L5R Storytime thread: Stonewall and Little Flower edition

Once more the bump limit is reached.
One more a new thread is born.

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youtu.be/8mHKHKR8x6A
l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Togashi_Kaze
twitter.com/SFWRedditVideos

>When I woke up in the morning I noticed my beard was getting shaggy again.
>Time for a trim then
>I shook my head at the thought
>On the Wall a 'trim' was me pulling my beard taut and slicing it off with a tanto as close to my chin as I could
>Away from the wall there was an assortment of tools to use
>And my fingers were ill suited to fine detail work
>Mirrors were expensive as well, hard to make
>Naomi saw me rubbing at my scruff
>Smiled
>I'll get it Ishisgaki-kun
>Fortunately, I had Naomi
>We sat in silence while she made me presentable, enjoying the intimacy of the moment togother
>Then off for breakfast and polite meal time conversation with the court
>I was fortunate enough that the talk had already shifted away from the sumai tournament and on to the painting contest
>It was, like the sumai tournament, an amateur affair.
>Open to any who cared to pick up a brush
>A large room had been set aside to display the finished works
>Who painted what would be kept secret, so bias against this or that clan would have no weight on the judging
>Naomi had with a few paintings, so I was looking forward to her entry
>I had no doubt even my eyes would be able to pick hers out from the group
>Kitsuki-san was a consummate courtier so I'm sure he would enter as well
>To my surprise those two encouraged the rest of us to enter as well
>The Akodo from the tournament overheard and agreed
>The way of warrior is the two fold way of pen and sword
>One must train their mind as diligently as they train their body, and so be scholar, poet and warrior all at once.
>He nodded to emphasize his point
>Indeed it is one of Akodo's orders that one always carry a text with them.
>If one has nothing else to do, they should read.
>Toshiro, Mantis-san and I all exchanged glances
>It was Naomi who finnaly convinced us
>All the works will be anonymous you three.
>It is only the winner whose work will be known.
>So we agreed to try our hand at painting

The glory of Crab
Is undiminished by time
Now, time for artists.

youtu.be/8mHKHKR8x6A

>I stared for a long time at the blank paper in front of me
>It was taunting me
>I didn't have the first clue what made a good painting so I had no idea where to even start
>And, my hands were rough.
>My fingers thick and a little clumsy.
>Ill suited to delicate work like painting
>In fact the only time I could ever be gentle...
>...was with Naomi...
>I knew what I would paint.
>It was crude, and ugly.
>The lines far to thick
>I used no color
>I was afraid trying I might slop over the lines I had already laid out
>A simple jagged line near the botom represented a layer of snow
>And in the center a single flower bloomed with all it's might
>I struggled for a bit after I painted the stem
>In the end I went with five petals, like the ones Naomi had planted in our garden.
>I'm sure they had some meaning, but like with the patterns she had raked in the sand, I never bothered to ask what.
>That garden was HER garden
>I did not understand the art she brought into and made for our house
>But it brought her happiness to do so
>That was reason enough for it to exist
>I didn't give the painting a name
>I signed my own name to the small paper beside me and called in a servant
>They confirmed that this was my painting and my name, then folded up the paper with my name on it and tucked it behind the painting
>The painting declared the winner would have the paper bearing it's creators name unfolded and read aloud
>everyone else's painting would be returned to their rooms discretely by servants after the judging was finished
>I took a few deep breaths and then went out into the grand hall where the artwork was on display.
>There were a LOT of paintings
>And servants kept bringing in more
>At the door a servant asked my name
>I told them, and they wrote it down
>Then folded up the paper firmly
>He handed the paper to me
>Beneath each painting you will find a bowl, great samurai.
>Please place your vote into the bowl of the painting you judge to be the best

...

>Once all the paintings have been brought in, of course, great samurai.
>Please do not vote for your own painting, great samurai
>I looked at the paper in my hand
>I had to ask
>What's to stop someone from just swapping out their vote with the name of a painting they they think is better then their own?
>The servant took two peices of paper.
>The vote ballot is folded thusly
>He folded
>While the artists name is folded in this way
>He folded again
>When he unfolded them they had clearly different creases showing in the paper
>Oh. Okay then.
>I circulated among the paintings already here.
>A few stood out to my eyes
>One was a single vertical line, with almost the entire rest of the painting covered in black ink
>Only a small circle of blank paper surounded the line
>It almost looked like a darkness closing in on, and threatening to engulf, whatever that one line was supposed to be
>There was another that was simply the kanji for 'empty' upon an otherwise blank page
>Except, it wasn't empty, because there was a kanji on it.
>Was that supposed to be clever?
>There were quite a few courtiers discusing that one, so I guess it was
>Dots.
>Lots and lots and lots of dots
>There were several courtiers around that one, arguing over what it could mean
>I looked again
>Wait.
>This looks like a battle formation
>No. Two armies engaging each other.
>If you were looking at a battle from above, anyway.
>I wasn't certain, because the artist had only used black ink, but I thought I could pick out the sides
>I was no great strategist, but I had seen plenty of battles.
>If I was right about which dots were on which side, this battle was going to end without a clear winner. Just piles and piles of corpses
>huh.
>Oooh? Do you have some idea as to the meaning of this painting, Hida-san?
>It was Scorpion woman, Soshi by the mon on her kimono, that spoke to me
>I looked back.
>The courtiers were all looking at me expectantly,

>There were several Crane and Scorpion in this group, as well as a few Phoenix.
>And the head of the Mantis delegation
>I pointed
>Looks like two armies to me
>See, here and here?
>These are battle formations
>The Soshi hid behind her fan and sniffed
>How uncouth, to make a painting glorifying war when there are peace talks going on
>I wonder about that
>An Asako spoke up
>What do you mean, Hida-san?
>Well, they're all going to die.
>I gestured, explaining how the battle would progress from this point.
>When each unit would likely be ordered to join in, and how the shape would change
>Looks to me like these armies are going to just wipe each other out.
>No one wins
>I laughed at myself
>But what do I know about art anyway?
>I'm probably wrong anyway. Don't mind me.
>Fans fluttered as I got away before I could embarrass myself further.
>There was another painting, of a mother bird feeding her young in a nest
>Behind them was a large wall
>behind the wall, dark, ill defined shapes could be seen trying to climb over it
>The wall was cracked in a few places, but the shapes didn't seem to be having any luck
>At first I thought I had found Toshiro's but the style was to practiced
>his would be uglier, like mine.
>The person who painted this one had painted before, many times
>Of course, with such an obvious meaning, this had to belong to one of my fellow Crabs
>I wondered which one painted in their off time.
>Katsuie-sama, perhaps.
>I'd already seen him playing a Konto, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had other artistic pursuits as well
>I overheard some courtiers talking, another painting had drawn a small crowd
>I went over to see what the fuss was about
>I wonder about the deliberate crudeness of the lines.
>It obviously speaks to the harshness of the world, and how one must struggle to bloom so beautifully.
>indeed, this perfectly captures mono no aware, even without the petals falling.
>there's no way...

>I agree. It was wise to leave it to the veiwer to remember the truth.
>I came up.
>Sure enough, it was my painting
>I'm sorry, I'm a bit crude. But could someone please explain to me what's going on this painting?
>Patronizing smiles only half hidden by fans
>Of course Hida-san
>Look here, this thick line is snow. It's crudeness shows a harsh winter, just as the world can be a harsh and cruel place
>A lone flower, struggling to bloom beautifully with all it's might.
>Though it is far from perfect, no other flower has the strength to do this
>And even as your heart exults in the flowers victory, you are taken over by the bittersweet realization that it will wilt and perish soon, perhaps even alone, before the other flowers bloom themselves.
>Mono no aware; the impermanence of things.
>Moshi Aoi took a moment to peer at the painting
>I think that this painting is extoling the virtues of the artists lover.
>What?
>isn't this a Wasurenagusa flower?
>It is hard to tell because the artist used no color.
>The others crowded around again
>gasps arose
>You are right, Moshi-san!
>A secret declaration of love!
>A winter romance already!
>flutering intesifies
>...
>...
>The fuck did I just do?
>I beat a hasty retreat
>I understood that great art was supposed to be subtle, full of hidden meaning
>I hadn't realized this meant art critics would talk out of their asses and see things the artist never intended
>It was just Naomi, just my Hana-chan
>Not some epic treatise on short beautiful lives
>And certainly not the declaration of a winter romance
>I didn't even know what those wasa.. wa.. wasabi flowers, or whatever the hell they were called, meant when I painted that
>True Love.
>Huh.
>Of course that was where Naomi would start
>Well then, I supposed I would just let the courtiers gossip about a non-existent romance
>Don't misunderstand, of course I loved my wife dearly.
>But a winter romance was a different thing to that.

Painting with a brush
Flowers, With a tesubo
Hida's ennemies

>Love is, at best, a secondary consideration in marriage, if it is considered at all.
>It is taboo for a samurai to show emotion in public, and this extends to love as well
>In plays and stories however Love is often an element
>Most of the time, the lovers meet a tragic end for their feelings
>Most of the time, this is what would happen in real life as well
>I remember one play I saw, about two bushi who loved one another dearly.
>They would often duel one another testing each others skills and pushing the other to excel, and so they were both quite skilled with their blades.
>Such was their skill that they dueled with real blades, and never hurt one another.
>this kind of skill could be seen at some of the top tournaments in Rokugan, like the Test of the Emerald Champion.
>What began as a rivalry blossomed into romance, then into love
>However, the parents of the Samurai-ko arranged a marriage for her, even though they knew of her love
>On the wedding day, the two lovers had one last duel with each other
>The parents and her husband to be thought it a minor indulgence, one last duel to end their rivalry and love forever.
>The lovers killed each other, by stabbing each other through the heart at the same time.
>This play was written about two people who did such a thing in reality.
>A winter romance was the closest thing a Samurai was supposed to get to love, in the real world.
>One person would, though subtle innuendo and often hidden in works of art, extol the virtues of the person they were romancing
>It was a game, dancing on the edge of acceptable behavior.
>One must be subtle enough to not let on who they were courting for real, yet it was no good if the one being courted could not themselves realize it.
>If, buy the time it was over, everyone knew but could not prove who was involved then it was successful.
>The participants would both be talked about with admiration for some time, perhaps even years.
>The best ones would be immortalized in art

>Of course, should someone be able to PROVE who was involved things would not go so well
>Many times, some brash young fool would persue a married woman
>Sometimes, should samurai love someone who ends up married to another, they persue their love in this way
>Having clandenstine affairs during the winter courts
>Those that get caught will be spoken off for some time as well
>as a warning to those would selfishly persue their own desires instead of their duty
>whatever the outcome, a winter romance would be a very exciting thing to for everyoe to try and keep track off
>I suppose then, that I had unintenionaly muddied the waters making it easier for those who would try one this year
>It was while I was thinking of these things that I came upon the next portrait
>It was a woman, facing away from the viewer
>She was slipping her Kimono off, exposing her back down almost to her rear, and looking over her shoulder seductively
>There was nothing to distingush a clan or even caste
>I wondered it this was the Moshi pervert's submission
>I saw many that were quite simple, paintings of animals, landscapes, some fortunes
>One was of Ebisu, a pleased smile on his face, as he watched over peasants planting the next crop of rice
>Kitsuki-san was extolling the virtue of an honest peaceful life to a group of assembled courtiers in front of that one.
>There were already a few ballots in that ones bowl
>I looked around. The servants were not bringing in any more paintings
>I realized I could be here all day and not see, or at least not understand, all the paintings here.
>I followed Kitsuki-san's lead and tossed my ballot in that one.
>Though I still hadn't seen Naomi's painting.
>Once everyone had cast their votes, the servants tallied them up and Shoji announced the winner
>It was Ebisu watching the pesants.
>I was absolutely mortified
>As I watched an embarrassed Monkey walk up and get his accolades for having the best painting.

>Monkey

Monkey you fucking jinx.

>monkey
Damn, I was really expecting Crab-san to win and then have some great misunderstandings with pervy-mantis lady

I'd have called "Mary Sue" if he won.
Because come on, Ishigaki is great and all that, but really?

>Several runner ups were on display, without naming the painters of course
>I was more than a little shocked to see mine up there.
>So had the dot battle
>And 'Empty'
>Now it was Monkey's turn to be swarmed by courtiers
>Kitsuki-san came to the rescue, helping poor Monkey by covering for any gaffes
>I silently wished them luck and thanked the Fortunes it wasn't me this time
>I see your painting did well, Ishigaki-kun.
>Naomi came up to me, smiling
>But, why are you trying to court me? I thought we were already married.
>She was teasing me again.
>too many people around for me to swat her rump this time.
>Looks like you chose this battlefield well, Naomi. But I'm going to launch a counterattack tonight.
>She hid her blush behind her fan.
>Tonight then.
>Um. My eyes are bad at judging art, and there's a lot here...
>You couldn't find mine?
>She did not seem saddened by that, though a bit surpised.
>It is here
>The birds and the wall.
>Naomi? YOU did this?
>I thought you would go for something more... gentle.
>Ishigaki-kun, you painted a picture of me.
>What do you suppose I panted?
>I stared, starting to get it
>That is you. You are my wall, protecting me. And our children.
>Baka
>She bopped my nose with her fan, for not seeing it sooner.
>Toshiro had been the smartass who made 'Empty'
>Mantis-san had simply done a sailor, standing on the prow of a boat
>And Kitsuki-san a landscape. It was very detailed, almost jumping off the paper.
>that night, I launched my counterattack and laid siege to my wife's castle
>Her gates opened before my might, and I stormed inside her fortress
>But in the end, it was a draw.
>We were both victorious.

I fully get that and agree with you but he started talking (pretty indepth) about winter romances so I had to assume it was coming.

Sadly, while I usually give bonuses to players who describe their actions well, not having the actual skill still hurts in a competition...

That was just crab-user doing the exposition/info-dump.

>those last four lines
Blue board REEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I'm jelly

Break time, need food. Gonna eat, slap some ice on my fingers and be back later on tonight.

My guess was that Toshiro's was the bisected circle of white.

Don't get me wrong cool-ass dm guy, i didn't expect crab to win but I had to assume it was coming when he started talking about the winter love stuff

I wonder who did the dot battle. My bet is on the Soshi woman or some other Scorpion.

Or Katsuie.

I have a question: what would happen if a samurai that had taken part of a tournament, had defeated the emerald champion and had been asked to become the new emerald champion... if they refused to do the emperor's bidding and become the new emerald champion? Would they have to commit seppuku?

Why enter and win the tournament for something you aren't willing to do?

If the samurai wanted to be acknowledged as the strongest of Rokugan but bears ill will toward the Emperor, for example

Being ordered to by your lord? Family obligations, protecting the prestige?

do you remeber when Ishigaki talked about Kaze-do? And how Togashi Kaze, the guy who invented it, first only taught it to pesants?

In 268 the Emperor Hantei Ningi had summoned the Dragon and ordered him to show his unarmed fighting style. As his techniques were only for peasants, because the peasants weren't allowed to carry weapons, Kaze refused. Ningi ordered the Emerald Champion to execute Kaze, but when Emerald Champion Doji Kuzume refused to kill Kaze and committed seppuku the Emperor temporarily elevated Lion Clan Champion Matsu Noshin to the position and ordered him to execute Kaze, which he did.

l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Togashi_Kaze

So there is at least precident for a Champion being replaced on the Emperors whim and not via the Test of the Emerald Champion, and there is also precedent for sudokuing in shame for not following the Emperor's commands

But I would say it's such an odd situation that the outcome would depend entirely on the personalities of the people involved

I imagine he'd be beset by dozens of challengers calling him to duels on the grounds that he's dishonorably shirking his duties, who are in turn hoping that THEY can become the new Emerald Champion.

So it would depend on the Emperor if the samurai is to commit seppuku/be executed?

That would be a reasonable outcome.

Do you think they would be to the death, or something else?

I don't think user was referring to the test of the emerald champion specifically, just a rando tournament with the Emerald Champion participating.

Because the Emerald Champion is a life long appointment. Generally, the tourney to decide who the Emerald Champion is is a once in a Generation thing.

I would say so, yeah.
Some Emperors might be offended that their being refused, others may be pleased that this person acknowledges their own limitations.

Gotta remember, the Emerald Champion isn't just the best duelist in Rokugan. The Emerald Champion is the Emperoro's Champion. There was only one thing in all the third ed stuff printed that really stood out, and that was the Test of the Emerald Champion. It pointed out all the things the EC had on his plate

The reason the EC had to be the best damn duelist in the Empire was because he was the Emperor's champion. He would stand in for the Emperor in duels. Now stop and think about that. Who in the FUCK is going to duel the Emperor? The EC needed to know heraldry, law because he headed the Emerald Magistrates, commerce because he was in charge of a massive organization and he needed to spend the Emperors funds wisely.

Basically before the race to the throne split created all those different imperial posts like the Voice and the all that, the EC was ALL of those things. Akodo Keneka created the office of Shogun during the four winds era and butted heads with Yasuki Hachi who was the EC at the time, because leading the Imperial Legions in war was still the EC's job.

So there is a lot for the EC to do, besides swing a sword. It's not unreasonable for someone to realize they just aren't cut out for it.

Would it be unreasonable for the samurai who bested the champion of the Emperor to become part of the bodyguard retinue instead?

It probably depends heavily on how dishonorabru the original winner was about declining the honor. If he made a good case about how he wasn't worthy he'd probably get away with duels to first blood. His cleanest getaway would probably be to decline the direct promotion, but accept entry into a Test of Emerald to determine the new champion, and put up an honorable and competent but unspectacular performance.

On the other hand if he did a bad job at begging off of it, or was just outright rude, he'd be very open to challenges to the death.

I'd say unlikely. Bodyguarding the Emperor is the job of the Seppun family after all.

Well we got a new scanner at work. I might have to darken up the pictures and do some touching up to make them more visible, but I'll at least throw them out here.

First up, everyone's favorite jinx: Monkey!

Up next, Ishigaki's best bud: Toshiro

And lastly, a bit of bonus art that I had laying around.

Guess who!

So what does the emperor (empress?) Themselves actually do?

>that spoiler
Of Ishigaki, or Naomi?

The emperor exists as the absolute authority on anything and everything. If you want to think in game mechanics, you could say Rokugan assumes the Emperor's Honor stat is always at maximum. Everything the Emperor(ess) does is perfect, their word is law, all the land is theirs and everyone is their vassal.

Basically, what the emperor says goes, period. It's a massive amount of power that the Emperor must use sparingly lest the clans get pissed and a rebelion breaks out.

What, no love for the drawfag?

So the Emperor's job is to wear a funny hat and have at least one child. Got it.

>We took a private breakfast, just our little group.
>Once again, Mantis-san was not present
>Kituski-san thanked me for explaining Dot Battle
>Uh, you're welcome?
>It was Amano's work.
>Yesterday we took the temperature of the court, so to speak.
>Seeing how popular images of peaceful life, or at least the futility of war, were.
>Is that why you were talking at length about Monkey's painting?
>Wait, huh?
>Monkey looked absolutely crestfallen
>You mean I didn't win because it was good?
>Kitsuki-san reacted quickly
>No Monkey, Ishigaki-san is wrong. I WAS speaking about your painting, but I was speaking about it represented.
>It was a fine painting Monkey, and you won on your own merrits.
>You sure?
>Yes.
>Okay
>He stuffed a rice ball into his mouth. Whole. And grinned, pleased with himself.
>The good news is that by the votes we can tell sentiment is currently strongly against the Mantis.
>They will have to be more sparing with their demands for peace then?
>Naomi's tone was hopefull
>Kitsuki-san nodded to her.
>Yes. If they overreach then there is a posibility of other clans promising aid to the Phoenix.
>I nodded along.
>So we're ahead, and our objective should be to go defensive and maintain our advantage.
>Exactly so, Ishigaki-san
>Monkey raised his hand
>Um, how are we gonna do that, Ishigaki-san?
>I stared at Monkey. Hard. Until he put his hand down in confusion.
>I wasn't about to admit I had no idea how to do that either.
>Kitsuki-san stiffled a chuckle by coughing into his hand
>Just conitnue on as you would normally Monkey, and you too Ishigaki.
>You need not worry about pushing things along.
>Besides, since there is no competition today, you will likely be a focal point for discussion again Monkey.
>Monkey's eyes widened.
>I had seen that look on the faces of Goblins when I dangled them over the south side of the wall, before dropping them
>okay
>I excused myself early, before Monkey could think to ask for help

Monkey looks like a shonen protagonist. It's very fitting.
Is that with or without the kabuki makeup? It works either way.
Courtier gonna courtier.

All saved, thank you so much for posting these!

...Naomi?

nah its scorpion with the big boobs

I thought scorpion bro was a dude...?

got the clan wrong, meant the new mantis Moshit Aoi

He means the perverted Mantis Shugenja chick.

>Katusie-sama asked for my presence in his room later on that day
>I was surprised to see the painting of the woman on the wall there.
>Wait, you did that?
>uh, Katusie-sama?
>Yes. It is my niece.
>I stared.
>She is... difficult. A tomboy with a real temper.
>And quite ferocious.
>Fine traits for warrior upon the Wall, but I hope to help her find a good husband and settle down a bit.
>You know well, how married life and the responsibility of being a parent can calm the raging fires of youth, do you not?
>A bit, yes Katsuie-sama.
>But, enough about that.
>I asked you here because I wished to here about how you and friends are doing.
>I explained Kituski-san's thoughts on the Crane, and his interpretation of the voting yesterday.
>I stumbled a bit over the part where we were working with the Scorpion, unsure how that would go over.
>But Katusie-sama just sipped his tea.
>Necessity often makes for strange bedfellows, after all.
>Thank you for you candidness Ishkigaki-san. You have given me much to think about.
>I took that for the dismissal it was and headed back out.
>Now, how was I going to lay low the rest of the day?
>I saw Kitsuki-san, engaged in a game of go with Moshi Aoi
>Monkey was drowning in courtiers
>I left before he saw me
>I found Mantis-san sitting in a room with the doors to the outside open, allowing in a nice breeze.
>I sat down
>Monkey is haveing a rough time.
>He nodded.
>ran away before he could ask for help, did you?
>He nodded again.
>You too, huh?
>Yep.
>We chuckled
>he pulled out a go set.
>Sure, why not.
>We played
>Mantis-san was reckless, with a style that slashed at my flanks over and over again
>I played a much more defensive game, trying to lure my oponent into reckless offense so I could nip out and take more territory.
>It was close, but Mantis-san was just able to edge me out when the game ended.
>Good game.
>Yeah, likewise.
>Are things going well for you, Mantis-san?
>We shouldn't really talk about that

>I don't mean your clan, I mean you specifically.
>Oh.
>He scowled.
>I don't know if I can figure out a way to bitch without giving something away, though...
>Sounds like you need a drink
>I do. Yohko, that's the lead delegate, hates Aoi with a passion. She's always pissed Aoi gets all the attention, even though she's only doing what she's told...
>He cut off.
>You didn't do that on purpose, did you Ishigaki-san?
>You think I'm that smooth?
>yeah, you're right there.
>hah. Well whatever. I don't really care at this point.
>The Mantis delegation is sabotaging itself with infighting. And Yoritomo Yohko thinks I should try and play double agent to get us back on track.
>I refused, of course, and now she's pissed at me.
>Seriously, that damn bitch is as vindictive as your father in law.
>Huh. I can see why you're pissed then.
>yeah.
>I wont tell anyone.
>Huh?
>you don't sit in our meetings, so I won't tell anyone about this little slip up.
>...
>Thanks, Ishigaki-san.
>Another game?
>Sure.
>I got him the second time around.
>We were just about to go for two out of three when a shriek arose
>we looked at one another
>We both knew that song
>We ran towards the cries
>a crowd was begining to gather as we made our way through.
>A servant, still shrieking her head off was staring at the lifeless body of Yoritomo Yohko.
>A wakizashi with a charm dangling off the end of the hilt jutted up from her chest
>Without thining about it I extended my arms and began pushing back the crowd, ordering them back from the scene
>Mantis-san gave the servant a soft slap.
>She stared at him, in shock
>But she stopped screaming
>MOVE
>MOVE DAMN IT!
>MAKE WAY I SAID
>Shoji burst through the crowd
>Looked at the Mantis delegate
>and sank to his knees
>Not the reaction I was expecting.
>I knew that the implications of this murder must be far worse for him than I realized, if he reacted like that.
>Then he saw me
>YOU!
>You were an Emerald Magistrate once! You MUST find who did this!

It's with. white base, black around the eyes, and the slashes are red

I didn't think it fitted how you described him.

Well, he wears the paint to cover up his nasty case of Zukoface. Or maybe I did a shit job with the description. I do know I've only mentioned a few times he uses the tetsubo as a crutch, so he can get away with being armed in polite company. The tetsubo is the THUMP when he thumpdrags around.

It looks more like a trio of paintlines across his face and a serious case of bags under his eyes then actual face-covering paint.

Ah, that's just cause it's in black and white. Guys colorblind, that's why he doesn't do color sketches.
Hard to convey the feel of face paint in just black and white pencil sketch, y'know?

What about shading? I'm a pitiful artist and even I can do that...

>For Shoji to ask me, of all people for help.
>And to do so without hesitation.
>I realized this was a very big deal
>Kitsuki-san and Naomi arived on scene next, along with the Karo
>Thump
>drag
>thump
>drag
>thump
>...
>thumpthumpthump
>Hey, hey guys! Magistrate coming through, make way please
>And there's Monkey and Toshiro
>I looked evenly at Shoji, now that everyone was here.
>You're sure you want US to handle this investigation?
>Yes!
>He looked at Toshiro, avoiding Naomi
>Bastard
>You may be Jade Magistrates now, but you were Emerald Magistrates before, and there is a Mantis among you!
>None can doubt you will be impartial in this matter!
>He stared hard at the assembled courtiers, almost daring anyone to contradict him
>Find the culprit, quickly!
>He took off, the Karo right behind
>I shooed the lookie loos some more, then glowered when that wasn't working.
>The glower did work
>Moshi Aoi was the last to leave
>She adressed Kitsuki-san
>You were an Emerald Magistrate?
>Yes
>Then you will be able to find the one responsible, won't you?
>he looked up at her
>Of course I will. WE will
>She nodded
>thank you
>she left then
>Mantis-san waited for a bit, then sighed.
>Guess I should tell everyone now.
>Yohko here hated Aoi
>Kitsuki-san looked up
>was it mutual?
>I can't be certain. But Yohko was a vengefull bitch if you got on her bad side. A bit like Shoji, actually.
>I see.
>See anything useful, Kitsuki-san?
>Hmmm. red silk for the tsuka ito, the tsuba a bronze oval without decoration. and this charm here...
>It is for peaceful dreams.
>Damn, that is twisted.
>you said it Monkey.
>We withdrew the wakizahi and cleaned it, then asked for a servant to bring us a spare sword stand to keep it on
>Toshiro looked the body over, but there was no way to perform an autopsy without raising too many questions.
>Her arms are cut up
>Defensive wounds.
>And she was stabbed from the front
>So she was not caught completely off guard

I don't remember, but is Kitsuki married?

>Hmmm.
>Toshiro waved over one of the eta waiting for us to be finished
>lift up that arm there
>One stab to straight through the heart, but many more cuts on her body
>Can't tell if it's an amateur, or just rage though.
>Kitsuki-san nodded
>Okay then, someone who she did not trust, drew their short blade and attacked wildly, overpowering her and finishing her off.
>Toshiro nodded.
>Looks like it.
>Mantis-san folded his arms.
>My money is on rage then. Another courtier she pissed off. Another courtier she pissed off most likely.
>That, sweet dreams bit seems pretty personal.
>Kitsuki-san stood up, and nodded to the eta
>They began to clean up
>We went back to our rooms to talk and set the wakazashi down
>At this point, I am inclined to agree Mantis-san.
>But we would be remiss if we did not first check to see if we can find the owner of this blade.
>Monkey stared at the weapon
>hey, if the killer used their own blade wouldn't that make it stupidly easy to find them?
>it would.
>Which is why we should check to see if they know someone who might want to frame them
>What if they're just running away, like right now?
>It couldn't be that easy, could it?
>best not risk it.
>Our first line of questions, unexpectedly and to everyone we passed, was whether or not anyone was missing
>As it turned out, someone was

nope.
Also calling it here. My damn wrists are aching cause I'm typing on a laptop without any proper support. See you all tomorrow.

The winner could survive if they made up some bullshit referencing Hida and Akodo.

Say that while you defeated the Emerald champion you saw as you beat him that you were unworthy of the position.

>nope
something tells me that there's a "yet" missing from the end of that sentence.

A mystery of
Murder most foul, a Mantis
And Wakizashi.

none haiku bump

Left hanging on cliff
Tensions soaring to new heights
Balls, blue as crab mon

Moshi!

He looks more badass than I originally thought: I like it!

He has a nice face. I bet he is a great husband!

I kinda imagined him with more of a paunch, but guess crab life does not allow that luxury.

Damn it Ishigaki! Now I want to play L5R!

And I just started a campaign of M&M... whatever, I'll just tell the group to suck it up and play some L5R with me.

Does anyone have the mega- trove for 4th edition here? We had the link in the last general but I couldn't save it in time..

Pretty sure it was mega:#F!KI00XCZA!sFV9L2S77bld5vzEmw5-vg!OMlxFBoA

Ishigaki's story really makes me want to play L5R, but even just reading through all the material is fun.

that works, thank you user

Any ideas on whodunit?

I have no idea why or how, but my money's on Moshi, the sexy scorpion lady who is also a pervert.

She's Mantis.

The only Scorpions we've seen so far is Amano (Kistsuki's pal) and some Soshi woman who Ishigaki explained dot battle to.

Oh, right.

Well, for me she is the prime suspect. The second suspect would be Amano, because that would provide a whole lot of drama.

My guess would be a Crane. Their delegation favours the Mantis, so perhaps they hope to use the murder to swing favour against the Phoenix.

My guess on someone else from Mantis delegation. Yohko seemed like the main destabilizing factor of their group, by killing her off they could unify the group and also play off her death to throw negotiations in the needed track.

Alterbnatively it could be Scorpions playing both sides here, as this method seems like what they would do.

>Of Ishigaki, or Naomi?
_Both

Shoji or his son. Shoji because he would do something like this to disgrace Ishigaki & Naomi,or his son to disgrace his father into committing seppuku.

Why would Hohiro want to shame his father into committing seppuku?

Definitely not Shoji. His reputation would suffer much more if the parrty failed to find the culprit for the murder on his territory (which your post implies would be his plan), not to mention what would happen if they do manage to track it back to him.
Shoji is an asshole, but he's not that dumb.

>A gunso informed us one of his hohei did not show for muster this morning
>He said her name was Shiba Ayame
>Did she stay in the baracks here?
>Hai, I shall show you
>Please do, Shiba-san
>As we headed towards the baracks Kitsuki-san looked again at the wakizashi
>Yes, this is indeed the blade of a private fresh from her gempuku.
>In Rokugan, peasants are not allowed to carry weapons of any kind
>The exception being ashirgaru, and crab peasants
>However, even peasant soldiers are never allowed to have a daisho
>The paired long and short blades are the symbol of a samurai's status
>Some Samurai do not wear their katana
>Wearing it means you claim skill with it
>And thus you must defend yourself with it
>That means that if, say, Kitsuki-san were to be challenged to a duel, he would have to fight it himself
>Whereas Naomi and Toshiro, who do not wear Katana, would have the right to name a champion to fight the duel in their stead
>ALL samurai wear their wakizahshi however.
>even if, like Naomi, they only ever draw it to clean it.
>In fact, in many places where a samurai is expected to leave their weapons behind, it is still acceptable to wear one's short blade
>For those of high rank, and especially those who expect never to have to fight with it, the short blade often becomes a work of art more than a weapon.
>Kitsuki-san spoke again
>We will need to search her belongings thoroughly for any clue as to where she may have gone.
>I came to an abrupt halt as we entered the barracks.
>Or, she could have just overslept
>I find that hard to be...oh you've GOT to be kidding me.
>Shiba Ayame lay on her futon, curled into a little ball and snored softly
>A daisho stand was at the head of her futon
>The saya for the wakazashi was empty
>I knelt down and prodded her gently
>Behind me I heard her gunso trying to decide if he should have a stroke, aneurysm, or apoplectic fit.
>hmmm? whua?
>Hey. Wake up.
>We need to talk

>>Shiba Ayame lay on her futon, curled into a little ball and snored softly

Cute. Cute!

The crab has returned
What does he have for us now?
A cute samurai.

Why is this Ayame Shiba Bushi cute? We haven't even seen art yet.

Cute samuraiko sleeps.
Cuteness is a poor shield from
Gunso's angry boot.

The blade is taken
Shiba slumbers through murder
Peaceful dreams indeed.

>She sat up, bleary eyed and with a fairly advanced case of bed head
>Ayame must be a fitfull sleeper as her obi had come undone.
>I coughed loudly to help wake her up faster, and when she looked at me pointed down a few times
>GAH!
>She snatched her Kimono closed and began retying her obi
>Though embarrassed she did a good job feigning aloof dignity
>You don't sleep well?
>She glared at me
>I don't see what business it is of yours.
>Who are all you people anyway?
>You didn't come here just on the offchance of catching a peek...
>She finaly noticed her gunso
>and that she was the only soldier in the baracks
>Uh... gunso? What time is it?
>He decided he would have all three.
>You... YOU IMBECILE! Do you have any idea
>Mantis-san stepped in front of him, cutting him off.
>Like I said, we need to talk.
>We gave her a moment to make her self presentable
>then we played a game
>Good magistrate, better magistrate, bad magistrate, and keep that magistrate the hell away from me
>More specifically, Kitsuki-san asked her firm, yet polite questions.
>Monkey would protest on her behalf at times, saying he could see she would not lie about this or that thing.
>Mantis-san took over directly glowering at Kitsuki-san's signal
>:While I loomed just behind her, occasionally stepping just inside the edge of her vision for a moment or two
>The four way assault left Shiba Ayame terribly confused, stammering and stumbling over her words
>Kitsuki-san had said before that it was desirable for a suspect to be in such a state, as they would have a hard time remembering the little details of any lies they had to make up on the spot
>She freely admitted that the wakizashi was hers.
>What is going on?
>Are you saying you found this somewhere? That someone took it from the baracks while I slept?
>Kistuki-san shook his head.
>Are you still maintaining that?
>YES! I went to sleep around 10 last nigh, and I awoke her and now with you all leering at me!
>That is all!

>This charm here. What is it for?
>it's... nothing.
>Monkey blinked at her
>Ya sure? Cause I know that I can't see 'nothing' but I can see something on the end of your wakizashi here
>I could almost see the smoke coming out of ears as she tried to figure out what the hell Monkey just said.
>I sympathized; I wasn't entirely certain Monkey wasn't having some sort of fit myself.
>Kistuki-san gave a sigh that sounded like a mildly disappointed parent.
>Shiba-san, please do not insult my intelligence.
>As my companion here has pointed out that charm is clearly not 'nothing'
>I will ask again. What is it?
>It's what you think it is. I have bad dreams...
>She seemed sullen about it
>Kitsuki-san closed his eyes and considred her words, tapping his fan in his hand
>Which was the signal for me to get back in her line of sight
>I did so, and loomed magnificently if I do say so myself.
>That shocked her out of her sullen pout
>What is the nature of these dreams, Shiba-san?
>Wh- why does that even matter?
>Answer my question.
>Monkey leaned in
>hey, I'd like to know too. They're just dreams, aren't they.
>Kitsuki-san turned to Monkey, but I could see him watching Ayame intently out of the corner of his eye as replied
>Dreams are never just dreams. They can show us glimpses of the future, or make sense of things we could not in our waking hours.
>Sometimes little things we perceive, but whose significance is lost on us, become apparent in our dreams.
>For example, a Lord once returned from winter court and had a nightmare that he was surrounded by a thousand enemies
>He chose to heed the warning of his dream and strengthened his castle's defenders.
>A week later, a military alliance that was formed during that winter court launched an attack on his castle, only to be repulsed due to his preparations.
>Though he had never even found a hint of the alliance, he nonetheless saw hints in the behavior of the conspirators, that his dream then revealed.

Don't tell me she actually sleepwalked and killed Yohko in her sleep. Is it possible for some shugenja to make someone do that with their magic?

You see how she got embarrassed about the Charm? How she obviously didn't want to talk about it, but was absolutely okay with talking about her wakizashi?

I'm betting that someone (I.E. a boy she likes) gave her the charm, and she doesn't want her to talk about who gave it to her.
I'm betting that the charm is secretly enchanted to make her sleepwalk and commit murder, via Maho.
I'm betting Hohiro gave her the charm, and that she has a crush on him, and doesn't want to admit it.

If Master of the Earth took time to give some charm to some samuraiko in training that's a pretty impressive case of "senpai noticed me".

I'm also betting that he gave it to her before he became master of earth. Maybe.

Nah, that's too far-fetched. Hohiro became MotE more than a year ago now, unless he had a habit to give mind-controlling charms to everyone he meets just in case he had to somehow know that this particular no-name will be in the perfect position to commit a murder that will by proxy destroy peace negotiations for a conflict that didn't really start back then.

>Ayame bowed her head and shouted
>I DO NOT REMEMBER THEM!
>Th-they slip from my grasp every time I awaken...
>Only the feeling remains. And it is hard to describe.
>thump
>drag
>While we had been interrogating her in another room, Toshiro and Naomi had searched her belongings for any clues.
>They must have found something pertinent
>She looked up as Toshiro thumpdragged in
>he handed a piece of paper to Kitsuki-san
>Kitsuki-san unfolded it, and spread it out
>A single line surounded by black in, with only a small space of blank paper around it, was on that paper
>My painting! What are you doing with this?
>You went through my things!?
>Kitsuki-san ignored her questions
>Is this
>he tapped the painting with his fan
>What you feel when you wake up?
>She looked around
>Monkey gave her an encouraging nod
>...yes. It is.
>Toshiro nodded to me
>I touched my jade to the back of her neck
>She yelped and jumped almost high enough to hit the ceiling
>But she did not burn
>What was that! Who ARE you people? Why aren't you answering me!?
>She was on the verge of tears now.
>We are magistrates
>Kitsuki-san replied
>A crime has been commited, and you are a suspect in that crime.
>That is all you need to know, for now.
>For now, I must ask you to please remain in this room while we continue our investigation.
>She went paler with every word.
>Oversleeping and missing muster was now the least of her worries
>We left, with Monkey and Naomi both giving her encouraging smiles
>Once we were alone
>Do you not think you perhaps a BIT too harsh Kitsuki-san
>No Naomi-san, I do not.
>I needed to see the full range of her emotions with my own eyes, to better judge her.
>And?
>And she is telling the truth. She remembers only going to sleep and waking up.
>So then she didn't do it?
>Kitsuki-san shook his head
>Not necessarily.

>It is possible for some criminals to truly not remember their crimes.
>many killers drink so much that they cannot remember the night before and kill someone in a drunken rage, for example.
>Kitsuki-san narrowed his eyes
>And, she harbors a bone deep hatred of the Mantis
>Huh?
>Her eyes betrayed her, whenever she would look at you Mantis-san.
>Toshiro folded his arms
>Mantis and Phoenix have had some minor issues in the past.
>Toshiro was rather fond of understatement and one liners.
>In hindsight, I'm embarrassed I didn't realize 'Empty' was his painting.
>Monkey snorted.
>'Minor' yeah. Like the last time we were here.
>Kitsuki-san stared at Monkey
>There are times, Monkey, when your genius astounds me
>Want to let the rest of us in that?
>Her hatred is deep, and much more personal than just clan rivalries.
>We need to split up, ask every one you find about her.
>She has some reason for her hatred; we must find out!
>Naomi cocked her head at Kitsuki-san
>Are you honestly suggesting that Shiba Ayame is so full of repressed hatred she went into some sort of fuge state and butchered Yohko?
>I'm not suggesting anything at this point Naomi-sama
>But I will say it's a strong possibility
>Mantis-san frowned
>I find that a little hard to belive myself, Naomi-sama, but Yohko DID have all those wounds...
>Kistuki-san nodded
>And that painting. Ishigaki-san confirmed it was the taint taking hold of her, so it looks to me like madness instead.
>Monkey shook his head
>I'm with Naomi-sama on this one. I just can't see it.
>Kitsuki-san looked at Monkey and Naomi expectantly.
>You have another explanation, then?
>We split up trying to find out the source of Shiba Ayame's hate
>I was a bit distracted, wondering if I should have taken Kitsuki-san to task for the tone he took with my wife.
>He could be single minded when pursuing an investigation.
>And very self assured.
>he'd even forgotten Naomi outranked him, briefly.