EVENT: Dark Desires (D7, Early Afternoon)

Mindshred · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 am **Posts:** 1559

[Extremely Long, Extremely Dangerous Event]

~ This event will take the entirety of your D7 time slots after this event, as well as your D8 Morning time slots ~

Scenario: You have been approached by Yogo Daisuke, the (formerly Crane) husband of the Yogo daimyo. Though initially skeptical of Daisuke’s reputation, which paints him as a sort of low-key madman, you couldn’t help but find yourself being taken in by the story he told: a world where the Mantis are a Great Clan, the Emperor is a Lion, and where the last of the Hantei line was possessed by the vengeful spirit of Fu Leng.

Daisuke claims that things have gone “all wrong,” but that there is still time to find a way out of the darkness… provided that someone can reclaim the Black Scrolls that the Kitsu daimyo “foolishly” threw into Toshigoku. He had been hoping to quietly visit Kyuden Asako, the source of the only known stable portal into Toshigoku, in the spring, but now that he's heard rumors of Kitsu Izumu gathering up samurai to close the portal, Daisuke has been forced to toss all of his careful planning aside.

The Scorpion is trying to find a small group of samurai who are willing to travel to Kyuden Asako, fight back the disembodied spirits of countless slaughter spirits, throw themselves through a portal into another realm, and retrieve two of the most dangerous items in the Empire’s history. Then, they will have to find some way to return to Ningen-do with the Black Scrolls in hand.

But it’s all for the good of the Empire, right?

Participants: 5 characters

Imperialist Victory: The characters retrieve at least one of the Black Scrolls. The character that retrieved the Black Scroll will gain the sealed “Return of the Fallen Lord” Black Scroll to do with as they see fit.

Imperialist Bonus: The characters retrieve both Black Scrolls. The second character to retrieve a Black Scroll will gain the opened “Touch of Despair” Black Scroll to do with as they see fit.

Traditionalist Victory: The characters fail to retrieve any of the Black Scrolls. The “Return of the Fallen Lord” Black Scroll will remain lost in Toshigoku for all time.

Traditionalist Bonus: The characters fail to defeat the Tsuno. Emboldened by their victory, more Tsuno will emerge from the depths of Toshigoku and join the Steel Chrysanthemum’s armies. The Empire gains +30 Traditionalist Points.

Rules: This is a multi-part event that will take characters a great deal of time to complete. As such, any participating characters will be unable to participate in any other threads taking place after this event until this event ends.

If you wish to join this suicide mission, post in this thread and prepare to depart Nikesake under cover of night.

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

((Sugimoto will participate if able))

Ryuuta Kin · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:29 pm **Posts:** 269

Bayushi Norikami · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:22 pm **Posts:** 315

(Lessgo!)

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Bayushi Yukinaga · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:23 am **Posts:** 175

(Why not let's go)

Mindshred · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 am **Posts:** 1559

Part 1: Skirting the Edges

Yogo Daisuke has already made travel arrangements: quick horses for those of you without steeds of your own, as well as enough travel rations to sustain you during your mission.

The horses travel quickly across the frozen plains, their hooves kicking up half-melted snow and slush as you race northeast through the rain, skirting around the Steel Chrysanthemum's scouting parties.

You don’t have the time to sneak around them, so the only option left is to race past them as quickly as possible and hope that you’re out of range before they can draw their bows.

Rules: Each character must attempt to evade three different scouting groups.

Evading the Scouts: Every roll made during this event is done so while mounted.

Evading Patrols: A character may attempt to use stealth to avoid drawing the attention of a scouting group. If the character chooses to do so, they may attempt a TN 25 Stealth (Sneaking)/Agility roll. On a success, the character evades the patrol. On a failure, they are spotted and must attempt to outrun the patrol.

A character may attempt to outrun the patrol with a TN 25 Horsemanship (Rokugani Pony)/Agility roll. If a character is riding their own Gaijin Riding Horse or Utaku Steed, the emphasis on this roll changes to (Gaijin Riding Horse) or (Utaku Steed), as appropriate. Characters who attempted and failed a Stealth roll immediately prior to making this roll have their TN increased by +10.

On a success, the character outruns the patrol and gets out of range before arrows can be fired. On a failure, the character still escapes, but not before they are skewered by multiple arrows. The character suffers a 5k2 damage roll, plus one additional 5k2 damage roll for every 5 points by which the character fails their Horsemanship roll.

The character must evade three separate patrols in order to complete this part of the event.

There is no time to rest and heal between patrols, but a character with access to healing magic may attempt to cast such a spell between patrols, on themselves or on another character that is at the same point in the event (i.e., between patrols 1 and 2 or between patrols 2 and 3). Characters that are at a different point in the event cannot be healed. Thus, making a post for each patrol and then waiting for any shugenja to catch up to you might not be a bad idea.

If a character fails to cast a spell due to the Black Scroll penalty, they become sickened, cannot cast any spells for the remainder of this step of the event, and have a +5 TN penalty to every subsequent roll they make during this event.

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

"Ride! Ride for the Emperor and for Rokugan! Ride for-"
Sugimoto gets shot...then he gets shot again, and again, and again.
The rest of the party might begin to wonder just how many archers there can be in the empire as shaft after shaft rains down on the lion. After a few minutes it seems as though the rain of arrows is stopping, the magistrate just a large porcupine like mass.

And then they begin again, fletchers work overtime to supply the usurpers warrior's with the arrows they need as volley after volley is let loose. Finally, when there is no visible inch of the Lion, they stop.

A usurper samurai "You think we got him?"

Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 1, roll 1, Horsemanship, TN 25: 3d10o10k2 18
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 1, roll 2, Horsemanship, TN 25: 3d10o10k2 11
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 1 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 18

Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 1 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 18
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 2 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 16
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 3 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 16
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 4 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 20
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 5 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 18
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 6 damage roll 1 of 7: 5d10o10k2 19
Day 7 Early Afternoon, Dark Desires, Phase 1 damage roll 7 of 7: 5d10o10k2 28

(( Sugimoto is very dead, several of his children may have died as well. He's off to a better place now, with Boromir))

Ryuuta Kin · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:29 pm **Posts:** 269

Kin was not familiar with horses. And his inexperience was obvious as he bounced around like a fool as he spurred the horse on as fast as he could. Unfortunately he couldn't keep the horse on a straight path and veered too close to the archers on too many occasions.

In the end, he laid with his broken leg crushed beneath the horse, gurgling his last breath through a gullet full of blood. He had failed in this mission, but he had done so trying to help save the empire. So his last thoughts were... At least I di... cut off short by an arrow piercing straight through his skull.

----

D7, Skirting the Edges 1, Horsemanship / Agility, VP +1k1+4, TN 25: 4d10+4 22

D7, Skirting the Edges 1, Damage: 5d10o10k2 12 -3 reduction

9 wounds total

D7, Skirting the Edges 2, Horsemanship / Agility, VP +1k1+4, TN 25: 4d10+4 22

D7, Skirting the Edges 2, Damage: 5d10o10k2 16 -3 reduction

22 wounds total

D7, Skirting the Edges 3, Horsemanship / Agility, VP +1k1+4, TN 35: 4d10+4 25

D7, Skirting the Edges 3, Damage x3: 3#5d10o10k2 19 15 17 -9 reduction

64 wounds total, dead

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

When Aya was told she'd be going to hell today, she did not expect to have to ride there. Horses were an incredible drawback when hunting monsters. That was a fuckton of angry glowing samurai with enough bows to launch a small forest at her. If she fucked this up, they could send her remains home in an origami rose.

So, she just had to not get caught.

It took all her skill, but she evaded the first patrol. Hopefully Noribaka didn't fuck this up as well. As for the others....she wasn't feeling hopeful, they had struck her as political appointees who couldn't scout worth a damn.

Avoid patrol 1 37 vs. 25

She waited a moment to see if the others had followed her lead.

Bayushi Yukinaga · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:23 am **Posts:** 175

Yukinaga arrived ready to go armor strapped on sword and bow in good condition. He felt that familiar adrenaline that came before a particularly risky mission. He took deep breaths and let the beating of his heart power him but kept that energy under control, it was useful but only when properly harnessed.

He nodded to the other scorpion that joined them on this mission, he had fought with them before and knew they were capable warriors. He did not know the other two but he greeted then as well. They talked for a shirt while before their mounted their horses and headed to the city.

As they sped through the snow toward their destination they saw the patrols. Yukinaga cursed and wished he had focused more on the stealth training to avoid just something like this. The returned roamed around armed with bows, Yukinaga knew there was no way he could sneak by them, not on this horse but without it he didnt fair much better. He took a deep breath and nodded to the others "Ganbatte." He said to his companions before kicking his horse into a gallop snow and dirt kicking up under its hooves as they pounded across the field.

He didnt hear the shouts of alarm over the pounding of his heart and the wind in his ears. For one brief moment he thought maybe he could make it, and then the first arrow punctured his shoulder. He did not cry out. The second arrow hit his side definitely hitting something vital. Yet he did not cry out. A third sailed through the arm to bury itself in his upper arm. He grit his teeth and did not cry out.

He found Aya after he lost the first patrol his breath was haggard but he was still in his saddle and he tasted blood in his mouth. "I fear we were ill prepared for this mission Yogo-san." He said quietly against gritted teeth his voice barely passing through his mempo.

------------------------------
D4 event horsemanship tn 25: 3d10 12

So 3 5k2 rolls
D4 patrol one arrow damage: 3#5d10o10k2 16 27 18
Spending one void per first two attacks so 26 wounds after reductions

26/57 wounds (hurt)

Bayushi Norikami · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:22 pm **Posts:** 315

That's a lot of arrows...

Norikami had managed to slip through so well Aya didn't notice he was only a few meters behind.

They kept riding carefully ahead and Norikami managed some proper work on his horse.

The patrols found no further trace of the Scorpion...

OOC
Stealth 1 vs 25: 32
Stealth 2 vs 25: 28
Stealth 3 vs 25: 62

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya thought she could see the spear of Emma-O having cleanly gone through a pirahna and a beard was now deeply lodged in Yukinaga's chest. And they still had a hell of a long way to go.

"Bayushi-sama," she said without her usual scorn or derision. "I fear my skills are insufficient to keep this from being your final ride. Your wounds are simply too grave.
The mission comes first, and so I must leave you to it. For what it's worth....I will remember your name as an honorable one when I stand before Emma-O. May the Fortunes and your Ancestors guide you."

And with that she rode on to leave Yukinaga to find his death among the arrows.

She easily eluded the second patrol

And then the third, where Norikami was awaiting her.

Bayushi Yukinaga · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:23 am **Posts:** 175

Yukinaga nodded gravely to the Yogo "Hai, go Yogo-San. Find the scrolls, it was an honor." He bowed to her in his saddle ignoring the shooting pain it caused him and set himself toward the city. He couldnt make it, he didnt possess the skill to outside the patrols when he was healthy much less when each step of his mount caused him pain.

None the less he set his mouth into a grim line and spurred his horse forward after so much pain his body was numb likely from shock he felt the next arrow pierce his armor but as a strange sensation not pain more just it happened. Yet he rode on bouncing in the saddle, legs weak he rode on seeing the target in the distance......until he couldnt anymore. Suddenly he looked up into the sky he hadn't felt himself fall, couldnt remember the impact, he just felt cold and his mouth was full of blood. Here it was the end of the line in a field, alone, dying because he neglected those horse lessons mother always harped on him about, he chuckled to himself, a small laugh that turned into coughing blood. It would bring her no joy to know she was right.

Faces rushed through his mind, his brother, friends from home and even a few new ones he had met, and finally he saw Kogyoku, her stern yet fair features floating before him and for the first time he felt tears in his eyes, he died with one regret. Just one.

------------------------------------------------------
D7 event horsemanship tn 25 -10 from penalties: 3d10-10 6

D7 arrowssssss 5 of em damage: 5#5d10o10k2 21 15 13 13 22

Mindshred · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 am **Posts:** 1559

Part 2: Toshigoku Portal

After riding hard with little rest, you finally reach Kyuden Asako, leaving the rainstorm behind you. The mountain fortress sits atop an outcrop of black rock that rises above the tree line. Though once beautiful, years of neglect and warfare have left the white walls surrounding the castle shattered and stained with grime.

You carefully make your way through the ruins of the surrounding village, wary of ambush. The setting sun paints the castle in shades of red and orange, making it appears to be covered in blood. It’s not a good omen.

The closer you draw to the castle, the more agitated your horses become, until eventually you are forced to tie them off outside the castle gates to keep them calm. Proceeding forward, you slip past the shattered gates and into the courtyard, where a nightmare awaits.

The portal is a savage rent in the sky, a dimensional rip that seethes and churns like a maelstrom of crimson energy. Just glancing at the portal makes your head hurt, a pressure behind your eyes that makes it difficult to concentrate on anything other than thoughts of violence and bloodshed.

As you carefully approach the portal, it twists and yawns, releasing a hulking creature from its depths. It stands as tall as the largest Crab samurai, with a smooth, carapace-like shell and long horns that jut from the sides of its head. It wields a large blade that glows with dark power in its clawed hands.

“The way is barred,” the monster growls in heavily accented Rokugani. Then it stomps forward, moving deceptively fast for a creature of its size.

Imperialist Victory: Defeat the Tsuno! Victorious characters at Crippled wound rank or above when the enemy is defeated each gain +.3 Glory.

Tsuno Victory: Every character has fled or is at the Out or Dead wound rank.

Rules: This is a combat thread. Characters should include their Initiative, Stance, and Armor TN in their first post; a character may not change their Stance on the first round of combat. If 30 minutes have passed since the last post and you do not show up as being online on the forum (and you have not contact the GM to let them know you are posting), your character’s actions will be ghosted by the GM to keep the event moving at a steady pace.

All characters being the battle 20 feet from the enemy. For the purposes of this event, every participating character is assumed to be in melee.

Characters may flee from the battle as a Complex Action, provided that they are physically capable of movement. Doing so removes them from the combat (and this entire event) at the end of the current combat round. Fleeing characters lose Honor as appropriate. Characters with the Overconfident Disadvantage must pass a Perception Trait Roll (TN 20) before taking this action; if they fail, they must choose a different action and cannot further attempt to flee combat for any reason.

Bayushi Norikami · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:22 pm **Posts:** 315

Tsk..

"Here we go again!"

Norikami reached for his no-dachi, glad to still have Aya at his back.

OOC
Initiative 46
Full Attack
TN 15/20 if higher init
Healthy

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

3/5ths of their team were already dead. Aya did not have time for this shit. This was going to be overly quickly one way or another.

Init: 16, Full Attack Stance o.O TntbH: 5

Mindshred · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 am **Posts:** 1559

Initiative

53

Fear 2: At the beginning of combat, each character must test against Fear 2 (Willpower TN 15, character may add their Honor Rank to the total; those who fail suffer -2k0 on their rolls, and those that fail by 15 or more flee from the encounter).

Bayushi Norikami · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:22 pm **Posts:** 315

Norikami knew the drill. Go over there and try to keep it from running away while Aya brought out one of her better tricks.

With a shout he engaged the Tsuno, unafraid and apparently ready to die as always. He swung his no-dachi hard, striking a like minded opponent that gave no care to defense either. Suited him fine, the blade clipped the Tsuno's leg. A mortal man wouldn't normally shrug that off, he hoped it was enough to trip it up.

OOC
Fear: 21. Success
Attack 39. Success
Damage: 23
Opposed Str: 18
FA Stance
TN 20

Mindshred · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:24 am **Posts:** 1559

The blade cuts into the monster's leg, but the wound is far less than what Norikami likely expected. The beast not only remains standing, it doesn't even recoil from the blow, instead bellowing and hacking downward with is blade over and over again.

There was blood everywhere.

(Opposed Strength 23 passes)
(Two attacks, first at TN 20+2 called Raises, second at TN 20+4 called Raises, 2 for Feint, 2 for SAA penalty)
(Norikami suffers 31 damage, then 32 damage.)

EVENT: Dark Desires (D7, Early Afternoon)

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