EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
The one the darkness wanted us to destroy is already dead, iirc.
Glory of the Emerald Empire (Legend of the 5 Rings Quest)
- Thread starter Winged Knight
- Start date
- Fantasy
The one the darkness wanted us to destroy is already dead, iirc.
It might be a lie though.
Sirrocco
Pedantic
So... for a moment, let's look at the costs and benefits of speaking.
Benefit: We potentially curry a bit more favor with Asako Akio, which might conceivably nudge that worthy one towards pitching in in a direct and flamey way to the coming war.
Benefit: If we vouch for this guy, and are successful enough that he lives, he might decide to contribute to the coming war against the shadowland and/or continue to hunt down the creatures of the Nothing.
Aside from that? I don't see any. As far as acting honorably, even in the most generous readings of the various events, this man probably should go to honorable seppuku, that he might cleanse his soul from its heavy burden for the next world. More than that, even he himself acknowledges it.
Cost: We will personally offend Shinjo Wanli. You may or may not consider this a big deal, but it's pretty much guaranteed, and it is a cost - especially since we have some hope to draw the Unicorn into the war, and she'd be useful for that.
Cost: We will burn political capital - potentially quite a lot of political capital - with the Dragon at a time where we need as much as we can get for Jade-related reasons (and any over and above that would be useful for assistance in the war).
Cost: There's a decent chance that we'll upset or offend Mirumoto Hanabi. I'm not at all sure what form that would take, but I don't imagine it would be pretty.
In the end, the costs outweigh the benefits by... a *lot*. If the Dragon are at some point seeking information about this man in an attempt to discern the right path, then we should feel free to weigh in with our best understanding of him. In the meantime, we shoudl remain silent.
Caveat: I'm sure it's *possible* that we could speak well enough in his defense to endear ourselves to all involved (except Shinjo Wanli, who hates him for good and sufficient and implacable reasons) and get all of the benefits and very few of the costs... but that sort of thing requires both a write-in and rolling Really Well, and I see no write-in, and rolling really well is one of those things that you just can't guarantee.
Benefit: We potentially curry a bit more favor with Asako Akio, which might conceivably nudge that worthy one towards pitching in in a direct and flamey way to the coming war.
Benefit: If we vouch for this guy, and are successful enough that he lives, he might decide to contribute to the coming war against the shadowland and/or continue to hunt down the creatures of the Nothing.
Aside from that? I don't see any. As far as acting honorably, even in the most generous readings of the various events, this man probably should go to honorable seppuku, that he might cleanse his soul from its heavy burden for the next world. More than that, even he himself acknowledges it.
Cost: We will personally offend Shinjo Wanli. You may or may not consider this a big deal, but it's pretty much guaranteed, and it is a cost - especially since we have some hope to draw the Unicorn into the war, and she'd be useful for that.
Cost: We will burn political capital - potentially quite a lot of political capital - with the Dragon at a time where we need as much as we can get for Jade-related reasons (and any over and above that would be useful for assistance in the war).
Cost: There's a decent chance that we'll upset or offend Mirumoto Hanabi. I'm not at all sure what form that would take, but I don't imagine it would be pretty.
In the end, the costs outweigh the benefits by... a *lot*. If the Dragon are at some point seeking information about this man in an attempt to discern the right path, then we should feel free to weigh in with our best understanding of him. In the meantime, we shoudl remain silent.
Caveat: I'm sure it's *possible* that we could speak well enough in his defense to endear ourselves to all involved (except Shinjo Wanli, who hates him for good and sufficient and implacable reasons) and get all of the benefits and very few of the costs... but that sort of thing requires both a write-in and rolling Really Well, and I see no write-in, and rolling really well is one of those things that you just can't guarantee.
- Location
- London, England
[x] Remain Silent
Worth remembering that Sosuke has so many wound penalties right now. He's not liable to be that convincing even if he does speak up in the guy's defense.
Worth remembering that Sosuke has so many wound penalties right now. He's not liable to be that convincing even if he does speak up in the guy's defense.
Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
only +5, BUT we're out of void.
Nix's Warden
Welcome to Hades
- Location
- United States
[X] Remain Silent
3.136
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
[x] Remain silent.
For a moment you open your mouth to say something, anything that might help in this situation. This Ronin, this duplicate of Moto Shinichiro, aided all of you in the fight against his corrupted counterpart. He took a blow that might have crippled Asako Akio, and thus drastically hindered the victory you managed to achieve. And in doin this, he had to know that his own allies would turn against him when the battle ended.
You could say something, but you do not. Though it seems unjust that a man who has acted so honorably to suffer, the Ronin Shinichiro himself spoke of the shame his past sins leave upon him. What he did as a soldier in the original Moto Shinichiro's army was no doubt terrible, laying waste to the north before Rokugan could band together again to stop him. So many lives lost, so much trust betrayed… Compared to that bloodshed, could even his actions here ever hope to balance the scales?
Shinichiro is stripped of his heavy armor and his weapon taken before being bound by strong ropes. Four of the surviving mounted Ronin, covered in blood, watch on as their leader is trussed up like a criminal. Their expressions are stoic, each revealing just the barest edges of a grimace upon their lips. They make no move to intervene, just standing by atop their steeds.
They must have known this was going to happen.
You all march back toward the east, where soon enough you see the rest of the army. All of the Bushi are bloodied, and several of the more grievously injured are being treated by what Shugenja remain. At a quick glance, it seems only a little over half of the army made it through the conflict alive, and already there are pyres being made to cremate the dead.
The army marched with over three hundred armed and at the ready, easily outnumbering even the secret reserves that the Shadowtouched Moto Shinichiro could bring to bear. And yet, even with that advantage so many have fallen. You know from hard won experience that those touched by dark powers are terrible foes, but even to someone as seasoned as yourself the sheer damage inflicted sends a sliver of ice through your guts.
Kitsuki Ryojiro himself is sitting beneath a hastily set up command tent with his Chui, Mirumoto Hideki. Both are wounded, dried blood coating their armor, but are being seen to by both Shugenja who treat them both with magic and mundane healing arts. Neither miss your group as you approach, and their eyes immediately lock on the prisoner being led by the Monks and surrounded by the drawn swords of the Mirumoto.
"Ah, good," Kitsuki Ryojiro says you all come close, his tone betraying no emotion. His eyes, however, are stormy like they were that day back in his office. "You have captured this despicable monster. Hideki-san, please cut off his head and let us be done with this terrible affair."
"Kitsuki-san, please forgive me but I must protest!" Asako Akio says, stepping in between Mirumoto Hideki and Moto Shinichiro as the Chui draws his sword. "This is not the same Shinichiro that has been plaguing your lands or corrupted by dark powers!"
"Then we are doubly blessed this day," Kitsuki Ryojiro says, his brow furrowing even as his lips draw into a tight line. "To see the Great Traitor slain twice in as many hours. Would you not say so, Asako-sama?"
"I would not," the Shugenja replies, his gaze smoldering with both metaphorical and literal heat. A haze forms around him like that of a forge fire, and you feel the temperature rise. "This man helped us against his vile duplicate, even knowing the risk to himself, and deserves better treatment than this! Without him, I am not sure we would have achieved victory this day!"
"Akio," Shinichiro says softly, moving forward as much as he can before two monks slam their hands down on his shoulders to keep him still. He doesn't seem disturbed despite the rough treatment, however. "Stand aside. There's no need for you to do this."
"There is every need to do this," Akio responds. "You are innocent of the crimes of the first Moto Shinichiro, and innocent of what this Shadowtouched abomination has done! There's no reason-"
"No, Akio," Shinichiro interrupts. "I hold all the same memories as the first Moto Shinichiro, hold all of his life before the point of my creation and was party to the war he caused. Everything that I am is based from that point."
"But that doesn't have to mean…" Akio begins, trailing off as Shinichiro gives him a smile.
"If I am Shinichiro, bearing responsibility for my actions and memories, then we are friends. If I am not, then we are strangers who have met for the first time," he continues, his smile widening such that wrinkles form under his eyes. "And I would much rather be your friend, Akio."
Asako Akio opens his mouth, then closes it shut. With a shudder the Elemental Master looks away, hiding his outpouring of emotion. The heat dies around him, and the chill of the north pushes away the temporary warmth that the Shugenja brought to bear in his indignation. As his shoulders slump, you can't help but feel pity for this tired, drained man. He has suffered through so much today, both physically and emotionally, and it seems he has yet more to endure before everything is finished.
You close your eyes briefly as Shasa's smiling face invades your thoughts, and you hold back a shudder as the scent of blood makes its way past your nose. It could just be from the wounded… But you know it is not. And in that moment, you can empathize with Asako Akio's pain completely.
"If you are all quite finished," Kitsuki Ryojiro says, his voice as quiet as steel being drawn from a sheath. "I will see justice done for both my people and all of Rokugan."
"Kitsuki-sama, I know that for the crimes done to your people in the past there can be no forgiveness for myself," Shinichiro says, bowing as best he can while bound. "However, I humbly beseech you grant me the honor of seppuku that I might cleanse myself of the shame I have incurred. Let the spilling of my blood wash away at least some of the evil that has been done, and maybe pave the way to a better future for all of us."
Kitsuki Ryojiro does not immediately reply to this, instead staring at Shinichiro with eyes that could bore through stone. The storm rages there, just as it had before when he was angry, but it seems tightly controlled. How that storm breaks will determine what is to happen next, but at the very least he has not denied Shinichiro's request out of hand.
[] Write in.
[] Remain silent.
For a moment you open your mouth to say something, anything that might help in this situation. This Ronin, this duplicate of Moto Shinichiro, aided all of you in the fight against his corrupted counterpart. He took a blow that might have crippled Asako Akio, and thus drastically hindered the victory you managed to achieve. And in doin this, he had to know that his own allies would turn against him when the battle ended.
You could say something, but you do not. Though it seems unjust that a man who has acted so honorably to suffer, the Ronin Shinichiro himself spoke of the shame his past sins leave upon him. What he did as a soldier in the original Moto Shinichiro's army was no doubt terrible, laying waste to the north before Rokugan could band together again to stop him. So many lives lost, so much trust betrayed… Compared to that bloodshed, could even his actions here ever hope to balance the scales?
Shinichiro is stripped of his heavy armor and his weapon taken before being bound by strong ropes. Four of the surviving mounted Ronin, covered in blood, watch on as their leader is trussed up like a criminal. Their expressions are stoic, each revealing just the barest edges of a grimace upon their lips. They make no move to intervene, just standing by atop their steeds.
They must have known this was going to happen.
You all march back toward the east, where soon enough you see the rest of the army. All of the Bushi are bloodied, and several of the more grievously injured are being treated by what Shugenja remain. At a quick glance, it seems only a little over half of the army made it through the conflict alive, and already there are pyres being made to cremate the dead.
The army marched with over three hundred armed and at the ready, easily outnumbering even the secret reserves that the Shadowtouched Moto Shinichiro could bring to bear. And yet, even with that advantage so many have fallen. You know from hard won experience that those touched by dark powers are terrible foes, but even to someone as seasoned as yourself the sheer damage inflicted sends a sliver of ice through your guts.
Kitsuki Ryojiro himself is sitting beneath a hastily set up command tent with his Chui, Mirumoto Hideki. Both are wounded, dried blood coating their armor, but are being seen to by both Shugenja who treat them both with magic and mundane healing arts. Neither miss your group as you approach, and their eyes immediately lock on the prisoner being led by the Monks and surrounded by the drawn swords of the Mirumoto.
"Ah, good," Kitsuki Ryojiro says you all come close, his tone betraying no emotion. His eyes, however, are stormy like they were that day back in his office. "You have captured this despicable monster. Hideki-san, please cut off his head and let us be done with this terrible affair."
"Kitsuki-san, please forgive me but I must protest!" Asako Akio says, stepping in between Mirumoto Hideki and Moto Shinichiro as the Chui draws his sword. "This is not the same Shinichiro that has been plaguing your lands or corrupted by dark powers!"
"Then we are doubly blessed this day," Kitsuki Ryojiro says, his brow furrowing even as his lips draw into a tight line. "To see the Great Traitor slain twice in as many hours. Would you not say so, Asako-sama?"
"I would not," the Shugenja replies, his gaze smoldering with both metaphorical and literal heat. A haze forms around him like that of a forge fire, and you feel the temperature rise. "This man helped us against his vile duplicate, even knowing the risk to himself, and deserves better treatment than this! Without him, I am not sure we would have achieved victory this day!"
"Akio," Shinichiro says softly, moving forward as much as he can before two monks slam their hands down on his shoulders to keep him still. He doesn't seem disturbed despite the rough treatment, however. "Stand aside. There's no need for you to do this."
"There is every need to do this," Akio responds. "You are innocent of the crimes of the first Moto Shinichiro, and innocent of what this Shadowtouched abomination has done! There's no reason-"
"No, Akio," Shinichiro interrupts. "I hold all the same memories as the first Moto Shinichiro, hold all of his life before the point of my creation and was party to the war he caused. Everything that I am is based from that point."
"But that doesn't have to mean…" Akio begins, trailing off as Shinichiro gives him a smile.
"If I am Shinichiro, bearing responsibility for my actions and memories, then we are friends. If I am not, then we are strangers who have met for the first time," he continues, his smile widening such that wrinkles form under his eyes. "And I would much rather be your friend, Akio."
Asako Akio opens his mouth, then closes it shut. With a shudder the Elemental Master looks away, hiding his outpouring of emotion. The heat dies around him, and the chill of the north pushes away the temporary warmth that the Shugenja brought to bear in his indignation. As his shoulders slump, you can't help but feel pity for this tired, drained man. He has suffered through so much today, both physically and emotionally, and it seems he has yet more to endure before everything is finished.
You close your eyes briefly as Shasa's smiling face invades your thoughts, and you hold back a shudder as the scent of blood makes its way past your nose. It could just be from the wounded… But you know it is not. And in that moment, you can empathize with Asako Akio's pain completely.
"If you are all quite finished," Kitsuki Ryojiro says, his voice as quiet as steel being drawn from a sheath. "I will see justice done for both my people and all of Rokugan."
"Kitsuki-sama, I know that for the crimes done to your people in the past there can be no forgiveness for myself," Shinichiro says, bowing as best he can while bound. "However, I humbly beseech you grant me the honor of seppuku that I might cleanse myself of the shame I have incurred. Let the spilling of my blood wash away at least some of the evil that has been done, and maybe pave the way to a better future for all of us."
Kitsuki Ryojiro does not immediately reply to this, instead staring at Shinichiro with eyes that could bore through stone. The storm rages there, just as it had before when he was angry, but it seems tightly controlled. How that storm breaks will determine what is to happen next, but at the very least he has not denied Shinichiro's request out of hand.
[] Write in.
[] Remain silent.
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[ ] "We might not have emerged victorious, if not for Shinichiro's attempts to redeem himself."
If only we weren't injured and out of void!
If only we weren't injured and out of void!
Nix's Warden
Welcome to Hades
- Location
- United States
I don't really have a write-in here, but I do vote we speak up so as to allow Shinichiro to cleanse his dishonor, maybe speak in detail about how he helped to destroy the other clone?
Not sure speaking in detail about his actions would help that much, but speaking out to allow him to commit seppukku instead of being executed seems like a good idea to me.
[X] "We might not have emerged victorious, if not for Shinichiro's attempts to redeem himself."
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Eeeh, this one kind of gives me the feeling that it could be taken as a backhanded insult to the Damiyo.
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
Maybe we could offer to serve as his second?
[x] "Information is the greatest asset one can have against the Darkness. Killing him or allowing for seppuku right here and now would no doubt bring closure to many but there are questions that must be answered. This man, whoever or whatever he is knows much. Would it not be better to bring him back with us and investigate in detail what brought him and the shadow abominations here? Let's not allow haste bring disaster further down the line."
I want to know the story behind all this! And maybe allow Akio a bit of time for closure. I also want a chance to talk to the man in private.
I want to know the story behind all this! And maybe allow Akio a bit of time for closure. I also want a chance to talk to the man in private.
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