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Post by Komori Yukio on Mar 22, 2011 16:31:16 GMT -5
The Bat Champion and chief shugenja of the Minor Clans offered Kazuma a fluid yet respectful bow upon his ascension. Those present might have been certain that they had not seen him arrive, or had he been there the whole time? All that any new for sure was that he was there now offering a smile from one Clan Champion to another.
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Hiruma Koji
Crab Clan
Hiruma * Crab * Scout * Hiruma Daimyo
Posts: 96
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Post by Hiruma Koji on Mar 22, 2011 19:39:35 GMT -5
Koji, cleaned and ready for the ceremony albeit seeming rushed to his senses, bows low to the new Shiba champion, not entirely sure what had just happened.
Was it like picking lots, except with just one lot and a greased hilt? He couldn't quite see...there was a number of taller people in front of him.
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Post by tadakasan on Mar 23, 2011 0:17:00 GMT -5
A man in the bright yellows and reds of the Phoenix walks down the main road leading to the gates of Kyuden Isawa itself. He has a beard, short hair, and robes that have been altered for easier movement, more like a monk's attire than a priest's. He smiles softly and looks around; It was good to be home, as it were. Not that this was his home now, and in a way it had never been his home; his home would always be a house on the northern edge of the Isawa Mori with a view of the mountains to the north..
Home or not, he seemed to be late for the ceremony either way; he could see the large crowd ahead beginning to mingle and go to the festivities as the new Champion went off to make sure all was ready in the dining hall. Tadaka wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not that no one seemed to pay him any attention out of hand. To be sure his looks had changed since he had last been in the city, and with the way his clothes were tailored and the style of his hair and beard made him look more like some Asako monk than a former Elemental Master. Still, that was exactly what he had hoped for; he had been tempted to alter his appearance with subtle illusions of the air kami, but he had decided in the end that deception of that sort would be in very poor tastes and would show a lack of trust in his fellow Phoenix. It was quite the opposite in that regard.
Stopping at a bean-paste bun stand, he buys one and watches the assembled samurai. Most he cannot recognize; attendants and young courtiers and functionaries who were all here for political reasons beyond the ceremony... not to mention shugenja using the opportunity to see the famous Isawa libraries, and samurai to protect all of them, as well as show the strength of their Clans in a way. As he takes a bite of the pastry, he starts picking out some familiar faces; Besides Kazuma as he was leaving he spots Kitsuki YĆ¼shahime, the Kitsuki family Daimyo, a woman he respected greatly and had proven to be as wise and perceptive as she was striking. He could also see Hida Setsuro in the midst of the crowd, the large man and his attendants looking quite the contrast to the crowd of mostly priests. The corner of his eyes also manages to catch a familiar face, but he has a hard time picking it out. Moving a little through the crowds he sees the familiar face is Kitsune Keshi with her attendant, the sight of the two causing him to smile a little; they did make quite the pair.
Seeing that Keshi seemed to be moving from the festivities off to the quieter part of town, Tadaka threads his way through the crowd expertly, knowing who would part way for him, who would not, and the patterns of conversation and groups indicating the best ways for him to get across the road to his mind's eye. Seeing he is quite a bit behind already he says a silent prayer to the air kami and sends one floating on the breeze to catch up with the young Mantis shugenja, the kami carrying his voice as though he was right in front of her and her courtier attendant. "If you will wait right there one moment Keshi-san, it has been some time since I last saw you in Kyuden Gotei during the Iris Festival; so I pray you not rush off too soon, before I may have a chance to catch up on things."
Tadaka smiles and bows to some passing Asako courtiers who wish him good luck on the auspicious day, turning back and walking towards Keshi once more as he wishes them good fortune as well.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Mar 23, 2011 0:29:41 GMT -5
Agasha Shodai smiled as Kazuma-san - no, it would be Kazuma-dono from now on, - was embraced by the potent magic contained within Ofushikai as it announced that the Soul of Shiba had found a new home and rejoiced at its reunion with its master.
"Precisely as the Divine Wheel said it would be." Shodai nodded to himself. He'd long suspected this would be the case and his superhuman efforts to return in time for this event were to confirm his reading of the Skein of Destiny through his meditations of the Void and the night sky.
Indeed, he was here in time only because he'd noticed the thread in the Void - having been in Shiro Hiruma working with the Kuni in their tireless efforts against the encroachment of the Shadowlands. No messenger would have arrived in time to inform him; even IF Agasha's wanderings would have left him in one place long enough to trickle back to Kyuden Isawa before he'd moved on.
From the corner of his eye, Agasha Shodai - whose eyes could perceive the pulse of magic as easily as normal humans could perceive color - spotted something that intrigued him... A kitsune fox spirit - and a male one at that. The Tensai shifted his gaze; despite many months in the Kitsune Mori studying the natural magic of the forest, he had never laid eyes on one of the spirits - his own magic intimidating the entities who preferred illusions to more... robust... applications of magic.
At least that was what some of the Kitsune clan shugenja he'd met there suggested. It was likely true.
Then his gaze turned to the kitsune's companion; a fellow Shugenja proudly displaying the Mantis clan mon - an an extremely attractive looking young woman to boot! Shodai could tell she was clearly of the Kitsune family, but he did not recognize her from his trips to Kyuden Kitsune. She looked slightly teched - like she was expecting the others to start shunning her any minute - but she was covering it well.
"I wonder who she is..." Shodai asked himself idly, wondering if she would be attending the evening's festivies where they might get to meet in a slightly less formal situation. The Tensai did his best to memorize her features, hoping that he might be able to spot her later. "Why must my artistic skills be so mediocre that I couldn't at least draw her image? Who IS she?"
As Shodai contemplated the intriguing puzzle of the unknown woman, he felt the faintest brush of a touch on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw a Wind Kami that gestured towards the main stage. In the area reserved for the Elemental Council, Shodai noticed that Agasha Taeshik - the Master of Air - was in attendance. He noticed that the seat for Isawa Tadaka - the Void Master - was empty.
Biting back a sigh, Shodai nodded to the kami. "Thank you, Kaze-san. I will make my way over there as soon as possible."
Agasha Shodai rubbed the back of his shaven skull, feeling the stubble beginning to expand; the tense dangers of the Shadowlands were not a place to deal with such matters, no matter what the personal significance was. It was shaping up to be an interesting night to say the least.
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Kitsune Keshi
Mantis Clan
Mantis Clan * Shugenja * Daimyo * Experienced * Unique * Loyal
Posts: 126
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Post by Kitsune Keshi on Mar 23, 2011 2:06:50 GMT -5
Keshi pauses as she senses the air kami, a smile coming to her lips as she hears the message. She obligingly moved to the edge of the path, though admittedly she could not see him herself through the crowd. She trusted that he had seen her though. Her own clothing, while brilliant in Mantis colors with the Kitsune mon upon her chest, was still plain compared to many of the other samurai. Always the forest person she didn't feel comfortable in finery.
In contrast her companion wore few colors, his clothing being almost completely an eggshell offwhite. Though he also wore the mantis mon, his frown directed back towards hostile phoenix made sure the small Kitsune shugenja was left alone. He had made himself plain looking, but that meant nothing with so many shugenja around. Anyone who was at least a journeyman could tell he had powers. And masters could tell what he was even through veils of illusion.
"Jinu, this is a nice occasion. Please do not frown so." Keshi implores of her courtier, guardian and companion in her travels away from home. The Kitsune only lets out a gusty sigh, leaning against a nearby structure. "You already know my opinion." He relaxes his frown enough to where he didn't seem immediately hostile.
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Shosuro Ichiro
Scorpion Clan
Shosuro Family Daimyo*Courtier*Diplomat*Actor*Spy
Posts: 241
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Post by Shosuro Ichiro on Mar 23, 2011 8:43:17 GMT -5
Ichiro watched the ceremony, closely. When he saw his comrade in arms, Kazuma take the proffered blade and hold it he was pleasantly awed by the pomp and ceremony of it all. He was glad he did get the right gift then and sent one of his retainers to retrieve it.
Ichiro gratefully gave a deep bow to honor his friend and slowly moved to present himself to the Phoenix Clan Champion.Making sure to slow enough so that his gift would be on hand.
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Kuni Kaymar
Crab Clan
Crab Clan * Damiyo * Shugenja * Witch Hunter * Jade * Earth *
Posts: 162
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Post by Kuni Kaymar on Mar 23, 2011 11:23:44 GMT -5
Kaymar watched the ceremony with interest. It was always an insight into the mindset of other Clans how they conducted their official events, and having more insight into the Phoenix couldn't be a bad thing.
Standing reasonably close to his Champion, should he be needed, this event once again reminded Kaymar that the court life wasn't his natural habitat, before he quickly pushed such thoughts to the side and returned his focus to what was happening.
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Kitsu Hiraku
Lion Clan
Sodan-senzo * Loyal to the Emperor
Posts: 197
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Post by Kitsu Hiraku on Mar 23, 2011 14:37:12 GMT -5
Lands of the Phoenix... how long has it been? The memories are so hazy. Maybe because of the time, maybe because of how tired Daisuke is. He returned to his home from the mountain keep less then a few days ago, to rest and restock the supplies much needed, but when he heard about the ceremony he couldn't refuse to go. It was the place where he studied and met friends. And the issue was so important...
When he arrived he knew he was late, the crowd was already gathered and the last Shiba approached the blade. Daisuke dashed, wishing to see more. He tripped but luckily landed on a Crab samurai, that quickly accepted his apology. When he raised his head he witnessed the most important part of the ceremony in all it's glory. When the champion was choosen he cheered with the crowd and smiled at how even the kamis surrounding the seemed happier.
When it ended Daisuke started looking around to see where the other Lions are, because surely he couldn't be the only one here.
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Akodo Taiyo
Lion Clan
Lion Clan Hero ? Samurai ? Tactican ? Shireikan ? Honorable ? Loyal
Posts: 196
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Post by Akodo Taiyo on Mar 23, 2011 15:08:32 GMT -5
Taiyo had ridden like the wind from Shiro Akodo to get here on time, well...at least as much like "the wind" as his stunted Rokugani pony could carry him. What he wouldn't give for one of those magnificent Unicorn steeds...
Wasting no time he bathed and changed out of his traveling clothes, they certainly wouldn't do for such a special occasion. Making his way up to the ceremony he sought out his fellow Lions just in time to witness the amazing event. By Shiba's hand a new champion was chosen, and Taiyo had been blessed by the fortunes to witness it.
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Kitsuki Yuushahime
Dragon Clan
This person sometimes posts things that are tl;dr
Courtier Magistrate Ambassador Daimyo
Posts: 1,140
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Post by Kitsuki Yuushahime on Mar 23, 2011 15:09:26 GMT -5
Yuushahime had left her bath with enough time to prepare, finding her retinue had unpacked what they needed and settled in. With practiced fluidity she had changed into one of her more elegant and formal kimono. Deep down, she didn't enjoy wearing the attire, but knew it was right and proper and she would appear to be natural in them. She choose a suitably colourful obi and tied it with a flashy knot. That would do. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, running a hand over her left kimono breast which display the Kitsuki mon and held her hairpin underneath as she sighed. She then firmly fixed her wakizashi into place, depositting a few other items over her person. Finally she flipped her courtier fan into place, an elegant mountain scene on both sides, and made her way to the main audience chamber.
She had watched with quiet awe at the ceremony, surrounded by other Kitsuki courtiers, and had smiled when Kazuma successfully gripped the blade. It was a marvellous weapon with much history and significance. She was also proud to call its new master an acquaintance. She bowed deeply to Kazuma. She would wait for a chance later to present the gift she had prepared to him. Her retainers informed her of the presence of her Lord as well as Koichi and she had courtiers pass on messages of greeting on her behalf. They would see each other at dinner and spoke often enough. This was a chance to meet others and better the fortunes of the Clan as a whole. That meant meeting strangers.
A few interesting individuals had caught her eye. The high number of shugenja priests in attendance was hardly a surprise. She thought she caught a glance of one she recognised but had been distracted by the splendour of Shiba's sword and a Lion causing light commotion by tripping as he rushed to see the spectacle. She now looked for the others she could still see. The Phoenix were the hosts and she should honour them, even though they had not spoken much so far. It seemed they liked to retain the element of mystique as much as some of the Dragon. Perhaps they wished to be left alone for now? She had seen the Shosuro daimyo, who looked well, but he was making his way to greet Kazuma. Fanning herself with a frown she instructed the equally young Kitsuki who followed her to make nice with the other guests. She had spotted someone else to speak to, one who could hardly be missed.
She began making her way through the crowds, with minimal escort, to meet with Hida Setsuro. His height made him tower over the other guests and his status was clearly marked. The muscular bushi with him were another telling point. Yuushahime recalled they had not been introduced. When nearby she closed her fan with a flick to grab his attention, moving forward to bow politely infront of him.
"Kitsuki Yuushahime. An ambassador and advisor of the Kitsuki family of the Dragon. We have not yet met I believe" She dipped her head, offering a sincere smile before continuing on "I have heard much about your illustrious exploits and feats of strength Hida Setsuro-sama. It is wonderful to have you here. I am sure our hosts feel honoured to have one of the strongest and busiest samurai in Rokugan in attendance". She turned her head slightly, looking up at the remarkably tall man. He was even taller close up.
She wanted to speak with him slightly, both to learn more about him and to perhaps raise some political matters that her Clan's ambassador had as of yet been unable to progress with. It would only take a short conversation to read him. Being subtle would not work well though, not with the Crab Champion she knew. He had been busy for some time and was now here and probably yearning to be back in battle. First she had to gauge his mood. "How did you find the ceremony?" she asked simply, putting her fan away neatly in her obi to give the image she had nothing to hide
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Mar 23, 2011 21:55:54 GMT -5
Determining that making his way through the throngs of clansmen, dignitaries, diplomats, magistrates, spies and general gawkers would be an absolute exercise in futility, Shodai worked his way back to a niche against a wall where his presence would go unnoticed. He planned on using an Earth spell to slide through the massive stone blocks like a Gaki in Shiro Chuda could pass through, well, everything, but he noticed a floor grate that water ran through, providing plumbing and drinking water to the upper levels of the palace.
The Tensai knelt and communed silently with the water kami that had been tasked to manage the water. As they spoke mind to mind, the flow of the clear water was revealed to Shodai and he found that there was a similar grate not far from the Elemental Council's booth.
Whispering his thanks, Shodai reached into his brown robes and, by touch alone, found the scroll that he kept his Water spells - the ones he hadn't memorized yet - written. He quickly rolled the scroll to the spot he was looking for and nodded as he re-read his notes before tucking the scroll back into place.
"Shouhi, teikokunoshimobe! Ikeinonento jibunnikente, koutainaumito ichitsuninaru! Mizunoyoushiki, Mizunokomichi jutsu" He incanted mentally as he made minute gestures to channel the flow of the water magic without being too obvious. "Dissipate, servant of the Empire! Look upon yourself with awe and become one with the vast ocean! Water style, Path of Water Technique." He repeated the spell a second and a third time to complete the invocation.
Had anyone been able to see him in his out of the way niche, they would have been startled to see him transform into a transparent version of himself - like a human-sized glass statue - before collapsing upon himself and going into the drain. Though he had no eyes and there was no light within the covered stone channel, Agasha Shodai could see his path clearly, guided by the water kami he'd communed with.
He moved with a speed that was faster than any Unicorn rider had ever sustained for more than a heartbeat or two and within seconds, he emerged on the far side of the meeting hall and was once again himself. He shook his sandaled feet; for some reason whenever he returned to his natural state after utilizing the spell, all his clothing - save for his feet - was perfectly dry.
Tensai Agasha Shodai approached Agasha Taeshik and gave the Air Master a respectful bow. "Welcome back to Kyuden Isawa, Taeshik-dono." He said politely, keeping his head down until the other man acknowledged his presence. "I doubt you'll recognize me... I was not long out of my Gempukku - and still kept my hair long - when last we met in Kyuden Agasha. I am Agasha Shodai - formerly Agasha Sho; son of Agasha Keitaro and Agasha Sakura."
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Agasha Taeshik
Banned
Phoenix ? Shugenja ? Elemental Master ? Air
Posts: 73
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Post by Agasha Taeshik on Mar 24, 2011 3:17:01 GMT -5
"Agasha Shodai...", Taeshik says with a smile, "Your feet are wet..., and of course I remember you. How does one forget someone with such aptitide? I thought surely you were one of the Masters by now, having watched you many times on the Battlefield at Mountain Watch Keep. Have you come to join me for tea?"
Taeshik doesn't truly wait for an answer since the question seemed more pointed to one of the servants nearby, who quickly disappeared.
"Please, sit.", Taeshik continued, "We have much to discuss, as I have read your Tao thoroughly. I found the Hachi Shitai no Tako to be a very interesting spell, though very encumbersome to use. It was with no small amount of effort that I learned to duplicate it with an Air Kami. A bit of conversion on how Call of the Wind works, allowing me to generate multiple fields of force from the wind. Through great practice, the number of fields created can be quite high, though I do think it would take no less than a Rank 4 master to accomplish the spell. "
Taeshik pauses a moment, realizing he was focusing a bit too much on self in his sudden monologue, "My apologies, how have you been? That should have been my first question... Always have had problems containing my glee over discussing such things, and forgetting the basics in the process."
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Mar 24, 2011 7:42:25 GMT -5
Shodai smiled as he took the proffered seat. "I, too, have had occasions where I let my excitement get the better of me Taeshik-dono. And for myself, I have been well, though some of the events that I am seeing as a result of the Yobanjin assault of the Unicorn lands a touch unusual - unlike Kazuma's escalation, I have been unable to find anything in my studies of the Divine Wheel that says these things should be happening. My fear is that someone is pulling the strings of Destiny on a massive scale in pursuit of a short term victory at the cost of the future of so many lines of fate...
Agasha Shodai shook his head. "I was hoping to discuss the matter with Tadaka-san as he is now the only member of the Phoenix clan with a deeper connection than I myself possess, but his disappearance - along with the rumors that he has Fallen - trouble me almost as badly."
The younger man sighed. "In any event, until I can confirm my reading of Destiny, I will turn my attention to those things within my ability to influence - doing otherwise will put me in a tailspin crippling inaction. As for your statement, I fully agree that the Eight Arms of the Octopus spell is rather cumbersome..." The man nodded. "On the other hand, it WAS a spell I developed many years ago when I was a mere Yamabushi."
He paused briefly as he contemplated his next statement; fortunately, as one of the leaders of the Phoenix clan, Taeshik was authorized to know just about everything he'd done. "Since becoming a Tensai, I have refined it and many other new spells I have developed; I was just unable to secure permission from the clans whose libraries and research I used in making them to discuss them in my Tao. I would be rather interested in seeing your version of the spell..."
He gestured to the large crowd at ground level. "Although tonight is Kazuma-dono's night and it would be rather disrespectful to skip out on the festivities to study jutsu - tempting though the opportunity may be."
Shodai rubbed his neck. "Now it is my turn to apologize for monopolizing the conversation. How have your own travels gone?"
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Agasha Taeshik
Banned
Phoenix ? Shugenja ? Elemental Master ? Air
Posts: 73
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Post by Agasha Taeshik on Mar 24, 2011 8:07:54 GMT -5
"Come, let us discuss it as we join the festivities. ", Taeshik replied as he arose for the first time in 3 days. To Shodai it was obvious that an Air Kami was helping Taeshik, whose feet seem to barely touch the ground, if at all, hidden beneath the robe.
"My travels have been productive, though this war has been a bit of a sabotage to it. Being called to the front was not on my list of goals for the year. But I have completed my duties there and been politely dismissed. Now I shall move to Toshi Ranbo, and likely the Jade Palace to deal with the more social aspects of our duties. A 2nd Army... I can't see how that will go well, but we must have faith in the Emperor. Despite my rank, I have never cared much for meandering to the social requirements of our class."
"So tell me, what exactly have you heard over our Master of the Void? I've heard no such rumors at all, and looked forward to seeing my old friend. He was always the most powerful amongst us, his attunement with the Kami was profound. I envy those of you who master all the elements so well. My abilities have almost always been limited to the Air element. I can dabble in the weaker prayers of the other Elements, but it's only Air that I've ever had much interest in. This has kept many of the Secrets of the Void from me, since I've never gone looking for them.", Taeshik pulls out a chair at the table, and sits down, offering the chair next to him to Shodai.
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Kakita Asamura
Crane Clan
Warrior-Poet * Duelist * Magistrate * Dragon Ambassador
Posts: 71
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Post by Kakita Asamura on Mar 24, 2011 8:49:17 GMT -5
Having set out from Shiro Kitsuki some time after the Kitsuki daimyo, Kakita Asamura was somewhat late to the festivities. In truth, he had hoped to be on the way to Mountain Watch Keep by now, but the Crane could not go unrepresented at a second Champion's coronation, particularly that of a prominent ally. Both that and the distinct hope that Doji Mikado would also be present drew Asamura like a flame.
He remained somewhat aloof from the tohers, taking time to enjoy the gardens before slipping into the libraries to find some books on poetry. Sometimes it seemed the Phoenix had far too many scrolls with nothing important written on them.
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