Oriental Adventures (Restart)

[tonberryking]

Masumi looks taken aback for a moment but she relaxes in short order. "Good. Though daming as it could be in the hands of others I have no wish to be rid of it... ...Though if it's not linked to the taint, could it be used to... um.. circumvent my commerades' conditions?"

Masumi 's face reddens. Spreading her lycanthropy was the LAST thing she would ever do short of going into the geisha business, but if it would aide the others...

[tonberryking]

(OOC Also, I like how this is playing out, to be honest. No complaints here.)

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya doesn't ask about Masumi's "condition". He has too much on his mind it would appear.
Genki, I don't like saying this, but... he pauses, uneasily, but continues. If we fail, as we may well do, facing an army of shadowland oni, we will be lost and this beast awakened. Wouldn't it be wiser for me, Ikiera and Vrishma to die here, and then Masumi, Chion, and yourself to travel to the lands of my people and warn the Shosuro family of the Emperor's corruption, so they can assassinate him? That way, there is no risk of this beast awakening.

[tonberryking]

Masumi shoots an envenomed glare at the Scorpion, standing up abruptly. her tone is heavy with anger as she throws any caution away about keeping her secret.

"Keep in mind, who you speak in the presence of, Bayushi! You think you've faced hardships, think about someone BORN with the curse or ability to change forms! I've just NOW come to terms with the fact I can change into a giant wolf after years of solitary training. Yours is a darker condition, I realize but if you take your life here and now, you are nothing but the secretive conniving coward Scorpions are painted up as by the other clans!!"

She's not done by a long shot, as she nearly sends a backhand towards Masaya were it not for her composure being kept.

"And what's more, this was YOUR mission, wasn't it? How dare you contemplate seppuku when there's still time to do something about it! Though I am honor bound and even willing to aide you and your ragtag group, I'm not about to do it by myself after you've taken an easy way out. And don't say you're protecting anyone either by saying your deaths will keep monsters out of the Maho's control. If you three could befall it, OTHERS could!"

[androgial]

ikeira

"and that masumi is why im finding it difficult to acceed to your demand to stop treating you like a spoiled princess. i find your honor integrity and nobility in the face of your ability most appealing and cant help but want to pack you in lambs wool and hide you away from all danger. i have no intention of dying here. the maho made a grave error. i will not succumb without a fight and i have one thing i can do before i die that will make it nearly impossible for the emporer to succeed. i have in my hands a wish, not the most potent of wishes but a wish non the less and i was just contemplating unleashing a curse of my own upon the emporers plans, thinking it through though i find the one thing that would most likely be a disater to the emporers plans would be fu leng's return. my curse would be to have anything that can go wrong with his plans would go wrong. this i will save for my dying breathe."

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya raises one hand. Masumi, Ikiera, calm down. There is nothing to be gained by shouting. We must think rationally, logically. You may be right in that others may succumb, that is something that perhaps Genki could tell us about? He glances at the sage questioningly, before looking back at Masumi. I don't really care whether or not this is more of a "hardship" for me than your own condition, which you appear to have finally admitted to the rest of us. I don't really care whether you think that we Scorpions are secretive and conniving, everyone thinks that and we're quite used to it. And I don't really care if you feel that if we did this, we'd be abandoning you. I am not trying to be some sort of glorious martyr, just to do what is best for the Empire. Many will tell you that service of the Empire is glorious, that those who do what is required to help it will be sung about through the ages. But we Scorpions do not fight for glory. True service, true loyalty is not glorious, it is dark and grim. It does not demand honour, but logic. He turns to Ikiera. And you need to calm down as well. This is no time to be talking about your personal feelings towards Masumi, or ridiculous notions of summoning an evil far more vile than the Emperor in order to combat him. As I said to Masumi, we must think carefully, rationally. He turns back to Genki.
So, Genki, what do you think? Wouldn't it be better to die now and so remove all danger of summoning this beast? Unless you can think of a good reason not to. He grins. I admit, I'm kind of biased towards keeping myself alive. He seems unphased now, calm, even though he talks of such grim things.

[tonberryking]

(Andro- I'm a little confused by what Ikiera meant when he said that to Masumi... could you unpack that one for me?)

[androgial]

ikeira

(unpacking...............a combination of praise for her honor and integrity in not wanting to spread lycanthropy around and a confession of genuine feelings)

"oi! your one to talk masaya, brandishing sepeku around like that. at least give me a chance to score a kiss before i die." tone is definately banterish and lighthearted

[Ozzy_G]

Oh, don't worry, says Masaya, if you don't want to do it, I'll do it for you! He winks, as he speaks jokingly, but there is a grim tone underneath the banter.
And then turns back to Genki. Though I hope it won't come to that.

[Cyrus112]

Genki shakes his head.

"Death wouldn't solve this problem. We still have the jade to consider. Even without your tainted blood, the tainted jade could still very well awaken the beast. Don't ask me how, but your life forces are tied to the jade fragments. Somehow, the very act of living is masking the jade's presence from the Emperor, else he would have awoken the beast long ago. If you die or become tainted, the Emperor can then claim the jade. Also, your being alive is proof of the Emperor's treachery. If you were to die, where would be our proof? No, it is much better that you live. As for the lycanthropy getting around the taint, I'm afraid that wouldn't work. Please, if you have more questions please ask. Asking questions is one way to bring a mind from ignorance to enlightenment."

[Ozzy_G]

Well, says Masaya, that's a pity, but I have to admit I'm kind of glad. I suppose we'll just have to make sure not to get killed. Which we have plenty of experience at.

[tonberryking]

Masumi manages to look vindicated.

...At least in regards to what she said to Masaya. Until Genki said that she's been stunned into silence over Ikeira's admissions, and not in the good way.

Maybe giving her that second katana wasn't so damn smart after all.

[Cyrus112]

((Sooo, what's everyone up to now? Any more questions/concerns?))

[The_Shaman]

Vrishma

Vrishma has several times felt that he wants to speak, but has been silent for a while, mulling the sage's answer. Yet, at end he grins at Ikeira's flirtations, and then lets out an unnerving cackle. So we shouldn't be alive, but must not die either, you say. Interesting, interesting. Well, I have no wish to kill the Emperor's kin - little harm have they done me, but if it be true that He has been bringing forth the darkness of these lands, he shall have to end, I suppose. Strange fates indeed lie in store of us, and may the spirits of those who fell in the battle under the Lord's banners forgive us, I pray.

So we need to go back to our own lands, we do. Why, Hanuman's tail - worse journeys there could be, I swear, but few worse reasons to travel. Alas, more I would ask of you, sage Genki, I would - for, as you say, darkness stalks us. The shadow-taint we have long endured, but at a cost, I think. Our bodies and souls are weary from it, and in the dark of night it creeps slowly, it does. And even if we find the jade of our ancestors, what can we use to bring forths its power, I ask? Our own healing depends on it, it does, but perhaps such power could shield our people too.

((Technically, is there a widely known ritual to use jade to cleanse our taint or is Genki telling us some seriously special stuff?))

[Rapscallion]

Chion

Chion will let out a slow breath and look to the group and say in barely audible whisper which is heard clearly.

"I am with you."


He will reamin kneeling calmly as words and destiny are bandied about with abandon. He waits for the clear path to emerge through the smoke. He waits for Genki to speak again.

[Cyrus112]

"You must bring this jade back here, and I will be able to reverse the horrid process that has begun. But you must hurry. Time works against you. You won't always be able to fight back the Taint, and if those tattoos cover your entire body, you will be lost. It is traveling slowly now, which means you haven't...transformed yet, but if you do, woe be to any who cross your path. And woe be to you for taking an innocent life. Fighting off the transformations will cause the tattoos to move more slowly, but if you transform, you'll find that you're body will be covered faster."

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya nods his thanks to Chion, grimly. Then we must leave at once, he says to Genki. My own lands are of course those of the Scorpion, and Ikiera I think said he came from the lands of the dragon? Vrishma, where abouts are the lands of your people? Also, Genki, how will we know where in our lands this jade is?
(Whereabouts in Rokugan are we at the moment? I'm guessing the north, since we're in Unicorn lands. Correct?)

[Cyrus112]

Genki looks at Masaya.

"I have had visions, whether from spirits or one of the great Dragons, I know not. The pieces of jade, while not recognizable for what they truly are, are still felt by those close to it. There is a cult in the Scorpion city of Ryoko Owari that is in possession of one jade fragment. If the other tainted would give me their backgrounds as to where they grew up, what lands they hail from, I may be able to petition the spirits for further help."

((And yes, you're all in a northern mountain range in the Unicorn lands))

[Ozzy_G]

Do you know what the cultists call themselves, or anything else about them?

[Cyrus112]

"I know not their name. I only know that they are dedicated to Onnotangu, the original Lord Moon."

[The_Shaman]

Vrishma

The Vanara looks uncertain. Is that a good thing, I ask, or a bad one? Shame it is to admit it, it is, but of the ancestors of these realms I know little.

[Rapscallion]

Chion

"It is as Masaya says, the time must be for leaving. Wise Sage I and my family thank you." Chion will bow deeply out of respsect for Genki and go to stand in one fluid motion.

[Ozzy_G]

Wait a moment, says Masaya to Chion. Ikiera and Vrishma still need to tell Genki of their homelands, to see if he might have visions that will tell us where the pieces of jade are.

[Cyrus112]

((Waitin on Shaman and Andro))

[androgial]

Ikeira

(i guess shaman was waiting to go last then lol like i was)

Ikeira gets up and whispers the information requested to genki.

[Ozzy_G]

Masaya chuckles. Ah, Ikiera, ever mysterious and secretive! You should be open and completely honest, as I always am.

[Cyrus112]

((Gah, accidentally deleted your email Andro. You said Lion, yes?))

[Ozzy_G]

(Shhh! Don't reveal his secret background! I'm pretty sure he told our characters it was the Dragon lands. Hmmm... maybe this explains his interest in Masumi. Bring home a hot, young, Lion Samurai wife and maybe the other Lion Samurai will let him back. Of course, there is the fact she turns into a monster for 3 out of every 28 days. But what women don't?)

[androgial]

(resending)

[The_Shaman]

Vrishma grins. Good enough the request is, Masaya - but are you sure you gave the right example, I ask?

((Hey, it's like in the noir films. What woman does NOT have a dangerous secret? A lady of noble birth should have at least several.))