Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Mar 27, 2012 13:16:06 GMT -5
(Point of Order: Yoshiko isn't a battle maiden, but a Shinjo scout. Carry on, everyone!)
Yoshiko followed Keisuke into the command tent before she would remove her cloak and hood. Only at his request for information did she remove her trappings did she settle down in front of one of the maps, letting the lion general realize why she had seemed so guarded.
A long, narrow scar traced itself from the top of her leftmost temple, over her nose and part of her lip, down to the right side of her chin. The scar was old, several years at least, long-since healed but seeming to stretch in places with the features of her face. Only a Katana would make such a clean mark; she must have suffered the wound as a small child. The blemish marred what was an otherwise attractive face, framed with short hair touched silver in places. Her age was not readily apparent: she seemed to carry the weight of a lifetime of memories, though physically she seemed barely different than a lion bushi in the prime of life.
Yoshiko looked at Akodo Keisuke and then went immediately into her report, cutting off any potential comment not related to the task at hand. She pulled out a few paper packets from her obi, news of the state of the cavalry maneuvers on various fronts. A few bore the mon of the wolf in their seals -- the mark of Toturi himself. She placed them on the table for Keisuke's benefit and began giving a summary.
"The cavalry maneuvers have all been successful in keeping the dragon focused on them, and not storming the castle. Toturi Kaneka-dono himself leads the khol on the northwestern flank, and has had much success in breaking the siege in those areas. Other units are meeting heavier resistance from the dragon armies, and fighting there has been inconclusive at best, with the Dragon trying to draw the conflict out. This, in and of itself, should not be cause for concern: the Unicorn will ride so long as there is even one wall remaining to defend. Not that it will come to that, of course, Akodo-sama."
She took a deep breath, unsure suddenly if she should continue. Her report up to now had been based on facts. What good would it do to waste the general's time on something built on mere theory?
Keisuke could see that the woman wanted to say more, but was unsure of herself.
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Akodo Keisuke
Lion Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Lion Clan Regent ?Samurai ?Daimyo ?First Among Generals ?Tactician ?Commander ?Loyal
Posts: 704
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Post by Akodo Keisuke on Mar 29, 2012 17:11:19 GMT -5
Keisuke chastised himself before Yoshiko began to deliver her report. The samurai who stood before him was a scout not a battle maiden. Misreading who a person was dangerous and not paying attention to an individuals heraldry could be could lead to mistakes in discerning the enemy’s spirit, and how best to engage with that enemy. Those mistakes could cost the lives of his men and his own. Outwardly he remained calm the only indication of these thoughts was his right closed then opened as though he were taking a sword in to his hand. As Yoshiko spoke, the words she spoke of troops and their movements took the familiar shape in his mind, and it was as though he was soaring above the battle watching the events unfold.
He motioned to Akodo Tsanuri, and as he did the young lion samurai moved forward and began to organize the collection of papers. Keisuke locked eyes with Yoshiko, once more and he could see the trepidation that danced behind her calm exterior. Shinjo Yoshiko-san you look as if you have more to say, please speak up. If there is but one policy I have with in my army that is I want and encourage those samurai I stand beside speak there minds. Decisions and responsibility ultimately reside with me but that does not mean I am closed off to what others have to say no matter what rank they hold. Keisuke then gave Yoshiko a look of encouragement indicating he wished to hear what she had to say.
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Saiko
Spider Clan
Here we stand, at the end of all things...
Posts: 355
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Post by Saiko on Apr 4, 2012 20:27:21 GMT -5
Dark storm clouds were brewing in the skies, dark and ominous against the backdrop of Shiro sano Ken Hayai, the sounds of battle dying off again as the opposing armies broke to recover for nightfall. The bodies of the dead were recovered by both sides, and as this slow process began, so did the snows that coated the ground, once again gradually restoring the pristine ivory around the castle that had been battered by months of war. This picturesque scene would be almost magical, if it were not for the scent of war that filled the air, and any sense of calm or beauty was dispelled by the permeating aura of death and destruction.
This is what greeted the lone rider as he crested a hill on his gaijin steed, pulling his thick winter cloak tight around him. The cold was not as sharp as that of his homeland, he thought grimly, but he was far more injured than was safe for traveling, and though he was hardy, it would be a lie to say that his wounds did not still effect him. He gazed out in another direction, past the distant banners of the Dragon, to the closer war camp bearing the mons of the Lion and Unicorn, below Toturi's own banner of the wolf. This is where he pointed his horse as he rode down from the hill, and he exhaled calmly as he walked, quite literally, into the lion's den.
He was less than a mile away from Keisuke's war camp when the first Lion patrols noticed the rider, and they drew their weapons as they sped across an open field towards him. Adjusting himself in his saddle so that he appeared as nonthreatening as possible, he calmed his mind as he prepared to put his best pitch forward. He removed his daisho from his obi and held it out in front of him as a gesture of peace as the men approched, spears and bows drawn upon him but they seemed not to immediately judge him as a threat. "Who approaches the warcamp of Akodo Keisuke, especially now during times of war?", the samurai in charge stated in a hard voice, speaking of his years on the battlefield as he eyed the new arrival warily. Donning a grim smile and adjusting the thick black cloth that now covered his left eye, the man replied in a civil, somber tone. "My name is Mirumoto Saiko, a wandering swordsman of the Dragon Clan, and I come to speak with the man called Takezo." He lowered his blades to his saddle and held his arms out, showing his bandages as well as the papers he bore confirming his identity. "As you can see, I am who I say I am and would be of no serious threat to you, and I swear on my clan and the respect I have for my former Champion that my intentions are not malicious." He lowered his arms and bowed his head, humbly awaiting the man's decision. [OOC] I'm here to speak with Takezo, and we've discussed the meeting over PM, but if any Lion wants to jump in for a minute that would be awesome ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) [/OOC]
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Takezo
Dragon Clan
Shugyosha, Loyal retainer of Toturi, Dragon Champion-in-exile
Posts: 415
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Post by Takezo on Apr 5, 2012 13:22:33 GMT -5
In past times, Takezo would have presided over his command from an open-air pavilion tent arranged as a receiving area, Takezo’s chair and a low desk faced by an arrangement of lesser chairs, standards snapping overhead in the wind, and tied closures which could be undone and refastened for privacy.
Now, though, in Keisuke’s camp, Toturi and his men live in smaller tents, Takezo’s “reception area” a clearing in the tents’ midst, lit round by torches and warmed by a largish campfire. Takezo emerges from his tent to see a company of Lion bushi escorting a lone samurai, leading a very fine horse behind him. Weary, as one always is after traveling in war-torn lands, the man nevertheless carries himself with the trained readiness of an apt swordsman.
As the man comes into view, Takezo studies him – the ruined face, bandaged; the absent katana; the lone wakizashi making him appear a courtier… which he decidedly is not. Recognition dawns – he looks older, tired; thinner, worn. A man who has lived life in tumult but has finally chosen a moment to rest.
“Saiko-san. It has been some time.”
Takezo dismisses the Lion bushi, and gestures to the fire.
“So your wanderings bring you to my fire, at last. When was the last time we sat at a fire together? You more intact, and me less grey, that’s certain.”
Takezo gestures to a servant to bring tea and sweets.
“Let’s sit like the tired men we are, Saiko-san, and talk.”
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Saiko
Spider Clan
Here we stand, at the end of all things...
Posts: 355
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Post by Saiko on Apr 6, 2012 0:11:01 GMT -5
A cursory inspection of his papers was given, though the Lion seemed certain that even if this lone injured swordsman did intend to attempt anything beyond his stated intentions that they would easily be able to dispatch him. Saiko felt a shiver crawl up his spine as they entered the man encampment, attributed less to the cold and more to the feeling of walking into the den of those he had sworn to oppose. A higher purpose brought him here this day, however, and he pulled his cloak around him tighter, raising his head to greet the inquisitive gazes that came from more than a few of the samurai grouped about in the chill winter evening.
They snaked their way through the camp, his escort silent the entire walk, though they kept their hands on their weapons; he was an unknown in their midst, after all. The majority of the men Saiko saw bore Lion colors, not surprising considering where he was, though there was the occasional group of Crab and Unicorn standing about. A jolt ran through the young Dragon as they approached a new sat of tents, the banners snapping in the cold wind bringing back memories of another war, and as Saiko came into the clearing between the tents, he was faced with the man he once called Champion.
His escort left at a word from the ronin General, leaving Saiko standing amongst men he once called family, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. There before him was the man Saiko had sworn to hate for what he had done, but that was before. Before his sword broke. The young swordsman took the offered seat without a word, taking the tea and sipping it for a moment, letting the heat from the drink and the nearby fire restore life to his weary bones.
"Takezo-dono," he replied after a moment, his voice slightly shaky as he bowed his head to the aging swordmaster. "I have not seen you since the Yobanjin war, though we have not had a chance to speak since my gempukku, when you gave me permission to undertake my musha shugyo." Saiko adjusted his position, taking a drink to hide the grimace of pain it caused, before returning his somber gaze to meet Takezo's.
"Oni and tsukai have caused me more harm than this war, alas, though if that will remain true remains to be seen."
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Takezo
Dragon Clan
Shugyosha, Loyal retainer of Toturi, Dragon Champion-in-exile
Posts: 415
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Post by Takezo on Apr 6, 2012 12:38:10 GMT -5
"The purpose of musha shugyo is to learn what your limitations are, to confront them, and to transcend them. It's clear that you have confronted your limitations - the harm to your body belies that - though I'm guessing you have not transcended them. What you've learned I cannot say... that is for you to decide or understand"
Takezo looks into his cup.
"I am unsure how to counsel you, if counsel is what you seek. In the eyes of most I am a fallen man. Perhaps I can sympathize with your experience to much to achieve the detachment of a sensei?"
Takezo leans forward, elbow resting on one knee, searching Saiko's face.
"You will have to learn to compensate for that eye. I think you've enough awareness of hidden things to do so. As your body fails - and it will, whether due to damage, age, or vice - you must strengthen your spirit accordingly. Seek the void, so to speak. That is my advice as a fellow swordsman."
"But tell me, Saiko-san - what is it you've learned? Then we can discuss what it is you want."
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Saiko
Spider Clan
Here we stand, at the end of all things...
Posts: 355
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Post by Saiko on Apr 8, 2012 23:39:53 GMT -5
"Takezo-dono, I wish I knew."
A deep sorrow befell Saiko's face with these words, and his eyes seemed to drift off to a faraway place. His hand drifted to his obi, almost searching for the comforting feel of his katana, but his fingers grasped at the open space almost desperately, before he settled back into a calm, meditative state a few moments later. His gaze returned to Takezo's, and his eyes boiled with a deep passion.
"Throughout my wanderings, through all the things I have seen, the decisions I made, I never once doubted my path. From my choice to wander, rather than rise through the ranks of our armies, to my loyalty to the Hantei despite many of my friends following you instead, never has anything shaken me from the path that I chose." A darkness settled over him as his gaze fell to the ground, and his face seemed grim and sorrowful. "I chose even to hunt down the tsukai Shoju, instead of coming here to fight with the Clan, because I thought it was the path I was meant to walk."
His body tensed, his fists clenching and his good eye narrowing in a flash of anger, though he sipped some tea and calmed a bit, though a fury still simmered beneath the surface. "I failed. I outperformed my very best in every aspect of my previous prowess, and he got away. That would normally not have meant so much; the fight would have simply been extended. But he broke my sword." Saiko's gaze fell again, almost losing himself in sorrow and anguish for a moment as the memory passed through him.
"Never have I doubted myself as much as these past days. It is true, Fire has always been stronger in me than any connection through the Void, but never did I doubt my meditations on it, not even when I sat before the Final Riddle." His bright green eye returned to Takezo, almost imploring in its passion and sorrow.
"How did you know the path you chose was correct?
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Post by Hida Joji on Apr 9, 2012 11:37:35 GMT -5
The monk yelled a kiai and Joji’s muscles froze on his skeleton. The monk ran towards him performing a flying windmill kick, the sort that gets you killed, except Joji never got a chance to defend himself. As the kick connected Joji felt his neck give away making his head flop on his shoulders as he flew back landing on a dead Lion ashigaru still holding his yari.
Etake lands, sure of his kill, already centering his energies and preparing another kiho. The tainted thing he killed was massive, almost certainly an Hida and tainted beyond belief. Almost certainly one of their, so called, Lost Samurai. Etake approaches the dying man and prepares one of his most powerfull kiho, one that allows him to clean a soul of his taint at the cost of its life. An easy bargain for a dying man and a chance at redemption. Etake’s hands begin to glow, his eyes turn into jade as he kneels near the body and prepares to touch the 5 preassure points that will burn jigoku away and leave pure elements behind.
Joji hears his neck snap and feels his neck straightening, his visions returns to find a surprised monk kneeling over him. Joji kicks the monk on the chest knocking him 3 steps back, the monk wasn’t ready for this and can’t seem to react to this change. “Jigoko has one more hook in me and it’s this monk’s fault” – Joji takes the yari from the dead man and thrusts at the monk…
Etake stumbles back feeling a surge of taint from the man in front of him, his eyes are obsidian pits and his body is sweating blood as he thrusts at him, the void in him allows him to see every detail. The spear will pierce his left ventricle and kill him instantly. The aura around the man doing this is a raging storm of taint surrounding a core of duty, most certainly a crab.
Joji shakes the dead monk loose of the yari and looks around looking for more enemies. “I’m still here Jigoku! You gave me another life and I’ll use it, I’ll use them all before you take me!”
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Takezo
Dragon Clan
Shugyosha, Loyal retainer of Toturi, Dragon Champion-in-exile
Posts: 415
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Post by Takezo on Apr 10, 2012 17:46:22 GMT -5
"Takezo-dono, I wish I knew."... "How did you know the path you chose was correct? Takezo’s eyes, flinty black in contrast to Saiko’s green, sparkle for a moment with surprise, or perhaps amusement.“How did I know I’d chosen the correct path? I don’t think I ever did! I don’t even think there’s a “correct” path, really, for me or for anyone. Perhaps I have a fated path which is revealed to me as my life unfolds – certainly there are monks who would argue such – and if so my path is sort of “correct” by necessity… but then it’s out of my hands, and I’ll take neither blame nor credit for it.” Takezo sips his tea, then sets the cup down, straightening a bit.“I have a set of ideas, or maybe principles. They’re bushido, of course – I mean, we all follow the same framework to some degree or another – but if you’re a seeker – and you and I are, it’s why we’re restless – then you’ll own those traditions and principles and arrange them in your own way. It’s probably not even fully conscious, but you have this set of principles or mores or whatever, and it guides your intuitions and actions-of-the-moment. For example, if I’m traveling, and I meet a man – he could be a samurai or a peasant, or even an eta or gaijin – and he’s lost or hungry or injured, I’m going to help him. I’ll share my food with him, even if I don’t have enough, or maybe travel with him awhile until he’s safe. It’s compassion, but that’s not why I do it – I just DO. At some point I decided that, for all my power, it’s worth helping others even if there’s no reason to do so. It’s not some fancy path I’m following; I’m just moving through the world, and so are they, and our paths crossed, and I acted a certain way intuitively and spontaneously. Sometimes I regret it. I get robbed by my fellow traveler when I’m sleeping, or something happens and he’s in the way, but I don’t lament my path because there WAS no path. I’m on more of a field than a path, and if something gets in my way, I just go around it an continue on, you see? Paths, like roads or passes, are strategically limiting… and easy to trap, right? Or to use as an ambush set up? Trap a field or a plain? Not so easy.” Takezo takes the tea pot, reaches over to refill Saiko’s cup, then refills his own, continuing.“So obviously you’ve had a failure. You’ve lost an eye, you’ve lost your SWORD – that’s quite bad – and your enemy remains living and free. He’s exultant, probably, at your failure and loss; if that’s a path, that’s definitely a trap or an ambush - time to stop, no way to move forward and, as is the nature of such paths, which are inexorable, impossible to return on. If he’s just a stone in a field, though, well, you go around it. You train to compensate for the eye. You get a new sword. You evaluate your options – do you face him again so soon? Eventually? Ever? Do you dance around him in this field by attacking his minions? His family? Spiral in, flexible as a breeze? If the world is a sphere, sometimes the best way to travel north is to head south, right? So here’s some counsel, and I say this both as a duelist and a reluctant leader of men – when you have an enemy, he controls you by the very fact that he is your enemy. He moves, you must follow; he strikes, you must dodge. It’s narrow, like a path. If you have principles, you may well face that same foe, but he is simply one object on a larger field, leaving YOU in control, leaving YOU to maneuver.”
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Isawa Mitsuru
Phoenix Clan
Shugenja ? Void ? Experienced
Posts: 113
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Post by Isawa Mitsuru on Apr 10, 2012 20:41:58 GMT -5
Odama brushed back a few stray hairs as he retied his locks into a long ponytail. He looked through the bushes to see the supply carriers moving more or less according to plan. This was one of the issues with outsourcing parts of an otherwise acceptable scheme to other clans. You could never get them to do things exactly right.
Bayushi Odama was of average height and fairly lanky, which made him look at times almost as graceful as a Crane, which was an image he tried to cultivate. His armor was expensive looking even though it was primarily black with a few red or golden highlights here and there. He moved with practiced grace as he looked back over his unit who were readying for a charge. His dark eyes scanned each man and he decided that this would be a successful run.
The group of men hidden away here were a small number and they had no ranking leader to speak of. Or rather, it was well known that one of them was the ranking leader who had put the unit together but none of them had claimed the title and so they acted as an independent think tank tasked with unusual jobs on the battlefield. Because each man was certain that at least one of them was of higher rank and it wasn’t himself, all members treated each other with loyalty and respect, just in case they were addressing the man responsible for their reports and orders. All decisions in the unit were agreed upon well ahead of time with contingencies discussed as part of the plan. This had the disadvantage of necessitating long term planning before the unit could do anything, because quick changes to an operation were sometimes difficult without a ranking decision maker, but long term planning was almost never a problem for the Scorpion.
Odama signaled with his hand that the trap was almost ready to be sprung and then turned back to make sure things were going as planned. In the open the dragon couriers were just now being attacked by a contingent of Lion samurai who were intent upon taking the provisions for themselves. The Dragon made what Odama considered a poor show of force before beginning to flee before the might of the Lion.
Odama’s fist clenched in signal and the entire band of brothers was immediately active. A small volley of arrows silently launched from the trees and pegged two Lion before anybody knew what was happening.
A rustling from the bushes drew the attention of the Lion Samurai and they noticed the dark figures rushing toward them too late. In the darkness of the night the Scorpion band appeared to be nothing more than semi-formed shadows. With their torches casting long shadows to distort the figures attacking them there was but one conclusion they could come to about their sudden attackers.
"Ninja!" spat one grizzled old veteran contemptuously. Clearly he had survived war this long and he had no intention of falling tonight under the blade of an urban legend.
Almost in response to the accusation, Odama threw a handful of sharp knives toward the assembled Lion, causing them to scatter. Odama’s unit was of course no actual band of ninjas, or even as skilled at this pretense as the initiates of the Shosuro infiltrators, but they knew how to scare unsuspecting troops. Gullible troops. With no expectations. In the middle of the night.
Odama’s grandfather’s wakizashi, Otsuka, sung from its sheath and straight into contact with the katana of a proud Lion samurai. Odama grappled with the man for a while as each of them tried to gain advantage over the other. The Lion forced against the shorter blade with all his might but Odama was able to redirect his attacks so that they never made contact. With a feint to the left and a twist of his blade, Odama disentangled his blade and shoved its tip right under the man’s throat protection. The man gurgled and fell to the ground with his eyes rolled back in his head. The Kitsu had one more ancestor to pray to.
The rest of the ambush went much the same way. The Lion were clearly the stronger foes and in the daytime on an organized battle line they would have been able to easily dispatch the Scorpion. However, in the dim light and here on patrol, the skirmishing tactics of the Scorpion would win the day.
After a short engagement, the Lion began to flee, leaving supplies on the ground and wounded and dead behind. It had been the very aim of the attack to leave a few of them alive. But not too many. Arrows flew after the defeated samurai and one found its mark between the shoulder blades of a particular veteran soldiers whose resolve to survive the evening was now seriously called into question.
***
A man ran into Keisuke’s war camp with a panicked cry on his lips.
"Ninja! Help! Ninja!"
The soldier collapsed, out of breath, just inside the perimeter of tents and surrounded by startled servicemen.
Other soldiers wearing Lion uniforms entered camp just after him, also having run hard away from the scene of the fight, equally panicked and equally out of breath. They two began the cry of ninja among the now gathering Lion.
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Akodo Sosa
Lion Clan
Lion Clan Samurai * Akodo Bushi * Tactician * Paragon * Chui
Posts: 56
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Post by Akodo Sosa on Apr 11, 2012 15:23:53 GMT -5
From outside of the tent in which his Daimyo was speaking to the Crane messenger, Akodo Sosa was distracted from his conversation with his aide-de-camp, Matsu Mina. Lion samurai were running into the camp, looking much the worse for wear, but also, to his deep concern, appearing panicked. Why were warriors of the proudest and most disciplined Clan in the Empire scattering about like frightened children. Sosa nodded to Mina, a silent indication for her to continue guarding the tent, then strode forward and shouted loudly across the camp. "SAMURAI! REMEMBER YOUR FACE AND REPORT TO ME IMMEDIATELY!". He waited for the warriors to come over to him, frowning. Did he really hear Lion troops use the word "ninja". Surely not. These must be untrained raw recruits, almost certainly given they were so obviusly unfit. Sosa moved towards the returning soldiers, a rare instance of impatience getting the better of him, and pushed his way through the crowd. He pointed to one of the samurai who had returned to camp so hurriedly. "You. What is this nonsense? Report now, and properly."
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Isawa Mitsuru
Phoenix Clan
Shugenja ? Void ? Experienced
Posts: 113
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Post by Isawa Mitsuru on Apr 11, 2012 16:32:20 GMT -5
The disheveled samurai did their best to form up into a solid line before the officer. Indeed they seemed to lack the tight discipline of experienced Lion troops but this seemed to be mostly a property of their recent battle.
The soldier who had first entered the camp spoke up with a trembling voice that gained more surety as he had a chance to work the fear out of his throat.
"Akodo-chui! Our unit was ambushing a supply run when we in turn were ambush by…” now that he was here in the light of the camp surrounded by his fellows and being faced down by an angry commander it all seemed so childish, “unidentified assailants. We were scattered and thought it best to retreat to this position, sir. I-I’m sorry, sir. We lost our heads in the surprise. We have brought shame to our unit and our families."
There was something off about the men standing next to the poor soldier. He couldn’t quite place it but he didn’t feel comfortable next to these men. His unit had been a tight knit hardened band of warriors who had shared the close bonds of war. Yet he couldn’t, for the life of him, identify exactly which of these close friends stood next to him now. His armor was…ill fitting? That didn’t seem right at all.
Those with eyes to see had already noticed just what was so different about this group of recruits. Surely Lion samurai did not wear all black clothing beneath their armor. Surely no properly trained lion soldier attempted to hide his face from his commander beneath his helmet. Most of all, surely no Lion would ever be found with a Scorpion mon on the scabbard of his katana.
As the first looks of surprise were registering on the faces of the surrounding samurai, Odama drew his katana and swung it at the Chui.
"You shall taste my blade of vengeance, Toturi-ist!"
Having missed the first swing (purposely) Odama fell into his stance to fight directly against Akodo Sosa while the remainder of his Otokodate unit lashed out at the surrounded unprepared samurai, many of whom were out of their armor and even a little bit tipsy from a few rounds of sake in the evening.
As for Odama himself, he had positioned his sword pointing down, with his body positioned slightly back to discourage attacks to his body while presenting his lower body as a protected target.
"Tell me, Nyan-chan, have your claws come in yet?"
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Akodo Sosa
Lion Clan
Lion Clan Samurai * Akodo Bushi * Tactician * Paragon * Chui
Posts: 56
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Post by Akodo Sosa on Apr 13, 2012 11:47:59 GMT -5
Years of training and plenty of warfare had taught Sosa to spot ambushes and traps without really looking for them, but still, the skill of this assailant caught him out. He mentally berated himself for being so complacent to assume the enemy would not try something like this, even in the Regent's own camp. The purposeful miss also took him back somewhat, and a raising of an eyebrow betrayed his curiosity at not having been struck down, though it would have been easy to do so.
He knew Matsu Mina was watching, so wasted no breath on raising an alarm, and he doubted he now needed to anyway. Instead, he drew his katana in a fluid movement and dropped into a defensive, guarded stance.
He smiled with good humour at his opponent.
"My claws are sharp enough for you, my friend. You must be the 'ninja' that everyone is so worked up about. Really, I expected you to be shorter."
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Isawa Mitsuru
Phoenix Clan
Shugenja ? Void ? Experienced
Posts: 113
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Post by Isawa Mitsuru on Apr 16, 2012 13:14:00 GMT -5
Odama smiled imperceptibly. Or rather, he smiled widely behind a dark cloth mask that covered the lower half of his face. If nothing else this promised to be an entertaining evening.
"My lord Lion, it is good to see that some bravery still survives in the Children of the Lying Darkness. I believe that we shall have an exciting contest this night. Show me your stance!"
Odama slipped into a dueling stance. He lithely moved his sword from a low cross-wise position to a higher one above his head, the carefully tended sword reflecting the torchlight in the camp. His feet were spread about shoulder width apart, with his left forward. The stance was one of sheer bravado that belied a preparation for a powerful attack but left a lot to be desired as far as defense capability. In general, the pose allowed an opponent a better chance to strike the lower body because of the distance between that area and the sword which Odama held.
Internally Odama was a little stressed about the perfection of his pose. Of course he never expected to be thought of as one of the great duelists but he had always put a comparatively large amount of practice into his dueling skills. What was most difficult at this juncture was trying to maintain the cleanliness of his movements while wearing not only a suit of armor, but an ill fitting one at that. He hoped that he would be able to show his fighting spirit through the stiff lames and especially through the irony of a Scorpion wearing Lion colors.
All in all, he spent a moment waiting for the Lion Chui’s response to a formal challenge in the middle of what amounted to a seemingly hasty ambush.
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Post by Mirumoto Daisuke on Apr 16, 2012 21:04:50 GMT -5
Daisuke staggers a bit. Weeks of difficult battle against the combined Lion and Unicorn forces have taken its toll on the young bushi's stamina. He drops to one knee to take a breather as he watches Kaneka's forces withdraw from what was once a beautiful castle and house of learning. The field is littered with reminders of the dead - a flag, a broken helmet - and glass shards that once held dangerous chemicals the Agasha shugenja were fond of experimenting with.
Was it worth it?
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