Samurai Taka [L5R]

[Havocfett]

IN THE FAR FUTURE, IN A DISTANT LAND
I, DAIGOTSU, ANCIENT MASTER OF THE SPIDER CLAN
UNLEASHED AN UNSPEAKABLE EVIL UPON ROKUGAN
BUT IN MY MOMENT OF TRIUMPH
A FOOOOOLISH SAMURAI WARRIOR STEPPED FORTH TO OPPOSE ME
BEFORE I COULD STRIKE HIM DOWN
A PORTAL WAS OPENED IN TIME ITSELF
AND HE WAS FLUNG INTO THE DISTANT PAST
TO UNDO THE FUTURE THAT IS DAIGOTSU
​

You are a samurai, and you have had a very bad day.

The Dark Lord Daigotsu, master of the Spider Clan, champion of Hell Itself, has marched upon your homeland of Rokugan. Armies were laid to waste opposing him. Islands destroyed in their entirety. Cities burned, buried, wiped from existence entirely.

You stood at the end of it all. At Otosan Uchi, capital of Rokugan, the most important place in the world. You watched as armies of monsters and demons, not merely the Oni of the Shadowlands but a horde of new, alien, and lethal monstrosities ripped through the armies defending it. You saw all of your friends, everyone who had survived until that point, died in doomed combat against the horde. You saw the emperor killed as his armies broke around him. You saw the Gods slaughtered on the field, saw those who remained bend knee to their new master. You saw as Daigotsu himself, newly minted lord of the Heavens and Rokugan, asked if any dared to oppose him now.

You dared.

You fought.

You lost.

But before he could kill you, something happened. A figure, nothing yet everything, the void itself in human shape, manifested upon the battlefield. You knew what it was, what it must be. The Void Dragon, come to witness the last failure of humanity. And as the sword fell, it intervened. It grabbed you, threw you into a tear in reality as Daigotsu raged behind you.

You do not know what happened next. Merely a faint memory of speech in an alien language.

Until-

[ ] You find yourself falling through the air towards a snow-dusted mountain top. It is atop a small island, which itself is part of a large archipelago. The archipelago has an abundance of snow-dusted mountain tops.
[ ] You find yourself falling through the air towards a snow-dusted mountain top. It borders a great sea and wild, lush lands. You can see cities, far in the distance.
[ ] You find yourself falling through the air towards a snow-dusted mountain top. It is surrounded by a sparse savannah through which enormous and alien wildlife frolics.
[ ] You find yourself falling through the air towards a snow-dusted mountain top. It is surrounded by great flows of black rock and vents of steam reminiscent of the very pits of Jigoku.​

 

[Havocfett]

Name: Taka

Description: Taka is of average height for a Rokugani. He bears a slight tan from a life filled with prolonged exposure to the sun, and his thick black hair is longer and more wild than is proper. He is rangy, with ropy muscles that bely his strength. Despite a rough and slightly unkempt appearance, he exudes an easy confidence and quiet serenity.

Honor: 8.0
Glory: 0.0

Rings:

• Air: Adept
  • XP: 0/900
  • You have quick reflexes and adept in the courts of Rokugan. While you may not always know the cultural norms of the local area, the details discussed in conversation, or have the pull or authority of a proper samurai, you are sincere and as convincing as most courtiers in personal interaction, skilled at avoiding harm in battle, and are an excellent shot with a bow.
• Fire: Untrained
  • XP: 0/100
  • You are not particularly intelligent, and while you may be strong you do not move with the grace and technique expected of a trained samurai. In addition, your skill with weapons is mono-focused upon the blade.
• Water: Adept
  • XP: 0/900
  • You are a fine example of Samurai physicality, swift, fierce, and with a sharp eye. Foes break before you, and it takes an impressive person indeed to slip by your watch.
• Earth: Student
  • XP: 0/300
  • You are tough, yes, and willful, but not in a way that would set you apart from other Samurai.
• Void: Teacher
  • XP: 0/3200
  • You are deeply religious and have an innate understanding of the mystical and matters of the soul. You can enter the poorly understood state of 'flow', of action with inaction, of self-obliteration in the process of doing, with ease and are skilled at meditation. You have five Void Points.
  • Fortune Favors the Mortal Man: Student
    • XP: 0/300
    • You follow in the footsteps of Kihei, Toku, and Masatane. You excel in the face of difficult and impossible tasks, and against things beyond the ken of mortal man. While in situations of extreme danger and adversity you may spend a Void to become more skilled in every way. In addition, while wielding a blade, you use Void (Reduced by One Rank) instead of Fire to determine your skill with a blade. This only applies to swords.

 

[Havocfett]

I​

You fall.

The air tears at your face, your clothes. It is cold enough that the air will kill you if the plummet doesn't. In the distance the horizon curves away from you, the ground a beauteous collage of blues and greens and browns. You can't feel your wounds, perhaps you are numb, perhaps you will not feel yourself break upon the rocks when you hit the mountain. It is a cold consolation, but it is what you have.

The mountain's summit grows closer, larger, until it swallows your vision.

Impact.

You bounce, body thrown into the air in a shower of rock and gravel and snow. It hurts, your armor is torn, you think, and you may have broken an arm, but you are alive. Perhaps, if you land in a snow bank, perhaps, if you bled enough speed-

Your head hits a rock. Everything goes black.
​

*
​

You watch as the ships flee Otosan Uchi. The evacuation started too late, too close to the assault on the city, but time was bought for them nonetheless. Purchased in charges and last stands and rivers of blood, in the death of Hantei himself. They flee to a world Rokugan has not interacted with in long ages. A savage, barbaric land, told of only in tales. You know better of it than most, than everyone aboard those ships, enough to pity them their fate.

You, after all, will merely die.

*​

You awake to hissing. The world is vague shadows above you, backlit by harsh, harsh light. Things move, dart towards you, and are fended off by something...something that must be sitting upon your chest. You try to move, but everything is agony. Your muscles scream, your throat is raw, there's a weight on your chest, and you're coughing blood.

The darting has stopped. There are...two figures now. No, three. Conversation. Words you don't understand.

Something licks your leg. Raspy, but not unpleasant. Like an overly friendly dog. Your vision remains blurry, but you can see the thing sitting atop you. A large, brown snake with a raised ridge of scales going down its back, coiled up atop your chest. It is...talking, saying something to one of the other figures. You try to raise a hand, do anything. They seem to take notice, and as black hands take hold of your broken form, you fade away once more.

*​

The palace courtyard has been converted into a macabre arena. At its center is a great iron spike, upon which the Emperor Iweko II lies impaled. Around it, the butchered forms most of the Gods: Hida, Hantei, Akodo, Doji, and Shinjo have been propped against the pole. The rest lie on the sidelines, wounded, broken, ashamed.

Daigotsu stands at the far end. His armies, prisoners arrayed as spectators. You watch as he grandstands, as he speaks of the inevitable, final victory of Jigoku. How nothing can contest the glory won on this day, the eternal, perfect Rokugan that he has created. He throws a daisho, a paired katana and wakizashi of exceptional make to the ground in front of him, and declares that if any dare defy him they should do so now, or abandon their blades and admit themselves cowed.

There is a long moment of silence, as he stares at the prostrate gods, at his army of prisoners, at the besieged towers and burning palaces around him. The surviving defenders quail in the face of Daigotsu, the mighty lord of Jigoku, the man who felled the greatest empire in the world. Several throw themselves to their knees, others fling away their blades, or prepare to commit seppuku.

You step forwards.

It is the hardest thing in the world. You can feel him, his monstrous will, bearing down on you. You know that this battle is already decided, that you cannot win. You can feel the aura of terror radiating off of every one of the monsters that follow him, and you feel the gaze of shackled gods as you do what they refused to.

You step into the arena, and Daigotsu turns towards you. An eyebrow rises in recognition, and he says,

[ ] "Tamori Taka."

Spoiler

You are one of the last scions of the Dragon Clan. The inheritor of Mirumoto's techniques. You came to Otosan Uchi not because you thought you could win, but because you knew you had lost, and it was your duty and your destiny to witness the end of all things. And witness you did, fighting all the while, fighting after Togashi himself bent the knee. And as Daigotsu stepped upon the backs of the Gods and proclaimed his victory you saw one last opportunity to prove the strength of your line.

Honor: 5.5. You are a worthy inheritor to the Mirumoto tradition, as honorable as the Daimyos of the clan, and more so than Togashi, who dared bend the knee while his descendants fought on.

Techniques:
Way of the Dragon [Student/Earth]: You are a swordsmaster of the Mirumoto. You may spend Void to gain a great, temporary burst of superhuman physical power, temporarily giving you a Water Ring of Teacher for a short time. In addition, you ignore all but the most extreme weather conditions, your skin serves as armor, and your fists are potent weapons.

Starting Rings:
Air: Student
Fire: Adept
Water: Untrained
Earth: Teacher
Void: Adept

[ ] "Kakita Taka."

Spoiler

You came to Otosan Uchi because you were told to, and that is enough. You were never a particularly good Crane. An unsurpassed duelist, a composed courtier, an established calligrapher and poet, yes. But beneath the demeanor, the mannerisms, you did what was convenient. What seemed right, rather than what seemed Honorable. You upheld Rokugani culture, but you did it while standing upon feet of clay. Otosan Uchi changed that. The death, the failure, this was the end of the way of the sword, this was the end of Rokugani culture. And if that was to be so, let you be its last champion.

Starting Honor: 4. You care less for Honor than a Crane should, but ultimately proved yourself worthy.

Techniques:
Way of the Crane [Student/Air]: You are a master of Iaijutsu, the art of the Quick Draw, and have access to powerful and secret techniques of the art developed by the Crane clan. Your style of combat is not a brutal melee, but the swift, precise work of an author, and you are capable of incredible precision in combat as a result. You may use your Air Ring (Reduced by one rank) instead of your Water Ring for the purpose of harming your enemies. In addition, you are a master of poetry and may spend a Void Point to immediately grasp the basics of local culture.

Starting Rings:
Air: Teacher
Fire: Adept
Water: Student
Earth: Untrained
Void: Adept

[ ] "Akodo Taka."

Spoiler

You came to Otosan Uchi because you were the only hope for victory. You took command of the battle, organized the evacuation, executed stratagem after stratagem, tactical masterpiece after tactical masterpiece. You traded ashigaru for oni, samurai for monsters never before seen. Under you, and you alone, they stood a chance. And yet, you lost. And in penance for that, when Daigotsu asked if any dared to stand against him, you stood. The last honorable man in Rokugan.

Starting Honor: 7. You are expected to be the most honorable of Samurai, and as such you are.

Techniques:
Way of the Lion [Student/Fire]: To the Lion, Honor is both shield and weapon. As long as you remain honorable, and ideally more honorable than your foes, your blows are more lethal and your armor more hardy. You pick up on new military concepts with ease and your honor does not merely inspire your troops, it actively protects them from harm and augments their blows.

Starting Rings:
Air: Untrained
Fire: Teacher
Water: Adept
Earth: Adept
Void: Student

[ ] "Daigotsu Taka."

Spoiler

You did not come to Otosan Uchi as defender, but as conqueror. As Daigotsu's own son, the odd, untainted second son of the Spider Clan. As the battle progressed, as Samurai gave their lives in doomed stands, as the heavens themselves submitted to their new lord, you realized that the edifice you championed was hollow. You turned upon your brother, Daigotsu Kanpeki, in the burning palace of the Emperor, and at the end of all things you volunteered yourself as the champion of mortal man.

Starting Honor: 1.1. An honorable man did not enter Otosan Uchi, but may well have exited it.

Techniques:
Way of the Spider [Student/Water]: To attack the Spider is folly, to resist, suicide. The terror of your presence is something most cannot deal with, their blows falter while yours become more powerful. By spending a Void you may also lend your strength to your allies around you, lending them a taste of your superhuman might. Your raw strength also allows you to ignore minor injuries, cow enemies with your presence, and enjoy bursts of superhuman strength.

Starting Rings:
Air: Student
Fire: Adept
Water: Teacher
Earth: Adept
Void: Untrained

[ ] "Taka."

Spoiler

You came to Otosan Uchi as no-one, with nothing. Merely devotion, and skill, and the will to do right. Another volunteer on the walls to fight and die for the Emperor. But you did not die, and then you continued not to die, and rather than taking opportunity after opportunity to flee, to abandon an empire that never treated you well, you continued to stand for the Empire's dispossessed, its vulnerable. Again, and again, and again, until you faced Daigotsu himself.

Starting Honor: 8. Many deny your place in the world, none deny your honor.

Techniques:
Fortune Favors the Mortal Man [Student/Void]: You follow in the footsteps of Kihei, Toku, and Masatane. You excel in the face of difficult and impossible tasks, and against things beyond the ken of mortal man. While in situations of extreme danger and adversity you may spend a Void to become more skilled in every way. In addition, while wielding a blade, you use Void (Reduced by One Rank) instead of Fire to determine your skill with a blade. This only applies to swords.

Air: Adept
Fire: Untrained
Water: Adept
Earth: Student
Void: Teacher

 

[Havocfett]

Mechanics:​

I'm going to be using a modified version of the system used by Omicron in Now You Feel Like Number None. Here's him to explain it.

Although this Quest is narratively driven (no dice-rolling or exact stat calculation), we will be using a system of "ranks" to assess the respective powers of characters, measure your growth and comparative abilities. These ranks are bought with xp and the entire thing is more or less ripped off from We Stand in Awe, so sue me. To earn XP, you can finish narrative arcs, perform impressive in-character deeds, undergo training montages in "downtime," and things of that caliber.

Click to shrink...

Your stats are based around the Five Rings, the Five Elements that made up reality itself. They are:


Air: Air is associated with intuition, empathy and reflexes. In combat it affects the speed at which you react, your ability to avoid harm, and your skill with Rokugani Archery. Out of combat it affects your persuasiveness and how well you understand the motivations of those around you. A High Air character can dance through a flurry of arrows, shoot the wing off of a bird, and compose poetry that would make men weep.

Fire: Fire is associated with athleticism, intelligence, and skill. In combat it affects your skill in melee and intelligence on the field of battle. Out of combat it affects your athleticism, pre-existing knowledge, and ability to absorb and comprehend new information. A High Fire character is a savant both on the battlefield and off, slicing their foes to pieces, putting together pieces of ancient and forgotten lore, and learning as fast as new information is presented.

Water: Water is associated with physicality, perception, and speed. In combat it affects your raw physicality, your strength, your speed, how dangerous you are in a grapple. Out of combat it affects your perceptiveness, efficacy as a tracker, and your ability to see through deception. A High Water character can break an Ox in a single blow, see through the most clever of lies, and run down a galloping horse.

Earth: Earth is associated with endurance and willpower. In combat it affects your ability to withstand punishment and stamina. Out of combat it affects your physical endurance and ability to stay calm under pressure, resist temptation, and remain in control of situations. A High Earth character can withstand wounds that would kill a normal human, see through the temptations of the wicked, and cow lesser people with merely their gaze.

Void: Void is associated with meditation, religion, and flow. In addition, it may be used to enhance another Ring, the use of a technique, or a write-in. You have a pool of points equal to your void ring per Episode. A character with High Void is one with the world around them, capable of incredible bursts of skill and in touch with the divine.

Honor: Not strictly a stat, Honor is a measure of how you perceive yourself. How closely you hew to the ideals of Honor you were raised with. It does not track morality, indeed often the correct thing and moral thing to do is not the honorable thing to do,

Glory: Like Honor, Glory is not a true stat. It is a measure of your fame and reputation in the area you are in. It begins at 0.0 and is slowly lowers if you do not continue to win glory for yourself and is, to a degree, regionally locked.

The Five Rings and Techniques that you acquire are ranked by the following chart. A technique cannot have a higher rank than the Ring it is based on.

• Incapable - Not technically a level as such, this will only show up on a character sheet in the rare event that some circumstance makes it utterly impossible for you to learn or use a particular skill.
• Untrained - This represents the baseline, the adult human norm for a ring or the first steps onto the path for a technique.
• Student (100xp) - You have received some significant training in this ring, or are a prodigy in the field. A Samurai may begin their career at this level in the rings their family or school prize particularly highly.
• Adept (300xp) - You have tempered training and skill with hard-won experience, becoming worthy of note in the field. Most Samurai do not progress beyond this level even in their area of specialization.
• Teacher (900xp) - You excel in this field, clearly setting yourself apart from your peers. In Rokugan someone with a Ring at this level would be widely renowned, invited to join prestigious dojos and learn advanced techniques to better show the glory of their clan.
• Paragon (3200xp) - Your skill is awe-inspiring, singular among your clan and perhaps an entire country. In Rokugan someone with a Ring at this level would likely be famous and offered a prestigious position in recognition of their merit. You may only have two rings at or above this level.
• Divine (4000xp) - You have reached the absolute pinnacle of what is possible for this ring. The only people who may compete with you in this area of specialization are Gods or similarly powerful creatures. You may only have one ring at this level.

 

[Havocfett]

I Part 2​

The duel is informal, like most battlefield duels. You don't need to discuss the terms, or the arena, or get seconds. There are witnesses, there are stakes, and you are both fully aware that only Daigotsu will leave the arena alive. Instead you simply approach and drop into a half-crouch, hands on the hilts of your katanas, slipping into the deep almost-trance of the Iaijutsu Duel as you assess each other.

Daigotsu has not trained in the Duel, you realize. He's a natural, which does not surprise you, but his grip is sloppy, his stance a mimicry of your own, a dozen minor errors mar his form. It likely shouldn't surprise you, the Iaijutsu Duel is sacred, one of the most hallowed and enduring traditions of Rokugan. That a man who defines himself by the rejection of honor and tradition did not bother to practice it is expected. Still, it means he has something else planned if he is going through the motions. Something you will have to watch out for.

There is a moment of tension, grips tighten, the crowd holds a collective breath.

*​

You awake to a viper staring into your eyes. It is rust brown, a ridge of raised scales running along its back, with a head larger than your fist. You blink once and the snake's tongue flicks out, licking the tip of your nose before it retreats out of sight.

You sit up, only to suppress a wince as pain wracks your body. You can feel the stabbing pain of a broken rib, the ache of a bruised arm, a dozen injuries, some major, some minor, accompanied by thousands of worried, paranoid questions about what happened, why you are still alive. A maddening, distracting cacophony of sensations and ideas.

You breathe.

Pain fades. Questions cease. Aches soothe. You simply are, and can examine your surroundings without distraction.

You are in a long, cylindrical hall. The walls are made of some sort of earthen brick, and you lay upon one bed of many. The furnishings are alien, though they seem well-made, and a small table, raised far above a respectable height for sitting, yet too low for standing, sits level with your bed. You are wearing some sort of woven skirt as your only proper garment, and most of your body seems to be covered in bandages.

On the table by your bed is an assortment of your belongings. Your coin-purse, your tattered kimono-formerly tattered, for someone has expertly cleaned and mended it with skill that would make it seem as if it had never been torn-, your wakizashi and your katana.

Your calm is pierced by a pang of loss upon seeing the blades. Your katana is shattered, nothing but a hilt and a short length of jagged steel stained with Daigotsu's black blood. Your wakizashi is blunted and nicked, but not beyond repair. Their sheaths are cracked and stained, held together by rough bindings. They had been plain things, roughly made and no works of art or testaments to a smith's skill, but they were good Rokugani steel and, more importantly, they were yours. The day you began to wield them was the best day of your life, and they had served you faithfully since no matter what happened. You utter a silent prayer for them, in mourning, for they deserved at least that much.

Your prayer is interrupted by the shuffling of feet as three black-skinned gaijin enter the room. The first and eldest is a woman, tall, with shocks of white through her black hair and sharp, gaunt features. She wears a flowing garment of white linen with an ivory pendant of a snake hanging from her neck. Flanking her are two boys wearing ecru linen tunics that go to their knees. The elder is perhaps a year from becoming an adult, though admittedly you could not claim to speak to the ages of gaijin, with strong features and curled hair reminiscent of a cloud. He carries a tray with implements and bowls upon it. The younger is perhaps a decade old, if that, and significantly rounder and softer than his counterpart, and shaved bald as well.

The woman sees you. She waves a hand and barks an order in a language you don't understand, prompting the youngest child to flee the room. Then she approaches, speaking firmly, giving orders you don't understand. You try to respond, to explain, but your calm gives way. Your walls break. Pain and doubt flood your mind and you fall backwards, a muffled scream on your lips.

The woman catches you, alien words of reassurance on her lips. She lowers you gently into the bed, calling orders, whispering platitudes, applying pastes and salves to your injuries. You are dimly aware of the boy moving about at the edge of your vision, chanting what might be a prayer as the pain wracking your body begins to fade.

A third woman enters the room. An adult, but still in the prime of her life, and foreign to the others. She wears gold jewelry, a linen garment with red lines woven into it, and carries a wooden box as she approaches the bed. Her skin is a few shades lighter than the others, her hair long and pleated into many braids, and her expression one of mild annoyance that turns to surprise as she realizes that you are conscious. She bows to the first woman, low, and says something that sounds irreverent. The reply is gentle, not rebuking, but disapproving nonetheless. Then all three of them turn to you.

The older woman gives an order and the boy and the foreigner begin examining you, prompting jolts of pain as they prod and examine injuries and speaking to you in a language you don't understand. You try to respond at some point, to ask if they speak Rokugani, and point out your wounds to speed up the examination, but while they are surprised at your speech none seem to comprehend what you are saying. You try to raise a hand, to communicate by body language if nothing else, but you are weak and injured, and your body refuses to obey. It is terrifying for a time, being utterly at the mercy of gaijin who you cannot communicate with, having no way to know their intentions for you. You struggle to master yourself, to calm your racing heart, and you realize the true reason the experience terrifies you so.

You are helpless. For the first time in a long time, you are truly helpless in a way you were not even in Otosan Uchi. There, at least, you could raise your blade. There you could take action, even if it was futile.

Here you cannot.

The examination continues, and turns to healing. There is more talking, between the elder woman and the other two. You are fairly certain that she is their Sensei, or the equivalent here. The boy begins to change your wrappings, while the foreigner begins to apply some sort of cosmetics, first to herself, and then to you despite your struggling and feeble protests.

The boy, of course, finds this hilarious.

The foreigner begins to write and chant. You see forms in the air, reaching towards you. You panic, prompting more soothing words from the Sensei and Boy, and reach for the Foreigner but she stands just too far away. The forms coalesce, half-clothed, ghostly figures, chanting, holding scrolls, reaching for your chest. You try to move, try to ward them off-

And the pain in your chest, the stabbing pain where your rib broke, disappears. You can see the bruising fade as the ghostly forms dissipate, and you find yourself able to at least sit up as more wounds begin to heal. You regain control of yourself while the Sensei continues to utter soothing words. You stay upright a while, until you're exhausted. The boy, the foreigner, and the youngest come and go but the Sensei stands there the entire time, just out of view, watching you until you finally go to sleep.

The next week is a slow, aggravating recovery.

The viper continues to appear, only when no-one else is around. It stays near you, making eye contact, laying atop your chest or coiling within your hair, and then disappears out of sight shortly before anyone else might have the chance to see it. It seems benign, you think, and when you have enough strength in your arms to try to re-tie your topknot it helps you do so. You've attempted to communicate its existence to the others, but the language barrier is too much.

Beyond the four you saw the day you woke up the only other permanent occupant is a beast called Kandake. It looks to be some sort of dog, with a spade shaped head, a spotted coat, a short mane, and a build vaguely reminiscent of a bear. You heard it, or at least its odd, disturbing laughter, throughout the week but it was on the fifth day, the first time you felt strong enough to stand, that you saw it.

You had felt well enough to rise, despite protestations from The Boy who was watching you. He said something that sounded angry, which you ignored, and then whistled and said, very loudly, "Kandake!"

And, very shortly, Kandake sprinted into the room, pushed you back down into the bed, and sat on top of you for the next several hours while occasionally grunting, laughing, or licking your face.

Day four was a bad day.

Twice there were other patients, black-skinned gaijin who looked at you in curiosity, but neither were there for long. Once a man you believe is the Sensei's husband visited, he was tall, wore gold armlets and a silver headband, and a tunic of red and white. There was talk you did not understand, and he looked you over as if you were the favored art piece of some daimyo, and he was far more affectionate with the Sensei than is appropriate in public, but otherwise you did not see much of him. After the visit they began to try in earnest to communicate with you and eventually you managed to tell them your name and status. The Sensei reassured you after you revealed it for reasons you do not understand, and afterwards they began to refer to you as 'Samurai' in your attempts to communicate with each other.

By the week's end you are able to stand and the Sensei seemed to approve, as Kandake is not called again. You cannot leave yet, you are still grievously injured, but you have some mobility and with that comes the ability to take action..

[ ] [Air] That you cannot communicate with these people is no reason not to be courteous. Communicate to the degree you are able, express an interest in who they are, learn what you can about your saviors.

[ ] [Fire] You must learn to communicate with the locals, if nothing else. You were well-read on the outside world, you were not a Unicorn or Mantis, but you managed nonetheless. Wrack your mind, learn or remember what you can about your surroundings while you recover.

[ ] [Water] You cannot communicate it to them, but you are indebted to these gaijin. They have treated you fairly and mercifully, and have asked for no recompense in kind. You will work for them while you recover, to the degree you are able.

 

[Havocfett]

How often do Void points regen in this? I assume its longer than a sleep like in L5R because I'm expecting these early updates at least to cover multiple days.

[X] [Air] That you cannot communicate with these people is no reason not to be courteous. Communicate to the degree you are able, express an interest in who they are, learn what you can about your saviors.

Click to shrink...

Whoops, meant to do a post on that earlier.

Let's do it right now.

Void Points represent the ability of all humans, and quite a few nonhumans, to enter a state of 'flow' on demand, allowing for bursts of skill and prowess beyond what is normally available. Taka has a pool of Void Points, noted in his character sheet, that you can use either as a general buff to a vote option or to activate certain Techniques you have access to or may learn. At current time Taka can use this to activate Fortune Favors the Mortal Man, making him more generally skilled in extreme situations. Your pool refills every 'Episode' (An Arc or subsection of one, basically), though there will occasionally be special [Void] vote options that can refill Void Points during an Episode.

Your pool of Void Points, even at high ranks, is pretty small, and so using one will generally have dramatic consequences. It isn't a guaranteed victory, but it can be compared to a one-tier boost to a ring in most circumstances (Two if the Ring is Untrained) and outside of high pressure situations will generally guarantee success. As a result, techniques that ask you to use Void also generally have a dramatic effect in their area of expertise.

To use a Void point for a general boost just add "-[X] Use Void" to a vote, and based on the total number of Votes for, Votes against, and Votes that don't mention the possibility I'll either make a decision or do a short runoff vote. To use Void in a technique there will generally either be a prompt in the vote or, if appropriate, you can simply note it in a write-in.

TL;DR: You can use Void to be really badass for an update during an Encounter (Meaningful challenge in the combat/social/spiritual spheres) or near-automatically succeed at a thing outside of an Encounter (Posts that don't contain one of those things). They don't regenerate often so use sparingly.

 

[Havocfett]

Character File:

I'll add these to the front page eventually. Maybe after the update.

Beratraka:

Spoiler

Beratraka is the headsman of Uwainat's Gate and Pelkha's husband. He was a trader once, a man who travelled the length of the Grand Artery and profited greatly from it. Now he manages Uwainat's Gate, doing his best to keep its people safe during trying times. Uwainat's Gate is an important stop for pilgrims visiting Jenne Uwainat, and Beratraka is currently busy managing an influx of pilgrims unable to return home at the end of their pilgrimage due to current tensions. He is an incredibly tall man, even for the locals, and his children share this trait.

He is not a practitioner of a notable school or tradition, but is skilled in commerce and the management of people and is at least capable of defending himself.

Peseshet:

Spoiler

Peseshet is foreign to Makurrah. She was a Senpet priestess once, exiled from her home for reasons unknown. She is skilled with Heka and has managed to become an apprentice to Pelkha by means unknown. She is acerbic, quick-witted, and slightly paranoid, and has taken to short trips away from home, proactively looking for clients instead of waiting for them to come to Pelkha.

Peseshet is a student of the Senpet Bronze Vanguard school, a tradition of mages who use the Senpet magic of Heka. They focus on offensive magics and works of war, but many are able emergency healers as well.

Pelkha:

Spoiler

Pelkha is one of the seniormost shamans in the vicinity of Jenne Uwainat, renowned throughout the land for her prodigious skill and the scrutiny she puts upon those who would attempt to apprentice under her. She holds sway with many of the spirits and gods in the region, and holds herself and her household above the shifting local politics and wars that wrack the region. She serves any who are willing to abide by her terms, and attempts to violate her neutrality run the risk of raising the ire of nearby spirits and hyena-packs. She married Beratraka in her youth, a trader turned headsman of the nearby village of Uwainat's Gate, and they have had five children, most of whom are now adults.

Her hyena, and companion since she was a girl, is an enormous spotted Hyena named Kandake. Pelkha claims that Kandake is the queen of all Hyenas who live in the shadow of Jenne Uwainat and holds her unnaturally long lifespan and unflagging vigor as proof.

Pelkha is a master of the Makurran Hyena-Healer tradition, a tradition of healers and spiritual specialists (Mganga in the local language) native to the region.

Arqamani:

Spoiler

Arqamani is Pelkha and Beratraka's youngest child. He is long and lanky, even for the locals, and less social than he perhaps should be. Despite this he has taken to his studies with fanatical and single minded dedication. He may well be a prodigy, and has a deft hand for the handling of animals besides. This has, however, resulted in an overconfidence and he has been trying to get his mother to allow him to attempt his rite of adulthood years earlier than any of his siblings did. So far she has blown him off and demanded he study further.

Arqamani is a trainee in the traditions of the Makurran Hyena-Healers. Though he has not yet branded a Hyena he has taken to many of the basics of the craft with aplomb.

Sherkarer:

Spoiler

Sharkarer is the youngest boy in Pelkha''s household. His father is a foreigner, a prisoner from a Nok city-state who married a young local after he was freed. Sharkarer is their eldest child and was swiftly found to be touched by the gods. His parents sent him to Pelkha that she might train him to use his gifts, though he himself seems ambivalent on the subject. His ancestry sets him apart from many of his peers, he is of a stockier build than most of the locals and shorter than most children his age as well.

Sherkarer is a trainee in the traditions of the Makurran Hyena-Healers. He will not be ready to brand a Hyena or take on the role in truth for years yet.

 

[Havocfett]

I Part 3​

You flow through the kata once more, moving with singular, agonizing slowness as your blade cuts through the air. Your muscles burn in protest and sweat beads upon your skin under the gaze of a merciless sun. But despite this, you are at peace. The Kata is the entirety of your world, all else discarded as inconsequential, for in this moment there is only The Cut.

The ragged edge of your wakizashi comes to rest against the petal of a wild flower, so gentle is the motion that the petal does not even shudder. You allow yourself a faint smile and release a long-held breath. Your blade returns to its sheath in a flash of silver, your muscles relax for the first time in an age, and only then do you return to the world.

You stand in an alien land, amidst of a field of drying mud-bricks. Your surroundings are a constant reminder that you do not belong here: trees with branches like barren roots, orange-red eagles of unnatural size, misshapen and malicious insects, the ever-present stench of Kandake, and the mud-brick structures you currently call home.

You have been working for your saviors for a week now. A week that has been a long, agonizing exercise in weakness. The strength is gone from your muscles, your eyes are gummy and slow, you tire swiftly and simply thinking, talking, feels as if your head is filled with water. Every day you can do a little more, and every day you realize how much strength you have simply lost from your catastrophic fight with Daigotsu. How long the road to recovery may truly be.

Of course, the world does not stand still while you rage at your own fragility. The sensei -Pelkha, as you soon learn- puts you to work quickly, keen on teaching you scattered words of the local language. You grasp names first, Pelkha, Kandake, Beratraka (Her husband, you are almost certain), Peseshet (The Foreigner), Arqamani (The elder apprentice), and Sherkarer (The younger apprentice). Then a few scattered words, not enough to converse but enough to understand orders and survive.

The labor itself is simple, glorified chores beneath your dignity as a samurai. You know some of your peers in the great clans, honorable men and women, who would threaten violence if someone asked them to clean an animal's pen, or mix mud and dried grass. You thought of them often as you worked, grim thoughts. How many of them, if they were still alive, would switch places with you were they given the chance? How many honorable samurai would choose a lifetime under the evils of Daigotsu, a life in a broken world over simple work for ebon-skinned gaijin? How many would think to themselves, 'ah, but Daigotsu is a Rokugani master', and say that that makes all the difference?

A cough breaks your reverie. Sherkarer is crouched upon a low wall, where he has been watching you practice your kata for some hours. Until now he has done his best to avoid interrupting you, and as he sees he has your attention he speaks. "Dry," he says, loudly, slowly, as if teaching a particularly stubborn babe. He points at the bricks, then repeats himself to make sure you understand, then says something else, a string of words you can't quite translate, though you think you grasp the meaning. You've time between tasks once you're done with the bricks, and he wants to see the Kata again.

You're more than happy to oblige. An interest in swordsmanship is healthy for a young boy and this may be your last chance to perform the Kata in some time, as you've agreed to-

[ ] [Water] Guard Arqamani on what you're pretty sure is his Gempukku. It evidently involves Hyenas, and you are to make sure that nothing that doesn't involve Hyenas happens to him. Or at least you're pretty sure that's what you've been told to do.

[ ] [Air] Be Peseshet's Yojimbo for a week while she does her rounds. There is...something going on that makes it dangerous, so she would like a guard.

[ ] [Fire] Be Pelkha's assistant while her elder apprentices are gone. She is expecting a surge of clients in the near future, and with Peseshet, Kandake, and Arqamani out she needs replacement hands.