Legend of the Ronin (Legend of the Five Rings)
- Status
Sirrocco
Pedantic
Well. I think that went pretty well.
[x] Talk to Sora
-[x] ...and investigate that tube. What was that thing?
We *do* want to cultivate Bayushi-sama as a contact, and we've been doing reasonably well at the "competent subordinate" thing. We can also compare notes on what we got out of Caius, and possibly get a few more competent subordinate points. Currying favor is supposed to be one of our schticks, after all.
[x] Talk to Sora
-[x] ...and investigate that tube. What was that thing?
We *do* want to cultivate Bayushi-sama as a contact, and we've been doing reasonably well at the "competent subordinate" thing. We can also compare notes on what we got out of Caius, and possibly get a few more competent subordinate points. Currying favor is supposed to be one of our schticks, after all.
- Location
- Moon-Station
[X] Time Skip to Caius Waking Up
- Location
- Leeds
[X] Time Skip to Caius Waking Up
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
[x] Talk to Sora
-[x] ...and investigate that tube. What was that thing?
-[x] ...and investigate that tube. What was that thing?
Interlude: An Unforgotten Past, An Uncertain Future
So I didn't write an Update, but I did write an omake of sorts. Update tomorrow.
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I look at the faded paper, the green ink nearly blending into the page as words flow out in a river.
There was no doubt in my mind who this was for, who was intended to get this.
My bones creak as I stand up and begin to move the body away from my little Temple. It's not often that I have to remember the old days, to remember skills used nearly twenty years ago now. Ah, I'm an old man and old tired man even, but that doesn't change what I was. It doesn't change the facts at all.
The sound of dirt and metal merging as one creates a rhythm in my mind that I'd like to forget. It's one that is too familiar to me. Bury deep about six feet, make sure to burn quickly so the dead don't come back as a tainted monstrosity, I still have some jade on me, but I'd rather save that for something important.
Still, Master Roc is playing games again, more's the pity. This simple humdrum existence of mine is coming to an end because some upstart whelp from the Yasuki thinks that the Shield Cities can be subverted due to the impending civil war, and that the chaos of that war can be used to forge a kingdom on the Empire's borders, one with all of its strengths but none of its weaknesses.
The smell of cooked flesh is distinctive, even though I burn incense to hide the stench, as I make the ritual prayers to purify myself and the body.
I wonder what her name was? She fought like a Scorpion, yes, but that's not entirely indicative. There are only so many ways one can train to be a Shadow, and the Scorpion have amalgamated all of them into their style. Ah, I suppose it doesn't matter.
It's clear as day that the Qolat are far more effective and less prone to well, being pants on head stupid, than their former compatriots in Rokugan. Which means, of course, that someone has to act against them, even with this business in the south.
Fortune favours the Mortal Man, those are the watchwords of the Order I joined when I became a monk.
I have, in my lifetime, forged many samurai into heroes, weapons to be turned against the enemies of the Empire. Sometimes it doesn't work, whether from a failure within, or the fact that Fortune doesn't favour them, or even some other unknown reason. Regardless, I always press forward, choosing to gamble time and again. This new samurai I have in mind, only the Fortunes know if she is of the right ilk, but I will roll the dice on her anyways.
As the fire dies out and the evidence of the brutal murder I just committed is hidden, I look up at the sky and sigh. It had been chance that saw me walking by the old Shrine to Chagatai, to see the hidden symbols revealed revealing an old foe.
Chance or Fortune? An interesting question...
Ah, Rokushu, it never ends does it, old friend?
Still, I must prepare other weapons in case that one doesn't work out...
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I look at the faded paper, the green ink nearly blending into the page as words flow out in a river.
There was no doubt in my mind who this was for, who was intended to get this.
My bones creak as I stand up and begin to move the body away from my little Temple. It's not often that I have to remember the old days, to remember skills used nearly twenty years ago now. Ah, I'm an old man and old tired man even, but that doesn't change what I was. It doesn't change the facts at all.
The sound of dirt and metal merging as one creates a rhythm in my mind that I'd like to forget. It's one that is too familiar to me. Bury deep about six feet, make sure to burn quickly so the dead don't come back as a tainted monstrosity, I still have some jade on me, but I'd rather save that for something important.
Still, Master Roc is playing games again, more's the pity. This simple humdrum existence of mine is coming to an end because some upstart whelp from the Yasuki thinks that the Shield Cities can be subverted due to the impending civil war, and that the chaos of that war can be used to forge a kingdom on the Empire's borders, one with all of its strengths but none of its weaknesses.
The smell of cooked flesh is distinctive, even though I burn incense to hide the stench, as I make the ritual prayers to purify myself and the body.
I wonder what her name was? She fought like a Scorpion, yes, but that's not entirely indicative. There are only so many ways one can train to be a Shadow, and the Scorpion have amalgamated all of them into their style. Ah, I suppose it doesn't matter.
It's clear as day that the Qolat are far more effective and less prone to well, being pants on head stupid, than their former compatriots in Rokugan. Which means, of course, that someone has to act against them, even with this business in the south.
Fortune favours the Mortal Man, those are the watchwords of the Order I joined when I became a monk.
I have, in my lifetime, forged many samurai into heroes, weapons to be turned against the enemies of the Empire. Sometimes it doesn't work, whether from a failure within, or the fact that Fortune doesn't favour them, or even some other unknown reason. Regardless, I always press forward, choosing to gamble time and again. This new samurai I have in mind, only the Fortunes know if she is of the right ilk, but I will roll the dice on her anyways.
As the fire dies out and the evidence of the brutal murder I just committed is hidden, I look up at the sky and sigh. It had been chance that saw me walking by the old Shrine to Chagatai, to see the hidden symbols revealed revealing an old foe.
Chance or Fortune? An interesting question...
Ah, Rokushu, it never ends does it, old friend?
Still, I must prepare other weapons in case that one doesn't work out...
- Location
- Leeds
Well its probably the abbot.
Arc III: On the Mysterious Tube
--Talk to Sora
---About the tube what is that thing?
You end up, deciding to leave Yukiko alone with Caius. You're no priest and don't want to get in the way.
That said the only other person to talk to is Bayushi-sama, and well, you're still not all that comfortable with her. But it's getting boring in your head, since Grandmother has been quiet for some reason.
Probably want to have something to talk about though. Bayushi-sama doesn't seem like the type for small talk. You wonder if she has any Hiruma blood in her. Those guys hate small talk too. Not that you can blame them.
Hmm, what about that tube? The one that the first man you killed last night was trying to do something with. Actually, what was up with that? If they hadn't waited and instead had charged the camp, it would have changed things. It definitely would have been a very messy fight.
You walk down the hill a bit to pick up the piece of bamboo. In the sunlight, you can make out more details than you could last night. First, there's a strange wick coming out of it that reminds you vaguely of a candle. Also, there's something in it, a powder maybe?
As Sora has her bow strung, and is looking for game when you approach her.
She gives a polite bow, stiff, but you can only find offense if you want to. You respond by giving a perfect bow, unlike her, you can't afford to act even the slightest bit out of decorum.
"Megumi-san, what brings you to me?" she asks.
You hand over the tube. "I don't know what this is, but my first opponent was messing with it when I cut him down."
Sora puts her bow away to look at it for several moments. "Hmm…"
Taking out knife, Sora carefully cuts off the top and looks down the thing. "A powder….you know this is some sort of hanabi."
"Hanabi?" you ask dumbly.
The Bayushi nods, putting the top back on. "You've never seen them?"
A shrug from you, you had seen fireworks of course everyone has, but never up close. You just know when they are going off and being pretty.
"Only in the sky," you answer.
Sora seems to accept this and explains further. "Well, before they're set off they're usually transported in these things. I had to check to be sure, but this is definitely a firework."
It's the obvious question that you blurt out. "How do a bunch of cultists get recipes for fireworks?"
Though you can't see Sora frown, you can sense her disquiet. "Well, I would like to say that this one is stolen, but I don't think that's the case. The Tamori and Agasha keep their hanabi in the north. The cultists would have had to go far out of their way to steal just one, all the while chasing a prisoner."
"Well, what if they kidnapped one of the hanabi makers?" you ask.
"That is what worries me, Megumi-san. They either kidnapped one of them or figured it out. Either way, they're confident enough in their ability to make more, that they send out retrieval teams with one." Sora says, handing back the hanabi.
"That sounds bad...but maybe they weren't here for Caius, but rather for us? With our escape, they might have thought it worth the risk?"
Sora shakes her masked head. "Doubtful. If they were after us, why go after the prisoner first? He was not a threat, trussed up as he was, yet they made sure to try and take him out quickly."
You think about it for a moment, and decide that the reasoning is sound. Caius wasn't a threat, but had still been nearly killed. Only Yukiko's prayers had kept him alive. They had to be coming for him, although that raises the question of why, and that question seems to be one Bayushi-san is trying to figure out herself.
"Which leaves us with a bunch of evil cultists with the ability to make hanabi," you say finally to break the silence.
Sora seems pensive as she asks, "The man you killed was fiddling with it right before you attacked?"
"Yes, Bayushi-sama," you answer.
"Hmm...most likely a prearranged signal then. They were going to use it to try and blind us before attacking"
Which means...
"...but I attacked first."
Sora nods. "Seizing initiative is a good policy. Still, if we can, we should find out if the prisoner knows about these hanabi."
"I think Iuchi-sama is still patching him up," you offer.
She'd been doing that all day muttering about idiots who push past their limits.
With the barest hint of affection, Sora replies, "Hai, she probably is."
There's a long silence before you both turn to begin walking towards camp, as you do, you feel her study you out of the side of her eye. At least, that's what it seems like. With the mask you can't tell where she's looking, just that her head is slightly inclined towards your direction.
Sora seems to be mulling something over. You glance at her, and that seems to make her decide something.
"Megumi-san, I find myself curious about something," she begins.
"What is it, Bayushi-sama?" You ask.
"What brought you to Shiro Enishi exactly? And what do you hope to gain out of being in the Legion?"
"There's more to this question than you realize Sakura, answer carefully," your grandmother pipes in, turning this into another test.
[]
---About the tube what is that thing?
You end up, deciding to leave Yukiko alone with Caius. You're no priest and don't want to get in the way.
That said the only other person to talk to is Bayushi-sama, and well, you're still not all that comfortable with her. But it's getting boring in your head, since Grandmother has been quiet for some reason.
Probably want to have something to talk about though. Bayushi-sama doesn't seem like the type for small talk. You wonder if she has any Hiruma blood in her. Those guys hate small talk too. Not that you can blame them.
Hmm, what about that tube? The one that the first man you killed last night was trying to do something with. Actually, what was up with that? If they hadn't waited and instead had charged the camp, it would have changed things. It definitely would have been a very messy fight.
You walk down the hill a bit to pick up the piece of bamboo. In the sunlight, you can make out more details than you could last night. First, there's a strange wick coming out of it that reminds you vaguely of a candle. Also, there's something in it, a powder maybe?
As Sora has her bow strung, and is looking for game when you approach her.
She gives a polite bow, stiff, but you can only find offense if you want to. You respond by giving a perfect bow, unlike her, you can't afford to act even the slightest bit out of decorum.
"Megumi-san, what brings you to me?" she asks.
You hand over the tube. "I don't know what this is, but my first opponent was messing with it when I cut him down."
Sora puts her bow away to look at it for several moments. "Hmm…"
Taking out knife, Sora carefully cuts off the top and looks down the thing. "A powder….you know this is some sort of hanabi."
"Hanabi?" you ask dumbly.
The Bayushi nods, putting the top back on. "You've never seen them?"
A shrug from you, you had seen fireworks of course everyone has, but never up close. You just know when they are going off and being pretty.
"Only in the sky," you answer.
Sora seems to accept this and explains further. "Well, before they're set off they're usually transported in these things. I had to check to be sure, but this is definitely a firework."
It's the obvious question that you blurt out. "How do a bunch of cultists get recipes for fireworks?"
Though you can't see Sora frown, you can sense her disquiet. "Well, I would like to say that this one is stolen, but I don't think that's the case. The Tamori and Agasha keep their hanabi in the north. The cultists would have had to go far out of their way to steal just one, all the while chasing a prisoner."
"Well, what if they kidnapped one of the hanabi makers?" you ask.
"That is what worries me, Megumi-san. They either kidnapped one of them or figured it out. Either way, they're confident enough in their ability to make more, that they send out retrieval teams with one." Sora says, handing back the hanabi.
"That sounds bad...but maybe they weren't here for Caius, but rather for us? With our escape, they might have thought it worth the risk?"
Sora shakes her masked head. "Doubtful. If they were after us, why go after the prisoner first? He was not a threat, trussed up as he was, yet they made sure to try and take him out quickly."
You think about it for a moment, and decide that the reasoning is sound. Caius wasn't a threat, but had still been nearly killed. Only Yukiko's prayers had kept him alive. They had to be coming for him, although that raises the question of why, and that question seems to be one Bayushi-san is trying to figure out herself.
"Which leaves us with a bunch of evil cultists with the ability to make hanabi," you say finally to break the silence.
Sora seems pensive as she asks, "The man you killed was fiddling with it right before you attacked?"
"Yes, Bayushi-sama," you answer.
"Hmm...most likely a prearranged signal then. They were going to use it to try and blind us before attacking"
Which means...
"...but I attacked first."
Sora nods. "Seizing initiative is a good policy. Still, if we can, we should find out if the prisoner knows about these hanabi."
"I think Iuchi-sama is still patching him up," you offer.
She'd been doing that all day muttering about idiots who push past their limits.
With the barest hint of affection, Sora replies, "Hai, she probably is."
There's a long silence before you both turn to begin walking towards camp, as you do, you feel her study you out of the side of her eye. At least, that's what it seems like. With the mask you can't tell where she's looking, just that her head is slightly inclined towards your direction.
Sora seems to be mulling something over. You glance at her, and that seems to make her decide something.
"Megumi-san, I find myself curious about something," she begins.
"What is it, Bayushi-sama?" You ask.
"What brought you to Shiro Enishi exactly? And what do you hope to gain out of being in the Legion?"
"There's more to this question than you realize Sakura, answer carefully," your grandmother pipes in, turning this into another test.
[]
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Sirrocco
Pedantic
It is clear that there is Pertinent Analysis to be done here. Bayushi-sama is trying to figure something out. Given that she's a Scorpion, there's at least a decent chance that what she hopes to learn is something other than what she asked, and will be used in determining some other thing.
Sadly, I'm not up for figuring out the details right now. Given that, the best I have to offer is default to honesty.
[ ] "I seek to some day prove myself worthy of being accepted into a Clan, Bayushi-sama, and swearing service to a Lord. The Legion, as a source of honorable service, is a good first step."
more in-depth analysis openly solicited.
Sadly, I'm not up for figuring out the details right now. Given that, the best I have to offer is default to honesty.
[ ] "I seek to some day prove myself worthy of being accepted into a Clan, Bayushi-sama, and swearing service to a Lord. The Legion, as a source of honorable service, is a good first step."
more in-depth analysis openly solicited.
- Location
- Wall Gazing
There are two parts to this question, why we came to Shiro Enishi, and why we joined the legion.
@Sirrocco 's is good, though it makes us seem as though we are a social climber for the second part maybe with "but more then that I am a ronin, a wanderer of the waves, I seek a home, for I have none." added to the end.
For the first part, that is a bit more difficult. Maybe "I came to Shiro Enishi seeking to repair my soul, with it mended, ..."
So maybe
[ ] "I came to Shiro Enishi seeking to repair my soul, with it mended... Bayushi-sama, I am a ronin, a wanderer of the waves, I seek a home, for I have none. Weather that home is with the Legion or if I somehow prove myself worthy of the honor of being accepted into a Clan I do not know, but either way, joining the Legion is both an honorable service and a step closer to finding my place in the Empire."
Edited for proper honorifics.
@Sirrocco 's is good, though it makes us seem as though we are a social climber for the second part maybe with "but more then that I am a ronin, a wanderer of the waves, I seek a home, for I have none." added to the end.
For the first part, that is a bit more difficult. Maybe "I came to Shiro Enishi seeking to repair my soul, with it mended, ..."
So maybe
[ ] "I came to Shiro Enishi seeking to repair my soul, with it mended... Bayushi-sama, I am a ronin, a wanderer of the waves, I seek a home, for I have none. Weather that home is with the Legion or if I somehow prove myself worthy of the honor of being accepted into a Clan I do not know, but either way, joining the Legion is both an honorable service and a step closer to finding my place in the Empire."
Edited for proper honorifics.
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- Location
- Austrlia
[X] "I came to Shiro Enishi seeking to repair my soul, with it mended... Bayushi-sama, I am a ronin, a wanderer of the waves, I seek a home, for I have none. Weather that home is with the Legion or if I somehow prove myself worthy of the honor of being accepted into a Clan I do not know, but either way, joining the Legion is both an honorable service and a step closer to finding my place in the Empire."
Nice. True, but no details to embarrass anybody.
She's almost certainly looking for the reason we became ronin in the first place, and our weaknesses, if only so she can watch out for them.
Edited, for naming conventions.
Nice. True, but no details to embarrass anybody.
She's almost certainly looking for the reason we became ronin in the first place, and our weaknesses, if only so she can watch out for them.
Edited, for naming conventions.
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- Location
- Moon-Station
[x] "Right now? Straight answers, a hot bath and a good lay."
Let her ponder that if the Scorpion wants to play games.
Let her ponder that if the Scorpion wants to play games.
- Location
- Leeds
Hmmm. Honesty is best policy?
[] I have no idea how I got to Shiro Enshiro, I suspect I was pretty drunk. And you seem to be mistaken about how I joined the legion. I was conscripted rather than choose this path.
Alright, I think thats a decent example of what not to do.
Snow
Doka
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Addressing her that way is probably not a good idea. >.>
- Location
- Wall Gazing
I am not very good with the honorifics, what would you recommend?
- Location
- Leeds
I think Sama but using Sora not Bayushi was the killer problem.
Snow
Doka
- Pronouns
- She/Her
"Bayushi-sama" like @Sirrocco used is probably the safest.
It's both, really, I think. Using someone's personal name without an honorific at all implies, IIRC, a great degree of closeness. It's how you might expect Sora and Yukiko to address each other in private, for example.
- Status