Strategy Meeting

[Yasuki Chad]

Having sat queitly through the whole conversation up to this point, Yasuki Chad leans forward with his statements.

"I think resupplying the Dragon is our only option for the Crane to make it's presence felt on the Battle at the Swift Sword. Look, the Daidoji have a overland trade route set up with the Pheonix. All we would have to do to make this work for us is to take control of the Pheonix end of the Route and send it from there directly to Swift Sword. Perhaps hire suitably large escorts.... unaffiliated of course, I know several Ronin brotherhoods that would jump at such steady work, .... to go into northern lion lands then north to resupply from the South. With Toturi in control of the Ford at the Drowned Merchant River the shipments would need to come from within Lion lands. With the use of Ronin "Patriots" the Crane can aviod breaking their oaths with the Lion and the Dragon could still be resupplied."

He sighed at the Sheer logistical nightmare that would be. "It's not Ideal, certainly, but some of my family could oversee the project throughout the journey. Hopefully losses would be minimul. I'm sure the Daidoji also have routes of which I am most assuredly unaware that we could make use of."

"As for my part, I will not participate in anyway with the Battle in Clear Water Village. I will not assist the Crane or Scorpion with any information that may ultimatly harm my brothers. I ask for your understanding in this and will focus the Yasuki House Guard in the effort against the usurper in Lion Lands. With the battle attrition we've already suffered we are no longer capable of serving as a line unit. Any Crane who wish to swear Fealty to or to marry into my House would be well served to do so soon. Even more so if those hypothetical Crane wanted to Face the Usurper in personal combat. Also, I will be looking to aquire several Yojimbo, and would love these compleatly unaffieliated wave men to be trained duelists." It had been some time since he had to use this politicaly correct doublespeak, but his allies were found of it. Even though he knew it would be unnessesary he wanted to say it anyway, if only to keep them from thinking him overly deceptive.

"I'm sure none of these ronin I plan to employ recently undertook a Musha Shugyo."

He leaned back to see their reactions to his presentation.

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Hitoshi smiled wryly. "Perhaps I am more useful here in court thinking up ideas than I am on the battlefield. I must confess that I prefer it here; for one thing the food is better!"

He sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful. "Whilst I would love to take the field against Kaneka and the Unicorn, if the treaty forbids us from engaging then I would not personally choose to undertake a Musha Shugyo at this moment. In fact I would recommend that my men did not either, although of course it is up to each individual to seek permission from their daimyo." Hitoshi looked as though he were wrestling with a dilemma. "Maybe I am more suited to the battlefield after all. Things are a little more clear cut on the front lines." Frustration showed on his face.

[Doji Naetaru]

Moments later the Doji lord emerged into the chamber.

"Konban-wa sans and samas." paying the respectful honors to the ranked individuals respectively.

"Forgive my delay arrival but the labour in the Imperial Court can sometimes prove quite time consuming." he said idly.

As Naetaru was filled-in to the information concerning the meeting, already being discussed he produced a letter from his fold.

"I have kept correspondence with the Tamori daimyo and he has already given an appropriate response. Apparently, the Crab are so bent on upholding Kaneka's law that they have deployed their troops of Damned on this war." turning over to Yasuki Chad.

"I have already proceeded into checking this out. Not of course that I doubt the word of a daimyo, but in case we might need to push this further. Chad-sama, since this concerns your brethren, you might wish to assist us in this investigation?"

"Regarding the ongoing situation, it is of utmost importance that we maintain the long wished truce with the Lion Clan. I have had a small meeting with Akodo Kurako today, the Lion candidate for the Imperial Spouse. She expressed her support into maintaining the truce along with the intergrity and the honor of the Lion Clan."

"Regarding the situation to the south, I will be receiving missive reports from the envoys and delegates stationed in the Scorpion, Monkey, Crab and Hare borders. The situation has proven tense indeed. I had a small meeting with the Kitsune delegate in court. Personally the Doji family wishes to plead for peace and for the commencing of negotiations between the Clans involved."

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Hitoshi looked up sharply. "If I may beg my Lord Doji's indulgence, I am not familiar with the term, but it doesn't sound good. What exactly are the Damned? And do we know whereabouts they are being deployed?
"As for the truce with the Lion, I shall allow myself to be guided by my betters in this matter, irrespective of my personal feelings. Do you wish us to lobby for their candidate in the Imperial court or are we continuing to support Doji Domotai-sama?"

[Doji Naetaru]

Doji Naetaru beheld Hitoshi sternly

"The Damned are a unit comprised of Crab warriors bearing the taint. Those ones however sustain their will and pledge their allegiance over into combating the Shadowlands without fear of either bearing the taint's influence or even displaying it's side effects.
As far as the matter of the Imperial Spouse is concerned I propose that we carry on into supporting Doji Domotai-sama.
Given the fact of the truce Akodo Kurako-sama is a friend but sadly enough she cannot be the subject of our support into this."

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro's already somewhat worn face went grey with Naetaru's news.

"Have they gone mad? There's no way to know who the Damned will be infecting with taint! Even if it isn't their wish to do so, even if they do not want to spread their taint, they simply do not have the option of not doing so. Any enemy they face that sheds their blood is at severe risk. Anyone they come into contact with is at a lesser risk, but is still at risk of contamination as well. Should one of them bleed out on the ground, the area they fell at becomes tainted! This is not just risking samurai fighting the war, this is risking the entire damned empire! What would happen if they contaminated farmlands used to grow food that is sold to other clans?!"

[Zeure]

A young Asahina that had arrived with Yuuto spoke up at this notion. Timidly he replied to what Sojiro had said.

"Um, fortunately no, Kakita Sojiro-sama. The taint, while pervasive, it not that pervasive. It has to be a rather deep affliction or a powerfully tainted object in order to spread it's taint just by being there. They will not pollute the land just by existing. And as far as their blood, it would have to be the same way. You would have to move over every inch of earth and salt it with the blood of the tainted in order to have any effect, let alone a lasting one."

He finally seemed to notice that he wasn't talking only to Sojiro, that in fact the entire meeting had turned and was staring at him. He almost literally shrank back a bit.

"At least that is what my studies have led me to believe...."

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Hitoshi's expression had gone grim. "What are they thinking? These... things... can be understood if they are kept behind closed doors and unleashed on the thing that caused them their affliction - this is not too dissimilar from the concept of the Lion Deathseeker - but to turn them against fellow samurai of the Empire?! That is unspeakable!"

He looked hard at the Asahina who had spoken up. "How great a study have you made of these things? What are the risks involved? I am presuming that they are not completely harmless..." He turned his gaze back onto the Doji daimyo. "Naetaru-sama, on what fronts do the Doji wish to open peace negotiations? With the Mantis? Or with all clans involved in this war? From the conversations with the Kitsune in court, the Mantis may well be amenable to any attempts and if we can persuade them to withdraw from the conflict then that would be an excellent option.

"However," he was addressing the room by this point, "We cannot forget why we became drawn into this war. The Shogun still calls himself Emperor and seeks the throne! Whilst we must obviously look after the interests of our clan, we must bear in mind the larger picture. Whilst I agree that striking at the Crab and trying to retake Lonely Shore City is a sensible plan, I would propose that we also ready our armies for the resolution of the battle at the Castle of the Swift Sword.

"If the Dragon win, they will hopefully drive Kaneka back into Unicorn lands, at which point we should pounce and attack into his army whilst it is still routing. Kyuden Tonbo would seem to be an excellent staging point if we can persuade the Dragonfly to allow us to muster on their lands. I suspect that the Dragon themselves will be helpful in obtaining their cooperation. If the Emperor is also conveniently on honeymoon in Dragon lands, then if they lose it means that we will still have troops between him and the Unicorn."

He was on his feet, pointing at locations on the map, his mind working quickly as he began to get caught up in plans of attack.

[Kakita Sojiro]

(OOC hehehehe, watch me screw Zeure into making another NPC)

Sojiro looked to the timid Shugenja.

"What is your name, san? Speak up, please."

After waiting for the shugenja to reply, Sojiro nods and bows politely to the man.

"I will readily admit that my knowledge of the taint is more concerned with dealing with bloodspeakers and oni than how it actually spreads. With that in mind, I believe that we need someone who understands it from a more scholarly, learned perspective to explain the details of exactly how dangerous this is or is not - and also to advise the rest of us on how to deal with such threats, perhaps even acting as an advisor in such matters." He looks around the room. "And with the possible exception of Yasuki Chad-sama, I see no one else present who meets those qualifications that I am aware of."

[The Blue Ronin]

Ryumon's eyes glazed slightly as he attempted to follow the heated debate. Still, this is what he had wanted, so he had best be ready for it. He drew a deep breath and spoke.

"Regarding The Damned, my understanding is that the Crab are permitted to keep their tainted Samurai alive only if they use them to fight against a more tainted threat - that is, the Lost, the Oni, Goblins, Ogres, and so on. If they are using tainted Samurai against the Empire itself, as far as I am concerned they are breaking the laws of the Empire. Of course by rebelling against the Emperor they are already breaking the Empire's laws but this only compounds it"

"As for our approach to the situation in the south, while I sympathise with the Kitsune's desire to stay out of the war, as long as they follow the commands of the Mantis Champion, they are legitimate targets. Perhaps a truce can be arranged whereby the Kitsune lands are occupied peacefully so as not to constitute a threat to us or the Scorpion, but as long as the Kitsune are part of the Mantis, they are legitimate targets."

"I would question the wisdom of calling for peace between the Scorpion and the Crab, though. I know I have already said this but right now we are at war with the Crab and the Scorpion are assisting us. Obviously I hope this war will end in peace, but to call for the Scorpion to hold back in assisting us would be foolish. I remember when it was unclear what the Scorpion would do, we feared that their march to the South would result, not in their attacking the Crab, but in their assisting them. Now they have not done what we fear, and we urge them to do what was our hope they would refrain from?"

"I know the Crane are the Clan of peace and I ask you to believe that my hope for peace is as fervent as yours. But a peace between the Crab and the Scorpion will simply weaken those forces that fight for the true Emperor"

[Kakita Sojiro]

"Agreed, Ryumon-san. I believe we may be in a position to convince the Mantis to withdraw from the war entirely, but the Crab have shown no such signs."

[Doji Naetaru]

Naetaru smiled with an innocent motive but rather viciously

"I referred to a truce for the Kitsune family, a thing that should be looked upon of course. However, I wouldn't wish to interfere into the Scorpion-Crab affairs and certainly would I not wish to drag our Clan into some three-way negotiations.
The truce and our success in talks of peace is an asset that we should not only maintain but cultivate it as well."

[The Blue Ronin]

*Ryumon frowns* "A separate truce with the Kitsune? I suppose we could try but I am not sure the Kitsune Daimyo has that authority, frankly. And the other Mantis might see it as treason. If it is possible, of course, but I think a more realistic goal would be some sort of non-violent occupation, to be concluded when the war is over. Still, ultimately it is up to the Scorpion and the Mantis. We could certainly offer ourselves as mediators, though"

He picks up a cup of hot sake, holds it in his hands for a few moments while he speaks to warm it, before blowing gently on the surface and taking a sip. Having done so, he continues.

"So it seems we can agree that we should assist the Scorpion in attacking the Crab as much as we can with an eye to re-taking Lonely Shore City?" He looks around, hoping there are no late disagreements.

[Yasuki Chad]

"Now that is enough!" Chad's booming voice momentarilly silenced the ongoing argument. Having everyone's attention once again he continued in a slightly more subdued tone.

"It is unfotunate that the Damned have been deployed in force. However, they are not permantently dangerous to the region they are assigned too. If it will correct your.....erroneous... perception of them I will briefly describe what, exactly, the Damned are."

"It is true the Damned are, every one of them, Tainted to a large degree. However, Crab make up only the vast majority of the unit. Severly tainted samurai of other clans are sometimes sent to us and such persons are placed with the damned so their continued existence has some small meaning. The Damned undergo high intensity combat training every day of their lives, and are expended into the most dangerous and suicidal parts of any engagement they take part in. Causualties per deployment typically run between 70% and 90%."

"They are not slaves to the Taint. Each of them is taught certain medative techniques known to the Kuni and every 20 damned has a Kuni trained watchman who acts as thier unit leaders. All of the Damned take regular doses of Jade tea to help combat the spread of the Taint in their body."

"The damned are not permitted outside of Crab lands and are one of the first resources used against an invading force. It is stratigically no diffrenct then facing a unit of Kenshinzen or Deathseekers or other clan elite unit."

[Kakita Hitoshi]

"Hmm..." Hitoshi rested his chin on his hand for a moment. "They may be less dangerous than we initially thought then, but it is the perception of them that is our weapon. Sending tainted samurai against Rokuganee forces is still, in my mind, abhorrent, and I believe that many samurai will feel the same way. Especially the Lion.

"How will they feel about counted tainted samurai amongst their allies? I believe that we should exploit this in court and try and find a way to drive a wedge between the allied forces. For once we are on the same side as the Scorpion, so I think we should share this information with them; their particular training may come in particularly handy in this matter.

"If we can combine this with trying to persuade the Kitsune to apply pressure to the Mantis clan to withdraw, then we may be able to reduce the forces at the Shogun's disposal considerably, or at the very least do a lot of damage to their trust and morale. Does this sounds like a sensible course of action for our political warriors?" Hitoshi grinned wolfishly at this point. Despite his earlier comments about not being cut out for the cut and thrust of politics, the rest of the room couldn't help getting the feeling that he was enjoying himself.

"If so, that just leaves the placement of our army. I have made my case for moving it to Kyuden Tonbo if we can persuade the Emperor to go on honeymoon to Dragon lands, whereas Ryumon-san and Sojiro-san seem to favour a march on Lonely Shore Village. Where does everyone else stand on this matter?"