Joyful_Overkill
satisfaction in knowing your enemy won't survive.
[x] Sirocco
Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest)
- Thread starter Winged Knight
- Start date
- Fantasy
Cannongerbil
I came here to nep at you
- Location
- Soviet Lunar Base
[x] Sirocco
GilliamYaeger
M'crazy.
[x] Sirocco
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
I apologize for not updating yesterday. I wrote the first two hundred words, but after that I just kept having a hard time focussing so I went to bed early. I'll be sure to have the next update complete before the day is finished. Thanks for humoring me with this, everyone. I really appreciate it.
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
I know that feeling 
Take your time, WK.
Take your time, WK.
2.100
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
[x] Sirrocco
Spend Void to increase Storytelling by 1k1. You have no more Void Points left this day.
Storytelling Roll: 6k4=33
You take but a moment to consider how to proceed. Telling the tale plainly might be best, and it would certainly be both quick and efficient. But a thought strikes you. You stand here within the castle of the Ikoma Family, some of the most renowned storytellers in all the Empire. So why not recount the experience as a story?
It's an almost insane flight of fancy, really. If your attempt falls through, then you could very easily cause offense. Artists are always critical of poor work, after all. But the notion has gripped you tight and won't let go.
It is time to put your training to the test.
You rise to your feet and walk to the far end of the table so that you can see everyone. Or, rather, so that everyone can see you. You bow deeply to the assembled group, and then you begin your tale.
"As the sun began to fall beyond the horizon, completing its glorious trek across the heavens, so too did we complete our own journey down the road toward the great castle of Kyuden Bayushi…"
You describe the city in detail, the festivities going on as you were led to the frustrating maze that surrounds the Scorpion fortress. Remembering the excitement you felt at the chance to explore a city within another Clan, you channel that feeling into your telling, going on about what you saw as you walked the streets of Kyuden Bayushi at night, of the play you saw and your meeting with Bayushi Mataru.
"A remarkably forward man, for a Scorpion. Mataru-san sat down at our table with a grin and introduced himself as if he owned the street. At first he seemed pushy, his attitude bordering on rudeness. But beneath that cocksure smile lay the heart of a true Samurai, loyal and firm. Little did we know just how grateful we would be to have him by our side that night, for no braver companion could we ask for in the trials to come…"
You move into the fight, detailing the skulking peasants who rushed your party. You rushed ahead to give your comrades time, sending a man flying. Then, before the rest of your enemies could converge, your friends came to your side and the battle was joined.
Arms spread wide, your voice rises as you describe those hectic moments. Blades at all sides, blood flowing into the streets, you can almost smell the events again in your minds eye. Your enemies seemed like simple peasants, but their skin rebuffed strikes that should have laid them low with ease. But with the arrival of the Magistrates came victory, and your cowardly opponents fled into the night.
Lessons you have taken in through observation and deduction are coming into full bore as you speak. You motion with your hands, make little movements as you speak. You bring yourself back to those moments so many weeks ago, reliving those events and pulling them forth here. It's the only way you can think of to tell the tale properly, the only way to do those nights the justice they deserve.
There is but the briefest telling of the revelation of your attackers Taint, and you skip Xanwu's interrogation entirely. It's not as if you are lying, or anything like that. They're simply not important for the story, and would only distract from the narrative you are crafting. How easy it is, to simply gloss over something you found so disturbing at the time. And by moving past it so, it is almost like it never existed at all.
You're not entirely certain how you feel about that.
"Two arrows from the dark took the guards of the longhouse in the throats, and we moved inside. Our enemies were disorganized, mere rabble before us. With furious judgement we laid into them, and it seemed the night would be won within moments." You scowl, drawing your lips back into a snarl. "And then he appeared. Hachi, the Lost One."
Unlike before when the Taint was brought up, you describe Hachi with all the gruesome detail you remember. You speak of his grotesque physique, of his wretched teeth. The utter vileness of his presence is apparent in your words, of his low nature and crass demeanor. Hachi, in all his wretchedness, comes to life again as you speak.
At this point, there is no escaping the matter of the Taint and the Shadowlands, and in truth you don't really want to move past the subject. Something like Hachi should be described, should be confronted. Only then could what he represented be defeated.
"I struck him many times, though he did not fall," you go on. "His blows were wild, like an animal's. But for all their clumsiness there was an unholy strength behind his attacks. His sword connected with me but once, and in that moment I was sent flying through the air, my skin broken though his blade never cut my flesh. Such was the unnatural power of one who had given over his soul to evil."
Those tense, terrible seconds come back to you with superb clarity. The realization that you had overstepped yourself, charged ahead toward a foe beyond your measure, had been a startling one. You channel those feeling now, letting the emotion bleed into your voice.
"It seemed my darkest hour, and that my journey would end." You look down, almost as if you are hunching beneath the weight of that terrible surety. Then, you look up, and your voice booms proudly. "And then my comrades were there at my side! Mataru, his naginata cracking beneath a blow that would have ended me! Shasa, her sword darting forth, cutting the flesh of the enemy! And Shirou, his fists on fire, breaking Hachi's armor like so much porcelain. We stood together as one, unflinching before our foe! At that moment we were the Wall!" You smile. "And like the Wall, we could not be broken. Hachi cried his fury, tried to hold against the righteousness of our strength."
Your smile widens in remembrance, at the frustration and fear you saw in Hachi's eyes. The Lost One had tried to hard to escape his fate, to avoid the doom that had come for him.
"But his efforts were in vain. Between us we whittled him down to bloody refuse, and with one final blow he was ended. His black blood fell from him like a river, spilling upon the ground. And in but a moment, he followed suit. The Emerald Empire, once again, triumphed over the evil that ever waits to claim it. As it will always be, so long as brave souls stand against darkness."
You bow your head and look at your hands as your story ends. Big hands, scarred hands. Your hands have always held weapons, and yet now stand empty. But even now, as the passion of your storytelling fades, you can feel the weight of your tetsubo in your palms, of the fire that courses through your limbs as you fight.
It fills you with awe. Is this the true power of stories, the ability to bring the past back to the present? And with mere words you have accomplished this. Such a mighty power if it can sway the hearts of people thus, and with so little…
You look up. Everyone is staring at you, enraptured by your story. They weren't looking at you, not really. They were looking at the scene you had presented, of that desperate struggle within the longhouse. Even still, their attention is… unnerving.
As one, they blink and snap out of whatever spell your words. Even still, silence reigns. No one wants to be the first to speak, to break what you have woven this night.
"Sosuke-san," Kiyoshi says at last, her voice very quiet. "That was…" She takes a deep breath and composes herself. "You weave a powerful tale, Sosuke-san. That was marvelous."
[] Write in.
Spend Void to increase Storytelling by 1k1. You have no more Void Points left this day.
Storytelling Roll: 6k4=33
You take but a moment to consider how to proceed. Telling the tale plainly might be best, and it would certainly be both quick and efficient. But a thought strikes you. You stand here within the castle of the Ikoma Family, some of the most renowned storytellers in all the Empire. So why not recount the experience as a story?
It's an almost insane flight of fancy, really. If your attempt falls through, then you could very easily cause offense. Artists are always critical of poor work, after all. But the notion has gripped you tight and won't let go.
It is time to put your training to the test.
You rise to your feet and walk to the far end of the table so that you can see everyone. Or, rather, so that everyone can see you. You bow deeply to the assembled group, and then you begin your tale.
"As the sun began to fall beyond the horizon, completing its glorious trek across the heavens, so too did we complete our own journey down the road toward the great castle of Kyuden Bayushi…"
You describe the city in detail, the festivities going on as you were led to the frustrating maze that surrounds the Scorpion fortress. Remembering the excitement you felt at the chance to explore a city within another Clan, you channel that feeling into your telling, going on about what you saw as you walked the streets of Kyuden Bayushi at night, of the play you saw and your meeting with Bayushi Mataru.
"A remarkably forward man, for a Scorpion. Mataru-san sat down at our table with a grin and introduced himself as if he owned the street. At first he seemed pushy, his attitude bordering on rudeness. But beneath that cocksure smile lay the heart of a true Samurai, loyal and firm. Little did we know just how grateful we would be to have him by our side that night, for no braver companion could we ask for in the trials to come…"
You move into the fight, detailing the skulking peasants who rushed your party. You rushed ahead to give your comrades time, sending a man flying. Then, before the rest of your enemies could converge, your friends came to your side and the battle was joined.
Arms spread wide, your voice rises as you describe those hectic moments. Blades at all sides, blood flowing into the streets, you can almost smell the events again in your minds eye. Your enemies seemed like simple peasants, but their skin rebuffed strikes that should have laid them low with ease. But with the arrival of the Magistrates came victory, and your cowardly opponents fled into the night.
Lessons you have taken in through observation and deduction are coming into full bore as you speak. You motion with your hands, make little movements as you speak. You bring yourself back to those moments so many weeks ago, reliving those events and pulling them forth here. It's the only way you can think of to tell the tale properly, the only way to do those nights the justice they deserve.
There is but the briefest telling of the revelation of your attackers Taint, and you skip Xanwu's interrogation entirely. It's not as if you are lying, or anything like that. They're simply not important for the story, and would only distract from the narrative you are crafting. How easy it is, to simply gloss over something you found so disturbing at the time. And by moving past it so, it is almost like it never existed at all.
You're not entirely certain how you feel about that.
"Two arrows from the dark took the guards of the longhouse in the throats, and we moved inside. Our enemies were disorganized, mere rabble before us. With furious judgement we laid into them, and it seemed the night would be won within moments." You scowl, drawing your lips back into a snarl. "And then he appeared. Hachi, the Lost One."
Unlike before when the Taint was brought up, you describe Hachi with all the gruesome detail you remember. You speak of his grotesque physique, of his wretched teeth. The utter vileness of his presence is apparent in your words, of his low nature and crass demeanor. Hachi, in all his wretchedness, comes to life again as you speak.
At this point, there is no escaping the matter of the Taint and the Shadowlands, and in truth you don't really want to move past the subject. Something like Hachi should be described, should be confronted. Only then could what he represented be defeated.
"I struck him many times, though he did not fall," you go on. "His blows were wild, like an animal's. But for all their clumsiness there was an unholy strength behind his attacks. His sword connected with me but once, and in that moment I was sent flying through the air, my skin broken though his blade never cut my flesh. Such was the unnatural power of one who had given over his soul to evil."
Those tense, terrible seconds come back to you with superb clarity. The realization that you had overstepped yourself, charged ahead toward a foe beyond your measure, had been a startling one. You channel those feeling now, letting the emotion bleed into your voice.
"It seemed my darkest hour, and that my journey would end." You look down, almost as if you are hunching beneath the weight of that terrible surety. Then, you look up, and your voice booms proudly. "And then my comrades were there at my side! Mataru, his naginata cracking beneath a blow that would have ended me! Shasa, her sword darting forth, cutting the flesh of the enemy! And Shirou, his fists on fire, breaking Hachi's armor like so much porcelain. We stood together as one, unflinching before our foe! At that moment we were the Wall!" You smile. "And like the Wall, we could not be broken. Hachi cried his fury, tried to hold against the righteousness of our strength."
Your smile widens in remembrance, at the frustration and fear you saw in Hachi's eyes. The Lost One had tried to hard to escape his fate, to avoid the doom that had come for him.
"But his efforts were in vain. Between us we whittled him down to bloody refuse, and with one final blow he was ended. His black blood fell from him like a river, spilling upon the ground. And in but a moment, he followed suit. The Emerald Empire, once again, triumphed over the evil that ever waits to claim it. As it will always be, so long as brave souls stand against darkness."
You bow your head and look at your hands as your story ends. Big hands, scarred hands. Your hands have always held weapons, and yet now stand empty. But even now, as the passion of your storytelling fades, you can feel the weight of your tetsubo in your palms, of the fire that courses through your limbs as you fight.
It fills you with awe. Is this the true power of stories, the ability to bring the past back to the present? And with mere words you have accomplished this. Such a mighty power if it can sway the hearts of people thus, and with so little…
You look up. Everyone is staring at you, enraptured by your story. They weren't looking at you, not really. They were looking at the scene you had presented, of that desperate struggle within the longhouse. Even still, their attention is… unnerving.
As one, they blink and snap out of whatever spell your words. Even still, silence reigns. No one wants to be the first to speak, to break what you have woven this night.
"Sosuke-san," Kiyoshi says at last, her voice very quiet. "That was…" She takes a deep breath and composes herself. "You weave a powerful tale, Sosuke-san. That was marvelous."
[] Write in.
Last edited:
Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
[jk] Internally airguitar.
-[jk] what is a guitar and why are you airing it?
Fuck yeaaaaah. We just got straight up praised by an Ikoma, pure straight up, 'that was awesome, dude.'
[] humbly accept her praise and return to your seat
uhh someone who is better at this than I am add to this.
-[jk] what is a guitar and why are you airing it?
Fuck yeaaaaah. We just got straight up praised by an Ikoma, pure straight up, 'that was awesome, dude.'
[] humbly accept her praise and return to your seat
uhh someone who is better at this than I am add to this.
I love good rolls I really do. That said humility seems the way to go.
[x] Write in:
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
"Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
[x] Write in:
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
"Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
[x] Write in:
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
-[x] "Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
Works for me.
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
-[x] "Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
Works for me.
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
This is the power a 33 holds. Praise WK's blessed dice.
Praise it!
[x] Gman391
Also, 6k4 is absolute bonkers for storytelling rolls.
Praise it!
[x] Gman391
Also, 6k4 is absolute bonkers for storytelling rolls.
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
It makes sense why those are so hard to raise as well, considering all the things it can be used for.
GilliamYaeger
M'crazy.
[x] Gman391
[x] Write in:
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
"Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
Blink slightly in confusion, wait what just happened? Did we, did we do awesome? Well honourable Crab Tradition dictates that we are awesome by default so yes? Still it is time to be humble.
"Thank you Ikoma-sama, you honour me with your praise. I only sought to tell the story as best I could. That so many have found it worthy of listening to and immersing themselves in it, that is more than I could ever ask for, thank you for hearing my tale."
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
Turns out Hida Family+Hida Bushi works surprisingly well for using a giant axe in combat. Who would have thought, eh?
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
They didn't. In fact, they were impressed by our skill in storytelling.
We cheated with a void point, but still
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
[X] Government Agent
Sirrocco
Pedantic
Spending a void point is not cheating. It is Giving It Your All. People spend void points in important competitions/duels *all the time*.They didn't. In fact, they were impressed by our skill in storytelling.
We cheated with a void point, but still
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
Ah, got it...
Bow that you mention it... why I said cheating? Probavly I was tired at that moment :\
But yes, is putting all our effort into something.