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

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WHY WOULD YOU HAVE OBSIDIAN ANYTHING YOU DAFT IDIOTS?
"Oh we're Scorpion, we don't need to worry about the insanity"
Idiots

Anyhoo seemingly no statue of Osano-wo, but Bishamon will work.

[x] Write in: Make appropriate prayers to Bishamon, asking for his strength in rooting out evil.
---show due respect to Hida-kami, founder of Crab, and honour him for what we do this night.
---Meditate a little, and then go find Yasuki-sama
 
Gman391 said:
WHY WOULD YOU HAVE OBSIDIAN ANYTHING YOU DAFT IDIOTS?
"Oh we're Scorpion, we don't need to worry about the insanity."
Idiots
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Well, this explain only one thing: Whoever did the Obsidian Dragon Statue is either dead or insane. *shrugs*

nightblade said:
I'm pretty sure there are more stones then obsidian that are colored black.
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I rather not take the risk if it is like that. Supersticious and all that.

[x] Gman391
 
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[x] Gman391

So, carving a statue out of pure obsidian is basically equivalent to using powdered cinnabar as make-up, then?
 
Cannongerbil said:
[x] Gman391

So, carving a statue out of pure obsidian is basically equivalent to using powdered cinnabar as make-up, then?
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Kinda/sorta? Just being around Obsidian won't drive you crazy. It's only continued close contact with the stuff over the span of several weeks to several months that will infect a person with the same madness that overcame Lord Onnotangu. So it's not something that happens quickly.

And, of course, Sosuke could just be jumping to conclusions. The statue certainly looks like Obsidian, but that's just from him giving it a brief glance. You'd need to make a closer, more detailed inspection to determine whether or not this truly is the solidified blood of the first Lord Moon.
 
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[X]Gman


You bow before the statue of Bishamon, the Fortune of Strength. He is an imposing figure, clad in heavy armor and wielding a naginata with a silver blade. In his other hand he holds an upraised castle atop his palm. His expression is stern, weighing you and everything he sees.

You clap your hands before you in prayer, your head still lowered. Bishamon is the most martial of the Fortunes, standing as the superior even to Osano-wo. Indeed, the son of Hida is his direct subordinate within the Celestial Heavens. Bishamon's attention is often dramatic when he takes direct intervention, but that was a rare thing.

Besides, you do not want the Fortune to take such a hand in your affairs. You are not so weak you need another to hold your weapons for you. Such temerity would be an insult to the Fortune, your Clan and to yourself.

"Mighty Bishamon, Fortune of Strength," you say in a low voice. "Tonight I undergo a task of honor for my Clan and the Empire, perhaps even more important than I understand. I do not ask that you give me strength, for vigor courses through my arms. I do not ask that you give me courage, for I am not afraid. I pray to you now asking that you notice my deeds tonight." You bow so low your head touches the floor, your hands still grasped in prayer. "With your blessing, I will cleanse evil from the face of the Emerald Empire."

You rise, and turn to the statue of Hida. His statue towers above all the others, which only makes sense. Of all the kami who fell to earth, it was Hida who was the strongest. If the stories are true, then the statue is actually too small for a proper representation of the Crab's founder. But there is only so much space in the already cramped shrine, so you suppose accommodations must be made.

His expression is weathered, and his face is hard. But despite that, his eyes are not as judging as Bishamon's. Instead you get the feeling he is encouraging you to be all you are able to be, that the Kami is urging you to reach your full potential.

You bow to him on your knees, showing your patron Kami as much respect as you did Bishamon. Once more your forehead touches the floor, and for a time you just stay that way. Hida does not require lengthy prayer from those who seek to do him honor. For Hida, even more than Bishamon, it is actions that he seeks. That is the proper veneration for him.

When you stand, you feel refreshed both in body and mind. You are going to do a good thing this coming night, vanquishing a hidden darkness from Rokugan. The Scorpion will do what they will, plot as is their nature. That is not important. All that matters is the protection of the Empire from the touch if Jigoku, nothing more and nothing less.

"We live by the example you set," you whisper to Hida. "The Crab clan endures. We are the Wall."

You leave the shrine to see the sun has moved a bit overhead, the morning having become afternoon. You have spent quite a bit of time training with Shirou, and more time than you anticipated in prayer. But there is still time yet to do what else you desired today.

You find one of the servants wandering about on their duties, and he directs you to where Yasuki Goro is currently taking lunch. You head back up to the ever-familiar second story of Kyuden Bayushi. You walk down the opulently decorated hallway and approach the doors to a private dining area. You knock thrice on the wooden wall next to the room, awaiting the reply.

"You may enter," Yasuki Goro says.

You open the door and bow to him. When you rise, you see that the courtier is having a fairly sizable meal of fish, dumplings and rice. Bread as well, considering the buns you see steaming on one of the plates. They must have been freshly baked.

"Ah, Sosuke-san!" Yasuki Goro says, smiling. "Please, come in."

"My thanks, Yasuki-sama," you say, entering and closing the door behind you. "I hope the day is finding you well."

"It does indeed," Yasuki Goro says. "Good food always perks my mood up." He looks you over. "But I doubt you visited me just to speak about my meal. Is there something on your mind, Sosuke-san?"

[] Write in.
 
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[x] Write in:

"No Yasuki-sama I have nothing on my mind in particular. Although I would be remiss to not report of the assault planned tonight on the gang. While I don't doubt that our hosts have informed you of tonight's plans, and what was found in interrogation. It's always wise to check in with your gunso before heading out, if nothing else it keeps infiltration down."

Wait to see how he responds, if he's amenable, bring up what Sasha said earlier and what Sosuke said in response. We must learn our weaknesses to correct them.
 
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Hmm... Please don't get me wrong gman, your vote is good and really gets to the point, but isn't the first line a bit... blunt... to direct ourselves to our superior?
 
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    • [x] Gman


    "No, Yasuki-sama, I have nothing on my mind in particular," you respond. You have not received leave to sit, so you remain standing. "Although I would be remiss to not report of the assault planned tonight on the gang. While I don't doubt that our hosts have informed you of tonight's plans, and what was found in interrogation. It's always wise to check in with your gunso before heading out, if nothing else it keeps infiltration down."

    "It is good to see you're keeping to proper procedure even so many weeks away from the Clan," Yasuki Goro responds. "But yes, I was informed of what is to come." He smiles and brings a cup of tea to his lips, drinking deep before continuing. "And a good thing, too. We made an agreement, but I don't want to linger any longer than we have to."

    "The mission is of primary importance," you say. "Though I am glad to purge Shadowlands infiltrators."

    "That is always a good thing," the courtier says back. "Though I must admit their presence this far from the Wall is concerning." He grimaces. "Especially if they're this organized. It makes me wonder how much time we have before the war Hida Tanaka-sama anticipates truly comes to pass."

    You remain silent for a little while after that, letting the concern linger in the air. There have always been isolated incidents of Maho-Tsukai and other unsavory elements within the Empire, but usually not organized and quickly disposed of once they were brought to light. Your Clan, and the Great Carpenter Wall, ensured that nothing touched by the Shadowlands ever gained a true foothold inside Rokugan.

    But here, within one of the strongholds of a Clan several hundred miles away from your own, you were attacked by seven Tainted foes. And they had been infected with Jigoku's dark touch by one of the true Lost, infiltrating the criminal element of Kyuden Bayushi. That meant this wasn't an isolated group. These Tainted were organized.

    A small shudder makes it way down your spine. In the travels it had faded to the back of your mind, but now you can't help but think about why you were traveling in the first place. Dark times are coming, full of blood and death and shadow. You have to be ready for it. If you weren't, it will not be just you who pays the price.

    "Shasa-san had some concerns," you say, pulling yourself away from those thoughts. "That our being shown the end of the interrogation almost seemed like the Scorpion were putting on a show. That we are being pulled into some scheme."

    "Oh she does, does she?" Yasuki Goro asks, grinning. "And what do you think, Sosuke-san?"

    "I mentioned a few reasons beyond the obvious why Bayushi Asami-sama would have brought us down there," you answer. "But ultimately I don't think there was anything too underhanded in the Magistrate requesting our presence for the final portion of the interrogation."

    "Ah, I see," the courtier say, grinning wider. "Shasa-san has good instincts. Because almost certainly there were several underhanded reasons for why the Magistrate did that."

    You blink. "My Lord?"

    "You are a good lad, Sosuke-san, and far more suited to these matters than you give yourself credit for," Yasuki Goro says. "But you are still young."

    "I'm not certain I understand, Yasuki-sama."

    "It can be easy to miss, but seems obvious in hindsight," Yasuki Goro responds. He waves a hand toward the Bayushi Mon on the table. "The Scorpion are always, always, scheming and manipulating you with every interaction. That is their nature. It is simply easy to overlook when there is a common enemy." The courtier shakes his head and sighs. "No, Sosuke-san. There is a game at play here somewhere, though I don't know what it is. But just because I can't see it doesn't mean I cannot sense it is there."

    [] Write in.
     
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    • [x] Write in:

    "My lord a scheme would be directed to some purpose yes? In that case, I suppose the question to answer is what would the Scorpion would want, as to that I can only make a guess. I am...admittedly not sure why one spends that much energy to manipulate people who are already helping you."

    A slight shrug.

    "As for my guess, I suppose they could want us in their debt for some future endeavor somehow, although that seems convoluted. That or they simply want to delay us for some other plot up in the Lion or Dragon lands, or they're just doing it to keep in practice, which still seems...odd to me."
     
    [x] gman391

    ...plus


    [x] "Although it is strange to think this way, perhaps they wished to test us? To try in some scorpion way to gain insight into our thinking, in preparation for future maneuvers? We're young, and already a man of your reputation has chosen us to assist in a diplomatic mission. Assuming we are not among the dead in the upcoming war, they might be thinking that they'd see us in the courts again, and wish understanding on how we might be influenced."
    [x] (once the topic has wandered on a bit) "It seemed, from what I was hearing, that these bone spiders had been something of an ongoing problem for the Scorpion... and if the Lost can infiltrate with one man, I suspect they can infiltrate more. At the same time, the honourable Bayushi Diamyo seems to have a right and proper loathing of the tainted. Perhaps they would appreciate a visit from the Kuni Witch Hunters? By my understanding, this is exactly the sort of situation that school trains for, and in the upcoming struggle, having the Scorpion both more closely aligned with us and less infiltrated by the enemy would surely be worthwhile."
     
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