Search Posts
I think given the length of time being over a month, and GM Onnotangu having been pretty honest int he past, it's just a case of 'vanishing GM'. Sad, as I was enjoying the campaign with you! I feel honour-bound to share a recent post in recruitment that I am interested in. Hope to see you there if it manifests :)
Merry Xmas everyone :)
All good, we'll practice our meditation till then :)
Xiaoxing nods at Katsurou, drawing her katana in an uncannily silent and swift motion, she pads to the front door then turns back to ensure everyone is aware, before opening the door and moving in at speed, blade held before her and ready to strike down any that threaten her.
Happy Thanksgiving American players :) I'll raise my Friday night end-of-work-week drink in your direction. Enjoy your holiday!
Xiaoxing waits in silence as Katsurou-san finishes questioning Pitiful, before setting out with intent in her walk as the group makes its way towards the address of Kuni Ryo.
Awesome GM :) Completely agree on the whole sub-optimal v playing to your character thing. I was balancing the 'obstreperous player versus playing to character' debate and thought I would err on the side of not closing down a line of inquiry, but on balance it should have been flashing steel and silk in the name of honour first, plot considerations second! Bravo Hideyoshi :)
Xiaoxing tilts her head again, a new habit that appears to signify something in her mind nudging her thoughts, her eyes snap back to you. Kaiu Shirya mentioned a merchant named Ryo, we should perhaps find out where this Ryo lives or works, what buildings he has interests in, the cultists would need a space for whatever evil ritual they are intent on performing... she nods at the door If the cult are intent on preventing the sun from rising, then we do not have long and should not tarry further here if there is little to be gained and everything to be lost...
It is a matter of theology requiring greater comprehension than this samurai-ko has Xiaoxing bows slightly however as regards a possible eclipse, it may be to our advantage to seek out a ship's navigator and rely upon their greater experience with the stars she cocks her head and looks to the side for a moment I think we need to take a more direct route of action though rather than spending more time chasing down a potential ghost lead. Can we think of a place they might strike next? Or should we return to trying to track down the masks? Presuming that they haven't already been sold, given the cultists were hunting them down in the streets Realisation dawns on Xiaoxing, as the thought that the masks they were seeking might already be scattered throughout Ryoko Owari, the Battle Maiden pales slightly.
Xiaoxing cocks her head in thought The prisoner raved a lot, but the only specific thing he said was that the sun would be knocked from the sky, perhaps they need a ritual with those masks to keep it night-time? Would something that even be possible? asks the samurai-ko to her more learned companions. As for those two brothers, we can return to the cartel warehouse, the room we were in must be somewhere nearby.
Xiaoxing levels her gaze on the Lion, her eyes staring through him at something only she can see. Hideyoshi-san, that was thoughtful of you to spare my blade being sullied with blood unworthy of it She nods at Oruku-sams's suggestion I fear we are running out of time, expediency is of the essence She pauses for a moment So given the targets of these mask-thieves, we know to look for the most unadorned porcelain masks, though that still does not narrow things down enough. I believe we should steel ourselves to the notion that many of these masks may already be out among the populace she turns an emotionless face to the others Is it worth warning the guard what to expect? At least rouse any Crab that might have experience fighting such things?
Xiaoxing ignores the impolite behavior and turns to Katsurou and Dokiu-sama. I believe our attempts to question this man in a civilized manner have proven ineffective, perhaps he needs more persuasion to speak? She moves to the table and writes a short note with a flourish, before beckoning one of the guards over The prisoner has insulted my clan and my family, and refuses to apologise. As he is currently a prisoner of the governor I am unable to challenge him without her approval. Please take my letter of request and present it to her she bows to the guard.
Understanding drifts through Xiaoxing's mind, the man's intent, to exert power in a situation where he is powerless, to direct the flow of events to his will. His need was plain, almost painfully present in his actions. The samurai-ko watches distantly as the Scorpion guard kicks the prisoner. Her expression remaining fixed, unmoving, stoic. She catches the Thunder Guard's eye, and shakes her head. Momentarily she remembers the young, naive bushi who started this night drinking in the Inn of Orange Blossoms. She would have drawn steel immediately, cleansed the insult in blood. But that girl was no longer here, only the woman who had borne the blade of secrets. She could feel the weight of the dark, the terrible knowledge that had flowed through her, the primal connection to the void. . She would not be manipulated so obviously. You will apologies for your words or else face my steel... after the magistrate has questioned you to his satisfaction... She stares through the man, her gaze as deep as the torchlight reflected in the Guard's katana.
Xiaoxing frowns at the man And yet... here you are... she gestures around We know about the Oni, we know about the Moon cult, we know about the masks... it seems there is nothing you can tell us of any value. Hoping to make the arrogant man speak to 'prove his worth' she places as much emphasis as she can on making her next words as dismissive as possible You are unimportant... Fortunes guide me, I can't think of another way to make him talk...
Xiaoxing turns to Shinjo Dokiu How interesting, he is clearly unhinged.
Xiaoxing bows Dokiu-sama, the fortunes smile on our investigation it seems! We seem to be having little success questioning merchants directly so this is a timely meeting indeed. she indicates the table Sake would be most welcome whilst the room is prepared, thank you Dokiu-sama
Xiaoxing tilts her head in sympathy at Sakyo's plight, ignoring the woman's outburst of emotion she gently leans in. Sakyo-san, I must extend our apologies for interrupting your night, and given that our actions have resulted in your being alone at night in the city this evening, I find I must insist on extending the Unicorn's hospitality to you she shushes any attempt from Sakyo to protest and calls two of the Thunder Guard over Please arrange for this lady to be escorted to the Unicorn embassy safely, it is late and in her condition it is important she rests quickly penning a note for the guard to take with him, she bows in turn to the guard and then Sakyo I hope to meet with you again tomorrow, but now I understand you must rest
She regards Katsurou and Hideyoshi I believe we have done all we can here she nods to the Thunder Guard and the group head back to the prison.
Xiaoxing bows slightly to Sakyo My thanks to you for allowing us to carry out our duty, there would no doubt have been civil issues should the goods have been left blocking the street, you have helped us this night with your kindness she smiles at the pregnant woman If I may say, that's a beautiful kimono you are wearing, the red brown color and bird motif reminds me of the time I traveled through Suzume lands as I left the wall and headed to the Crane courts. I was fortunate enough to be hosted by your clan, the roasted yams in particular were a most welcome addition to my culinary experiences she gazes in to the distance as if absorbed in her memory for a moment, then returns her attention t Sakyo Have you been able to return to visit your family recently? she asks gently.
Xiaoxing uses the bell to summon attention to the front door, bending and picking up one of the crates from the back of the cart and standing ready to enter at the first chance she gets. ...menial work perhaps, but no honorable samurai was ever afraid of hard work, and in this case the hard work is gaining access to the house...
Xiaoxing ponders for a moment, then ventures We agreed with Katsurou-san to meet at the Inn, but it would be a waste of time to do nothing until then. Let us see if we can catch him back at the Kaiu's store, and if not we'll proceed to the next merchant on the list, if that is favorable to you Eiriasu-sama?
Have managed to place a porcelain mask on a machine previously thought lost, not as large as the previous incarnation, but this one has glowing runes on the keyboard, what could possibly go wrong!? :D
Hi, apparently my laptop decided tonight was a good time to commit seppuku >.< Currently sourcing one to borrow until I can build a replacement, will be limited to posting via phone for a few days so please excuse any brevity!
Eiriasu-san, do you require my attendance here to testify? If not I will return to the city to seek the Moon Cult and further investigate the other Crab merchants
Xiaoxing nods to Katsurou I will take a contingent of Thunder Guard with me and escort Kaiu-san to the prison, and will meet you in an hour's time at the Inn
Xiaoxing turns to Shirya The Thunder Guard will look after your swords, I am a skilled duellist and will walk behind you to protect your life as we escort you to the prison She is polite with her words, but the meaning is clear. Xiaoxing will be on full alert the entire walk to the prison.
That's ok, we just need to find someone of higher station than both of them that is happy to be bribed, and have them give testimony that they saw both of them engaged in maho, problem solved ;) Seriously though, welcome to Rokugani's legal system, which the Scorpion developed and have been abusing for centuries! Lucky thing we have our new-fangled Kitsuki with his strange ideas about 'ev-ee-dance', pish, it will never catch on :p
Having pressed the merchant as strongly as she can within the bounds of proper etiquette, Xiaoxing waits for the Kuni magistrate to take the lead and either let the man go or take things further.
Xiaoxing tries to steer the conversation back to the 'sticking point' as she sees it Kaui-san, your papers for travel are in order, let us leave that for now. We are more interested in why you have chosen now to testify against another samurai regarding the abhorrent practice of maho, a crime against the empire so vile that it's practitioners are scoured from the land with the greatest of prejudice. It is no trivial thing to accuse another samurai, we need to hear more, 'the whole story' as it were... Xiaoxing waits patiently for her question to be addressed.
Xiaoxing pushes away her frustration, leaving naught but an icy mask in its wake. As the red firework explodes nearby, she doesn't flinch, her face lit in an unholy red hue. Ryo is a maho-tsukai? That is quite an accusation to make Kaiu-san she ponders the status difference between the two samurai, before deciding she didn't know either of them before this night so likely they are around the same position. Thank you for your testimony samurai-san, I must enquire though, why you have not brought this to the attention of the magistrates before now? she cocks her head to the side as if to better listen to his answer, but in truth as well as assessing him, she is also watching his wife like a hawk to see if she can pick up anything beyond the simple fear she is exhibiting towards her spouse. Things just don't seem right...
All good GM :) It's been crazy here too these last couple of weeks, I got seconded for two weeks on a project which absolutely ate up all my time both in and out of hours. Glad that's over now :p Looking forward to Halloween!! Boo!
Xioaxing's eyes narrow and she clenches her teeth as she watches the pregnant wife carry the heavy crates. A quick glance around reveals no nearby peasants to commandeer to help load the cart in the wife's stead. Xiaoxing approaches the soon-to-be'mama-san' Suzume Excuse me please, I must prevail upon your time, I apologise for the inconvenience she gently plucks the crate from the woman's arms and sets it down, indicating the top of it for the woman to sit down and rest on. Quickly summoning something to ask the woman to allow everyone to maintain their on, Xiaoxing remembers what Katsurou said of the mask he picked up, and she settles on an enquiry about the store's inventory. Now, would you be able to tell me if you have seen any porcelain masks tonight that were warm to the touch when you picked them up?
Xiaoxing continues to stare unnervingly at the Hida as she waits for a cue from Katsurou.
Xiaoxing turns to Katsurou, ignoring the scoffing Hida Perhaps we should continue this conversation at the magistrate's office Katsurou-san, if we cannot ascertain whether the honorable Hida-san here has been in receipt of these goods or not, then perhaps it is safest if we conduct further conversation at a more defensible position. she makes a show of checking all around the area, paying special attention to the rooftops.
It's not the color that matters Hida-san, but where the masks came from that is important. You received crates marked with a red sun... Those are the ones we are interested in... Her tone is calm and unemotional.
Xiaoxing nods at Katsurou's words. Whilst she finds it difficult to follow the logic in the man's words, she can see it must make some sense as a 'helpful suggestion' to entice Muchi to co-operate. For her part, she simply stands there and looks stern, a haunted look playing about her eyes and face.
Still shaking from her abrupt awakening, Xiaoxing's eyes remain out of focus ...the reeds, the River of Gold, Oni's teeth... she half murmurs, closing her eyes and shaking her head savagely to rid it of the last remnants of the fog clouding her thinking. Calm descends on her with a sudden shift, like rain sloughing away the heat of summer. Her eyes open and she looks around, assessing where she is and nodding to each of her companions. She stands and turns away, adjusting her clothing to a semblance of proper arrangement, before bowing to each of you in turn. My thanks to you for attending to me whilst I was indisposed Something is different about the samurai-ko, her gaze has a depth to it that wasn't there before. Her demeanor no longer displays any aspect of naivete, the last vestiges of innocence now gone forever. As Hideyoshi expresses his relief at her recovery, Xiaoxing politely ignores his display of emotion but he sees the thoughtful hints of a smile playing on the corners of her mouth as she nods in acknowledgement. As he proceeds to explain what has happened she simply nods in acceptance. As Katsurou also compliments her, she simply inclines her head as she adjusts her daisho. I am ready, we should go now * Busy Hida-san? Ah yes every samurai in the empire is busy this night, doing their duty to celebrate the festival and appease our ancestors. I would hope that you are not too busy to make time for a magistrate and yoriki that are here on important business. We can always have our conversation back at the magistrate's office if that would be preferable to you? Xiaoxing smiles politely, but there is no warmth to be found there.
Thanks for the awards GM :) Loved the bit about the 'fake Oni attack', that mama-san is on to something there, we'll have started a whole new annual tradition now :p
GM: Well, no sense in staying here, wherever here is. Pleasant as it is, the samurai-ko stands up and dons her sandals again, glancing over the area the cranes alighted around. Cranes brought luck, whether good or ill, so if there was anything to find in this place, it would likely be there. Striding off with a sense of purpose, Xioaxing heads for the section of riverbank the cranes are at.
GM: Xiaoxing slowly blinks in the sunshine, the brightness comforting and yet stark in its revelation of her being completely alone. The natural surroundings give rise to feelings of confusion, this was not Yomi, could it be Yume-Do?
She walks towards the river, the mountains clear on the horizon as Lady Amaterasu guides her path as she passes through the tall, green grass of the meadow. Reaching the riverside she steps out of her sandals, sitting on the bank and dangling her feet in the water.
Whoops! >.< ...and that's why any self-respecting samurai stays far, far away from anything that's even thought of visiting the Shadowlands, let alone been resident there for any period of time ;p
No problem GM, welcome back! And yup will be fun to be playing this whilst Halloween rolls around :D
Xiaoxing does not hesitate, with Oruku-sama disabled and Hideyoshi-san already wielding a magical blade, she snatches up the blade and adopts an attack stance, shouting a kiai! that resonates around the room with its vibrancy.
The samurai-ko's attack echoes that of the Crane who preceeded it, perhaps less focused, but with all the skill, training and honor guiding it as she can bring to bear in the single strike.
Seeing Katsurou-san guarding Oruku-sama, Xiaoxing continues her assault on the oni, hoping to distract it away from Whisper.
Moving in close, Xiaoxing stabs again and again with the broken statue, knowing her blows are doing harm this time gives her the mental strangth she needs to stand this close to the evil that could end her life in a heartbeat.
Insisting that Akodo-san takes the offered katana of fire, Xiaoxing bows to Kuni Eiriasu as she accepts the offered broken jade statuette. Thank you Eiriasu-sama, I am pleased to accept your thoughtful gift. I hope you do not think ill of me for accepting it as soon as it is offered! She smiles at the crab, hoping her humor has hit the mark, Crab and Unicorn being rather less reverential of normal etiquette given their more practical natures. As the Oni roars again and makes its entrance, Xiaoxing grips the statuette in her hand, feeling its weight, adjusting it so the sharper edges are better aligned in her grip. Her gaze falls almost dismissively on the beast.
Its malicious stare elicits no reaction from the samurai-ko, and she decides to charge and distract the beast to give her better armed companions a better opportunity to strike.
Xiaoxing's arm flashes out in a good approximation of a practiced knife slash, the jagged edge of the stone dragging across the Oni's spindly limbs as it raises one to ward her off.
As the house shudders, Xiaoxing glances at her companions. I fear our time has run out... she gestures at the sword Oruku-sama is holding This may be our only chance to return the Oni from whence it came, truly the best swordsman should use the blade, and if they fall, we will keep picking it up until we succeed in destroying the vile thing...
Xiaoxing continues to monitor the room, her mind once more at rest and calm, she simply accepts what it happening and stands ready to deal with whatever happens.
Xiaoxing maintains her on, choosing to distance herself from the conversation and focus on the surrounding again, she did not want the group to be taken unawares by the oni when it arrived.
It was at that point the Shosuro actor peeled off his Xiaoxing mask, descending on Whisper in a flurry of I'd say the box of honor lost is fair if you decide it's so. Xiaoxing has had a long, unpleasant night, and no-one to really Soon all the yoriki in the party will move from being James Gordon to Harvey Bullock! Hrm just thought, does that make Whisper the Oswald!? :D
Your motivations are not what is important right now Xiaoxing cuts off Whisper mid-sentence Where are those masks!? she exclaims directly
Xiaoxing stands ready, leaving the Kitsuki to ask his questions, though her hand reaches down to empty space where she wanted to rest it on her katana hilt. Instead she absent-mindedly toys with a frayed white and purple dueling ribbon tied to her obi. Focusing her concentration on the surroundings of the room, extending her senses outside and trying to detect any thudding across the floors that might indicate trouble, or any skittering on the roof...
|
