Praise to the Emperor, the voice of the Heavens, and the rightful ruler of all within the...
[L5R] Minor Clan Quest
- Thread starter storybookknight
- Start date
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 194
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 65
-
Statistics (65 threadmarks, 100k words)
User Total Mina 1 storybookknight 63 Ashmaker 1
0.1 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Praise to the Emperor, the voice of the Heavens, and the rightful ruler of all within the Emerald Empire! Let it be known that one among you all has shown the valor and grace of a true samurai and brought great honor and glory to her ancestors! By the iron will of Hantei XXXI, this humble ronin has been granted a family name and holdings from Imperial lands, to be passed down forever unto their descendants!
It is the year 913 by the Isawa Calendar, and you have just rescued the Emperor from near-certain death at the Village of Sacred Stone. Hantei Hantetsu, 31st of His Line, was traveling through the unaligned lands between Scorpion and Crab with only a small contingent of Seppun guardsmen.
And then the Kolat attacked.
While the humble village was burning around you and arrows flew out of the darkness, you leapt to the Emperor's defense, turning the tides of the battle at a critical moment. If not for your valor it is possible that the Emperor would have perished, leaving the lands of Rokugan leaderless - and potentially sparking a terrible civil war. For this you were granted the nearly unprecedented honor of a Family Name and Minor Clan status, the first person to be so honored in nearly 200 years! This will be the story of your dynasty, and how it affects the future of Rokugan!
Who are you, and how did you come to be in the humble Village of Sacred Stone?
Namazu Tsubaki
It is the year 913 by the Isawa Calendar, and you have just rescued the Emperor from near-certain death at the Village of Sacred Stone. Hantei Hantetsu, 31st of His Line, was traveling through the unaligned lands between Scorpion and Crab with only a small contingent of Seppun guardsmen.
And then the Kolat attacked.
While the humble village was burning around you and arrows flew out of the darkness, you leapt to the Emperor's defense, turning the tides of the battle at a critical moment. If not for your valor it is possible that the Emperor would have perished, leaving the lands of Rokugan leaderless - and potentially sparking a terrible civil war. For this you were granted the nearly unprecedented honor of a Family Name and Minor Clan status, the first person to be so honored in nearly 200 years! This will be the story of your dynasty, and how it affects the future of Rokugan!
Who are you, and how did you come to be in the humble Village of Sacred Stone?
Namazu Tsubaki
Namazu Tsubaki
- Player Character: Character Generation
-
Age: 24 (Winter 913)
Personal Name: Tsubaki
Family Name:KoiNamazu
Family Animal:It has a complicated relationship symbolically, "In Love" in the language of flowers, but also closely resembling the decapitated heads of warriors in that it drop its blossoms as a whole instead of petal by petal. The red color fits with her birthmark, and the name is at once an affirmation of her disturbing features and the beauty juxtaposed within, and a challenge of sorts. It wouldn't be an easy name to live with looking like she does, but she's obviously taken everything life's thrown at her and tossed it right back with a laugh.CarpCatfish
Granted Lands: Zakyo Toshi and its surroundings
Signature Weapon: Eku (Battle Oar)
Appearance:
Titles: Founder of the Catfish Clan, Clan Champion of the Catfish, Daimyo of the Gold province
The bastard child of a Scorpion samurai, you had the misfortune of having been born with a large red birthmark over your right eye. As your father was unwilling to acknowledge you due to the potential ill-luck that you would bring, you fell in with a group of Ronin smugglers that worked the rivers of the southern lands and facilitated trade between sworn enemies such as the Yasuki and the Doji that could not be seen to interact with each other - as well as less legal merchandise coming from Scorpion lands. You were on your way to Zakyo Toshi when you saw the battle, and provided an escape route for the Emperor by spiriting him away on your riverboat.
Starting Clan Advantages:
- Criminal Network - You are associated with a network of smugglers, gamblers and geishas, at the center of a web of intrigue and funds.
- Great Clan Allies - The Black Cranes of the Crab family have been patrons of your ronin group for years and are willing to continue to give you theirsupport, while your Scorpion heritage could potentially win you assistance from that quarter as well.
- Infamous Reputation - Your origins as a criminal will work against you, leaving others to regard you in a similar light to the Scorpion, Tortoise, and Mantis.
- Stats & 5 Rings
- School Techniques
- Skills
- Advantages & Disadvantages
The Namazu Clan
- Clan Stats
-
Founding: 913
Founder: Namazu Tsubaki
Originally an Otokodate of honorable Ronin known as the Laughing Carp (the Warakkoi-gumi), the Namazu were founded when one of their members, known only as Tsubaki, saved the Emperor from a bandit attack in the year 913.
Honor: 3.5 - Though significantly more honorable than most Ronin, the Namazu still came from Ronin stock, and have yet to develop a firm set of traditions that they can rely upon. The recent addition of many less-honorable Ronin into their ranks has still left them slightly more honorable than most Ronin, but there is much work to do if the Honor of the Catfish is to rival that of other clans.
A clan's Honor statistic represents the Honor value of its average member, and is a general guideline to how the members of that clan behave.
Glory: 4.2 - Due to the glorious deeds of their founder, the Namazu have earned some measure of recognition from the wider world. However, the fact that they allowed a large number of Ronin to swell their ranks is seen as slightly questionable, an admission of weakness that contradicts the initial impression given. They have recently gained a great deal of glory thanks to the immortalization of their founder in song.
A clan's Glory represents how likely that members of their Clan are to be recognized for their positive deeds, and the general opinion that the Empire as a whole has of them. Glory decreases over time as memories of past deeds fade away.
Status: 2.5 - As a recently founded Minor Clan, the Namazu have very little influence over the politics of the realm as a whole.
A clan's Status represents their influence on the realm as a whole, the precedence given to them in formal situations, and so on.
Example Status ranks:
10 - Emperor
9 - Imperial Families
8 - Crane and Lion
7 - Crab, Dragon, Phoenix, Scorpion
6 - Unicorn
5 - Fox
4 - Mantis, Dragonfly
3 - Hare, Sparrow, Tortoise, Centipede
2 - Falcon, Catfish
1 - Kanosei Furudera, Nanashi Mura, other 'civilized Ronin'
Infamy: 0.3 - Because of their origins as vaguely criminal Ronin, their role as patrons of the geisha of Zakyo Toshi, and the unusual habits of their Bushi in using oars, the Catfish Clan had a faintly unsavory reputation. However, due to some social manipulation by the Clan's founder, much of that tarnish has been polished off.
Clans who perform questionable deeds, or who engage in practices that the rest of the Empire would ordinarily consider dishonorable, gain Infamy accordingly whether they lose personal Honor for such acts or not. The Scorpion Clan has high Infamy, but so do the Unicorn for their unusual eating habits.
Unity: 5.5 - There is little doubt that Namazu Tsubaki is the rightful leader of the clan, and there is high confidence in her decisions. However, frictions between the Warakkoi-gumi and the new additions of the Firemen and Ronin to their ranks exist, and will take time to smooth out.
Unity is a measure of the Clan's social capital and confidence in its leaders. Attempting to develop new traditions or break old ones, adopting new people into the clan, public embarrassments, and deaths of a leader can decrease Unity, whereas Clan celebrations, time, the removal of unpopular elements, and great victories can increase it. - Dojos
- Clan Traditions
- Notable Members
- Notable Associates
Namazu Provinces
- Namazu Clan Domain
-
- Gold Province
- Wave Province
Map of Rokugan
Province Mechanics
Province Mechanics
The basic unit of governance is a Province. As the leader of the clan, one province of your lands will be under your direct control; any provinces other than a capitol will require you to assign a provincial Daimyo to look after your interests there.
Like Samurai, Provinces have 5 Rings. Each Ring takes the value of the lower of its two subcategories.
EARTH - is the Ring of productivity and commerce. A province with weak Earth runs the risk of being unable to feed its people or armor its troops.
Like Samurai, Provinces have 5 Rings. Each Ring takes the value of the lower of its two subcategories.
EARTH - is the Ring of productivity and commerce. A province with weak Earth runs the risk of being unable to feed its people or armor its troops.
- Instead of Willpower, Provinces get Commerce. Commerce is a measure of how much your province makes from its relations with others. A province with high Commerce but low Production is weak to famine.
- Instead of Stamina, Provinces get Production. Production is a measure of the amount of crops that you grow, resources that you gather, and goods that you craft. A Province with high Production but low Commerce is weak to embargos.
- Instead of Awareness, Provinces get Diplomacy. Diplomacy is a measure of how frequently visitors from other Clans come to your courts, and your ability to be a good host. A province with high Diplomacy but low Popularity risks unplanned cultural changes or riots.
- Instead of Reflexes, Provinces get Popularity. Popularity is a measure of your Clan's reputation with the commoners that you govern. A province with high Popularity but low Diplomacy risks unplanned wars or alienating allies.
- Instead of Perception, Provinces get Information. Information determines a province's ability to notice plots and to spy upon foreign courts. A province with high Information but low Enforcement risks being unable to act on important information.
- Instead of Strength, Provinces get Enforcement. Enforcement determines a province's ability to make arrests, remove undesirable elements, or intimidate potential enemies. A province with high Enforcement but low Information runs the risk of subversion.
- Instead of Intelligence, Provinces get Education. Education is a measure of the capabilities of a province's dojos, and of the sophistication of their equipment. A province with high Education but low Battle is at risk from manpower loss and to fighting while outnumbered.
- Instead of Agility, Provinces get Battle. Battle is a measure of the number and quality of a province's troops. A province with high Battle but low Education is more likely to lose in duels, and at risk when fighting foes with superior training.
- Enlightenment measures a Province's relationship with the Kami and the priesthoods. Provinces with high Enlightenment will find themselves achieving moments of extraordinary success in unfavorable circumstances, and generate above-average numbers of shugenja. Low Enlightenment will achieve the reverse.
Example of how this would play out:
Tsubaki, the Namazu Daimyo, wants to show her devotion to the Emperor by destroying a nearby bandit camp belonging to the Forest Killers. Gold Province (home of Zakyo Toshi) has a Battle of 3; Namazu Jiro (her General) is somewhat inexperienced, so he grants only 2 additional kept dice to this check. Luckily, the bandit camp is a small one, and is only TN 15 to destroy. Thus, the roll is 5k3 vs. TN 15.
EDIT: After rolling the dice, Jiro has a 27, meaning that he easily mops up the pitiful bandit troops. If however the bandits had secretly been under the leadership of a maho-tsukai (TN 30) he would have failed.
storybookknight threw 10-faced die for: Bandit Extermination Total: 36
Tsubaki, the Namazu Daimyo, wants to show her devotion to the Emperor by destroying a nearby bandit camp belonging to the Forest Killers. Gold Province (home of Zakyo Toshi) has a Battle of 3; Namazu Jiro (her General) is somewhat inexperienced, so he grants only 2 additional kept dice to this check. Luckily, the bandit camp is a small one, and is only TN 15 to destroy. Thus, the roll is 5k3 vs. TN 15.
EDIT: After rolling the dice, Jiro has a 27, meaning that he easily mops up the pitiful bandit troops. If however the bandits had secretly been under the leadership of a maho-tsukai (TN 30) he would have failed.
storybookknight threw 10-faced die for: Bandit Extermination Total: 36
[ ] Earth. An unusually talented mercenary from Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru (the city of the Rich Frog), you are associated with the Kaeru "family" of ronin. Despite the fact that your family offers a nearly unprecedented amount of recognition and support to ronin, it has historically done so by kowtowing to the proud Lion and Unicorn samurai that come from the lands around it. You were traveling to the Kaiu Wall, hoping to participate in the Twenty Goblin Winter and thus to become a member of the Crab Clan, but saw an opportunity when the Emperor himself was under attack to seize glory and fame.
Family Name: Kaeru
Family Animal: Frog
Granted Lands: Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru and the surrounding area
Clan Advantages:
Ronin Family - you have a ready source of potential family members to form the core of your clan.
Established Territory - The City of the Rich Frog already has a long history and plentiful citizens, making it a valuable and wealthy province!
Clan Disadvantages:
Covetous neighbors - Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru has been a part of both Unicorn and Lion lands at various points in its history, and both families are well familiar with its wealth.
Signature Weapon: Machi-Kanshisha (Steel Smoking Pipe)
[ ] Water. A former shugenja of the Kuni family, you were unusually weak in the element of Earth. You managed to pass your gempukku by the narrowest of margins, but your skill with all-important Earth spells such as Jade Strike was too unreliable to allow you to serve on the Kaiu Wall. For a while you contented yourself with the knowledge that you were a skilled healer, gifted in not only Water spells and the herbalist's art but also those Kiho that enabled healing, and even the 'unclean' arts of surgery. Over time however the shame grew too much to bear; you petitioned your family daimyo to allow you to renounce your family name so that you could travel to the Temple of Osano-Wo and take up a life of meditation and study.
Family Name: Shika
Family Animal: Deer
Granted Lands: The Thunder Plains and the outskirts of central Shinomen Mori.
Clan Advantages:
Shugenja family - being favored by the Kami allows your family a disproportionate amount of power and influence compared to its size.
Monastic ties - though you never quite managed to join the Brotherhood of Osano-Wo, the priests there look kindly upon you and are prepared to offer their assistance where they can.
Clan Disadvantages:
Unsettled lands - The area you are granted is sparsely populated, home primarily to monks and to the spirits of Shinomen Mori. Building a Minor Clan of noteworthy size may take significant effort.
Signature Weapon: Bisento
[ ] Fire. A simple peasant, you have served in the past as an Ashigaru for the Crab family. You were praised for your skill at arms, and dreamed of the day when you would perhaps do something notable enough to elevate you to the status of Samurai. When the Kolat attacked you realized that day had come; you came to the Emperor's defense without hesitation and attacked with startling ferocity and skill. Though your simple Yari broke, you managed to pick up one of the foreign Tulwar swords that the Kolat carried and used it - though untrained - in an unpredictable yet effective manner that bought your Emperor the time he needed to rally his guardsmen and carry the day.
Family Name: Yuukei
Family Animal: Rooster
Granted Lands: Shiro Akatsuki (Castle of the Breaking Dawn), the southern Mountains of Regret, and other territories to the north of Otosan Uchi.
Clan Advantages:
Honorable Reputation - Yours is a story of unambiguous heroism, which will earn you support from many quarters.
Peaceful Territory - Your neighbors are the Emerald Champion, the Emperor, and the Phoenix; though the Mountains of Regret have been known to harbor bandits and even Goblins, you are at little risk of being conquered in battle unless all of Rokugan is at war.
Clan Disadvantages:
Peasant Upbringing - You will begin with no experience in courtly ways, and no formal experience with battle, which could serve as an immense handicap.
Signature Weapon - Tulwar
[ ] Void. A member of the Kanosei Furudera, the order of clanless shugenja, you have always possessed an unusual affinity to the realm of Yume-do. Ever since you were a child you have had prophetic dreams that showed you glimpses of the future; together with your ability to speak to the Kami it has allowed you to pursue the life of a wandering diviner and poet. One day you had a dream where you saw the Emperor in danger. Upon opening your eyes, a butterfly took off of your face and flew South. Following dreams and portents, you managed to arrive just in time to importune the elements on the Emperor's behalf.
Family Name: Chou
Family Animal: Butterfly
Granted Lands: The southwestern shores of Chrysanthemum Lake and surrounding areas.
Clan advantages:
Shugenja family - being favored by the Kami allows your family a disproportionate amount of power and influence compared to its size.
Prophetic gift - the dreams and prophecies of your founder will grant you the means to chart a safe passage through the years of history.
Clan disadvantages:
Haunted lands - Located between the Unicorn and the Falcon lands on the western edge of Rokugan and the northern edge of Shinomen Mori, there is a much higher risk of evil spirits and creatures from the Shadowlands threatening your family lands.
Clan Weapon: Shakkujo (Monk's Staff)
Family Name: Kaeru
Family Animal: Frog
Granted Lands: Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru and the surrounding area
Clan Advantages:
Ronin Family - you have a ready source of potential family members to form the core of your clan.
Established Territory - The City of the Rich Frog already has a long history and plentiful citizens, making it a valuable and wealthy province!
Clan Disadvantages:
Covetous neighbors - Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru has been a part of both Unicorn and Lion lands at various points in its history, and both families are well familiar with its wealth.
Signature Weapon: Machi-Kanshisha (Steel Smoking Pipe)
[ ] Water. A former shugenja of the Kuni family, you were unusually weak in the element of Earth. You managed to pass your gempukku by the narrowest of margins, but your skill with all-important Earth spells such as Jade Strike was too unreliable to allow you to serve on the Kaiu Wall. For a while you contented yourself with the knowledge that you were a skilled healer, gifted in not only Water spells and the herbalist's art but also those Kiho that enabled healing, and even the 'unclean' arts of surgery. Over time however the shame grew too much to bear; you petitioned your family daimyo to allow you to renounce your family name so that you could travel to the Temple of Osano-Wo and take up a life of meditation and study.
Family Name: Shika
Family Animal: Deer
Granted Lands: The Thunder Plains and the outskirts of central Shinomen Mori.
Clan Advantages:
Shugenja family - being favored by the Kami allows your family a disproportionate amount of power and influence compared to its size.
Monastic ties - though you never quite managed to join the Brotherhood of Osano-Wo, the priests there look kindly upon you and are prepared to offer their assistance where they can.
Clan Disadvantages:
Unsettled lands - The area you are granted is sparsely populated, home primarily to monks and to the spirits of Shinomen Mori. Building a Minor Clan of noteworthy size may take significant effort.
Signature Weapon: Bisento
[ ] Fire. A simple peasant, you have served in the past as an Ashigaru for the Crab family. You were praised for your skill at arms, and dreamed of the day when you would perhaps do something notable enough to elevate you to the status of Samurai. When the Kolat attacked you realized that day had come; you came to the Emperor's defense without hesitation and attacked with startling ferocity and skill. Though your simple Yari broke, you managed to pick up one of the foreign Tulwar swords that the Kolat carried and used it - though untrained - in an unpredictable yet effective manner that bought your Emperor the time he needed to rally his guardsmen and carry the day.
Family Name: Yuukei
Family Animal: Rooster
Granted Lands: Shiro Akatsuki (Castle of the Breaking Dawn), the southern Mountains of Regret, and other territories to the north of Otosan Uchi.
Clan Advantages:
Honorable Reputation - Yours is a story of unambiguous heroism, which will earn you support from many quarters.
Peaceful Territory - Your neighbors are the Emerald Champion, the Emperor, and the Phoenix; though the Mountains of Regret have been known to harbor bandits and even Goblins, you are at little risk of being conquered in battle unless all of Rokugan is at war.
Clan Disadvantages:
Peasant Upbringing - You will begin with no experience in courtly ways, and no formal experience with battle, which could serve as an immense handicap.
Signature Weapon - Tulwar
[ ] Void. A member of the Kanosei Furudera, the order of clanless shugenja, you have always possessed an unusual affinity to the realm of Yume-do. Ever since you were a child you have had prophetic dreams that showed you glimpses of the future; together with your ability to speak to the Kami it has allowed you to pursue the life of a wandering diviner and poet. One day you had a dream where you saw the Emperor in danger. Upon opening your eyes, a butterfly took off of your face and flew South. Following dreams and portents, you managed to arrive just in time to importune the elements on the Emperor's behalf.
Family Name: Chou
Family Animal: Butterfly
Granted Lands: The southwestern shores of Chrysanthemum Lake and surrounding areas.
Clan advantages:
Shugenja family - being favored by the Kami allows your family a disproportionate amount of power and influence compared to its size.
Prophetic gift - the dreams and prophecies of your founder will grant you the means to chart a safe passage through the years of history.
Clan disadvantages:
Haunted lands - Located between the Unicorn and the Falcon lands on the western edge of Rokugan and the northern edge of Shinomen Mori, there is a much higher risk of evil spirits and creatures from the Shadowlands threatening your family lands.
Clan Weapon: Shakkujo (Monk's Staff)
Last edited:
0.2 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Wind
[X] Female
It's not every day that a riverboat captain gets to catch a glimpse of the Emperor.
When you saw the Emerald and Gold of the Seppun Guardsmen you kowtowed on the deck of your boat, watching covertly as their unusually small procession passed. At the time, you had thought that it would simply be a passing memory; a story to tell potential children about the day you saw the Emperor from afar. You might have watched him longer, but he was traveling downstream, and you were traveling up; as soon as his procession passed, you exhorted your crew to pull once again so that you could regain the ground you had lost while showing your proper respect. Your unusual voice echoed out over the rippling water, allowing the rowing ronin to pull their oars in unison to the rhythm of timeworn songs.
Then you saw the riders. A host over twice the size of the Seppun, riding fast horses and heavily armed. It was hard to say exactly what led you to realize that something was amiss - the intent looks on their faces, the lather on their horses' flanks, or perhaps just one of those feelings you tended to get about the moods of people nearby you. To you, every movement of their bodies screamed hatred, and you knew without a doubt that the Emperor of Rokugan was in danger.
As soon as they passed over the next hill you turned back to your crew. "Turn the boat," you commanded.
"What? We're behind already! At this rate we won't make it to Zakyo Toshi until after sundown!" The man who spoke up was Gohei, a newer addition to your crew with a Crab-style mustache and rippling muscles. His face reddened with poorly-concealed anger and he crossed his arms almost petulantly. "We have deliveries to make, we can't be turning around to chase bandits and getting ourselves killed. It's not like the seven of us are going to make any difference."
You pick up your oar. It's not quite the same as the tools your crew are even now dipping in the water - the eku is a weapon, a wide-cut cross between a true oar and a bo staff, and yours has been lovingly painted to match the tattoos that prove your status as a waka gashira, an elder sister of the Bawdy Carp Riverboat Gang. Pointing the battle oar at Gohei's face you look him dead in the eyes over your personal emblem of a jumping catfish. You can see his eyes flicker to your cheek, where the red stain of your cursed birthmark lies, and you can tell that he is afraid. "Those bandits are heading straight for the Emperor. And more to the point, I gave you an order. We're turning."
After a second Gohei scowls. "Tcheh. Even bandits aren't stupid enough to mess with the Seppun Guardsmen. It's gonna be your neck when we have to explain to the oyabun why the shipment's late." There is a similar murmur of resentment from the rest of the ronin, but you silence them all with a glare.
"Yes. It is. Now shut up and ROW, damn you! Stroke! Stroke!" You shout, and heave on the tiller. Reluctantly your 'little brothers' follow your orders and tend to their oars. Slowly the boat turns, then picks up speed as the river catches it and urges it onwards. Gohei sits and pulls on his oar, and you head downstream at a much faster pace than you traveled up.
For all that your clear voice calls out a brutally fast pace, your oarsmen are tired and the river becomes treacherous as night begins to fall. You navigate by sight for as long as you can, then turn to instinct and memory as the sun sets and the sky grows dim. The black riders remain stubbornly ahead of you as the pit in your stomach grows deeper. You are almost ready to give up when you notice that the red light on the horizon is not the fading embers of sunset at all, but rather the glow of firelight. The smell of smoke is on the wind, and you can hear the distant shouts of battle. By now even Gohei's doubt has been replaced by fierce determination, "That's them!" you cry. "Forward, together now!"
A hundred more strokes of the oars, and your boat glides silently up to the shore of the burning village. In the fire and darkness of the Village of Sacred Stone all of the warriors appear as though clad in black, but by some miracle of the Kami you are not too late. The battle still rages, and you can see a small knot of soldiers being backed towards the water by a menacing ring of enemies. The dishonorable bandits are bearing torches, and from long experience with night work you know that their night vision will be ruined, giving you and yours a chance to strike from stealth.
"Get ready!" you say in a harsh whisper to your crew. "We'll hit them together."
The youngest member of your crew, Miki, speaks up in a whisper to match your own. "There must be thirty of them! What can the seven of us do?"
"We can get the Emperor to the boat," you say, and you lower yourself as silently as possible to the sandy riverbank. Your brothers may be ronin, but when confronted with a clear duty to their Emperor none of them falters, all of them following you with weapons in hand. You can feel their hearts beating as one with yours, the sick anticipation of battle and an iron determination to do their duty that outweighs any trace of fear. Your white-painted eku glows in the firelight as you raise it over your head like a battle standard. In silence, your men draw their katanas and prepare to charge. You take a deep breath and you SHOUT, a singer's voice turned into a clarion cry for honor and glory. "HAAAAAAANNNNN-" You swing the oar down, and the voices of your 'little brothers' join in as you charge as one! "TEEEEEIIIIII!"
It is hard to say whose shock is more profound as you charge the burning village, the attackers or the defenders. You pull ahead of your tired crew as you rush the enemy bushi; you are the first to confront a black-clad assassin, and you can see wide white eyes behind their cloth mask as you rush to close the distance. He has just enough time to try to dodge before your eku lashes out like a serpent in a vicious crescent, catching him right where the shoulder meets the neck. You hear a sickening snap, and he falls to the ground like a bag of rice.
"For the Honor of the Empire! Get the Emperor to the boat!"
Not for the first time your peculiar gifts of insight save you as you feel a sudden burst of hatred and killing intent. Black-armored figures strike at you, strangely curved swords that are closer to skinny parangu than true katana whistling past you in the dark as you weave back and forth between the blows. You dance in the firelight of a burning village, using the superior length of your oar to keep your assailants at bay while backing up ever closer to your escape route. As the press of enemies upon you grows too thick, you thrust your wooden oar into the burning thatch and pitch of one of the nearby huts and slam the flames into an assassin's face; in the same motion you sprint the few remaining feet back to the boat where your brothers are dragging a man in Chrysanthemum-emblazoned armor aboard.
In front of you, one of the Seppun turns and shouts. "Get the Emperor to safety! We'll hold them off!"
You scramble into the boat, then stick your burning oar into the water with a hiss of steam and push against the muddy bank. "Row, you dogs!" You shout. "Grab your oars and go! Go! Go!" Your little brothers heave to, and slowly but surely the boat eases back into the river. You dig your oar into the water with biting motions and the village slowly but surely pulls away. Arrows begin to hiss through the darkness at you, some soaked with burning pitch, but in the darkness and by the grace of the Kami, only a few are aimed correctly. The flaming ones you are able to swat out of the air with your oar, but the bladed heads are much faster and more vicious. Some of them find purchase in the bodies of your crew, and you hear shouts of pain even as they continue rowing for their lives.
However what between aching and injured bodies of you and your crew and the river, slowly but surely the current brings you away from the conflict, with arrows falling further and further behind the stern of your ship.
As the fires of the village recede behind you, slowly the sounds of battle are replaced with the night breeze and the ripples of water. Lord Moon shines high and bright in the sky, and you can dimly make out the features of the man who can only be Emperor Hantei, thirty-first of his line. He meets your eyes and does not flinch or make any sign of revulsion despite the fact that you know your birthmark must be clearly visible. Perhaps he thinks it is a scar, or a burn, because all you can feel from him is gratitude.
"Honorable Ronin," your Emperor says, "I would have your name."
[ ] Write-in.
[X] Female
It's not every day that a riverboat captain gets to catch a glimpse of the Emperor.
When you saw the Emerald and Gold of the Seppun Guardsmen you kowtowed on the deck of your boat, watching covertly as their unusually small procession passed. At the time, you had thought that it would simply be a passing memory; a story to tell potential children about the day you saw the Emperor from afar. You might have watched him longer, but he was traveling downstream, and you were traveling up; as soon as his procession passed, you exhorted your crew to pull once again so that you could regain the ground you had lost while showing your proper respect. Your unusual voice echoed out over the rippling water, allowing the rowing ronin to pull their oars in unison to the rhythm of timeworn songs.
Then you saw the riders. A host over twice the size of the Seppun, riding fast horses and heavily armed. It was hard to say exactly what led you to realize that something was amiss - the intent looks on their faces, the lather on their horses' flanks, or perhaps just one of those feelings you tended to get about the moods of people nearby you. To you, every movement of their bodies screamed hatred, and you knew without a doubt that the Emperor of Rokugan was in danger.
As soon as they passed over the next hill you turned back to your crew. "Turn the boat," you commanded.
"What? We're behind already! At this rate we won't make it to Zakyo Toshi until after sundown!" The man who spoke up was Gohei, a newer addition to your crew with a Crab-style mustache and rippling muscles. His face reddened with poorly-concealed anger and he crossed his arms almost petulantly. "We have deliveries to make, we can't be turning around to chase bandits and getting ourselves killed. It's not like the seven of us are going to make any difference."
You pick up your oar. It's not quite the same as the tools your crew are even now dipping in the water - the eku is a weapon, a wide-cut cross between a true oar and a bo staff, and yours has been lovingly painted to match the tattoos that prove your status as a waka gashira, an elder sister of the Bawdy Carp Riverboat Gang. Pointing the battle oar at Gohei's face you look him dead in the eyes over your personal emblem of a jumping catfish. You can see his eyes flicker to your cheek, where the red stain of your cursed birthmark lies, and you can tell that he is afraid. "Those bandits are heading straight for the Emperor. And more to the point, I gave you an order. We're turning."
After a second Gohei scowls. "Tcheh. Even bandits aren't stupid enough to mess with the Seppun Guardsmen. It's gonna be your neck when we have to explain to the oyabun why the shipment's late." There is a similar murmur of resentment from the rest of the ronin, but you silence them all with a glare.
"Yes. It is. Now shut up and ROW, damn you! Stroke! Stroke!" You shout, and heave on the tiller. Reluctantly your 'little brothers' follow your orders and tend to their oars. Slowly the boat turns, then picks up speed as the river catches it and urges it onwards. Gohei sits and pulls on his oar, and you head downstream at a much faster pace than you traveled up.
For all that your clear voice calls out a brutally fast pace, your oarsmen are tired and the river becomes treacherous as night begins to fall. You navigate by sight for as long as you can, then turn to instinct and memory as the sun sets and the sky grows dim. The black riders remain stubbornly ahead of you as the pit in your stomach grows deeper. You are almost ready to give up when you notice that the red light on the horizon is not the fading embers of sunset at all, but rather the glow of firelight. The smell of smoke is on the wind, and you can hear the distant shouts of battle. By now even Gohei's doubt has been replaced by fierce determination, "That's them!" you cry. "Forward, together now!"
A hundred more strokes of the oars, and your boat glides silently up to the shore of the burning village. In the fire and darkness of the Village of Sacred Stone all of the warriors appear as though clad in black, but by some miracle of the Kami you are not too late. The battle still rages, and you can see a small knot of soldiers being backed towards the water by a menacing ring of enemies. The dishonorable bandits are bearing torches, and from long experience with night work you know that their night vision will be ruined, giving you and yours a chance to strike from stealth.
"Get ready!" you say in a harsh whisper to your crew. "We'll hit them together."
The youngest member of your crew, Miki, speaks up in a whisper to match your own. "There must be thirty of them! What can the seven of us do?"
"We can get the Emperor to the boat," you say, and you lower yourself as silently as possible to the sandy riverbank. Your brothers may be ronin, but when confronted with a clear duty to their Emperor none of them falters, all of them following you with weapons in hand. You can feel their hearts beating as one with yours, the sick anticipation of battle and an iron determination to do their duty that outweighs any trace of fear. Your white-painted eku glows in the firelight as you raise it over your head like a battle standard. In silence, your men draw their katanas and prepare to charge. You take a deep breath and you SHOUT, a singer's voice turned into a clarion cry for honor and glory. "HAAAAAAANNNNN-" You swing the oar down, and the voices of your 'little brothers' join in as you charge as one! "TEEEEEIIIIII!"
It is hard to say whose shock is more profound as you charge the burning village, the attackers or the defenders. You pull ahead of your tired crew as you rush the enemy bushi; you are the first to confront a black-clad assassin, and you can see wide white eyes behind their cloth mask as you rush to close the distance. He has just enough time to try to dodge before your eku lashes out like a serpent in a vicious crescent, catching him right where the shoulder meets the neck. You hear a sickening snap, and he falls to the ground like a bag of rice.
"For the Honor of the Empire! Get the Emperor to the boat!"
Not for the first time your peculiar gifts of insight save you as you feel a sudden burst of hatred and killing intent. Black-armored figures strike at you, strangely curved swords that are closer to skinny parangu than true katana whistling past you in the dark as you weave back and forth between the blows. You dance in the firelight of a burning village, using the superior length of your oar to keep your assailants at bay while backing up ever closer to your escape route. As the press of enemies upon you grows too thick, you thrust your wooden oar into the burning thatch and pitch of one of the nearby huts and slam the flames into an assassin's face; in the same motion you sprint the few remaining feet back to the boat where your brothers are dragging a man in Chrysanthemum-emblazoned armor aboard.
In front of you, one of the Seppun turns and shouts. "Get the Emperor to safety! We'll hold them off!"
You scramble into the boat, then stick your burning oar into the water with a hiss of steam and push against the muddy bank. "Row, you dogs!" You shout. "Grab your oars and go! Go! Go!" Your little brothers heave to, and slowly but surely the boat eases back into the river. You dig your oar into the water with biting motions and the village slowly but surely pulls away. Arrows begin to hiss through the darkness at you, some soaked with burning pitch, but in the darkness and by the grace of the Kami, only a few are aimed correctly. The flaming ones you are able to swat out of the air with your oar, but the bladed heads are much faster and more vicious. Some of them find purchase in the bodies of your crew, and you hear shouts of pain even as they continue rowing for their lives.
However what between aching and injured bodies of you and your crew and the river, slowly but surely the current brings you away from the conflict, with arrows falling further and further behind the stern of your ship.
As the fires of the village recede behind you, slowly the sounds of battle are replaced with the night breeze and the ripples of water. Lord Moon shines high and bright in the sky, and you can dimly make out the features of the man who can only be Emperor Hantei, thirty-first of his line. He meets your eyes and does not flinch or make any sign of revulsion despite the fact that you know your birthmark must be clearly visible. Perhaps he thinks it is a scar, or a burn, because all you can feel from him is gratitude.
"Honorable Ronin," your Emperor says, "I would have your name."
[ ] Write-in.
Last edited:
Tsubaki's Name
- Pronouns
- She/Her
In recognition of the distaste for the blessed pun and perhaps the bit too much on the nose-ness of invoking prosperity this early in the game, I've had a change of heart.
[X] Tsubaki
It has a complicated relationship symbolically, "In Love" in the language of flowers, but also closely resembling the decapitated heads of warriors in that it drop its blossoms as a whole instead of petal by petal. The red color fits with her birthmark, and the name is at once an affirmation of her disturbing features and the beauty juxtaposed within, and a challenge of sorts. It wouldn't be an easy name to live with looking like she does, but she's obviously taken everything life's thrown at her and tossed it right back with a laugh.
0.3 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Tsubaki.
You feel your face flush with embarrassment and thank the Heavens that it is too dark for the Emperor to see. You bow as deep as the boat allows. "...Tsubaki, your majesty." You manage to say, only to feel a hand on your shoulder pulling you back up to face the Son of Heaven.
To your shock, the emperor bows back. Not as deeply as you did - he's still in armor, for one thing, and it doesn't look like he's used to boats at all - but the gesture is unmistakable. "Please. You have risked much to save my life." he says. "I am in your debt."
"Hantei-heika..." you begin hesitantly. "We have only done as our duty commanded." You look about the boat, and see that out of your six brothers, only two have survived the night's excursion. Your heart, formerly elated at your escape, sinks. It is no tragedy that your brothers died in the Emperor's defense - no man, and especially no ronin could ask to die better! Yet when you look and see that gentle Miki and stolid Hideyoshi have fallen, that nearsighted Hachiman will no longer be hunched over his rice bowl at the table, that Hana will never again see that Lion caravan guard of hers, you cannot help but miss them fiercely. You take a deep breath. "These are my little brothers in the Warakkoi-gumi. Be known to Gohei and Taigen."
Gohei does his best to stand and bow, but collapses before he can do so, his leg black with blood in the darkness. He lets out an involuntary bark of pain, and Taigen straightens from her bow to rush to help him.
"How bad is it?" You ask, rushing forwards to take a look.
"Bad enough," she says grimly, her youthful features in a serious expression incongruous with her normal cheerfullness. She places her hands on the wound and squeezes to try and staunch the bleeding, causing Gohei to groan again.
In the distance, you begin to hear a far-off drum of hoofbeats, and you almost curse aloud before realizing just whose august presence you are still in. Hurriedly, you strip off the outer layer of your kimono, leaving yourself in just a breastband, and draw the tanto from the scabbard at your back to cut strips of fabric off of it.
"Can I be of help?" You have just a moment's clarity to realize that this is the Emperor asking you this question, and then suddenly you realize that you no longer care. "Here! Take this, take my knife, cut strips for Taigen so she can get him bandaged. Once she's done, help keep pressure on Gohei's wound so she can row." You hurriedly thrust your kimono at the Emperor, hand him your tanto much more carefully, then grab your oar and move to the front of the boat. The prow dips alarmingly as you kneel much farther forwards than is usually safe, but with the boat riding high in the water thanks to its lack of passengers you are able to keep it from doing more than getting your shoulders close to the water.
You kneel down and begin to row.
It's a craft built for six with one to steer, a lightweight scow meant to carry small amounts of goods discreetly - but 'small' is a relative term. Your shoulders strain and shake with effort as you scoop at the water, just trying to keep moving down the river as fast as possible until you finally hear the word 'Ready!' from Taigen. Gratefully you move back to the first bench and have Taigen come up to meet you, then as politely as possible ask the Emperor to move with Gohei to the back to keep the craft steady. With two people rowing, you can move the water on both sides of the craft at once; you slowly but surely begin to outpace your pursuers' tired steeds as the hoofbeats fade into the distance.
Rowing in the dark is difficult, and the path ahead is uncertain. You really can't afford to get stuck on a sandbar up ahead, so despite the fact that your pursuers could hear you, you begin to sing the rowing-songs once again so that you can keep rhythm with Taigen.
You feel your face flush with embarrassment and thank the Heavens that it is too dark for the Emperor to see. You bow as deep as the boat allows. "...Tsubaki, your majesty." You manage to say, only to feel a hand on your shoulder pulling you back up to face the Son of Heaven.
To your shock, the emperor bows back. Not as deeply as you did - he's still in armor, for one thing, and it doesn't look like he's used to boats at all - but the gesture is unmistakable. "Please. You have risked much to save my life." he says. "I am in your debt."
"Hantei-heika..." you begin hesitantly. "We have only done as our duty commanded." You look about the boat, and see that out of your six brothers, only two have survived the night's excursion. Your heart, formerly elated at your escape, sinks. It is no tragedy that your brothers died in the Emperor's defense - no man, and especially no ronin could ask to die better! Yet when you look and see that gentle Miki and stolid Hideyoshi have fallen, that nearsighted Hachiman will no longer be hunched over his rice bowl at the table, that Hana will never again see that Lion caravan guard of hers, you cannot help but miss them fiercely. You take a deep breath. "These are my little brothers in the Warakkoi-gumi. Be known to Gohei and Taigen."
Gohei does his best to stand and bow, but collapses before he can do so, his leg black with blood in the darkness. He lets out an involuntary bark of pain, and Taigen straightens from her bow to rush to help him.
"How bad is it?" You ask, rushing forwards to take a look.
"Bad enough," she says grimly, her youthful features in a serious expression incongruous with her normal cheerfullness. She places her hands on the wound and squeezes to try and staunch the bleeding, causing Gohei to groan again.
In the distance, you begin to hear a far-off drum of hoofbeats, and you almost curse aloud before realizing just whose august presence you are still in. Hurriedly, you strip off the outer layer of your kimono, leaving yourself in just a breastband, and draw the tanto from the scabbard at your back to cut strips of fabric off of it.
"Can I be of help?" You have just a moment's clarity to realize that this is the Emperor asking you this question, and then suddenly you realize that you no longer care. "Here! Take this, take my knife, cut strips for Taigen so she can get him bandaged. Once she's done, help keep pressure on Gohei's wound so she can row." You hurriedly thrust your kimono at the Emperor, hand him your tanto much more carefully, then grab your oar and move to the front of the boat. The prow dips alarmingly as you kneel much farther forwards than is usually safe, but with the boat riding high in the water thanks to its lack of passengers you are able to keep it from doing more than getting your shoulders close to the water.
You kneel down and begin to row.
It's a craft built for six with one to steer, a lightweight scow meant to carry small amounts of goods discreetly - but 'small' is a relative term. Your shoulders strain and shake with effort as you scoop at the water, just trying to keep moving down the river as fast as possible until you finally hear the word 'Ready!' from Taigen. Gratefully you move back to the first bench and have Taigen come up to meet you, then as politely as possible ask the Emperor to move with Gohei to the back to keep the craft steady. With two people rowing, you can move the water on both sides of the craft at once; you slowly but surely begin to outpace your pursuers' tired steeds as the hoofbeats fade into the distance.
Rowing in the dark is difficult, and the path ahead is uncertain. You really can't afford to get stuck on a sandbar up ahead, so despite the fact that your pursuers could hear you, you begin to sing the rowing-songs once again so that you can keep rhythm with Taigen.
Amid the branches of the silvery bowers
The nightingale doth sing:
Perchance he knows
That Spring hath come
And takes late snows
For the white petals of the plum's sweet flowers
Oh Lotus leaf! I dreamt the wide earth
Held not more pure than thee
Held not more true
Why then when on thee
drops the morning dew
Pretend that tis a gem of priceless worth?
The nightingale doth sing:
Perchance he knows
That Spring hath come
And takes late snows
For the white petals of the plum's sweet flowers
Oh Lotus leaf! I dreamt the wide earth
Held not more pure than thee
Held not more true
Why then when on thee
drops the morning dew
Pretend that tis a gem of priceless worth?
Into the night, though your voice runs hoarse and your palms run with blood, you sing and row, fending off sandbars and following the currents, cursing the river's every lazy switchback with a song on your lips and doing your best to ignore Gohei's cries of pain as the boat shakes in the rapids. In the limpid shallows you stroke long and slow to songs of lost love, heartache in your voice thinking of your fallen friends. As the current picks up, marching songs carry you along through the constant effort it takes to keep the prow straight. Hantei is curiously quiet throughout it all, though he maintains his pressure on Gohei's wound, and does not once slip into sleep despite the lateness of the hour and the exhaustion of battle.
Taigen begins to fade as the night goes on, no longer able to keep pace with your tempo, so you send her back to the tiller to 'assist Hantei-heike with Gohei' and switch to only stroking as necessary to keep the boat pointed straight and heading downriver, gratefully allowing your abused voice to finally rest.
As dawn finally approaches, you can see the town of Maemikake on the horizon. You hear a quiet noise from behind you, and you turn with exhaustion to look at your Emperor. "Well done, Tsubaki-san."
Taigen begins to fade as the night goes on, no longer able to keep pace with your tempo, so you send her back to the tiller to 'assist Hantei-heike with Gohei' and switch to only stroking as necessary to keep the boat pointed straight and heading downriver, gratefully allowing your abused voice to finally rest.
As dawn finally approaches, you can see the town of Maemikake on the horizon. You hear a quiet noise from behind you, and you turn with exhaustion to look at your Emperor. "Well done, Tsubaki-san."
"My thanks, Hantei-heika." you respond wearily, and you turn to look at him directly.
With the light, you can make out the colors of his face, and realize too late that he must be able to do the same to you, must be able to see the accursed red patch that mars the contours of your face and envelops your right eye. You quickly turn away to hide your disfigurement, pretending to look over the waters of the river, but he evinces no shock or anything other than open sincerity on his face. "I have been to many Winter Courts over the years, Tsubaki-san, and I have never heard those songs sung in quite that manner. You are very talented."
"You do me too much credit, Hantei-heika!" you exclaim in surprise, forgetting to look away from him once again. You quickly compose yourself, trying to regain your on, but fatigue and the emotions of loss make it more difficult. "They are only simple river-songs."
The Emperor smiles slightly, allowing his perfect on to slip to match yours. "Your simple river-songs may have saved the life of an Emperor, Tsubaki-san. As did your actions this night. Rest assured, I will not soon forget either."
You don't really know what to say to that, and for a time you both fall silent as the town drifts closer. Now that you have finally reached the safety of the Crab, you find yourself speaking of -
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Your companions
[ ] The Wakkakoi-gumi
[ ] The assassins
[ ] The town ahead
[ ] Write-in.
With the light, you can make out the colors of his face, and realize too late that he must be able to do the same to you, must be able to see the accursed red patch that mars the contours of your face and envelops your right eye. You quickly turn away to hide your disfigurement, pretending to look over the waters of the river, but he evinces no shock or anything other than open sincerity on his face. "I have been to many Winter Courts over the years, Tsubaki-san, and I have never heard those songs sung in quite that manner. You are very talented."
"You do me too much credit, Hantei-heika!" you exclaim in surprise, forgetting to look away from him once again. You quickly compose yourself, trying to regain your on, but fatigue and the emotions of loss make it more difficult. "They are only simple river-songs."
The Emperor smiles slightly, allowing his perfect on to slip to match yours. "Your simple river-songs may have saved the life of an Emperor, Tsubaki-san. As did your actions this night. Rest assured, I will not soon forget either."
You don't really know what to say to that, and for a time you both fall silent as the town drifts closer. Now that you have finally reached the safety of the Crab, you find yourself speaking of -
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Your companions
[ ] The Wakkakoi-gumi
[ ] The assassins
[ ] The town ahead
[ ] Write-in.
If you have any questions for the Emperor, or things that you'd like to ask before you get to town, now is the time.
Last edited:
0.4 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Your companions
As the dawn breaks the river begins to come to life. Ducks slide into the water to search for those fish slow to take shelter from the day, dragonflies dart low over rippling eddies to snatch at hatching mayflies, and frogs begin to chirp their strange croaking songs in harmony with the larks and wrens. The sky blazes like a torch on the eastern horizon, the glory of Lady Sun too brilliant to behold directly but causing all of the jealous kami of the air to blush in envy. Yet for all of nature's sublime beauty, one thought cannot help but cross your mind.
"Hideyoshi would usually be complaining about now," you say with a wistful smile. From behind you, you can hear a sniffly laugh of agreement from Taigen. "We very often wake before dawn so that we can be on the water as soon as there is light, and every time we did this, by the time the sun came up Hide-kun would always be saying, 'now this is the time a samurai should wake, with the heavens!'" You smile, and turn to the Son of Heaven. "But ah! Hideyoshi was brave, and he was quick. Most of us leave our daisho at home when we go on the water, or at the very least put it somewhere safe in the bottom of the boat, but Hideyoshi always wore his. He refused to be parted from his katana, said that a true duelist would never put himself in a position to have to refuse a challenge."
"I saw him," says your Emperor. "He stood with his sword sheathed against a man with sword drawn, wearing only silk against an enemy clad in steel, and shamed his foe into an honorable duel with his courage." Hantei inclines his head in respect, and you choke back tears. "He sacrificed his body so that his arm could strike true."
At this you have to look away, casting your gaze out into the river once again. "Hana's weapon was the masakiri," you say, "and she wielded it with the same passion as she did everything else, and she was good with it. She loved a Lion that she thought the rest of us didn't know about, and he was always showing her little tips and tricks - no school secrets I'm sure, just the little things that would keep her alive."
"I saw her too," you hear from behind you. "She fought with a fury worthy of the Matsu, attacking with all her might in order to bring her enemies down regardless of the wounds upon her."
For another long moment, you cannot speak, overwhelmed by the honor that the Son of Heaven does to your friends. As if sensing this, Hantei speaks instead. "Seppun Yoshitsune was a friend," he says. It strikes you suddenly that the sorrow that you have been feeling is not only your own, but that of Taigen and your Emperor as well. Through the strange gift that you possess you share the bittersweet emotion of lost companions, a feeling unavoidable no matter how well those companions died. "An Emperor has many admirers, many devoted followers, but few that he can truly call friend." He clears his throat, letting some of his emotion show through on his face so that you will not be embarrassed by your own emotion. "We grew up as boys together, and in the days before my father passed and I assumed the throne we often sparred with each other to keep our skills sharp. He never once lost to me deliberately; never gave insincere praise to curry favor. To him, I think, I was ever Hantetsu."
It is odd, to see what your Emperor thinks is praiseworthy; to see emotion on a divine sovereign's face. You are struck with the sudden realization that the Emperor, too, is human. Looking at him more closely as the daylight brightens you can see bleary eyes with bags underneath, iron-gray stubble on his upper lip and chin. "It is said that the Kami loved Shinsei not only because he taught them, but because he treated them as he did ordinary men," you say in reply.
Hantetsu nods tiredly, and squeezes his eyes closed for a second. He raises a hand, as if to massage his temples, but remembers himself when he sees Gohei's blood upon it and instead lets it hang down off the side of the boat to dangle in the river. "Your other friends, the boy with the spear and the man with the knives, what were their names?" He asks.
You wince inwardly at the sight of the Son of Heaven's hands covered with an impure substance, but given that he asked you a direct question, you have little choice but to answer. "Miki, and Hachiman." You answer hurriedly. "Miki was - kami, he swore up and down he was fourteen, but I wasn't always so sure. But he worked hard, and he listened, so we let him join the crew." You shake your head. "His mother will be inconsolable."
"He died bravely." Hantetsu says. "On his feet, facing the enemy." Despite the high praise, your heart sinks to think of gentle, inexperienced Miki meeting his death so soon.
"Thank you, Hantei-heika." You say. "Fumiko will - she will be proud to hear it, I am sure." There is another long moment of silence, until you are reminded that the question is still half-answered. "As for Hachiman, well..." You pause for a second, trying to figure out what to say of him, what you can say without speaking ill of the dead. "He was clever, in a canny way. And good with an oar. And despite the fact that he didn't get along with many of us, he'd have our backs in a fight, every time."
As if sensing your reluctance and the reasons behind it, the Emperor simply nods solemnly in response to this. "He fought inelegantly, but fiercely," Hantetsu says. "He will be remembered, as will they all."
You are about to respond when suddenly you hear a faint scraping sound as the boat brushes against a sandbar. You pick up your oar and sink it down low into the sand to push the prow so that it is heading in the right direction, then pull it through the water several times to place you once more in the center of the river where the current is swiftest. As you pull it out of the water you see that its once-proud paint job is utterly ruined. Chunks have been torn out of the sides by biting blades, notches made in its face from where you batted arrows out of the air, the face of it is smeared with ash and burnt black from where you plunged it into the thatch, and the handle is smeared with blood from where your injured hands have grasped it. You look at it, sigh, and put it back into the water to keep the prow of the boat from overcorrecting and sending you into the opposite shore.
"What was it?" the Emperor asks. "The emblem on that oar of yours."
Unexpectedly, Taigen speaks up. "A catfish, Hantei-heika," she says, "For Tsubaki, our Namazu captain." You glare at her, and see her eyes twinkle in amusement. "Some people say catfish're a sign of earthquakes because they cause 'em, some people say they just know when one's coming - well, that's Tsubaki and trouble. Always knows when trouble's coming and always heads straight towards it."
The Emperor strokes the stubble on his chin slowly and thoughtfully. "So I see. And then gets back out of it with that oar of hers, no doubt?" As you flush in embarrassment, he asks "Is this the first time she's held off six armed men with nothing but a wooden oar? Or used one to parry an arrow in flight?"
You blink. "Six?" You ask. "That can't be right, it was only -" you break off. "I suppose it could have been, I was a bit too busy not getting stabbed to count, but really six?"
Taigen covers her mouth politely to hide a smile. "No, Hantei-heika. When she swings that thing around it's like she's wielding Hida's own tetsubo. She's fought entire Firemen gangs with that thing when they get too rowdy and walk into our districts."
"That's -" you sputter.
"And every time we tell her what she did, she always just says that she 'didn't notice'." She gives an exaggerated sigh for effect even as you fume helplessly. "It's very like her, not to notice important things."
"I - you- that's a complete exaggeration!" you say.
"Oh, of course, of course." Taigen says before holding up a scrap of blue fabric. "By the way, Tsubaki, we're getting close to town. Would you like your kimono back?"
You look to the fabric in her hand, and see the hastily torn remnants of your kimono.
Then down at yourself, and see the sweat-stained chest wrappings, your slip, and your half-open juban.
You have spent the last few minutes conversing with the Emperor half-naked in broad daylight.
You can feel the rest of your face turning as red as the birthmark across your right eye and you nod stiffly. Mercifully, no one laughs as you shrug back into the remains of your kimono. Hantei looks out over the water - guiltily, your gift tells you (that dirty old man!) - as you dress to allow you the illusion of privacy, but it is the smallest of consolations. The trailing edge of your kimono is now ragged and entirely too short, but it's better than what you had. As a final step, since you are close to town, you reach into a box under the seat and pull out your daisho, buckling them tightly across your hips. "How is Gohei doing?" you ask, partially as a distraction but also out of concern.
"No change," Taigen says, placing one hand on his forehead. "He's still breathing, but he's not waking up." You can feel the worry radiating off of her like heat from a forge.
Hantei looks down at your injured 'little brother' and his face forms a mask of determination. "As soon as we get to town, I will make sure that a shugenja attends to him right away."
You nod, and with a wince you bend to pick up your oar. Wrapping your bloody hands around it, you once more begin to row - this time not for the life of an emperor, but for the life of your family.
As you arrive on the shores of the river next to the town proper, the sight of the Emperor in his emerald armor standing next to a pair of women carrying an obviously wounded man raises a great deal of consternation and excitement. Almost immediately, the heimin go running through the streets, calling for the samurai on duty.
The Emperor turns to you as the outcry spreads. "It seems that we shall not have long to wait. It is a curious thing - I have never attended another's court alone before, without so much as a yojimbo." He pauses expectantly.
Your hands are bloodied from exertion, you haven't slept in over a full day, you're quite frankly starving, and you look like a mess. You feel quite certain that the Emperor knows that he will be able to find a suitable Crab bushi in the space of a heartbeat, and is merely hinting that you could volunteer in order to honor you. Yet what an honor! Do you -
[ ] Volunteer (Continue to meetings with the Crab)
[ ] Suggest that a Crab bushi would be thrilled to be awarded the honor. (Fast forward to the next day)
As the dawn breaks the river begins to come to life. Ducks slide into the water to search for those fish slow to take shelter from the day, dragonflies dart low over rippling eddies to snatch at hatching mayflies, and frogs begin to chirp their strange croaking songs in harmony with the larks and wrens. The sky blazes like a torch on the eastern horizon, the glory of Lady Sun too brilliant to behold directly but causing all of the jealous kami of the air to blush in envy. Yet for all of nature's sublime beauty, one thought cannot help but cross your mind.
"Hideyoshi would usually be complaining about now," you say with a wistful smile. From behind you, you can hear a sniffly laugh of agreement from Taigen. "We very often wake before dawn so that we can be on the water as soon as there is light, and every time we did this, by the time the sun came up Hide-kun would always be saying, 'now this is the time a samurai should wake, with the heavens!'" You smile, and turn to the Son of Heaven. "But ah! Hideyoshi was brave, and he was quick. Most of us leave our daisho at home when we go on the water, or at the very least put it somewhere safe in the bottom of the boat, but Hideyoshi always wore his. He refused to be parted from his katana, said that a true duelist would never put himself in a position to have to refuse a challenge."
"I saw him," says your Emperor. "He stood with his sword sheathed against a man with sword drawn, wearing only silk against an enemy clad in steel, and shamed his foe into an honorable duel with his courage." Hantei inclines his head in respect, and you choke back tears. "He sacrificed his body so that his arm could strike true."
At this you have to look away, casting your gaze out into the river once again. "Hana's weapon was the masakiri," you say, "and she wielded it with the same passion as she did everything else, and she was good with it. She loved a Lion that she thought the rest of us didn't know about, and he was always showing her little tips and tricks - no school secrets I'm sure, just the little things that would keep her alive."
"I saw her too," you hear from behind you. "She fought with a fury worthy of the Matsu, attacking with all her might in order to bring her enemies down regardless of the wounds upon her."
For another long moment, you cannot speak, overwhelmed by the honor that the Son of Heaven does to your friends. As if sensing this, Hantei speaks instead. "Seppun Yoshitsune was a friend," he says. It strikes you suddenly that the sorrow that you have been feeling is not only your own, but that of Taigen and your Emperor as well. Through the strange gift that you possess you share the bittersweet emotion of lost companions, a feeling unavoidable no matter how well those companions died. "An Emperor has many admirers, many devoted followers, but few that he can truly call friend." He clears his throat, letting some of his emotion show through on his face so that you will not be embarrassed by your own emotion. "We grew up as boys together, and in the days before my father passed and I assumed the throne we often sparred with each other to keep our skills sharp. He never once lost to me deliberately; never gave insincere praise to curry favor. To him, I think, I was ever Hantetsu."
It is odd, to see what your Emperor thinks is praiseworthy; to see emotion on a divine sovereign's face. You are struck with the sudden realization that the Emperor, too, is human. Looking at him more closely as the daylight brightens you can see bleary eyes with bags underneath, iron-gray stubble on his upper lip and chin. "It is said that the Kami loved Shinsei not only because he taught them, but because he treated them as he did ordinary men," you say in reply.
Hantetsu nods tiredly, and squeezes his eyes closed for a second. He raises a hand, as if to massage his temples, but remembers himself when he sees Gohei's blood upon it and instead lets it hang down off the side of the boat to dangle in the river. "Your other friends, the boy with the spear and the man with the knives, what were their names?" He asks.
You wince inwardly at the sight of the Son of Heaven's hands covered with an impure substance, but given that he asked you a direct question, you have little choice but to answer. "Miki, and Hachiman." You answer hurriedly. "Miki was - kami, he swore up and down he was fourteen, but I wasn't always so sure. But he worked hard, and he listened, so we let him join the crew." You shake your head. "His mother will be inconsolable."
"He died bravely." Hantetsu says. "On his feet, facing the enemy." Despite the high praise, your heart sinks to think of gentle, inexperienced Miki meeting his death so soon.
"Thank you, Hantei-heika." You say. "Fumiko will - she will be proud to hear it, I am sure." There is another long moment of silence, until you are reminded that the question is still half-answered. "As for Hachiman, well..." You pause for a second, trying to figure out what to say of him, what you can say without speaking ill of the dead. "He was clever, in a canny way. And good with an oar. And despite the fact that he didn't get along with many of us, he'd have our backs in a fight, every time."
As if sensing your reluctance and the reasons behind it, the Emperor simply nods solemnly in response to this. "He fought inelegantly, but fiercely," Hantetsu says. "He will be remembered, as will they all."
You are about to respond when suddenly you hear a faint scraping sound as the boat brushes against a sandbar. You pick up your oar and sink it down low into the sand to push the prow so that it is heading in the right direction, then pull it through the water several times to place you once more in the center of the river where the current is swiftest. As you pull it out of the water you see that its once-proud paint job is utterly ruined. Chunks have been torn out of the sides by biting blades, notches made in its face from where you batted arrows out of the air, the face of it is smeared with ash and burnt black from where you plunged it into the thatch, and the handle is smeared with blood from where your injured hands have grasped it. You look at it, sigh, and put it back into the water to keep the prow of the boat from overcorrecting and sending you into the opposite shore.
"What was it?" the Emperor asks. "The emblem on that oar of yours."
Unexpectedly, Taigen speaks up. "A catfish, Hantei-heika," she says, "For Tsubaki, our Namazu captain." You glare at her, and see her eyes twinkle in amusement. "Some people say catfish're a sign of earthquakes because they cause 'em, some people say they just know when one's coming - well, that's Tsubaki and trouble. Always knows when trouble's coming and always heads straight towards it."
The Emperor strokes the stubble on his chin slowly and thoughtfully. "So I see. And then gets back out of it with that oar of hers, no doubt?" As you flush in embarrassment, he asks "Is this the first time she's held off six armed men with nothing but a wooden oar? Or used one to parry an arrow in flight?"
You blink. "Six?" You ask. "That can't be right, it was only -" you break off. "I suppose it could have been, I was a bit too busy not getting stabbed to count, but really six?"
Taigen covers her mouth politely to hide a smile. "No, Hantei-heika. When she swings that thing around it's like she's wielding Hida's own tetsubo. She's fought entire Firemen gangs with that thing when they get too rowdy and walk into our districts."
"That's -" you sputter.
"And every time we tell her what she did, she always just says that she 'didn't notice'." She gives an exaggerated sigh for effect even as you fume helplessly. "It's very like her, not to notice important things."
"I - you- that's a complete exaggeration!" you say.
"Oh, of course, of course." Taigen says before holding up a scrap of blue fabric. "By the way, Tsubaki, we're getting close to town. Would you like your kimono back?"
You look to the fabric in her hand, and see the hastily torn remnants of your kimono.
Then down at yourself, and see the sweat-stained chest wrappings, your slip, and your half-open juban.
You have spent the last few minutes conversing with the Emperor half-naked in broad daylight.
You can feel the rest of your face turning as red as the birthmark across your right eye and you nod stiffly. Mercifully, no one laughs as you shrug back into the remains of your kimono. Hantei looks out over the water - guiltily, your gift tells you (that dirty old man!) - as you dress to allow you the illusion of privacy, but it is the smallest of consolations. The trailing edge of your kimono is now ragged and entirely too short, but it's better than what you had. As a final step, since you are close to town, you reach into a box under the seat and pull out your daisho, buckling them tightly across your hips. "How is Gohei doing?" you ask, partially as a distraction but also out of concern.
"No change," Taigen says, placing one hand on his forehead. "He's still breathing, but he's not waking up." You can feel the worry radiating off of her like heat from a forge.
Hantei looks down at your injured 'little brother' and his face forms a mask of determination. "As soon as we get to town, I will make sure that a shugenja attends to him right away."
You nod, and with a wince you bend to pick up your oar. Wrapping your bloody hands around it, you once more begin to row - this time not for the life of an emperor, but for the life of your family.
As you arrive on the shores of the river next to the town proper, the sight of the Emperor in his emerald armor standing next to a pair of women carrying an obviously wounded man raises a great deal of consternation and excitement. Almost immediately, the heimin go running through the streets, calling for the samurai on duty.
The Emperor turns to you as the outcry spreads. "It seems that we shall not have long to wait. It is a curious thing - I have never attended another's court alone before, without so much as a yojimbo." He pauses expectantly.
Your hands are bloodied from exertion, you haven't slept in over a full day, you're quite frankly starving, and you look like a mess. You feel quite certain that the Emperor knows that he will be able to find a suitable Crab bushi in the space of a heartbeat, and is merely hinting that you could volunteer in order to honor you. Yet what an honor! Do you -
[ ] Volunteer (Continue to meetings with the Crab)
[ ] Suggest that a Crab bushi would be thrilled to be awarded the honor. (Fast forward to the next day)
Last edited:
0.5 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Volunteer.
"If it is a yojimbo that you seek, Hantei-heika, it would be my honor to serve as such." You say, looking to Taigen. She nods in response to your unspoken question and kneels down so that you can help her get Gohei across her shoulders. Though she staggers under his full weight, she should be able to get him far enough into town that you can find heimin to assist her.
Hantetsu smiles at you. "Your offer is gracious, Tsubaki-san, and I gratefully accept." He picks up his emerald kabuto from the bottom of the boat and secures it on his head, then marches towards the town, leaving you and Taigen to follow.
Unbidden, a memory arises to the forefront of your thoughts of a lesson in the dojo, one of many that covered the subject of how a ronin should conduct oneself around clan samurai so as not to cause offense. "If you should be so lucky as to be granted an audience at court," you remember Shimura-sensei saying, "take care to wear no armor, nor to fail to surrender your sword when asked. To do otherwise is a grave insult, because it implies that you do not feel safe in another's home." So what does it imply when the Emperor chooses to wear full armor in order to travel through a Crab city? Despite your fatigue, as you contemplate this idea you find yourself fighting back a vindictive grin.
"Namazu-chan, your whiskers are twitching." You shoot your little sister a glare, but she has already turned her gaze away, looking innocently off into the distance. You grind your teeth in frustration. It's not your fault that you enjoy watching uppity clan samurai get humbled! However, you have to set aside thoughts of revenge - you are in the town proper now, acting as yojimbo to the Son of Heaven, and you haven't come this far to fail now.
You've never actually been a bodyguard before, but as far as you know it basically just requires keeping your eyes open and getting in the way of anything that tries to get through you to harm the Emperor. You glare at the various peasants of Maemikake as they approach, holding your oar over your shoulder in what you hope is a threatening manner. They stare back at you, goggle-eyed; you can hear the whispers and mutters as the mark on your face comes into view, see the hard looks and the evil eyes, and something in you snaps. You whirl your oar to a vertical position, plant its blade firmly in the ground, and SHOUT. "ALL BOW BEFORE THE DIVINE EMPEROR, THE SON OF HEAVEN, HIS DIVINE MAJESTY HANTEI, THIRTY-FIRST OF HIS LINE!"
All of a sudden they are no longer staring at you, but at the man in emerald and chrysanthemum armor next to you. And then staring at the ground, as the terrified heimin bury their faces in the dirt to show their respect for the Emperor. The Emperor turns to you, blinking mildly. "Impressive," he says, and you place one hand behind your head and laugh nervously.
"Thank you, Hantei-heika." you respond, and turn to the crowd. "YOU! In the back, with the geta. Run to the castle, inform the lords that the Emperor has arrived. You in the green, is there a shugenja? Or a monk?" When he nods frantically and sort of looks towards the direction that the first man took off in, you sigh in exasperation and point to him and a few men near him. "At the castle? Fine, you four. Stand up and help us take this man to them." They stand and scramble to obey.
As you return your gaze to the Emperor, you see him eyeing you speculatively. For a second, it almost looks as if he is going to say something, but in the end he just smiles and turns back to the road ahead. The roads are much easier to watch for any signs of trouble with all of the peasants kneeling; as you move forwards from the initial crowd you see that word has spread, with many of the heimin having ventured over from different parts of the city so that they can catch a glimpse of the Emperor and bow before him. It is almost eerie how quiet the town has become, how the normal village noises of bustle and conversation have been replaced with the flapping of cloth in the breeze, the far-off cry of a baby who is quickly shushed, and the faint metallic noises of your Emperor's armor as he walks beside you.
It strikes you how plain the village looks. In Zakyo Toshi, many homes would have wind chimes hanging at the doors, or decorative lanterns; many of the doors facing the street would have painted screens, or baskets of flowers in front. Maemikake's roads are wider and smoother, and the buildings made of solid stone rather than wood, but in comparison to your home it is tremendously dull. Luckily, the voyage to the castle at the town's center does not take too long, and you are soon confronted with an enormous set of blue gates that have been thrown wide open. Behind the gates lies a wide moat of water spanned by a heavy stone bridge, which then leads to an unornamented paved courtyard and a wide, tall stone staircase.
Down the stone staircase hurries a heavyset man with a wide face and a slightly frantic expression. Like most Crab samurai, his arms are thickly muscled; unlike most of the Crab you have seen, time and mortal frailty have conspired to rob the color from his hair, and his build seems more like that of a sumai than a bushi. He is wearing an elaborate kimono of dark blue and pale green that probably cost more than you have seen in a year, and has bunched it up in his hands to allow him to descend the stairs faster. Behind him a few bushi in heavy armor follow in two columns, descending the stairs in a clattering cavalcade that sounds almost like a tea-house's worth of cookpots all being banged together at once.
The heavyset man visibly slows in surprise as he reaches the courtyard and sees your unusual procession, but once he convinces himself that his eyes do not betray him he resumes his hurried pace and bows deeply before you and the Emperor, the bushi behind him following suit. You look to Hantei for confirmation, then bow back, trying to keep your eyes on him the way that Hideyoshi used to show you, when he talked about a 'duelist's bow'. As the courtier straightens, his eyes flick over to you and his nostrils flare; you feel a wave of confusion and disgust as his gaze passes over your eye. With visible effort, the Crab samurai turns to the Emperor. "This unworthy one is Kaiu Watsu, heika. Please, forgive us for our unpreparedness in receiving you! We were not expecting your arrival for several days, and saw no sign of your Seppun Guardsmen on the road!"
"That is because I, and my Guardsmen, were set upon by assailants in the village of Sacred Stone," says your Emperor. You don't miss the banked anger in his voice, and by the way that the blood drains out of Watsu's face, neither did he. "Had Tsubaki-san's band of honorable ronin not charged four-to-one odds in order to come to my assistance, I very much doubt that I would have arrived at all." He gives a subtle nod to you.
Watsu is by this point thoroughly pale, his eyes wide with shock, and he takes one step back in utter consternation. "That is horrible news!" he says, and bows once again, this time directly to you. "I am certain that I speak for my daimyo when I say that you have our deepest gratitude for your service in this!"
"We did only as our duty commanded, Kaiu-san." You reply, again returning his bow just slightly less deep than he performed it, keeping your gaze upon him on all times.
He flushes, and takes a few steps backwards so that you may enter the castle proper. "Please, come in. I must inform the daimyo of this at once. I will send for the shugenja right away, make sure your wounds are treated, have you had rice?" he babbles, doing his best to walk quickly and lead you as fast as possible back into the castle, while also not wanting to move so far from the Emperor as to abandon his presence without permission.
At the mere mention of food your stomach growls. You do your best to keep your embarrassment from showing on your face, and luckily none of the assembled samurai see fit to comment upon your lapse. "Not yet." Hantei says in response to the question.
Watsu bows again, this time seemingly as a reflex. "I will have food and drink sent to your rooms, Hantei-heika. And a shugenja. And I will let the daimyo know to send bushi to the Village of Sacred Stone, to recover the bodies and daisho of your Guardsmen. Did you identify your attackers?" He asks.
"They bore no identification," says Hantei, "But it seems likely that they were members of the Forest Killers."
Watsu's eyes flick to you for confirmation, and for a second you pause. You've had unfortunate encounters with the Forest Killers before, and you know full well that they do not carry foreign-style swords. What do you say?
[ ] The truth - At least as much of it as can be told without directly contradicting the Emperor. It is possible that he is merely mistaken, and it will display your integrity in any case.
[ ] Dissemble - It's possible that the Emperor has a specific goal in mind by misleading Watsu; you should let the statement stand by answering with half-truths.
[ ] Lie - If you're going to back the Emperor's play, you might as well do so to the hilt. Like the Scorpion, you will sacrifice anything for Duty. Even Honor.
[ ] Stay Silent - You're a yojimbo. Speaking is not your place.
[ ] Write-in.
"If it is a yojimbo that you seek, Hantei-heika, it would be my honor to serve as such." You say, looking to Taigen. She nods in response to your unspoken question and kneels down so that you can help her get Gohei across her shoulders. Though she staggers under his full weight, she should be able to get him far enough into town that you can find heimin to assist her.
Hantetsu smiles at you. "Your offer is gracious, Tsubaki-san, and I gratefully accept." He picks up his emerald kabuto from the bottom of the boat and secures it on his head, then marches towards the town, leaving you and Taigen to follow.
Unbidden, a memory arises to the forefront of your thoughts of a lesson in the dojo, one of many that covered the subject of how a ronin should conduct oneself around clan samurai so as not to cause offense. "If you should be so lucky as to be granted an audience at court," you remember Shimura-sensei saying, "take care to wear no armor, nor to fail to surrender your sword when asked. To do otherwise is a grave insult, because it implies that you do not feel safe in another's home." So what does it imply when the Emperor chooses to wear full armor in order to travel through a Crab city? Despite your fatigue, as you contemplate this idea you find yourself fighting back a vindictive grin.
"Namazu-chan, your whiskers are twitching." You shoot your little sister a glare, but she has already turned her gaze away, looking innocently off into the distance. You grind your teeth in frustration. It's not your fault that you enjoy watching uppity clan samurai get humbled! However, you have to set aside thoughts of revenge - you are in the town proper now, acting as yojimbo to the Son of Heaven, and you haven't come this far to fail now.
You've never actually been a bodyguard before, but as far as you know it basically just requires keeping your eyes open and getting in the way of anything that tries to get through you to harm the Emperor. You glare at the various peasants of Maemikake as they approach, holding your oar over your shoulder in what you hope is a threatening manner. They stare back at you, goggle-eyed; you can hear the whispers and mutters as the mark on your face comes into view, see the hard looks and the evil eyes, and something in you snaps. You whirl your oar to a vertical position, plant its blade firmly in the ground, and SHOUT. "ALL BOW BEFORE THE DIVINE EMPEROR, THE SON OF HEAVEN, HIS DIVINE MAJESTY HANTEI, THIRTY-FIRST OF HIS LINE!"
All of a sudden they are no longer staring at you, but at the man in emerald and chrysanthemum armor next to you. And then staring at the ground, as the terrified heimin bury their faces in the dirt to show their respect for the Emperor. The Emperor turns to you, blinking mildly. "Impressive," he says, and you place one hand behind your head and laugh nervously.
"Thank you, Hantei-heika." you respond, and turn to the crowd. "YOU! In the back, with the geta. Run to the castle, inform the lords that the Emperor has arrived. You in the green, is there a shugenja? Or a monk?" When he nods frantically and sort of looks towards the direction that the first man took off in, you sigh in exasperation and point to him and a few men near him. "At the castle? Fine, you four. Stand up and help us take this man to them." They stand and scramble to obey.
As you return your gaze to the Emperor, you see him eyeing you speculatively. For a second, it almost looks as if he is going to say something, but in the end he just smiles and turns back to the road ahead. The roads are much easier to watch for any signs of trouble with all of the peasants kneeling; as you move forwards from the initial crowd you see that word has spread, with many of the heimin having ventured over from different parts of the city so that they can catch a glimpse of the Emperor and bow before him. It is almost eerie how quiet the town has become, how the normal village noises of bustle and conversation have been replaced with the flapping of cloth in the breeze, the far-off cry of a baby who is quickly shushed, and the faint metallic noises of your Emperor's armor as he walks beside you.
It strikes you how plain the village looks. In Zakyo Toshi, many homes would have wind chimes hanging at the doors, or decorative lanterns; many of the doors facing the street would have painted screens, or baskets of flowers in front. Maemikake's roads are wider and smoother, and the buildings made of solid stone rather than wood, but in comparison to your home it is tremendously dull. Luckily, the voyage to the castle at the town's center does not take too long, and you are soon confronted with an enormous set of blue gates that have been thrown wide open. Behind the gates lies a wide moat of water spanned by a heavy stone bridge, which then leads to an unornamented paved courtyard and a wide, tall stone staircase.
Down the stone staircase hurries a heavyset man with a wide face and a slightly frantic expression. Like most Crab samurai, his arms are thickly muscled; unlike most of the Crab you have seen, time and mortal frailty have conspired to rob the color from his hair, and his build seems more like that of a sumai than a bushi. He is wearing an elaborate kimono of dark blue and pale green that probably cost more than you have seen in a year, and has bunched it up in his hands to allow him to descend the stairs faster. Behind him a few bushi in heavy armor follow in two columns, descending the stairs in a clattering cavalcade that sounds almost like a tea-house's worth of cookpots all being banged together at once.
The heavyset man visibly slows in surprise as he reaches the courtyard and sees your unusual procession, but once he convinces himself that his eyes do not betray him he resumes his hurried pace and bows deeply before you and the Emperor, the bushi behind him following suit. You look to Hantei for confirmation, then bow back, trying to keep your eyes on him the way that Hideyoshi used to show you, when he talked about a 'duelist's bow'. As the courtier straightens, his eyes flick over to you and his nostrils flare; you feel a wave of confusion and disgust as his gaze passes over your eye. With visible effort, the Crab samurai turns to the Emperor. "This unworthy one is Kaiu Watsu, heika. Please, forgive us for our unpreparedness in receiving you! We were not expecting your arrival for several days, and saw no sign of your Seppun Guardsmen on the road!"
"That is because I, and my Guardsmen, were set upon by assailants in the village of Sacred Stone," says your Emperor. You don't miss the banked anger in his voice, and by the way that the blood drains out of Watsu's face, neither did he. "Had Tsubaki-san's band of honorable ronin not charged four-to-one odds in order to come to my assistance, I very much doubt that I would have arrived at all." He gives a subtle nod to you.
Watsu is by this point thoroughly pale, his eyes wide with shock, and he takes one step back in utter consternation. "That is horrible news!" he says, and bows once again, this time directly to you. "I am certain that I speak for my daimyo when I say that you have our deepest gratitude for your service in this!"
"We did only as our duty commanded, Kaiu-san." You reply, again returning his bow just slightly less deep than he performed it, keeping your gaze upon him on all times.
He flushes, and takes a few steps backwards so that you may enter the castle proper. "Please, come in. I must inform the daimyo of this at once. I will send for the shugenja right away, make sure your wounds are treated, have you had rice?" he babbles, doing his best to walk quickly and lead you as fast as possible back into the castle, while also not wanting to move so far from the Emperor as to abandon his presence without permission.
At the mere mention of food your stomach growls. You do your best to keep your embarrassment from showing on your face, and luckily none of the assembled samurai see fit to comment upon your lapse. "Not yet." Hantei says in response to the question.
Watsu bows again, this time seemingly as a reflex. "I will have food and drink sent to your rooms, Hantei-heika. And a shugenja. And I will let the daimyo know to send bushi to the Village of Sacred Stone, to recover the bodies and daisho of your Guardsmen. Did you identify your attackers?" He asks.
"They bore no identification," says Hantei, "But it seems likely that they were members of the Forest Killers."
Watsu's eyes flick to you for confirmation, and for a second you pause. You've had unfortunate encounters with the Forest Killers before, and you know full well that they do not carry foreign-style swords. What do you say?
[ ] The truth - At least as much of it as can be told without directly contradicting the Emperor. It is possible that he is merely mistaken, and it will display your integrity in any case.
[ ] Dissemble - It's possible that the Emperor has a specific goal in mind by misleading Watsu; you should let the statement stand by answering with half-truths.
[ ] Lie - If you're going to back the Emperor's play, you might as well do so to the hilt. Like the Scorpion, you will sacrifice anything for Duty. Even Honor.
[ ] Stay Silent - You're a yojimbo. Speaking is not your place.
[ ] Write-in.
Last edited:
0.6 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Stay Silent - You're a yojimbo. Speaking is not your place.
As the Kaiu looks at you, you meet his eyes impassively. You can sense that he wishes to actually ask you what you saw, but cannot find a way to do so without appearing as though he is questioning the words of the Divine Emperor. As if to emphasize the nature of your refusal to speak you deliberately break his questioning gaze and flick your eyes, just once, at the Son of Heaven.
Watsu's eyes tighten a miniscule amount before he returns his gaze to your charge and bows deeply once again. "It is as you say, Hantei-heika. The Forest Killers are the largest known group of ronin in the area, after all." That last sentence was said without any emphasis whatsoever, but you could feel the not-so-hidden insult behind it nonetheless. Watsu turns away and barks out a few orders at the various bushi and heimin nearby, and they make haste to see to your, and the Emperor's, needs.
As the bushi take your wounded brother from the heimin that you drafted, you look over at Taigen. "Mind staying with Gohei?" You ask. "I'm sure he'd appreciate having a familiar face nearby when he awakes." And I'm sure that the Emperor would appreciate it if Gohei doesn't wake up bragging about fighting assassins with strange swords, you think. Taigen's face is as impassive as your own, so you would lay heavy odds on her understanding that a need for discretion exists, even if - like you - she does not know the reasons behind it. She gives you a nod of agreement, and follows the bushi down a side passageway leading off of the open courtyard.
When you return your attention to Watsu and your Emperor, you see that the former is waiting patiently for you to conduct your business. "Please, Majesty. If you will follow me, I will escort you to your personal suite." Hantei nods his acquiescence, and the two of you follow Kaiu up the long series of steps.
Upon entering the castle proper, you see that it is much the same as the city itself. The halls are grand and wide, but made of almost disappointingly plain stone and plaster. The floors creak like singing nightingales as you walk on them, and there is little in the way of decoration. What ornamentation does exist is all around one theme - you pass in quick succession a broken daisho that was used against an oni, a small funereal marker for the heroes of a particular battle, a set of armor with great claw-marks rent into its chest - and you shudder briefly. You had heard that the Crab were creepy, and that they liked to dwell on dark topics, but until today you hadn't understood what that meant.
Watsu leads you to another staircase, through another dreary hallway, up another staircase into what appears to be a grand dining room, up another staircase to a dojo, and finally (to your much-abused knees' grateful relief) to the guest chambers.
The suites take up the entire fifth floor of the castle, seemingly relying on size and spaciousness to make up for the lack of ostentation. Even so, the rooms appear more inviting than the corridors that you have just passed through; there are a variety of chairs and low pillows, a few tasteful scrolls of calligraphy hang upon the walls, and there are a few arrangements of flowers - you think that they have been arranged in ikebana, but either you have no eye for art or the composer of the piece has no particular skill, because as far as you can tell they might have just shoved the flowers in the vase.
For a second you pause, looking around. Are you supposed to check the room for assassins? Dust the beds for poison? Happily, Hantei takes the matter out of your hands by walking over to a set of weapon and armor racks on the walls. "Help me out of my armor, Tsubaki-san?" he asks.
You spare a second to place your eku in a rack that looks like it was originally intended for a tetsubo, and begin to help him with his laces. Your raw, abused hands fumble with the unfamiliar ties, but the Emperor does not chide or scold you despite his obvious hurry to be out of the encumbering getup. He assists where he is able, shucking iron plates with almost unseemly haste. As you undo the last tie he practically leaps to his feet, says "Excuse me, Tsubaki-san," and walks at practically the fastest controlled clip you have ever seen to where a screen has been set aside in a corner of the room, and passes behind it. A few seconds later, and you hear the hiss of water against tile.
You strain to hold back a giggle. The idea that even the Emperor needed to eat and piss and shit would yesterday have been as far away from you as the mountains of the Dragon clan, would never have even crossed your mind! You cross over to the rooms largest window, filling your ears with the morning breeze and birdsong out of courtesy to your Emperor - and out of a desire not to hear the wet plops of night-soil landing in the basin. The view is splendid, overlooking the orderly streets of Maemikake as they run to the lakeshore beyond. For a few minutes you take in the view and the fresh breeze, before you hear Hantetsu walk up behind you. "Ah, Hantei-heika." You say, doing your very utmost to keep a straight face. As you meet his eyes, his own are glimmering with private amusement, and you are certain that yours are just the same. "I was just admiring the breeze. It is truly a marvellous view."
He looks out past you, and smiles. "Why, indeed it is." He looks ever so slightly over his shoulder. "I think I may spend a few minutes to appreciate the view myself."
Your answering smile is grateful, and you hurry to take your turn behind the screen. Rather than a simple basin, you are surprised to see what looks like a porcelain pit in the floor of the room, with an arm-width hole in the center that appears to lead to a pipe of lead. A few pitchers of water stand nearby the basin, one of which has been emptied, and you take a second to marvel at the ingenuity of the unfamiliar Kaiu construction before going about your business.
After you finish, you walk back out into the main room and make a beeline for the nearest cushion. You sag gratefully down upon it, and Hantei does the same. For a few seconds, the two of you enjoy the sensation of having come to a rest, only to have the pleasant feeling interrupted by a tap on the wooden screen. You sigh heavily, dutifully work your way back to your feet so as to place yourself between Hantei and the doorway, and set one hand near the hilt of your katana just in case. "Enter," you say, and the door slides open to reveal a heimin girl carrying trays of food.
You immediately forgive her for her intrusion. The food is marvellous - real, actual rice, a dashi soup with steamed tofu floating inside it, and heaping helpings of pickled vegetables. The heimin, meanwhile, is apologizing for the simplicity of the meal even as she presents it to you, but your stomach roars like a lion at the sight of it. To top it all off, there is an iron kettle of tea, and the fragrance of it is heavenly even before it is poured.
After she sets the food in front of the two of you, the Emperor asks her to leave, and smiles at you after she has done so. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Tsubaki-san, but there is no need to stand on ceremony for now. I have no concerns for my safety in the castle." He takes a bite of rice, and you gratefully dig into yours as well. The pain in your hands makes it difficult to hold the chopsticks correctly, but you are hungry enough that you are more than willing to force yourself to hold them regardless. "It strikes me that we are likely to have as much privacy now as we will for some time," he says, and looks at you expectantly.
[ ] Write-in.
As the Kaiu looks at you, you meet his eyes impassively. You can sense that he wishes to actually ask you what you saw, but cannot find a way to do so without appearing as though he is questioning the words of the Divine Emperor. As if to emphasize the nature of your refusal to speak you deliberately break his questioning gaze and flick your eyes, just once, at the Son of Heaven.
Watsu's eyes tighten a miniscule amount before he returns his gaze to your charge and bows deeply once again. "It is as you say, Hantei-heika. The Forest Killers are the largest known group of ronin in the area, after all." That last sentence was said without any emphasis whatsoever, but you could feel the not-so-hidden insult behind it nonetheless. Watsu turns away and barks out a few orders at the various bushi and heimin nearby, and they make haste to see to your, and the Emperor's, needs.
As the bushi take your wounded brother from the heimin that you drafted, you look over at Taigen. "Mind staying with Gohei?" You ask. "I'm sure he'd appreciate having a familiar face nearby when he awakes." And I'm sure that the Emperor would appreciate it if Gohei doesn't wake up bragging about fighting assassins with strange swords, you think. Taigen's face is as impassive as your own, so you would lay heavy odds on her understanding that a need for discretion exists, even if - like you - she does not know the reasons behind it. She gives you a nod of agreement, and follows the bushi down a side passageway leading off of the open courtyard.
When you return your attention to Watsu and your Emperor, you see that the former is waiting patiently for you to conduct your business. "Please, Majesty. If you will follow me, I will escort you to your personal suite." Hantei nods his acquiescence, and the two of you follow Kaiu up the long series of steps.
Upon entering the castle proper, you see that it is much the same as the city itself. The halls are grand and wide, but made of almost disappointingly plain stone and plaster. The floors creak like singing nightingales as you walk on them, and there is little in the way of decoration. What ornamentation does exist is all around one theme - you pass in quick succession a broken daisho that was used against an oni, a small funereal marker for the heroes of a particular battle, a set of armor with great claw-marks rent into its chest - and you shudder briefly. You had heard that the Crab were creepy, and that they liked to dwell on dark topics, but until today you hadn't understood what that meant.
Watsu leads you to another staircase, through another dreary hallway, up another staircase into what appears to be a grand dining room, up another staircase to a dojo, and finally (to your much-abused knees' grateful relief) to the guest chambers.
The suites take up the entire fifth floor of the castle, seemingly relying on size and spaciousness to make up for the lack of ostentation. Even so, the rooms appear more inviting than the corridors that you have just passed through; there are a variety of chairs and low pillows, a few tasteful scrolls of calligraphy hang upon the walls, and there are a few arrangements of flowers - you think that they have been arranged in ikebana, but either you have no eye for art or the composer of the piece has no particular skill, because as far as you can tell they might have just shoved the flowers in the vase.
For a second you pause, looking around. Are you supposed to check the room for assassins? Dust the beds for poison? Happily, Hantei takes the matter out of your hands by walking over to a set of weapon and armor racks on the walls. "Help me out of my armor, Tsubaki-san?" he asks.
You spare a second to place your eku in a rack that looks like it was originally intended for a tetsubo, and begin to help him with his laces. Your raw, abused hands fumble with the unfamiliar ties, but the Emperor does not chide or scold you despite his obvious hurry to be out of the encumbering getup. He assists where he is able, shucking iron plates with almost unseemly haste. As you undo the last tie he practically leaps to his feet, says "Excuse me, Tsubaki-san," and walks at practically the fastest controlled clip you have ever seen to where a screen has been set aside in a corner of the room, and passes behind it. A few seconds later, and you hear the hiss of water against tile.
You strain to hold back a giggle. The idea that even the Emperor needed to eat and piss and shit would yesterday have been as far away from you as the mountains of the Dragon clan, would never have even crossed your mind! You cross over to the rooms largest window, filling your ears with the morning breeze and birdsong out of courtesy to your Emperor - and out of a desire not to hear the wet plops of night-soil landing in the basin. The view is splendid, overlooking the orderly streets of Maemikake as they run to the lakeshore beyond. For a few minutes you take in the view and the fresh breeze, before you hear Hantetsu walk up behind you. "Ah, Hantei-heika." You say, doing your very utmost to keep a straight face. As you meet his eyes, his own are glimmering with private amusement, and you are certain that yours are just the same. "I was just admiring the breeze. It is truly a marvellous view."
He looks out past you, and smiles. "Why, indeed it is." He looks ever so slightly over his shoulder. "I think I may spend a few minutes to appreciate the view myself."
Your answering smile is grateful, and you hurry to take your turn behind the screen. Rather than a simple basin, you are surprised to see what looks like a porcelain pit in the floor of the room, with an arm-width hole in the center that appears to lead to a pipe of lead. A few pitchers of water stand nearby the basin, one of which has been emptied, and you take a second to marvel at the ingenuity of the unfamiliar Kaiu construction before going about your business.
After you finish, you walk back out into the main room and make a beeline for the nearest cushion. You sag gratefully down upon it, and Hantei does the same. For a few seconds, the two of you enjoy the sensation of having come to a rest, only to have the pleasant feeling interrupted by a tap on the wooden screen. You sigh heavily, dutifully work your way back to your feet so as to place yourself between Hantei and the doorway, and set one hand near the hilt of your katana just in case. "Enter," you say, and the door slides open to reveal a heimin girl carrying trays of food.
You immediately forgive her for her intrusion. The food is marvellous - real, actual rice, a dashi soup with steamed tofu floating inside it, and heaping helpings of pickled vegetables. The heimin, meanwhile, is apologizing for the simplicity of the meal even as she presents it to you, but your stomach roars like a lion at the sight of it. To top it all off, there is an iron kettle of tea, and the fragrance of it is heavenly even before it is poured.
After she sets the food in front of the two of you, the Emperor asks her to leave, and smiles at you after she has done so. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Tsubaki-san, but there is no need to stand on ceremony for now. I have no concerns for my safety in the castle." He takes a bite of rice, and you gratefully dig into yours as well. The pain in your hands makes it difficult to hold the chopsticks correctly, but you are hungry enough that you are more than willing to force yourself to hold them regardless. "It strikes me that we are likely to have as much privacy now as we will for some time," he says, and looks at you expectantly.
[ ] Write-in.
So I lied. Enjoy the early chapter!
Last edited:
0.7 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] "I am...not so well travelled as you are no doubt Hantei-Heika, if you could indulge my curiosity. What were those weapons that the Forest Killers used? They were strange to me and looked like no daisho or ono or masakiri."
"And why did I not mention them?" Hantei asks with a raised eyebrow.
You nod silently. He sighs, and lifts the pot of tea, pouring first your cup and then his own. Internally you do your best not to gape. It's likely that he did not think anything of the gesture, that he was simply taught to always refill a partner's cup before his own, but that doesn't change the fact that you, a humble ronin, will be drinking tea poured by the Emperor's own hands. Hantetsu, you tell yourself - if only to make it through the conversation without becoming completely overwhelmed. I am merely having breakfast with Hantestu-san.
You are sufficiently absorbed in this line of thought that you almost miss when he actually begins to answer your question. "To speak plainly, I did not recognize the weapons either," he says. "They were doubtless foreign in make, but they seemed wider and less curved than the scimitars," his tongue half-stumbles over the foreign word, "that the Unicorn carry."
"Gaijin weapons?" You blink in surprise; you had assumed that they were merely a form of sword that a more experienced samurai would have recognized immediately. "But that's -" You stop, trying to understand the implications.
"You see my dilemma?" Hantetsu asks. "I am Emperor. My person is sacrosanct. That an attempt on my life was made on Crab lands is a stain of dishonor that they will try to remedy as quickly as possible. If I mention merely that the riders were on horseback and bore foreign weapons, then come the following spring the Crab may march to war against the Unicorn. If I say that their weapons were not those of true Unicorn, the Crab might instead march against the Scorpion, with the Unicorn as their allies, for who else would feign an attack by a foreign clan on the Crab-Scorpion border? Or, perhaps they will use the excuse to vent their wrath on others who deal with foreigners - the Islands of Silk and Spice are quite wealthy, and the Mantis are but a Minor Clan."
"War, huh…" You think about that for a second. "You're going to do something about the attack, right? Not just, let it go unanswered or anything."
Hantetsu snorts in derision at the very thought. "Hardly. I just have to buy time until the Emerald Magistrates can be informed. To them, I will tell all, leaving nothing out. From there, they will ensure that the true culprits behind the affair will be punished."
Involuntarily your mouth twists, as though you had bitten into an unripe satsuma, and the deliciously steamed rice in your mouth turns to ash. "Ah. I see, Hantei-heika," you answer non-committally.
The Emperor's gaze sharpens. "What is it?" he asks. You hesitate, and a note of command enters his voice. "Tell me." His tone leaves no room for argument, and you gulp involuntarily.
"The Magistrate that runs Zakyo Toshi is… well, everything I've heard about him is that he's corrupt," you blurt out. "Otomo-dono puts the squeeze on merchants, heimin who can't afford a bribe aren't given papers to be permitted to leave the province, just about anybody can get out of jail if they have the cash to spare, he's in bed with the opium trade…" You notice Hantei-heika's face purpling with anger, and you trail off for a second before finding your tongue again. "I mean, some of that's just rumors, but I know for a fact that more and more people have been turning to smugglers to dodge the bribes, and I've at least seen more and more people with opium -"
"Enough!" Hantei says, making a chopping motion in the air, and you cut yourself off abruptly. He pauses, clearly thinking, before nodding slowly. "I believe you."
You release a breath in an explosive sigh that you hadn't realized you were holding. "Thank you, Hantei-heika," you say, and bow low enough that your forehead touches the tatami mats; it means that you have to scoot back slightly before you do so in order to prevent your hair from falling into the soup, but for practically the first time in several hours, you truly see him as an Emperor, rather than as a man.
"Oh, get up," he says. As you lift your head you see that he is supporting his head with his hand, the events of the prior day and the burdens of an Empire weighing heavily upon him. He massages his temples with his thumb and pinky finger, the other three fingers resting on his scalp, and releases a sigh of frustration. Finally he asks, "Have you heard anything ill of the Magistrates in the Crab lands?"
You pause to recollect. "Not as such, Hantei-heika. I have heard that the magistrate in Shiro Hida enjoys strong drink, and that the magistrate in the Eastern part of the Crab lands is quite harsh, but neither has anything like the ill reputation of Otomo Genryu-dono."
He scowls. "That addresses that, at least. As to Genryu…" He shakes his head reluctantly. "Perhaps I will be able to think on the issue more clearly when I have had some sleep. The illegal trade of opium carries the death penalty for a reason, as does that sort of corruption… yet I find myself reluctant to command the execution of my own cousin." You gulp. You hadn't realized -
Hantei interrupts your panic with a question. "What would you do, in my place?"
[ ] Write-in.
[ ] Choose a character portrait from @gman391 's post above, or write-in with another.
"And why did I not mention them?" Hantei asks with a raised eyebrow.
You nod silently. He sighs, and lifts the pot of tea, pouring first your cup and then his own. Internally you do your best not to gape. It's likely that he did not think anything of the gesture, that he was simply taught to always refill a partner's cup before his own, but that doesn't change the fact that you, a humble ronin, will be drinking tea poured by the Emperor's own hands. Hantetsu, you tell yourself - if only to make it through the conversation without becoming completely overwhelmed. I am merely having breakfast with Hantestu-san.
You are sufficiently absorbed in this line of thought that you almost miss when he actually begins to answer your question. "To speak plainly, I did not recognize the weapons either," he says. "They were doubtless foreign in make, but they seemed wider and less curved than the scimitars," his tongue half-stumbles over the foreign word, "that the Unicorn carry."
"Gaijin weapons?" You blink in surprise; you had assumed that they were merely a form of sword that a more experienced samurai would have recognized immediately. "But that's -" You stop, trying to understand the implications.
"You see my dilemma?" Hantetsu asks. "I am Emperor. My person is sacrosanct. That an attempt on my life was made on Crab lands is a stain of dishonor that they will try to remedy as quickly as possible. If I mention merely that the riders were on horseback and bore foreign weapons, then come the following spring the Crab may march to war against the Unicorn. If I say that their weapons were not those of true Unicorn, the Crab might instead march against the Scorpion, with the Unicorn as their allies, for who else would feign an attack by a foreign clan on the Crab-Scorpion border? Or, perhaps they will use the excuse to vent their wrath on others who deal with foreigners - the Islands of Silk and Spice are quite wealthy, and the Mantis are but a Minor Clan."
"War, huh…" You think about that for a second. "You're going to do something about the attack, right? Not just, let it go unanswered or anything."
Hantetsu snorts in derision at the very thought. "Hardly. I just have to buy time until the Emerald Magistrates can be informed. To them, I will tell all, leaving nothing out. From there, they will ensure that the true culprits behind the affair will be punished."
Involuntarily your mouth twists, as though you had bitten into an unripe satsuma, and the deliciously steamed rice in your mouth turns to ash. "Ah. I see, Hantei-heika," you answer non-committally.
The Emperor's gaze sharpens. "What is it?" he asks. You hesitate, and a note of command enters his voice. "Tell me." His tone leaves no room for argument, and you gulp involuntarily.
"The Magistrate that runs Zakyo Toshi is… well, everything I've heard about him is that he's corrupt," you blurt out. "Otomo-dono puts the squeeze on merchants, heimin who can't afford a bribe aren't given papers to be permitted to leave the province, just about anybody can get out of jail if they have the cash to spare, he's in bed with the opium trade…" You notice Hantei-heika's face purpling with anger, and you trail off for a second before finding your tongue again. "I mean, some of that's just rumors, but I know for a fact that more and more people have been turning to smugglers to dodge the bribes, and I've at least seen more and more people with opium -"
"Enough!" Hantei says, making a chopping motion in the air, and you cut yourself off abruptly. He pauses, clearly thinking, before nodding slowly. "I believe you."
You release a breath in an explosive sigh that you hadn't realized you were holding. "Thank you, Hantei-heika," you say, and bow low enough that your forehead touches the tatami mats; it means that you have to scoot back slightly before you do so in order to prevent your hair from falling into the soup, but for practically the first time in several hours, you truly see him as an Emperor, rather than as a man.
"Oh, get up," he says. As you lift your head you see that he is supporting his head with his hand, the events of the prior day and the burdens of an Empire weighing heavily upon him. He massages his temples with his thumb and pinky finger, the other three fingers resting on his scalp, and releases a sigh of frustration. Finally he asks, "Have you heard anything ill of the Magistrates in the Crab lands?"
You pause to recollect. "Not as such, Hantei-heika. I have heard that the magistrate in Shiro Hida enjoys strong drink, and that the magistrate in the Eastern part of the Crab lands is quite harsh, but neither has anything like the ill reputation of Otomo Genryu-dono."
He scowls. "That addresses that, at least. As to Genryu…" He shakes his head reluctantly. "Perhaps I will be able to think on the issue more clearly when I have had some sleep. The illegal trade of opium carries the death penalty for a reason, as does that sort of corruption… yet I find myself reluctant to command the execution of my own cousin." You gulp. You hadn't realized -
Hantei interrupts your panic with a question. "What would you do, in my place?"
[ ] Write-in.
[ ] Choose a character portrait from @gman391 's post above, or write-in with another.
Last edited:
Geography
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
On Geography
As I've been planning out potential places for a new Minor Clan to be granted territories, I've mostly been going off of the map in the front of my old 3rd Edition L5R book. In that book, Zakyo Toshi is located on the west side of the river (If you have the book, this is A17 on the front cover.) However, in 4th Edition, that same spot is now listed as MC6 - a village in the 'most remote region' of Hare lands, never mind that G14 is supposedly the Seven Day Battle Plain (core of Hare Lands) and MC1 is the town of Kudo.
(This is not the only weird thing about the southern half of the map - G17 is supposedly Three Man Alliance Plain despite being nowhere near the lands of two members of the alliance, and Shiro Usagi (the Hare Capitol) is somehow all the way up at MC11, ridiculously far away from all of its other holdings. This appears to be a holdover typo from 3rd edition, actually, now that I think of it. )
I've done a frankly silly amount of research on the geography of Rokugan (especially since no two editions agree!) and come up with a few conclusions.
Now with an updated map.
Your provinces stretch east from Zakyo Toshi into the Shinomen, west from Zakyo Toshi until just past Dangai, south about halfway to Kudo and Shiro Usagi, and not very far north at all. It's a narrow strip of land, but it's all yours.
Hope you like having the Scorpion as your northern neighbors!
As I've been planning out potential places for a new Minor Clan to be granted territories, I've mostly been going off of the map in the front of my old 3rd Edition L5R book. In that book, Zakyo Toshi is located on the west side of the river (If you have the book, this is A17 on the front cover.) However, in 4th Edition, that same spot is now listed as MC6 - a village in the 'most remote region' of Hare lands, never mind that G14 is supposedly the Seven Day Battle Plain (core of Hare Lands) and MC1 is the town of Kudo.
(This is not the only weird thing about the southern half of the map - G17 is supposedly Three Man Alliance Plain despite being nowhere near the lands of two members of the alliance, and Shiro Usagi (the Hare Capitol) is somehow all the way up at MC11, ridiculously far away from all of its other holdings. This appears to be a holdover typo from 3rd edition, actually, now that I think of it. )
I've done a frankly silly amount of research on the geography of Rokugan (especially since no two editions agree!) and come up with a few conclusions.
The area between the points marked MC6, MC1, and I10 on the new map is the Hare lands.
South of that to the border between the uncolored and Dark Blue provinces is Crab in the West, and Fox in the East.
The dark blue province south of that is Crab in the West and Sparrow in the East.
Across the river from the Sparrow is Fox lands.
North of Fox lands is the unaligned Three Man Alliance Plains.
North of Kudo in the purple area but below SC8 is the unaligned Ronin Plains.
The area labeled G17, (supposedly the Three Man Alliance Plains according to the terrible 4th edition Map) is actually unaligned territory that could one day become Wasp territory.
MC6 is actually Zakyo Toshi, and I12 is actually Meidoshi.
The lands that will eventually become Catfish lands are basically the area west of Zakyo Toshi, including outskirts of Shinomen Mori, and the Ronin Plains.
South of that to the border between the uncolored and Dark Blue provinces is Crab in the West, and Fox in the East.
The dark blue province south of that is Crab in the West and Sparrow in the East.
Across the river from the Sparrow is Fox lands.
North of Fox lands is the unaligned Three Man Alliance Plains.
North of Kudo in the purple area but below SC8 is the unaligned Ronin Plains.
The area labeled G17, (supposedly the Three Man Alliance Plains according to the terrible 4th edition Map) is actually unaligned territory that could one day become Wasp territory.
MC6 is actually Zakyo Toshi, and I12 is actually Meidoshi.
The lands that will eventually become Catfish lands are basically the area west of Zakyo Toshi, including outskirts of Shinomen Mori, and the Ronin Plains.
Now with an updated map.
Your provinces stretch east from Zakyo Toshi into the Shinomen, west from Zakyo Toshi until just past Dangai, south about halfway to Kudo and Shiro Usagi, and not very far north at all. It's a narrow strip of land, but it's all yours.
Hope you like having the Scorpion as your northern neighbors!
Last edited:
0.8 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Get thee to a nunnery monastery
You give the issue some consideration, while also doing your best not to panic. The Emperor is asking you for advice? An ordinary ronin? To be sure, if the Emperor publicly admitted that his relative was treasonous it would bring shame upon the Imperial line, so it was sort of a sticky situation, but - hang on. Hadn't you seen a play about that, once? Right, it was when Boss Koibu treated you to a visit with the butterfly boys in the House of Willows. You fight back a blush at the memories, and decide not to tell the Emperor where you heard it. You clear your throat awkwardly. "And then Hamori said to Odeti, 'You, whose unchaste and lustful nature shall surely doom our house, shave your head, and contemplate the Way of Shinsei!"
At first the Emperor seemed confused by why you were orating, rather than simply speaking, but enlightenment rapidly dawns on his face as he recognizes the quote. "Hamori!" Hantei exclaims, clearly intrigued. "Yes, of course. I hadn't even considered that option. I'll have to find someone to replace him, but I'd have had to do that anyway..." he trails off thoughtfully.
You take a breath to add a comment, but it quickly turns into a jawcracking yawn that you have to hold a hand up to hide. Now that there is food in your belly and you are finally somewhere safe, the events of the previous day are finally catching up with you. "Just, make sure it's someone who understands gangs," you say. "We've got four, and any one of 'em would be a problem for most magistrates I've met."
"Oh?" Hantei asks. He yawns in sympathy to your own expression of fatigue, but despite that seems to be listening to you with interest. "I've heard that the city was difficult to manage, but four full criminal organizations?"
"Well, three and a half," you say. "My family is mostly honorable ronin, or we try to be, but given the opinion most people have of ronin it comes out to about the same." Hantetsu nods, but his gaze upon you seems just a bit more measured, so you hasten to explain. "Boss Koibu formed the Warakkoi-gumi because the geisha, the gamblers, the ferrymen, and a lot of the heimin merchants kept getting squeezed by the hard criminals. The magistrates weren't protecting them, so he got together a bunch of ronin and worked out a deal with the heads of the sake-houses and the geisha-houses so they could keep from just getting run over by anybody who had enough hired muscle."
The Emperor nods, slowly. "I see. So, if you're a member of this Warakkoi-gumi, what are you doing in Crab lands?" he asks. Luckily, you actually have an answer for this.
"Ginjo rice." You say. "My boat's full of milled rice. The sake-houses can't brew anything worth a damn without it, lately shipments have been getting hit by the Shutai river pirates, or by bandits, or the magistrates'll take it and say it's 'confiscated for evidence'. And that's just rice! The real gangs are all pissed at the Boss because he basically stole one of their main sources of income, so if they can steal the Crab tea headed to the geisha houses, or rope and tar that the boatbuilders need, or any of those things they will." You grin like a shark. "Then the Boss got wise to it, and started crewing his boats with samurai."
"Impressive," Hantetsu says, and it sounds like he means it. "So just who are these 'real gangs'?"
You enumerate them on your fingers, one at a time. "The Firemen. Bunch of jumped-up heimin with masakari come to your business, tell you to pay up or your place maybe 'burns down by accident'. The Silent Canaries. Bunch of hardcore smugglers and loan sharks, and I swear to the Kami, they have this fucked-up gempukku kind of deal where you aren't a full member until you get arrested. And then there's the Brotherhood of Autumn, who are a bunch of shitty fake monks, shaved heads and brown robes and all, except instead of preaching the Way, they sell opium. And that's just in the city! Then there's the Forest Killers somewhere in Shinomen, the river pirates out of Shutai, the cartels out of Ryoko Owari that keep trying to muscle in on everyone else's turf..." you're about to go on, but you are surprised by yet another yawn. "You get the picture."
Hantetsu chuckles. "Indeed I do. Well, the normal protocol in these affairs in times of peace is that a visitor's meetings with the daimyo are postponed until the day after they arrive, so that they can be well rested for diplomatic conversations. We have the rest of the day and night to try to recover from our river journey." He frowns. "Normally at this point I'd release my yojimbo from duty and have a Guardsman take over while we both slept, but in the current circumstances... what do you suggest?"
[ ] Both of you sleep. You will have to trust the Crab at some point, and being overly cautious would invite the sin of Fear. The only thing injured will be propriety.
[ ] Let Hantei sleep. You're in bad shape, but your Honor will keep you awake. The Crab have sent for Imperial forces in Kuda Mura; surely you can hold out until they get here.
[ ] Go collect Taigen. You and she can nap in shifts, and Gohei will be fine on his own.
[ ] Write-in.
You give the issue some consideration, while also doing your best not to panic. The Emperor is asking you for advice? An ordinary ronin? To be sure, if the Emperor publicly admitted that his relative was treasonous it would bring shame upon the Imperial line, so it was sort of a sticky situation, but - hang on. Hadn't you seen a play about that, once? Right, it was when Boss Koibu treated you to a visit with the butterfly boys in the House of Willows. You fight back a blush at the memories, and decide not to tell the Emperor where you heard it. You clear your throat awkwardly. "And then Hamori said to Odeti, 'You, whose unchaste and lustful nature shall surely doom our house, shave your head, and contemplate the Way of Shinsei!"
At first the Emperor seemed confused by why you were orating, rather than simply speaking, but enlightenment rapidly dawns on his face as he recognizes the quote. "Hamori!" Hantei exclaims, clearly intrigued. "Yes, of course. I hadn't even considered that option. I'll have to find someone to replace him, but I'd have had to do that anyway..." he trails off thoughtfully.
You take a breath to add a comment, but it quickly turns into a jawcracking yawn that you have to hold a hand up to hide. Now that there is food in your belly and you are finally somewhere safe, the events of the previous day are finally catching up with you. "Just, make sure it's someone who understands gangs," you say. "We've got four, and any one of 'em would be a problem for most magistrates I've met."
"Oh?" Hantei asks. He yawns in sympathy to your own expression of fatigue, but despite that seems to be listening to you with interest. "I've heard that the city was difficult to manage, but four full criminal organizations?"
"Well, three and a half," you say. "My family is mostly honorable ronin, or we try to be, but given the opinion most people have of ronin it comes out to about the same." Hantetsu nods, but his gaze upon you seems just a bit more measured, so you hasten to explain. "Boss Koibu formed the Warakkoi-gumi because the geisha, the gamblers, the ferrymen, and a lot of the heimin merchants kept getting squeezed by the hard criminals. The magistrates weren't protecting them, so he got together a bunch of ronin and worked out a deal with the heads of the sake-houses and the geisha-houses so they could keep from just getting run over by anybody who had enough hired muscle."
The Emperor nods, slowly. "I see. So, if you're a member of this Warakkoi-gumi, what are you doing in Crab lands?" he asks. Luckily, you actually have an answer for this.
"Ginjo rice." You say. "My boat's full of milled rice. The sake-houses can't brew anything worth a damn without it, lately shipments have been getting hit by the Shutai river pirates, or by bandits, or the magistrates'll take it and say it's 'confiscated for evidence'. And that's just rice! The real gangs are all pissed at the Boss because he basically stole one of their main sources of income, so if they can steal the Crab tea headed to the geisha houses, or rope and tar that the boatbuilders need, or any of those things they will." You grin like a shark. "Then the Boss got wise to it, and started crewing his boats with samurai."
"Impressive," Hantetsu says, and it sounds like he means it. "So just who are these 'real gangs'?"
You enumerate them on your fingers, one at a time. "The Firemen. Bunch of jumped-up heimin with masakari come to your business, tell you to pay up or your place maybe 'burns down by accident'. The Silent Canaries. Bunch of hardcore smugglers and loan sharks, and I swear to the Kami, they have this fucked-up gempukku kind of deal where you aren't a full member until you get arrested. And then there's the Brotherhood of Autumn, who are a bunch of shitty fake monks, shaved heads and brown robes and all, except instead of preaching the Way, they sell opium. And that's just in the city! Then there's the Forest Killers somewhere in Shinomen, the river pirates out of Shutai, the cartels out of Ryoko Owari that keep trying to muscle in on everyone else's turf..." you're about to go on, but you are surprised by yet another yawn. "You get the picture."
Hantetsu chuckles. "Indeed I do. Well, the normal protocol in these affairs in times of peace is that a visitor's meetings with the daimyo are postponed until the day after they arrive, so that they can be well rested for diplomatic conversations. We have the rest of the day and night to try to recover from our river journey." He frowns. "Normally at this point I'd release my yojimbo from duty and have a Guardsman take over while we both slept, but in the current circumstances... what do you suggest?"
[ ] Both of you sleep. You will have to trust the Crab at some point, and being overly cautious would invite the sin of Fear. The only thing injured will be propriety.
[ ] Let Hantei sleep. You're in bad shape, but your Honor will keep you awake. The Crab have sent for Imperial forces in Kuda Mura; surely you can hold out until they get here.
[ ] Go collect Taigen. You and she can nap in shifts, and Gohei will be fine on his own.
[ ] Write-in.