March of the Doomed (D3, Late Morning)

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

As word reaches the governor of the Steel Chrysanthemum's approach, he orders that the western gates be opened and the refugees within to be moved south, through the woods to the southern port. Lion samurai gather around the gate, ensuring that the flow of traffic remains strictly one-way.

Thousands of refugees begin a difficult journey through cold, freezing rain, their only goal the distant port and the hope that it represents. As they struggle onward, seemingly without much more guidance than a few low-ranking Lion status to keep them headed in the right direction, morale is low and hope is in short supply...

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Horonigai stands in the frontline of the march. Riding a Rokugani pony and proudly displaying a samshimono with the Imperial mon that flags hope under the fierce rain.

As aligned with the Governor late night on the previous day, she starts coordinating with the low-ranking guiding Lion samurai, so that the influx of people would move at pace, and in the proper direction.

She hopes that further reinforcements would join soon.

Moto Baatar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:41 pm **Posts:** 304

Moto Baatar rode back and forth along the right flank, attempting to help Seppun Horonigai maintain some sense of order. "Forward! Forward, you idiots!" he shouted as he herded the downtrodden refugees south through the pitiless rain.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Riding alongside her is Doji Koushi carrying a satchel. When the Seppun's letter reached him that morning, his initial response had been incredulity. His intention had always been to press the final letters into the hands of some Lion hohei, who would hand it to some ship's captain. Even now, his heart called him to go back to the city, to set up the field hospital he knew would be needed. He was a doctor, dammit, not a hero!

But on reflection, he had set this in motion; he had to see it through. If that meant walking exposed to the port, potentially to be butchered, then that was what it meant.

So he rode through the wet and muck, singing a marching song, banishing fear and doubt with his humble, untrained tenor.

Matsu Erina · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:52 pm **Posts:** 368

Erina continues along, herding the group of weary and desperate refugees. She's in the back, the looming presence of a pair of warcats hopefully putting an extra spring the the step of any stragglers. Nothing quite provided a motivation to keep going, or a reminder of the dangers that lay behind them quite like the literal fangs of beasts.

Erina, unlike many of the other samurai, is on foot, but the pace appears to be no trouble for her at all.

So, Homura's friends asked for help...

It was a curious offers, and at first Erina suspected that she was being mocked in some way for her desire to form a cavalry, only to see horses given out for another purpose, but it was a chance to meet more riders, and a Seppun predisposed to like you hardly hurt.

Matsu Kōgyoku · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:36 pm **Posts:** 368

Matsu Kōgyoku was there, sasumata in hand, often running up and forcing stragglers and smartypants back into the column. There was a good chance that her magisterial gravitas emblazoned on her sashimono would help avoid random indignation preventing steady progress. Time was of the essence.

In the streaks of cold rain the ground was slippery, so she had to march and run very carefully, having her armour's weight on her, digging her heels into the ground wherever she needed more than fleeting support.

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

The group continues its march southward, but the rain, ice, and general exhaustion take their toll, and gradually, the column of refugees begins to stretch out as more and more of them - many of them children or the elderly - begin to fall behind.

Matsu Erina · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:52 pm **Posts:** 368

"Mrrrrgggh." Erina bites back a snarl of frustration. There was a tactical risk by staying this far behind...but she isn't sure that she has a choice. "Kamu, Ore, keep your eyes out for a flank. Come one obaa-chan." Erina starts to help up an elderly woman who had stumbled

Matsu Kōgyoku · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:36 pm **Posts:** 368

Mindshred wrote:

The group continues its march southward, but the rain, ice, and general exhaustion take their toll, and gradually, the column of refugees begins to stretch out as more and more of them - many of them children or the elderly - begin to fall behind.

As far as Kōgyoku could help it, it wouldn't stand. She would try to spot the real stragglers to extract them from the column so as the rest could go on.

Moto Baatar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:41 pm **Posts:** 304

"Ho! Keep up with the column if you want to live!" the Unicorn exhorted, riding his horse back and forth to shepherd the stragglers back into marching formation.

"My grandpa can't!" wailed a young child leaning over a wizened old man who had fallen into the mud and seemed unable to stand.

"Shi-Tien!" Baatar swore explosively, as against his better judgement he dismounted and helped the weak old man onto the back of his horse. This only prompted several more refugees to surround them, begging for a ride, finally annoying Horse enough to prompt him to show his teeth. "Back! Back to the march!" Baatar shouted as he remounted. "If you can stand, you can walk!"

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

The group gains a bit more coherence as its escorts help the slower members push forward a bit more.

Matsu Kōgyoku wrote:

As far as Kōgyoku could help it, it wouldn't stand. She would try to spot the real stragglers to extract them from the column so as the rest could go on.

Kōgyoku's attempts to segregate the stragglers is relatively easy, as they are mostly lingering at the back of the column. They seem to be a few hundred in number.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Inspired to be in the company of outstanding samurai of renown, potential and above all, honor, Horonigai nods to the ones she's able to see, confident that the duty ahead of them would be dealt with their full enthusiasm.

Since she wasn't able to get her pony so rapidly around, the Seppun helps coordinate communication getting established with the rest of the samurai, so that command would boom any potential lower morale individual back into the fitness the situation required. She knew the Lion would deal with any failure in the best way possible to reach their objective.

"We have to keep them moving, onegai shimasu," She mentions to the highest ranking officer at her side.

Additionally, the Miharu tries to analyze the path ahead, willing to find terrain to move fast and firm to the port.

----
[Perception/Battle: 5d10o10k3 29]
[Perception/Investigation(Notice): 6d10ro1o10k3 24

Matsu Kōgyoku · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:36 pm **Posts:** 368

Kōgyoku took a straggling child and put it on her shoulders for a piggyback ride. Sweat was flooding her face as she started shouting.

"Listen! I'll be closing the column! Whoever goes slower than me will be prodded with my sasumata. You march for your lives. You choose between exhaustion now or being horribly slaughtered before the day is over. Whoever lags behind me will be swiftly cut down to save them from a much worse fate. Now go!"

[Pacing at Water 1-2]

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

Seppun Horonigai wrote:

Additionally, the Miharu tries to analyze the path ahead, willing to find terrain to move fast and firm to the port.

----
[Perception/Battle: 5d10o10k3 29]
[Perception/Investigation(Notice): 6d10ro1o10k3 24

Horonigai leads the refugees forward, choosing the best paths as she makes her way through the forest and hills. Eventually, she reaches the crest of a hill that overlooks the winding path down the cliffside to the port town below.

In an instant, she realizes that something is wrong. Many of the buildings are charred and partially burnt, and the large kobunes docked at the port are sitting low in the water, as if they have been scuttled. There is no sign of any smaller ships, not even so much as a fishing boat, from Horoniagai's vantage point.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

For his part, Koushi calls out to the host in a loud voice.

"Those who can, pick up their smallest."

To demonstrate, he accepts a baby from a young woman so that she can hoist a toddler onto her shoulders. He makes a makeshift baby-carrier out of his straw cloak.

AS the port came into view, he turned his head to the Seppun. "Unexpected."

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:50 pm

Tsukimi was following in the back, and as people were starting to fall behind, she stepped in to offer her help.

Strengthened by the power of Water, she easily picked up one of the elderly who had trouble walking and gave them a piggy-back ride.

---------

D3 LM Activating Touch of the Void Dragon (Water). Meditation/Void. TN 15: 5d10o10k3 20 -> Water 4 for the scene

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Mindshred wrote:

In an instant, she realizes that something is wrong. Many of the buildings are charred and partially burnt, and the large kobunes docked at the port are sitting low in the water, as if they have been scuttled. There is no sign of any smaller ships, not even so much as a fishing boat, from Horoniagai's vantage point.

Kusokusokuso! The Miharu curses internally while gritting her teeth.

With a sharp wave of her closed hand upwards, she orders a full stop before the rest of the samurai –– and specially heimin –– could have a glimpse of the situation.

"Matsu-san," She calls for one of the Lion runners, "Get me Matsu Kougyoku-san, the Unicorn rider, the Beastmaster and any Dragon samurai you can find, immediatelly."

The Seppun turns to Koushi, getting the pony closer to inform him of what she's seeing. "Doji-san. I need advice. It seems someone else has reached the port before we could."

Moto Baatar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:41 pm **Posts:** 304

"Hang on, old man," Baatar commanded his passenger, as he rode forward towards the burned port to reconnoiter. The enemy had already been here, it was clear ... but were they still here?

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Koushi nodded once. "Hai."

He hesitated.

"I anticipate that we will be attacked momentarily. Two paths remain open to us; a generalized dispersal, or setting these ones on a march south. Whatever happens, the garrison in the city must believe that the refugees escaped....or, at the very least, remain ignorant of their fate."

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 9:06 pm

Still carrying the elderly woman on her back, Tsukimi hustled quickly ahead to catch up when she was told she was commanded to the front.

Once at the front, the woman was set down next to some of the healthier looking folks who could give her something to lean on.

"Seppun-sama? My presence was requested?" she asked, looking to the Imperial and the other samurai gathered. Her breath was a bit heavier now from the heavy lifting and hustling.

March of the Doomed (D3, Late Morning)

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