Oriental Adventures (Restart)

[Cyrus112]

((A while later...))

You all reach the top, and everyone except Nobutada is going to be at least somewhat winded. In front of you is a rather run down looking structure, although it is obviously in use. At least portions of it are. Nobutada walks forward and enters the main room. In here there are five bamboo mats situated in front of a kneeling old man. His hair is bright white and his face is wrinkled. His eyes are closed. Nobutada goes forward and kneels down on one of the mats, facing the old man. He guestures for each of you to do the same.

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya walks resolutely forward, and kneels smoothly on the mat, his head bowed towards the old man. He's obviously done this sort of thing many times before. His face is calm and serene, an immaculate mask, showing no fear or nervousness.
And now the time has come. Cursed ancestor of mine, infamous traitor, grant me your luck today. Let me not fail in my task. And if the Kami so wish it, then grant me courage in the face of Seppuku.

[androgial]

Ikeira

seeing 1 less mat than people ikeira motions the others to the mats vrishma and masaya on the edges right and left respectively and chion and masumi in the middle right and left respectively. Ikeira himself will step back from the mats 5 paces and remain standing silently watching the old man and smoking.

[The_Shaman]

Vrishma

Vrishma looks over the mats, then politely shakes his head at Ikeira and motions to him to sit first. He will later sit down just like the rest, but on the ground (as much as he can, he's not accustomed to that pose. He will try not to fidget).

[Rapscallion]

Chion

Chion will do as Notubado indicated and take his place on one of the mats. His long polearm left near thetop of the stairs outside as it doesn't come with a sheath. Chion will knee smoothly and set his hands palms down on this thighs. His red jacket and pants contrasting with the tan mat.

[Cyrus112]

((There should be enough mats for people. Apologies, hehe. You all have a mat))

Genki opens his eyes and stares at the group with an unrecognizable look. As he looks at you each in turn, you get the uncomfortable feeling that he is sizing you up, taking a measure of your person.

"I see you have made it here, without incident for the most part, Nobutada. Were they hard to find?"

"No Genki, as you said they were looking for me."

Genki nods.

"Very well. And what brings you all to see me?"

Even though he asks the question, you get the distinct impression that he already knows the answer. Yet he waits, as if expecting to be answered.

[androgial]

Ikeira

Ikeira rolls up his sleeve revealing his tattoos " a mystery beyond my power to gain enough insight into to solve on my own and the tale of this mystery begins where i left off last night." Ikeira then tells the tale of the armies march, the eventless border crossing into the tainted lands, the minor foray by the bakemono on the third night, the revelation of the emporers weapon, the horror of the full might of the tainted lands and the result of the emporers weapon. finaly he tells of waking up in the healers place with masaya and vrisma and what they learned from the healers. then how they picked up masumi and chion and the trip up, though he does keep masumi's secret for her to reveal if she chooses.

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya sits and listens silently. He doesn't seem to mind that the truth he kept trying to hide is being revealed to Masumi, Chion and Nobutada.

[Cyrus112]

((We had like one or two people drop near the beginning of the game but after the tainting? Yeah, I could only find the one, so we'll just go with that.)He'll be coming in NPC style into the story at some point, heh.)

Genki nods, listening to the story. He speaks eventually, seemingly more to himself than anyone else.

"I warned them years ago to not listen to him. I tried to warn them that he wasn't what he seemed. This is the consequence."

He trails off, lost in thought.

((Something to clarify things. The whole don't speak until spoken to only applies to when you first meet him. You are free to ask Genki things or talk to him now, if you wish))

[Ozzy_G]

Are you saying, says Masaya slowly, that Kyo did this deliberately? Or do you mean someone else?

[Cyrus112]

Genki looks at the group.

"The Emperor, Masaya-san. This was his plan all along. He is Maho-Tsukai. I warned General Kyo years ago on this, but there was an assassination attempt against me, so I left. I'm surprised the Emperor never branded me a traitor to the Empire, but doing so may have brought most unwanted attention upon him. General Kyo has one of the best minds for tactics and strategy, and if not already, he will soon be lost to the Taint. He will become Maho-Bujin, and be under the control of our tainted Emperor. As will the three of you."

He pauses, letting the information sink in.

"You can be cured, I promise you."

He goes back to being quiet, looking at everyone in the group, clearly waiting for some questions or comments from the group.

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya stares at Genki. He slumps forward, holding his masked face in his hands. The prophecy... it was right, we just interpreted it wrong. We thought it meant right away, but we must have got the timing wrong. It must have meant this Emperor. By the Kami... his shoulders are shaking.
Our empire, our beautiful empire...
He looks back up, his hands going to his sides. It seems to me there is only one path, unless you can think of another. We have three things to do. First, we must be cured. Then you must come with me to meet the Shosuro. And then we will murder the Emperor, preferably when he is asleep or otherwise vulnerable, and cannot use his Maho against us. He speaks matter-of-factly, calmly, without even a tremble of the voice when he speaks of doing the most dishonourable thing possible.

[Cyrus112]

Genki nods.

"The Emperor is planning on corrupting the Empire from the inside out. While I have been isolated here, hiding from him, I have been able to keep in contact with people who trust me. I will send Nobutada to them to bring them here. But first things first is to get you three healed. Chion, Masumi, I will understand if you wish to part ways. This isn't your fight. I would request most strongly, however, you stay. There may come a time when the taint becomes too much for these three to handle, and you may have to slay them. Better that then what the Emperor has planned for them.

I will stress this strongly. You three who are tainted, you will not only be in the Emperor's service, but he will be using you to awaken a beast that has not roamed Rokugan. The Kusatte Iru. It slumbers now in the lands of the Crab clan, but your tainted blood can be used to break its seal, reawakening it. This must not happen, for it would be almost impossible to get it back into its slumber afterwards. Not even I know how to defeat it."

Nobutada gasps at this information.

((Knowledge: History or Crab Lands if you have it))

[Ozzy_G]

How can we be healed then?

[tonberryking]

Well this certainly took a turn. Masumi reveals nothing of her condition though the lady ronin may feel that now would not be the proper time given the relevancy of everything being said. However she does have something to voice.

"Though I believe you all, Bayushi san, I fear that your plans are easier said than done. A cure is one thing, but to kill the emporer? Feh. You simply cannot slay such a powerful man for the sake of wiping out taint. The consequences of such actions would affect more than our little band of outcasts. All of Rokugan would feel the impact."

OOC: What's the Shosuro?

[Ozzy_G]

And they would feel the impact of the whole Empire falling under the taint of shadow, too. He turns to Genki. That's another thing, do you know if the members of his family are Maho-Tsukai too? For example, is his heir corrupted?

[tonberryking]

"...that would make things even worse; can even a sage grasp at how deep corruption has sank? Killing the emporer is bad enough but to butcher an entire tainted family is sickening."

[Ozzy_G]

If it must be done for the Empire, then the Scorpion will do it.

[androgial]

Ikeira

" the emporer made an error in his plan it seems. we had a warning of what was happening to us. either some one in his personal shugenja did something right or some higher power interveined. weve been transforming into assains alright but weve been slaughtering those ment to be maho bujin in the process. that beast we fought at the river was there for us to feul the transformation. another error on the part of the emporer is believing only genki has the power to cure this. until we are cured however the three of us must not sleep here. i say we let masumi and chion stay to collect the cure and we move back to last nights encampment and wait for it. the perfect assasin is the one who doesnt know who his target is and what he is doing when it happens. we must not stay in genkis presence while we sleep."

[Ozzy_G]

I agree with that, but first we need to know how this cure works. He turns back to Genki.

[The_Shaman]

Vrishma

Vrishma looks obviously aghast at these revelations, although many of the names and comments - both by Genki and his fellows - leave him confused. Yet he has seen enough of the ways in the Empire to have an idea what an idea is being discussed. He studies the sage carefully, and tries to rein in his curiosity in the limits of what is "socially acceptable."

Most distressing, I say. Yet I have another question I want to ask before we go, sage Genki, indeed I do. We - my kinsmen and I - live far to the north, we do, near the lands that the Dragon-Samurai claim as theirs. Long, long have we lived there, I say, yet recently a troublesome occurrence we saw. Fell beasts and oni have long avoided the mountains, they have, for the sacred groves of the spirits repel their taint. From some time, however, they come in greater numbers, indeed they do, and are not so easily deterred. Even the elder spirits are unsure what gives them such temerity - or what presses them with fear greater than the elders' vengeancel, I think. Would you know what might be behind these incursions, I ask?

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya looks grim at this news, but says nothing, waiting for Genki to speak.

[Cyrus112]

Genki nods.

"I know of a cure. It will require a long trek on your part. The cure is part of the reason for the incursions into your land, Vrishma. The spirits have shown me visions of the purest jade fragments to be found in Rokugan. Each must be recovered to restore you all. One can be found in each of the lands that those who are tainted hail from. The incursions have taken place to keep you all from the cure. There was another with your group who I fear has been lost to the taint. He will most assuredly be in one of the groups that is intending to stop you from getting the cure. Be warned, the enemy will do everything they can to make sure you are unconscious but alive. They need your tainted blood to wake the Kusatte Iru. Don't give them the chance to take you alive."

He looks at the group to stress his meaning.

"As to the status of the Emperor's family, I know not. He was the only Tainted one in the palace when I was there, but that may have changed. I will give Nobutada instructions, and through some contacts, should be able to at least get an idea of how things stand in the Capital."

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya sighs. Wonderful.

[androgial]

ikeira

"how many peices of pure jade must we find? 3, 5, or one from each clan plus from the vanara?"

ikeira pulls out one of the scrolls from the treasure they aquired at the river and begins tapping it against his check thinking of some thing but still listening.

[tonberryking]

"...I'm not the one who's cursed" Masumi says ironicly, "So I doubt there is one for me, meaning 3 in all."

Surprisingly Masumi seems to be wary of the mention of this jade. She had handled the weaker stuff in days past with no ill effect, however, she ponders if Genki the sage included (somehow) her condition with the others' malady. Though lycanthropy is considered by most a problem, to those who know what she is would get the idea that she has no compunctions of parting with it.

[androgial]

ikeira

"no but general kyo is and he is from the lion clan"

[tonberryking]

"...I'm not looking forward to my homecomming..."

[Cyrus112]

Genki shakes his head slightly.

"I'm speaking only of those who handled the jade ball in the fountain, which would be three. There would be a fourth, but he is lost already. If you are all lost, the jade will become tainted, and will be used to break the seals of the Kusatte Iru's prison, along with your tainted blood. You'll have to travel to the ancestral lands of the Scorpions, the Vanara's homeland, and Ikeira's ancestral homeland."

As if sensing what Masumi is thinking he looks at her.

"Do not worry, Masumi-san. You're particular...situation is not linked to the Taint."

[Cyrus112]

((As I'm always unsure of how I run things, how are you all enjoying things? I hope nothing is too out of left field for anyone :-/ ))