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[L5R] Minor Clan Quest

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[X] Argue for clemency. He committed a mortal insult against you, but he did so in service to the Emperor. Seppuku would cleanse his shame, and prevent his family from suffering.

He fucked up. But he did so in the name of duty and the Heavenly Son. Let him cleanse himself of his shame and spare is family the punishment for his foolishness.
 
[X] Stay silent. Let the Emperor decide his punishment.

Welp, let's see how this Shugenja gets out of this one.
 
[X] Stay silent. Let the Emperor decide his punishment.

Ah, the Kuni. Yes, I can totally see one of them to be the sort to give in to absolute paranoia, even knowing that they'd have to commit sepukku at the least if they were wrong.

But yeah, this is the Emperor's call. You don't tell the Emperor what to do, and you stay out of his way if he is angry. We're getting a lot of slack because we saved his life, but I'd rather not burn through that on something as small as this.
 
Jade Strike, otherwise known as how the Kuni say hello! :V

[X] Stay silent. Let the Emperor decide his punishment.

But yeah, this is the Emperor's call here because holy shit did this guy cause a scene.
 
As a crab player, I have both used this "greeting" a number of times to prove my hunches. Also lost a few Kuni failing to prove my hunches.

Crabs gonna Crab
 
*Hears that the Emperor has shown up with a possibly Tainted ronin yojimbo*

*Lets said possibly Tainted ronin stay alone with the Emperor all night before trying to blast her with Smite Evil Taint*

0/10 worst Crab shujena.

[X] Stay silent. Let the Emperor decide his punishment.
 
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0.10 - Prologue
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    • [X] Stay silent. Let the Emperor decide his judgement.

    As you see the resigned panic in the Kuni's eyes, you contemplate speaking in his defense for a split second. Then you feel the sheer rage pouring off of the Emperor like heat from an anvil, and you decide you don't want to risk getting caught between him and the object of his anger. You stay silent, and the Emperor explodes with volcanic rage.

    "Is this," Hantei says while throwing his arm out in the shugenja's direction, "the hospitality of the Crab! How you treat a woman whose courage saved the Empire, saved your Clan from allowing the Emperor to be murdered on your very soil?"

    "Heika, my clan, they did not know, I -" the Son of Heaven cuts him off with a mere glare.

    "You. What is your name?" he demands.

    "Kuni Iori, your majesty. Please, the spell, it only harms -"

    "The tainted, yes, I'm well aware." The Emperor scowls down at the prostrate figure before him. "So tell me this. If Tsubaki-san had been one of my Seppun Guardsmen, you would not have cast that spell. No one has ever cast such a spell to check if the Emerald Champion has become tainted, to protect me from his influence. In fact, I can recall of no occasion in the nine hundred year history of Rokugan that any imbecile had thought it necessary to check the Emperor's yojimbo for the Taint!" The Emperor is roaring now, his voice echoing down the hall, and an audience is beginning to form. "Yet because Tsubaki was born ronin, you, Iori, decided to levy a mortal insult upon the person of the Emperor, because you believed that my judgement could have been flawed. Is that what happened?"

    There is a long, deadly silence. Finally Iori speaks. "Her face-"

    "Hmm, yes." The Emperor practically purrs with malice. Even despite his immediate intervention, you can feel your face heat in long-held shame. "It occurs to me, Iori, that it is impossible to see the skin of your face underneath that paint of yours. A sign of affiliation to your clan, wasn't it? And such a demonic design too. Well, if you cannot obey the commands of your lord to treat guests with hospitality, and do not consult your Clan before committing acts of such foolishness, and it was merely a samurai's rank and the appearance of her face that drove you to such a shameful act - " You can hear the pronouncement coming even before the Emperor decrees it, and do your best not to betray any expressions at all. " - then, Iori, it seems you are not worthy of the Kuni name at all. Go forth as a ronin, Iori-kun. Perhaps you will learn from Tsubaki-san's example, and use life as a ronin to one day be of use to someone, anyone at all."

    With that pronouncement, the Emperor pivots on his heel and storms down the hallway at a brutal pace. Tamayo has just enough time to spare a look of horror and pity for Iori before both you and she are forced to run after your liege in order not to be left behind. You aren't quite sure what to feel about what just happened - you might not agree with some that a life as a ronin is a fate worse than death, but to a clan samurai? Just about the only worse shames would be dishonorable execution or succumbing to the Taint. That Hantei-heika has inflicted such a punishment on your behalf is an honor, but also somewhat terrifying. Certainly Tamayo seems quite eager to be far away from the enraged form of the Son of Heaven, and practically as soon as she escorts the two of you to the Imperial forces, she makes her excuses and departs to a safe distance.

    The Emerald Magistrates are an eclectic bunch. Unlike the uniform armors of the Seppun Guardsmen, these Emerald Guardsmen are an array of Lion, Crane, Scorpion and Crab bushi, accompanied by a Phoenix shugenja and her yojimbo. Aside from the sweat on their brows and the dust they bear from a day of hard riding, the one common feature that they all possess is an emerald armband with the Imperial Chrysanthemum borne on their left arms. Their leader, and the only member of the Imperial families present at all, is a handsome young man in armor that is marked with the family crest of the Miya family.


    "Hantei-heika!" he says in a firm voice, "it is good to see you well! When we heard that you had been attacked I -" as the two of you get closer, he notices the wrath on the Emperor's face. "Is everything well, majesty?"

    The Emperor practically growls. "It will be. Make a note. For the crime of falsely accusing the Emperor's yojimbo of the Taint, Kuni Iori has been stripped of his family name, and all titles and positions that pertain to him. He has shamed the name of the Crab, and is no longer welcome anywhere in their lands. And I want that proclamation out today."

    Miya's eyes widen in shock, before he bows. "As you command, majesty." He turns to the samurai behind him. "Daidoji-san. See it done."

    The white-haired samurai bows without complaint and heads back towards the stables. Meanwhile, the Emperor turns to regard you. "This is Tsubaki-san, whose timely assistance and courageous actions saved my life."

    The representative of the Miya family bows deeply to you, and the samurai behind him follow suit. "I am Miya Sato, and on behalf of the Emerald Guardsmen, and the Imperial Families you have my - all of our - deepest gratitude."

    You hastily bow back. Uncomfortable with the praise, you deliberately crack an enormous yawn. "At this point, I'd settle for the deepest sleep," you joke, "and though I'm grateful for your gratitude Miya-sama, I was only doing as duty commanded."

    "I rather think you've earned the right to use my personal name, Tsubaki-san," he says. You would feel more gratified by the honor, if not for the aura of calculation that your gift feels around him, and the way in which his eyes watch carefully for the Emperor's approval.

    "As you wish, Sato-san." You try to hide your feelings of disgust. "In the meantime, I leave the Emperor in your care." You bow deeply to Hantetsu.

    He returns the gesture. "Rest well, Tsubaki-san."

    The Emerald Guardsman in Scorpion armor leads you over to what appears to be a spare barracks that has been converted into guest quarters for visiting dignitaries. Some of the equipment of the Guardsmen has already been placed in the room - it looks like this is to be their quarters for the stay as well. "I recommend a bed near the back, Tsubaki-san." The Scorpion's eyes are warm above the snarling demon mask that he wears, but like his superior, all you feel from him is cold calculation. "We'll do our best to keep from waking you, but the further from the door that you are, the happier you'll be."

    Too tired to argue, you take off your 'borrowed' kimono and fold it carefully before crawling into the futon.

    Consciousness flees from you like flame from a blown-out candle.

    When next you wake, it is to the sound of birds chirping in the pre-dawn hours. On a futon near you is the bushi who wore armor in Lion colors the previous day, and slightly further away snores an indistinct lump that could be Miya Sato. You're feeling hungry, sore, tired, and are in dire need of a ditch - but all in all, immeasurably better than you had the previous day.

    What do you do?

    [ ] Find a real bath.
    [ ] Find some food.
    [ ] Find Taigen and Gohei.
    [ ] Find the Emperor.
    [ ] Write-in.
     
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    • [X] Find a real bath.

    Got to look good for the clan folks.
     
    [X] Find a real bath.

    Yeah. We need to get actually cleaned. THEN we seek out the Son of Heaven.
     
    The Kuni do tend to end up as either amazing heroes or terrifying psychopaths. There's really no in-between with them, is there? :V
     
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    [X] Find a real bath.

    Well, good thing we didn't try to intervene at least.
    The problem was the insult to the Emperor, by impugning his decision.
     
    [X] Find a real bath

    If we did want to have a go at the whole "Compassion" tenet of Bushido...we have a position of some authority in a ronin organization, and Mr. Jade Strike First Ask Questions Never needs some kind of meaningful employment to not starve to death in a ditch somewhere.

    His quick on the draw and cannot into etiquette issues aside, a (former) Clan shujena would be a handy thing to have around.
     
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