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Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest)

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Maugan Ra said:
All else aside, though, I will make one suggestion for that xp - namely, buy off the Brash disadvantage.

Sosuke came so very, very close to causing a serious scene in the court there when he got angry at the Crane, something which could have easily done serious harm to the whole mission. By keeping cool, he was able to avoid the intended manipulation and work a proper storytelling performance into a diplomatic gain.

The thing is, we're still Yasuki Goro's only yojimbo, and we've made ourselves an actual factor in the proceedings of the court on top of that. We're going to be here, exposed to the courtiers (primarily the Crane, but we could easily have other opponents who are biding their time) more than once over the coming days. How many times do we want to gamble on a decent self-control roll? We can pass it with some regularity, but it's going to keep coming up, and eventually we will fail it at a critical moment.

It can even be justified in-character as well. Sosuke is well aware of the dangers of the court, having just had a fairly thorough look at how close to disaster his temper moved him. He's also been able to see how everyone else at the court is able to maintain their own self-control - the Crane in the face of some seriously unexpected events. Buying off Brash would represent him learning from this experience and continuing to mature, as well as his determination a better servant of his Clan and his Lord.

I don't believe we have anything else particularly pressing that we want to spend the XP on anyway, and our ability to play the "stoic but surprisingly cultured Crab bushi" depends on being able to keep our cool even in the face of outright provocation.
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I'd honestly prefer it if we eliminated Brash "naturally" over the course of the story. That is after going through enough situations where our composure is tested that Sosuke realizes his faults (more then he already has) and becomes calmer as a person. While I'm sure WK will find a way to make it IC if we buy it off it's more palatable for me that way (and not just because I'm a filthy minmaxer who doesn't want to waste XP).
 
Maugan Ra said:
(Of course, if my suspicions about what Sosuke actually is are accurate, then the sky might very well be the actual, literal limit)
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Come on. You can't drop something tasty like that and just run off!

Da Boyz said:
I'd honestly prefer it if we eliminated Brash "naturally" over the course of the story. That is after going through enough situations where our composure is tested that Sosuke realizes his faults (more then he already has) and becomes calmer as a person. While I'm sure WK will find a way to make it IC if we buy it off it's more palatable for me that way (and not just because I'm a filthy minmaxer who doesn't want to waste XP).
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Wasn't his whole point that the XP buy would represent a natural growth in self-control?
 
[x] Don't interrupt. Watch respectfully, from an appropriate distance away. See if you can learn something from what ensues.


You remain silent and close the door behind you, making your way to a corner where you can watch and stay out of the way. After all, it would not do to interrupt a sparring match. The act of pitting skill against skill is sacred, and you've no desire to insult your friend.

The two continue to hold their gazes for several minutes. They are perfectly still, their arms held up loosely. You can see, however, that their legs are tense. The atmosphere thickens as they stare at one another, the room growing muggy like the prelude to a storm, and sweat beads down your forehead as you observe.

And then the storm breaks.

Shirou strikes quickly with a powerful backhanded strike toward the woman's face, the air whistling with the speed of it. But the Togashi bends out of the way, and when she straightens she responds with an elbow strike aimed at Shirou's throat. Your friend slaps it with his other palm, deflecting the attack to scrap along his shoulder.

Instead of merely brushing against Shirou's skin, however, you see the attack actually cuts into it. Your eyes widen in alarm, and you gape at the woman as she follows up with a rising knee that Shirou is forced to twist away from. The power behind it sends a gust of wind tumbling throughout the room, and you feel your hair ruffled by the breeze.

So strong, you think with awe as Shirou leaps to get in close again. How can anyone be that strong?

Shirou's hands are a blur as he strikes again and again, giving the woman no time to counter. Punches shift into chops that become elbow strikes all in fluid motions despite all the power he places behind them. His feet, as well, do not lag behind. Whenever he can he aims for the Togashi's knees or slams down to trap her feet. Tatami flies through the air in chunks with the force behind those blows, twirling through the air in an insane flurry.

The room is filled with sound, the air screaming and the floor groaning. Shirou's face is a mask of concentration, but you see something in his eyes, a sense of… exultation? As he strikes again and again, unleashing force enough to break rock, you perceive in him a happiness you've never seen before. A wide smile overtakes his face, and you can see he's having the time of his life.

The Togashi is forced to block again and again, stepping back in the face of Shirou's ferocity. Your friend's assault is a furious and consuming as a raging fire, but even confronted with such overwhelming intensity she does not falter. She moves just as swiftly as Shirou, blocking every one of his strikes or dodging them entirely. Soon she is countering with her own attacks, and now your friend is forced to defend even while keeping up his own assault.

They dance around each other in a small circle, pushing this way and that as they contest skill and strength against the other. It soon becomes apparent they are locked, trapped in a maelstrom of punches and kicks. Neither can move away without risking defeat, making the fight one of endurance as much as it is of raw power.

Then one of the woman's hands drops away, and Shirou's fist plunges into her side. She grunts, and the meaty thwack of flesh on flesh resounds throughout the room. You can't help it as a grin alights on your face. Shirou's finally managed to hit her!

That grin dies when the Togashi grabs Shirou's arm by the wrist and elbow, twisting sharply. Your friend cries out in pain, and then alarm when the woman kicks Shirou's feet out from under him and tosses him over her shoulder and into the air. The man lands flat on his back, barely managing to fall properly to avoid injury.

But the Togashi follows close behind, landing atop Shirou as he is prone. Her knees trap his arms, and she raises a fist high to slam into your friend's face. That is well beyond the bounds of a sparring match. Shirou is trapped, and obviously defeated. There's no need for anything more! You stand and prepare to rush to your friend's aid.

Then the air around Shirou shimmers as if in a heat haze, and the tatami around him blackens as if next to a fire. The Togashi grunts and jumps off him, brushing off her smoldering clothing. Shirou, meanwhile, gasps with exertion as he rises to his feet. After a moment the air around him returns to normal, ceasing whatever technique he uses to heat up his body.

"I win," the Togashi says, smirking. "I forced you to use Kiho."

"So you did," Shirou replies with a bow, smiling at her. "That was a wonderful match, Togashi-sama!"

"The bout was enjoyable," she replies, bowing back to him. She looks over her shoulder toward you. "Though it seems others found it alarming."

Shirou notices you for the first time, his smile widening. "Ah, Sosuke-sama! It is good to see you." He motions toward the woman with a hand. "Please, allow me to introduce-"

"Togashi Kimi," the woman says, her voice cold as she addresses you. "Of the Kikage Zumi."

[] Write in.
 
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[x] Respond as is proper
-[x] compliment them both on their prowess

So, the aim of the match was to force one or the other to use their respective schools of unarmed fighting.
 
Winged Knight said:
Shirou notices you for the first time, his smile widening. "Ah, Sosuke-sama! It is good to see you." He motions toward the woman with a hand. "Please, allow me to introduce-"

"Togashi Kimi," the woman says, her voice cold as she addresses you. "Of the Kikage Zumi."
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...so do the Togashi normally cut people and coldly address people or have we done something to piss her off?
 
Satar said:
Come on. You can't drop something tasty like that and just run off!
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True, that would be rude. OK, I might as well lay out my suspicions here, since although I think they've been mentioned before, it's always worth keeping them in mind.

I'm mainly focused on the fight against the Oni, and what happened in this post and the ones after it. You know, when Sosuke caught fire and started screaming about the Sun.

So, first up, reincarnation is a thing in Rokugan. It's actually an empirically verified fact. More than that, even divine beings can die and reincarnate in the appropriate circumstances - Moto Naleesh is the reincarnation of the Kami Shinjo, for example. The only way for a mortal to escape the wheel of reincarnation is to live a properly virtuous life and then remain in Yomi as an Honoured Ancestor, and even then they might choose to reincarnate out of their own free will after a time.

(Well, you can also escape by having the Lying Darkness obliterate your soul, but that's not really a common thing.)

So that means that Hiruma Sosuke was previously incarnated as someone else, who might not even have been human - there are noted incidents of Naga reincarnating as humans, for example. It's difficult to pin down who he might have been, but in this life he is a Crab, and probably one with Hida blood given his massive size.

From his Gempukku, Sosuke has been receiving visions of a mysterious woman, who seems to know who he is and is waiting for some kind of development. When he fought the Oni, he started burning with brilliant fire, likened himself to the Sun and had a particular hatred of evil and anything which might threaten the world of men. There's only really one individual who I know of who also meets those criteria - Hida Yakamo, also known as Lord Sun before being cast out of the heavens and slain by the Jade Dragon who took his place.

So... yeah, that's my theory. Hiruma Sosuke is the reincarnation of Hida Yakamo, and thus the mortal reincarnation of the Sun.
 
Maugan Ra said:
True, that would be rude. OK, I might as well lay out my suspicions here, since although I think they've been mentioned before, it's always worth keeping them in mind.

I'm mainly focused on the fight against the Oni, and what happened in this post and the ones after it. You know, when Sosuke caught fire and started screaming about the Sun.

So, first up, reincarnation is a thing in Rokugan. It's actually an empirically verified fact. More than that, even divine beings can die and reincarnate in the appropriate circumstances - Moto Naleesh is the reincarnation of the Kami Shinjo, for example. The only way for a mortal to escape the wheel of reincarnation is to live a properly virtuous life and then remain in Yomi as an Honoured Ancestor, and even then they might choose to reincarnate out of their own free will after a time.

(Well, you can also escape by having the Lying Darkness obliterate your soul, but that's not really a common thing.)

So that means that Hiruma Sosuke was previously incarnated as someone else, who might not even have been human - there are noted incidents of Naga reincarnating as humans, for example. It's difficult to pin down who he might have been, but in this life he is a Crab, and probably one with Hida blood given his massive size.

From his Gempukku, Sosuke has been receiving visions of a mysterious woman, who seems to know who he is and is waiting for some kind of development. When he fought the Oni, he started burning with brilliant fire, likened himself to the Sun and had a particular hatred of evil and anything which might threaten the world of men. There's only really one individual who I know of who also meets those criteria - Hida Yakamo, also known as Lord Sun before being cast out of the heavens and slain by the Jade Dragon who took his place.

So... yeah, that's my theory. Hiruma Sosuke is the reincarnation of Hida Yakamo, and thus the mortal reincarnation of the Sun.
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That's my theory too. I also believe the women was the jade dragon considering that the color green was constantly associated with her.
 
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Maugan Ra said:
From his Gempukku, Sosuke has been receiving visions of a mysterious woman, who seems to know who he is and is waiting for some kind of development. When he fought the Oni, he started burning with brilliant fire, likened himself to the Sun and had a particular hatred of evil and anything which might threaten the world of men. There's only really one individual who I know of who also meets those criteria - Hida Yakamo, also known as Lord Sun before being cast out of the heavens and slain by the Jade Dragon who took his place.

So... yeah, that's my theory. Hiruma Sosuke is the reincarnation of Hida Yakamo, and thus the mortal reincarnation of the Sun.
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...so would that make the Jade Dragon our enemy or? I mean I'm just going off of the wiki but from what I can tell Yakamo favored the Jade Dragon because she was wrecking Jingoku's shit before the other dragons got pissy and had her and the Obsidian Dragon kill the sun and moon and take their places.
 
Da Boyz said:
...so do the Togashi normally cut people and coldly address people or have we done something to piss her off?
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She's specifically a Kikage Zumi or not a normal Togashi monk.

The Kikage are followers of Lady Hitomi (The old Moon) and preach enlightenment through sheer violence. Canonically they went crazy when Hitomi was killed and replaced by the Obsidian Dragon, but that seems to have not happened here.
 
gman391 said:
She's specifically a Kikage Zumi or not a normal Togashi monk.

The Kikage are followers of Lady Hitomi (The old Moon) and preach enlightenment through sheer violence. Canonically they went crazy when Hitomi was killed and replaced by the Obsidian Dragon, but that seems to have not happened here.
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...I don't suppose Yakamo had any cultists that are still lying around? Also how long has it been since he died?
 
He died in 1170 so a while ago.. Yakamo has in theory a whole family of cultists. The Moshi, who revere the Sun but they don't like him much.
 
gman391 said:
He died in 1170 so a while ago.. Yakamo has in theory a whole family of cultists. The Moshi, who revere the Sun but they don't like him much.
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In fact, they celebrated Yakamo's defeat and replacement. They've been a matriarchal clan for quite a long time and worshipped Amateratsu ever since the Lady sun showed herself in dreams of one of the firsts Moshi.

Also, hmm... There's a point in the Oni fight where Kohsa no Oni refers Shirou as "serpent" or "snake" man. Wasn't Yakamo's involved with a naga in his lifetime?

Anyway. Votes.

[x] Respond as is proper
-[x] compliment them both on their prowess
 
EtchedSteel said:
In fact, they celebrated Yakamo's defeat and replacement. They've been a matriarchal clan for quite a long time and worshipped Amateratsu ever since the Lady sun showed herself in dreams of one of the firsts Moshi.

Also, hmm... There's a point in the Oni fight where Kohsa no Oni refers Shirou as "serpent" or "snake" man. Wasn't Yakamo's involved with a naga in his lifetime?
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Yes although that was after his first mortal death. When the Naga stole his body took it to a naga city. There Shashakar (The most powerful and oldest naga Shugenja alive) Sacrificed himself to Onnatangu the old Lord Moon and in doing so merged with Hida Yakamo and brought him back to life.

This also resurrected Qatol the Naga speaker and connected him to Yakamo (This meant that Yakama had access to the Naga hive mind) following that he convinced the Empire to accept Naga help in killing the Lying Darkness,

Net result was the War of they Lying Darkness and Yakamo taking over for Amateratsu when she committed jigai.

So yeah

L5R is freaking weird sometimes.
 
You don't really need an Etiquette check for that. She's being rude. It's not dueling offense rude, but she's definitely not showing Sosuke much respect.

As for the Kikage Zumi, after the War of Silk and Steel and the fall of Hitomi, they and the Tsurui Zumi were unified beneath the Togashi Tattooed Order. No more would there be three distinct Orders, but rather three sects of the same Order each pursuing enlightenment in their own way. That about sums up everything Sosuke has ever heard on the subject without making a Lore: History roll.
 
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Hmm. Should we apologize for almost interfering in the match? I'm not sure if doing so is proper or not, but it does seem to address the most immediately obvious reason for her rudeness.
 
I note a thing. She's of a group that respects strength above all else. She's being mildly rude to us, after a moment of small weakness. It would not behoove us in this case to be *too* polite. Obviously, we don't want to say anything insulting, but we also don't want to deliberately put ourselves in the social one-down position. It would be demeaning.
 
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