Prelude: The Gathering of Heroes

[Vardaen]

Kuni Nakastume is not shocked, or otherwise moved when his name is mentioned. Of course he's heading on this venture, that was the whole point of his order. He glances to Itagi and notes the samurai's readiness to answer any trouble. However everyone here is samurai, even if they are ronin, so he doesn't expect any. "Hitomi Suru, I must ask you this, it is bothering me." He takes the moment while others are being named and things are organizing to speak to the Dragon Monk. "Why is it that you name yourself after one of thee worst Bloodspeakers? Suru is a name that is spoken with contempt and hatred here."

[MadVlat]

An obvious look of disgust crosses the face of the monk. "Crab sama, my name was chosen for me. Your subtle breaches of ettiquette shall serve no other purpose than to make you look foolish. You do not realize that the test is over, I already know your weakness. I will do my best to protect you from yourself in the dark lands". Suru gives a bow an imperial courtier would be proud of and turns his back on the crab clan geisha as he walks to meet the ronin and lion samurai. Fully aware of the crab and his yojimbo's where abouts and capabilities. So light are his steps that the dust stirred by his passing is able to refill the divots of his prints.

[Vardaen]

"Your name is chosen for you? What sort of Gempukku is that then? Never have I heard of a samurai having his name chosen for him." He inspects the Hitomi further, "Then again perhaps you are no samurai at all, though your Lady Hitomi is one. A Thunderer no less, one of the strongest samurai souls in Rokugan. Tell me then Hitomi Suru-san, who would choose for you a name that is cursed in Rokugan since the first wars of Iuchiban?" He ignores the rest of the man's attempts to claim the Tsukai-Sagasu has some flaw.

[Wayloss]

Uyko watches as the Crab and the Dragon Bicker amongst himself. For the briefest moment his face betrays the smallest portions of a smile. When the Dragon turns to greet him his face had long returned to a placid mask.

He waits for the others to depart leaving only the chosen group members, He is not large, nor strong. But his eyes burn with a quiet intensity that clearly states he is capable.

"Dragon-san, Crab-san, I am sorry to inform you. I was waylaid upon the road. I lost all but my Daisho when bandits set upon me. I find myself I'll equipped, other then my wits.

[Vardaen]

When the Ronin speaks the Crab instantly ignores the Dragon. "-san?" The Oni like painted Shugenja, the priest samurai narrows his eyes and glares at the ronin. "You think to consider Hitomi Suru of the Dragon Clan, and myself, Kuni Nakatsume of the Crab Clan equals to yourself? I shall pretend Ronin, that I did not hear that from you allow you a second chance at introductions." Ronin are of course masterless samurai, and have no family name, and so no family, and so no clan, and so no loyalty to the Daimyos and so none to the Emperor himself. That is one point of view of course, but there is no doubt Ronin in Rokugan are hardly regarded as slightly more than Hemin among the majority of society.A man with no master can not be trusted. is a common saying. Nakatsume seems to share the common belief of Bushido in this regard. He awaits the Ronin Uyuko to address him and the other Great Clan samurai as -sama before interacting with him again.

[eldritchknight]

The Lion samurai-ko walks toward Hida Ryuji, seeing here a kindred soul, a warrior forged in the heat and rage of battle.

Seeing this woman, many a person might wonder how a woman could become so large. Standing 6 feet tall, and weighing around 175 pounds, she wears the golen armor of a Lion and the mon of bothe the Lion Clan and the Matsu Family upon her kimono. A arsenal of weapons adorns her body, and she looks like a warrior born.

"I am Matsu Kunori, a berserker of the Lion Clan, and have come to aid the warrirs of the Crab in their eternal war with the Shadowlands. It is my honor to serve with the Hida," she says, direct and to the point.

[TetNak]

The bickering has already started and Tsunke's face strains. "Everyone, please ..."

He shakes his head, "We cannot fight the Shadow Lands if we are already arguing with ourselves." The magistrate sighs, "Now, please, let us move this conversation from the streets. We must plan. Within days you will be on your way."

[Bitom]

Itagi once again remains silent, watching his charge systematicly antagonize each of the companions not of the crab. He knows that the training his mother gave him in being polite is unusual among the Crab houses, but chooses not to make use of it If these people are going to travel with Crab on Crab business, they'd best get used to Crab bluntness in a hurry. In this way, the Dragon is already well under way.

[Wayloss]

Uyko quickly realizes he has spent to much time in the fringes of the empire, and there are some that do not recognise that he is nearly the equal of this crab. His last encounter with a Shugenja was to clouded from the pain of his injuries to aparently have stuck with him.

"Oh great and mighty Crab-sama, So sorry to have offended the righteous clan. My apologies also to the mighty Dragon-sama, and the heroic Lion-sama."

[MadVlat]

"Uyko I am sorry to hear of your misfotune but perhaps the fortunes were trying to tell you not to rely on material possesions and focus more on your abilities and training". The monk continues to ignore the blathering and vain crab behind him. Though he maintains a vigilant regard towards the shujenga and his yojimbo. "You may wish to watch your ettiquette around the crab sama, he takes it quite personally and will continue to complain until you fall asleep". Giving a slight glance over his shoulder, "as you can clearly see".