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

[Rain Yupa]

@ Lore Competition:

All Engineering skills are now TN 10!

Shinjo Gemmei would be the final lorespeaker for the first round. In a patience that rivaled Kan's, she would smile mildly before taking her opportunity to share some knowledge. "The fortune of Fire and Thunder, Osano-wo, was the first known mortal to rise to a level of Fortune; not only that, but he gained so much following, so much belief, that he is almost considered an Eighth Fortune - depending on whom you ask, of course." {Theology (Fortunes) roll of 11 vs TN 10}

All Theology skills are now TN 15!

"Good, everyone! Wazuka, the table is yours once more!" Kita would say happily, turning her attention to the young magistrate-in-training.

"In the eight century, a young Phoenix woman by the name of Isawa Maroko was engaged to a man of the Lion, but ran off to marry her lover Mirumoto Asijin. This sparked a great deal of hate and jealousy from the Lion, who raised an army and stormed up to the small holdings Maroko and Asijin had set aside for themselves. There was no bloodshed that day, however, as the united armies of the Dragon and Phoenix moved to prevent any bloodshed. Normally, the Dragon and Phoenix have never cared much for the other, and it was the first time in Rokugani history that the two had unified under a single cause!" {Battle (Battle Lore) roll of 22 vs TN 5}

All Battle skills are now TN 10!

"The scrolls issued to us shugenja are written in the ciphers of our own clans. If, say, Makoto-san or Toyoko-san were to read any of mine, they would be useless to them. This assured that our own Clans' methods of mastering the art remains unique to us, so they can't be easily exploited." Kuni Kaori would explain on her turn. {Spellcraft roll of 22 vs TN 15}

All Spellcraft skills are now TN 20!

Asako Sumi would be next, thinking for but a moment before she would share her lore. "After the reign of the Steel Chrysanthemum, there were a set of laws written called the Articles of Heaven. They reformed the Empire's legal system, improving upon the rights of heimin as well as prisoners and hostages. It was seen as the biggest formal step to civilize the whole of Rokugan." {History roll of 20 vs TN 20}

All History skills are now TN 25!

Tamori Makoto would go next, and without hesitation. "There are some herbalists, primarily with the Dragon, Scorpion, and Unicorn Clans, who cultivate a wide variety of herbs which can be used for medicinal purposes. However, the toxicity of these herbs can be dangerous to those who do not know what they're doing - or sometimes, to those who do know what they're doing. Regardless, these herbs are used in these regions to ensure healthier lifestyles for all their residents." {Medicine roll of 14 vs TN 10}

All Medicine skills are now TN 15!

Toyoko would almost miss her turn as she seemed to stare off into space dreamily. Makoto would cough to get her attention, and she would suddenly sit upright. "What? Oh! Well... there is a branch of shugenja magic which is often not seen during the lives of many samurai. It is known as Void Magic, used by shugenja known as Ishiken. Ishiken only exist amongst the Phoenix Clan, chosen by the rare Void Kami who deem them worthy to call upon them. It appears to be an inherited trait though, as shugenja cannot simply learn this ability." {Spellcraft of 25 vs TN 20}

All Spellcraft rolls are now TN 25!

Kitsu Kyumi, Matsu Seichiro, you're up!



((Remember, rolls determine if your character can even think of anything. Failure means he/she draws a blank and loses.))  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He steps forward slowly, bowing towards his opponent. "I fear I will not be as entertaining as the previous round." Shifting his stance, he looked hilarious, taking a stance as if he had his sword with him (which he left with a servant).

[Init: 5k4+6, in case of splode, there be more]

[Init: 35]  

[Psychofish]

It was an intense fight. Frantic and scrambling; the Unicorn fought like a madwoman, and Hogai unsurprisingly was a blunt, powerful force, like a boulder heading downhill. She was so very resilient though, she continued to push him further than expected. To the point that, even with all her spirit, Denbe was quite surprised to see her gaining the upper hand of the fight when-

--snap!--

Even from the sidelines, the Hare winced and looked up with concern. Hogai was seriously injured now. Not the sort of thing that one simply sat and rested off. It could even mean a by for his next round-

Which made it a great concerned for Denbe. He felt most relieved to see Raicho go off with the great crab to help him recover, but all the same waited patiently for them to return, settling off his own fatigue and watching closely as Zanzen stepped into the field. He should have liked to watched more closely, to see just how he performed, and preferred, to fight unarmed, but instead made sure to also keep an eye out for one of the crabs to return so he could ask after Hogai's condition.

...probably preferably not Kuni-sama. She had her job overseeing the fights to mind, and he suspected her temper was not fully eased simply because she'd gotten to knock out the Unicorn's lights.  

[Plainsfox]

@The Jiujutsu Competition

Kojiro carefully maneuvered near the Hare warrior as the Crane and Phoenix got ready for their fight. "I hope Hogai-san is well. I fought him in the martial tournament and it was...fun to fight him. You are Denbe-san, correct?"  

[Agent Sinistra]

@Lore Competition

It was a moment before Kyumi responded. The Lioness had been so busy plotting in her head what she would do after the competition that she had almost not realized that it was her turn to speak again.

"Flowers can do more than be pleasing to the eye. Some of them, such as Plum blossoms or Honeysuckle, have medicinal uses." She said, surprised at how easily the fact came to her. "You'll find that Plum blossoms can be used to aid digestion, while Honeysuckle can be used to fight off fevers." She added as if it were a quick afterthought.

((Rolling Medicine, 5k2; 26 vs TN 15))  

[Psychofish]

"I as well. He seems... fun enough, and it is hard to not respect him after the tale of how he lost his hand."

Denbe turned and looked at the man speaking to him, and for a moment stopped to consider if he knew him. The problem of the matter was not that he looked strikingly familiar... but rather he didn't, nor did he have a distinct feature Denbe could identify as unfamiliar to say that he did not know him. All the same, he offered a smile and a respectful bow of his head.

"Ujina Denbe, yes. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

By his manner and dress, a fellow samurai, but that was all he could immediately tell. Denbe was not flashy, slightly short and slightly plain of appearance except for his precise grooming, if anything, but his recent performance in the ring and the dulled reds and soft whites of his clothing, the Hare's colors, made him easy enough to identify. It was rather hard to be suspicious of someone knowing your identity when you'd just performed in front of them, after all.  

[Plainsfox]

@The Jiujutsu Competition

The Scorpion bowed in response. I am Bayushi Kojiro of Trail's Respite Village. I'm just here to support Naizen-san." Kojiro folded his arms behind his head and stretched. "So, who do you take to be the winner of this fight? I haven't talked to the Crane all that much, but he strikes me as a duelist type and well....Swords and Bows, they say.

Kojiro's eyes narrowed at Isawa Sosuke. "The Phoenix seems to be here just because. I'd give the Crane the edge, even if the Phoenix were better trained. Let's hope that Sosuke-san puts his heart into it.  

[Psychofish]

"Ah, well met, Bayushi-san."

Denbe remained formal, and more covertly this time looked over the samurai. Nothing more stood out this time except that his features did tend somewhat towards Scorpion trends. He was unsure of what to make of that. When one was approached by a Scorpion, they naturally assumed the Scorpion had some goal in it. The Scorpion had a mixed reputation. Among the Hare, worse.

There was bad history there, and while all Hare held a grudge to the Kolat for those events, some blamed the Scorpion as well. Denbe, for his part... was divided. He'd heard many things. This was as good a way as any to sort them out.

"It's strange. I fought both of them- and lost- in the armed duels on the first day. Both are remarkable. Had this been a contest of the sword I'd have given the win to the Crane without a second's thought. He is frightening with his blade."

Denbe's hand crept toward his shoulder without realizing it, rubbing at the spot where he'd been scarred.

"As for this... I do not know if either is adept with jiujutsu. Many as specialized as the Crane seems to be, however, are so at the expense of diversity." Even still he hoped Zanzen would win. A rematch against either would be interesting, but it was the Crane especially that Denbe wished to test himself against once more.  

[Plainsfox]

@Jiujutsu Competition

"Mmmm.....He may be skilled with the blade, but that hasn't really won him much here. Granted, you will see him again in the Iaijutsu duel. An inept Kakita is often better than many well trained duelists from other dojos...and there are very few inept Kakita. Someone will take him as their champion, if he fails to get the points needed to advance on his own merit."

Kojiro gestured to the rest of the people in attendance. "The crowd will definitely thin today, Denbe-san." The scorpion cackled mischievously . "I wonder how fierce the battle for duelists will become. That may be the real tournament."  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

@ Crab Shenanigans:

"Ah, yes. Good luck with the competition, Jiro-san." He would bow down, and walked to the Jiujutsu competition, to spectate.

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

@ Lore Competition:

He would clear his throat, before speaking. "In battle, wiping out the opposing army is not always the best or only choice. While defeating an army via sheer power could instill fear in your enemies, it is bloody, tiresome and wastes resources. A warlord can, if his opponent accepts, duel against one another, one against one, to the death. The loser of the match retreats his troops, and thus a smart and compassionate warlord can, by sacrificing himself, save the lives of those he is leading."

[[3k2 Battle Lore]]  

[Sutiiven]

@ Poetry Competition

"Purification.

Cold - such air night brings.
Snow falls softly to the earth.
Winter cleanses all."

Cold - such air night brings.
Snow falls soft-ly to the earth.
Win-ter clean-ses all.

5/7/5. Kigo: Cold, Winter. Kireji: included.

(Storytelling (Poetry) Check 4k3 vs TN 15)  

[Sutiiven]

Exploding Die  

[Sutiiven]

Exploding Die  

[Rain Yupa]

@Jiujutsu Duels:

Opposite of Kakita Zanzen would stand the man who put up a good fight at the Kyujutsu Competition yesterday. The yojimbo, Isawa Sosuke. He walked to the sparring area, both hands clasped against the back of his head. "Well, I come bearing bad news then. If that was your idea of entertainment, then you're in for great disappointment from me." Smiling almost meekly, Sosuke would bring his hands before him and bow to the Crane.

"I'm afraid that jiujutsu isn't my specialty, so hopefully you won't be too embarassed if I cut my teeth on this match."

{Initiative of 21}  

[Raganui Minamoto]

@Jiujutsu Duels:

With a smile, as the start was called, he moved in with his normal grace and speed, sweeping his arm out as if he was drawing a blade, though he was much closer than normal. His hand, however, was flat. Zanzen was thus attempting to combine his Iaijutsu style with Jiujutsu. Whether this would work or not, he hadn't a clue.

[Attack, 3k3: 13. Doubt that hit.]

Such technique lacked his normal speed though.