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Post by Shoju on Mar 9, 2012 14:14:29 GMT -5
OOC STUFF
This is an Ikazuchi story RP, in the sense that this is the beginning of the end for Shoju the character. This is the beginning of what will make him the monster that is hunted and destroyed. This RP, deals with Shoju returning to Saisei, after leaving Ryoko Owari. If you wish to be a part of it, and your name is on the list, PM me before postingand we will talk about whether or not there is a spot in this RP for you. I have specific character goals for Shoju in this RP. This RP will be dealing with Shadowlands themes, Oni, bad guys, Oni Overlords, and the like. Make sure you understand this if you want to join. Approved Posters
- Daigotsu Thrakhath - You can use the Moshi, or someone knew, I will leave that up to you.
- Zuere
[/i] - You didn't know it was going to happen yet, but Yun and Shoju will be dream-speaking. [/li][li] Utaku Mai[/i] - Because I needed a real woman to play Kyoso No Oni [/li][/ul] END OOC | Begin Story
The pair watched the Bakemono scurry from The Big Stink to Saisei, and back again. They watched the throngs of them moving back and forth. It was as if Saisei had become assimilated into The Big Stink Bakemono Territory. They didn't seem to favor the newly empty keep more so than their "ancestral" grounds, they just seemed to be expanding. I believe it's time for a reintroduction. The pair walked slowly down the sloping hill towards Saisei, and a few Bakemono who were headed back towards the Big Stink, stopped, looked, and then reversed their path towards Saisei moving as fast as their diminutive size would allow. The Man turned to the Oni and smiled. We've already made an impression The pair remarked.
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Post by Shoju on Mar 9, 2012 15:43:55 GMT -5
As the pair reached the gates of Saisei, the Bakemono inside were filing out into the courtyard in front of the main keep, and a larger bakemono decorated with various Bones, and carrying a Katana walked out of the Main keep. Humans left this place! We take it! Go away and we don't kill you! The bakemono tried to look intimidating, though even the man stood twice his height, and the Oni, taller than him.
The man chuckled as he walked on, towards the Bakemono who had spoken. I will give you this opportunity to.... recant your position, and kneel before me. The man looked at the Oni, or I will bend it for you. The blade strapped to the Man's back was calling for blood. Bound as it was, there was nothing it wanted more than to sing its song of murder.
The pair continued advancing, and the Bakemono shifted its feat. Why I bow to you!? I have numbers on my side! The Bakemono laughed, which caused the bakemono nearby to begin to laugh. Soon, all the bakemono in Saisei were laughing.
As the pair closed in on the steps of the keep, the man's expression never changed, the oni walking lock step with him. As they stopped in front of the Bakemono, the laughing from the bakemono stopped, and everyone grew silent. Because I gave you the chance. As the sentence finished from the man's mouth, The Oni's hand flew to the chest of the Bakemono, and a gasp was all that escaped his frame. The Oni pulled his hand back with the heart of the Bakemono in it. The body crumpled to the ground. As it did, the man's blood dripped from his hand onto the body. And then the body stood again, quiet, obedient, and very dead.
As the man turned around, the Bakemono in the courtyard slowly began to kneel. It seems that we have their attention.
The man turned, and entered the keep, the undead goblin trailing behind him. He watched through the Oni's eyes as it dropped the heart, and began barking orders. His orders... their orders, at the Bakemono.
Saisei seemed to be deserted save the bakemono, a fact that pleased Shoju as he passed down the hall towards the door that looked unused. Not surprising that they couldn't open it the man thought to himself.
Outside, a Bakemono watched from the walls of the keep. He had been never liked the man who dwelled here before, and he was pretty sure that he wouldn't like him any more now that he had returned. He knew that Bakemono had followed the Spider East, towards the coast. Perhaps he could find a Spider there who would listen. He slipped off, undetected, and began making his way.
Back inside, The man stood in front of the door, and placed a hand to it. The locks on the door began to work, and the door opened. The room was as it had been left. A wave of emotions flooded him as he looked at the futons, and at the opposite wall. He struggled to keep his footing. He crossed the floor and took a small knife from a table, slicing his hand as he walked. He placed the bloody hand to the wall, and slowly, the stones moved. Inside, was a ornate Iron Box, of obvious Gaijin origins. The man smiled as he picked it up from it's place, and left the room and headed for the front of the keep.
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Post by Shoju on Mar 12, 2012 9:39:13 GMT -5
As the man walked, he watched through the Oni's eyes, as the bakemono were working to clear the grounds. When motivated properly, they were a fantastic resource. As he watched, A few Goblins were failing at their tasks, and the Oni walked over, and crushed their skulls like grapes. The others seemed to notice, and worked harder.
As the man reached the front of the keep, he and the Oni exchanged thoughts, and he showed the Oni the box. Perfect, unmolested, the way it had been when it was interred into the wall.
We will need to make our way to the lady We will need to make our way to the lady
They spoke in unison.
Soon Shoju said. I don't wish to leave this place in the hands of... them the man pointed at the bakemono, with a bite to his words. Also, If The SpiderAren't aware of our presence yet, I'm sure they soon will be. The man spoke while the Oni looked at the walls.
Shoju turned and walked back towards the locked room, the undead goblin had fallen behind, and was only now catching up to the man. He exhaled, and pointed at the undead. Go, and look over the forge. I want a full report on its functionality. The undead goblin nodded, and trudged along.
As he reached the room, Shoju sat on the Futon, holding the box. He knew he had made the right decision to surrender it in exchange for the gifts he received. He knew that he would be in the grove now if he hadn't. He knew that this was the right choice, though the though of surrendering his will weighed heavy on him. In his mind, he could hear the Oni. She will only take your will if you don't fullfill her wishes.
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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 11:35:00 GMT -5
Otsu landed out of bow shot of the walls of Shiro Saisei and proceeded on foot. His flight from the Keep of the Dead had been a thoughtful one, wondering exactly how he would approach the fortress, and what he would say if he were given the opportunity to meet with Shoju. A goblin had come to the Keep to report Shoju's re-occupation of Saisei, and as wary as Otsu was of the maho-tsukai, he wasn't willing to throw away an opportunity such as this.
As he approached the castle, he made sure to stay as hidden as possible, unsure of what he would come across. After a few moments of observation, however, it was obvious that the castle was populated by more simple bakemono. Otsu had learned something of how to deal with these timid but vicious little creatures. He came out of hiding and reached into his sleeve for a scroll. Before an alarm could be raised, Otsu finished his incantation, and a bolt of lightning shot from the sky, blasting a smoldering hole in the courtyard.
He advanced on the gate, another scroll in hand, and the goblins around the castle gave him a wide berth. "I would have words with the one known as Shoju," he said aloud once he reached the entrance to the castle, directing his voice at the few goblins that remained on the walls. "Tell him..." he hesitated for a moment. "Tell him a potential student stands at his gates."
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Post by Shoju on Mar 12, 2012 13:40:29 GMT -5
Smoke could be seen coming from the forge, and the Bakemono that had left the presence of the man headed that way. After they disappeared into the forge, Otsu could spy a figure headed his direction. Oddly, the figure had exited the main building of the grounds, not connected to the forge by any noticeable means. The figure looked human-ish, until it was close enough, and then it was obvious, that it clearly was anything but human.
Potential Student? or Potential betrayer? The Oni asked plainly as he walked closer. The Oni eyed the man, and held out a hand, inviting the Shugenja to walk with him as it turned and walked towards the forge. To find a man standing on the.... doorstep of a place like this.... The oni's gravelly voice fell silent for a moment. It leads one to wonder what brought us to your attention?
The Oni was slightly taller than a human, and moved gracefully, it's appearance both frightful, and stoic at the same time. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
As they reached the forge, The Oni pushed the heavy door open, and motioned the man in. The forge was suffocatingly warm, and the glows from the fires made the eyes of bakemono scurrying about glow. In the center of the room, A human man stood working on a No-Dachi over an anvil. He plunged the blade into the forge, and scream permeated the air, almost human sounding.
Shoju turned and looked at him. You are an awful long way from the Seas, Moshi.
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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 14:08:20 GMT -5
Being greeted and led into the castle by an oni was not something Otsu was prepared for, and despite his best efforts to hide it, he was visibly shaken as the creature led him through the grounds of Saisei. He tried to distract himself by admiring the architecture, but there was something strange and unnatural about the structures, and it only served to unsettle him further. He straightened his robe and steeled his expression as best he could as the pair entered the forge. This is what you came here for, he thought to himself. It wouldn't do for your resolve to waver now. They stopped before the lone man working at the forge, and Otsu found himself addressed directly.
"You're very observant," he said, and congratulated himself for managing to keep his voice even. He passed a glance from the man to the oni, and an involuntary shiver passed through him. he sensed the connection between them, and wondered how deep that connection ran. Do not lie to this one, he thought to himself, he'll see right through you. "A little goblin told me I might find you here," he said. "He knew you by name, and he doesn't like you." Otsu smirked. "I've heard your name too, incidentally, always associated with power and dark magic." There was a glint in his eye at the mention of dark magic. "Exactly the sort of thing I came to the Shadowlands to learn all about."
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Post by Shoju on Mar 12, 2012 14:30:24 GMT -5
The man could sense the Moshi's nerves. Oh, that wily little cur. Shoju seemed irritated at the mention of a bakemono who might not like him. He pulled the blade out of the forge, and set it on the anvil.
Power... The hammer struck the blade with a loud CLANG! is a dangerous CLANG! Weapon CLANG! when used by... CLANG! The Weak.
Shoju held the No Dachi aloft, and its blood red temper emanated a glow.
I recently found the limits of my own power. I have made a bargain to gain more. He plunged the sword into a trough, and the blade screamed again. The contents of the trough were most assuredly not water.
So tell me, what is it that you think you can learn from me? The man querried.
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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 15:03:42 GMT -5
Otsu shot a look at the oni. The creature sneered at him, and another shiver went through him. This time, however, it wasn't nerves that shook him, but anticipation. "A man lured me to the Shadowlands with the promise to teach me the ways of maho, and a means to take control of my own destiny," he said. His hands clenched into fists involuntarily. "Then that man left me to rot in a keep full of bakemono, with no means to teach myself and no guarantee he would ever return."
He took a breath and opened his hands slowly. "Your reputation as a master of maho precedes you, Shoju-sama," he said. "I would learn from you whatever magic you are willing to share, in order to advance myself in ways that I never could on my own." The thought crossed his mind that he should bow, but something within him rebelled, and he simply folded his arms and leaned to one side.
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Post by Shoju on Mar 13, 2012 8:15:26 GMT -5
As Shoju pulled the Blade out of the Trough, it was clear that it was blood, and as he placed the blade back in the forge, it screamed again. "You have the desire, that is evident." Shoju pulled the blade back out, and watched as the glow from the forge went away, and the blade looked almost as if it disappeared in the lighting of the forge, its red hue pulsing ever so slightly. "The true test of anyone wishing to learn from me, will be a test of more than just desire." Shoju picked up a cloth, and began polishing the blade.
"You see, most of what you know stems from a time, and a life, that has been taken from me. There are no more honorable desires. No more.... making peace with the Empire, finding my... place in it. I know my place, and I know my duty. I know my enemies.But I don't know my allies." Shoju held the blade up again, and smiled at it. "If you wish to learn from me, You need to make sure you understand what I am doing. Shoju smiled at the Oni, and the Oni bared its teeth in response. You will take a trip with us."
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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 13, 2012 8:36:09 GMT -5
Otsu actually laughed. "If I gave a damn about honor or the Empire, do you think I would be here, talking to you?" He tried to suppress his mirth, but he couldn't keep a stupid grin off of his face. Why am I giddy? "I've seen the samurai concept of honor," he spat the word like a curse. "They can keep it, as far as I'm concerned."
There was that scream again, and he found his eyes drawn to the blade as Shoju removed it from its bloodbath. The way the metal rippled in the light was hypnotizing; he found he could only tear his eyes away with significant effort. "So where are we going?" he said lightly, as if he expected nothing more than an afternoon stroll.
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Post by Shoju on Mar 13, 2012 8:47:48 GMT -5
Shoju grinned. "Like I said, I found the extent of my power, and that nearly equaled my end. I was given the power to turn the tides, and in exchange I have to give of myself." Shoju looked at Otsu, and back at the blade. "We will be traveling south to make good on my end of the bargain. " The Oni stood a little more rigid for a moment. "The Lady awaits our arrival. "
Shoju sheathed the No-Dachi against his back, and walked closer to Otsu. "You know of me, and you know of my power. Tell me, Do you know of Kyoso no Oni?
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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 13, 2012 13:40:10 GMT -5
Otsu frowned, thinking. "I remember a reference to such a creature, in a text that I wasn't supposed to be reading." He smirked. "I still have a scar from the consequences of that little indiscretion." He shrugged. "The name was mentioned in a list; there was very little detail. I assume she is the goal of this little trip we'll be taking?"
Suddenly he smacked himself in the forehead with an open palm. "Forgive me, Shoju-sensei, I have failed to introduce myself." He bowed instinctively. "My name is Otsu."
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Post by Shoju on Mar 13, 2012 13:50:48 GMT -5
He nodded. "Noted. Otsu-san Yes. Kyoso No Oni is indeed the.... goal as you put it.. She gave me the clarity that my existence lacked by removing that which made me weak. In return, she gets my most prized possesion. "
Shoju began walking out the door of the forge, the Oni standing in place. "Come Otsu, we have little time to prepare."
Inside the central building of the circular keep, Shoju showed Otsu a place where he could stay, and then proceeded to the chamber at the end of the hall, retrieving the box from the wall. He turned to look at Otsu. "Tell me, once you have learned from me, What then? "
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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 13, 2012 14:08:48 GMT -5
Otsu followed his new teacher into the building, stepping into his new living quarters and giving the room a quick once over. That smirk returned to his lips at Shoku's question. "Honestly, I hadn't though that far ahead," he said with a shrug. "It's a failing I've had since I was a boy." He reached out and placed a hand on the wall. He felt a warmth there that he couldn't explain. "When Thrakhath, that lying son of a whore, approached me with his offer, I simply accepted it without thinking; it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up." He turned from the wall to face Shoju, eying the box in his hands curiously. "At least seeking you out was my decision, and if that turns out to be a mistake I only have myself to blame."
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Post by Shoju on Mar 13, 2012 14:16:55 GMT -5
Shoju's face firmed at the mention of his name. You... You followed Thrakhath into the Shadowlands? Shoju began to laugh. It was the first time he had truly found something humorous in quite a while, and it showed. He composed himself. He left you to rot eh? And I'm the traitor. Shoju smiled as he thought for a moment.
I tell you what Otsu-san. If you... make it through this, I will give you a chance at revenge, if you would like. And with that Shoju began walking towards the front doors. We musn't keep the lady waiting.
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