L5R Storytime thread: See you, Stonewall Edition

Mechanics interjection before I take a break here. This last bit was a non-stop mass battle. ForeverGM was still rolling to see if we winning, loosing or tied but instead of the normal duels and heroics there was a scripted progression of heroic opportunities we HAD to clear. Basically, even though we weren't in command, this fight would be won or lost by the parties actions.

Tossing that out there for any other GM's to try out.

I was actually going to ask about that but that makes a lot of sense

Just wanted to say thanks to your group for this amazing story time.
Especially to you and Forever GM.
Followed since I stumbled upon it in the first general storytime thread and have enjoyed every second of the ride.

anyone got the books link?

Go into the pdf thread. The Archive has it

Your GM seems really cool, and you all seem really cool. I'd love to play a tabletop game with a group like that.

You're speaking for many, if not all of us.

seconded

Calling it now. Shiro Kuni burns, but the day is saved in the end and the horde is defeated. Quite a victory, considering that buildings can be rebuilt.

>Quite a victory, considering that buildings can be rebuilt.
l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_for_the_Last_Tower

Not always.

Taking note here.
Great idea to make Mass Battles more memorable.

I am honored that the stories of this crazy campaign I ran years ago has provided such a source of enjoyment for all and even sparked an interest in the game for a few.

Also, Editor-dono, I read that you were contemplating a "master edition" of the story with character art and character sheets. That got me wondering if I should post up the rest of the sheets I have for the party, as well as art and sheets for major characters that appear throughout and the five kids after they've reached adulthood. Whould those be of interest to anyone?

Yes

That would be amazing.

Certainly. I have the original 6 from when they were posted before. Thats including the Shiba for those who forgot about him.

I am hardly deserving of the -dono honorific, Editor-san works just fine.

By all means GM-sama, your audience would be most delighted

Please do

Bamp for Crabby

>One of theLost emerged from their ranks
>His armor was done in a classic O-yori, like mine. Laqured the deepest black
>Cream colored skin, with bright red lips.
>impossibly beautiful. Like a Crane pretty boy

A Daigotsu or Ninube, surely

Bumparino for more storytime!

>that spoiler
I fucking called it; that dream Ishigaki had was about his children, not his siblings.

At least we know that Shoji gets FUCKED with Ishigaki's son.

>I wasn't sure how long we had been fighting.
>It could have been only minutes, but it sure felt like days
>The never ending eclipse made it impossible to tell.
>Was this Heaven's will? Or was Jigoku waxing strong?
>I didn't understand the interplay of balance between the spirit realms.
>I was aware that while my mind was wandering about these strange places my body was still fighting for it's life
>It was a far away thing, like that moment when you become awake, but cannot even open your eyes yet.
>My mind snapped back into focus
>The berserkers Hida-sama had brought were doing great damage to the enemy.
>But they were dying
>I saw one get impaled on the spear of one of the Lost, and pull himself down the length of the haft to reach his foe.
>He was laughing
>We did not have as many seige engines here as at the Wall either
>Though we did have something just as good, if not better in some ways
>The Kuni daimyo was up on the tower, two dozen of his family with him.
>Their battle prayers and rituals were wreaking havoc on the enemy outside the fortress, keeping the horde from overrunning us all at once
>We were holding.
>but dead Crab were everywhere
>I saw a lone Crab beginning to stand, surrounded by his fellows
>Trolls were closing in on him
>I ran to his side
>It was Masagoro
>Together we killed the trolls
>he fought with keen focus, dancing on the edge of a razor as he darted in and out among them, slashing and cutting with his katana
>I realized it was one of the Kaiu blades
>When the last troll fell he looked down at it
>I was close enough to hear him mutter
>...not enough.
>They just weren't enough.
>He looked up at me, and gave a start, as though surprised I was there.
>Masagoro-sama...what are you doing down here?
>...A push. They needed help.
>Where is your gaurd, Masagoro-sama?
>Oh...here and there, I think
>He made a vague gesture, sweeping his hand at nothing at all.
>Unless he was indicating the dead Crab around us

>it continues
youtube.com/watch?v=6d8JWq0N-r4

>I could not spare the time to give the fallen their Last Rites, Masagoro was a bit...dazed.
>Masagoro-sama, we must get you away from here
>But there are more! Look, right there!
>But you are in command, Masagoro-sama.
>His shoulders slumped.
>Yes, you are right. Take me back to the tower
>He cleaned and sheathed his balde, then walked quietly behind me as I carved a path back into the barracks
>I saw Kituski-san inside, standing along the last line of Hida to keep the enemy from rushing up to the top of the towers where the Kuni daimyo was
>I jerked my head toward him, as several other Crabs attached themeselves to Masagoro and began leading him up to the other tower
>Kituski-san came over
>Stick with him, try and keep him focuses
>How bad has he gotten?
>He's fine when he has something to keep his attention on, amazing even.
>But...his mind seems to wander at times
>That's happening to everyone, Ishigaki-san. We're all exhausted
>But not everyone is in command
>He looked at me and nodded.
>I didn't say what I was thinking
>Hida-sama always led from the front
>He would face the thickest, heaviest fighting, the best of the enemy forces
>He won battles by destroying the enemy elite personally, and lifting the spirits of the Crab with him.
>Hida-sama was, without a doubt, the best warrior in the Empire today
>However, he was not a skilled general
>Complex strategies and clever tactics were beyond him
>he was wise enough to know his own limits, and so relied on many able commanders to from battle plans and issue orders in battle
>For all the worry over his state of mind, Hiruma Masagoro WAS the best commander in Shiro Kuni right now
>Kituski-san disapered up the stairs to the tower
>I turned and went back outside
>Though I was nowhere near Hida-sama's equal, I was like him in that I was a warrior first and foremost
>and there were still plenty of foes to kill

So, the old bastard just wants to die a glorious death in combat like a viking. Simple as that.

Nah, he's gone bloodlust crazy and it's fucking up his ability to direct people to where they need to go

Doesn't look like a bloodlust to me. Plus Toshiro would probably catch up on that.

Masagoro's confusion reminds me of my grandfather on a bad day, it's kind of terrifying.

>I almost wish I had stayed in the barracks
>There was a demon I had never seen before inside the castle
>I was not entrely certain what it was...
>For it looked like a naked woman. Everything it all the right places
>Save that it had no head.
>And blood was pouring from the stump of it's severed neck
>It walked slowly, and no one dared to stand in it's path
>It's whole body was positively soaked in blood
>It stopped before the pile of bodies that I had just pulled Masagoro from
>I felt a chill
>It raised it's arms
>I cursed at my feet, that refused to obey me
>The blood seeping from it's neck became a torrent and where it fell on the dead Crabs, they began to move
>A burly shape moved past me
>Hida-sama
>He charged into the creature hacking at it with his crystal blade.
>His mighty blows could fell ogres in one swing
>The headless...thing... didn't so much as flinch
>IT'S AN AKUTENSHI!
>LEAVE THIS TO ME! DEAL WITH THE ZOMBIES!
>Akutenshi. Evil Angels. The Dark One's most favored servants.
>It raised an arm and poined at Hida-sama, and the blood from it's neck became hardened spikes that flew at him
>Ketsuen was the Armor worn by Hida himself
>It's soul was awakened, and infused with Hida's own Earth.
>Magic slid off it, even Maho could not breech it's defense.
>If anyone could stand against an akutenshi with such mastrey of Maho, it was Hida-sama
>My feet moved at last, unrooted by my Champions example
>I fell upon the horde of undead that had been raised
>The first one dodged my swing
>SHIT.
>These were not ordinary zombies
>It's tetsubo slammed against my armor, and I could feel the plates buckle
>In death, it was even stronger than it had been in life
>I stepped back with the blow, and managed to just get Kimimaru up in time to ward off more strikes from two others
>I could see Mantis-san and Monkey attack the undead from the left and right sides
>Akane came at them across from me
>The four of us had the undead surrounded.
>I smiled

>I couldn't help but notice the smilarites in the way Akane and Mantis-san fought
>They were blurs of constant motion, weapons never stopped moving and neither did their bodies
>It was like they were dancing
>It was beautiful
>I stopped an ono from cleaving into my skull and struck back
>I glanced at Monkey, and thought something was wrong
>He was not leaping about not pulling some absurd tricks
>He was calm, standing in stance as though he were in the dojo
>His eyes were flat, unfocused, yet seeing
>As the undead neared him he swung his blade in almost lazy circles
>And three undead fell headless at his feet
>He returned to his stance
>If we were facing normal zombies, they would have just pressed in on him
>Instead the undead hesitated, looking for an opening they could not seem to find
>I see. His crazy antic was just to fight them as he would normal samurai
>It was insane alright. And it was wroking
>Well then.
>I followed his lead
>I bellowed a challenge, and attacked
>Striking with raw power, crushing the dead beneath Kimimaru
>Then I paused
>Akiyama swung his no dachi at me as I hesitated, and cut deep into my thigh
>I hadn't seen him among the dead, when I looked earlier
>I hadn't looked all that closely
>He had deep cuts on his body. One eye hung from it's socket
>the flesh from his right cheek was torn away, revealing teeth and gums
>Iiishigakiii
>His voce was dry and raspy
>He swung again
>His blade bit into my shoulder, and my sode fell away as the bindings were severed
>I smashed Kimimaru into his blade, and it snapped in half
>Then I spun, and took him in the hip
>It cracked, but he remained standing
>Aside from aslight lurch in his step he showed no sign of being bothered by it
>He reached out for me with his bare hands, and seized my throat
>I brought my arms up between his and broke his grip
>Then I hooked a leg around his and shoved into his chest with Kimimaru
>He fell
>I brought Kimimaru down on top of him
>Then once more

Was this all one session?

>>I glanced at Monkey, and thought something was wrong
>>He was not leaping about not pulling some absurd tricks
>>He was calm, standing in stance as though he were in the dojo
>>His eyes were flat, unfocused, yet seeing
>>As the undead neared him he swung his blade in almost lazy circles
>>And three undead fell headless at his feet
>>He returned to his stance
Monkey using Center Stance?

Was Akane a helpful NPC or a new player?

Cracked samurai
still as sharp as ever, but
too many edges.

The whole thing from scouting the shadowlands to this last stand at Shiro Kuni was 4 or 5 sessions long iirc.

and the five raises for an extra attack.

NPC, like Adachi and Akiyama. there to bring life to the world, just like sleepy-chan and Aoi.

Okay! I'll start posting up some stuff when I get back to the house (about to leave work). There will be a bit of a delay on the character art though - I only grabbed the party sheets when I visited my storage unit so I'll need to do a lot of the art from scratch (my style has also changed a bit since those years ago, so I'd like to redo some of the characters anyway).

Sounds awesome. Much appreciated.

>The embassy had an uneasy quiet about it that evening
>Plenty had come to me to offer their condolences regarding my companions, Daidoji-san in particular
>Only a messenger arrived bringing word of Doji-no-kimi
>Unfortunately too busy to meet with me in person, but offers her most sincere condolences
>Not something I needed to hear right now
>If only we could...
>I had to take my mind off things
>I began wandering through the small compound of the embassy
>A small sparring area, mostly there for the guards to train, but open to any guests
>To my surprise, at this late hour, in use, as well
>The famed Kakita duelists, Shinichi and Daitsu, were practising their great art
>Once they noticed me, they bowed, once again letting me hear offers of condolences
>"Thank you both, it has indeed been a trying day for me
>Mind if I ask why you may be out here practicing at this late hour?"
>The elder brother, Shinichi, replied
>"With all that has been going on, the risk for duels at this Summer Court has risen ever higher
>We are simply practising our art, to ensure we remained as skilled as ever
>As to why so late, well, the Governor does enjoy seeing duels in the evening time
>Tell me, were you not also trained in our glorious academy?"
>"Forgive me, Shinichi-senpai, though I was trained in the illustrious school of the honorable Kakita's art of dueling, it was at the confines of my lord father's estate, by Kakita Masaru-sensei"
>"Hmm... I have not heard of him, myself, but I am sure he was a worthy teacher to a hero such as yourself!
>Say, why don't you spar with my brother?
>He is not quite as experienced in dueling as myself, nor in a more straightforward fight.
>We've heard greatly of your exploits, and it would be quite the honor to witness your prowess.
>And it wouldn't hurt to get in a bit more practice, would it?"
>"Truth be told, it has been a while since I have dueled as intended
>I would not want my skills to rust for lack of use
>I accept"

Any Kakita's face when someone mentiones duels in the hearing vicinity.

>Shinichi-senpai offered me his bokken for this brief sparring session
>I stood myself opposite Daitsu-senpai, centering myself with the wooden sword at my side
>I tried to follow the teachings of my sensei
>Tried to do as had been taught to so many other Kakita over the years
>But I felt the thoughts of todays events clouding my mind
>No matter how hard I tried, I could not find the Void
>Still, I recognized that Daitsu was far more advanced that I was
>If he was the less experienced brother, I shuddered to think of how it would feel to face Shinichi
>I reached far within myself, finding the right moment to strike
>There
>I moved my hand to draw my blade
>Then winced as Daitsu's bokken crashed into my side
>"Do not let the world cloud you as you face your opponent!
>Otherwise this will happen again!"
>"Yes, senpai
>Shall we continue?"
>I drew my sword
>Shinichi-senpai wanted to see how good I was a fighter, not just duelist
>My bokken slammed into Daitsu's shoulder, but I left myself open
>His sword driven into the side of my stomach
>Followed by a strike that forced the last of my air out of me
>I nearly doubled over, sinking to one knee, catching my breath
>Daitsu was giving me time to recover
>Something neither of us would ever see on a true battlefield
>Memories started flooding back of all the times I had failed already
>With a powerful kiai, I struck from my kneeling position
>Daitsu parried it with ease
>As if I were still but a student
>He struck back
>And again
>I could no longer stand, sinking to my knees
>I felt the tip of his bokken resting against the back of my exposed neck
>"STOP!" shouted Shinichi
>"I think it's clear who the victor is.
>It does seem your skills have rusted a bit, after all
>Are you all right?"
>I slowly stood up again
>"I am fine
>I apologize, to both of you
>I have let my education slip from me
>Court is proving far more of a distraction than I had thought."
>"That's not an excuse
>Come, let me show you your missteps."

>We spent the rest of the evening as if it were a class
>Going not only through the basic steps of our school once more
>But allowing me to learn one of the most important among the basic kata used in dueling
>I had indeed neglected my education
>Finally, thanks to these famed brothers, I had learned how to focus properly, how to centre myself truly in the Void
>And how to Strike as if I were one with it
>As tiredness slowly overtook us, I thanked them for this learning opportunity, and retired
>Tomorrow was the last day of the Summer Court
>Despite the events of today, it would go ahead as originally planned
>One final opportunity for the Clans to leave an impression on each other
>One final moment
>Everything will come to an end
>And everything has lead up to this
>A part of me looked forward to the morning
>I would be of great service to the Clan one last time during this Summer Court
>A part of me could not help but be anxious
>With all the tension I saw today, something could easily go wrong tomorrow
>I had one last cup of tea before letting sleep truly overtake me

>The morning was filled with the hubbub of courtiers even more than usual
>More than expected, even
>Everybody knew what was at stake here
>But everybody talked only about one thing
>The events of yesterday
>And how I was the one that accused plotting from within the ranks of the Otomo
>A great many of the courtiers I had not seen yesterday, due to my varied activity
>Now, they found the time to offer their condolences to me for yesterdays events
>While some faces showing what they felt regarding my accusation
>A few approving looks from the Scorpion
>Sending chills down my spine
>Then, stomping with a thunderous fury
>I heard him enter the Grand Courtroom
>With all the subtlety of a Hida at court
>Otomo Setsuko
>Face red with rage, heading straight towards me
>As he reached me, opening his mouth as if to address me
>I turned to the latest batch of courtiers offering their condolences

>I took my time thanking each and every one of them for their heartfelt sentiments for my companions
>And then finally turned to Setsuko
>"Ah, Otomo-san! I did not notice you there
>I must apologize, I was looking up at the faces around me, and did not consider what might be lower than them"
>The veiled, yet obvious insult at his height did not help his temper
>"Do not play coy with me, Kakita-san.
>You know very well why I'm here!"
>"Why, no, I do not. Again, I must apologize, matters of great importance have been on my mind lately."
>"How DARE you accuse my family of such great treason!
>As if the Otomo would stoop as low as you for attention!"
>"Oh, that? It seemed quite clear to me where the blame lies
>And quite a few have agreed with my judgement
>Or are you saying you doubt the judgement of a honorable samurai?"
>"Oh, YOU of all people claim to be honorable?
>I have seen more honor in a wretched heimin than I've seen of you!"
>...
>It took me a moment, but I found balance within myself
>I noticed most of the discussion in the Grand Courtroom had died down to his yelling
>It seemed even Suikihime-sama was paying attention to his little tirade
>"My honor speaks for itself, and I have proven my loyalty to the Empire several times
>If you are finished with your baseless accusations, then I bid you farewell."
>"Oh, baseless accusations?!
>As if yours were not baseless!
>You have no proof of anything you have claimed!
>The Otomo are too important to care about the likes of you and your companions!"
>"And yet, here you are."
>He was starting to visibly boil
>"Do you know why your accusations are baseless?
>Because I suspect that you're behind this!
>You and your clan have staged this assassination to drag my family through the mud!
>It's plain to see that the Crane are about as honorable as dirt!"
>I could no longer stop myself
>He dares question the honor of not only myself, but my entire clan?!
>Before I could even blink, I slapped Otomo Setsuko

>I slapped Otomo

Nice thing to have on one's tombstone.

Crane's stories are like watching the ultimate cut of The Watchmen and it cuts to the cartoon Black Frieghter

Ok; but really jarring. Especially when you see an updated post count expecting more Crab.

>I slapped Otomo
Wow, two stories coming to an end in the same thread.

Sorry about that! Traffic was pretty lousy and ended up going out to dinner. Anyway! Let's start posting up some stats!

well, as long as you're enjoying it, my job is done well enough
And don't worry, as noticed, i'm close to done as well
Personally, do agree that Crab-san's story is the better of the two, mainly because quality
But it's been good practice for me as well, giving me motivation to improve my writing
Maybe someday I'll have a real, proper storytime worth the threadcount of Hida Ishigaki

I'll try and wrap up asap, should only be a couple more posts on my end

funny you should say that...

>funny you should say that...

Not funny at all, I fully expect it to end like that with all the foreshadowing you gave.

well, looks like being facetious is not one of my strong suits

Anyways, need to sleep, will try and be done by this time tomorrow if i can

Hida Naomi, Crab by Marriage
Shool/Rank: Isawa Shugenja 3 (Water Tensai)
Insight: 181

Air: 3

Earth 2
Willpower 3

Fire 2
Intelligence 3

Water 5

Void 3

Skills: Calligraphy (Cipher) 1, Lore: Theology 2, Lore: Law 2, Medicine (Herbalism) 1, Meditation 1, Spellcraft 3, Investigation 2, Defense 1, Lore: Phoenix 1, Lore: Shugenja 1, Etiquette 2, Tea Ceremony 2, Perform: Koto 2, Sincerity 1, Lore: Elements (Water) 3, Lore: Spirit Realms 1, Artisan: Ikebana 1, Artisan: Painting 1, Courtier 1, Perform: Singing 2, Kyujutsu 1,Commerce 1

Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Elemental Blessing (Water)

Disadvantages: Bad Health, Small, Soft Hearted, True Love (Hida Ishigaki)

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon; [i]Air:[/i] Arrow's Flight, Blessed Wind, Freedom of the Air, To Seek the Truth; [i]Earth:[/i] Courage of the Seven Thunders, Elemental Ward, Jurojin's Balm; [i]Fire:[/i] Extinquish; [i]Water:[/i] Clarity of Purpose, Heart of the Water Dragon (innate), Inari's Blessing, Path to Inner Peace (innate), Rejuvenating Vapors, Reversal of Fortunes, The Rushing Wave, Reflective Pool, Regrow the Wound (innate), Stand Against the Waves, Strike of the Tsunami, Sympathetic Energies, Vision of the Future, Wave-Borne Speed

This is Naomi after marrying Ishigaki, just before he went looking for Hida. At this point, the group had converted over to 4th Edition. She had been awarded a fair number of extra spells for her service up until this point.

Aaaand... now I feel like a fool for assuming the posts use html (just kinda figure since that's how the spoiler was done)... I should asked. lol

Hida Naomi, Jade Magistrate
Shool/Rank: Isawa Shugenja 3 (Water Tensai)
Insight: 226

Air: 3

Earth 3

Fire 2
Intelligence 3

Water 6

Void 4

Skills: Calligraphy (Cipher) 2, Lore: Theology 3, Lore: Law 2, Medicine (Herbalism) 1, Meditation 1, Spellcraft 3, Investigation 2, Defense 1, Lore: Phoenix 1, Lore: Shugenja 2, Etiquette 2, Tea Ceremony 2, Perform: Koto 2, Sincerity 3, Lore: Elements (Water) 3, Lore: Spirit Realms 1, Artisan: Ikebana 2, Artisan: Painting 2, Courtier 1, Perform: Singing 2, Kyujutsu 3,Commerce 2, Artisan: Gardening 3

Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Elemental Blessing (Water), Gentry (Village; Ishigaki Mura)

Disadvantages: Bad Health, Small, Soft Hearted, True Love (Hida Ishigaki)

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon; AIR: Arrow's Flight, Blessed Wind, Freedom of the Air, Summing the Gale, To Seek the Truth; EARTH: Courage of the Seven Thunders, Elemental Ward, Jurojin's Balm; FIRE: Extinquish; WATER: Clarity of Purpose, Heart of the Water Dragon (innate), Inari's Blessing, Path to Inner Peace (innate), Peace of the Kami, Rejuvenating Vapors, Reversal of Fortunes, The Rushing Wave, Reflective Pool, Regrow the Wound (innate), Rise Water, Stand Against the Waves, Strike of the Tsunami, Sympathetic Energies, Vision of the Future, Wave-Borne Speed, Water's Sweet Clarity

This is Naomi during the peace talks hosted in the Phoenix lands, overseen by her father, Isawa Shoji. Aside from growing in power as a Water Tensai and beginning the reconstruction of Ishigaki Mura, not too much has changed.

Hida Naomi, Beloved Healer
Shool/Rank: Isawa Shugenja 5 (Water Tensai)
Insight: 254 (Insight Rank 6)

Air: 3

Earth 3
Willpower 4

Fire 2
Intelligence 3

Water 6

Void 5

Skills: Calligraphy (Cipher) 3, Lore: Theology 4, Lore: Law 3, Medicine (Herbalism) 2, Meditation 1, Spellcraft 4, Investigation 2, Defense 1, Lore: Phoenix 2, Lore: Shugenja 3, Etiquette 3, Tea Ceremony 3, Perform: Koto 3, Sincerity 3, Lore: Elements (Water) 4, Lore: Spirit Realms 1, Artisan: Ikebana 3, Artisan: Painting 2, Courtier 1, Perform: Singing 3, Kyujutsu 4,Commerce 2, Artisan: Gardening 4, Lore: Crab Clan 1

Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Elemental Blessing (Water), Gentry (Sake Works; Ishigaki Mura)

Disadvantages: Bad Health, Small, Soft Hearted, True Love (Hida Ishigaki)

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon; AIR: Arrow's Flight, Blessed Wind, Freedom of the Air, Summing the Gale, To Seek the Truth; EARTH: Courage of the Seven Thunders, Elemental Ward, Jurojin's Balm; FIRE: Extinquish; WATER: Clarity of Purpose, Heart of the Water Dragon (innate), Inari's Blessing, Path to Inner Peace (innate), Peace of the Kami, Rejuvenating Vapors, Reversal of Fortunes, The Rushing Wave, Reflective Pool, Regrow the Wound (innate), Rise Water, Stand Against the Waves, Strike of the Tsunami, Sympathetic Energies, The Swell of the Storm, Vision of the Future, Wave-Borne Speed, Water's Sweet Clarity

And here we have Naomi at the end of the campaign, having survived somehow! Aside from raising her Void, she mostly began to focus on her domestic skills and the continuing improvement of Ishigaki Mura in to a bustling village with a sake works. The extra rank of insight didn't do too much for her (aside from some initiative), so aside from the increase in her Gentry advantage she isn't really any more powerful than she was at the previous rank.

Also... I noticed that I forgot to edit her school rank in the last post. She should be Isawa Shugenja 5 (Water Tensai).

Spoilers bruh!!!

Kitsuki Takeshi, Newly Minted Justicar
Shool/Rank: Kitsuki Investigator 3 (Kitsuki Justicar)
Insight: 175

Air: 3
Awareness 4

Earth 2

Fire 3

Water 2
Perception 4

Void 3

Skills: Courtier 4, Etiquette (Courtesy) 3, Investigation (Interrogation) 4, Kenjutsu 4, Meditation 1, Lore: Law 3, Defense 3, Iaijutsu 4, Hunting 1, Sincerity 2, Athletics 3, Games: Go 2, Calligraphy 2, Knives (Jitte) 2

Advantages: Ally: Bayushi Amano (Influence 2/Loyalty 4), Clear Thinker, Precise Memory, Sage

Disadvantages: Ascetic, Low Pain Threshold

The ever cunning Kitsuki-san! This is around the time Ishigaki went looking for Hida, but not sure if it was before or after. This is after the group converted to 4th Edition.

Heh, you're right, my bad.

Kitsuki Takeshi, Jade Yoriki
Shool/Rank: Kitsuki Investigator 4 (Kitsuki Justicar)
Insight: 207

Air: 3
Awareness 4

Earth 2
Willpower 4

Fire 3

Water 2
Perception 4

Void 4

Skills: Courtier 5, Etiquette (Courtesy) 5, Investigation (Interrogation) 4, Kenjutsu 5, Meditation 3, Lore: Law 4, Defense 3, Iaijutsu (Assessment) 6, Hunting 2, Sincerity 4, Athletics 3, Games: Go 3, Calligraphy 3, Knives (Jitte) 3, Horsemanship 2, Medicine (Herbalism) 1, Lore: History 2, Lore: Heraldry 3

Advantages: Clear Thinker, Precise Memory, Sage

Disadvantages: Ascetic, Low Pain Threshold

Kata: Striking as Air, Striking as Void

Here we have Kitsuki-san after the Phoenix peace talks and the unfortunate death of Bayushi Amano. Not the best time for our party's Dragon.

Oh! I forgot to mention in his last character sheet that he had bought off Doubt: Kenjutsu after numerous beatings from his sensei... man I'm just screwing everything up here.

>Knives (Jitte) 3
What? Why? With an emphasis too.

Kitsuki Takeshi, Blade of Justice
Shool/Rank: Kitsuki Investigator 5 (Kitsuki Justicar, Kitsuki's Eye)
Insight: 250

Air: 4

Earth 2
Willpower 4

Fire 4

Water 2
Perception 4

Void 4

Skills: Courtier (Manipulation, Rhetoric) 7, Etiquette (Bureaucracy, Courtesy) 7, Investigation (Interrogation, Notice, Search) 5, Kenjutsu 6 (Katana), Meditation 3, Lore: Law 4, Defense 5, Iaijutsu (Assessment, Focus) 6, Hunting 2, Sincerity 4, Athletics 3, Games: Go 3, Calligraphy 4, Knives (Jitte) 3, Horsemanship 2, Medicine (Herbalism) 1, Lore: History 2, Lore: Heraldry 3

Advantages: Clear Thinker, Precise Memory, Sage

Disadvantages: Ascetic, Low Pain Threshold

Kata: Striking as Air, Striking as Void

And here we have Takeshi heading into (or maybe during) the events at Shiro Kuni. He really started buying up his Emphasis late game in addition to cranking up his bugei skills!

A jitte is one of the common symbols of a magistrate, which Takeshi pretty much always considered himself to be. Plus you can take them a lot of places you can't take a katana into.

Gonna have to call it here for the evening. Got work in the morning after all.

Sorry about the spoilers. And all the screw ups. I'll try to keep it together next time.

Thanks forever gm

Didn't Kitsuki-san use a bow? I don't see kyujutsu ranks.

He didn't. Mantis did, Naomi did, Kitsuki did not.

Don't forget about Monkey.

>>Before I could even blink, I slapped Otomo Setsuko
On the tombstone/urn of Daikakita-san
>It was worth it

One final correction before I head to work. Takeshi did raise his Stamina to 3 (bringing his Earth Ring up). I just couldn't make out his chicken-scratch writing last night.

bampu for crabbu

Page 10 draws nearer
Crab and Crane face Destiny
Return to page 1

Request Granted

>I could not rise for a moment after putting Akiyama to rest
>it is always bad, when you recognize them
>Fortunately for me, there were none left to slay
>I glanced up as shadows raced along the ground
>Fliers coming in again
>DOWN!
>I threw myself down beside Akiyama, his blood pooling beneath my own body
>I stared into his remaining eye until I could bear his gaze no longer
>I looked up, seeing the fliers had passed over us, and were attacking the tower where the Kuni daimyo was
>As I watched, one of them was encased in jade mid air.
>It fell to the ground and smashed among some goblins like a boulder hurled from a catapault
>I smiled at that as we stood
>Then I saw something else
>Another flyer, far larger than the others. I could make out feathers.
>On it's back rode a large oni. It was wearing a suit of red O-yori, with no helm
>It's skin was a deep, inky black contrasted by vibrant red hair
>In it's hand was katana, wreathed in flames
>The flying beast dove down through the magic and arrows and the Oni leapt onto the tower
>A commotion among the bushi up there gaurding the daimyo
>I squinted, and recognized Masagoro
>A pair of Crabs were holding him back
>gold and green strode forth
>And then I felt pain.
>Searing agony, my vision went white for a moment
>When it cleared the headless thing was rushing toward me
>It was missing an arm now
>Still awash in blood, I could see several other large wounds on it
>a blood red mist clung to the area behind it
>I could only assume it intended to consume me, to restore it's lost life force in some vile way, before reengaging Hida-sama
>The spell it had cast on me was meant to make me easy prey
>I was the Wall
>I closed my eyes, focusing on my body, my own Earth.
>I cast aside the pain
>I opened my eyes and swung Kimimaru
>The akutenshi, expecting easy food, was caught off guard
>It fell back from my strike
>Onto Hida-sama's blade
>He twisted the crystal weapon and pulled up, cutting the thing in two

>and so it continues
youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-WJUidpRU&t=24s

>The akutenshi's body hit the ground, smoking and dissolving into sludge
>Hida-sama nodded to me, and turned to find another foe
>HO
>HO
>HAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
>I looked around, trying to find the cause of the cheering
>It was the tower
>Kituski-san, his own katana wreathed in flames, his body blazing with jade energy, was holding up the head of the Oni.
>Even as the cheer spread, he wobbled and was caught by Toshiro
>Hesitation ran through the Horde, palpable confusion
>Empowerd by the kami or not, Kitsuki-san had taken the head of an Oni no Uzaki.
>It only just now struck me how the Horde's situation mirrored our own.
>It was led by an Oni no Akuma, a decent commander but far more terrifying as a warrior
>Command of the forces had been given over to a more able leader.
>And we had just slain their leader
>For the first time since I saw the horde in Shiro Hiruma, I dared to hope
>I was a fool
>Shiro Kuni would burn

>And it would burn now
>Flames began to lick out of the top floor of the barracks
>Then the bottom floor
>Hida-sama called for his honor gaurd to from on him
>I WILL DEAL WITH THE LEAVINGS OF OUR FOE!
>EXTINGUISH THOSE FLAMES!
>I began run towards one of the wells in the courtyard
>When I saw Masagoro leave the barrakcs.
>Alone
>With a torch in his hand
>He threw it down as bushi ran past him with buckets of water and earth
>He drew his sword as he passed just behind Hida-sama, who was already charging ahead
>He strode to the gate of Shiro Kuni as I ran to catch up to him
>He placed his shoulder under the bar across the gate as I screamed for him to stop
>He looked at me
>Don't you see?
>We CAN'T win!
>All their blood, all their lives spent for NOTHING!
>One day the other Clans will demand to high a price for the jade, the food we need!
>they will think it will be the same as always!
>And our Clan will DIE!
>His face drooped, jaw slack, eyes half lided
>I can't order them to meaningless deaths anymore.
>He took a breath
>I WON'T!
>He heaved up with his shoulder, unbarring the gate
>Almost immediately the gate began to tremble
>It's time for us to die. Let Rokugan see what we've been holding in check all these years
>He took his stance before me
>I took mine
>I didn't know if Heaven really did decide the outcome of duels, if it did declare who was right and who was wrong this way or not
>Right now I fervently wished that it did
>I could see plainly his technique outclassed me in every way
>And I was wounded, tired. Nearly spent
>I almost could not find Mushin no Shin
>The gate before my eyes trembled and began to creak open
>Behind me flames raced throughout Shiro Kuni
>Above, the Moon eclipsed the Sun
>And my enemy was not an oni, not a tainted madman.
>My enemy was a true hero of my Clan, a tired old man who could no longer forgive himself for living as long as he had.
>We drew our blades and charged one another, moving as one.

Masagoro you fuck.

>Masagoro bore no taint upon his soul
>His blade bit deep into me
>I staggered past him and almost fell to my knees
>He turned, left arm hanging limp from my own cut
>This hurts a bit, Ishigaki-san
>I don't think I'll be able to take as many of those monsters with me now...
>He shrugged with his good arm
>I sank down to my knees, letting my blade fall from my hand
>He walked over to me as the gate opened wider
>Don't you have anything to say? Not going to tell me how I'm wrong?
>He lifted up his blade over my head
>I scopped up my own blade and drove it up into his throat
>His eyes went wide
>I answred him then
>I really, really hate that you're so good I had to fight like a Scorpion to kill you.
>Blood welled up out of his mouth as he bared his teeth.
>I think it was a smile
>The light in his eyes died, and he slid off of my katana
>No time, I threw myself against the gate
>I put my back against it, diging in my feet, and pushed with everything I had
>It wasn't enough
>I saw Hida-sama surrounded by the last few oni. he could not get away
>The rest of the castle was fighting the fire that raged on, or racing to save armloads of scrolls from the Kuni libraries
>I began to wonder if anyone at all had seen what happened here
>Then I saw Kitsuki-san, pointing at me and shouting
>The others broke away from what they were doing and raced over to help
>Satoshi, Daigo, Takeshi, Toshiro and Naomi all came up and pushed alongside me
>The gate began to close
>Then it stopped
>A long green claw with too many joints curled around the edge of the gate over our heads
>Then another
>Then a third
>The gate began to open again
>And a great Oni emerged into the courtyard
>Three eyes.
>Three tongues of flame
>Oni no Akuma stood before us.

>>Oni no Akuma stood before us.

Oh God, he remembered their names.
They're going to die.

I think I'm gonna break my F5 key

>Oni no Akuma stood before us.

...Well, shit.

ISHIGAKI TAKE MY ENERGY!

Put both of your hands up to give energy!

I will likely regret this like every other question I have asked about the horrors of the shadowlands, but just how screwed are they against this thing?

AIR 5
EARTH 5
FIRE 4 - - INTELLIGENCE 5 -
WATER 5

Initiative: 9k5

Attack:
Claws 8k4 (Simple),
Burning Tongues 8k4 (Free)

Damage:
7k3 (Claws),
2k2 (Burning Tongues)

Armor TN: 40

Reduction: 10

Wounds: 25: +5; 50: +10;
75: +15; 100: Dead.
Taint Rank: 5

Skills: Battle (Mass Battle) 4, Temptation 4

Special Abilities:
c Burning Saliva: When the Akuma no Oni spawn’s burning tongues touch flesh, they leave burning saliva in the wound. During the Reactions Stage of every Round after the tongues hit, that foe will take 1k1 fire
damage. This last for 10 rounds or until the saliva is washed away. Simple water will not wash it away – it requires vinegar or alcohol.
c Fear 4
c Huge
c Invulnerability
c Multiple Tongues: Akuma no Oni spawn can attack with all three of their tongues in the same Round, once with each tongue. This is a special exception to the rule that each type of Free Action can only be taken
once per Round.

Kenjutsu is rolled off Agility.

>It gave us no time to think or plan
>As the terror washed over us it lashed out with it's claws, tearing into Mantis-san and Monkey
>It's tongues whipped about
>One periced my shoulder, leaving it's burning saliva in my wound
>Another caressed Toshiro, setting his Kimono ablaze
>The last slashed Kitsuki-san's chest
>Naomi fell back, scroll in hand and chanting
>I dove and caught up kimimaru before striking at Akuma
>It batted the jade tetsubo aside
>Monkey rushed over to Kituski-san trying to put out the flames
>Mantis-san ripped Toshiro's kimono top off taking the flames with it
>Toshiro could not be bothered with it, as he was chanting a prayer
>Courage filled us, driving off the fear that Oni no Akuma brought
>With a final shout, Naomi finished her prayer
>The spirits of Water rushed up around us all. Even as my flesh burned, it regrew
>It's eyes whirled about, two of them coming to rest on Toshiro and Naomi
>Then it plunged both claws into me, lifting me up and tossing me down
>My vision went black as I faded in and out of consciousness
>I could see the others, blury shapes desperately avoiding it's tongues
>I could smell my flesh burn, but I could not even see properly, let alone move
>Naomi's spell was still working, but I was too far gone.
>I'm sorry....papa can't come home this time...
>Only for all my pain to vanish
>My eyes snapped open
>All of it. Even the aches and pains of old wounds I had long since forgotten
>There really are no words to describe what it is like to feel no pain at all, to be made aware of pains only by their sudden absence.
>I stood, readying Kimimaru
>Toshiro panted beside me
>That.... that was my last one...
>Make it count.
>I attacked the Oni, seeking to overwhelm it with rapid strikes first
>Even without the pain of my wounds slowing me down, it still defended itself well. Only a glancing blow took some chitin off it's forearm
>Mantis and Monkey powdered their weapons in a hurry, covering each other as they did so

>Oni no Akuma
It's basically as strong as one of the original Kamis. You noticed how Takeshi Kitsuki has 6 kenjutsu and 4 agility?

That means that he would usually have at minimum 10k4 dice to roll in his attacks. Minimum. Probably more with his katas, advantages and ranks.

Akuma no Oni is... well, you see it here

Fuck yeah, Kitsuki-san!

Fuck you, Hiruma-san!

Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit