Crab-user Returns: The Stone Wall Stikes Back Edition

I was talking less about Lion being honorable, and more to do with them being loyal to the point of stupidity.

Like, remember the Thousand Years of Darkness alt-history setting? Remember when The Emperor was possessed by Fu-Leng that one Lion said that just because the Emperor is satan doesn't mean you get to be disloyal?
Yeah

>I have a slight aversion to playing "justice MUST be dealt without hesitation" characters
Play a Scorpion. Justice will be done at some point in the future, when it is most apt and most brutal.

>We next arrived at a town called Sweet Sake Village.
>And were treated to quite a scene as soon as we entered.
>an eta was pulling a cart with a half dozen bodies wrapped in straw mats.
>Ashigaru escorted him.
>Not yoriki, but full blow peasant soldiers in armor.
>The Monkey asked a nearby ricecake monger what was going on.
>More people killed in the pillow district.
>The Monkey had a nack for putting peasants at ease. They often spoke to him quite plainly.
>Pillow district?
>Yeah, you know. Pillow district.
>The ricecake monger made a lewd gesture.
>Ah.
>Three days now, a few die every night.
>The magistrate is tearing her hair out in frustration!
>You can see she's called in Ahsigaru from the Lord to help patrol the streets.
>I see. Thanks. Two please.
>HAI! Right away great samurai!
>Naomi shook her head sadly, then clapped her hands in prayer.
>When she had finished she eplained
>I was praying that our first clues that something is amiss stop being bodies.
>I said a little prayer of my own, that my Hana-chan's heart never grow accustomed to death.
>We headed to the local Magistrates office.
>Another Doji, she looked at us in surprise.
>Naomi spoke up
>I am Hida Naomi, this is Kuni Toshiro, and our Yojimbo and Yoriki.
>She and Toshiro showed their chops
>We are Jade Magistrates.
>I am Doji Megumi, What buisiness do Jade Magistrates have with me?
>This is a... delicate subject. May we speak privately?
>Of course.
>Tatsuki poured tea while Naomi explained why we were there.
>We uncovered a coven of Bog Hags not far from here.
>BOG HAGS?!
>They are real?
>Hai, very.
>These Bog Hags had taken the skins of several geisha.
>The Doji's eyes said she did not like where this was going.
>The were, in fact running a Geisha house.
>It may be possible, then, that they spread the taint to some of their unknowing customes.
>So we traveling to warn nearby towns and cities to be on the lookout for possibly tainted individuals coming in.

Yeah, Honor can be wierd like that. L5R is a game about samurai drama, where doing the right thing and doing the smart thing often conflict. Sometimes the right thing, the smart thing, and the honorable thing are ALL different things as well, just to really twist the knife.

But yeah, Lion are known for being the most rigid of the high Honor Clans. And Roku was one of those kind.

>Naomi-san, you said these people would not know they had been tainted yet?
>Hai. So you may speak with the monks of the area. They have already been made aware of the situation and are prepared to revive those who may have been tainted.
>Toshiro spoke up.
>There is a simple test to discover taint. Simply touch a piece of jade to the bare skin of a person. Jade will burn those who have been corrupted by Jigoku.
>The Doji nodded.
>I see. I will make arrangements at once. An outbreak of taint is the last thing I need.
>Toshiro spoke again.
>About that.
>The deaths are occuring in the 'pillow district'?
>The Doji looked up sharply, then nodded again.
>We think your problem there may be related to ours.
>What do you mean, Kuni Toshiro-san?
>Toshiro coughed.
>To be blunt: A samurai contracts the taint visiting geisha in one city, enters another city and succumbs to it while visiting other geisha... or engaging in lower pursuits.
>The Doji pursed her lips and considered Toshiro's words.
>Then you intend to investigate these killings?
>We do.
>You have been, blunt Allow me to do the same.
>Thank you. I will take all the help I can at this point. I have been unable to find any witnesses. It seems everyone who sees the killer dies.
>I sent Yoriki to patrol the district the second night. 5 of them died.
>I was forced to ask for Ashigaru.
>I do not like having armed soldiers patrolling the streets of my city.
>Naomi nodded.
>I understand Doji Megumi-san. Rest assured, my Yoriki here is quite talented.
>Naomi indicated Kitsuki-san
>even if this matter turns out to be unrelated to our mandate as Jade Magistrates, I have no doubt we will find something of use to you.
>Now, can you recommend an inn?
>We got settled into our rooms then sat down to discuss our course of action.
>I started it.
>The simplest plan would be to join in the patrols at night, don't you think?
>The Mantis objected.
>Would rather not take on that killer without knowing anything about it.

>The Monkey spoke up.
>What's one tainted letch gonna be able to do to us anyway?
>Toshiro answered him.
>It may be more than one.
>I thought the taint spread slowly?
>On it's own yes. But the weak willed or foolish may choose to use the power of Jigoku, speeding the process up quite rapidly.
>I knew what Toshiro was thinking.
>The Shadowlands Madmen.
>When most people think of those consumed by the taint, if they think of them at all, they imagine monstrous warriors and impossibly beautiful courtiers.
>But for every person who gains great power from the taint, many more are reduced to little more than slavering beasts.
>They wander in packs, attacking anything that moves, heading towards the shadowlands until they are destroyed.
>Those that make it to the shadowlands often become food for the larger and more powerfull denizens of that place.
>We hadn't reached that point, just yet though.
>A pack of madmen would have been found and destroyed already.
>But it was well within the realm of possibility.
>The Monkey spoke again.
>But Megumi-sama already investigated. No witnesses, no clues.
>Toshiro and I exchanged glances.
>He nodded.
>we stood.
>We're going to go look into something.
>Wait here until we get back.
>Ishigaki-kun?
>Don't ask. Please.
>We went to the magistrates.
>I aproached Doji Megumi
>We just thought of something we need to check. Do you have someplace where you keep the bodies until their families come to claim them?
>Megumi betrayed no distaste at the subject.
>Yes.
>She was also unwilling to speak about it more than absolutely necessary.
>Good.
>It is possible for the taint to enter a body through wounds. We would like to make sure this has not happened.
>Doji Megumi nodded and pointed to where the bodies where kept.
>Toshiro and I entered the small building.
>The bodies were there, wrapped up in tatami.
>I closed the door and turned my back. Watching for anyone coming, and giving Toshiro his privacy.
>He got out his tools.

>Dead flesh is taboo in Rokugan
>Touching it, even accidentally, taints ones soul.
>You must then undergo ritual purification as quickly as possible. If you die unclean, you will be reborn as an Eta.
>A warrior covered head to toe in the blood of their enemies is not tainted, per se.
>Though you must cleanse yourself after the battle, you have covered yourself in glory, and Samurai are warriors, after all.
>In their effort to understand the nature of our Clan's eternal foe, the Kuni have developed some unsavory techniques.
>They have learned how to investigate dead bodies, to see how they work, and to learn what killed them. In this way they help the Kaiu prepare more effective weapons, and the rest of us to develop techniques to kill quickly and efficiently.
>They call it 'Autopsy'
>There are no secrets among the Crab. Secrets are for Scorpion and Oni.
>But there are some things even we will not speak openly about.
>Ever.
>Toshiro performed his autopsy.
>He returned the body to it's resting place.
>I accompanied him to a temple where he purified himself, then a bathhouse without saying a word.
>Once we had finished bathing he spoke.
>They were torn with claws, not weapons.
>But none of those wounds were tainted.
>In fact, the claw wounds were not fatal.
>I'm not certain what killed them.
>As we made our way back to the inn, the streets cleared for us.
>Since he had bathed, Toshiro's face was on full display.
>I had a nasty scar on my face, in the shape of an X. The lines met above my nose, between my eyes.
>Toshiro's face was a twisted mess, almost a lump of raw meat. The Oni that did that to him spit acid.
>I scowled at the disrespect shown to my friend as people hurried away from him.
>We returned to the inn so he could reapply his face paint.
>Because Toshiro was nothing if not polite.

Two in the morning. Good night everyone. Saturday evenings are my weekly Veeky Forums game night. Last week forever GM was feeling unwell, and the game got postponed, but as far as I know we're on schedule for tomorrow, so I'll about getting some more posted in the early afternoon.

Fortunes bless you, crab-user.

What game are y'all playing?

Goodnight, thank you, and please pass our enthusiasm for your story on to your group.

Still working on these.
My irl has fallen apart this week, but so far, so archived.

The other user was working on a collection as well.

Huzzah!

Thank you, Library user.

Here's an archived link to the previous thread
archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/52364366/

We're currently engaged in a game of Warhamer Fantasy (Fantasy Flight edition with all the cards and tokens and crap) all dorf party.

I'm playing a Slayer who took his oath because he got so drunk he mistook the thanes son for the thane's daughter and hit on him/her/it.

To be fair to Thorgrim, the thane's son is a little bitch.

>We returned to the others. Toshiro told them what he knew
>The victims were killed with claws, not blades. However none of their injuries should have been fatal so the killer, or killers claws must have some dark power. Be mindful of this when we confront them.
>The Mantis coked his head.
>How did you figure that out?
>Toshiro ignored him
>Hey, I asked you how you know that!
>I looked at the Mantis and shook my head.
>He glanced back and forth between me and Toshiro, then looked at Naomi. But when he saw she was just as confused he let it drop.
>No, I could not tell even Naomi.
>In the first place, it was not my place to speak of it. It was Toshiro's.
>In the second, Naomi had not been born a Crab. She could never understand just how far we would go to succeed.
>To a proper Samurai, failure is unacceptable. Most Samurai who fail in some important task will commit seppuku in shame.
>To a proper samurai, death and failure are not the same thing, however.
>While Matsu Roku had failed to take the Crane palace, all the Lion samurai who died did so with honor. They went before their ancestors in glory, not shame.
>Crabs cannot afford to think like that.
>We have no choice BUT to succeed.
>The consequences should we fail are to dire.
>All else must be sacrificed in the name of victory, so that the empire may know peace for just one more day.
>This is why I was acutally quite pleased we had become Jade Magistrates.
>We would have many oportiunites to adress the things that might have managed slip past my Clan.
>Kitsuki-san coughed to clear the tension from the air.
>Very well then. You said you do not for certain what killed them Toshiro-sama, but do you have some suspicion as to the nature of the power?
>Perhaps some measures we can take to safeguard ourselves?
>Toshiro considered this.
>They did seem low on blood, but that could just be from the wounds leaking as the bodies were handled. I can't say for certain if that's what happened.

>The Monkey ticked off the list on his fingers.
>Sneaky fucks
>Claws
>Maybe drains blood
>Anything else?
>Toshiro shook his head.
>Tatsuki surpised us by speaking up.
>you guys do this sort of thing all the time? Fighting monsters like this?
>uh, great samurai.
>Fortunatley for her, Kitsuki-san was the only one who might have objected to her adressing samurai out of turn. Toshiro and I were not ones to stand on propriety to begin with, Naomi too kind, the Monkey was just oblivious to the difference in station, and the Mantis seemed to truly enjoy her company.
>So Kitsuki-san ignored the breach of etiqute as the Mantis answered.
>Yeah. We're samurai, after all. We're supposed to make sure our farmers can grow our food in peace.
>Tatsuki stared. I think it was safe to say she saw samurai in a new light.
>We all made ready to go out on patrol that evening.
>Kituski-san suggested we look around the pillow district first, to get familiar with the streets, so we could respond quickly no matter where the killer struck.
>I worried about taking Naomi to such a place, but she insisted she would be fine.
>So off to look around then.
>The pillow district was, as far as red lantern areas go, very low class.
>Opium addicts and drunkards lay sprawled about openly and without shame.
>Women and men, some terribly unatractive, hawked their bodies to everyone who passed by.
>These were common whores, not geisha.
>And everywhere you cared to look street thugs stood about in groups or sauntered down the street, getting a wide berth from the others.
>As expected from the lands of the Crane, Sweet Sake Village had a real problem with vice and people of low character.
>It seemed the best Doji Megumi could manage was to keep it contained to a single district.
>The toughs who had previously owned the street made way for us however.
>Though I could feel hostile stares from the side streets and alleyways.

>So they would not pick a fight openly with saumrai.
>Wise.
>If they did that, there would no doubt be swift and harsh retribution.
>However, the prickling between my shoulders warned me that if they thought they could kill us without being being seen, they would.
>We shouldn't move alone in this place. I can feel their killing intent.
>Kitsuki-san agreed.
>I had noticed that myself. The people here seem quite resentful of Samurai.
>The Monkey looked around.
>I wonder why? I'll try and find out.
>He approached a random whore
>Who gave a scared yelp and retreated inside her whorehouse before he could so much as open his mouth.
>So even the Moneky's relaxed attitude that I had seen put many peasants at ease did not work here.
>Toshiro's eyes narrowed.
>This animosity is not natural.
>He was right. While we, as samurai, understood that one did not go about wasting one's Lords recources without good reason most peasants knew only that Samurai were to be obeyed without question. If a Samurai were to forget the possible consequences of his actions, or if he should find some reason he deemed suitable, he could go so far as to kill them and there was nothing they could do to stop him.
>Hence the excessive bowing and scraping most samurai got whenever they had need to address a peasant.
>This situation could, form time to time lead to animosity and even open rebellion from the lower classes.
>Since this was the case, attitudes like we were seeing here should have been punished harshly until proper conduct was restored.
>What had happened here?
>Naomi stopped abruptly.
>Toshiro-san, do you feel that?
>Toshiro stopped, cocked his head.
>he grunted.
>the two of them produced scrolls and began to pray.
>We looked on, puzzeled.
>They finished their prayers, looked at one another and nodded.
>There is a spiritual imbalance here.
>I blinked.
>So what does that mean?
>Another realm is exerting influence on Ningen-do. One that normally should not.

>Toshiro spoke up.
>It is NOT Jigoku, I am certain of that.
>But beyond that...
>Naomi spoke quietly.
>I would not be srupised if it is Toshigoku, given the bloodlust in the air.
>I looked at her in surprise. Naomi was no bushi, the killing intent that permeated battlefields would be utterly alien to her.
>Hai, even I can sense it.
>Water is the element of clarity, after all.
>The Mantis spoke up.
>What about Gaki-do?
Toshiro answered.
>Gaki-do is the realm of the Hungry dead. >Desire, not bloodlust, rules that place.
>Okay.
>We finished our scouting and returned to the inn to eat before our nighttime patrol.

had to cut that one short, the gang is on their way over now. Looking forward to reading your speculations. Last thread there was user who called it correctly on the poison sushi.

Doing Gods work, Librarianon.

Could you repost part 1? Pretty sure it was in the last thread, but it ended up closing before I realized I should save these.

...

Aha, much appreciated!

That was the screencap of the full first thread.

This was the first part of the highly legible series, barely begun.

Take your time, we've got the first mega caps for now.

Art cannot be rushed.

>this whole storytime

Man, sometimes I wish I could have such a classic L5R adventure with my group.

You have a group at least.

Bump for Hida !
Page 10 is the Wall!

Well I suppose now is a good time to return.

Cheers to the other libranianon who is making the masterwork screencaps.

I've started getting the raw source text into a single document, eventually I'll probably put it into a google doc.

As is usual, make your requests. Choose wisely.

Bumping with crab.

Nightmare Dwarf

...

Poker with a Ghost sounds like I one I haven't heard before.

I have never heard of the Dire Whale or of The Boobs are Alive

So go with ever one is more thread appropriate.

They played poker all right. With a deck of many things.

Also fine choices. Will post shortly.

This story is a fair alternative to a random fade to black sequence.

...

I'm a Dorf man, gimme all your dorfs. Also, have a stupid anecdote.

As you wish, user.

...

...

...

bump for the night

These are taking far longer to make than I previously anticipated.
But most of the delay is a radical decrease in the amount of time I have to do them.

I will persevere.

Be as unyielding as the Great Carpenter Wall.

>Be as unyielding as the Great Carpenter Wall.
I will yield only results.

>I belive we should split up on our patrol
>Kitsuki-san sipped his tea as everyone considered his suggestion.
>I didn't like the idea, and I said as much.
>I don't know if that's a good idea. We all saw it, how those peasants wanted to kill us. If we split up they might even try it.
>I am aware Ishigaki-san. However, moving in one large group decreases the odds of finding the killer, or killers.
>Toshiro voiced agreement with Kitsuki-san.
>He simply patted his twisted leg.
>Pillow district is a bit big.
>I looked to, of all people, the Mantis for some support.
>He was never fond of great risks
>Kitsuki-san has a point. And it's just peasants. Even if they tried something, how big a threat could they be.
>Naomi?
>Everyone please bear in mind the spiritual imbalance. I believe that those peasants are not like that normally.
>I had thought she would be against spliting up because the peasants may try something. Naomi hated killing. But in the end she chose to trust everyone would show restraint.
>Well that's it then. I was the lone dissenter.
>Monkey and Mantis formed one group. They were the stealthiest in our party.
>I was worried about the Mantis being able to stay quiet in that heavy armor, but he assured us he could manage it.
>Toshiro said he would pair off with Kitsuki-san.
>Naomi and I made our way along the eastern part of the Pillow district, Toshiro and Kitsuki-san took the center, with the Mantis and Monkey in the west.
>The Ahsigaru were also sent in.
>Everyone had Yumi with them, and humming bulb arrows.
>At night, the pillow district was even worse.
>The light from the red lanterns made everyone's face seem distorted, evil.
>I saw more than few faces leering at Naomi hungrily.
>She put a hand on my arm.
>It is the imbalance. It has grown stronger now, even you can see the effects.
>I glanced at her.
>While I had gotten a bit jumpy, wondering which threat to address first, Naomi was absolutely calm.

>Hey, can this imbalance affect US?
>If we are exposed for too long, yes. But I do not believe we will need to worry about that.
>It is different for these people; they live and work here.
>Another thought struck me.
>Hey, the taint of Jigoku is permanent...
>Some may bear this mark forever, yes. But I am certain it's effects will weaken if we address it.
>Adress it? We aren't even sure which realm it is we're dealing with yet.
>It is related to the unnatural attitudes in this place though. I suspect it is the true cause of the killings.
>Couldn't it be the other way around? The killing bringing the imbalance into being?
>We have seen many killings, dealt with many murderers in the past Ishigaki-kun. How many imbalances have we seen like this?
>I nodded. Okay.
>We were Jade Magistrates. Our mandate was to see to the spiritual well being of Rokugan.
>Most times that meant hunting maho-tsukai and tainted creatures.
>But this was another aspect of our duty.
>Lustful moans and carnal noises wafted out from the building we were walking past.
>Lewd shadows danced on the rice paper.
>Naomi gripped my arm a little tighter.
>I knew her well enough to know she was blushing at that, though the red light made it harder to see.
>FWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH
>A humming bulb shot into the sky.
>From the west.
>Naomi got out a scroll, said a quick prayer.
>The two of us moved, sped along by the Water Kami.

>We overtook Toshiro and Kitsuki-san.
>Naomi passed the blessing of the Water Kami on to them as well.
>Even with their help, Toshiro was unable to thumpdrag at a pace with us. He waved us on.
>Kituski-san shouted.
>Do not wait up for us; go, go!
>I nodded, and took off at full speed.
>Only to be surpised as my wife overtook me.
>Oh, that's right. She's a tensai. Despite her small frame and sickly nature she was much beloved by the water kami.
>It dawned on me then that my Hana-chan, with her mastery of her own water, may be able to lift me over head while I was wearing my armor.
>Naomi rounded a corner, stopped short. >Stared.
>I caught up with her.
>The Mantis and Monkey were backed up against a low fence brandishing their weapons.
>Surrounded by a semi circle of a half dozen whores in various states of undress.
>The mocking laughter at the sight died in my throat as the women all threw back their heads and shrieked.
>No human could make a sound like that.
>misty vapours poured out their mouths, noses and eyes.
>And took the shape of women, clad in white, features twisted unnaturally.
>The women collapsed into crumpled heaps.
>Ghosts then. Vengeful spirits possesd the bodies of people, used them to kill. That was how our killers surprised their victims, why there never any witnesses.
>I dove at one, striking at it with my tetsubo.
>The mist swirled around my weapon, but I felt an impact.
>The ghost shrieked as I wounded it.
>That was all I needed to know.
>ISHIGAKI!
>Naomi yelled at me.
>THOSE ARE NOT YOREI! THEY ARE GAKI!
>what?
>From behind me I heard the Mantis.
>Oh. Oh shit.
>The Gaki ignored me, even the one I had struck only hissed before turning away.
>They floated over to the Mantis and Monkey.
>They ignored the Monkey.
>All six tore into the Mantis.
>He covered himself as best he could, fending off most.
>But one got through to strike him in the back.
>It's fingers went through his armor as though it did not exist.

What is the difference between yorei and gaki?

>I saw thick red bands just beneath the semi transparant skin of the Gaki. The red slid up the gaki's fingers, arm, to the place where it's heart should be.
>Toshiro said that the victims had been low on blood.
>The Monkey turned and began to hack wildly at the Gaki, trying to drive them off of the Mantis
>Naomi could not reach him, surrounded as he was.
>So I rushed in, swinging my tetsubo in wide arcs, trying to knock one or two aside.
>I managed to do so, and the Manits broke out from the pack moving to Naomi.
>Quickly she worked her magic, healing him.
>The Gaki persued him, save the one I knocked down. It vanished.
>The hell?
>Dodging about the Mantis managed to avoid getting surrounded.
>Get these damn things OFF OF ME!
>The Monkey answered
>We're trying! Hold still so we can reach them!
>Are you INSANE?! I'm not going to just stand around while they suck up all my blood!
>Naomi had drawn another scroll.
>Toshiro and Kitsuki-san arrived then.
>Naomi says they're gaki!
>Toshiro nodded.
>He pointed at me, and a tetusbo made of earth, with spikes of jade rose up from the ground before me.
>I tossed aside my mundane one, grasping the magic one, and slammed it down into one of the Gaki.
>It did not part the misty form of the Gaki as my other weapon had, but rather tore a chunk of the mist away.
>The Gaki howled in rage.
>Much better.
>As the Mantis weaved about defending himself, the Monkey and Kitsuki-san combined their efforts to injure another one.
>Once more, they all attacked the Mantis. And then another passed through the wall of a house, and stabbed its hands into his back again.
>Once more, I saw the Mantis' blood flow up the creatures arms and into it's heart.
>I battered one aside with all my might.
>And then Naomi yelled to us.
>MOVE!
>We dove aside as she unleashed a torrent of water, bowling over the rest of the Gaki.
>Toshiro pointed again, and the Monkey's katana burst into fire.
>We fell upon the gaki, I think we killed two, or three.

The gaki are damned souls from the "punish the guilty" hell (gaki-do) who want to OMNOMNOMNOMN your soul. Think something akin to spiritual Tyranids, minus the Hivemind.
The yorei are only the soul that never left Ningen-do, because of an unfinished buisness/vengence. They are still to be juged in Meido, unlike the gaki.
Go check the 4e edition core rulebook for more info.

A yorei is a ghost, it's the spirit of a dead person who has lingered on in Nigen-do (the realm of humans) instead of going to be judged by Ema-O.

A gaki is the spirit of a human who had great desire in life. To shed their negative kharma so they can be reborn Gaki exist to consume unlearn things, some have to spend years literally eating shit. They're kind of like spiritual vacuum cleaners. Different types of Gaki consume different types of things. These ones feed on blood.

>I couldn't be certain how many we disptached because they all disappeared at once, even ones I knew we did not strike.
>We all pulled in to a circle, back to back looking around for where they would come from next.
>Damn. Where did they go?
>what the hell Mantis? Why are they after you?
>How the hell should I know?
>You knew! As soon as Naomi said they were Gaki you freaked out!
>Now is really not the time! Shit... how many more are there?!
>And then...
>Nothing happened.
>Silence. Just Silence.
>Slowly, the normal background hum of the pillow district reasserted itself.
>As the flames on the Moneky's blade died down, we allowed ourselves to relax.
>Well, we got two at least. Maybe three.
>No, we didn't Ishigaki-san.
>I looked at Kitsuki-san in surpise.
>Gaki are immortal. They are spirts of the dead, already judged and cleansing themselves before their rebirth. You cannot destroy a soul.
>Why the surprised look? I never forget anything, and I have read many texts on diverse subjects.
>it simply does not come up often, as we have experts on many subjects of import to our work.
>So we can't kill them? Then what do we do, ask them to go somewhere else?
>Naomi spoke up.
>If their spirt forms are disrupted they will return to Gaki-do. They would not be able to return and cause more trouble then. Normally, anyway.
>I arched an eyebrow.
>The imbalance, Ishigaki-kun. Somewhere in this district is a place where Gaki-do and Ningen-do overlap. A place that should not exist.
>Kitsuki-san nodded. Those were Shozai-Gaki, were they not, Naomi?
>Hai.
>Then we are looking for a place where great desire lead to a crime, and much blood was spilled?
>That would be a reasonable guess, yes.
>Then let's get some rest for now. We can investigate where they are coming from in the morning.
>I for one, have no disire to face those things again without being at full strength. That would just be foolish.

Going to break for a bit here. Getting hungry.

The Gaki-do in this tory gave me an idea.

Maho (blood magic) is tied to Jigoku.

Shugenja magic is tied to the 5 elements, Ningen-do and asks kami (typical spirits of Ningen-do not Lord Sun and various high up fortunes from Tengoku) politely for help.

There are a multitude of priests who worship various fortunes that live in Tengoku and ask them for help. However, while the denizens of Tengoku do give various blessings they tend not to be as straightforward as spells.

Also, there are various priests that worship non-Tengoku fortunes such as Emma-o, Ryoshun and the Lords of Death. These particular ones I mentioned come from Meido. Also, I have the feeling that gods of Meido wouldn't smile on summoning up ghosts from Meido to do your bidding.

Ancestor worship is very widespread in Rokugan and there are lots of people who seek blessings from their ancestors in Yomi although it is again not as straightforward as Shugenja magic. Various ancestor spirits sometimes do come up from Yomi to aid people in times of need although one never is so rude as to try to summon them.

Naga and Nezumi seem to have a strong connection with Yume-do (the realms of dreams) and seem to have their own forms of magic associated with it.

This leaves open Gaki-do, Toshigoku, Chikushudo, Maigo no Musha and Sakkaku as unexplored places to draw power from.

Gaki-do and Toshigoku are probably as bad as Jigoku to draw power from and asking Sakkaku for help is probably just probably going to end up with you being tricked.

An evil mage using evil power from Gaki-do and Toshigoku could make for a good story. A trickster being using trickster magic from Sakkaku could make for an interesting encounter although I don't think it'd make for a great BBEG. I think that a group that worshipped totem animals from Chikushudo could be interesting. I'm not really sure how to tie Maigo no Musha into a story.

Maigo no Musha is just Meido-lite. It doesn't even have an agenda like Meido does. It's just a waiting room.

Also, the Kitsune who went mortal (And therefore the Kitsune shugenja school) draw power from Chikushudo.

>Also, the Kitsune who went mortal
oh god what

Foxwife, yo.
The mortal realm has a very strong jealousy. Any spirit that gets too involved in mortal affairs or sticks around for too long becomes mortal.

Of course, when they inevitably die, spirits that have gone mortal get to go down the expedited line where Emma-O rubber stamps them back to their proper spirit realm.
And half-spirits are just normal humans with very minor quirks. Someone with a kitsune for a mom would be a normal human, possibly with a Chikushudo related advantage, or Inner Gift: Animal Empathy or something like that.

Bump

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bump.

When I notice this thread is low I'll bump with a greentext. Starting with some 40k ones.

>When we got back to the inn I pressed the Mantis.
>Alright, why did those things only chase you?
>I DON'T KNOW.
>I stared at him.
>I mean, I don't know why. My parents just told me that the Shugenja that attended my birth said that Gaki-do hated me or something.
>The Monkey chimed in from where he sat.
>He was dual wielding a pair of steamed meat buns, and didn't even have the decency to swallow before speaking.
>So what you're saying is you're the juciest bit of Gaki bait we've got right now?
>Ugh, I know you were raised on a farm but seriously Monkey! MANNERS.
>He swallowed hard and glared sullenly at me.
>What? I get hungry after a fight...
>He want back to stuffing his face.
>Can you three be serious? You're taking this too lightly.
>In response to his chastisement I stared Kitsuki-san in the eyes until he dropped his gaze.
>I am not, Kitsuki-san.
>There is a place where Gaki-do has entered Ningen-do.
>That is a concern for Shugenja.
>The gaki will try to stop the shugenja from closing the hole.
>That is a concern for me.
>I can hurt the gaki with my tetsubo.
>I do not need to know anything else.
>That is all true, Ishigaki-san, but the Gaki have spiritual bodies. Your armor is no defense against them.
>And I suppose you think a Shikome cannot fight without her horse as well?
>I was being rude, and I knew it. But I did not like my commitment being questioned.
>Ishigaki-kun, how are does our supply of Jade powder fare?
>The question caught me off gaurd.
>Uh...enough for a single mid seized oni, or several spawn, why?
>The spiritual bodies of the Gaki are more easily disrupted by the three sacred substances. Obviously they are not as resilient as Oni, however jade powder could help to disperse them more quickly.
>I see, then we're going to need to get some more jade, Naomi.

Always remember, ladies and gentlemen: If you're gonna take "Cursed by the Realm: Gaki-Do," your DM is gonna make you fight Gaki at least once. Make sure you play this to your advantage, not your disadvantage.

>I was in a strange position socially.
>Once married, a wife's rank is set to just below her husbands.
>However, only shugenja could be full fledged Jade Magistrates.
>So, while I never bothered with honorifics for my wife, or my best friend (save for the most formal of occasions) the fact remained that they both outranked me now.
>Naomi however, seemed to appreciate I did not refer to her as -sama unless absolutely necessary.
>The Mantis dowened his cup of sake in one gulp. That was his fourth.
>One question. How EXACTLY are we going to find this hole? You aren't planning on having me walk around and wait to get attacked by Gaki, are you?
>Of course not, Mantis-san. We will ask.
>huh?
>Something great enough to create a bridge between Gaki-do and Nigen-do would be a very noticeable event. A distasteful one few would wish to speak of openly, but one that would still be remembered.
>oh.
>I was awakened in the middle of the night by Naomi.
>She was sitting up in bed, coughing violently. Blood was oozing out from between the fingers covering her mouth.
>I held her up waiting for the fit to pass.
>It did not.
>She was coughing so hard tears were forming in her eyes.
>I wrapped her up in a blanket to preserve her modesty and threw open the door. I carried her outside to the fresh air.
>It seemed to help; her coughing slowed, then subsided.
>I got her clean water to rinse the blood from her mouth with, and set to work brewing her medicine.
>As I waited for the water to boil, I got a cloth, soaked it in water as cold as I could find, and washed her burning flesh.
>She was limp in my arms, eyes fluttering.
>It was all she could do to remain conscious.
>When her medicine was done, I blew on the tea to cool it, the held it gently to her lips.
>She sucked weakly on it, then swallowed painfully.
>I know it's hard Naomi, but please, you must drink it all.
>She nodded and did her best.
>She finished her medicine.
>I sat beside her, awake, the rest of the night.

>Once married, a wife's rank is set to just below her husbands.
Technically, a higher ranked wife would still be higher ranked. Generally, whoever marries out of their original family is set to just below the rank of whoever stays in their original family, as a member of their new family. Nothing actually keeps them at that rank if they can get promotions though.

You're right but women still tend to be married out and up though so what he said is really just more common and the point is that it's odd as a manly man to be outranked by your gentle loving wife.

>I did not leave the room in the morning. Naomi's breathing had been steady, but shallow all night.
>I heard the door slide open a crack.
>Then it shut.
>After a moment it opened again and Toshiro came in.
>He looked at me, then Naomi.
>He grunted.
>It wasn't until I took her outside that she stopped coughing. She's been like that all night.
>He nodded.
>Took hold of the blanket
>He paused and looked at me
>You've attended the birth of both my children Toshiro. Go ahead.
>I really did have no idea why he was being so considerate.
>He pulled the blanket down and examined Naomi. Placed his head on her chest to hear her heart and breathing. Pulled down her lips and peered into her mouth, checked her eyes.
>Through it all she barley moved, and made no sound.
>It had been a long time since Naomi had been so sick. Not since she was still carrying Daiko.
>I could tell that her life was not in immediate danger, but I had no idea how bad off she really was.
>Toshiro pulled out some scrolls. Said several prayers.
>I did not see any change, but I thought her breathing sounded just a bit smoother.
>Ishigaki-san, she will be fine. Tatsuki can look after her. We must go. I am counting on you to keep the Gaki off me while I close the tear.
>I looked up at him, confused.
>You never call me -san.
>You never look at me the way you are now.
>What are you talking about?
>Toshiro bared some of his wakizahi, showed me my reflection in the steel.
>My face was twisted with a rage I didn't realize I felt.
>It was only then I realized how furious I was.
>My Hana-chan was in pain, her life in danger.
>I wanted to hurt those responsible. Even if that meant storming into heaven and throttling Jurojin himself.
>It was a cold rage, unlike any I had felt before.
>I did not like it.
>shaking my head to clear away my blasphemous thoughts, I stood up.

>Toshiro looked closely at me.
>You love her.
>of coursse I do.
>You wish to live a long life with her. Have many children, many more grandchildren?
>Is that so wrong?
>Desire is a sin, Ishigaki. Gaki-do is the realm of desire.
>What do you...oh.
>He nodded.
>Shit.
>I should have woken him right away, but Gaki-do had influenced my desire, made me possessive to the point of obsession.
>The one who had put Naomi in danger...
>was me.
>Toshiro saw the realization cross my face.
>Good. be more careful about that, baka.
>Focus on your duty. Clear your mind of all else. That will protect you.
>Right.
>And so we asked around. It was Monkey who got the answer we were looking for.
>An old man, back bent, legs twisted with age.
>he looked like he could die at any moment.
>And he knew it.
>It was a couple months ago. Some Crane samurai came into town, went down to the pillow district.
>They had large chest with them.
>Word quicly got out they were spending coin like it was nothing. Opium, sake, shochu, women, men.
>The old man laughed. The samurai ordered everything on the menu, then had them add new things to the menu so they could order those as well.
>Magistrate didn't like it one bit. She's pretty straight laced, dosen't like the pillow district. But the Lord said leave it be, and so she does.
>He chuckled again.
>You know, great samurai, it is a great thing to know you are dying. I've never felt so free in my life.
>I suppose, you who live your lives for war, know this feeling well.
>I'm impressed at your restraint. There are so many things I would say, would do, if my body were not so decrepit.
>I guess that is why I am still a peasant, and you are samurai.
>He had no way of knowing, but his words shamed me.
>He leaned in and placed his hand beside his mouth, as though he were going to whisper something that should not be said too loudly.
>Then he said it too loudly.
>But then orders came in for our Magistrate.
>The gold those samurai had?
>They stole it

To be fair to Ishigaki, the gods in L5R are kinda assholes; wanting to kill Jurojin or the Celestial Dragon or any of the other ones is a perfectly rational thing to feel.

HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER:

>Lightning Ball : Age of a New Empire
CHapter 1: THe return of Kuja the Almighty!
me: ok guys the 5 of u r going in2 a dungeon
pally: im use derect evil
clr: mm im gonna ready an heal on action wounds spell for when 1st person is hurt
rog: im stealth
fiter: i move and strike!
wiz: i cast magic missil

OK but what happened next will leave you so fucking shocked u might shit urself so spoiler alert this will trigger u:

when them fighter boys hitted the badguy from the videogame an cutscene happened and the wizard and cleric D I E D because it was a magic poison gas that only hurts them FINGER WIGGLER types
>but the paladin
FUCK YOU paladins are not magic theyre just stupid cocksuckers who bleiev in first aid theyre lITerally boyscouts

>GIANT ENEMY CRAB17
>swing my spell great axe of revolving light into the crab weakpont and cast "SECRET OF THE STEEL" and it make him battle scar points™ illuminate so well that party they can see the glowing weakpoints that u attack for Massive Dammage
>ROGUE USED STEALTH
>ROGUE GAINS INVISIBLE
but then when i was asked what the crab did...
// *33* \\ *7* // *21* \\ *18* // *14* !!!
it dropped the fighter so hard,
so fast,
so suddenly,
his ass left a smoldering crayter wher him legs was standing when his up per boty got demcapfenstrated in quarter (2 part)
"SHIT" said his magesty (xXxGanddAlfxXx used self resurect)
"I will use my awesome power..." and he shoot lightning
CRAB SHELL DEFLECT BREAK! the franklin badge deflected the electricity and wizardchan's eyes popped out of his eyesockets when he went "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" and spurted
??? Post ending in 5 decide what happen next on this awesome action packed anime table top text based rpg playing game?? ???

"Hello, ;) Opening! Hehehe :D" im shoot my twin pistoles after Warp Break and do extra damage!

Have you ever read something, and been confused whether they had a stroke while writing it, or if you're having a stroke while reading it?

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>Now, it was just a coincidence they came here.
>As I heard from one of the Yoriki, Megumi-sama only got word that a shipment of money had been stolen by bandits, and to keep an eye out for suspicous ronin.
>ronin! hah! When all along some of the lords own retainers robbed him!
>Kitsuki-san's hand twitched a bit. He was quite displeased at the old man's blatant disrespect.
>I thought it was as funny as the old man did.
>Crane weren't quite as greedy as Mantis, but that was only because they had no rivals as the richest clan before the Mantis rose to power.
>They were still getting used to the idea of having to compete seriously for wealth.
>But our pretty magistrate figured it out right away. So she went to arrest those traitors!
>Do you know what happened?
>We shook our heads.
>She found nothing!
>Oh the samurai were there all right.
>In an empty house. With no money.
>She looked all over, had the Yoriki tear the place apart!
>But to no avail. She's ashamed of that to this very day.
>And the Samurai just disappeared.
>The monkey thanked the old man, as the rest of us got Kitsuki-san away from him.
>He'll be stone dead in a moment, just leave it for Ema-O.
>We then spoke to the Magistrate. Kitsuki-san handled it, delicately.
>He explained what we had learned, and asked Doji Megumi where she had found the Samurai.
>With her directions we headed into the pillow district Hopefully for final time.
>There, tucked away in a back alleyway, was a rotting house
>The sakura tree in the front garden was dead, the rope holding the bucket in the well snapped.
>Yes, it's here. This close there is no mistaking it.
>The Monkey scratched his head. How did we miss this the first time through, anyway?
>I shrugged. It dosen't matter now does it?
>Powder your weapon. We need to be ready for when they come.
>Toshiro, how long will the ritual take?
>As long it takes.
>Great. Got it. Thanks.
>Kitsuki-san, Mantis, Monkey and I took up positions around Toshiro.

I think your fine, looks like goonspeak to me.

>Hey, Toshiro-san
>Toshiro-san!
>The sun is starting to set, what the hell is taking so long?
>The tear is resisting, Stop distracting me.
>Is there anything we can do to speed things up?!
>I don't know, I'm not an expert on the spirit realms! I only know about Jigoku, and then it's just the things that come out of it!
>Whoa!
>What is it Monkey?
>There's a freakishly large number of cockroaches coming out of that run down house over there!
>Kitsuki-san yelled, IT'S THE GAKI!
>the roaches became smoke, smoke became humanoid forms.
>Gaki rushed at us.
>With our weapons powdered, we were able to dispatch them with realitve ease. The Mantis covered himself up, while the rest of us struck them down.
>Kitsuki-san showed his skill quite well. It was official now, I was the worst in our group with a sword.
>Unless you counted Naomi and Toshiro, but since they did not wear a full daisho, I didn't.
>But then the gaki came out of the house, again.
>More? asked the Monkey
>No, the same ones! answered the Kitsuki.
>They are immortal! They'll keep coming until the ritual is complete!
>Toshiro?
>Working on it!
>fuck.
>I've got an idea!
>I smashed one aside and ran inside.
>I cold hear the others fighitng outside.
>GOT ONE! yelled the Monkey.
>Okay, now where...
>A blood red flash came from a room on my left.
>I ran in, smashed my tetsubo into the Gaki, It vanished after the second blow.
>The red glow again. Up from the tatami mat.
>What
>The gaki rose up from the ground.
>I pulled back the mat. Mantis was going to have to be ready for this one.
>But as I uncovered the staircase that Megumi's Yoriki had missed, the gaki surprised me.
>It turned and struck at me.
>It's claws passed right trough my armor, and I my body grow cold as my blood passed up it's arm.
>I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THERE BUT KEEP IT UP! THEY DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
>Oh great. They're all coming here now.
>THERE'S A SECRET BASMENT!

>I spun my tetsubo in a defensive arc, warding off as many attacks as I could.
>I couldn't stop them all, however.
>The Mantis and Kitsuki-san came in, I pointed to the stairs.
>I've got this, go!
>As they headed down the Gaki turned again.
>Don't know why we didn't see that coming.
>We fought a runing battle, down the stairs and into the basement.
>Where the bodies were.
>almost twenty skeletons were hidden here.
>Six of them wore mouldering blue robes, and had daisho.
>Kitsuki-san looked at them, made another logic leap.
>He yelled to the Gaki. I UNDERSTAND! You were murdered to protect the secret of where the gold was hidden, weren't you?
>The Gaki paused.
>Huh?
>Gaki aren't Yorei.
>No, they are not. But sometimes Gaki still remember a bit of who they are. Sometimes it's only a faint echo the Gaki themselves aren't even aware of.
>These Gaki, their desire for vengance tore this hole, I think. That's why the Crane were the first to die.
>We backed out, warily. The gaki followed us. Silent.
>Almost exptant.
>Now what?
>I think we should find the gold.
>It wasn't down there.
>I know.
>What are the odds of there being TWO secret rooms the Yoriki missed?
>Slim, I'd say.
>Then where...?
>The Mantis grunted.
>I know!
>He ran off.
>We followed.
>He was quickly wrapping a cloth around a humming bulb arrow.
>Then he soaked it in lamp oil.
>Lit it.
>And dropped it down the well.
>We looked.
>I saw a faint yellow glimmer before the light went out.
>When we looked up, the Gaki were gone.
>Toshiro?
>Finished it about the time you yelled.
>So, you could have just killed them one last time, I guess.
>But I suppose this works too.
>Gaki are not Yorei. They have no atachments to their old lives.
>But sometimes, just sometimes, a soul carries a bond or desire so strong it will persist even after death.
>I often told Naomi I would love in this life and the next.
>I wondered if I would become a gaki when I died.

G'night everybody.
Someone find that one guys IP and call an ambulance, I'm worried about him.

Till next time, based crab-user.

Bumping with a reference point

Bump for someone getting this user medical help.

For those of you curious, the original thread and screencap took up 3.75 high quality screencaps.

And I'm on to the second thread now.

Bump for best faction