Kitsune Poxo
Mantis Clan
Mantis Clan | Shugenja | Earth | Thunder | Kitsune Blooded | Naval | Daimyo | Unique
Posts: 225
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Post by Kitsune Poxo on Feb 27, 2012 9:30:10 GMT -5
![](http://rolz.org/embed?1316711) Sleep would not come to Yumi. Even as she sat at the center of a ward she had put up, she was just to nervous to truly rest. She was still questioning why she had come along as this was nowhere within her realm of skills. As an earth shugenja one would assume that her ability to call the purest earth, jade, she would be foremost in supporting the others but she found it difficult. She seemed tied to the presence of animals and here in the Shadowlands there were none. When the oni came, Yumi could only stare in awe and horror. It was the first time see had ever laid eyes on a real one. Nothing she had ever read could have prepared her for the real thing. The abomination did not stop at a physical horror. The metaphysical just assaulted all of her senses. The waves that it gave off left nothing to admire.
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Kakita Hitoshi
Crane Clan
Be more concerned with good actions than great ones
Posts: 306
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Post by Kakita Hitoshi on Feb 28, 2012 12:48:29 GMT -5
![](http://rolz.org/embed?1322738) Hitoshi head the scream of "Oni!" and his heart sunk. No weapon he bore would do permanent damage to an oni. As it erupted from the ground he drew his katana anyway, prepared to do whatever he could to assist, but he wasn't ready for the sheer swiftness of the thing as it curled around the Kakita daimyo. Horrified, he looked to his friend Kakita Chikao and shouted "With me!" Together they raced towards the creature, dodging the razor sharp slashes from its legs and trusting to their companions to assist. As the battle closed around the creature, Hitoshi whipped out a rope from his travel satchel and began to fashion a large lasso. As Chikao protected him he threw, aiming for the creature's head. The first toss missed, sliding of the unnatural smoothness of its carapace as its head weaved to the side with lightning speed. As he reeled it back in, the rest of the samurai assaulted it furiously, desparately trying to assist Mitsouko, and Hitoshi recoiled for another attempt. Chikao was a wall of steel in front of him, keeping the creature at bay whenever its attention turned towards them. Hitoshi threw again, and this time his aim was good. The noose tightened around two of the chiten plates and between the two Kakita they managed to keep their feet. As the oni began to thrash around, the rest of Hitoshi's team ran to help him. Slowly they wound the rope in, using a rocky outcrop as a pivot, and the monster began to unwind a little. Mitsouko suddenly found she had room to breathe...
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Feb 28, 2012 21:45:27 GMT -5
![](http://rolz.org/embed?1325172) [ooc] He continues to shine... [/ooc] Fast, this creature was fast. Faster than any creature that Battou had ever fought before. But so was he. Unfortunately for him, Battou could only match the creature, though this was giving the others some advantage that they could use. As the creature struck, Battou parried; and as he parried, he struck back, keeping the creature focused on him. All the slashing blades were pressing in on him though, it was incredibly difficult and required a great deal of his focus. Which is why he would be so grateful, in retrospect since he could not appreciate it at the moment because all of his focus was on the creature, when Sennosao and the others jumped to his aid. Each of them was holding some of the multibladed arms at bay. And as one was readied for a fatal blow on a member of the expedition, Sennosao's strike to parry turned into a strike of attack. And one of the bladed arms sailed off and out of the fray. The creature rose up and roared in pain for the lost limb, but it's attacks resumed.
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Usagi Izutsu
Ronin
Hare Clane Samurai
* Hare Clan Regent * Samurai * Jade Magistrate * Master Tracker * Heir *
Posts: 54
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Post by Usagi Izutsu on Feb 29, 2012 1:23:22 GMT -5
![](http://rolz.org/embed?1325831) He stood high upon an outcropping, a little ways from the Crane camp, his dark gaze stretched out across the dark plains surrounding them, his mind wandering to the artifact they had found. Izutsu did not like the thing; he half intended to demand Mitsouko hand it over to him once they returned but he did not know how well that would go. The night closed in around him, and a shiver ran down the man's spine. Something was not right, and his had drifted towards his blade. And then he hear the cry that he dreaded; Oni... Shinzaru's face ran with a cold sweat as he fought off the flailing limbs of the foul beast. His blade could not harm it, and it required all of his extensive skill with a blade to keep it from severing either his or one of his allies' heads, though he could tell it was a losing battle. The Seppun looked around when he had a chance, wondering where in Jigoku Izutsu had gotten off to, though he cursed the decision as soon as he refocused, for the beast had taken the opportunity to focus on the Kakita daimyo, and one of its razor claws was speeding towards her. The man did the only thing his training would allow him, and he leaped upon the claw himself, dragging it away from Mitsouko, at the cost of his life. Izutsu had ran as fast as he could back to the camp, and his eyes widened in horror at the sight he beheld. Kenno flashed in his hands as he bounded over a dead Crane soldier and severed one of the creature's flailing claws, his movements becoming faster and faster as the blade hungered for more tainted blood. He jumped upon a nearby boulder, using his momentum to spring back upon the back of the Oni, and slashed across its back a few times before driving his blade into its head, and a foul screech filled the night air.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Feb 29, 2012 8:39:24 GMT -5
When Hitoshi laced and pulled the oni giving her enough room to breath, the kakita daimyo also dragged herself from under the beast, reaching her crystal dagger once again. Her escape move wasn't unnoticed by the creature, and it swiftly moved a paw to pin her back in the place, with his blade ends probably aimed to inflict her a gross perforation in the Kakita daimyo's plexus.
Shinzaru-san, though prevented it to happen throwing his own body to defend the Kakita daimyo. Mitsouko was bathed in the Seppun's samurai blood, squirting off the arteries before his dead body fell at her side. Mitsouko realized the gleam of sadistic inteligence in the eyes of the oni. It is here for me. was another realization.
Damn Alesha, you coward! Come to face me! she yelled out of frustration. Not losing time, though, she used the dagger to make a cut wide open in the monster's belly. For her surprise the beast had no intestins or such but she had opened a tube from where putrid air escaped with a fizzly sound. The monster twitched as it seemed to be hit in a vital part, and crawled from the hole, hitting randomly sand, samurai and air alike, in agony. The samurai gathered,around the severely wounded beast, terminating the oni with a few more strikes. The strange razorcentipede proved to be a weak oni afterall, as if something was missing in its summoning. Though it had taken two samurai lives... Mitsouko sat in the sand, cleaning her face from blood, trying to maintain some composure before two horrible deaths, mainly the death of Seppun Shinzaru, who did it to save her life. She shouldn't cry... Then she started to laugh, out of nervousness, reaching her katana that was half buried in the sand, cleaning and sheathing even it before she could clean herself. We did it, huh? That bastard send one of his pets to greet us, but is coward enough to hide himself behind monsters, behind his new Lord's legs. Though I have to tell you... this monster came to capture me and kill you all. I feel it. In my veins. She stared at all of them, before continue, her tone quite serious now. The oni wouldn't hurt me if possible. I know it. I see it. And I tell you, I cannot play in Alesha's terms. To see noble samurai die while he hides and... I can't even expose myself to the same degree of risk you are exposing yourselves! It's cruel! I'm sorry for this two honored deaths, men. Though I don't think we should continue our raid this way. I don't feel it is fair to any of you.
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Kitsune Poxo
Mantis Clan
Mantis Clan | Shugenja | Earth | Thunder | Kitsune Blooded | Naval | Daimyo | Unique
Posts: 225
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Post by Kitsune Poxo on Feb 29, 2012 9:39:21 GMT -5
Yumi wiped the side of her mouth after spent moments dry heaving at the smell and sight of the dead. The deaths were piling up and taking a toll. She was looking smaller than usual as she approached. “We made the choice to come and we knew the risks. It is perfectly fair and it would dishonor us to turn back now. They died a warrior’s death and they would have asked for none more. Now clean yourself, I’ll prepare the bodies.”
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Kakita Hitoshi
Crane Clan
Be more concerned with good actions than great ones
Posts: 306
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Post by Kakita Hitoshi on Mar 4, 2012 18:55:37 GMT -5
Hitoshi looked at his daimyo levelly.
"Mitsouko-sama, even if you lead us into Jigoku itself I will follow you willingly."
He turned to look at the artefact that they had recovered and despite his discipline an involuntary shudder ran through his body. Just looking at it made him want to scream. Averting his eyes, he pondered for a moment before coming to a decision. "I'll be honest with you, I don't like the idea of taking this thing with us. But I'm not sure what else we can do with it. Can we destroy it?"
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Mar 9, 2012 4:19:28 GMT -5
Currently I don’t know if we can destroy it or not, but since we can identify it and know the harm it can do to our Empire, we can also know how to properly destroy it without releasing something evil. Our shugenja and scholars are obviously well prepared than us to do it. Mitsouko sighed. Though I know you all are brave enough to follow me in this incursion, I feel we are far too in the Shadowlands and I can’t permit we start to feel the effects of this damn infect land before we reach the enemy. I realize our strategy can easily be overcome by natural events and the time we can take to find Alesha. I cannot underestimate our disadvantage in this terrain, and we cannot be so far from Candas bay for a long time… So… Mitsouko was feeling the effects of this hard trip over her body, and also there was other reasons she cannot tell them all… The shadowlands was calling her and she didn’t know how long it took to this call become stronger and more influent… Also, she was pregnant. We must leave.
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Kakita Hitoshi
Crane Clan
Be more concerned with good actions than great ones
Posts: 306
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Post by Kakita Hitoshi on Mar 9, 2012 5:00:31 GMT -5
Hitoshi's eyes narrowed briefly. Why the sudden change of mind? Was it something to do with the artefact they had recovered, or were there other factors at play here? Then in an instant, he relegated it to the back of his mind for contemplation later; his daimyo had given an order and it was his duty to obey.
"Hai, my lady, as you wish!" If nothing else, it was good strategy to fight an enemy on ground of your choosing rather than his. Hitoshi began issuing orders and arranging people back into a travelling formation, and before long they were ready. "Who do you wish to carry that... thing?" he asked, pointing at the tainted object on the ground.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Mar 9, 2012 5:22:58 GMT -5
She looked at Hitoshi, reading his concerns in his face, but knowing how loyal and dutiful he was. "Uncle" Kaemon-san is doing it, but maybe you can share this responsibility with him... if you wish. She shifted the weight of her backpack in the shoulder, and started to walk.
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Mar 9, 2012 6:23:59 GMT -5
Battou looked hard at Mitsouko for several minutes while she was discussing with the others about their plans to move forward and, apparently, now backwards. He thought about everything that must be going through her head and remained silent. He could guess why she wanted out of here. With the appearence of an Oni that was probably Alesha's work, given that Mitsouko had said as much, and it was like a coward to strike out with anything but himself, Battou was more than ready to accept that as likely.
Then Battou thought about what effect it might be having on her, and particularly, on the child that she was carrying. He, like many others he would guess, had no way of knowing how the shadowlands would be affecting that situation. An unborn child couldn't have a jade string tied around it's neck, and while he doubted that the Jade that Mitsouko had on was completely ineffective, he could see what she was nervous about.
He cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself for the first time in a while (rare enough for him to go unnoticed anyways) and then spoke: "I agree with my betrothed. We should leave. Alesha will throw his monsters at us all day long in an attempt to weaken us, and never show himself until he is almost assured a victory. Without more solid information on his whereabouts, he could hide perpetually and just let the shadowlands finish us off. Madness does not equal foolishness, and I doubt he is both. I followed her here just as any strong samurai would, but if she says to leave, I say we do. Let us leave this place and be on our way back to rokugan."
He looked at the mempo and shuddered. "Even as non-shugenja as I am, even lacking the abilities that my sensei, Sojiro-sempai has... I can sense great evil from that thing... We should want to destroy it and it is a worthy endeavor."
He walked over to help Mitsouko steady herself and they both watched as the others in her guard squad made ready to leave.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Mar 9, 2012 11:52:52 GMT -5
Tracking the Crane party through the Shadowlands was proving to be more difficult a task than tracking the Chuda. The trail itself was simple enough to follow, but Thrakhath found that estimating the size and composition of the group was difficult, if not impossible. Many times he'd ordered a halt and dismounted to examine the ground more closely, only to be confounded by what the trail revealed. Clearly they had brought at least one person skilled in masking trails, and it was slowing Thrakhath's group down.
After the fifth such stop, Thrakhath gave up trying, and simply led his troops on the trail as fast as the group could go and still follow it. The trail was relatively fresh, but Thrakhath had no way of knowing how much of a head start the Crane had over him, and the thought that he might be forced to cross the Wall in order to catch them had gnawed at him. He had prepared for such a contingency, but crossing the Wall on someone else's terms was not a thought he relished.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Mar 11, 2012 20:45:11 GMT -5
Just to wrap it up, so we can jump to the consequences of our actions... This thread will have a sequel soon(nish).
In the final hours of their unpleasant and fruitless raid in the Shadowlands, except for the fact they had now with them something which seemed very important for the Lost, Mitsouko were less content than when she first stepped in those damned land. Her hope is that the shugenja could be able to identify the object and that such item of power could be properly neutralized. Just the fact it couldn’t be used again by the lost were a fair enough excuse to take it away. They finally arrived to the bay trying to not wake up the creature which lived in the cove, something they weren’t willing to face after so exhaustive march. Somehow, she felt some hurry in the departure, and if she didn’t know the perils they would face in their way back home by sea, she would feel relieved. The crew waiting for them was also anxious to set sail, so in few hours they were ready to start their travel back to Crane lands…
The ship started to move through the strangely calm and dark waters from the cove, and Mitsouko were in Lord Kakita's deck observing Daidoji Ryumon taking care of their departure. She turned to give Kitsune Yumi a reassuring smile, when one of the men called for their attention, pointing something in the dark and unpleasant landscape. She narrowed her eyes in surprise, muttering:
But, what in the Jigoku is that spot in the horizon?
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Mar 12, 2012 9:37:54 GMT -5
Waves lapped gently against the shore as Thrakhath sat astride his horse, the animal pawing at the sand nervously. Two of his men and their horses lay dead on the shore, a testament to the strength of the spirit they had been forced to vanquish upon entering the cove. The dead men held no interest for Thrakhath, however. His gaze was fixed on the sails moving steadily east, away from the Shadowlands. Hidetsugu rode up beside him. "Do you have a plan, my lord?" he said.
"We ride for the Keep of the Dead," he said, his tone flat. "I have a ship docked there."
Hidetsugu looked like he was going to ask a question, but thought better of it and simply nodded. Thrakhath wheeled his horse around and shot out of the cove at a gallop, not bothering to make sure his men were following him.
***
Less than an hour later, Thrakhath was aboard the Silence, with the Crane ship nothing more than a spec on the horizon ahead of them. Otsu had not been at the Keep when they'd arrived. Thrakhath wondered at that, but he dismissed the thought quickly; they could crew the ship just fine without him, and there was no time to find out where he'd gone. Thrakhath still bore his armor, but the mons had been removed, and he now wore sohei wrappings over the armor that covered his face; a disguise he'd had prepared for his planned return to the Empire. Four of his Dark Moto accompanied him, disguised in a similar fashion, as well as the monks Yoshizuto and Yamuso, and of course the undead crew of the Silence. He kept his eyes fixed on the ship in the distance as he paced the bow of the ship; staring as if he could set the ship ablaze with his eyes.
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