Those who Seek - Open RP - Non-Time-Restrictive

[Zeure]

[OOC] BIG EDIT: I made a booboo and deleted some posts, reply number 13 should take place between Sojiro's two posts numbered 10 and 11. Everything else should be fine.[/OOC]

[OOC]I'm starting an open RP thread in the Shiro Moto subforum. This RP will not seem to belong here, but if you will follow to the end of the story, you will find out why I decided to put it here. ;D What I mean by non-time-restrictive is that even if you are involved in another thread in another place in the current story, feel free to join anyways, there is a very specific joining mechanism which you will read below and it will not interfere with any story you are currently involved in.

Let's go ahead and knock a few of the other questions out of the way: Yes, I play a spider on here, does that mean that if you participate you are playing into spider hands? No, not at all, the story that you will follow will not have anything to do with the spider unless the spider players get involved.
Will my character become tainted? Not necessarily; if you take actions in this thread that would taint your character, I will tell you and to what degree it is. Don't treat the weird entry mechanism to the story as a get-out-of-jail-free card in terms of your character not being affected. I'm not going to surprise you, if you feel wary of doing something then don't do it unless you want to risk it.
Will the actions in this thread affect my character in the general story? While I can't enforce any of my actions here upon you, I would like it if you stuck with it. It will not be an immediate change on you, so you should think of the changes as delayed until I say otherwise in the general game. In other words, anything that happens in here doesn't leave this thread until I say it does, it's part of the story as to why. For an example of what I mean, (and cause it's funny to tease Senshi-sama), if you lost an arm in this thread, you would not lose it on your character outside this thread until I gave the go ahead. All other threads you were involved in would not change until the story permitted it.
If there are any more questions, feel free to PM me about them; I assure you I'm willing to talk.
I will also say that spider characters should be as wary of entering this thread as they would be of entering a court chamber in a non-spider province. If many clan samurai join, then it could be bad-news bears for you.
[/OOC]

[IC]A servant will approach your character, this will be a person that you trust, someone you've seen everyday, though you haven't paid enough attention to them to remember their name; a Samurai's life is busy, after all. The servant will bow once they have reached you and will wait for you to decide to address them. Once you do, they will close the remaining distance between you and them and will hold out their hand which bears a scroll. The scrolls design is simple and functional, no special adornments, tied with a simple piece of string in a simple bow. You read the words on the scroll:
"[insert your character's name here]-Sama
It has come to my attention that you have a particular goal in mind, something that you do not think you will be able to accomplish on your own. I am writing you to offer you a chance at finding allies. If you wish to take me up on this chance, please write your name on the indicated place on the scroll below. I will endeavor to help you with your goal to the utmost of my capabilities; and perhaps, you will find allies where you did not think to look before. Don't worry, your goals are just a matter between you and me; I merely state that you may find an opportunity to recruit others.

Sincerely,
A Friend

Sign here:_____________________________________________"

As you gaze at the parchment, you find yourself thinking about your goals, your dreams, and any other amount of things pertaining to what you want in your life and what you do not have. As these thoughts continue to plague you, you go to get your writing utensils and promptly sign your name.

For a moment, you sit there and wonder how this matters, you now have a scroll which bears your signature with no return instructions. You feel slightly fooled by this scroll, which bears not even a name for you to put to your torturer. Which is the moment that it all goes black.

You awake to find yourself among others, some you recognize, most you don't. As you stand and adjust your clothing, you look around and realize that in the very near distance, there is a small structure with a small porch on it. Upon this porch stands a man who is watching you all come to your senses. While you wouldn't call him tall, you certainly wouldn't call him short. You wouldn't say he is fat, but he is not exactly skinny. His head is almost shaved, and you can't really tell what color his hair is. What you can easily discern is that his eyes glitter as he scans the crowd.

Welcome, my friends. I had not hoped for such a turnout. You all know the reason that you are here. Let me elaborate on what I have done. There is a group that right now, even as we speak is sitting in a circle chanting prayers. They have bound a portion of your mind to this place. This place is a space that exists outside rokugan, indeed outside everything you know. Here, there are things that I wish you to accomplish. If you will do as I ask of you, then I will fulfill my end of the bargain we have struck, I will help you to attain your goals. The powers at my command are not miniscule, but they are not without limit, so I can not offer you world shattering, global changes. But I will attempt to help, and you can be assured that I will at least make your journey towards your goal easier, even if I can not get you directly to victory. If anything I have said is not to your liking, or you do not wish to take me up on my offer having seen this place; then you may leave. Simply walk through this door behind me and you will have never been here. If you do want my help, and you are willing to offer me yours in exchange, then follow me down this path.

To which, he steps down off the porch and walks away from the group down a path that you hadn't noticed before off of the side of the building.
[/IC]

[OOC] Since you've read all this and you want to play along, here is a small thing: Whatever clothes that you own that you want to be wearing, you are. If you had armor that you wanted to be wearing, you are. If you have a weapon that is distinctly yours, you are carrying it. If there is a set of "travel" equipment that you would take with you anywhere you would go, you have that in your favorite carrying case. If you post, remember that the man has already left and you would have to chase after him to ask more questions.[/OOC]

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro looks around, taking stock of his surroundings and those present. His custom daisho was on his belt, and he still seemed to be dressed in his traveling garb, including the light armor he wore under it. What he did notice missing was the brace on his left arm, and the annoying ache that accompanied it's healing. Dressed in his new blue and black colors, with the Brother's mon on the back of his cloak, it seemed that he was as he imagined himself to be in his mind.

Come to think of it, how DID he know the mon was on his cloak...?

(OOC I'll post more when I know who else is here to talk to)

[sprinkles]

Sprinkles face is one of shock. Luckily no one can see it behind his mask. 'How can such power exist and I not know of it?' He thinks. 'I must learn this new magic. With it I could spin a web further than the Spider.'

Sprinkles takes a moment and pictures Hakim's Seal in his mind and attempts to discern his location using the Void...

[Zeure]

Oct 17, 2011 1:22:08 GMT -5 @sprinkles said:

Sprinkles face is one of shock. Luckily no one can see it behind his mask. 'How can such power exist and I not know of it?' He thinks. 'I must learn this new magic. With it I could spin a web further than the Spider.'

Sprinkles takes a moment and pictures Hakim's Seal in his mind and attempts to discern his location using the Void...

Sprinkles' connection to the void is as strong as ever; and without fail the power that he accesses begins to trace his location. It starts in a general sense, but as it zooms in and defines his location clearly, Sprinkles is shocked to find out that it traces his location to the exact spot where he signed the contract.

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro looks to the strange man beside him.

"Well, it would seem that we are in this strange place together. I am Kakita Sojiro." He bows to the stranger.

[sprinkles]

"Interesting. It seems this is all in my head. I've used such magic myself but always the person had to be asleep and control of the dream was never absolute. Whoever you are you are truly powerful. What is it you wish from me?"

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro laughed.

"Me? I think you are mistaken, san. I am still trying to determine just how I ended up here myself. The last thing I remember was signing a strange scroll. The world went black, and then I was here, although I seem to be a somewhat idealized version of myself."

[sprinkles]

Sprinkles looks at the Crane. 'Crane', he thinks. 'such a naive clan. Perhaps I can use him.'
"I am a gaijin. My name is Sprinkles. I hope not to offend an honorable samurai such as yourself. I merely seek knowledge."

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro smiled at the man, his mismatched eyes twinkling with humor as he did so. "I'm not as easy to offend as some other samurai are, Sprinkles-san. If you would like, I would be happy to point out if you do something that might upset the more.... uptight... citizens of Rokugan. But as for actually insulting me, it's a fairly difficult thing to do unless you go out of your way to do so. I believe a gaijin is somewhat entitled to the occasional breach in etiquette without having his head summarily removed. So, where do you come from, Sprinkles-san?"

As he spoke, he noticed the strange old man approaching them.

[sprinkles]

"I have traveled far from the Burning Sands. I was trading with the honorable samurai when I was infected by the taint from an unknown ronin who claimed he belonged to a new clan we had not heard of, The Spider. Now I cannot return home and am looked at as a disease to be ridden. I only seek peace, my Lord."

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro's expression changes, just for a second, at the mention of the taint and the Spider. His face looses it's smile and a mixture of anger and regret play over it. He quickly regains his composure, but his aura seems somehow different, as if just the mention of the words drew out something darker in him.

"I'm sorry for your misfortune, Sprinkles-san. The taint is, unfortunately, impossible to be rid of entirely, as I have come to know first hand.. There are things that one can do to limit it's effects and influence on you, though. As for the Spider... most are as monstrous as the things they worship in the Shadowlands. Others are simply ill-fated enough to have been born there, and are not twisted like their brethern. I pity those ones." He sighed. "It may have been my desire for... answers to things related to the taint and the creatures that live in the shadowlands that led me here."

When the old man approaches and says his peace, Sojiro bows to him. "I am Kakita Sojiro, of the Crane clan. What manner of assistance does one who is so obviously as powerful as you request, sama?"

[Kakita Sojiro]

"I do have a few questions, sama. First off, if I may be so direct, who are you? Secondly, these beings that you speak of, what do we know them as? What happens when we sever their connection to this place?"

He waited for Sprinkles to chime in before continuing his barrage of questions. It seemed the polite thing to do.

[sprinkles]

"If you are so powerful why do you need us?"

[Yasuki Chad]

"I think a better question would be "Who are you?" Detaching from the crowd as many move to exit this strange realm is a man in Heavy Armor, studded with blades and bearing the Emblem of the Crab prominently. The Yasuki Emblem is only slightly less obvious. His face is obscured by a fearsome mempo and he carries a daisho on his obi and a large Tetsubo rests easily over his shoulder.

"Or perhaps "What are you?" It is never prudent to simply take an offer of aid blindly. One should know the quality of the .....person making the offer, and what risks one is expected to shoulder."

Yasuki Chad did not know what to make of the events that had happend to him. A moment of weakness, curiosity, lead him here.

[Zeure]

[OOC] I was trying to move posts around to accomadate things and I deleted the wrong post. The post below happens between Sojiro's Posts. Between Reply numbers 10 and 11.[/OOC]

[OOC] I'm going to assume that since my first post detailed the man walking away from you, that by "as the man approached, you meant "as we approached the man".[/OOC]

Those who remain decide to follow the man along the pathway he had walked down. The path twists in ways that seem impossible. For several moments you seem to walk on the inky star-filled that seem to sit atop this emptiness that surrounds you. After those moments of following the lone path you find the man standing at a crossroads.

"Ah, I'm so glad to see that several of you decided to take me up on my offer. I can understand that the circumstances that surround this are weird; and that you may have had trepidations about staying. But I am very happy to see that your desire for our arrangement was stronger than your fear."

"Before we begin, let me explain more about the situation. This area is a realm that exists as part of several realms. The reason that I have brought you here is that several....entities that existed in your realm at one time or another have become connected here. As these things were once part of your realm, I thought that it only fitting that you be the ones to...take care of this problem. There are several entities, some of them will be settled with well chosen words, some will have to be accomplished with magical prowess and some will only be handled with the sword."

"Before we go on, are there any questions that you have? Perhaps what is going on in your realm while you are here? Perhaps, what is the nature of the things you will face? Perhaps what will happen to your body if something detrimental should happen here? Or anything else that is on your mind, I will be as forthcoming as I can.