Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest)
- Thread starter Winged Knight
- Start date
- Fantasy
al103
Grumpy Russian Bear (SV edition)
- Location
- Russia, Krasnoyarsk
Ah, to hell with it. Hopefully not literally.
[X]Raise one eyebrow at him. Then, turn to P'an Ku. "Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama? One of the first Crab, perhaps. We, his decendants do not and cannot remember him, as you do."
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
[X]Raise one eyebrow at him. Then, turn to P'an Ku. "Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama? One of the first Crab, perhaps. We, his decendants do not and cannot remember him, as you do."
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
cokerpilot
Here comes the rain.
Not verbally responding to the... whatever the hell he is strike me as a bad idea. Still Dragon shield is vert powerful shield if it works.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
So should we mention the bit where something disappeared his letter? If his response is "that was me", it's useful information; if his response indicates it was someone else, that's useful information that might make him paranoid about his own "side", as it were.
I also wonder who we're actually talking to via meat-puppet. The Shadow Dragon seems most likely, but it might also be the Obsidian Dragon.
I also wonder who we're actually talking to via meat-puppet. The Shadow Dragon seems most likely, but it might also be the Obsidian Dragon.
Hmm... Should we ask if she has any stories about the Crab Clan Thunder too? Maybe Pan'ku would tell us something more, or other, than the Goblin did.
Heh. I'm reminded of way back to our Gempukku, when the Goblin tried to goad us by saying that "Hida fights his corrupted son, but soon he will fall, and the Crab will be assaulted by their greatest hero!" or the like.
I'm wondering if that's true. Or how Pan'ku would react to hearing about a Goblin boasting about Hida and his death. That is to say, while we don't think Hida is actually alive... it is still the case that "This guy from the Shadowlands totally shit-talked the Kami Hida! Are you going to let them talk shit about Hida like that?"
Not actually serious, but... I almost want to do this just to see the look on this Nisshoku's face when Pan'ku gets at the Shadowlands.
On the other hand, instead of talking about something the Goblin taunted us with... maybe we could ask her for stories of Hida and the Crab Clan Thunder?
Heh. I'm reminded of way back to our Gempukku, when the Goblin tried to goad us by saying that "Hida fights his corrupted son, but soon he will fall, and the Crab will be assaulted by their greatest hero!" or the like.
I'm wondering if that's true. Or how Pan'ku would react to hearing about a Goblin boasting about Hida and his death. That is to say, while we don't think Hida is actually alive... it is still the case that "This guy from the Shadowlands totally shit-talked the Kami Hida! Are you going to let them talk shit about Hida like that?"
Not actually serious, but... I almost want to do this just to see the look on this Nisshoku's face when Pan'ku gets at the Shadowlands.
On the other hand, instead of talking about something the Goblin taunted us with... maybe we could ask her for stories of Hida and the Crab Clan Thunder?
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
Hiya everyone. If somebody could please compile all the votes I would really appreciate it.
Vote Tally : Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest) | Page 230 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.3.2
[x] "Hmmm. Surely there is more to it than that. You know for a fact that I would seek to do this thing regardless of your opinions on this matter - and yet you thought it a matter of some importance to meet with me and tell me that you approve."
[x] If it looks like she still has need of it, offer what comfort you can to P'an Ku. Compassion is a thing, and it is *probably* better to have the insane dragon like you than dislike you.
[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 8
[X]Raise one eyebrow at him. Then, turn to P'an Ku. "Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama? One of the first Crab, perhaps. We, his decendants do not and cannot remember him, as you do."
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 8
[X] Be polite
[X] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 2
[x] Be silent.
No. of Votes: 1
[X] "Very well, our goals align. We should both not get used to this state of affairs. And what does P'an Ku-sama wish to say?"
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 20
##### NetTally 1.3.2
[x] "Hmmm. Surely there is more to it than that. You know for a fact that I would seek to do this thing regardless of your opinions on this matter - and yet you thought it a matter of some importance to meet with me and tell me that you approve."
[x] If it looks like she still has need of it, offer what comfort you can to P'an Ku. Compassion is a thing, and it is *probably* better to have the insane dragon like you than dislike you.
[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 8
[X]Raise one eyebrow at him. Then, turn to P'an Ku. "Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama? One of the first Crab, perhaps. We, his decendants do not and cannot remember him, as you do."
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 8
[X] Be polite
[X] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
No. of Votes: 2
[x] Be silent.
No. of Votes: 1
[X] "Very well, our goals align. We should both not get used to this state of affairs. And what does P'an Ku-sama wish to say?"
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 20
3.98
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
[X]Raise one eyebrow at him. Then, turn to P'an Ku. "Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama? One of the first Crab, perhaps. We, his decendants do not and cannot remember him, as you do."
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
You quirk an eyebrow at the smiling man. There is a game being played here, some joke you cannot deduce the full measure of. No doubt that joke is being played at your expense, and once more annoyance flashes through you to dampen the trepidation that has been with you for these last several minutes. You very much wish to cave his skull in, but even that might be falling into some trap.
So you decide not to play along. It doesn't matter what nuances are being said here, what secrets are hidden behind clever speech and smiling faces. The words of this creature are nothing but air to you. Less so, even, if your suspicions are correct. There is no reason at all to give this thing any more of your time. Indeed, no doubt the longer you speak with it the more you risk falling into some trap.
Instead you turn to P'an Ku, giving her a gentle smile.
"Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama?" you ask, bowing to show your respect to the celestial entity before you. "One of the first Crab, perhaps?"
P'an Ku scrunches up her face in confusion. "But wouldn't you already know many stories about Hida?" She picks up the puzzle box and begins to fiddle with it again. "He was always so close to his followers… Well, until he decided to become a hermit. I always thought that odd."
"I'm afraid we, his descendants, do not and cannot remember him as you do," you reply. "It has been a very long time."
"Oh. Ooooooooooh," P'an Ku says, nodding. She looks up at you, her hands never ceasing their movement over the puzzle box. "I forgot you mortals live such short lives." She grins widely. "Little toys that break so easily, even when no one is playing with them! How do you live in such a world?" She pauses, gazing down at her hands as she trembles. "A world that eats away at everything in it, ruining what they once were…"
"We do as best we can, P'an Ku-sama," you answer quickly before her mood can grow too dark. "Though our memories are lacking, we keep record of the past to properly honor those who came before."
"Well, I can tell you about how Hida wooed Thunder!" P'an Ku says, cheer returning to her voice. "It's really funny, actually, because it was Thunder who did the wooing! See, Hida was depressed because he had lost his son, Atarasi, on the Day of Thunder! In his grief he swore he would never have another child, and since his wife was dead it seemed a promise he could easily keep! But Togashi… Oh, meddling Togashi. He saw his brother's sorrow and told all the dragons of it! Thunder was so moved that she decided she just had to go see him!"
That is… not something you were aware of. You know that Hida had a child with the Thunder Dragon, for that was how Osano-wo came to be, though you don't know the details involved in the courtship. You certainly didn't know that Togashi was the instigator of the whole affair.
"Thunder observed Hida for over two years, looking on as he went about defending the Empire without cheer," P'an Ku went on. "This could not be, for Hida was supposed to be the hero leading other heroes to guard all of Rokugan! His spark, his fire, had died! But even then she could see the nobility in him, how even so utterly crushed Hida never forsook his duty. The world brought him no joy, but he would not abandon it even so. Truly his was a heart that would never falter, no matter how much it broke."
P'an Ku breaks off into a fit giggles, her eyes growing wild even as her hands continued to work the puzzle box. Her fingers were a blur as she worked the tiles on its surface, the pattern shifting so quickly you cannot properly keep track of it. You see a dragon… a crab… the ocean… It is a tumultuous kaleidoscope of color and shapes to the sound of wood clicking together.
"So Thunder appeared on Hida's balcony in the form of a beautiful woman, easily his equal in height and looming over everyone, clad in only in only mist as a lightning flashed outside!" P'an Ku says, still overtaken with mirth. "She gazed at the awestruck Hida and proclaimed in a voice that made the whole castle shake 'I am the Queen of Storms, and I love you.' Then… well, it does not do to pry on what happens after such meetings. Though I will say there were some very interesting storms off the coast for several days afterward."
P'an Ku's giggles grow into a full blown cackle, throwing her head back and kicking her feet as the mirth overtakes her. Tears of laughter trail down her face as she clutches her stomach, hiccupping as she runs out of breath. The whole room seems to vibrate as she expresses her glee, buzzing like the wings of a beetle in flight. It is so pervasive you can even feel your hair shaking, and your teeth almost rattle of their own accord.
Frankly, it is a great relief when you hear a knock on the door. You stand up quickly and open it, revealing a servant holding a plate of cookies and taffy shaped like fish. In her other hand is a tray with three cups of green tea. Giving the woman quick thanks, you take both and close the door, returning to the table with the refreshment.
"Candy!" P'an Ku cries out, clapping her hands. She grabs several of the cookies and sculpted sugar before jamming them into her mouth. Then the mad dragon lies flat on her back, hand crossed and chewing contentedly.
"Well, now that we have that finished, I have more I would like to say," Nisshoku says, grabbing his tea but not drinking it. "I believe you would very much like to hear it."
"I doubt that," you reply, likewise not drinking your tea. It's a pity that P'an Ku is so pre-occupied with her snack, because you truly didn't want to converse with this creature any further. "Your words have no weight over me."
"But all I want to do is give you a reward!" Nisshoku says, holding a hand to his chest in a mocking display of hurt. "You are doing us a great favor in eliminating Moto Shinichiro's duplicate, and that deserves recognition."
"I want nothing from you," you growl. "Take your offers and fade back into the hole you crawled out of."
"Ahhhh, but you do want things. Yes, you do," Nisshoku says. "Perhaps the return of a woman who sacrificed herself for the greater good? A friend who died so that you might live? Yes, I recall you had some affection for someone like that."
Your body goes rigid, and for a moment you're back in the cave. You're back in the cave and the scent of blood is everywhere. It's in your nose, it's in your skin it's in your eyes…
The cup shatters as your grip tightens, spilling tea over the table. Pain spikes through your palm as the ceramic cuts your flesh, and you embrace it so as to better regain your focus. You take several deep breaths, trying to think on anything but the memory of Shasa's face at the end, giving you that sad smile as she saves your life.
You push it all aside. This isn't the time. It is never the time.
"You lie," you whisper, your voice hoarse. "You cannot… That is…"
"Impossible? Hardly," Nisshoku replies. "We can do that with just a little time and preparation. But if such things are a bit too personal for you, honorable Samurai, then how about this? I hear your Clan has troubles with a certain pit. So many nasty things keep crawling out of it." The creature leans close, his smile growing so unnaturally wide it almost cuts his face in half. "We could close it for you, if that is what you wish."
[] Accept the offer.
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
[] Write in.
-[x] Make sure P'an Ku gets her sweets.
You quirk an eyebrow at the smiling man. There is a game being played here, some joke you cannot deduce the full measure of. No doubt that joke is being played at your expense, and once more annoyance flashes through you to dampen the trepidation that has been with you for these last several minutes. You very much wish to cave his skull in, but even that might be falling into some trap.
So you decide not to play along. It doesn't matter what nuances are being said here, what secrets are hidden behind clever speech and smiling faces. The words of this creature are nothing but air to you. Less so, even, if your suspicions are correct. There is no reason at all to give this thing any more of your time. Indeed, no doubt the longer you speak with it the more you risk falling into some trap.
Instead you turn to P'an Ku, giving her a gentle smile.
"Would you tell me a story, P'an Ku-sama?" you ask, bowing to show your respect to the celestial entity before you. "One of the first Crab, perhaps?"
P'an Ku scrunches up her face in confusion. "But wouldn't you already know many stories about Hida?" She picks up the puzzle box and begins to fiddle with it again. "He was always so close to his followers… Well, until he decided to become a hermit. I always thought that odd."
"I'm afraid we, his descendants, do not and cannot remember him as you do," you reply. "It has been a very long time."
"Oh. Ooooooooooh," P'an Ku says, nodding. She looks up at you, her hands never ceasing their movement over the puzzle box. "I forgot you mortals live such short lives." She grins widely. "Little toys that break so easily, even when no one is playing with them! How do you live in such a world?" She pauses, gazing down at her hands as she trembles. "A world that eats away at everything in it, ruining what they once were…"
"We do as best we can, P'an Ku-sama," you answer quickly before her mood can grow too dark. "Though our memories are lacking, we keep record of the past to properly honor those who came before."
"Well, I can tell you about how Hida wooed Thunder!" P'an Ku says, cheer returning to her voice. "It's really funny, actually, because it was Thunder who did the wooing! See, Hida was depressed because he had lost his son, Atarasi, on the Day of Thunder! In his grief he swore he would never have another child, and since his wife was dead it seemed a promise he could easily keep! But Togashi… Oh, meddling Togashi. He saw his brother's sorrow and told all the dragons of it! Thunder was so moved that she decided she just had to go see him!"
That is… not something you were aware of. You know that Hida had a child with the Thunder Dragon, for that was how Osano-wo came to be, though you don't know the details involved in the courtship. You certainly didn't know that Togashi was the instigator of the whole affair.
"Thunder observed Hida for over two years, looking on as he went about defending the Empire without cheer," P'an Ku went on. "This could not be, for Hida was supposed to be the hero leading other heroes to guard all of Rokugan! His spark, his fire, had died! But even then she could see the nobility in him, how even so utterly crushed Hida never forsook his duty. The world brought him no joy, but he would not abandon it even so. Truly his was a heart that would never falter, no matter how much it broke."
P'an Ku breaks off into a fit giggles, her eyes growing wild even as her hands continued to work the puzzle box. Her fingers were a blur as she worked the tiles on its surface, the pattern shifting so quickly you cannot properly keep track of it. You see a dragon… a crab… the ocean… It is a tumultuous kaleidoscope of color and shapes to the sound of wood clicking together.
"So Thunder appeared on Hida's balcony in the form of a beautiful woman, easily his equal in height and looming over everyone, clad in only in only mist as a lightning flashed outside!" P'an Ku says, still overtaken with mirth. "She gazed at the awestruck Hida and proclaimed in a voice that made the whole castle shake 'I am the Queen of Storms, and I love you.' Then… well, it does not do to pry on what happens after such meetings. Though I will say there were some very interesting storms off the coast for several days afterward."
P'an Ku's giggles grow into a full blown cackle, throwing her head back and kicking her feet as the mirth overtakes her. Tears of laughter trail down her face as she clutches her stomach, hiccupping as she runs out of breath. The whole room seems to vibrate as she expresses her glee, buzzing like the wings of a beetle in flight. It is so pervasive you can even feel your hair shaking, and your teeth almost rattle of their own accord.
Frankly, it is a great relief when you hear a knock on the door. You stand up quickly and open it, revealing a servant holding a plate of cookies and taffy shaped like fish. In her other hand is a tray with three cups of green tea. Giving the woman quick thanks, you take both and close the door, returning to the table with the refreshment.
"Candy!" P'an Ku cries out, clapping her hands. She grabs several of the cookies and sculpted sugar before jamming them into her mouth. Then the mad dragon lies flat on her back, hand crossed and chewing contentedly.
"Well, now that we have that finished, I have more I would like to say," Nisshoku says, grabbing his tea but not drinking it. "I believe you would very much like to hear it."
"I doubt that," you reply, likewise not drinking your tea. It's a pity that P'an Ku is so pre-occupied with her snack, because you truly didn't want to converse with this creature any further. "Your words have no weight over me."
"But all I want to do is give you a reward!" Nisshoku says, holding a hand to his chest in a mocking display of hurt. "You are doing us a great favor in eliminating Moto Shinichiro's duplicate, and that deserves recognition."
"I want nothing from you," you growl. "Take your offers and fade back into the hole you crawled out of."
"Ahhhh, but you do want things. Yes, you do," Nisshoku says. "Perhaps the return of a woman who sacrificed herself for the greater good? A friend who died so that you might live? Yes, I recall you had some affection for someone like that."
Your body goes rigid, and for a moment you're back in the cave. You're back in the cave and the scent of blood is everywhere. It's in your nose, it's in your skin it's in your eyes…
The cup shatters as your grip tightens, spilling tea over the table. Pain spikes through your palm as the ceramic cuts your flesh, and you embrace it so as to better regain your focus. You take several deep breaths, trying to think on anything but the memory of Shasa's face at the end, giving you that sad smile as she saves your life.
You push it all aside. This isn't the time. It is never the time.
"You lie," you whisper, your voice hoarse. "You cannot… That is…"
"Impossible? Hardly," Nisshoku replies. "We can do that with just a little time and preparation. But if such things are a bit too personal for you, honorable Samurai, then how about this? I hear your Clan has troubles with a certain pit. So many nasty things keep crawling out of it." The creature leans close, his smile growing so unnaturally wide it almost cuts his face in half. "We could close it for you, if that is what you wish."
[] Accept the offer.
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
[] Write in.
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- Location
- London, England
...
This is the biggest trap since Hida Ackbar's ill-fated assault on the Star of the Underworld.
This is the biggest trap since Hida Ackbar's ill-fated assault on the Star of the Underworld.
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A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
I distinctly recall a story involving a certain Shiba yojimbo and making deals with the Nothing.
...it didn't end well.
[X] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
...it didn't end well.
[X] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
[X] Accept the offer.
Trap it may be but one that I'm willing to walk into.
Trap it may be but one that I'm willing to walk into.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Fuck it.
[JK] Smash his head in.
We'll die, but at least we'll die untainted.
[JK] Smash his head in.
We'll die, but at least we'll die untainted.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
If this is the Nothing, then nothing good can come from the offer. If it's not the nothing, then it almost certianly can't follow through on it's offer. Either way we gain nothing from accepting its aid. We need to reject the help, and report this ASAP. After hearing what Pan-Ku actually wanted with us. No reason to piss off the insane dragon before she's said her peace.
-[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
If this is the Nothing, then nothing good can come from the offer. If it's not the nothing, then it almost certianly can't follow through on it's offer. Either way we gain nothing from accepting its aid. We need to reject the help, and report this ASAP. After hearing what Pan-Ku actually wanted with us. No reason to piss off the insane dragon before she's said her peace.
He is nothing, his promises are nothing...
@Winged Knight if we make a good write in, do we get some bonus on the roll?
@Winged Knight if we make a good write in, do we get some bonus on the roll?
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
Sure. I'm always adjusting TNs depending on your write ins, of course, but I'll just say it again here as a reminder.
So something like:
[] Palm the jade finger that you mother gave you before you went into this journey.
[] "You are just a mouth piece, if I accepted what you are offering so would I be nothing at the end.
Shasa died with honor, cleansing her soul... No I will not take your offer".
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
--[] do a honor roll if needed.
[] Palm the jade finger that you mother gave you before you went into this journey.
[] "You are just a mouth piece, if I accepted what you are offering so would I be nothing at the end.
Shasa died with honor, cleansing her soul... No I will not take your offer".
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
--[] do a honor roll if needed.
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
Last Crab who actually did a deal with the enemy instead of smashing it away almost doomed the empire and made one of his sons the actual Lord Sun.
Let's not be the second Crab in making the same mistake.
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
@Winged Knight, are we allowed to honor roll if we fail this one?
...
No, actually, bandwagoning this:
[] Gman391
-[] If a roll is neccesary, spend a Void Point
Because is something that Mouth-kun can actually do and indeed we lose or win nothing.
Let's not be the second Crab in making the same mistake.
[] Reject the offer. (Requires Etiquette/Willpower Roll)
-[] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
@Winged Knight, are we allowed to honor roll if we fail this one?
...
No, actually, bandwagoning this:
[] Gman391
-[] If a roll is neccesary, spend a Void Point
Because is something that Mouth-kun can actually do and indeed we lose or win nothing.
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Dovahsith
Lost on the road of life
- Location
- Manchester
[X] You remember your dreams so long ago. Of the man ridden by grief and making a deal over the death of a loved one. They might have been prophetic dreams or might not have been, but you will die before you accept a deal that could be the very same sin that caused her death in the first place.
-[X] Delicately, with all your control and anger, politely decline. This is a poisoned offer. You will have no part in it.
--[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
-[X] Delicately, with all your control and anger, politely decline. This is a poisoned offer. You will have no part in it.
--[X] Blow a Void Point on the roll.
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