Jade Legacy [L5R 3eR] - Act 1: Atsumari/Gathering

[Rain Yupa]

@ Crab Shenanigans:

Seichiro would approach the general proximity of the Crab Tent. There would be a distinct lack of people here by the time he arrived. Unless one of the Crabs returned, the only person he would see outside (though not close) would be the Unicorn, Ide Jiro.

"Oh! Hello there, friend Lion. I'm not entirely sure myself. I saw two of the Crab fleeing like little girls though, and I guarantee you, it was a terribly amusing sight. Though, I fear I should be more concerned with the safety of our Empire in hindsight." Bowing to Seichiro, he would introduce himself proper. "I am Ide Jiro of the Unicorn. Like you, I've apparently missed all the fun."

--------------------

@ Scorpion Tent:

Naizen would look thoughtful as Kojiro explained his own findings. "So, you are more apt with social graces with I. Do you think this Kuni girl is a resource that can be exploited?"  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Jiujutsu Competition:

The Mirumoto known as Sozen would stand opposite of Denbe, simply smiling at him. His head mostly shaven save for his topknot, he would begin by removing his shirt, revealing a well-toned, well-tanned body. Sozen would have a pair of long green dragon tattoos, spiraling upward from his forearms up to his shoulders and ending at the neck. His chest also had a tattoo, an infinity-styled dragon across his pectorals.

"So, you're the unlucky rabbit I've heard about," he would say confidently. Holding his cloth shirt to one side, he would drop it casually, eyeing up his opponent.

{Initiative 11}

"You might not be so honored when you're face down in the dirt, Ujina Denbe. I hear the Hare are excellent unarmed fighters, so don't expect I, Mirumoto Sozen, to go easy on you!"

Sozen would then rush, charging Denbe with a flurry of blows, a combination of left and right straights - no jabs. {Full Attack + Raise twice, all raises going into damage; 27 vs TN 24, hit}.

He would overwhelm Denbe's defenses with a crippling offense, landing several crushing blows on the Hare! {20 damage, Denbe is Injured}

Denbe, retaliation time!  

[Plainsfox]

@ Scorpion Tent

The Scorpion bushi loosened his mask as he contemplated, "What was the old compact again? The Bayushi speak, the Soshi see, the Yogo guard, and the Shosuro act, was it not?"

Kojiro slowly readjusted his mask before continuing. "Kaori-san could be, if developed appropriately. Would Kaori-san be here if she were as talentless as Lady Raicho said? If we move soon, we could gain greater access to the Kuni family. Their understanding of the Shadowlands exceeds our Yogo family's expertise. Kaori-san could be useful cementing ties between the two families. I only remember hearing that they were close before the Clan War. I do not remember seeing any Kuni when I studied amongst the Yogo libraries. I studied with a minor branch family though." The Bayushi shrugged. "Otherwise, I do not think it would be hard to develop her as a strong ally amongst the Crab, with all the uses that entails. If we are the ones to strengthen her, then she will be ours."  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Pre-Poetry Competition:

Jiro would seem taken aback by Kojiro's sudden bout of friendliness. Seeing the gift offered, he would decline. "There is no rift, Kojiro-san. You needn't offer me anything for reparations, when no damage was done."

--------------------

@ Poetry Competition:

Doji Koan would be smugly walking with the group, seemingly keeping only half attention to the event at hand.

{Poetry roll of 25}

"Eloquent songbirds
sing lovely lessons - listen,
and you can learn much."

Hisashi, go!  

[Plainsfox]

@Pre-Poetry competition

"Ah, but Jiro-san! My mind was clouded by the distress of my clanmate and I was unable to hold my tongue in check. Please accept this gift so that the Unicorn know the Scorpion are not without manners!" Kojiro said as he held the small bag in his hands towards the Ide.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Pre-Poetry Competition:

Jiro would grin and shake his head. "I do not know what kind of man you take me for, but I can't be bribed into throwing the competition. At least, not quite so easily. Honor demands I must refuse any gifts you offer." He would hold up one flat palm to discourage further attempts.  

[Plainsfox]

@Pre-Poetry Competition

"You wound me, Jiro-san!" Kojiro mock-protested. The bushi struggled to keep the right amount of ire in his voice as he continued. "Do you think I am so unwise as to attempt to bribe someone? This is merely a gift, a set of dice blessed by Lady Maru for luck. It is foolishness to think that a bushi such as myself could actually win such an event over such courtiers as you." Kojiro half turned, as if to go, but the bag was still in his hands. " If you wish these dice, they are yours. If not, I'll hold onto them and Lady Maru's touch upon them will inspire me. "  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Pre-Poetry Competition:

Ide Jiro looks thoughtful for a moment, before nodding and allowing Kojiro to place the bag in his hands. "Well, when you put it that way... when a gift is blessed by a woman that was in turn undoubtedly blessed by the fortunes, any man would be lower than a fool to turn it down."

He would look to the bag, but not open it, merely feeling the weight and contents in his hand. With his traditional smile, he would look back to Kojiro. "Though, I do wonder, what made you feel the need to give me these, Kojiro-san. If these dice were from Maru-san, she'd either offer them to me directly, or give you the message on her behalf. No doubt, they were important to you. I am but a simple emissary, after all."  

[Plainsfox]

@The Pre Poetry Competition

"Consider it a repayment of an earlier favor. Naizen-san's diligence has been greatly rewarded ... and that is all I can say. To say any more may endanger you further. Good luck at the competition, Jiro-san."

With that, Kojiro would amble away towards the meeting place for the poetry competition.

OOC: Deceit Check 4k3
Result: 21  

[Psychofish]

"Afraid so," the edges of Denbe's smile dulled a bit, but he remained politely enthusiastic at least. He meant to prove himself. He might not win, but the kenjutsu tournaments had left a sour taste in Denbe's mouth. He did not need to take first. But he needed to show the worth of the Hare clan, and sans a chance to serve his empire falling into his lap, he considered proving himself more capable in as many areas as possible than most were willing to think a minor clan might be the best way.

Even if much of the Hare were quite ready to believe that being out of sight and out of mind was better to find and face their foes. Yet he couldn't help but think that they could someday, perhaps not in his lifetime, be a major clan. That they could give the Kolat and those who desired the power of Maho something to fear.

Of course many Bushi would have studied the sword much more solely and diligently than he. But Denbe had not expected to find too many whom were dedicated to their fists. Natural talent could, hopefully, carry him upward.

"I would have it no other way," he returned, ignoring his predictions of victory.

This proved to be a mistake.

Denbe eyed his opponents tattoos and no sooner doubted that his foe was not used to striking unarmed than Sozen took Denbe's smaller, meeker appearance for what it was and battered him fearlessly. The first blow he stopped. The second threw his guard. The third he barely deflected, turning himself aside.

And knuckle's struck his skull with the sound of an earthquake and a flash of lightning, turning his vision blurry as one fist after another nearly unhinged his jaw, clacked his teeth together and made him taste blood, lit up his ribs, and sent him stumbling away. And it all hurt like hell. Enough so that the single mighty blow the Crane had dealt his shoulder didn't even ache anymore.

Perhaps I was not made to fight.

Denbe closed his eyes as his momentum carried him backward and spun his back to Sozen, focusing hard on biting down his dizzy nausea enough to keep track only of his feet and sense of balance. The wounds faded into the sounds of his focus. It was an absurd thought. If Denbe was not to fight, then he would not have been born a Hare. He would let no one say the Hare could not fight!

[Void point! Denbe ignore's his wounds this round!]

Denbe had been dropped by a single blow once already this tournament. It would not be twice! His whole body spun clean around and leapt- throwing himself into the air and spinning full about a second time.

With as much a Kiai as he could muster, he gambled the full of the first round on delivering his heel to Mirumoto's temple.

[Denbe adopts Full Attack stance and spends all 5 free raises on damage and make's a single raise for damage!]
[6k4 Jiujutsu(Strike): 30 vs Mirumoto Sozen's TN+5]  

[Psychofish]

[Exploding dice to hit- use in case of additional explosions: 3]  

[Psychofish]

[5k5 Jiujutsu(Strike) Damage: 28]
[If this strike would kill Sozen, discard lowest die until it would not.]

Denbe knew where the head should be, and his fists had always been strong- his body perhaps not so much, but shattering boards and damaging practice pieces had come naturally to him. He knew how to clench a fist and hold a wrist to . But he was a Hare. And perhaps much as his story, it was his legs which were to be feared. That talent ran double for his spinning heel, where he placed his soul.

One of the two samurai was about to fall.  

[Psychofish]

[Exploding dice to hit- use in case of additional explosions: 1]  

[Psychofish]

((lol. Whoops. >________>))  

[Sutiiven]

@ Poetry Competition

"Autumn thunder cries -
its anger heralds the rains.
Wrath subsides to peace."

Au-tumn thun-der cries -
its an-ger her-alds the rains.
Wrath sub-sides to peace.

5/7/5. Kigo: Autumn, Thunder. Kireji: included.

(Storytelling (Poetry) Check 4k3 vs TN 5)