"One Year Ago..."

[quarim]

(ooc: The following takes place a year ago at the beginning of the Yobanjin War. This is an open post for anyone to post what they were doing during this time.)

One year ago...in the Burning Sands.

Quarim entered the room in the opium den that Qolat members used to meet. As usual he was the last to arrive.

The old man was saying something but stopped upon his arrival. Ah, Quarim. Good of you to finally join us. I was just telling the twins here of how busy I have been. And yet I still make it on time.

Save you lectures old man. What news do you bring?

Despite you arranging for the trade route, the Sultan still sees that Rokugan is full of wealth that he wishes to claim. He wanted to start a war and take the wealth by force.

The fool! We can not possibly win a war.

That is what I told him. So he had me make arrangements to have the Yobangin Tribes attack for him. Already they march into Rokugan.

Quarim's anger burned through the room. Why was I not told about this earlier? I've spent the past year with that Jackal forcing that..that thing to make arrangements and bribes so that this Trade Route would finally happen. And now it will be for nothing if they find out the Sultan used the Yobanjin to start a war in his name.

Please please have more faith in my abilities. The Yobanjin were bribed and threatened. But they believe by each other. They each think the others wanted this so they banded together. They are too stupid to figure out who controlled them. Besides they will be dead soon and we will have one less problem to deal with.
In the meantime we do have one problem. The Yobanjin are weak as you said they have no chance of winning. Can your "thing" help them?

Quarim was still not happy but his mind raced through the possibilities. A war would use supplies. This could mean and even greater profit and desire to trade. Perhaps he could use this set back to his advantage. And having the Spider help the Yobanjin could also work. If he didn't get caught then he'd still be useful. And if he did get caught then perhaps the Rokuganees would believe the Spider were behind this whole thing and pursue them. Yes that would work quite well. I will make sure he helps them.

***

Later that evening...

The Jackal sat in his cell and performed the ritual that allowed him to enter Sprinkle's dreams. He had been caught a year ago and nearly killed. But he promised to help Quarim if he would spare him. Quarim hated the man but knew to use power when it was offered so easily so he agreed to the deal. He would be a slave for three years and help Quarim do his dirty work for the Qolat.

He knew of the legends of a sahir who had traveled to Rokugan and become a shugenja. And an immortal. He would die then come back to life again. The process had to be similar to the Khadi ritual but something was different that no one else ever learned. But the Jackal knew enough to know how to bring him back again. And so after being dead for so long Sprinkles was alive again. Having brought him back The Jackal knew how to Dreamwalk into him mind easier than most. He would go into his dreams and plant suggestions and pull memories. He was not the most reliable of spies but he got the job done most of the time. Sprinkles of course had no clue he was being controlled. Which was just how The Jackal liked it. Once his servitude was up he was going to use Sprinkles to crush this man who had enslaved him.

***

Back in Rokugan...

Sprinkles awoke slowly. He stretched out and placed his mempo on. He'd been traveling all over setting up merchant deals, spreading the Spider's Web into the merchant class. He had just recently made arrangements for some supplies to be delivered to the Dragonfly Clan. Only trace amounts of the supplies would be tainted.

Sprinkles knew he was better than this but he was still weak. So much time had passed since he was last alive and so much had changed. He knew he was the only one worthy of leading the Spider but he was still far too weak to kill Daigotsu. So for now he must serve him.

Still, he thought. I can do so much more. The Yobanjin had recently attacked Mountain Watch Keep. They were doing more to harm the Empire than he was. That's it! I'll support the Yobanjin so their war will destroy the Unicorn. And he had a plan on just how to help them the best. He rode for The Valley of Two Generals and the Emerald Army.

[Shoju]

About One Year Ago, (give or take)

Bayushi Taizin wasn't sleeping well. As a magistrate in Ryoko Owari, he had uncovered a massive bloodspeaker cult, and was given the charge and resources to root out the cell. Little did he know that it would le him from Ryoko Owari, to the Unicorn Lands, to Toshi Ranbo and the Imperial Court, and then to the Dragon Heart Plains, and Shiro Chuda.

Taizin was adamant, fearless, and relentless about his work. He had no sympathy for those who found themselves embroiled in the machinations of the Bloodspeakers. They were traitors to the Empire. They were traitors to the Son of Heaven. The only penance was death. Honorably, or at his own hand, he didn't much care.

The only thing that Taizin loved more than being a magistrate, was being a Scorpion Clan Samurai. The Scorpion were said to know every secret in the empire. Taizin believed it was as much his duty to know them all as it was to bring the bloodspeakers to justice. Saldy, this was a weakness the bloodspeakers he chased had also come to understand.

Realizing that Taizin and his men had cornered them in Shiro Chuda, the Bloodspeakers made a gamble. They held a powerful artifact, a Black Scroll. They gambled that by letting Taizin gain control of the Black Scroll, they could corrupt his ideals. And so the gamble began.

Taizin and his men assaulted the hold in Shiro Chuda, and during the fighting, he pressed deeper to find the leader of the cell. The leader had prepared for this, and allowed Taizin to slay him, and take the scroll.

That evening, While Shoju slept, the bloodspeakers began plaguing his dreams. How could he be a true Scorpion if he didn't know the secret of the scroll? How could he defend the Empire from the Bloodspeakers if they knew what was in the scroll, and he didn't? How could he be the effective magistrate that his Daimyo demanded, his champion believed in, and his Emperor required if he didn't know the secrets of the Scroll?

Taizin slept poorly as he and his men returned to Ryoko Owari. Each night his mind was plagued with the bloodspeakers sewing their ideas in his thoughts. He had made plans to go to Kyuden Bayushi, and personally present the scroll to his Champion, and when he arrived in Kyuden Bayushi, he learned that The Scoprion had mobilized and began marching for Mountain Watch Keep, in an effort to repel the Yobanjin incursion that had taken the area, and were threatening to breach further into the Empire.

He waited in Kyuden Bayushi for several days, debating on what to do with the scroll. Taizin believed that the scroll was what had plagued his mind, not the Bloodspeakers, and he felt entrusting the scroll to anyone but his champion would be folly.

The Following night, the Bloodspeakers launched a brutal assault upon Taizin's mind as he slept. They showed him horrifying images of what could happen if he didn't keep the scroll for himself. They showed him his Champion falling prey to the scroll, and being corrupted and turned by the scroll because he didn't have the will to stand against its power. They showed him the Empire crumbling because of it. They showed him the Yobanjin War as a loss because of it.

They followed these images, with those of Taizin, holding the scroll. He looked to be in complete control. He looked as though with the knowledge of the Scroll he had become the savior of the Empire.

Taizin awoke from the nightmare, took the scroll from the chest he had kept it in, and worked through Kyuden Bayushi until he was deep underneath it, in the Catacombs. His training had brought him to the catacombs once before. He remembered the way. He knew he would be alone.

As soon as he felt he was deep enough in the catacombs, he set about opening the scroll. It was magically bound and sealed, and Taizin spent time prying at it, before finally gaining ground and forcing the scroll open. The magic within the scroll burnt, and tore at his arms, leaving him wounded.

As he opened and read the scroll, he heard the leader of the bloodspeaker cell laughing in his mind. He had been played. He had been tricked. He had fallen into their trap. He had failed at what a Scorpion held most dear. He had betrayed his Champion.

Frantic, Taizin raced through the catacombs, back to his room, and packed his belongings. He rode from Kyuden Bayushi under the cover of night.

By morning, he had reached the northern reaches of the Scorpion Lands. Wounded, Exhausted, and dishonored, he happened upon a small shrine. He dismounted, entered the temple, and prepared himself for the three cuts. It was the only recompense he could think of that would even begin to restore his honor. He prepared himself, and hid the scroll in the wall of the Shrine. Hopefully, it would remain safe and hidden.

With no Second to aid him, Taizin readied himself, closed his eyes, and plunged the blade into himself. The pain was instantaneous, and he lost the battle of keeping his eyes closed, and his voice quiet. He continued the three cuts, and laid bleeding, and dying on the floor.

As the light began to leave his eyes, he saw a group of people enter the shrine. Monks, coming to tend the shrine. They will deal with me.. It was the last thought of the first life of the man once known as Bayushi Taizin.

---

The first thought of the second life of the man once known as Bayushi Taizin, was euphoric. He felt the warm sun on his face, and thought that his sacrifice had been seen, and that he was going to be allowed to take his place in Yomi afterall.

That thought was quickly replaced by an immense sense of loss. The pain in his body was too much for him to be in Yomi. His arms still burned, his abdomen still burned, and there was something.... wrong with his chest.

As he opened his eyes, he saw a gaijin woman knelt over him, as well as the bloodspeaker leader he at one time thought he vanquished, and several others. As he opened his mouth to scream, the sinister woman turned to him, smiled and made a shushing gesture with her finger to her lips.

Fear not, death will never touch you again. Rejoice! You have done well. She was almost giddy as she spoke.

The Bloodspeaker Leader moved forward and leaned over him. Welcome back Bayushi-san. We have much to discuss.

Taizin began to cry. His chance at atonement had been stolen from him. He wasn't dead. He had his thoughts about him, and his will seemed mostly his own, and that's when he saw it. OH MY KAMI! IS THAT MY HEART! it was still beating in her hand. It was still beating as she placed it in the box. Taizin was frantic. Hyperventilating. Scared. But not dead.

As those first few weeks passed, Much had changed in the man's life. The Bloodspeaker Leader and the Sinister Gaijin woman broke his will. They broke his mind. They explained what he was. Khadi. He was immortal. But bound to the will of the one who held his heart. As 'payment' for all the setbacks he had caused them as a magistrate, he would now be their agent. He would be the one who furthered their goals. The only choice he had, was how much he wanted to suffer while he did it. He could fight them, and suffer horribly, or he could give in, and relish the opportunity to have another life.

As they taught him Maho, and the ways of the bloodspeaker, they uncovered his past together, The man formerly known as Bayushi Taizin came to realize that the goals of the Bloodspeakers were ultimately the best way to save the Empire, even from itself.

The Bloodspeaker had also explained to him that he was a descendant of one of the most powerful families of bloodspeakers to ever walk the face of Rokugan. He was a direct descendant of Isawa Chuda. They traced his lineage, back to his Chuda ancestor who had married the Yogo Daimyo before the family fell at the hands of the Shuten Doji, and the Phoenix Clan. He realized that this, was where he belonged.

In homage to his ancestors, Taizin took a new name, Oronkohiro. As their plans progressed, the man formerly known as Bayushi Taizin, whose last thought of his first life had been one of hope for penance, realized he loved his second life, and the power it offered him.

The Sinister Woman, and the Man also saw this, and began giving Oronkohiro more tasks. With each successful task, Oronkohiro garnered more power, more followers, an army following their new Khadi.

As the Yobanjin war waged on, It was time to test the Bloodspeaker. And so it was, that Chuda Oronkohiro, the former Scorpion Magistrate, Wielder of a Black Scroll, Drunk on the power of his second life, marched an army of the most foul bakemono, undead, and maho tsukai to Mountain Watch Keep, to assault the Yobanjin.

[Bayushi Haruka]

There were many strange sounds that some samurai might not be accustomed to when it came to living amongst the Unicorn clan. Their tradition of keeping their war dogs so nearby and allowing them to bark to ward off wild animals as well as intruders often kept men up at night.
But the sound coming from the Utaku stable was something far more unusual than a few dogs keeping the night watch, or the shuffle of a herd of horses. A most ghastly sound of some great beast snoring in the loft carried out of the Utaku Chinatsu's estate.

There was a slight shift, a bit of hay dislodged from the loft. In response, the black stallion of the barn already knew how to unlock his own pen. His ears twisting with intent as he looked towards the disheveled hay, the stallion seemed to wait and watch.

Another movement and more hay trickled down, not enough to satisfy his growing appetite.

So with a decision in mind the Utaku steed turned around and took a moment to check if there was anyone coming.
The coast was clear.
And with a mighty motion, he leaned forward on his front legs allowing his back legs to slam unceremoniously against the sturdy barn wall with a thundering crack. The shuffle turned into a tumble.

Thud.

The stallion brayed at his success, as he greeted his battle maiden master with some enthusiasm and came over to sniff over her hair.

"Kami damn it all..."

Utaku Haruka pulled herself rather uneasily upright, rubbing her head gingerly and looking completely disheveled. She gave a look to her stallion that almost could be seen as a murderous rage, but the equine seemed undaunted by her expression, in fact he seemed to revel in it as he used his lips to try and snag some of the stray hay from her hair.

"Riku-kun, must you really do that. I was on a long ride last night and I won't have you judging me all right!?"

The horse gave a rumbling sound in response, as if he was in complete understanding. But the stallion caught wind of yet another visitor to the barn, picking up and turning his head with another twist of his ears. It was another familiar Utaku, but one that didn't come to the barn often at all.
The aging woman still showed strength, but also the flavor of the aging process as well as she had no intention of settling into retirement anytime in the near future. Her voice was heavy and jaded, but still quick like a lash as she approached.

"Haruka-san, when did you get in last night... For five weeks you've been riding around, and for what!?" Haruka grit her teeth, an anger stirring in her gut.

"How can you just leave Hasana-san out there like that! No one's heard from her in so long, don't you even care for her!? She could be hurt. She could be-"

Her mother cut in with a fierce glare that silenced Haruka's tongue.
"You would do well to remember your training."

The young maiden had to bite her tongue as her chin sank in shame. She couldn't contest her mother's point as she had ignored the needs of her clan and followed after her heart, after the worry of her sister.

"Now then, perhaps fortunes have smiled on you, as at long last we can finally have the chance to represent our clan in a public gathering.."

Haruka groaned in her mind. "Is it not the Ide's duty to attend to such matters?"

"Haruka-san! I will not tolerate your impudence, so if you wish to speak so much you will do so at this gathering. The Crab clan champion has just been announced and his ascension party is going to be quite the occasion. You would do well to try and find a suitable husband to attend to your estate! This is not a request my daughter."

Ah, marriage, the sore point in the young maiden's life. Frankly she had no love for the way the Utaku treated their men, though they weren't permitted to train in the same dojo as they, Haruka still quietly found the strength of a true man to be something alluring and captivating. Though she'd never admit it in words. Quietly she had her own fears about how men could be, just as much as she could admire them, they terrified her as she understood how easy it was for a woman to be dominated.
Another reason perhaps the Utaku hold their female leadership so closely.

With an obedient bow from where she sat after landing unhindered from the loft, Chinatsu gave a slight nod.

"Very good my daughter, you will do well to make us all proud while you are there."
She departed from the barn with a lingering glance over her shoulder. Haruka knew better than to rise before her mother had left, such a motion would only potentially create more conflict.

With a sigh and a wince, Haruka rubbed her leg and stood bracing herself against Riku. Slumping against the stallion's back she groaned heavily.

Grand, now to find an outfit to represent and look all presentable. I'm a warrior not some doll to be dressed up and put on parade.
Besides, I've no interest in getting married or settling down, there's still so much of the world to see.

Riku would turn his head and nibble her shoulder. He never missed a beat to be fed. Haruka puffed out her breath wishing it would take her burdens with her and lead the steed out. She prayed in her heart that this would be the last time she was thrust into the court limelight, such battles never suited her.
She walked into the open air to embrace the day.

[Asahina Yukihime]

(Now that I'm finally done reading previous posts (very very interesting)... please, allow me to join ^^ hope my english skill will allow me too >.o long text ahead Yuki wasn't exactly in MWK but...)

One year ago...

Yukihime was walking among the winter winds, hidden and well protected under a nice amount of silk and cotton layers. As usual Sasayaku, a white rokugani pony with silvered mane, walks besides her carrying her few stuff.
The whites of hairs and outfits make the pair hard to notice in a landscape covered by a thin coat of snow.

They leave lonely foot prints behind...

It was a hectic week, she left Kyuden Doji due to her commitment to the 'Fortune of Generosity', something that must be carried for every year... at least until she find a replacement for herself.

She heads south, walking towards the Fane of Shigurezuki, her home school, to find it nearly hidden under snow. Something that had not happened for the previous centuries years.

Asahina Heitaro was dead, a brief look at the small shrine would make it clear. The snow, the lack of life, the abandoned look. She had gone for a few months and... was it enough to make her lose the sensei? For a while she felt the cold, not from the winter around her but from the fear inside. For many years Asahina Heitaro had been the most respectable shugenja Yukihime ever meet, he was a devoted sensei, and also someone gifted to deal with people.

Heitaro expend many years helping troubled samurai, troubled by war, dreams, wishes, troubled by the limits of everyday life, duty, uncertainty. Heitaro was able to deliver the proper word of advice to anyone. He was able to understand people, able to make people understand themselves and each other. These were talents that Yukihime could not learn, or a gift that she wasn't allowed to inherit.

The snow had scared away the few villagers. Certainly they were not prepared for a snowy winter.

Shigurezuki got it's name after the long lasting fall that takes place here. A milenia ago the shrine was build besides a volcanic crater, to calm down the fire spirts.
Legend says that once one priest got killed, the spirits were so angry that the volcano erupted fiercly. Years later a fertile ground had born from that devastated land. The crater, still warm, is now nearly at the same level as the ground around it. The place is filled by unknown thermal springs.The warm steam avoids snow, makes the Autumn here last longer than anywhere else and gives the forest a mysterious foggy look.
Shigurezuki is colored in autumn's reds and yellows nearly half of the year, it is the remains of a fane devoted to calm fire spirits, it is probably the one place where the Asahina still deal with fire once in a while.

Besides all the beauty, Shigurezuki is nearly a forgotten place. For reasons that even Yukihime could not tell or know yet. She was reading herself to resume the walk and find some answers.

The horse rose ear and neck like looking for something. The wind suddenly surrounds the shugenja, blowing the snow from bellow, forcing her to protect her eyes while Sasayaku steped back.
Something speaks through the wind, a shattered whispering voice:

"Who are you? Are you his child?"

[Zeure]

Ready for some insight into Obsession? Play THIS in the background while you read this story for primo effects.

One year ago, on the wall.

It was a cold rainy day in crab lands, at the wall. Hida Kimo was coming down from his recent stand, coming off of his duty, that which he had sworn to do and was going to get some much needed rest before he had to make his next stand. The creature rush that they had to endure on an almost daily basis had seemed to lighten up lately. But he knew it was just the shadowlands playing tricks on them. The Crab would be ready at all times to defend Rokugan, even if the empire took very little notice of them for it.

As a clash of thunder lit the area around them, the camera of the sequence will notice a heavily cloaked individual standing behind Kimo as he walks away. Looking towards the crab's direction.

Kimo thought to himself about all the things that his life had held up to this point, and all the things that he planned to do. Soon he was to wed Kakita Mitsouko whom despite their many trials and arguments in the past he had grown overly fond of, one might even say that he had developed a sort of love for her. Of course, they had been promised to each other for several years now, since they were children in fact. And even though she had thoroughly wounded him once, by smashing him in the head with a bokken, he had high hopes for the relationship to be one that was mutually beneficial to more than just their clans.

He laughed out loud, thinking on those times, when Mitsouko had been so brash, claiming to be a river pirate. Though her company had certainly not improved. Kimo had never gotten along with Kakita Sojiro. They had developed a mutual feeling of distaste for each other and there was probably nothing going to change there.

"Oh well, I guess I gotta get some food. I think a nice steaming bowl of ramen tonight, maybe some meat in it. That sounds good."

Another flash of lightning, and the flash of something that it reflected was all the warning that Hida Kimo received of what happened next. A sword stroke, came at him, aimed for the midsection, and if he had not been trained, had not just been fighting on the wall, wary at all times, he would have been cut in half. But he managed to jump and roll forward, coming up with his tetsubo in hand, he saw the dark shadowy figure, heavily cloaked with a sword in hand, ready to kill him.

"What manner of monster is this!? Show yourself!" The rain over took his voice, and it did not carry far at all. No one had heard him, or reacted to his shout. The cloaked figure moved forward a step and Kimo was wary enough to step back himself. "I'm not afraid of you, and if you step forward again, you'll find the end of my tetsubo in your head." All the response he got to this was a grin that he could barely see under the hood.

The figure dropped his sword back into his sheathe and took an Iaijutsu stance. Which stunned Kimo for a second. Not a monster, a samurai!? Unfortunately, that second was all that was needed for the figure to finish him off. He was just too quick and Kimo's head went flying from his shoulders. The cloaked figure walked away into the rain, to the plain brown horse that he had used to get here. As he rode off into the night, a sudden gust of wind catches the heavy hood that he had been wearing. A flash of lightning illuminates the face of Kakita Battou.