OK reflexes...
Can you post the link for the Iaijutsu duels again?
OK reflexes...
We shall duel by reflexes, mine is 3.
Bah, crab don't need honor...STRIKE!
Can you post the link for the Iaijutsu duels again?
Shosuro Morito offers his traditional deep, overdone bow to Nagatsuna as they prepare for their duel. "May the Fortunes guide us, and may our ancestors watch over us! Today, we face the ultimate test of a samurai - today, we take death itself into our grasps!" he says, settling into a stance that is as formal and theatrical as everything else about him.
"What do you know of death? These pretty little duels are the furthest thing from it. Pray to the ancestors and Fortunes that you will be able to walk away from this." Nagatsuna enters his death trance and looks toward Morito with his face a emotionless mask.
We shall duel by reflexes, mine is 3.
Bah, crab don't need honor...STRIKE!
We shall duel by reflexes, mine is 3.
Bah, crab don't need honor...STRIKE!
you're right, it's 2, was thinking of agility...wrong ring.
OK so I roll a raw reflexes now then against TN5?
"What do you know of death? These pretty little duels are the furthest thing from it. Pray to the ancestors and Fortunes that you will be able to walk away from this." Nagatsuna enters his death trance and looks toward Morito with his face a emotionless mask.
Morito's resistance to Fear, spending Void (3k3=17)
4d10.open(10).takeHighest(2)=15
<----confused look
Focus again...
fails so now I call strike? Full defense doesn't count for TNtbH here?
<----confused look
Focus again...
fails so now I call strike? Full defense doesn't count for TNtbH here?
Heihachi loses his focus, his attention drifting away from the duel for just a split second - but in that second, Chorotaku draws.
Strike against TN 10, using Free Raise for extra damage, keeping low damage (3k2=14, damage 5k2=3)
The wooden bokken smacks into Heihachi's shoulder, raising a red welt, but nothing more. Chorotaku grins, stepping back and bowing once again, while Saburashi raises his flag to signal the Hida's victory.
Yukari's heart sinks as she sees that she is paired off against one of the Kakita for the very first round. Her chances of doing well today were probably dramatically reduced. She was glad for the fact that dueling had been a part of her training. All she could do was to try her best.
Kakita Toru's face is calm, almost expressionless as he bows to Yukari and settles into his stance. The only flicker of emotion comes as he catches sight of Kakita Amiko on the sidelines, preparing for her own duel against Doji Keitomaru. Toru's jaw tightens and he looks quickly away, though, returning the full force of his focus to the duel in front of him.
Toru's Awareness/Iaijutsu (Assessment) roll, with two Raises for information - TN 15 (4k2=10)
Approaching Toru for the second time this tournament, Yukari bows to the Crane before stepping back into her own dueling stance. She watches him carefully, her full attention on him as she tries to weigh him up. He seemed somewhat distracted for a brief moment, although still more alert than yesterday.
Awareness/Iaijutsu (2 raises for information - TN 15): 4k2 = 35
Ume dropped into the Akodo duelling stance, and eyed her counterpart warily. Her eyes stung a little from the wake, but training and drill overcame a bit of fatigue easily enough.
"Even if you see no great use in it, this is what decides the championship" she admonished him, and kept her hand resting easily on her side. Pressure, tension - they made limbs stronger, but so much slower.
Approaching Toru for the second time this tournament, Yukari bows to the Crane before stepping back into her own dueling stance. She watches him carefully, her full attention on him as she tries to weigh him up. He seemed somewhat distracted for a brief moment, although still more alert than yesterday.
Awareness/Iaijutsu (2 raises for information - TN 15): 4k2 = 35
Ume dropped into the Akodo duelling stance, and eyed her counterpart warily. Her eyes stung a little from the wake, but training and drill overcame a bit of fatigue easily enough.
"Even if you see no great use in it, this is what decides the championship" she admonished him, and kept her hand resting easily on her side. Pressure, tension - they made limbs stronger, but so much slower.
Nagatsuna focuses: 4d10.open(10).takeHighest(2)=34
TN: 15
Focus Pools: Nagatsuna 1, Morito 1
Nagatsuna focuses: 4d10.open(10).takeHighest(2)=34
Morito's second Focus - TN 15 (3k2=9)
Morito frowns into the morning sunlight, and Nagatsuna sees his chance.
After a few moments, Yukari accidentally allows her attention to slip a fraction, giving Toru the opportunity to strike.
Ume sensed his lack in quiet, in mental fortitude, and knew he was going to crack sooner or later... she knew she was disturbed as well, but hopefully - less so than her counterpart.
After a few moments, Yukari accidentally allows her attention to slip a fraction, giving Toru the opportunity to strike.
Toru draws his bokken in a single smooth motion, aiming for Yukari's swordarm.
Toru's Strike, with two Free Raises from Focusing - TN 20 (5k3+10=51)
The move is utterly flawless - Yukari even has time to appreciate its sheer beauty before it smacks hard into her wrist, numbing her fingers and knocking her sideways.
Saburashi gives Toru a hard look for the solid hit, but he does not hesitate in raising the Crane's flag to indicate victory. He then waves his shugenja over to see to Yukari's wrist, and spends a few moments quietly lecturing his student while they work.
Ume sensed his lack in quiet, in mental fortitude, and knew he was going to crack sooner or later... she knew she was disturbed as well, but hopefully - less so than her counterpart.
Kagetora's Focus - TN 10 (3k2=11)
Morito frowns into the morning sunlight, and Nagatsuna sees his chance.
Reflexes/Iaijutsu 4d10.open(10).takeHighest(2)=16
Nagatsuna feels the moment and strikes quickly and powerfully his face changing from an impassive mask into one of fury as he releases a "KIAI!" Then just as quickly the emotionless mask is back in place. Bowing to his opponent and the judges he departs the dueling area.
Ume tried hard to keep her focus. Not to think about facing Tenaku in the next round, and just stay on the duel. She managed, but realized her focus was cracking up. Rapidly.
Ume tried hard to keep her focus. Not to think about facing Tenaku in the next round, and just stay on the duel. She managed, but realized her focus was cracking up. Rapidly.
Kagetora's second Focus, spending Void - TN 20 (4k3=12)
Ume is so focused on her own concerns that she very nearly misses the opening that Kagetora's rocking stance suddenly gives her.
Heihachi looks confused for a second...then hastily bows, knowing now that he has lost the chance at becoming, the conundrum, a Shugenja Topaz Champion...At least he lost to a fellow crab.
Ume's strike almost surprised her herself. Her body thankfully had learned lessons with muscles and sinews, rather than just with her conscious mind. These were not nearly as preoccupied, and arguably better-suited to the task anyway.
Her strike was decently well-executed. Nothing to inspire poetry, but enough to leave a small smudge on her opponent's arm.
4d10.open(10).takeLowest(2)=10
Morito falls sideways, rolling with the blow, but there is no question that contact was made, and Saburashi raises the flag to mark Nagatsuna's win.
Heihachi congratulates Nagatsuna on his victory "Well done battle brother!"
Heihachi congratulates Nagatsuna on his victory "Well done battle brother!"
Nagatsuna nods in appreciation, "Let us see if Chorotaku-san and I can meet in the final duel."
After a few moments, Yukari accidentally allows her attention to slip a fraction, giving Toru the opportunity to strike.Toru draws his bokken in a single smooth motion, aiming for Yukari's swordarm.
Toru's Strike, with two Free Raises from Focusing - TN 20 (5k3+10=51)
The move is utterly flawless - Yukari even has time to appreciate its sheer beauty before it smacks hard into her wrist, numbing her fingers and knocking her sideways.
Saburashi gives Toru a hard look for the solid hit, but he does not hesitate in raising the Crane's flag to indicate victory. He then waves his shugenja over to see to Yukari's wrist, and spends a few moments quietly lecturing his student while they work.
Yukari gives a sharp grunt of pain as the wooden bokken slams into her wrist, unable to hold onto her own weapon as her fingers lose feeling momentarily. The wooden sword clatters to the ground as she is knocked to the side. Regaining her footing agin, the battle maiden bites her lip as a sharp spasm of pain runs through her arm. She couldn't fault the Kakita's execution, and it had been her lapse in concentration that had given him the opportunity. But his strike was almost brutal in its force - more than she had intended to do had she gotten the first strike. An accident, or deliberate?
As the shugenja start heading over, Yukari bows to Toru, holding her wrist. "..Your technique is great, Kakita-san. I did not expect to win against a Crane." Her tone is somewhat more formal and cool than it was when congratulating her previous opponents after matches. She wasn't sure what Toru had hoped to achieve by such a violent strike, when the match was only to first blood.
After the shugenja had seen to her injury, the Unicorn returns to the sidelines to watch the remainder of the matches.
That would be a boon for our clan for sure Nagatsuna-san
That would be a boon for our clan for sure Nagatsuna-san
"Let's not forget that you have proven that Shugenja are not to be trifled with even on so biased a battlefield as this, Heihachi-san. Now the Crane hold many of the go stones here let us see if I can take a few more of them away."
As soon as Utsuro saw the pairings, he knew it was going to take all of his concentration and the support of every fortune and ancestor he had ever prayed to or even heard of to get through this gauntlet of Blue and White. There's no way he could lose!
As he faced Megumi, he tried to recall what he had seen of her in the previous days' events. The young crane seemed reserved - even innocent, but Utsuro had also seen the fire in her eyes last night, and knew she was not to be underestimated.
With a deep bow and a quick sigil of blessing drawn on the ground with his foot, Utusuro assumed is stance: turned almost away from his opponent, with his hands almost floating mere inches away from his blade.
After assessing his opponent, the Phoenix seems to relax, just a little, and closes his eyes.
Megumi watches her opponent with interest as he readies himself. She takes little time to prepare and approaches then bows to him.
"It seems we are to face off to begin our day Shiba-san, best of luck to both of us in this contest." She moves into position, her hand reaching into her kimono for just a brief second. When she looks across to the Phoenix again her mouth widens into a friendly smile.
Kakita Amiko and Doji Keitomaru enter the dueling circle, settling into similar stances. Amiko is calm, collected, and almost expressionless, though a slight smirk plays around the edges of her mouth. Keitomaru has an odd air of nervousness and determination, and he gives one quick glance toward a courtier sitting in the front row of the stands before turning all his attention to the matter at hand.
Amiko's Assessment, calling two Raises for info - TN 15 (5k2=12)
Keitomaru's Assessment, calling one Raise for info - TN 10 (4k2=16)
Keitomaru Focuses - TN 5 (4k2=16)
Amiko Focuses - TN 10 (6k3=26)
Keitomaru Focuses, spending Void - TN 15 (5k3=31)
Amiko Focuses, spending Focus Pool for Free Raise - TN 20 (6k3+5=26)
Keitomaru spends Void for Focus Pool and Focuses - TN 25 (4k2=21)
Though Keitomaru seems at first to be doing well, abruptly Amiko draws at a moment of almost infinitesimal distraction.
Her cut is graceful and almost peaceful in a way, despite the thwack of the blade hitting Keitomaru’s shoulder. Keitomaru flinches at the blow, turning almost instinctively to look at the courtier in the crowd, but the man is applauding along with the rest of the audience, and offers Keitomaru a slight bow when their eyes meet. Keitomaru begins a slow smile, even as Saburashi signals Amiko’s victory and the Kakita grins a self-satisfied grin before moving away to prepare for the next round.
When the match between Moto Tsuto and Tamori Ryuko begins, it seems at first as if it is actually intended to be a duel of sneers rather than swords, with both duelists bowing the minimum possible, and trying to outdo one another in looking down their noses at each other. Tsuto’s stance is wide-footed and faces Ryuko directly, while the shugenja is half turned away, with one hand resting on each of the hilts in her obi, as though she plans to draw katana and wakizashi both.
Tsuto's Assessment, no Raises - TN 5 (2d10=10)
Ryuko's Assessment, one Raise for info - TN 10 (3k2=10)
Tsuto Focuses - TN 5 (2k2=13)
Ryuko Focuses - TN 10 (4k3=35)
Tsuto Focuses, spending Void for the skill - TN 15 (3k2=17)
Ryuko Focuses, spending Focus Pool for Free Raise - TN 20 (4k3+5=26)
The Moto’s bluster carries him further than one might have expected, but Ryuko draws – just her katana, despite her stance – after several long moments of waiting, the wooden blade blurring toward the Moto’s long mustaches.
Ryuko Strikes, using two Free Raises and two called Raises for a Called Shot at Tsuto's mustaches, spending a Void Point - TN 30 (5k4=21)
Honor Test - TN 30 (6k4=42)
The bokken catches Tsuto’s left mustache right at his jawline, slapping it up into his nose. Tsuto jumps back, then pulls his katana in anger, but Saburashi steps quickly forward, raising his flag to mark Ryuko’s victory and sending a warning glare at the Unicorn, who subsides with ill grace. Ryuko smirks, bowing to him, before stepping away.