Ring of Air - Stronger than Steel

[Vardaen]

Yotsu Chen considers, "The bakemono are most active in the night time, making the trip now would mean the return trip might put us into the evening hours. I suggest we leave just before dawn, the bakemono will be mostly getting ready to rest, and the Lost may not be up yet. You are all welcome to say here of course, we have plenty of bed unfortunately." He looks a bit sad at the statement, no doubt they have room since their numbers continue to dwindle.

OOC

I don't want to drag out things too much here, so we won't be doing alot of 'resting' RP just enough to move us forward.

[Vardaen]

OOC

Did I loose *EVERYONE* here?

[Hayabusa]

"Well, Yotsu-san, I trust your assessment since you have stayed here and fought them. And I appreciate your generous offer and would feel honored to rest at this place, which has been defended by you and your courageous comrades. I will go to rest then", Ryuichi says, but looks over to the Kuni if he can leave him with the others and go to bed. "As long as you don't need me, Kuni-sama."

[Vardaen]

OOC

Hmmm. Going on 5 Days now.

I'm pinging everyone buy Hayabusa with a 3 Day Counter! Bad samurai, bad.

Ryuichi accepts for the group the wisdom of the Yotsu. The rest of the lingering day is spent cleaning up, eating and taking stock of your situation. One by one the group is given someplace to rest, and you take this chance to enjoy some sleep in this blasted land. Before the sun is up there is a knock on your door, "Samurai-san, it is time." The whispered voice is that of Yotsu Chen as he moves from room to room waking you.

The day hasn't started yet and there is a lingering gloom on the horizon that is coming as the Lord Sun considers rising in the east soon. One by one you dress, strap on armor, and check your arrows and your scrolls. The group meets in silence back in the war room, Chen stands over the maps. "We will take this trail..." he maps out a winding passage through the ruins of Otosan Uchi, "We must beware when we reach these gates, its a choke point, but we should be able to slip through unseen at this hour." He then pokes the map, "This is our goal, the harbor area here."

The plan laid out, the group gathers outside the building. Standing there are three Yotsu scouts, men you haven't seen yet. They are dressed in dark kimonos, with yumi bows strapped to their back. Each bows deeply to Yotsu Chen, "We are ready -sama." The men look over your collected group. "Are they?"

OOC

This is it. The start of the very last scene for this very long Ring of the game. When we resolve this, we will have completed this chapter of the game, and will flip-flop to the LBS portion of the game. So lets gear up and go out with a splash here.

Hit Points

Everyone heals Insight Rank + Stamina. I've already edited your shared google sheets with this. Ryuichi is the only one that remains moderately wounded, everyone else is is either healed or onyl barely wounded.

[mackaber]

After the long treck to Otosan Uchi and the malady following the battle rage Umeko finds sleep quickly. Yet her sleep is only light and she rises again early taking some time to perform her Kata in the hopes that she can draw on the strength of the earth for support in any upcoming encounters with mor Bakemono.

OOC

Prepare Striking as Earth for the day. It will be active for the rest of the chapter.

[Nate]

Kijuro makes it a point to wake up earlier in the morning than he normally would, assuming the group is going to want to leave quickly. Once again the samurai goes through his normal routine, meditating after waking, then performing the long tedious process of preparing himself for the day.

After the group meets, and looks over the map he just nods in agreement, he's never been overly tactical, and doesn't seem any blatant flaws in their plan. Though the Crane also assumes they know the area far more than he does.

"I am ready." Kijuro replies simply as they exit the building bowing lightly before the scouts as they approach.

[Hayabusa]

Due to his injury Kitsuki Ryuichi has slept a little longer than he wanted. But as soon as he woke up he got dresses and prepared for the day. He practiced choreographed patterns of movements. After cleaning himself, a prayer to the kami and a small breakfast he is ready to get going.

"I am sorry for the delay, -samas," Ryuichi apologizes. "The recent events strained me more than I expected."

OOC

Prepare Striking as Fire.

[ManWithDoor]

If there is enough time in the morning, Kuni Zenko attempts to again treat the wounds of his comrade. Ryuichi has fought valiantly, and deserves every effort possible in healing his wounds. The shugenja avoids calling upon the water kami in this case, as those spirits were always hesitant to answer him in the best of circumstances. In these blasted lands, it might go from hesitant to dangerous.

Zenko says little as he prepares for the day, simply meditating quietly. He ponders the things he has learned in his heart, hoping that they carry him through the day.

OOC

Sorry for the delay. Computer died, in rather spectacular fashion. Kept crashing and getting blue death errors. Thought it was a virus, so tried reinstalling the OS. Yeah ... it's now crashed 4 times halfway through the reinstall. Must be a hardware death. Fun fun fun! Borrowing an old computer from my stepdad of all people.

[Vardaen]

Zenko changes the bandages on Ryuichi and cleans the wounds. They are starting to fester slightly, but the new bandages will help keep hings from getting infected, unfortunately he can't help the wound along anymore today, only time will do it.

Roll

Medicine: 13 vs 15 Fail! THat was a terrible roll sorry.

The samurai wake and preform their various kata each one showing a different style than the next, and even the Yotsu are out back warming up for the day to come.

OOC

Various Kata Readied

Then it is time, Chen comes to the group, "We shall leave now. Come." The Yotsu then heads out of the dojo and into the street. The air outside is cool and filled with a sea salt freshness that it lacked yesterday. By noon today however that smell will turn from fresh to festering rot. Yotsu Chen is joined by Hidakage and two other Yostu Scouts that you saw among the dojo but never spoke with. The four of them make sure everyone understands this is a dangerous trip and to remain silent, in single file, and to not vary from the course they are about to take 'at your own risk'.

So off they and you go. For an hour you follow the Yotsu through broken twisted husks of Otosan Uchi's nobler districts. Large manors stand broken and burned out. Temples small and large are crumbled to dust or skeletons of their former self. You crossed several bridges that remain in tact crossing small streams that wind their way down to the harbor. At one point the scouts pause, converse with one another, and then turn around, "The way is blocked today, we'll take another route", in forms Hidakage. You double back a few blocks, then slip down a street that once was home to Kabuki Theaters, Puppet Theaters and other theaters of the arts. The Yotsu lift a hand about twenty minutes later, and then move down the row checking, counting, making sure everyone is here. His voice is low, "We need to run across this open area as fast and as silent as we can. One at a time."

The man turns back to the lead and stops at the edge of an old parade ground. The sun is still not risen but the air is starting to glow red with the thought of Lord Yakamo's rise. The scout scans both directions and then darts off like a fox across the field making no noise as he vanishes into some rubble on the far side. Hidakage goes next, and he too makes the open ground without incident. Then one by one you begin you race across the exposed terrain.

One by one you race across the open ground, Zenko, Umeko, Shuro all hurry across without any incident. The three appear skilled at the event, and slip into the rubble on the far side as easily as the Yotsu. Then Ryuichi takes off, his wound are slowing him down, but the Dragon refused to be the one to falter here and so he forces himself through the pain. Even his wounds can't stop the Dragon and he slides into the rubble silently on the far side. Chen looks to the Crane, "You go now, I'll go last." Kijuro nods and races across the open field. He stumbles, and snags his kimono on broken rock and displaced branch on the ground. He spins and slips forward, his kimono ripping **rrrrrrriiiiip* as he yanks himself free from the debris. Everyone is dead silent as Doji Kijuro stands there a moment exposed in the middle of the field. Nothing happens, thank the kami, and he continues running across the field and joins the others on the far side, a huge rip up his clothing. Seconds later Chen arrives silently and crouches down with you all. "That was close. Let us thank the Fortunes nothing heard you. Come we are almost there."

Roll

Athletics/Agility TN 15. Zenko, Shuro, Umeko hit the target easy. Ryuichi had +10TN from Wounds and got a 25. Kijuro, untrained so no exploding dice had a 10,1,3 = 14! So close.

[mackaber]

Umeko silently gets back into rank and file to follow the scouts. She is somewhat on edge knowing that deadly terrors might be lurking around every corner.