happy at all.
[] Not only were the Soshuro in the castle largely subverted (explaining readily how my spies had failed) but that they had begun to take the Shadow Brand mark once again, in defiance of my orders and common sense.
[] There was an assassination attempt planned, not on the Emperor, the Seppun were expecting it, and perhaps more importantly had brought a small army of guards to prevent it. No the assassins wanted my head with the intent to frame the act on a radical member of the Crane.
[] Against my hopes, and confirming my dark suspicions, Bayushi Atsuki had not died that day in the Shadowed Tower, and yet lived, under the guise of a number of ronin, that all appeared to have a different faces, somehow...
AN: Another short one, I'm afraid. To be clear these are all a thing, but which one Paneki knows about first decides what he can do going forward.
"All Elements are one
One in many, as many are in one
So says the Phoenix"
"A Blushing bride in white
Red clothes underneath, under that?
Why lovely pink naturally"
"Fairest of all women
Grace me with your song this night
With burning delights
These are only a few of the poems spoken. All of them seemingly looking at the Empress as they are made. None of them are strictly speaking something wrong. In conjunction with each other though. They are all but accusing the Empress of cuckolding the Emperor with her new Shiba guardsmen and that is why she went through the effort to save them.
They will all be dead before the next sun sets. The question is will I be with them? I look at the Emperor. His face oddly calm, no not calm, calm implies that there is nothing going on underneath that mask of iron. I know that look, it is the look my beloved had when her father died, it is the look my old Emperor had when Iuchiban marched on us...it is the look of controlled fury. An ocean in a storm, great in its wrath, but focused on a single island.
Me
I have faced and killed many men, it is not often that I find myself worried about my survival, but as the Emperor declares the banquet over abruptly. The question looms large in my mind. The house of Igasaki had only ascended on the whim of Bayushi Sunetra, and while I have the right by blood and law. The Scorpion have ever been quick to sacrifice a Champion to save themselves from Imperial Wrath...and my wife, honourable as is, would not survive the experience, and with her my son.
I move towards the Emperor and prostrate myself before him. I do not ask for mercy, I will gain it or I will not. There is the sound of steel drawn, and I feel the cold touch of a blade on my neck. Careful, deep breaths to calm myself, as I commend my spirit to my ancestors.
The steel is pulled back, as harsh ragged breathing becomes still.
The Emperor asks, a simple question.
"Why"
"It was not my order" I answer.
"You are the master of secrets." He says.
He's right, of course, I have knowledge of things even the Emperor would be surprised by, like his uncle's wishes for after the war. A conspiracy should not be beyond my reach. Yet, no...I was not the only Master of Secrets still alive. Sunetra for one...could there be another. Could Atsuki still live?
"...I am not the only master of secrets yet living" I say almost to myself.
"You would accuse the woman you wished to be my Kizoku?" Toturi demands.
"No, I do not. I did not order this, I would never presume when you and your bride are so obviously blessed by Benten-no-kami. Even if as of yet your journeys to Musubi-no-kami's shrine have not born fruit. It is stupid, and unproductive to destroy our bond just as it was beginning to be rebuilt." I say.
That brings the Emperor to a halt as his mind begins to work. He is not his father, but he will be one day. "Then someone seeks to divide us in your mind."
"Hai."
"I should strip you of your position regardless.'
"If that is your will."
"I will think on, it for now, get out of my sight!"
That was enough of a command for me to simply leave. I did so, but I was not about to let things lay still. I had not drunken enough to dull my wits that much. I needed a certain Yogo, fortunately she was here in the castle with us. Someone was trying to hurt my clan, and I would be damned if I allowed it. Besides, there were a few loose ends for my house to clean up anyways.
Yogo Rieko, was in many ways, the opposite of what people thought a Yogo should be, calm, friendly, even honest to a point. Her black hair and eyes held no hint of the actions she had undertaken over the years to protect the Empire. Of friends murdered in their sleep, villages burned, and more. She was the finest hunter of men that I had when it came to those who use magic. Her teacher Koji had slowed in his skill years ago.
Many suspected that Rieko was to become the adopted daughter of Koji and become his heir to the position of daimyo. I knew it truth, I had authorized the adoption myself. That gave me some leverage to set her loose.
What she found though, did not make me happy at all.
[] Not only were the Soshuro in the castle largely subverted (explaining readily how my spies had failed) but that they had begun to take the Shadow Brand mark once again, in defiance of my orders and common sense.
[] There was an assassination attempt planned, not on the Emperor, the Seppun were expecting it, and perhaps more importantly had brought a small army of guards to prevent it. No the assassins wanted my head with the intent to frame the act on a radical member of the Crane.
[] Against my hopes, and confirming my dark suspicions, Bayushi Atsuki had not died that day in the Shadowed Tower, and yet lived, under the guise of a number of ronin, that all appeared to have a different faces, somehow...
AN: Another short one, I'm afraid. To be clear these are all a thing, but which one Paneki knows about first decides what he can do going forward.
Last edited:
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Good fucking God Paneki.
We should be nuking the Scorpion based on simple principles for this shit. You fucks had one job and you couldnt do it well and you tried to start shit with us.
We should be nuking the Scorpion based on simple principles for this shit. You fucks had one job and you couldnt do it well and you tried to start shit with us.
In a lot of ways. Sunetra chose incredibly poorly for her successor. Paneki was always a warrior first then an intriguer. The Scorpion lost a lot of...let's call it institutional knowledge between the coup, the exile, and the wars. This doesn't really absolve anyone of their fuck ups, but it does explain why Atsuki continually ran rings around them.
- Location
- Leeds
Who?
Random and there.
I don't even know what the shadow brand is but all of my NOPE!!!
I don't know who Atsuki is but I assume he must be comparably bad to an entire clan.
Gosh interclan conflict? This is practically pedestrian compared to the others.
Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth.
Shadowbrands are magic tattoos connected to the Lying Darkness
Bayushi Atsuki is a former Scorpion Champion who...came back from the dead through a complicated series of events. He nearly masterminded turning the Emperor into a puppet position the first time around and he sees little reason not to try for a second go but first he needs to regain his position as the Scorpion champion.
wording edited.
- Location
- Leeds
I did have suspicions...
But surely no one can be that stupid...
Perhaps you are mistake Dark as Silver...
Sigh, sometimes I should have less faith in fictional charectars
He's trying to make us a puppet from a well known public position? Is it common knowledge that he previously tried to puppet an emperor?
But we have a child. Or does everyone in the castle know we're going for no.2?
The ability to have literal shadow magic ninja is a really good sell if you don't care about people surviving. (Man figured out how to game the Taint for much the same reasons)
Atsuki was in fact planning to use a different name, and well...it worked the first time.
Most in the Imperial Palace are aware that Hisao and Kaname are trying for another child and Kaname is visiting Musbui's shrine.
