A Flight Of Dragons (D1, LE. Dragon Only)

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

In the light of such a blatant statement, Iko tries to keep her calm but the shock radiates through her body and the charcoal in her hand cracks with a sharp sound.

Her mouth gapes like a fish as she tries to find words to speak but nothing comes out...until she focuses on those last few words.

Just....yet... And her fears were confirmed, he had known, he had always known.

Her handler had told her they had difficulties inserting agents into the Dragon, she had privately wondered how she had lasted this long.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

At the sound of cracking charcoal, Wasako quickly looked to Iko and wanted to offer her writing kit but unfortunately didn't bring it with her. Charcoal was rather clumsy for writing and made a fine mess everywhere. However, the Champion discouraged note-taking in this part of the lesson so Wasako thought better than to offer. Masters, certainly someone like Iko must have a lot Dragons keeping tabs on her, given her importance.

Or is that masters in the figurative sense? Like the elements? Or the multiple decisions we're capable of as people?

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2020 2:07 am

Tsukimi hadn't thought too much about their Lord's comment to Iko, but Iko's reaction seemed... overly dramatic? Was there something she wasn't seeing, or something she didn't know? So it made her curious who these masters were to make the duelist react so intensely.

Looking over their gathered numbers, they seemed to be almost everyone? At least everyone she knew of.

"I think... that regardless of what we might each feel individually, what has happened is causing great ripples throughout the Empire. And if the refugees today are an indication, this place will be the first to feel it. The overall feeling of the ones gathered here seem to be to stand against the Steel Chrysanthemum."

She wasn't sure if everyone had caught that in the impromptu court, so it felt right to bring it up.

Agasha Manami · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:19 am **Posts:** 34

Feeling the tension in the room, and out of her element but impetuous enough to speak anyway, the young Agasha proceeds carefully:

"With my lord's permission..." She foolishly looks to see if her champion will react, even knowing he will show nothing.

Her face reveals a flash of exasperation at herself, but she continues.

"I do not know yet what to make of the ways of this spirit emperor. But I have seen, as recently as yesterday on the road from Morikage Toshi, spirit warriors -- who seem to be at his command -- striking down defenseless courtiers and servants as they flee through winter snow. It seems that few people of honor would follow this one who would be emperor again on such a path."

Manami keeps her eyes downcast as she finishes, clearly anxious.

Agasha Poemu · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:47 pm **Posts:** 896

Poemu had listened as best she could to all that was said. She'd not even flinched at the snap of charcoal, doing her best to stay level headed. After Tsukimi spoke, she finally spoke again.

"One conclusion seems to have been reached, and that is that there's still much we don't know, and that we may never know. We should all realize that for our entire lives and strive to know more to always be ready to learn and grow."

A pause, Poemu looking around. "That said, there are some times that we must act without full knowledge. Perhaps that means we will act wrongly. Perhaps, for instance, Hantai XVI would be the best ruler this realm could hope for. Regardless of what he has done and... where he has been... he is still a descendent of Hantai-Kami. The histories say he ruler as well as all Emperor's have."

"In the end, we can't ignore what has been done. Perhaps, as you say Togashi-dono, the Kami themselves may not have been right. They came from outside, just as the returned Hantai has. Yet, you also say we make our own fate. Blessed or cursed, I believe Tsukimi-san and Manami-san have stated well what fate we have cast ourselves to. We will learn, adapt, of course, but Rokugan has flourished both by the ways of the Kami and the will of humans. Would Togashi-dono have us move down a different path? You are our lord, and even if we choose our own fate, we are samurai still, and we follow you."

She kowtowed.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

Wasako gave a few sound nods at the Agasha, "It's hard to know for sure without full knowledge, especially without prior precedence. Even if we had one, it's such a peculiar occurrence that it could have a number of results. The first drop in a ripple is often the harshest but it may still eventually and we see serenity in the bigger picture. Change is hard but without knowing the final destination, we don't know where that change might lead us."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

Myo-en casts Iko a look of concern. It's clear from her old comrade's sudden paralysis that there is something going on beneath the surface here; she'll have to make sure Iko is all right later... she twitches her shoulder in wordless disagreement with Karasu-san's much less sympathetic bird-chortle.

"Yes," she nods in Manami's direction, the tattoos wrapping her shoulders seeming to ripple a little in the lamplight. "Those stories from the road trouble me, too. Even if the choice is all ours and Heaven doesn't speak... I would not choose to give that realm more influence. If existence is changing ourselves until we find stillness, that is not where I want to come to rest."

She shrugs a little, this time careful not to disturb her feathered companion. "Besides. This returned Emperor is not the last Hantei living."

Togashi Mai · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:22 am **Posts:** 417

Togashi Mai, in attendance as well as the others but ultimately having not poked her head up without cause as the events proceeded. Watching from her comfortable position she had made note of the arrival of their most important personage. While others thought themselves toward the debate, Mai thought herself toward the tattoo's that emblazoned their lord. Captivated by their majesty in no small way as the others went on to speak their pieces.

Though she had sat there, knowing of the presence of the others through the Void that rested upon and acted as if it shimmered on her shoulder. She too was surprised by the near sudden appearance of their lord. It was an awe inspiring moment, to say the least, and she was content to lose herself in the majesty of that too.

Drifting from this reverie she did what she could, listened to the room, and worked toward catching up on what the conversation currently was.

Togashi Motaro · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:24 pm **Posts:** 12

Motaro allows the silence to drag out for a few minutes before smoothly standing.

"The time of darkness is upon us," he says, his voice solemn. "The storm grows closer with each passing day, and we must all play our part."

He turns to face Tsukimi, and when he does, he is holding an ornate wooden box in his hands. He stares down into her eyes, then carefully hands her the box.

Then, the Dragon Champion is simply... gone.

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

Iko watches the exchange with bated breath, exhaling long and slow after Motaro disappears as she packs up her writing set.

Her curiosity is beyond piqued, but she tries not to draw too much attention to herself, just drinking in every detail about the box.

D1 LE Craft woodworking + VP: 5d10o10k4 25

Agasha Manami · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:19 am **Posts:** 34

Manami's eyes flash around the room after Togashi Motaro vanishes, baffled by what's happened. Her head whips around so she can glare at her yojimbo, but Takeshi shrugs as though nothing happened.

Manami's head swings back to the group, her face still vexed. "Did he ... Did that ... ?" She finally gives up on words after waving her hands at the empty space where the hulking champion had been moments before.

Togashi Mai · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:22 am **Posts:** 417

"Greatness is ever fleeting, at one moment it is there and the other.." she smiled to herself, to stop herself from laughing in such dignified company she couldn't let herself finish the joke. But how it burned to hold it back, enough to hurt the heart.

Agasha Manami · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:19 am **Posts:** 34

The fiery young Agasha glares at her Togashi elder, remembering more fully why the Mantis Isles have been so comfortable for her youth. Closing her eyes and shaking her head faintly, Manami quiets herself.

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:01 am

As her lord and Champion looked at her, Tsukimi calmly waited to see what would happen. What he would say or do... everything would seem clearer soon. Being given something was surprising, and the nun carefully took the box in her hands.

And then he was gone.

"We are blessed, " she murmured to the others, both hands too occupied now to worry about her mark.

Carefully, she touched the lid on the box, nudging it gently open to catch a glimpse of what was inside.

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

Watching Tsukimi's hands move, almost in slow motion, Iko held up a hand to stop her, to tell her to pause and take some time to examine the box first...but she was too late.

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

Togashi Tsukimi wrote:

Carefully, she touched the lid on the box, nudging it gently open to catch a glimpse of what was inside.

The box contained a severed hand.

Upon closer examination, it was more like a sculpture of a hand, wrist, and partial forearm. It seemed to have been formed from numerous small, segmented pieces of jade.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

Wasako gave two blinks when Matoro vanished out of thin air, perhaps in the same way he had entered in the first place. Perhaps he was never there to begin with and this was merely a vision that was shared, such things have happened before apparently. However, a vision couldn't leave a physical object. She straightened in her seat to try to catch a glimpse of its contents, even if it wasn't meant for her.

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2020 2:04 pm

The nun seemed taken aback by what she saw. First because it had looked like a severed hand, and then... jade? A... jade hand? She held the lid open, so that the others would see as well.

But for now Tsukimi seemed almost speechless as she tried to understand why this had been given to her.

---

OOC: Just giving everyone a chance to react and catch up.

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

Iko was confused. When Tsukimi opened the box more fully, for all to see, she too caught a glimpse of what was inside.

"What the...???"

She tried to wrack her brain for any idea of what it was, it looked impressive like a piece of art, but it also seemed so much more...

D1 LE Lore: Nemuranai VP for skill. 1 raise?: 4d10o10k3 23

Agasha Manami · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:19 am **Posts:** 34

Once Manami sees what's in the box, she immediately sits back and wracks her brain for any clue to the nature or significance of this jade item. She closes her eyes and focuses as much as she can.

OOC: Rolling Lore Theology to see if Manami knows anything at all about how this fits in the universe. 33.

A Flight Of Dragons (D1, LE. Dragon Only)

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