A messenger arrives bearing the mon of the Daidoji

[Daidoji Fitsu]

A messenger arrives from the north, his clothes stained with road dust and mud. He bows deeply to the first Crab he sees and presents a scroll.

While the case is battered from long use and exposure, the letter it carries is pristine. The script is clean and legible, but its lack of flourishes or elegant turns of phrase gives it an appearance reminiscent of a military order or requisition.

Greetings stalwart defenders of the wall,

The duty of ambassador to your clan has been passed to me, likely due in some part to my prior tour of service on the wall.

I will require lodging for myself and a small retinue. We are all battle hardened and will settle comfortably into any barracks you deem fit for inhabiting.

In return we will take shifts on your wall and aid in your vigil against the shadowlands. If someone of your clan desires to speak to an emissary of the Crane, I shall be pleased to fill that role as well.

I am currently to the north facing opposition alongside the Shogun. When arrangements have been made for my arrival send word back with this messenger and I will make my way down to you if I have not already given my life for the Emporer.

[Hiruma Koji]

Eventually the message makes its way to Koji, after its spent some time in sake houses being passed back and forth with curiosity. Somewhere along the way a number of Crab put messages on the reverse of it, suggestions of what the Daidoji could do. Still, the messenger sent with letter holds true, until it finds its way to the current holder of the Wall.

Koji spent sometime cleaning those off, before writing a reply to this absent and unnamed ambassador, sending it with a messenger to the front against the yobanjin.

"Crane Ambassador,

I will of course be happy to welcome the Daidoji's aid as always. I am Hiruma Koji, daimyo of the Hiruma. When and if you are given the time, I would be happy to share with you a conversation, so that I may learn your name, and of your exploits against the Yobanjin.

Until such a time, I will not know the proper place for you and your men. My apologies, but I cannot allocate such space until I know this is no prank from an idle mind. Your messenger tells me your name is Daidoji Fitsu, and by the way he has tenaciously seen his message through to me, he is no doubt truthful in his words. But your statement as ambassador will be needed to know the Crane are serious in this offer of support.

The scroll and message was presented to numerous Crab until one of my clan saw fit to insure it reached me. My apologies that the news from the Wall has not accurately reached those who fight with the Shogun. Hida Tonjiko, while a superb samurai, is but a hohei in our ranks, and he was not in a position to fulfill the requests your letter made of the Crab.

I wish you luck in your battles,

~Hiruma Koji,
Daimyo of the Hiruma

[Daidoji Fitsu]

A much troubled and over traveled messenger delivers a scroll addressed to the Daimyo of the Hiruma.

I am indeed Daidoji Fitsu, Rikugonshokan of the Crane and newly appointed Ambassador to the Crab. Forgive the oversight in my last missive, things here have run afoul and what we were all hoping would be a swift routing of the enemy is settling into entrenched warfare. No one in the Empire understands the meaning of that more than the Crab.

I will be making my way down towards your lands upon your reply, or the ending of this conflict, whichever comes sooner.

Daidoji Fitsu

[Hiruma Koji]

The messenger this time is given rest, as Koji is too busy fighting on the wall to write a response for awhile.

Eventually on one of his breaks:

DF,

Alright, see you when you get here. Fortune's blessings.

~Hiruma Koji