Beyond the boarders of the Emerald Empire lies a vast and diverse world centered around the Burning Sands -- a place cursed by Shilah the Sun and Kaleel the Moon. For too long the Samurai in Rokugan have remained ignorant of the greater world around them.
A danger is rising, but is it too late for the children of the Kami? Only you know that answer.Run by the Game Master Moto Vardaen
-The world is fire, consuming, growing, dying.
The Emerald Magsitrate Kitsuki Ryuichi and his new companion the Imperial Legion Gensu Usagi Otori have taken their leave from the other Magistrates in an attempt to gather some additional information about the situation in Zakyo Toshi. Otori has some contacts in the black markets of the city, a man that rats out other black marketeers that deal in items that are simply too vile even for him to trade in.
Ryuichi has removed his badges of office and armor, and wears now a simple kimono of the 10th Legion. Traveling with Otori the pair head out of the small stronghold of the Legion and into the city proper.
This is the first look at the place that Ryuichi gets in the daylight, and it looks almost worse with Lord Sun shining on it than it did with Lady Moon. The city is drab and grey, the buidlings are packed together tightly and are unkept up, dirty and dingy. This early the streets aren't too busy yet, most of the citizens are still sleeping off last nights sake and gambling.
Dust kicks up from the the dry streets and the pair start off toward the District of the Fogotten Cherry Tree.
Otori hesitantly falls in to the role of leading the Emerald Magistrate Kitsuki Ryuichi in to the district. As uncomfortable as it feels to lead one of higher station he thinks it best to retain a sense of authority during the late hours of the day. After all the main body of patrols would be entering the rougher districts around this time and it would look odd if they were casually talking amongst each other as if they were off duty.
Otori just hopes the Emerald Magistrate can forgive his behavior until he gets the chance to explain himself.
As the walk on the dry street, Ryuichi doesn't say a word until Otori asks him. Being silent is better than having to talk about his position. Only a few weeks ago, it would have been a high honor to wear a kimono and the marks of a Legionnaire, but now it is very uncomfortable. If the promotion was longer ago he would probably feel far worse now. Hopefully no one else will know about it, because it'd be quite shameful if he has to explain it. At least he's sure that no one might ask him about his swords, as the Kitsuki assumes that he's not the only Dragon in the 10th Legion who has been bestowed with such a fine daisho.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
By the sounds of it Ryuichi is having an honor issue with this. I think its worth -1 box of honor? How does Ryuichi feel about it?
The pair walk the streets of the city, the morning is just getting on toward noon as Otori leads the two out of the central districts where the Legion is located toward the western districts and the Inn he's seeking. For an hour you travel the streets, crossing into the District of the Fogotten Cherry Tree some time ago.
Oroti takes the long way, just this once, inorder to bring the Emerald Magistrate to a small courtyard in a slightly out of the way section of the district. As you slip out from between some drab buildings the small courtyard opens up. There in the middle is a ancient, worm eaten cherry tree -- no doubt where the district takes it name. The grass aroudn tis base is not trimmed, and the branches, mostly broken, are void of any petals or leaves. It is a rather sad state of afairs for such a venerable tree.
Otori pause a moment, his destination only a few minutes up the street across the courtyard.
"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
Otori takes a few steps forward looking around the enclosed courtyard and beyond. Making sure they have privacy he turns back to Kitsuki Ryūichi his voice a whisper.
"Right up ahead is the Ryokan called the Gilded Lily. Once I have spoken to the innkeeper there he will send one of his runners to contact the merchant. We will make an inspection of the inn appearing to all inside that we are merely making a routine check and keeping the order. When really were just buying time. Hopefully by the time we are done the runner will have returned with the destination of the meet. Falling that we will patrol this quarter for the next half an hour before coming back here to this grove. There will be a note hidden near the bowl of the tree. If you need to inquire about anything now is the time my lord."
Please feel free to edit any of this Var if you think it would be conducted in a different way
I think you're quite right, V. He's uncomfortable with the situation as I tried to describe. Hate to lose honor, but it's appropriate.
"Do not worry, Otori-san. You have my full trust as anyone has in the soldiers of the Legions," Ryuichi replies, using the Hare's first name to signal his confidence to the man. "I will do as you say and act as casual as I can."
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
The pair pause in the open air courtyard, a few side streets branch off from here into the rest of the city. Otori explains how it will work, and Ryuichi nods doing his best to be comfortable with the situation. The pair then head down the street to the Gilded Lily. The name of the inn is obviously not meant to be a true representation of the place. The building is old and run down, shingles are missing from the roof, the front windows are boarded over with crude wood, and the door hangs slightly at a angle, broken off one too many times the frame now is no longer plume. A sign board hangs out front, the kanji for Gilded Lily is just barely readable, the paint as long ago faded away. All around the lower sides of the wall is mud splatter from rain and travel, and no one has bothered to clean it up in years.
"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
Ryuichi doesn't say another word, waiting for Otori to take the lead. But he scans over the Gilded Lily and can only wonder if someone really wants to relax in here. Maybe it has been the time with the Asahina to appreciate a little artistic environment, but he's sure that no one would come here to drink and forget and take care of shady business. Although it's also quite possible that this city is just that run down that it is the typical appearance of an inn. As far as his memory serves him, the Kitsuki is also certain that the two sake houses where they encountered the men who taunted each other, didn't look that bad.
The Dragon doesn't sigh or look at the Hare and only looks at the building imgagining who bad the insides will look if they're as run down as the outside.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
"Ok then here we go" at that Otori turns and heads for the Gilded Lily barely taking in the diminished details of the crumbling establishment. He picks his path methodically towards the inns door. Unconsciously avoiding the pools of water and dirt that he is so accustomed to on these streets and enters.
Otori navigates the puddles and mud without even realizing he's doing so as he head into the Gilded Lily. With him comes Ryuichi, wondering just what the inside will look like if the outside is so bad. He doesn't have to wonder long, for the inside is as bad at the outside.
The door slides open with some effort and into the common room the pair step. The first thing that assults your senses is the smell, the inside of the place smells like wet dog, sour milk, and old vomit. It is a smell that forces Ryuichi to hold his hand up to his mouth and nose, while Otori is braced for it and manages to only cringe. Inside the building is only lit by a single smoking lamp and what light manages to filter in through the boarded up windows. Laying on the floor in flea infested pillows are half a dozen men, all of them either passed out drunk, or soon to be. Some might have been here since last night, no one seems to care. A fat, grased bearded and bald man stands at the back of the room spit cleaning some cracked and old sake cups. Sweaping the floor, in a vain attempt to clean the place, is a skinny and mal nourished looking woman. Her kimono is too big for her and as a result it hangs off her one shoulder scandelously showing far too much of her flesh.
The innkeeper, looks up at the door, "We are closed..." he then narrows his eyes and sees Otori. "I suposed we could make an exception in your case."
A set of ladders leads up to a loft area above on the second floor where sleeping mats are laid out, and the sound of snoring comes from. A few tattered and faded watercolor paintings linger on the walls.
"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
