Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

The Emerald Empire of Rokugan. It is a land upheld by honor, guided by fate, ruled by destiny. The Great Clans each support the Emperor, but inter-clan conflict is inevitable—both in the Emperor’s courts and on the battlefield. In the midst of danger and turmoil, honor must be your sword and your armor.

It is an era of sudden change and upheaval in the Emerald Empire. Mortal schemes, elemental imbalances, and celestial turmoil have disrupted the political, military, and spiritual equilibrium of Rokugan. Long-simmering rivalries and fresh betrayals ripple through the courts and on the battlefield. The Chrysanthemum Throne is beset by threats from without and within, and the honor of the seven Great Clans shall be put to the test.
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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Hermit » Wed Jan 08, 2020 7:32 pm

Vardaen wrote:Dinner continues on, and as the main course is being finished Gensai deftly suggests a demonstration of his swordsman ship. Hirawara all but claps at the idea, giddy with excitement. "A most excellent idea Gensai, you are full of delight tonight, yet I don't think we can make this evening all about your skills." Hirawara stands up and scans the room, "Gensai will entertain us with his kenjutsu kata's, but I would challenge any of you to do the same so we might enjoy the differences and debate the virtues of each style. Who will do this?"
Muskrat wrote:Ryoko rises and bows. "I would be honored to show everyone my humble understanding of the techniques of the Daidoji Scouts." She can hardly honorably refuse to show her abilities.
Turning his attention over towards the young Crane woman adjacent to Yoshito, Gensai offers a respectful nod in her direction, inwardly quite relieved that the burden of providing a splendid performance will not lie solely upon him. When no one else appears forthcoming in the magistrate's challenge to join in the upcoming display of martial skill, Gensai watches as Hirawara promptly summons his servants with instructions to follow shortly after.
Vardaen wrote:He claps his hands at the servants, "Open the east wall to the garden, and retrieve the bokken from my dojo. We will watch from here and our competitors will use the open air of the garden. Light some torches out there too."

The heimin do as they are told, opening the entire eastern wall, sliding panels to the side and removing some from hinges and setting them to the side. Torches and lanterns are lit and the small courtyard area is set and cleared a perfect place for a few kata -- clearly the heimin have set up for this sort of thing in the past.
As the Magistrate’s attendants go forth to carry out their assigned tasks with commendable swiftness, Gensai capitalizes on this intermission by preparing himself for the demonstration to come. Slowly standing up from his seat at the table, the shugyōsha casually shrugs off his haori and neatly folds it before handing it off to a passing servant for the duration of his performance. Repeating this process with his kimono as well, Gensai is eventually left wearing only a thickly woven undershirt over his upper torso.

Prior to entering the courtyard once the makeshift rearrangements have been fully implemented by the heimin attendants, the large man claps his hands together and calmly slips into a meditative stance, clearing his mind of all distracting thoughts for the trial ahead.
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Vardaen » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:26 pm

The Otomo personage leans over and comments to Kanko-Cho, "Yes I agree with you, just what we don't need. More military examples, such displays are rarely entertaining." Clearly his eyes are keen, and he's read into the young woman's secret desires.

Those seated with their backs to the courtyard turn around so they may see and now have their back to the others across the table from them. Hirawara is pleased that Ryoko will also give a demonstration. So after required preparations are made, and sake is now brought out and the dinner plates are cleared away you are ready for the kata to begin.
I'll PM our 2 samurai their rolls so they RP them.

Gensai first
Ryoko second
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Muskrat » Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:30 pm

As a clan samurai, Ryoko steps forward to perform her kata before the ronin. She starts by closing her eyes and collecting herself, trying to put the dinner party and the investigation into taxes out of her mind, so she can focus on what her sensei taught her. She doesn't quite succeed, but does so well enough that she can focus on showing off her martial skill. She acquits herself well enough--she clearly knows what she is doing, as she moves through the various forms, but there is nothing outstanding about her performance.

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Sasori » Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:37 pm

The young Asahina tries to hide her surprise, when the Otomo adresses her and states that he too thinks that a martial demonstration is not what the party needed.
She smiles slightly at the imperial Samurai and nods in agreement.
"I guess our honored host takes a liking to such things. I wonder why", says the young woman while watching the warriors preparing themselves for the demonstration. When the garden is prepared for the show and the bushi take their places outside, Kanko-Cho tries to position herself in a way so that she is not blocking the view for the other guests.
“The wind moves with such subtlety, you do not even notice your own breathing. Be aware. Only a fool knows the wind is empty.” Tao of Shinsei

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Hermit » Sat Jan 11, 2020 6:48 am

Gensai observes with keen interest as Ryoko demonstrates the techniques of the Daidoji Scouts, having only learned of it primarily through the peculiar lens of his boisterous mother doting on her children with a few pointers on how to fight against "Crane trickery” on the field of battle during their formative years. Pushing aside such thoughts, the shugyōsha’s close attention is focused on taking the length and measure of the Crane’s skillfulness in her chosen style. By the end of her demonstration, Gensai can only surmise her overall performance as being more of a formality than a genuine attempt at flaunting her abilities. Perhaps her School also teaches its students to practice “What you show” and “What you do not show”?

Such conjecture must be pondered over at a later date as it now becomes Gensai’s turn to provide entertainment for those gathered. Receiving the bokken offered by one of the attendants, he gives the practice weapon a few experimental swings in order to get a feel for its heft and balance before gingerly sheathing it within his obi and striding out to the torchlit courtyard.

Standing mutely with an easy smile in the center of this makeshift stage, Gensai opens with a bow to his audience and without further preamble draws forth his bokken as he initiates his own exhibition of martial prowess. At casual glance much of the shugyōsha’s movements, coordination, and flourishes hold little in the way of a discernible pattern, and yet there is an undeniable element of fluidity infused throughout the entirety of the vagabond’s presentation. Like the flowing river Gensai remains in constant motion, shifting and pivoting evasively with the changeability of a river current suddenly banking off into a separate braid, then just as suddenly rejoining the main channel once again. This adaptability is evident in his blade work as well, alternating randomly between a series of cuts and thrusts that range between two-handed, one-handed, and even an occasional reverse-grip.

Eventually the performance comes to an end and the wooden sword returns securely to the side within the imposing young man’s silver and garnet patterned obi after a theatrical chiburi*. Gensai faces his audience once more and concludes his demonstration the same way he had started it, with an affable smile and a courteous bow.

*- Term in Japanese Swordsmanship that describes the movement of blood shake (cleaning).
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Muskrat » Mon Jan 13, 2020 6:03 pm

In spite of herself, Ryoko is impressed with the ronin's seeming skill with the blade--though how one performed in front of an audience and how performed in an actual fight were two different things. Still, she makes a bow appropriate to a not-quite equal and says, "A fine performance, Ronin-san."
Last edited by Muskrat on Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Orvost » Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:29 pm

Shonogen watches the two performers as they move through their katas. He recalls the many candle-lit evenings he spent in the Asako libraries studying the fighting styles found within the Empire. He brings to his mind's eye the scrolls and codecies with their illustrated stances and the annotated descriptions of motion from one stance to the next. He now cross references that knowledge with what he is now witnessing to determine what fighting tradition each performer is trained in.

Ryoko claimed to be a Daidoji Scout, Shonogen tries to see if her swordsmanship proves her true. The ronin is a mystery, but much can be learned about his past with what he does with a sword.
With scholar I have a basic knowledge skill with every fighting style. I'd like to try and learn what school they are each trained in.

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:59 pm

The audience is polite tho Ryoko, there is light clapping from all of the Crane including from Doji Hirawara and his Yoriki Daidoji Juro. Kyo smiles a big smile, "A fine example to make any mother proud." The other guests offer polite or sincere praise for the display of Ryoko.

Gensai's performance draw a bit more attention, keen eyes notice the bushi among the crowd are watching with interest and detailed eyes as the Ronin does his kata, giving some away about this heritage, and some not. Doji Takashi the young Crane almost stands up as he claps, "Well done, well done, like a river flowing in and out of itself down a mountains side. I very much enjoyed that, very much. Oh Gensai we should have tea together tomorrow to talk."

Your host nods, "That was delightful both of your do honor to your craft. I believe now it is time to wrap our little party up." He flicks his fan and a fee musicians seated in the courtyard start to play. The song is soft at first as Hirawara speaks, but it grows in loudness as he finishes. "It is with great sadness that we must now depart. I have enjoyed our time together. Please go and remember fondly our meetings."

The collected people gather their things to make ready to go with various degrees of speed. The Shrine Miko is perhaps the first one to leave, as if she was being forced out at blade point, but the Otomo and Doji Aiko linger, there are things to talk to Hirawar about afterwards once you have all left.
Okay time for this dinner party to part ways
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Sasori » Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:25 pm

The young Asahina is surprised by the sudden end of the party. She politely says good bye to the Otomo with a deep enough bow to be on the verge of too deep. Than she bows to Iuchi Jun and says her good bye to him too with an approriate bow. After that her eyes are searching for Gensai, but the ronin is surrounded by the warriors present who want to either compliment him or otherwise talk to him, so Kanko-Cho decides to leave without saying good bye to him.
She takes her time to follow the appropriate protocol and after thanking the host for his hospitality, she leaves, trying to catch up with her former sensei.
“The wind moves with such subtlety, you do not even notice your own breathing. Be aware. Only a fool knows the wind is empty.” Tao of Shinsei

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Re: Scroll One: Kyōen no Torekkā

Post by Graven » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:53 pm

Jun politely thanks his host and makes his goodbyes to the other guests, congratulating each of the warriors on their demonstrations. He moves off into the town, slowly making his way back to his lodgings.
Fantasy is the exercise bike of the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I might be wrong.
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I will always return
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