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Post by Shoju on Jul 19, 2011 7:15:33 GMT -5
OOC - I would like Thrak to continue on with his character idea, and I know he at times is a little hard to pin down on the boards.
If we end up with the result of the vote before he gets back, I will bring in a guy and deal with the results with him.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jul 19, 2011 11:56:25 GMT -5
"Indeed," Togusa said, with a half-grin. The two men stopped before the guards at the entrance to the command tent, he bowed politely and removed the heavy bisento from his back to hand it over to the guard. He also reached up one sleeve and removed a simple dagger, handing that weapon over as well. He allowed the guards to search him, and once they were satisfied that he was unarmed, they waved him through.
Togusa did not check to see if the strange ronin had followed him as he stepped into the makeshift court that had been prepared for the newly-declared emperor. He was careful not to meet the curious gazes that fell on him as he moved to present himself before Kaneka. This is no less a battlefield than the one you just left, he told himself with some trepidation, though he maintained an expression of serene calm. Many others had come to offer their support or present grievances to the new Emperor, and Togusa was happy to wait his turn, taking the opportunity to get a sense of the room. Quite a few courtiers had already found their way here, having wasted no time in coming upon hearing of Kaneka's declaration, but the room was primarily filled with bushi. Moto and Shinjo samurai seemed to dominate the room, though the Crab and Lion clans were also well represented, with a smattering of Mantis around as well. The implications of this alliance were not lost on Togusa, despite his limited knowledge of the Empire at large.
And then, all at once, his moment came. The Emperor's herald eyed Togusa with disinterest. "Please state your identity and the business that brings you before the divine presence of Emperor Toturi III."
"Toturi-dono," Togusa began, "may I have permission to address the court?"
The herald turned to face the Emperor, and the Emperor nodded once. His herald waved a hand in Togusa's direction. "You may speak," he said, he tone betraying his curiosity.
Togusa took a deep breath, a visible, though unintentional, sign of emotion that caused more than a little shifting of feet, before he spoke. "Samurai of Rokugan," he began, projecting his voice as much as possible through the massive tent. "My name is Togusa, and I am a simple monk. I admit to having little of the training necessary to present myself properly in such a distinguished court, and as such I will make my comments brief." He watched the faces of those around him, but as he expected, many of them remained impassive. "I come to you today as an envoy. Many of you may have heard rumors of a group of ronin banding together, and referring to themselves as Spider." That got a reaction out of a few of them, but no more than a short gasp or a hardening of the eyes. "The rumors you have heard are true."
That got a stronger reaction out of them. There were several minutes of angry shouting before the Emperor, sensing that Togusa had more to say, calmly lifted a hand to silence the room. "Deep within the Shadowlands, my brothers among the Spider have carved out a niche for themselves. While some of us do carry the taint, as the rumors report, many of us, including myself, do not. My lord created the Spider as a refuge for those outcast from the Empire. It is a place of second chances, or for those with alternative ideas they might wish to explore. A place where a man's deeds, not his blood, are his most important traits."
"For years," Togusa continued, "my lord kept our existence hidden from the eyes of Rokugan, fearing that the time was not right to reveal ourselves. Now, after many of us, including myself, have helped defend the Empire against the depravity of the gaijin barbarians to the north, he feels that the time has come. Though we are not officially a clan of the Empire, we have always conducted ourselves in a manner parallel to the clans of Rokugan. I come before you now, humbly petitioning for our recognition, and to pledge my blade to your service." Togusa turned then to face the dais, and prostrated himself before the Emperor, ignoring the look of shock on the herald's face. "I place my life, as well as the future of my brethren, in your hands, to do with as you will."
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Post by Shoju2 on Jul 19, 2011 13:16:23 GMT -5
The ronin turned over his daisho, and followed the monk in. He had left the monk alone and had really just milled around the room until the Monk spoke. Then, he lost himself in the words.
Spider. Taint. Shadowlands.
The ronin felt himself reeling, and the memories flooded his mind. There he was escorting a beautiful young Courtier from Unicorn lands to the Crab Lands. They had flirted, and things were looking up for the Ronin. The two had found themselves wrapped in each others arms that evening when everything went wrong.
Their camp was being raided. He prepared the courtier the best he could, Hurried her to where the horses were, and gave her one passionate kiss before he sent his horse, and the pretty courtier off towards Kyuden Miya. He hoped she would make it before these people found her.
They were Tsukai. They wanted blood, and sacrifices. They delighted in the pain they inflicted. One of them, an old man was covered in boils and lesions, and he was bleeding out the Unicorn retinue, laughing maniacally. He had to act. He charged into the fray and began cutting down Tsukai as he went. They were caught off gaurd by his advance, and he felled 5 of them before the old man caught on. He performed a ritual. And now the ronin was nameless. His memories up until this very moment had been blocked. 20 years he had been adrift.
Was the Courtier alive? Did he at least provide a distraction for her to escape? Oh... someone once had told him he had a son, but he couldn't remember. Was it with the pretty young courtier? He was irate. this man in front of him now, that he had been so pleasant with consorted with the likes of the very people who had taken his life from him.
The ronin snapped out of his thought and stared at the Monk. "You and yours can never atone for the evil you sew in our lands. You consort with demons, and undead, tsukai and other filth." The Ronin stood and looked past the monk. "Toturi-dono. My father and yours were friends. I have come seeking in you, what my father found in yours. Your father led many men into battle on the second day of thunder to ensure that men like this would never darken the door of the empire again. I urge you Toturi-dono. Allow us to cut this filth down where he stands."
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Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Jul 20, 2011 10:56:44 GMT -5
Mai walked calmly to Toturi's presence, dressed respectfully but simply for Toturi's court, as a warrior would in the peaceful presence of another warrior. Her Crane father would have insisted upon opulent silks even in these conditions, but her father also insisted on declaring his loyalties elsewhere, making his opinions moot. Between him and her own Utaku daimyo declaring for Hantei, the decision to support Kaneka was one Mai would suffer for in one way or another eventually, but the loyalties of the living were of no consequence; her decision was for the newly dead. Her mother's grave, not far from the keep, was still fresh, and the memories still burned. Kaneka's actions saved so many, but were not enough to save her...
Mai pushed these thoughts from her mind as she felt them touch her heart. Childish blubbering would benefit no one. She was a battle maiden. Her place was to be Kaneka's lance and sword. She managed not to embarrass herself in her public declaration, and the information on troops that could be conscripted from the villages in the Utaku lands seemed genuinely appreciated.
She had just settled with some Lion bushi to discuss cavalry strategy when the mysterious monk came to make his audacious claim on behalf of the tainted spider clan. While hers was certainly not the only voice raised in objection, hers was among the most fervent among the din:
"The Spider exist in open mockery of what Rokugan is! He speaks of action, yet the acts of his people in the shadowlands have cost them their very humanity. He seeks recognition for a 'clan' that is, even now, coming to Hantei's defense at Toshi Ranbo! He is no more than a spy, seeking to maximize the dead on both sides so his tainted ilk can fuel their tsukai powers with the blood of honorable samurai. His presence is an insult to the land. I implore you, Toturi-dono, don't fall into his web. Nothing he can offer can be worth our souls"
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jul 20, 2011 11:12:54 GMT -5
That didn't take long, Togusa thought to himself. If he made it out of this room alive, it would be a miracle of epic proportions. "My emperor," he said calmly, "I cannot speak for the actions of my brothers, I only know what I have been ordered by my lord to convey." He did not move from his kneeling position as he spoke. "The words your samurai speak are born of history and past experiences with the Taint, and indeed, there is truth in what they say. I kneel before you, however, as living proof that it is possible to exist in harmony with the Tainted and resist the temptations that so easily swayed those who came before us. I, and many among my brotherhood, have existed alongside the Tainted members of the Spider for years, and we remain uncorrupted." He looked sidelong at the two who had spoken against him. I doubt they will be the last. "You may test me with jade, if you so desire it. I have nothing to hide."
He faced the floor once again, and hesitated for a moment before speaking his next words. "I have placed my life in your hands, Toturi-dono, and I intend to stand by my words." He lifted his head ever so slightly, but did not meet the Emperor's gaze. "If you believe me to be your enemy, command me, and I will gladly take my life."
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Post by Mirumoto Shigekazu on Jul 21, 2011 1:55:32 GMT -5
New ciphered message found by Yuushahime in contact box: Not able to build network again. Mountain collapses. I will arrive officialy to camp tommorow with forces. Arrange meeting with Emperor. Our Lord will arrive soon also.
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Bayushi Haruka
Scorpion Clan
OOC Cleanup Crew
Samurai? Battle Maiden? Cavalry? Paragon of Courage? Friend of the Lion
Posts: 1,054
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Post by Bayushi Haruka on Jul 21, 2011 15:23:05 GMT -5
Haruka and Senshi had effectively been able to hide themselves away from view for some time when the hustle and bustle of the Dragon's 'procession' as it were started to cause some disturbances. Some of the raised voices were enough to even unsettle Haruka somewhat as she was the first to appear.
Drawing back the tent flap, her eyes fell on Yuushahime once again as they immediately eased. As much as she would be absent from the happenings in the main command tent that held the court of Toturi, there would be those that acted as her eyes and ears for the time being, and were commanded to voice no complaint or make any motions in her stead.
"Yuushahime-sama.. I must admit this is a bit more than I expected when it came to matters of investigating individuals in the camp..."
Her eyes scanned her a bit longer and seemed to detect more than what was seen.
"Please, come inside. It is only my dear Senshi-sama and I. We can speak privately." Her gaze held on the Dragon woman, hoping not to draw any further notice or attention from the silent situation afoot.
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Post by Akodo Tsanuri on Jul 26, 2011 19:19:49 GMT -5
After Scorpion’s words the inside of the tent became silent. Everybody looked at the Emperor awaiting his decision. As silence prolonged small samurai-ko in brown kimono and with Ikoma mon moved a few steps from the back of the tent and bowed deeply. ‘Pardon me my Lord, but may I ask this man a few questions?’When she received acquiescent nod she turned to the Spider, came closer and bowed as to the person of equal status. ‘I honor your courage and loyalty. I believe you are not tainted, you don’t feel like one. But as you probably now we can’t be certain. None of the methods used to check this.. condition is perfect. It won’t tell us everything but it’s all we can do for now. Can you please hold it?’She gave the Spider a small jade sphere with blackish haze in the center. There were two abraded signs on its surface, Imperial and Crane. She didn’t even look at the jade and started talking again. ‘I heard that quite big group of ronin made camp near Toshi Ranbo. The don’t behave like trying to threaten the city. More like forming allies with defenders.’She paused for a moment waiting for Spider reaction.
[OCC: sorry if it's spoiling sb's vision, it was just a shame that nothing happenes in this tread. it's sooo good scene it'd be bad to abandon it. and I don't think former shogun will write anything ]EDIT: right. exactly. thanks. corrected
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jul 28, 2011 7:53:16 GMT -5
(Just to clarify, by "Scorpion" you mean Spider? Also Togusa's a monk, not a samurai. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) )
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Post by Akodo Tsanuri on Jul 30, 2011 5:31:05 GMT -5
(two things: Ikoma Toshi is samurai-ko and it was jade sphere, not finger)
Ikoma flinched slightly. That was not what I ment, but I am sorry if my words offended you. she said bowing a bit deeper than before. She took the jade back and for very short moment her eyes were thoroughly examining monk’s hand. For a blink he could noticed how tense her body was, even though her face remained calm. A moment later she was turning to the Emperor and rest of the samurai staying in the tent with a gentle smile on her face As you all saw jade didn’t reveal taint on this man. Now that we know that we won’t contaminate this place or infect the Emperor she bowed deeply to Toturi you can be calmer she addressed the rest of present with a faint smirk. Of course you may be right Utaku-san about Spiders and this man but do you know for sure that he is a spy? You for sure remember what accusing somebody of something like that needs appropiate proves. And it is not this man fault that others from his clan choose wrong side. As I recall we also have here a few Phoenix or Dragons, whose clans support Hantei-dono she nodded in their direction while I haven’t seen your family daimyo in the camp.
‘But it’s interesting she said turning to the Spider that most of ronins probably from your group joined Hantei-dono forces yet your lord send you here, to the enemy’s camp to ask for Toturi-dono recognition. I wonder if they were that bad treated in Toshi Ranbo or their leader just want to check who will give him more. Not the best way for a samurai but rather typical for ronin. She turned back and being bout a step ahead of the Spider she knelt before Toturi pressing her forehead to the ground. My lord I dont think that man should be killed. At least not now and not here. Killing him now will give you nothing, and for them it can be only argument against you. What’s more he can be valuable source of information about this Spiders. Please let me take care of him.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Aug 1, 2011 9:23:24 GMT -5
(Oh sweet, I just deleted my post when I meant do edit it. No "Are you sure? dialog box, nothing. Just gone. That's awesome.)
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Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Aug 1, 2011 12:47:04 GMT -5
( ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png) )
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Post by Shoju on Aug 2, 2011 9:03:30 GMT -5
{ooc} Just to Clarify:
The Ronin is my character, and I had decided (Before being promoted) that it would just be easier to collect all my posts under one forum name so that people know who I am.
I intend to continue to roleplay as the ronin, just under this name. I will come up with an awesome way to designate.
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Post by Akodo Tsanuri on Aug 2, 2011 10:34:49 GMT -5
(2 spiders O.o sorry to hear your post was deleted Daigotsu-san ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png) )
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Post by Mirumoto Shigekazu on Aug 7, 2011 16:58:12 GMT -5
Time of dinner was coming when large column of troops debouched into the open ground around camp at Mountain Watch Keep. As they approached closer details of green banner become visible - a golden dragon encircling cat washing his face. For those who recognized Shigekazu's personal mon it was rather strange that previously Hantei supporter approaches Toturi's camp so openly. But few were well informed and went with message of Shigekazu's arrival to Kaneka.
When column arrived at the gates guards stopped it. Small bald man in green rode out on front of the column and spoke to the officer: - My name is Mirumoto Shigekazu and I am Dragon Clan ambassador to the Unicorn Clan. I demand free entrance to the camp for me and my men and request for immediate audience with the Emperor Toturi the 3rd. - I wish I can let you in, but... - officer started to reply but Shigekazu interrupted him - I am not interested in your excuses. I want to speak with the Emperor, not with some low-rank officer who cannot distinguish simple ronin from high dignitary of a Great Clan. And Shigekazu just ride into the camp passing round the officer guard before he can react. And when men in column started to follow their leader, guards can do nothing more without losing their face than act like they just let column pass.
* * *
Audience was over. Many was surprised that such misunderstanding could occur. Some even doubted if Shigekazu truly support Toturi. But most of them were convinced by informations he brings about anti-Kaneka plotters in both camps and reports on Hantei forces. Shigekazu saw Kitsuki Daymio, Yuushahime on the audience but was unable to speak with her. So when he was sure that work in his sub-camp is organized and tents well placed he looked for her tent.
There were guards outside Kitsuki's tent. Shigekazu approached to them and bowed; they recognized him and bowed also. Shigekazu said: - Please, tell Lady Yuushahime I want to go with her to the Fukurokujin's shrine, as I heard she used to go there and pray. These times require many prays and I am sure that two prayers can two much more together than alone. I am waiting outside her tent and if she is unable to go with me now let her specify time when we could go.
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