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Post by Bayushi Hiromitsu on Jan 5, 2012 19:16:26 GMT -5
It was then that Hiromitsu met another Daimyo! He bowed with a great respect to the present, and to the new arrivals.
-Greetings Ichiro-sama, may your clan's brave actions reverberate through our history forever. I hope that one day, our descendants may remember our tales with pride. I am Bayushi Hiromitsu... A common bushi, the third better of my Dojo.
Again, the guy wanted a title, one that was not "self granted", but maybe glory was just not for him in this lifetime... "the third better of his Dojo", he almost could feel the shame if someone called the better two... -_-;
-I am honored to be here, I will do my best. Tamori-sama, Asahina-Sama, Ichiro-Sama, please, count on me in whatever you may need now on. For I am your ally.
And with another respectfull bow, he started to get ready again to do more "awesome" fighting.
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 8, 2012 9:55:33 GMT -5
Koichi stood back up. He put out his most pleasant version of a smile for the assembled group. " Asahina-sama, we have prepared a room for you and your vassals beforehand. You may use it to rest for awhile." Koichi then turned to the Badger. " I am afraid we do not have much for utilities and supplies to take care of all of you but we will do our best. Do take time to rest as well. I will prepare a meeting room while you do." The Tamori daimyo bowed again to the group before excusing himself to make the preparations with the Tonbo. Some time later...The room was not lavishly large or beautifully decorated, especially by Crane standards, but it served it's purpose as a tea room adequately enough. It was afterall rumored to have been Isawa Sezaru's favorite room in the whole castle, when the Wolf made it his base of power. The large open wall gave a picturesque view of its part of Rokugan. On one end, the steps of the Great Climb twisted and climbed towards the mountains of the Dragon. On the other, the great cliff that overloomed the river. It was serene. There was wind but weirdly enough it never seemed to blow hard through the room. In the middle of the room, a tea table had been set. A small pot of tea was being kept warm. Some modest sweets have also been prepared. All is ready. The group has now arrived. (ooc: Yuki-chan if you might be so kind to do the honors of the tea ceremony. The Crane do it so well or so I heard ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Lets have some tea first before we talk about war again.)
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Asahina Yukihime
Crane Clan
Crane Clan Ikazuchi
* Air * Water * Shugenja * Artisan * Asahina Family Daimyo *
Posts: 750
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Post by Asahina Yukihime on Jan 8, 2012 20:58:09 GMT -5
There is a timid beauty in the simplicity of Kyuden Tonbo. A beauty that hides in the stones and trees of the mountain. Elusive, even to the more attentive eyes. Yukihime briefly glanced over her shoulder to find Hiromitsu following besides her again. She found herself in a strange situation. She is used to dismiss yojimbos. Even if she values someone's duty as yojimbo she also values every life as much as hers. But Hiromitsu wouldn't just walk away. Looking ahead she could find the tea room. She left the geta by the door and devoted a bow to the room before entering. Just the view of the room all prepared for Chado, the way of the tea, was enough to lift her spirit. Having an opportunity to share a meditative time with those she was hoping to soon have as friends. "Asahina-sama"Before she could enter the room, one of the heimin working there brought her the bowl of sweets. "Asahina-sama may need these"Yukihime bowed in appreciation. This gesture made the situation, and her role there, very clear. Nothing like having a protocol to make any meeting runs smoother. Once inside the room Yukihime bowed low to every present samurai, one by one. "I would be honored to have each of you as my Chado guests" - with a delicate gesture, she addressed to the Tamori Daimyo with a bow "Shokyaku", then to Ichiro-sama "Jikyaku" and finally to Bayushi Hiromitsu-san "Tsuma". It have being a while since Yukihime had to perform as a teishu, doing so out of Asahina lands was an unexpected pleasure. The closest she got of a tea Ceremony happened months ago, during her brief meeting with Kitsune Manji. And something about tea happened in Kyuden Seppun but... not exactly chado, for sure. Yukihime watched her "guests" taking the places she offered, the scene made her consider building a tea gardnen, once this war is over. She then took her place in front of Tamori Koichi, bowing in polite manners she placed the bowl between them offering the wagashi candies. The Asahian Daimyo then bows to her guest. Having all the tea untensils already placed for her would make the ceremony shorter but equally enjoyable. She move to sit in seiza facing the sliding door and closes it, two-third with one hand and one-third with the second hand. Soon she was before the brazier again... ready to scoop tea into the warm tea pot with very delicated and precisely trained moves. It wouldn't take longer to have the smell of freshly boiled tea taking over the room. (OOC: You honor me with such opportunity, Koichi-sama. Pause on my process for more posts, before I serve it... I won't go into deeper details or we may take for ever...I may get "fascinated" too easily )
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Asahina Yukihime
Crane Clan
Crane Clan Ikazuchi
* Air * Water * Shugenja * Artisan * Asahina Family Daimyo *
Posts: 750
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Post by Asahina Yukihime on Jan 10, 2012 16:11:54 GMT -5
(cont)
As by the tradition, the ceremony runs smoothly, with perfect esthetics. While tea is prepared and shared in ritualistic contemplation the void element rebalances itself on the present samurai. Once teh Macha is ready, Yukihime pours tea on each bowl, serving the present samurai with reverence, one by one. Yukihime uses both hands to offer each of them a chilly ceramic bowl, filled with warm, freshly made, tea.
The ritual is ended with all the utensils properly cleaned and displayed to the honored guests. But there are still plenty of tea and sweets for the gathered people to share.
With the ceremony endend and some spirits revigorated teh Asahina daimyo bows to the present. Now it's time to deal with less pleasant, but more urgent, issues.
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Ichiro Kojuri
Badger Clan
Badger Clan * Clan Champion * Samurai * General of the Minor Clan Alliance
Posts: 71
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Post by Ichiro Kojuri on Jan 13, 2012 0:06:25 GMT -5
'Tea was exquisite. Ceremony superb. I wish not show my impatience but time is of the essence. I surely would like to know the next plan of action in which my army could serve?'
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 13, 2012 0:27:23 GMT -5
Koichi wanted to raise an eyebrow at the Ichiro champion, but instead he took a long last sip from his tea. The tea ceremony had been a welcome momentary reprieve from the war. More of his people would die if he prolonged the moment. And Koichi would have none of that.
The Tamori daimyo put his cup down and bowed again to the Asahina daimyo as a sign of gratitude. He clapped his hands and attendants quickly came and put aside the tea table and replaced it with a much wider one. On the table was a map of Rokugan with several intricately designed pieces located on different areas.
"Lion scouts have been reported in Kyuden Otomo. There have been several skirmishes with the Crane guards there." Koichi moved both the Lion and Crane pieces to the location. He cast a sideways glance towards Yukihime. "The Crane have decided to power their political machine towards a truce with the Lion. Though I do not like the notion, I will not object to it since it might keep the Emperor temporarily away from danger."
"The Emerald champion forces along with the Phoenix are attacking here." Koichi moved the corresponding pieces along the map towards Crossroads castle. "The pincer attack here is meant to break the Lion's defense."
"The main Dragon force is located here. Castle of the Swift Sword." He pointed to the figure of a coiled Dragon. "The Lion, stubborn as always, have refused to give up the castle. We have overpowered them but they do not want to give us any more advantages. They would rather see Swift Sword razed than overtaken."
Koichi's eyes bore down on the figure of the castle. It crumbled. "We will give them what they want." He moved the purple Unicorn piece to the same location. "The real problem has arrived. Kaneka and the Unicorn army. They are trying to cut off our supply lines."
Koichi turned to face the Badger champion. "I believe this is where you come in. We need you to take Kaneka's tail. Do the same maneuver that he is doing to us."
"It will be hard. Definitely. But you will not be alone. The new head of the Togashi order supports us. We will be assisting you with our monks. We need to stop Kaneka from reaching Toshi Ranbo."
Koichi looked to the trio of Yukihime, Kojuri and Hiromitsu. "Do any of you have questions?"
A sudden thought occured to Koichi. He moved an ornate Dragon's head towards the Swift Sword location as well. "Takezo will most likely be with Kaneka. He has his elite personal retinue with him. He and his men are dangerous. If you see them, notify me or any of the other Dragon commanders immediately. Takezo is a problem of the Dragon, we will personally deal with him ourselves."
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Ichiro Kojuri
Badger Clan
Badger Clan * Clan Champion * Samurai * General of the Minor Clan Alliance
Posts: 71
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Post by Ichiro Kojuri on Jan 17, 2012 3:41:44 GMT -5
'Obviously you want us to take a nip or even pull the great wolf's tail and have its head turn upon us with its wrath in fullness? One large bite from Kaneka and it will do an unrepairable damage to my army. Yes it will buy us little time but it won't stop the inevitable of his army arriving still in full force.', Kojuri trying to suppress an uneasy frown on his face. Then looked meticulously on the map before him.
'We badger have knowledge and experience in hit and run, bait and trap tactics but we cannot do this on open ground. We must take advantage of terrain. Lead them to narrow grounds to pick them off. The Unicorns will be a greater threat. Their battle maidens will just run by and trample us. Uneven terrain will make less use of their steads.' Kojuri scanned the route Kaneka might take and pointed at a darken area in the map. 'This forested area will do, near the edge of lion territory.'
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 17, 2012 9:16:58 GMT -5
"What good would it do us to transport you all the way here, only to feed you to the wolves?" It was a rhetorical question, and the Tamori daimyo did not wait for the Badger to figure out that an answer was not necessary.
Koichi moved the Badger piece to the area pointed by the Ichiro champion. "We do not expect you to take on the full force of Kaneka's army, that is suicide, we just need you to catch their attention. A feint."
Koichi brought out a huge glass ball from a nearby box and cautiously placed it on the table. The liquid contents of it jiggled slowly. "We will be continuing this war using our chosen weapon." Koichi pointed to several locations. "We have placed customized potion bottles throughout this area. Guide them there. The terrain is not a problem. The Lion maybe Masters of War, but we are Masters of Magic. We can move the earth to suit our tactics. We just need to be prepared and be precise."
Koichi tapped the glass ball. "The glass for this is thicker than our usual potions. But it will be just right to be triggered by the weight of the Unicorn cavalry. It will blow them to pieces or at least cause enough disarray for our troops to nullify the advantage of their cavalry."
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Ichiro Kojuri
Badger Clan
Badger Clan * Clan Champion * Samurai * General of the Minor Clan Alliance
Posts: 71
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Post by Ichiro Kojuri on Jan 17, 2012 12:15:29 GMT -5
The Badger champion suddenly irked by the Tamori daimyo's interjection. 'I know you brought the badgers here not to be fodders. My remark is to the effects of pulling any animal's tail. Pun intended sama.', Kojuri paused with a stern look at the map. 'We cannot strike the head directly. We will take the wolf part by part. If Kaneka takes the bait of sending forces to the forest, your armies from the castle of the swift sword can come in to fulfill a pincer assault. But The remaining army at the castle must be dealt with quickly as not to have the lion's bite the rear. I hope we have an army coming from the north to make it a three-prong then we surely have an advantage.'
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 17, 2012 20:54:41 GMT -5
'This' was the reason why Koichi was not exactly the best diplomat. Words were not his forte, being too outspoken was sometimes a curse as well. The Tamori daimyo excused himself and poured himself a cup of tea. He drank it slowly, trying to gain his composure again. It did no good to be snapping at each other, especially at a time like this. He massaged his temples, letting the calm take over the tension in his body. He put the cup down before re-facing the group. Koichi looked at the map with glowing green eyes. He was a Master of the Void but not in the sense that the Phoenix thought of. His connection to the void was through meditation and focus, not really command of the kami. It gave him deep insight into matters. In his mind, Koichi could see the flux of light, depicting the lives of people, moving throughout the map. The Dragon, the Lion, Kaneka's forces, all were there. He needed only to put the pieces in place. " We do not have a third army. But our monks are coming. The blessings that Togashi, Hoshi and Hitomi confer upon their chosen grant them the strength to do tasks unfathomable by common samurai. They will be enough." Koichi recalled the age-old story of how Hojatsu had won over Ujimona. He knew he would win. Koichi focused and put himself into the same state. Considering defeat was defeat in itself. " Our alchemists will continue the siege to harass the Lion. We can count on our allies to strike at key locations and people in the Lion defense." Koichi nodded to Hiromitsu. He need not say the details, the Scorpion for sure knew what he meant. " The main Mirumoto force can confront the Unicorn after you have drawn them to our trap." (ooc: Where are the Mirumoto when you need them? ![:'(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cry.png) I am not a tactician. LOL. Hiro-san, Yuki-chan, care to provide some insight? I've been staring at my maps the whole morning already. )
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Asahina Yukihime
Crane Clan
Crane Clan Ikazuchi
* Air * Water * Shugenja * Artisan * Asahina Family Daimyo *
Posts: 750
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Post by Asahina Yukihime on Jan 17, 2012 20:56:10 GMT -5
After the compliments, at the end of tea ceremony the room quickly changes into a place fit for battle planning. Once Kochi addressed to her:
"Hai. I would be a failure to my family tradition if I speak against any peace effort. All I can say now is that the truce will keep the Emperor-sama safe for a longer time than any Crane-Lion battle would. I understand our urge to siege Kaneka-san, but there is no true victory if we lose Hantei-sama in the process... I supose.
"I'm no general, but moving Crane armies out of Kyuden Otomo, across Lion lands, during the winter seems uneffective. If they even arrive to Castle of Swift Sword in time, they wouldn't be in much condition to aid. Also, if we move more troops out of Kyuden Otomo, Lion may feel more inclinated to a direct attack than to a truce."
"But, I'm more than willing to bring Tamori-sama's thoughts on that strategical matter to the attention of Daidoji Fitsu-sama once I'm back to Kyuden Otomo. I believe I can not help further concerning to tactics."
Yukihime listened the explanation of the Tamori Daimyo about the battle field... she was thoughtful, staring at the situation displayed on the maps, silently.
The Tamori and Ichiro daimyos were sure more able to deal with tactics than she would ever be.
"If there is anything else that I could do, just let me know" - These weren't easy words. But she was sure she could find a way to handle Dragon needs without hurting the truce effort. As much as she could she wouldn't leave an ally unattended. After all, what interest would the Lion have in an alliance with a clan who abandons it's allies? Crane was committed to Hantei, and also to the Dragon and even the Phoenix in a way, and Yukihime was not willing to forget such commitment. Even if her desire for a peaceful solution is also enormous. But respect and trust are needed for true peace to be achieved.
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 17, 2012 21:16:22 GMT -5
The Tamori daimyo nodded to the Asahina. "The safety of the Righteous Emperor is of utmost priority. We are forever thankful to the Crane for taking care of that duty."
Koichi had the whimsical thought of asking her to tell every Crane to marry into the Imperial families so they could still serve in this war. If they wanted to play these court games, they should play it to win it. It was a fun thought but Koichi kept it to himself instead. Think happy thoughts.
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Asahina Yukihime
Crane Clan
Crane Clan Ikazuchi
* Air * Water * Shugenja * Artisan * Asahina Family Daimyo *
Posts: 750
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Post by Asahina Yukihime on Jan 17, 2012 22:06:39 GMT -5
(OOC: Lol, you both posted a lot while I was writing mine ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) IC I'm not supposed to be a tactician. I don't think the terrain offer us much advantage. Find a nice mare and make her guide these "stallions" away (every unicorn post I read described male horses) this was a very effective tactic in real world ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) And, sure, I happened to find a few new brides to my best archers ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) - I had the same thought a couple days ago ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) )
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Tamori Koichi
Dragon Clan
Dragon Clan * Shugenja * Earth * Void * Yamabushi * Duelist
Posts: 228
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Post by Tamori Koichi on Jan 17, 2012 23:24:53 GMT -5
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Asahina Yukihime
Crane Clan
Crane Clan Ikazuchi
* Air * Water * Shugenja * Artisan * Asahina Family Daimyo *
Posts: 750
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Post by Asahina Yukihime on Jan 20, 2012 16:23:24 GMT -5
"I don't know what to suggest. Is it possible to push them back to the river? May be they could be trapped into the cold water, or may be... I have heard of a shuenja who turned a river into a wall once, but these kind of spell is not my speciality..."
Yukihime had no idea what to suggest. Pushing them out of Lion lands would allow some Crane forces to, may be, help. But no clan would like to have it's own territories devastated by war. Her eyes on the maps presented by the Tamori daimyo. The mountains seemed to far, a fight on a mountain terrain would favor the Dragon and make cavalries nearly useless. Due to the river near by, moving the earth could easily flood Shiro sano Ken Hayai. Cold water. But... wouldn't it be dangerous for everything else along the margins?
"If Tamori-sama is able with earth... if we had the river spirit conscent, may be we could bend it's route..." She couldn't go forth with the suggestion once she realized many people could hurt. She was looking for a way to scare people away, to make the confront unworkable, to turn the winter outside into an ally.
The weather was slightly taking over her thoughts, while the breeze surrounding her becomes noticeable again. Timidly waving her hair and swinging her kimono's sleeves.
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